Environmental Protection Agency Research Articles

Assessing the health risks of dermal exposure to heavy metals dust among nail salon technicians.

Nail salon technicians are susceptible to potential exposure to a diverse array of hazardous chemicals in the form of dust or vapors. One of the main routes of exposure is dermal contact. The aim of present study was to health risk assessment of dermal exposure to heavy dust containing heavy metals in nail salon technicians. Dust sampling was done on the work surface of 20 available nail salon technicians. The concentration of five metals including cadmium, lead, chromium, nickel, and manganese were determined using ICP-MS. Afterwards, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) guideline was used to estimate the potential health risks, including carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks, associated with the analyzed metals. Results indicated the mean concentrations of Pb, Cd, Ni, Cr and Mn were 0.7953±0.4373, 0.0952±0.0264, 0.7666±0.8629, 0.4900±0.5994 and 1.134±0.4736, respectively. The hazard quotient (HQ) of all metals was within the permissible value, while hazard index (HI) was greater than 1. The probability of cancer risk (CR) resulting from dermal exposure to Ni, Cd and Cr exceeded the acceptable risk levels (10-6-10-4), but CR calculated for Pb was less than allowable value. Implementation of engineering controls such as downdraft vented nail tables and portable source capture systems is necessary. Besides, the use of personal protective equipment such as disposable nitrile gloves, N95 respirator masks, and ensuring proper training on safe work practices is recommended.

Facial preparation of porous SACB hydrogel beads for efficient solar interface evaporation

This work presented a highly efficient, porous and floatable sodium alginate/carbon black (SACB) gel beads by instantaneous gelation method for photothermal interfacial evaporation. We thoroughly examined how NaHCO3 and CB affect the performance of photothermal evaporation. As a consequence, the ideal porous SACB gel beads displayed an exceptional evaporation rate of 1.39 kg m−2 h−1 and a superior photothermal conversion efficiency of 97.76 % under 1 sun illumination. Additionally, the resulted SACB gel beads maintained good recyclability even after 10 repeated evaporation cycles, and the fresh water collected after evaporation complies with WHO and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The SACB gel beads developed in this work have a remarkable capacity for photothermal conversion and would be a strong contender for solar-powered seawater desalination.

Sociodemographic inequities in the burden of carcinogenic industrial air emissions in the United States.

Industrial facilities are not located uniformly across communities in the United States, but how the burden of exposure to carcinogenic air emissions may vary across population characteristics is unclear. We evaluated differences in carcinogenic industrial pollution among major sociodemographic groups in the United States and Puerto Rico. We evaluated cross-sectional associations of population characteristics including race and ethnicity, educational attainment, and poverty at the census tract level with point-source industrial emissions of 21 known human carcinogens using regulatory data from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals comparing the highest emissions (tertile or quintile) to the referent group (zero emissions [ie, nonexposed]) for all sociodemographic characteristics were estimated using multinomial, population density-adjusted logistic regression models. In 2018, approximately 7.4 million people lived in census tracts with nearly 12 million pounds of carcinogenic air releases. The odds of tracts having the greatest burden of benzene, 1,3-butadiene, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and nickel emissions compared with nonexposed were 10%-20% higher for African American populations, whereas White populations were up to 18% less likely to live in tracts with the highest emissions. Among Hispanic and Latino populations, odds were 16%-21% higher for benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and ethylene oxide. Populations experiencing poverty or with less than high school education were associated with up to 51% higher burden, irrespective of race and ethnicity. Carcinogenic industrial emissions disproportionately impact African American and Hispanic and Latino populations and people with limited education or experiencing poverty thus representing a source of pollution that may contribute to observed cancer disparities.

Country-Wide Ecological Health Assessment Methodology for Air Toxics: Bridging Gaps in Ecosystem Impact Understanding and Policy Foundations.

