Search

Mismanagement of hazardous waste (HW) causes severe threats to ecosystems and human health. We conducted a systematic literature review and evaluated the evidence regarding the association between residential exposure to HW and childhood neurobehavioral effects. We consulted international agencies websites and conducted a search on MEDLINE and EMBASE databases by applying a "Population-Exposure-Comparator-Outcome" question. The evidence evaluation, based on the quality of the studies and their concordance, was graded in sufficient/limited/inadequate. Documents from international agencies were not found. Of the seventy-five studies screened, nine met the eligibility criteria. Studies agree on the association between residential exposure to HW sites and negative neurodevelopmental effects. The evidence of the association was attributed limited to cognitive and behavioral outcomes, and inadequate to Autism Spectrum Disorder. The evidence was evaluated sufficient for HW sites releasing lead and cognitive disorders. Residential exposure to unsafe HW sites may contribute to childhood neurobehavioral alterations. It is urgent to implement environmental remediation of contaminated sites and counteracting illegal and unsafe HW management practices.

At hazardous waste sites, volatile chemicals can migrate through groundwater and soil into buildings, a process known as vapor intrusion. Due to increasing recognition of vapor intrusion as a potential indoor air pollution source, in 2015 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new vapor intrusion guidance document. The guidance specifies two conditions for demonstrating that remediation is needed: (1) proof of a vapor intrusion pathway; and (2) evidence that human health risks exceed established thresholds (for example, one excess cancer among 10,000 exposed people). However, the guidance lacks details on methods for demonstrating these conditions. We review current evidence suggesting that monitoring and modeling approaches commonly employed at vapor intrusion sites do not adequately characterize long-term exposure and in many cases may underestimate risks. On the basis of this evidence, we recommend specific approaches to monitoring and modeling to account for these uncertainties. We propose a value of information approach to integrate the lines of evidence at a site and determine if more information is needed before deciding whether the two conditions specified in the vapor intrusion guidance are satisfied. To facilitate data collection and decision-making, we recommend a multi-directional community engagement strategy and consideration of environment justice concerns.

Low remediation efficiency due to low bioavailability is a primary restrictive factor for phytoremediation applications. Specifically, this investigation examines whether Suaeda heteroptera Kitagawa (S. heteroptera) can be used in combination with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to remediate contaminated site. The study was conducted on the growth response of S. heteroptera, bioavailability and dissipation of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs) in soil under the influence of β-CD Our preliminary studies confirmed that β-CD is effective in increasing the biomass and height of plants. The presence of β-CD could dramatically elevate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and n-alkanes in S. heteroptera. Moreover, a remarkable positive correlation between PHs levels in roots with the dosage of β-CD and a negative correlation between the PHs levels in roots with KOW of PHs have been observed. The dissipation of n-alkanes was estimated to be 38.73–62.27%, and the dissipation of PAHs was 36.59–60.10%. In addition, the dissipation behavior of n-alkanes and PAHs was well agreement with the first-order kinetic model. These results display that applying β-CD accelerated the desorption process of PHs from soil and promoted the absorption process of PHs onto the root epidermis. The enhancement of phytoremediation was achieved by increasing the bioavailability of PHs. NOVELTY STATEMENT: There has been an increasing concern regarding soil contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs) released by industrial activities. The study attempted to investigate how β-CD affects the phytoremediation of PHs-contaminated sites. The findings of this study offer an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method of phytoremediating industrially contaminated sites using β-CD enhanced-phytoremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution makes some leisure activities not only possible but pleasurable, an analysis known as "polluted leisure." In this paper, I extend this analysis with case examples of leisure participants adept use of polluted spaces. This adept use suggests that some leisure participants are "enskiled" at polluted leisure, possessing an embodied ecological familiarity with polluted spaces similar to a sailor who has a real knack for getting their sea legs. I present a case example of skateboarders building formal and informal skateparks on remediated Superfund sites and brownfields to further encourage this notion of polluted leisure enskilment. I then develop this notion of polluted leisure enskilment using Guattari's "ecosophy," a way of being most suitable for our Anthropocene age, claiming that skateboarding's esthetic enmeshed in polluted space offers a lived ecosophy. I conclude with potential extensions of this research in leisure studies, spatial justice, and skate studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to evaluate the distribution of organochlorine pesticides in the Loktak Lake and its draining rivers over a spatial and seasonal scale. Organochlorine pesticides including α- HCH, β- HCH, γ- HCH, δ- HCH, Aldrin, 4,4-DDE, Endrin, Endosulfan II, 4,4-DDD, Endrin Aldehyde, Endosulfan sulphate and 4,4-DDT were analysed in