Attic Dust Samples Research Articles

Distribution and impacts of contamination by natural and artificial radionuclides in attic dust and urban soil samples from a former industrial Hungarian city: A case study from Salgótarján

Primordial radionuclides can be found in all environmental compartments. Since coal-fired power plants (CFPP) can be a source of additional radionuclide contamination because coal contains natural radioactive isotopes such as 238U (226Ra) and 232Th. This study investigated the impact of such possible radionuclide contamination from former heavy industrial activities, namely a former local coal-fired power plant, in urban soils and attic dust in Salgótarján, Hungary. Even today, industrial by-products, e.g., coal ash, in this city represent significant threat to its residents. A total of 36 attic dust samples (family houses, kindergartens, churches and blockhouses) were collected and 19 urban soil samples (playgrounds, kindergartens, parks and others) were selected no further than 500 m from the corresponding attic dust sampling sites. Additionally, a coal ash and a brown forest soil sample were also collected to differentiate between the anthropogenic and geogenic sources in the residential area. The sampled houses, built between 1890 and 1990, are considered to be representative sampling sites for long-term accumulations of attic dust. The mean values of the total U, Th and Cs (mg kg−1) concentrations as well as those of K (m/m %) in attic dust and urban soil samples are 2.4, 3.6, 1.7 and 0.6 and 1.1, 4.4, 1.2 and 0.3, respectively, measured using ICP-MS. The mean activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in attic dust and urban soil samples are 43.3, 34.0, 534.4 and 88.5 and 25.1, 32.8, 386.4 and 5.6 Bq kg−1, respectively, by using a low-background iron chamber with a well-type HPGe and a n-type coaxial HPGe detector.The elemental compositions (U, Th) and activity concentrations (226Ra, 232Th) along with their abundances in coal ash from the CFPP increase in both studied media as the distance of the sampling sites from the CFPP decreases. Two outlier attic dust samples in particular show significantly high activity concentrations of 226Ra: 145 and 143, of 232Th: 83 and 94 Bq kg−1, which can be considered as a proxy of unweathered coal ash. The calculated total absorbed gamma dose rate (D) and annual effective dose (E) received from urban soils indicate that the presence of the CFPP, coal ash cone and slag dumps does not cause an increase in the level of background radiation in Salgótarján. However, the concentrations of the studied radionuclides are much higher (except for 232Th) and exhibit higher degree of variability in the samples of attic dustthan in those of urban soils. The study suggests that attic dust preserves the undisturbed ‘fingerprints’ of long-term atmospheric deposition thanks to its chemical and physical properties unlike urban soil.

Activity concentration of 137Cs in undisturbed attic dust collected from Salgótarján and Ózd (northern Hungary)

Due to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, contaminated air masses, containing 137Cs, were widely propagated across all of Europe. Cesium-137 is easily adsorbed on aerosol particles as it returns to the lithosphere/pedosphere/via wet and dry deposition in the form of a radioactive fallout component. Following the nuclear accident, primary attention was paid to agricultural areas and less to urban environments. Our 137Cs activity study using undisturbed attic dust samples has been carried out from two residential areas (city of Salgótarján and Ózd) in northern Hungary, approx. 1000 km away from Chernobyl. A total of 61 attic dust samples were collected in 2016 and 2018 from houses (>30 years) functioning as family house, kindergarten, blockhouse and church. Activity concentration of 137Cs was determined for 1–2 g homogenized (<125 μm) attic dust samples in a low background iron chamber with a well-type HPGe detector. The mean 137Cs activity concentrations in attic dust samples are 88.5 ± 5.1 Bq kg−1 and 87.8 ± 4.5 Bq kg−1 in Salgótarján and Ózd, respectively. The dependence between 137Cs activities and the age of the houses was found to be significant (p=0.02), which could be explained by Chernobyl nuclear accident-causing elevated activity concentrations in location built prior to the accident. Three outliers in Ózd (>223 Bq kg−1), are probably related to the first rainfall event after the Chernobyl accident. Isotopic landscapes (isoscapes) of 137Cs were derived for both cities by means of kriging interpolation. In Salgótarján the 137Cs activity concentrations were higher than in Ózd which might have been due to redistribution loadings and local topographical features. We concluded that components of attic dust are highly useful indicators of home exposure to pollution events and remain detectable after several decades.

