Environmental Risk Index Research Articles

Association between the city region and traumatic dental injuries among adolescents from Santa Maria, South Brazil.

This study investigated the association between the city region and traumatic dental injury (TDI) among adolescents from Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from March to November 2018, which included a representative sample of adolescents (15-19-year-old) attending public and private high schools. A questionnaire on sociodemographic information was sent to the parents/legal guardians of the selected adolescents. TDI in the upper and lower permanent incisors and canines was recorded based on the O'Brien classification. Environmental variables (sociodemographic and structural characteristics of the neighborhoods) were obtained from official publications. Multilevel Poisson regression models were used, and prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. A total of 1,146 adolescents participated in this study. The overall prevalence of TDI was 17.3%, mild trauma was 12.7%, and severe trauma was 5.8%. Adolescents living in the southern region had a prevalence of TDI of 25.3%, compared with 13.6% in the northern region. After adjusting for important cofactors, adolescents living in the southern region were more likely to have TDI than their counterparts in the northern region (PR, 1.91; 95%CI: 1.18-3.11; p = 0.009). Analyzing the number of environmental risk indicators in different regions, the southern region presented a higher mean and median than all other regions. In conclusion, living in the southern region was associated with a higher prevalence and severity of TDI among adolescents from Santa Maria, southern Brazil. Our findings suggest the role of the environment in the epidemiology of TDI.

Оценка риска загрязнения окружающей среды: обзор и систематизация методологических подходов и методического обеспечения

Modern trends in social development transform environmental pollution risk into a fundamental category without which economic activity is impossible. In essence, the environmental risk indicator is on a par with such important economic categories as profit, cost, profitability, gross domestic or regional product, etc. At the same time, let us pay attention to a variety of approaches existing in the world practice for assessing environmental risks and their components (contamination likelihood and environmental harm) together with multifaceted specifics of economic entities activities. All these require a systemic consideration of methodological principles and methodological support, identifying the problems and areas in improving the applied calculation tools. The purpose of the study is to review the world experience in terms of methodology and methodological support of environmental risk assessment. The research methods incorporate environmental and economic analysis, content analysis, information modeling. The key findings of the study highlight the shortcomings and contradictions in understanding and assessing environmental risk, develop a broad systemological classification of the types and characteristics of environmental risks methodology, streamline and methodological support of these risks and show the directions to improve the assessment approaches. The scope of application encompasses environmental audit and expertise, eco-insurance, as well as regulatory documents of ministries (RF Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, RF Ministry of Health, the Moscow Region Ministry of Ecology and Nature Management) and departments (Rostekhnadzor, Rosprirodnadzor, Rospotrebnadzor, Rosvodresursy, Rosleskhoz, Rosnedra, etc.), scientific and educational publications on environmental risk assessment.

Environmental and human risk assessment of heavy metals at northern Nile Delta region using geostatistical analyses

Present study aims to assess the possible toxic metal hazard of Pb, Cd and Fe in street dust and soil on environment and human health at the northern Deltaic region of Egypt using spatial and statistical analyses. To achieve this aim, 13 different sites were sampled for street dust and soil to represent various residential, industrial and agricultural activities. Unsupervised classification of multispectral Landsat OLI image (March 2021) helped to identify the sampling sites. Heavy metals were evaluated using environmental and human health risk indices incorporated in a GIS environment through geostatistical techniques. Multivariate analyses were demonstrated for further interpretation including principle components analysis (PCA), Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and cluster analysis (CA). The average metal concentrations in street dust for Pb, Cd and Fe were 0.57, 0.07 and 435.92 mg/kg, however in soil were 0.61, 0.08 and 1098.30 mg/kg, respectively. The mean value of Cd and Pb in soil was higher than street dust while the reverse was reported for Fe. Spatial distribution maps showed that the high levels of metals in street dust were observed in the southern parts of the study area due to industrial activities and automobile emissions. The risk assessment exhibited that the area suffers from serious metals pollution particularly Cd. Human risk assessment indicated that derma is the main exposure route that harmfully affects the human health. Exposure to the pollutant through the three pathways is higher for Pb than Cd. The values of hazard quotient (HQ) followed the next trend; Fe > Pb > Cd. The measured cancer risk was negligible in the investigated area. Statistical analysis of PCA and CCA showed that industrial and agricultural activities contribute to the occurrence of heavy metals.