Amid the growing concerns about air toxics from pollution sources, much emphasis has been placed on their impacts on human health. However, there has been limited research conducted to assess the cumulative country-wide impact of air toxics on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, as well as the complex interactions within food webs. Traditional approaches, including those of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), lack versatility in addressing diverse emission sources and their distinct ecological repercussions. This study addresses these gaps by introducing the Ecological Health Assessment Methodology (EHAM), a novel approach that transcends traditional methods by enabling both comprehensive country-wide and detailed regional ecological risk assessments across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. EHAM also advances the field by developing new food-chain multipliers (magnification factors) for localized ecosystem food web models. Employing traditional ecological multimedia risk assessment of toxics' fate and transport techniques as its foundation, this study extends US EPA methodologies to a broader range of emission sources. The quantification of risk estimation employs the quotient method, which yields an ecological screening quotient (ESQ). Utilizing Kuwait as a case study for the application of this methodology, this study's findings for data from 2017 indicate a substantial ecological risk in Kuwait's coastal zone, with cumulative ESQ values reaching as high as 3.12 × 103 for carnivorous shorebirds, contrasted by negligible risks in the inland and production zones, where ESQ values for all groups are consistently below 1.0. By analyzing the toxicity reference value (TRV) against the expected daily exposure of receptors to air toxics, the proposed methodology provides valuable insights into the potential ecological risks and their subsequent impacts on ecological populations. The present contribution aims to deepen the understanding of the ecological health implications of air toxics and lay the foundation for informed, ecology-driven policymaking, underscoring the need for measures to mitigate these impacts.

The role of government social media in enhancing environmental governance

ABSTRACT In light of the advancements in information and communication technologies and growing concerns over environmental issues, environmental protection agencies are increasingly turning to official social media platforms to promote environmental governance, especially in rapidly developing nations. The adoption of government social media has improved the effectiveness of environmental governance in various aspects, while also presenting some challenges. This paper summarizes findings from recent literature on the role of government social media in enhancing environmental governance. It also highlights prospective research topics on the use of social media in e-government within environmental protection departments, including investigating efficient government-citizen communication strategies using social media tools, comprehensively addressing aspects of e-government from both supply and demand perspectives, and understanding the underlying factors that contribute to the varying operating patterns of different government social media.

The Role of Emission Size Distribution on the Efficacy of New Technologies to Reduce Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Sector.

Methane emissions from oil and gas operations exhibit skewed distributions. New technologies such as aerial-based leak detection surveys promise cost-effective detection of large emitters (greater than 10 kg/h). Recent policies such as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methane rule that allow the use of new technologies as part of leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs require a demonstration of equivalence with existing optical gas imaging (OGI) based LDAR programs. In this work, we illustrate the impact of emission size distribution on the equivalency condition between the OGI and site-wide survey technologies. Emission size distributions compiled from aerial measurements include significantly more emitters between 1 and 10 kg/h and lower average emission rates for large emitters compared to the emission distribution in the EPA rule. As a result, we find that equivalence may be achieved at lower site-wide survey frequencies when using technologies with detection thresholds below 10 kg/h, compared to the EPA rule. However, equivalence cannot be achieved with a detection threshold of 30 kg/h at any survey frequency, because most emitters across most US basins exhibit emission rates below 30 kg/h. We find that equivalence is a complex tradeoff among technology choice, design of LDAR programs, and survey frequency that can have more than one unique solution set.

Estimating Lithium Concentrations in Groundwater Used as Drinking Water for the Conterminous United States.

Lithium (Li) concentrations in drinking-water supplies are not regulated in the United States; however, Li is included in the 2022 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency list of unregulated contaminants for monitoring by public water systems. Li is used pharmaceutically to treat bipolar disorder, and studies have linked its occurrence in drinking water to human-health outcomes. An extreme gradient boosting model was developed to estimate geogenic Li in drinking-water supply wells throughout the conterminous United States. The model was trained using Li measurements from ∼13,500 wells and predictor variables related to its natural occurrence in groundwater. The model predicts the probability of Li in four concentration classifications, ≤4 μg/L, >4 to ≤10 μg/L, >10 to ≤30 μg/L, and >30 μg/L. Model predictions were evaluated using wells held out from model training and with new data and have an accuracy of 47-65%. Important predictor variables include average annual precipitation, well depth, and soil geochemistry. Model predictions were mapped at a spatial resolution of 1 km2 and represent well depths associated with public- and private-supply wells. This model was developed by hydrologists and public-health researchers to estimate Li exposure from drinking water and compare to national-scale human-health data for a better understanding of dose-response to low (<30 μg/L) concentrations of Li.