Distribution of potentially harmful elements in attic dust from the City of Coronel (Chile).

Attic dusts provide an indirect measure of airborne pollutants deposited in the urban environment. The objectives of this study are: (1) to determine the concentrations of As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V and Zn in attic dust in the City of Coronel, (2) to evaluate the source apportionment of PHE and (3) to assess the risk of health effects from exposure in adults and children. In the City of Coronel, attic dust samples were collected in 19 houses. The concentrations of As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V and Zn were measured in ICP-OES after Aqua Regia digestion of < 75µm dust sample. The median (and the range) concentration (mg kg-1) of potentially harmful elements was: As 16 (7-72), Ba 154 (53-251), Cd 0.8 (0.25-14.5), Co 12, (8-22), Cr 38 (22-482), Cu 107 (44-1641), Mn 698 (364-1245), Ni 51 (24-1734), Pb 66 (18-393), Sr 131 (52-252), V 129 (57-376) and Zn 815 (107-9761). The exploratory data analysis shows that Ni, Cu, Cr, Zn, Pb and As distribution is dominated by anthropogenic sources and characterized by high extreme values. Principal component analysis shows four factors. One factor is geogenic, while the other three factors are associated with transport emissions and the industrial park. The resulting median of cumulative noncarcinogenic risk (HIs) value for attic dust was 3.49 for children. This is significant, as any value greater than one indicates an elevated risk.

Enchasing anthropogenic element trackers for evidence of long-term atmospheric depositions in mine environs

In this work attic dust was examined as historical archive of anthropogenic emissions, with the aim of elucidating the pathways of enrichments associated with exploitation of Cu, Pb, and Zn minerals in the Bregalnica river basin region. Attic dust samples were collected from 84 settlements. At each location for attic dust sampling, topsoil samples from the house yards were also collected. Mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-MS) was applied as analytical technique for determination of Ag, Bi, Cd, Cu, In, Mn, Pb, Sb, Te, W, and Zn. The Universal Kriging method with linear variogram interpolation was applied for the construction of spatial distribution maps. Thеsе elements are normally associated with air pollution (Cd-Pb-Zn), and usually are not influenced by lithological background. This investigation fortifies an extended anthropogenic association (Ag, Bi, In, and Mn) that implement some other anthropogenic activities such as agricultural activities (use of urban sludge, manure and fertilizers) or their occurrence can be a secondary affection from mine poly-metallic pollution. Spatial patterns showed intensive deposition in the areas of Pb-Zn mining activities (“Sasa” and “Zletovo” mines) and copper mine “Bučim”. Long-distance distributions of higher contents of these elements from the mines were not detected.

ASSESSMENT OF TRACE ELEMENTS BIOAVAILABILITY – INGESTION OF TOXIC ELEMENTS FROM THE ATTIC DUST COLLECTED FROM THE VICINITY OF THE FERRO-NICKEL SMELTER PLANT

The purpose of this study was to establish total and bioavailable contents of chemical elements in attic dust and their distribution in the area of the town of Kavadarci, Republic of Macedonia, and in this way to evaluate the exposure of population to toxic metals in areas with high industrial influences from the ferro-nickel smelter plant. The attic dust is derived predominantly from external sources such as aerosol deposits and soil dusting, and less from household activities. From that reason attic dust could be accepted as a tracer of historical aerosol pollution. All attic dust samples were analyzed for total and bioavailable element contents and their distribution in studied area. Several extraction agents recognized as representative for elements bioa-vailability assessment were applied to attic dust samples under investigations – phosphate buffer solutions that simulate human blood, for the simulation of lung inhalation carbonate buffer was used and 0.1 mol l–1 HCl solution to simulate stomach ingestion. A total of 18 elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe K, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr and Zn) were determined by atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plas-ma (AES-ICP). The obtained results showed relatively high proportion of toxic elements bioavailability in the attic dusts samples from sites close to the metallurgical activities (Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn), most probably due to the small size and high reactivity of the particles of attic dust. As might be expected the highest leacha-ble amounts of toxic elements were found for Ni, Co, Cr and Pb from attic dust in the extraction solution of HCl (0.1 mol l–1 HCl) compared with the other 3 extraction media. Discussion on trace elements mobility and bioavailability related to environmental pollution and effects on human health are presented.