Impacts of anthropogenic contaminants and elevated temperature on prevalence and proliferation of Escherichia coli in the wild-caught American oyster, Crassostrea virginica in the southern Gulf of Mexico coast

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli is one of the most common indicators of environmental contamination and health risk to aquatic organisms including shellfish. E. coli can adapt to various stress conditions (e.g. heat, pollution, acidification, etc.). American oyster, Crassostrea virginica, a marine bivalve mollusc, is a seafood popular due to its delicacy and high nutritional value. Based on increasing concern about global warming, coastal pollution and microbial contamination in live or raw seafood, the present study focused on the detection and enumeration of the bacterial pathogen E. coli in the American oyster in south Texas waters, and in controlled laboratory heat-exposure conditions. Immunohistochemical, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses showed substantial bacterial pathogen presence in the gills and digestive glands of oysters collected from polluted sites in San Martin Lake and South Padre Island on the southern Gulf coast of Texas. Laboratory heat-exposure studies showed an increasing trend of E. coli protein and mRNA expression in gills and digestive glands in elevated temperatures (28°C and 32°C) compared with control (24°C) and reduced integrated protein density of E. coli in gills at high temperature. Biochemical analyses were also performed to examine the extrapallial fluid (EPF, an integral body fluid) conditions in oysters. EPF glucose levels, pH and protein concentration varied at high temperatures and appeared to be pertinent to pathogen intensity in oysters. Collectively, these results suggest that American oyster is prone to waterborne pathogen contamination in the southern Gulf of Mexico coast, and E. coli proliferation escalates at rising sea surface temperatures.

Road dust-driven elemental distribution in megacity Dhaka, Bangladesh: environmental, ecological, and human health risks assessment.

Road dust, which reflects ambient air quality, receives various pollutants including toxic metal(oid)s from several natural and/or anthropogenic sources. This manuscript reports a comprehensive evaluation of the levels of seventeen metal(oid)s in road dust of a megacity (Dhaka, Bangladesh). Different evaluation approaches were implemented including statistical analysis and GIS mapping, besides environmental, ecological, and human health risk indices. From 30 sampling sites, representative samples were collected, which were analyzed by neutron activation analysis. The average concentrations (± SD) of Na, Mg, Al, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, As, Rb, Sb, Cs, Ba, and W were 11,738 ± 560µgg-1, 12,410 ± 1249µgg-1, 62,127 ± 5937µgg-1, 8.89 ± 0.47µgg-1, 5224 ± 1244µgg-1, 66 ± 8µgg-1, 66.7 ± 6.9µgg-1, 547 ± 110µgg-1, 25,150 ± 1723µgg-1, 8.39 ± 0.65µgg-1, 125 ± 17µgg-1, 3.63 ± 0.56µgg-1, 87 ± 9µgg-1, 0.75 ± 0.28µgg-1, 4.40 ± 0.48µgg-1, 397 ± 87µgg-1, and 3.82 ± 1.77µgg-1, respectively. The distance-based redundancy analysis showed that the northern region was enriched with Na, Mn, Al, Fe, Zn, and Rb, while the southern region was enriched with Fe, Al, Ti, Cr, and Mg. The GIS mapping shows hot spots of Sc, Cr, Zn, and Cs were observed mostly in heavy traffic areas. Significant positive correlations of Fe-Sc, Al-Mg, V-Mg, V-Al, Cs-Rb, Cs-Sc, Rb-Sc, As-Na, and Cs-Rb invoked their inter-dependency and persistence in road dust. Depending on a set of environmental and ecological index-based calculation, the degree of metal(oid) pollution followed the descending order as W > Sb > Zn > Cr > As > Ti > Sc > V, while no pollution was recorded by Mn, Fe, Al, Rb, Cs, Co, and Ba. Importantly, the total hazard index values for adults and children were higher than unity, indicating potential non-carcinogenic health risks from exposure of road dust. Furthermore, the total carcinogenic risks from Cr and As through ingestion and dermal contact exceeded the standard guideline values. The implementation of different evaluation approaches strengthens the findings of metal(oid) source apportionment.