the water and sediments adopting gas chromatography and mass spectrometric techniques. The concentration of pesticides recorded the highest concentration of 2271 ng/l in the water samples and 5319 ng/g in sediment samples. In water samples, Endosulfan II, Endrin and γ- HCH were present at the higher concentrations, whereas α-BHC was recorded at the lowest at 0.78 ng/l. In sediment samples, 4, 4-DDT recorded the highest concentration, followed by 4,4-DDD and Endosulfan II. Human health risk assessment based on water consumption shows higher risk potential from five pesticides. Pesticides in the region may pose a threat to the wetland comprising vital flora and fauna of the biodiversity hotspot. The bacterial population was more or less related to the pesticide concentration, with a lower population at less contaminated sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoremediation technology utilises the ability of plants to remove metal toxicity in the soil. Bamboo is one of the fast-growing woody plants that may potentially facilitate the immediate removal of toxic metals from the soil. This study was conducted to identify the potential of Dendrocalamus asper in phytofiltering metal elements from the mining sites such as the Chini watershed in Pahang. Dendrocalamus asper was grown in a greenhouse with several applications of bamboo biochar (BB) and EDTA in addition to the efficiency test in reducing soil contaminants for 100 days. The present study found Dendrocalamus asper with the addition of BB+EDTA had reduced 37.44% Fe, 43.72% As, 79.27% Pb, 22.67% Cd, and 48.60% Al concentration in the soil. The same treatment also showed a higher plant accumulation of metal concentrations Pb (31-fold) followed by Al (1.3-fold), Cr (1.3-fold), As (1.05-fold), Fe (82%) and Cd (81%) compared to the control. Growing bamboo with the combination of BB+EDTA was found to be useful for Pb phytoextraction and suitable as a phytostabiliser for Al, Fe, As, Cr and Cd. The understanding in the potential of Dendrocalamus asper in reducing soil contaminants may benefit stakeholders in managing and r estoring contaminated sites in the fut ure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial activities have historically generated significant quantities of by-products, including pyrite cinders, a residue produced during the synthesis of sulphuric acid. This study presents a multidisciplinary approach to characterise an abandoned pyrite cinder deposit. Combining geophysical (electrical resistivity tomography—ERT), geochemical, and statistical methods, we assess the physicochemical properties of the deposit and its environmental implications. Our findings reveal the presence of heavy metals, with lead (7017.5 mg.kg−1) being the most concentrated element on the surface of the deposit, exceeding local legal thresholds by more than 163 times, posing environmental risks and inhibiting vegetation growth. Subsurface characterisation indicates a decreasing concentration trend of metals with depth, alongside variations in pH and electrical conductivity. Clustering analysis identifies groups of similar behaviours between resistivity, the most abundant heavy metals, and other variables, providing valuable insights into the complex interplay within the deposit. Our study underscores the importance of integrated approaches in assessing and managing hazardous waste sites, with implications for environmental remediation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African American (AA) women confront distinct disparities in breast cancer rates, and the impact of their living environment is unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between breast cancer incidence and environmental factors among a high-risk female population. The study recruited 355 AA women ages 20–88 in Memphis from 2016–2018. Their addresses were geocoded and linked to environmental and socioeconomic data. The final dataset contained 50 cases and 157 controls. Associations between breast cancer incidence and social and environmental factors were examined using logistic regression. Spatial analysis in ArcGIS showed that cases clustered in Southwest Memphis. Proximity to traffic and Superfund sites had odds ratios of 1.636 (95% CI: 25 1.046, 2.560) and 12.262 (95% CI: 1.814, 82.864), respectively. Mediating analyses further revealed that environmental inequities contributed significantly to breast cancer inequalities. In conclusion, the built environment plays a role in breast cancer onset among AA females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crude oil contamination has been widely recognized as a major environmental issue due to its various adverse effects. The use of inhabitant microorganisms (native to the contaminated sites) to detoxify/remove pollutants owing to their diverse metabolic capabilities is an evolving method for the removal/degradation of petroleum industry contaminants. The present study deals with the exploitation of native resident bacteria from crude oil contaminated site (oil exploration field) for bioremediation procedures. Fifteen (out of forty-four) bioremediation-relevant aerobic bacterial strains, belonging to the genera of Bacillus, Stenotrophomonas, Pseudomonas, Paenibacillus, Rhizobium, Burkholderia, and Franconibacter, isolated from crude oil containing sludge, have been selected for the present bioremediation study. Crude oil bioremediation performance of the selected bacterial consortium was assessed using microcosm-based studies. Stimulation of the microbial consortium with nitrogen or phosphorous led to the degradation of 60–70% of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) in 0.25% and 0.5% crude oil experimental sets. CO2 evolution, indicative of crude oil mineralization, was evident with the highest evolution being 28.6 mg mL−1. Ecotoxicity of treated crude oil-containing media was assessed using plant seed germination assay, in