Attic dust reflects long-term airborne contamination of an industrial area: A case study from Ajka, Hungary

Recent research suggests that airborne pollutants, deposited in the urban environment, can be efficiently studied by attic dust analysis. Here, an attic dust study was carried out to determine the long-term airborne contamination load in the industrial town of Ajka, Hungary, by attic dust analysis. The spatial distribution of trace element contamination in airborne attic dust samples was to be mapped in order to relate spatial distribution to potential sources. The sampling strategy followed a grid-based stratified random design and samples were collected in 27 houses in the 64km2 project area. Houses with attics intact for at least 30–40years were chosen to represent long-term industrial pollution. The concentrations of six trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) were measured with ICP-OES, whereas Hg content was analyzed by CV-AAS. Measured concentrations above the environmental standards were encountered. The univariate distribution analysis shows that Pb, Hg, Zn and Cd distribution is dominated by anthropogenic sources, and characterized by high extreme values, such as elevated Hg-concentrations around the lignite-fired power plant. Arsenic and Cu-distributions seem equally influenced by background and anthropogenic processes. Nickel shows lower concentrations and variability, and its major source is the natural geochemical background. To study the geochemical element behavior, a correlation analysis was performed to estimate the metal sorption to Fe-oxy-hydroxide phases. Results show a good spatial correlation of contamination and sources such as lignite mines, lignite-fired power plant and traffic. Attic dust appears to be an efficient and cheap sampling medium to study and map long-term airborne contamination and possibly associated human health risks in an industrial setting.

Attic dust assessment near a wood treatment plant: Past air pollution and potential exposure

The wood treatment process uses substances that generate hazardous compounds that may contaminate environmental compartments. In the present study, an area under influence of a deactivated wood treatment plant was investigated to evaluate past air pollution and to try to understand local air dispersion. Attic dust samples were collected from eight residences around the plant and from two residences outside this area, as reference samples. The presence of copper, chromium, arsenic, pentachlorophenol, sixteen priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and mutagenic activity using Salmonella/microsome assay was evaluated. The residences close to the entrance to the plant were the most affected, according to potentially toxic elements analysis. The PCP concentration was 0.49mg/kg and the total PAHs content ranged from 0.40 to 13.31μg/g with greater dispersion than potentially toxic elements. The highest mutagenesis values were 15,905 and 10,399 revertants/g of dust in the absence and presence of S9 mix (mammalian metabolic activation), respectively. Samples in which the total PAHs concentration was less than 2μg/g no mutagenic effects were observed, including the residences in the reference area. The contribution of PAHs to mutagenesis was 10 percent, indicating that other compounds may contribute to the mutagenic effect. These results suggest that the population was or is potentially exposed to substances with strong effects on health.

Influence of a nickel smelter plant on the mineralogical composition of attic dust in the Tikveš Valley, Republic of Macedonia

Mineral phases and their content were determined in attic dust samples collected from 27 houses in the Tikveš Valley, Republic of Macedonia. By using quantitative X-ray diffraction, the principal mineral phases were determined to be the serpentinite group (chrysotile, lizardite) and amphibole group of minerals (ribecite, tremolite, actinolite) present in the attic dust samples from this region which are not common constituents of urban dust. Strong correlations existed between these mineral phases in the dust and those in ores processed at a ferronickel smelter plant situated in this region. Spatial distributions of specific mineral phases were made and were consistent with wind directions and predicted deposition (60-70 %) of dust emitted from the metallurgical plant.

Distribution of Chemical Elements in Attic Dust as Reflection of Their Geogenic and Anthropogenic Sources in the Vicinity of the Copper Mine and Flotation Plant

The main aim of this article was to assess the atmospheric pollution with heavy metals due to copper mining Bučim near Radoviš, the Republic of Macedonia. The open pit and mine waste and flotation tailings are continually exposed to open air, which leads to winds carrying the fine particles into the atmosphere. Samples of attic dust were examined as historical archives of mine emissions, with the aim of elucidating the pathways of pollution. Dust was collected from the attics of 29 houses, built between 1920 and 1970. Nineteen elements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn) were analyzed by atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma. The obtained values of the investigated elements in attic dust samples were statistically processed using nonparametric and parametric analysis. Factor analysis revealed three factors governing the source of individual chemical elements. Two of them grouping Ca, Li, Mg, Mn, and Sr (Factor 1) and Co, Cr, and Ni (Factor 2) can be characterized as geogenic. The third factor grouping As, Cu, and Pb is anthropogenic and mirrors dust fallout from mining operation and from flotation tailings. Maps of areal deposition were prepared for this group of elements, from which correlation of these anthropogenic born elements was confirmed.