Environmental Assessment Using Integrated Risk Based Approach (IRBA) at Cahaya Kencana Landfill Site

Cahaya Kencana landfill site located above the land belonging to the local government of Banjar District with land area 35,5 Ha, where used for Cahaya Kencana landfill 16,5 Ha, Kehati park 7,5 Ha, the remaining unused land is 11,5 Ha. Cahaya Kencana landfill site has been implementing the sanitary landfill system since 2014 with the existing area of 8.089,73 m2 and the calculation results shows that sanitary landfill area can only use until the year 2021. So the goal that is to be achieved from this research is to evaluate the technical aspects and environment of Cahaya Kencana site with decision making tools. One of them through the assessment of environmental risk index or Integrated Risk Based Approach (IRBA). Risk Index (RI) assessment results using IRBA obtained 524,007 value with a category of moderate hazard evaluation, so that Cahaya Kencana site can be forwarded and rehabilitated into controlled landfill gradually. The strategy that needs to be done in the framework of Cahaya Kencana site is modifications of leachate treatment unit design.

Heavy Metal Contents and Assessment of Soil Contamination in Different Land-Use Types in the Qaidam Basin

Due to the unique geographical location and rapid development in the agricultural industry, heavy metals’ risk of soil contamination in the Qaidam Basin is gradually increasing. The following study was conducted to determine the soil heavy metal contents under different types of land use, contamination levels, and the physicochemical properties of soil. Soil samples were collected from facility lands, orchards, farmlands, and grasslands at 0–10 and 10–20 cm soil layers. Heavy metals including copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and mercury (Hg) were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and the soil was evaluated with different methods. Overall, the average Cu (25.07 mg/kg), Cr (45.67 mg/kg), Ni (25.56 mg/kg), Zn (71.24 mg/kg), Pb (14.19 mg/kg), Cd (0.17 mg/kg), As (12.54 mg/kg), and Hg (0.05 mg/kg) were lower than the environmental quality standard. However, the Cu, Cr, Ni, and As were highest in farmland, and Zn and Hg were highest in the facility land. The Pb content was highest in orchards, and the Cd content was the same in facility land, orchards, and farmland. Among the different land-use types, the soil heavy metal concentrations decreased in the order of facility land > farmland > grassland > orchards. The pH was alkaline, the content of SOC (soil organic carbon) 15.76 g/kg in grassland, TN (total nitrogen) 1.43 g/kg, and TP (total phosphorus) 0.97 g/kg in facility land showed the highest result. The soil BD (bulk density) had a significant positive correlation with Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, Pb, Cd, and the TP positively correlated with Cu, Zn, Cd, and Hg. The soil evaluation results of the comprehensive pollution index indicated that the soil was in a clean condition. The index of potential environmental risk indicates that heavy metals are slightly harmful to the soil.

SIGNIFICANCE AND PERFORMANCE OF PROPERTY MARKETS IN MALAYSIA

The importance of the global real estate market has been widely debated over the last decade. Prior discussion has focused on various aspects of analysis used to evaluate the performance of the property market, such as statistical analysis, surveys, academic or industrial literature. As a result, it is also necessary to examine the global and Asian property markets while also evaluating the significance and performance of the Malaysian property market in comparison to other Asian markets to determine Malaysia's international contribution to the global property market. The performance of Malaysia's property market from 2015 to 2018 was examined in this study. Data was gathered using Thomson Router Data Stream from Real Capital Analytic, Asia Pacific Real Estate Association (APREA), World Economic Forum, and Transparency International, among others. The study's findings will extend knowledge not only of the performance and significance of the Malaysian property market, but also of GDP growth, inflation rate, market ranking global, competitiveness business environment index, corruption perception, and risk and transparency index in Malaysia and across Asian countries. The overall results indicate that the performance and signs of the Malaysian real estate market were better compared to other Asian and developing markets.

Risk assessment and source apportionment of trace elements in multiple compartments in the lower reach of the Jinsha River, China

Studies on trace element (TE) pollution in abiotic matrices have typically focused on water, sediment, and soil, either separately or in pairs. The importance of multi-media connectivity has been ignored. This study analyzed the concentrations of 6 TEs in three connected environmental compartments of a 28-km section of the lower reach of the Jinsha River. The ecological risk posed by TEs was higher in soil than in sediment. The contribution of exposure pathways to human health risk were ranked as ingestion > dermal contact > inhalation. An improved regional environmental risk index (RERI) method was then developed to evaluate the comprehensive risk on both ecology and human health caused by TEs. The average RERI value was generally higher in the wet season (0.42) than in the dry (0.41) and dry-to-wet transition seasons (0.08) because of the combined effects of the high TE concentrations in riparian soil and the long exposure time. Source apportionment indicated that industrial activities, weathering of parent rock, and agricultural activities were possible sources of TEs in this region. The methods and results of this study could inform local environmental management and provide references for similar cases wherein multiple compartments of river systems should be considered.