which most of the 0.25% and 0.5% treated crude oil sets gave positive results thereby suggesting a reduction in crude oil toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1980s, low-permeability slurry trench cutoff walls have been widely constructed as barriers to retard the migration of contaminants. The thickness of the cutoff walls is a key determinant of the wall service life. Through a series of theoretical derivations, simplified methods for determining the flux limit and concentration limit were proposed to determine the thickness of cutoff walls for contaminated sites with constant pollutant flux. The relative errors of both the flux-based and concentration-based methods increase as the breakthrough criterion of the ratio between the specified limit concentration of the contaminant to the source concentration (C*) and the ratio of the limited value of contaminant flux to the constant source flux (F*) increases, with a given Peclet number PL. The maximum relative error reaches 4% and 6% when C* and F* are both 0.1, which covers most practical situations in cutoff wall design. Good agreements of wall thickness were obtained between the proposed simplified methods and analytical solutions via a clear example. The proposed method can efficiently simplify the design process of cutoff walls with high accuracy, providing a basis for containing contaminated sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how adding stable manure affected the transport of atrazine within agricultural soils from Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. Based on the batch and miscible-displacement experiments, it was found that atrazine sorption was nonlinear, following a Freundlich isotherm, and was rate-limited and reversible for both the non-amended and amended soil. The addition of manure resulted in higher retardation of atrazine, with R values of 10.1 to 19.1, compared to values of 3.2 to 4.3 for the non-amended soil. The KF values for stable-manure amended soil calculated from batch experiment was three times higher than non-amended soil. The transportation of atrazine shows non-ideal behavior, characterized by significant elution tailing at low concentrations due to the organic carbon content of the soil. This effect was more prominent in soil with a 10% stable-manure amendment. By incorporating non-linear sorption, a two-site transport modeling approach provides a reasonably accurate representation of the atrazine breakthrough curves. The distinct sorption-desorption characteristics of atrazine have significant implications for risk assessment of atrazine-contaminated soil and should be considered in the regulation, management, and remediation of such contaminated sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biochemical response of plants exposed to pesticides and inoculated with microorganisms is of great importance to explore cleaning up strategies for contaminated sites with pyrethroid-based pesticides. We evaluated the effects of a Trichoderma consortium on the biochemical responses of Echinochloa polystachya plants during the removal of a pyrethroid-based pesticide. Plants were inoculated or not with the Trichoderma consortium and exposed to commercial pesticide H24®, based on pyrethroids. Pesticide application resulted in significant reduction in root protein content (58%), but enhanced content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in shoots, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in shoots and roots, and catalase (CAT) activity in roots. Inoculation of Trichoderma consortium in E. polystachya exposed to the pesticide resulted in increased protein content in roots and MDA content in shoots (2-fold). Trichoderma consortium improved protein content and SOD activity (140-fold) in plants. Fungal inoculation increased the removal (97.9%) of the pesticide in comparison to the sole effect of plants (33.9%). Results allow further understanding about the responses of the interaction between plants and root-associated fungi to improving the assisted-phytoremediation of solid matrices contaminated with organic pesticides. NOVELTY STATEMENT: This original paper describes the positive role of the Trichoderma sp. consortium on favoring the removal of a pyretrhoid-based pesticide. This is one of first reports on analyzing the influence of a Trichoderma consortium on the oxidative stress and antioxidant response of Echinochloa polystachya in presence of the pesticide. This experimental approach provides a new alternative for further fungal assisted-phytoremediation of a pyretrhoid-based pesticide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issues associated with long‐screened wells (LSWs) (and open boreholes) at contaminated sites are well documented in the groundwater literature but are still not fully appreciated in practice. As established in seminal and review papers going back over three decades, the interpretation of sampling results from LSWs is challenging in the presence of vertical hydraulic gradients and borehole flow; furthermore, LSWs allow for vertical redistribution of contamination between aquifer layers. Acknowledgment of these issues has led to the development of new technologies and well designs to enable discrete‐zone monitoring (DZM), yet LSWs remain common for many reasons, for example, as multipurpose wells, for geophysical logging, and (or) as legacy installations. Despite the literature on LSWs and despite the adoption of DZM at many sites, the use of LSWs persists and the challenges of interpreting sampling results from LSWs remain. In this issue paper, we provide a conceptual overview of the problems posed by LSWs and review existing literature and past work to improve the interpretation of sampling in LSWs. We draw on experience from previous studies at the Hanford Site in eastern WA, USA, and use synthetic examples to illustrate key concepts and challenges for