Characterization of textile effluent treatment plant sludge and its industrial application in fired clay bricks with health risk assessment

The textile industry in Bangladesh faces environmental and health challenges due to the disposal of solid waste from Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs). To address this issue, a study was conducted using soil from a brick industry near Dhaka, amending it with varying amounts of dry sludge to create clay bricks. The original soil had a loam texture and medium plasticity. The research found that adding 9 wt% of sludge resulted in Grade A commercial bricks with a compressive strength of 15.33 MPa and water absorption of 13.33 wt%, meeting BDS 208 standards. However, these sludge-incorporated bricks experienced more shrinkage during the burning process due to organic content, requiring additional soil to maintain conventional dimensions. Also, to assess the health hazards of these sludge-incorporated bricks, a leaching test was performed, revealing that no toxic heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn) in the leachate exceeded the limits set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The study indicates that textile ETP sludge can serve as a sustainable raw material for bricks, potentially reducing the environmental burden caused by textile sludge disposal by 28.75%. This innovative approach offers a promising solution to both environmental and health concerns associated with textile waste in Bangladesh's industrial sector.

Spontaneous histopathology in New Zealand White rabbits: ten years of control data.

The historical control database of a multinational laboratory services provider was queried for all histopathologic findings in New Zealand White rabbits which were used as control animals during a ten-year period (2011-2020). The query included all evaluated tissues, with or without microscopic findings, in studies conducted for safety testing for regulatory approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA) or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A second query included studies conducted in the United Kingdom for control rabbits used in studies compliant with the Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and/or the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which provide regulatory oversight in the United Kingdom and European Union, respectively. Infiltrates of inflammatory (mixed or mononuclear) cells were commonly noted in various organs including heart, digestive tract, muscle, thyroid, kidney, urinary bladder, eyelid, ocular structures, harderian gland, lacrimal gland, and lung. Mineralization was noted in aorta, kidney, urinary bladder, and ovary. Also noted were degeneration/necrosis in the myocardium, and intramuscular injection sites of the skin, degeneration/regeneration of muscle and diaphragm, ectopic tissue in the pancreas and thyroid, basophilic foci in salivary gland, increased/decreased vacuolation in adrenal gland, increased/decreased lymphocytic cellularity of lymph nodes, intrasinusoidal erythrocytes in lymph nodes, thymic atrophy, increased adipocytes in bone marrow, inflammatory cell foci in the liver and gall bladder, lacrimal gland atrophy, renal tubule basophilia, degeneration/regeneration, and dilatation; oviduct cyst; in the testis, degeneration/atrophy, cellular debris, dilatation, decreased sperm and segmental hypoplasia of seminiferous tubules; and squamous metaplasia of the testis and seminal vesicle.

Using a combination of quantitative culture, molecular, and infrastructure data to rank potential sources of fecal contamination in Town Creek Estuary, North Carolina.