Comparison of the Possibilities of Environmental Usage of Sewage Sludge from Treatment Plants Operating with MBR and SBR Technology.

Sewage sludge from sewage treatment plants has soil-forming and fertilising properties. However, sewage sludge cannot always be used in nature, including agriculture. One of the main reasons is the concentration of heavy metals. Sludge from wastewater treatment plants operating in MBR (membrane biological reactor) and SBR (sequential batch reactor) systems was analysed. Studies comparing the risk analysis of the natural use of sludge from MBR and SBR treatment plants were performed for the first time, due to the fact that more and more MBR plants, which are a BAT technology, are being developed in Poland, displacing the classical SBR plants. MBR technology uses a combination of activated sludge and filtration with microfiltration membranes. Wastewater treated in these reactors meets the highest quality standards, both in terms of physicochemical and microbiological aspects. This paper presents studies on the mobility of heavy metals in sewage sludge carried out using the BCR sequential extraction method. Geo-accumulation index (GAI), potential environmental risk index (ER), risk assessment code (RAC), and environmental risk determinant (ERD) were calculated. Heavy metals dominated the stable fractions in all cases. Furthermore, an increased content of copper and cadmium was observed in the MBR sludge. This fact is favourable in view of the efforts to eliminate heavy metals in the environment.

Mercury in Macrolepiota procera (Scop.) Singer and Its Underlying Substrate-Environmental and Health Risks Assessment.

Wild-growing edible mushrooms are valuable food with a high content of proteins, fibers, antioxidants, and they are characterized by their specific taste and flavor. However, from an ecotoxicological point of view, they are a risk commodity because of their extremely high bioaccumulative capacity to accumulate the risk elements and contaminants from the environment. In the present study, we examined mercury (Hg) contamination in 230 fruiting bodies of Macrolepiota procera (Scop.) Singer and 230 soil/substrate samples, which were collected in foraging seasons 2015–2019 from 22 different locations in Slovakia. Total mercury content was determined by cold-vapor AAS analyzer AMA 254. The level of contamination and environmental risks were assessed by contamination factor (Cf), index of geoaccumulation (Igeo), and potential environmental risk index (PER). Bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was calculated for individual anatomical parts of M. procera. Mercury content in the soil/substrate samples varied between 0.02 and 0.89 mg kg−1 DW, and in mushroom samples between 0.03 and 2.83 mg kg−1 DW (stems), and between 0.04 and 6.29 mg kg−1 DW (caps). The obtained results were compared with the provisional tolerable weekly intake for Hg defined by WHO to determine a health risk resulting from regular and long-term consumption of M. procera.

Risk Analysis of Heavy Metal Accumulation from Sewage Sludge of Selected Wastewater Treatment Plants in Poland

Sewage sludge (SS) from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has important soil-forming and fertilizing properties. However, it may not always be used for this purpose. One of the main reasons why SS cannot be used for natural purposes is its heavy metal (HM) content. SS from the wastewater treatment plant in Poland was subjected to an analysis of the potential anthropogenic hazard of HMs, especially in terms of their mobility and accumulation in soil. Calculations were made for the concentrations of HMs in SS from the analyzed wastewater treatment plants and in arable soil from measurement points in places of its potential use. The geoaccumulation index (GAI), potential environmental risk index (PERI), risk assessment code (RAC) and environmental risk determinant (ERD) were calculated. Then the values of the indicators were compared with the mobility of HMs, which was the highest risk of soil contamination. It was shown that a high level of potential risk and geoaccumulation indicators did not necessarily disqualify the use of SS, provided that HMs were in immovable fractions.

Environmental risk indicators disclosure and value relevance: An empirical analysis of Italian listed companies after the implementation of the Legislative Decree 254/2016

AbstractIn response to EU Directive 95/2014, many companies headquartered in Europe have strengthened their non‐financial disclosure on environmental strategies and risks. In particular, the Directive was applied by Italian law, with the Legislative Decree 254/2016, requiring the largest Italian companies (exceeding 500 employees) to provide detailed information on their social and environmental disclosures. In this paper, we aim to analyze the value relevance of financial and environmental information provided by the Italian, non‐financial listed companies after the implementation of the Legislative Decree 254/2016. By building on the signaling theory, we set a pooled regression analysis to test the relationship between environmental disclosure and value relevance for the period 2017–2018. We contribute to the literature by arguing that Italian companies' market value depends on both their financial and environmental disclosures. More specifically, we argue that accounting information is not sufficiently capable to explain the value relevance and it needs to be integrated by a set of environmental information. Our contribution aims at demonstrating that the higher the levels of environmental risk indicators disclosure, the greater a company's market performance.