Attic dust and human blood samples collected near a former wood treatment facility

A wood treatment facility operating in southern Alabama released dioxins and other hazardous substances into the surrounding community over a period of approximately 35 years. The facility used a variety of chemical insecticides including pentachlorophenol (PCP), chromated copper arsenate (CCA), and creosote (which contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) to treat wood. The health risks associated with the released contaminants are numerous and significant. To evaluate the historic exposure to the contaminants from the facility, blood samples and health surveys were collected from 21 current and past residents of the adjacent, isolated community and analyzed for concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins (dioxins) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (furans). In addition, attic dust sampling was performed in 11 buildings located within a 1-mile radius of the former wood treatment facility. The average total dioxin toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentration in the residents’ blood samples was 36.6 pg/g lipids. In the attic dust, the average total dioxin TEQ concentration, benzo[a]pyrene (PAH) TEQ concentration, and arsenic concentration were 145 ng/kg, 0.98 and 29.8 mg/kg, respectively. The concentrations of dioxins measured in the blood samples exceed the 90th percentile total dioxin levels found in the general US adult population. Concentrations of dioxin, arsenic, and PAHs found in the attic samples exceeded the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region 4 soil exposure cancer risk preliminary remediation goal (PRG) values. These findings indicate a very significant potential for related health effects in these communities.

Using attic dust and soil for the separation of anthropogenicand geogenic elemental distributions in an old metallurgic area (Celje, Slovenia)

The objective of this work is the study of the distribution of chemical elements in attic dust and topsoil for the identification of anthropogenic (man-made) and geogenic (natural) element sources in an old metallurgic area on a local scale. At 99 sites samples of attic dust and soil (0–5 cm depth) were collected in 90 km 2 of the Celje area. Analysis for 42 chemical elements was performed. The geochemical properties of attic dust samples were compared to soils and evaluated in terms of their elemental contents and elemental associations. Based on a comparison of statistical parameters, spatial distribution of particular elements and results of cluster and factor analysis, one natural and three anthropogenic geochemical associations were identified. The natural geochemical association (Al–Ce–K–La–Li–Rb–Sc–Th) is influenced mainly by lithology. The anthropogenic associations are the result of zinc and sulphuric acid production (Ag–As–Cd–Cu–Hg–Mo–Pb–S–Sb–Zn) and iron metallurgy (Co–Cr–Fe–Mn–Ni) in the past. The third anthropogenic association (Nb–Ti) is the result of titanium oxide production which is still in progress. This study shows that by comparing the geochemical properties of attic dust and topsoil, it is possible to distinguish the natural from anthropogenic element sources. The attic dust proved also to be a very useful sampling medium for local-scale studies.

Differences in determination of chemical elements in soil and attic dust samples due to various acid decompositions, Slovenia

Differences in determination of chemical elements in soil and attic dust samples due to various acid decompositions, Slovenia

The historical record of air pollution as defined by attic dust

The use of undisturbed attic dust as a tool for reconstructing historical air pollution was evaluated in this study. Dust collected from the attic of 201 houses in New Jersey, built between 1879 and 1995, was analyzed for lead with ICP-MS to validate the use of this method. The results were matched to an estimated pattern of the lead concentrations in attic dust, that was based upon historical data on lead gasoline consumption and emissions into the ambient air. In spite of the numerous uncertainties implied in such a comparison, the pattern of lead concentrations found in the attic dust approximated, within intervals of about 10 years, the time course of the lead emissions into the air. 137Cs concentrations were measured in the attic dust samples using gamma spectrometry to investigate the possibility of a local source contaminating the ambient air in Dover Township, NJ. No statistical differences in 137Cesium concentrations were found between the attics in Dover Township and other locations in NJ. The 137Cs concentrations measured in all locations were found to increase with the age of the house. The observed dependence of 137Cs concentrations on the age of the house could be explained primarily by the patterns of radionuclide fallout that has occurred over time because of above ground nuclear weapons testing during the 1950s and 1960s.