interpretation. A recently published analytical modeling framework is used to develop illustrative synthetic examples and demonstrate a workflow for building scientific intuition to understand issues around interpreting samples from LSWs, which is critical to effective characterization and groundwater remediation at sites with LSWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoremediation is a promising technique to clean the noxious contaminants from soil, air and water as the pollutants like heavy metals which severely affect the environment due to anthropogenic activities. Most of pollutants de-contamination methods are costly and have low performance. Phytoremediation is effective and affordable green technology which uses selected green plants. Different plants species experimentally proven to absorb different metals like Pb, Zn, As, Cd, Cr from contaminated sites. This review focuses on development of phytoremediation of metals from environmental compartments. The aim of this review to conduct the studies on phytoremediation in Pakistan in the last two decades phytoremediation has different mechanisms such as phytoextraction, phytodegradation, phytovolatilization, phytostabilization and Rhizofiltration. In Pakistan out of 400 plant species only 50 plant species were observed to clean contaminated soil, air and water. Heavy metals contamination has become most alarming problem worldwide. A previous study revealed about 1.7 billion places are affected from heavy metals contamination especially in developing countries. Metals are non bio-degradable and tend to bio-accumulate and biomagnify in food chain and linked with many diseases, their remediation using plants is economical and environmental friendly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arctic region has undergone warming at a rate more than 3 times higher than the global average. This warming has led to the degradation of near-surface permafrost, resulting in decreased ground stability. This instability not only poses a primary hazard to Arctic infrastructure and human-impacted areas but can also lead to secondary ecological hazards from infrastructure failure associated with hazardous materials. This development underscores the need for a comprehensive inventory of critical infrastructure and human-impacted areas. The inventory should be linked to environmental data to assess their susceptibility to permafrost degradation as well as the ecological consequences that may arise from infrastructure failure. Here, we provide such an inventory for Alaska, a vast state covering approximately 1.7 × 106 km 2 , with a population of over 733 000 people and a history of industrial development on permafrost. Our Synthesized Inventory of CRitical Infrastructure and HUman-Impacted Areas in AlaSka (SIRIUS) integrates data from (i) the Sentinel-1/2-derived Arctic Coastal Human Impact dataset (SACHI); (ii) OpenStreetMap (OSM); (iii) the pan-Arctic Catchment Database (ARCADE); (iv) a dataset of permafrost extent, probability and mean annual ground temperatures; and (v) the Contaminated Sites Database and reports to create a unified new dataset of critical infrastructure and human-impacted areas as well as permafrost and watershed information for Alaska. The integration process included harmonizing spatial references, extents and geometries across all the datasets as well as incorporating a uniform usage type classification scheme for the infrastructure data. Additionally, we employed text-mining techniques to generate complementary geospatial data from textual reports on contaminated sites, including details on contaminants, cleanup duration and the affected media. The combination of SACHI and OSM enhanced the detail of the usage type classification for infrastructure from 5 to 13 categories, allowing the identification of elements critical to Arctic communities beyond industrial sites. Further, the new inventory integrates the high spatial detail of OSM with the unbiased infrastructure detection capability of SACHI, accurately representing 94 % of the polygonal infrastructure and 78 % of the linear infrastructure, respectively. The SIRIUS dataset is presented as a GeoPackage, enabling spatial analysis and queries of its components, either as a function of or in combination with one another. The dataset is available on Zenodo at 10.5281/zenodo.8311243. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies apply geochemical concepts governing fluoride fate and transport in natural waters to geochemical conditions at contaminated industrial sites. This has negative implications for designing sampling and compliance monitoring programs and informing remediation decision‐making. We compiled geochemical data for 566 groundwater samples from industrial waste streams associated with elevated fluoride and that span a range of geochemical conditions, including alkaline spent potliner, near‐neutral pH coal combustion, and acidic gypsum stack impoundments. Like natural systems, elevated fluoride (hundreds to thousands of ppm) exists at the pH extremes and is generally tens of ppm at near‐neutral pH conditions. Geochemical models identify pH‐dependent fluoride complexation at low pH and carbonate stability at high pH as dominant processes controlling fluoride mobility. Limitations in available thermochemical, kinetic rate, and adsorption/desorption data and lack of complete analyses present uncertainties in quantitative models used to assess fluoride mobility at industrial sites. Practitioner Points: Geochemical fundamentals of fluoride fate and transport in groundwater are communicated for environmental practitioners.Fluoride is a reactive constituent in groundwater, and factors that govern attenuation are identified.Geochemical models are useful for identifying fluoride attenuation processes, but quantitative use is limited by thermodynamic data uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]