Environmental risk analysis of surface water based on multi-source data in Tianjin Binhai New Area, China.

The study on environmental risk of surface water is of great practical significance for the ecological security of water environment and water pollution treatment, and it can provide a certain reference basis for risk prevention and control of water environment. The Tianjin Binhai New Area faces severe water shortage and serious water pollution, but few studies have been reported on surface water environment risk in this area. Therefore, in this study, based on Gaofen-6 remote sensing image, the factors including land use, landscape index, population density, and enterprise source are integrated to develop the evaluation model of surface water environment risk index. It is developed using analytic hierarchy process from two aspects of hazard of risk source and sensitivity of risk receptor. The comprehensive risk of Tianjin Binhai New Area is classified using mean standard deviation method. The result indicates that the developed model could better quantify the impact of various factors on the surface water environment, and comprehensively and accurately depict the spatial distribution of surface water environmental risk. Generally, the areas of higher and high risk grades are mainly concentrated on the west of Binhai Street, Beitang Street, and Hangzhou Road Street. The risk grade in most other areas is medium, and it is low in coastal and northernmost areas. This study not only clarifies the distribution of surface water environmental risks in Binhai New Area, but also develops an evaluation model, which can provide reference for the evaluation of water environmental risks in other areas. Through the investigation and research on the current situation of water pollution, social and economic development, and other factors of the streets and towns in Binhai New Area, it is found that in recent years, the urbanization of Binhai Street, Beitang Street, and Hangzhou Road Street has developed rapidly, and the intensity of human activities is high, which has a great impact on the water environment. The research results are consistent with the actual situation, which can provide theoretical and technical support for the prevention, control, and management of water environmental risks in Binhai New Area.

Impacts of a metropolitan-scale freeway expansion program on air pollution and equity

ContextTo enable human mobility, economic vitality, and population well-being in growing cities, well-planned transportation infrastructure is essential. However, transportation systems can also have detrimental impacts on health and equity, including through increased air pollution and its unequal social distribution. AimsThis study focuses on estimating air quality and equity impacts of an ongoing large-scale metropolitan transportation program (known as “Tampa Bay Next”). Our objective was to characterize and quantify the air pollution levels and population exposures resulting from an interstate freeway expansion planned under Tampa Bay Next, which includes added toll lanes. MethodsWe estimated changes in individual human exposures to oxides of nitrogen (NOx) due to the proposed freeway changes, using an integrated suite of high-resolution models for travel demand, emissions, pollutant dispersion, and exposure. Inequity in the distribution of exposures among racioethnic and income groups was also estimated using a few measures of inequality (the subgroup inequality index (SII), the comparative environmental risk index, and the toxic demographic quotient index). FindingsThe planned freeway expansion was estimated to slightly decrease the daily NOx emissions (by 5.6 mg/m, p = 4×10−16), ambient concentrations (by 0.02 μg/m3, p = 2×10−4), and individual exposures (by 0.2 μg/m3, p = 2.2×10−16) on average, while increasing exposure densities during peak periods in areas surrounding downtown Tampa. Group-average exposures also decreased for all population subgroups under the planned expansion scenario. However, disparities in exposure increased for the black (ΔSII = 1.3×10−3 for the 90th percentile exposure level) and the below-poverty (ΔSII = 4.6×10−3) groups. ConclusionsResults suggest that a detailed analysis of exposures may be needed to ensure large-scale transportation improvement programs reduce inequity, even when average impacts on air quality and exposures are positive or neutral.