Estuarine water quality is declining worldwide due to increased tourism, coastal development, and a changing climate. Although well-established methods are in place to monitor water quality, municipalities struggle to use the data to prioritize infrastructure for monitoring and repair and to determine sources of contamination when they occur. The objective of this study was to assess water quality and prioritize sources of contamination within Town Creek Estuary (TCE), Beaufort, North Carolina, by combining culture, molecular, and geographic information systems (GIS) data into a novel contamination source ranking system. Water samples were collected from TCE at ten locations on eight sampling dates in Fall 2021 (n = 80). Microbiological water quality was assessed using US Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) approved culture-based methods for fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), including analysis of total coliforms (TC), Escherichia coli (EC), and Enterococcus spp. (ENT). The quantitative microbial source tracking (qMST) human-associated fecal marker, HF183, was quantified using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). This information was combined with environmental data and GIS information detailing proximal sewer, septic, and stormwater infrastructure to determine potential sources of fecal contamination in the estuary. Results indicated FIB concentrations were significantly and positively correlated with precipitation and increased throughout the estuary following rainfall events (p < 0.01). Sampling sites with FIB concentrations above the U.S. EPA threshold also had the highest percentages of aged, less durable piping materials. Using a novel ranking system combining concentrations of FIB, HF183, and sewer infrastructure data at each site, we found that the two sites nearest the most aged sewage infrastructure and stormwater outflows were found to have the highest levels of measurable fecal contamination. This case study supports the inclusion of both traditional water quality measurements and local infrastructure data to support the current need for municipalities to identify, prioritize, and remediate failing infrastructure.

3D numerical simulation of airflow structure and dust emissions from an open storage pile behind a dynamic solid fence-deflector

Open storage yards at industrial sites represent a significant fugitive dust emission source. Granular material subjected to wind erosion may emit significant dust into the atmosphere. Several windbreaks and fences with different shapes have been proposed to control and reduce those emissions. Solid fences are commonly erected around the open yard (i.e., open bays) to prevent and reduce those emissions, even though they have some limitations. The present study aims to enhance the effectiveness of solid fences by coupling them with dynamic wind deflectors. Computational fluid dynamics was employed to simulate the flow and shear stresses on storage pile surfaces using the numerical Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations and the k-ω SST turbulence model. At the same time, dust emission was estimated using an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) method, which estimates the emission potential of a material based on the wind friction velocity and the material's threshold friction velocity. The numerical model was validated against experimental data from an EPA study. In addition, this study investigated the efficiency of various dynamic wind deflectors with different heights and inclination angles. The results showed that most of the investigated dynamic fence-deflector models reduced the velocity magnitude, vortices, and turbulence intensity, lessening the impact of shear stresses compared to single solid fences and consequently reducing the emission of dust from the exposed surfaces (i.e., a primary measure of impact reduction). More specifically, the deflector of width (Ydef) 2 m with an inclination of (∅def) 65° was the most effective, where the shear stress on the pile surface and the emission factor were reduced by 29.16% and 21.79%, respectively, compared to the single fence of the same height. Finally, adding dynamic wind deflectors enhances the performance of solid fences, and it is a more effective and less expensive solution than replacing single fences with other windbreak models.

Assessment of methane emissions from pressure regulation stations in China

Pressure regulation stations are responsible for transporting natural gas downstream and are an indispensable part of the gas supply chain. In recent years, countries and enterprises have attached increasing importance to methane emission accounting. However, methane emissions from pressure regulation stations are still not comprehensively understood and accounted for. In this study, methane emissions from 21 pressure regulation stations under normal conditions were quantified using the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) “Other Test Method 33 A” (OTM 33 A) in three regions of China: the eastern, northern, and central regions of China. The results showed that the emission rate from pressure regulation stations generally lied in the order of 10−1-10−3 kg/h, whereas the measured methane emission rate (MMER) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.671 (0.066, 3.040) (kg/h), which was determined from the bootstrapping measurements from all pressure regulation stations. The MMER (95%CI) values were 0.051 (0.026, 0.102) for East China, 2.263 (0.095, 8.317) for North China, and 0.004 (0.003, 0.005) (kg/h) for Central China, showing a relatively obvious skewed distribution. Overall, MMER had a diminutive correlation with gas throughput and pipeline pressure. In contrast, the degree of correlation of pipeline pressure was higher than that of gas throughput.

EPA tackles PFAS and investigates precursors of PVC, PU, ABS and other plastics

On January 9, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the automatic addition of seven per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the list of chemicals covered by the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).

Impact of the Mednogorsk copper smelter on human health and soil environmental quality in Orenburg Region, Russia

Nonferrous metal smelting operations are a recognized source of metal accumulation in surrounding soils. In Mednogorsk, Russia, soil contamination results from atmospheric emissions from a local copper (Cu) smelter. This study aimed to assess health risks by analyzing the levels of Cu, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in 20 Mednogorsk topsoil samples and three background area samples. The phytotoxicity of metals to Lolium perenne was also evaluated. The soil ingestion protocol of the US Environmental Protection Agency was used for health risk assessment. Phytotoxicity tests were performed on ryegrass using a standard protocol. The levels of Cu correlated with those of other elements, indicating that the smelter was the source. Of concern, the carcinogenic risk exceeded the 10-04 threshold in 85% and 15% of the samples for children under five years of age and adults, respectively. In addition, 60% of the samples exceeded the safe Pb threshold for children's health (80 mg kg-1). These risk levels are unacceptable and require specific intervention by the relevant authorities. However, only 20% of the samples showed high phytotoxicity, mostly in acidic soils (pH&lt;4.0). This discussion focuses on the potential of soil phytostabilization to reduce human metal exposure, as the results provide valuable insights for managing metal pollution in regions affected by nonferrous smelter emissions worldwide.

Colorimetric sensing for the sensitive detection of UO22+via the phosphorylation functionalized mesoporous silica-based controlled release system.

In this study, we developed a simple and sensitive colorimetric sensing method for the detection of UO22+, which was built to release MB from the molybdenum disulfide with a phosphate group (MoS2-PO4) gated mesoporous silica nanoparticles functionalized phosphate group (MSN-PO4) with UO22+ chelating. In the presence of UO22+, MoS2-PO4 can be effectively adsorbed onto the surface of MSN-PO4 based on the coordination chemistry for strong affinity between the P-O bond and UO22+. The adsorbed MoS2-PO4 was then utilized as an ideal gate material to control the release of signal molecules (MB) entrapped within the pores of MSN-PO4, resulting in a detectable decrease in the absorption peak at 663 nm. This colorimetric sensing demonstrated the advantages of simplicity and easy manipulation and exhibited a linear response to the concentration of UO22+ within the range of 0.02-0.2 μM. The detection limit of UO22+ was determined to be 0.85 nM, which was lower than the limit (130 nmol L-1) set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Furthermore, the proposed colorimetric sensing method has been utilized to determine UO22+ in samples of Xiangjiang River and tap water, and a high recovery rate was achieved. This method shows promising potential in preventing and controlling environmental pollution.

Scope and governance of terrestrial sand mining around Accra, Ghana

Sand is a crucial resource for the construction of urban infrastructure and constitutes an integral part of the built environment. In Ghana, terrestrial sand mining on farmlands is widespread in the rural and peri-urban communities adjoining the country's capital, Accra. Despite an estimated mining volume of 765 truckloads per day, corresponding to about 4.55 Mio m3 annually, the governance of sand has received little research attention. To fill this knowledge gap, this paper examines the scope and governance of terrestrial sand mining around Accra. Qualitative data were collected from 30 key informants, including landowners, officials of local government authorities, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Minerals Commission (MINCOM), sand miners, truck drivers, and staff of real estate companies. Besides, three Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were held with Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs), complemented by a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the mining process and sand trucking. The results showed that sand mining in the study areas was governed by several regulatory agencies with limited inter-institutional collaboration. Illegal sand mining was widespread in the study areas due to bureaucratic licensing procedures, inadequate collaboration among the regulators, bribery of some regulatory officials by the miners, insufficient monitoring of miners, particularly at night, and landowners' preference for sand mining over farming as a result of prompt monetary gains. The revenues from sand mining accrued to the miners, landowners, and truck drivers who controlled capital or land, while the livelihoods of the majority of the local residents were negatively affected due to the environmental degradation. The findings call for a review of the existing licencing process and collaboration among the regulatory agencies to foster enforcement of the existing laws to ensure sustainable sand mining around Accra.

Ergonomic system of forecasting and analysis of the probability of atmospheric air pollution by emissions of enterprises in the conditions of technogenic development of the world

The article is devoted to the problem of air pollution and its impact on human health and the environment. The paper considers methods of air pollution analysis based on the use of neural networks, taking into account the variety of data from the Internet. The authors emphasize the different effects of pollutants depending on the type, duration and level of exposure, as well as other factors, including individual risks to human health and the combined effects of different pollutants and stress factors. Special attention is paid to the two most common types of air pollution - smog and soot. The uneven distribution of the negative effects of air pollution, which are most often felt in low-income and colored communities, as well as the Air quality Index (AQI) developed by the Environmental Protection Agency, which informs the population about the current state of atmospheric air and its impact on human health, are considered separately. As a result of the work, the criteria for analyzing air quality, including pollution parameters and weather conditions, are presented, and the structure of future data is developed.

SDWA's 50th Anniversary Marked With Busy Agenda

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has continued to pursue an ambitious regulatory agenda for drinking water. Several significant final actions this year will require utilities to prepare.

Inadequate Demonstration: EPA’s Latest Effort to Force a Clean Energy Transition on the Power Sector Rests on Technologies That Have Not Been Adequately Demonstrated

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed regulations of power plant carbon emissions under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act, which were proposed in May of 2023, raise a number of concerns. The proposed regulations target a transition in the U.S. power sector towards clean energy, relying heavily on Carbon Capture &amp; Storage (CCS) and green hydrogen technologies to achieve nearly net zero carbon emissions from existing fossil fuel power plants. These technologies, however, do not seem to satisfy the Section 111 requirement that the Best System of Emissions Reduction (BSER) be adequately demonstrated at the scale and for the purposes envisioned by the EPA. The critique highlights a discrepancy between the EPA's proposed New Source Performance Standards and the statutory requirement that the BSER must be technically feasible and cost-effective. Concerns are raised about the potential for these regulations to unconstitutionally coerce state governments and to neglect the economic implications, including the potential rise in electricity costs and the environmental impact of shifting away from coal and natural gas. Additionally, the critique questions the EPA's interpretation of Section 111 as it may extend the agency's authority to significantly alter the American economy in the pursuit of addressing climate change. The warning is of a "disorderly transition" that might compromise the reliability and affordability of electricity supply, undermining efforts towards a sustainable low-carbon power sector transition.

Structural Racism as a Contributor to Lung Cancer Incidence and Mortality Rates Among Black Populations in the United States.

Although racial disparities in lung cancer incidence and mortality have diminished in recent years, lung cancer remains the second most diagnosed cancer among US Black populations. Many factors contributing to disparities in lung cancer are rooted in structural racism. To quantify this relationship, we examined associations between a multidimensional measure of county-level structural racism and county lung cancer incidence and mortality rates among Black populations, while accounting for county levels of environmental quality. We merged 2016-2020 data from the United States Cancer Statistics Data Visualization Tool, a pre-existing county-level structural racism index, the Environmental Protection Agency's 2006-2010 Environmental Quality Index (EQI), 2023 County Health Rankings, and the 2021 United States Census American Community Survey. We conducted multivariable linear regressions to examine associations between county-level structural racism and county-level lung cancer incidence and mortality rates. Among Black males and females, each standard deviation increase in county-level structural racism score was associated with an increase in county-level lung cancer incidence of 6.4 (95% CI: 4.4, 8.5) cases per 100,000 and an increase of 3.3 (95% CI: 2.0, 4.6) lung cancer deaths per 100,000. When examining these associations stratified by sex, larger associations between structural racism and lung cancer rates were observed among Black male populations than among Black females. Structural racism contributes to both the number of new lung cancer cases and the number of deaths caused by lung cancer among Black populations. Those aiming to reduce lung cancer cases and deaths should consider addressing racism as a root-cause.