Carbon neutrality target for G7 economies: Examining the role of environmental policy, green innovation and composite risk index

To achieve zero carbon or achieving carbon neutrality target is of great importance to many countries around the globe especially post Paris climate agreement. This study, unlike previous studies, evaluates the role of environmental policy, green innovation, composite risk index, and renewable energy R&D in achieving carbon neutrality targets for G7 economies from 1990 to 2019. The results confirmed the validity of the EKC hypothesis for G7 economies. Further, the result shows that environmental policy, green innovation, composite risk index, and renewable energy R&D help control carbon emissions. In contrast, income reveals a positive influence on environmental degradation. Furthermore, bidirectional causality has been reported in environmental policy, composite risk index, green innovation, and the CO2 emissions, while unidirectional causality running from GDP and renewable energy R&D to CO2 emissions. Based on the empirical findings, it is suggested that environmental policies should be strengthened, promote green innovation and renewable energy research and development expenditures, and political stability and institutional quality must be stabilized to lowers sectoral risks that would help a sustainable environment.

Development and Application of STORMTOOLS Design Load (SDL) Maps

Under the STORMTOOLS initiative, maps of the impact of sea level rise (SLR) (0 to 12 ft), nuisance flooding (1–10 yr), 25, 50, and 100 yr storms, and hindcasts of the four top ranked tropical storms have been developed for the coastal waters of Rhode Island (RI). Estimates of the design elevations, expressed in terms of the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) and thus incorporating surge and associated wave conditions, have also been developed, including the effects of SLR to facilitate structural design. Finally, Coastal Environmental Risk Index (CERI) maps have been developed to estimate the risk to individual structures and infrastructure. CERI employs the BFE maps in concert with damage curves for residential and commercial structures to make estimates of damage to individual structures. All maps are available via an ArcGIS Hub. The objective of this senior design capstone project was to develop STORMTOOLS Design Load maps (SDL) with a goal of estimating the hydrostatic, hydrodynamic, wave, and debris loading, based on ASCE/SEI 7–16 Minimum Design Standards methods, on residential structures in the RI coastal floodplain. The resulting maps display the unitized loads and thus can be scaled for any structure of interest. The goal of the maps is to provide environmental loads that support the design of structures, and reduce the time and cost required in performing the design and the permitting process, while also improving the accuracy and consistency of the designs. SDL maps were generated for all loads, including the effects of SLR for a test case: the Watch Hill/Misquamicut Beach, Westerly, along the southern RI coast. The Autodesk Professional Robot Structural Analysis software, along with SDL loading, was used to evaluate the designs for selected on-grade and pile-elevated residential structures. Damage curves were generated for each and shown to be consistent with the US Army Corps of Engineers empirical damage curves currently used in CERI.

Statistical evaluation of mineral water from Valcea County area through quality indices

Significant global consumption of mineral water is fueled by perceived therapeutic and medicinal qualities, cultural habits and taste. In Valcea County are several resorts with such mineral springs, which can have multiple benefits for human health. For this reason, it is important to investigate the level of their pollution with heavy metals. The aim of this study was to detect the level of heavy metals present in the studied mineral waters, to evaluate the analytical results using environmental statistical indices, and to compare the results with the legislation in force. Thus, mineral water samples were collected from three resorts of Valcea County (Baile Olanesti, Calimanesti-Caciulata and Baile Govora). The analyzed metals (Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined with the ICP-EOS technique and the obtained results were compared to enforce legislation. Statistical analyses were applied and two environmental statistical indices, namely the metal distribution coefficient (kd) and the total environmental risk index (IER) were evaluated. The calculated values for the total environmental risk index were below 0 (IER ≤ 0), which indicates that none of the studied water samples pose a risk for the environment. The low values of the distribution coefficient indicate a low ability to bind the metal in particles and therefore, insignificant toxicity. The distribution coefficient calculated for zinc (1.12 L/kg) and lead (0.68 L/kg) in Baile Olanesti indicates a high capacity of the metals to bind in particles, compared to other metals.

Adaptation of EVIAVE methodology to landfill environmental impact assessment in Uganda – A case study of Kiteezi landfill

The Kiteezi landfill is the only landfill in Uganda, and it is currently facing significant environmental and sustainability challenges. The comprehensive quantification of the landfill's impact was needed to guide decision making regarding management and remediation. Therefore, this study aimed to quantify the environmental impact of the Kiteezi landfill on the surrounding water bodies, soil, flora, fauna and air and to identify suitable management options. An environmental diagnosis was conducted using the EVIAVE (Evaluación del Impacto Ambiental en Vertederos) methodology with adaptation to Uganda's socioeconomic conditions and legal requirements. The results showed that the Kiteezi landfill is located in an environmentally sensitive area for surface water, groundwater, atmosphere and soils, making conservation of these elements of most significant concern in this landfill's immediate environment. All values of the Environmental Risk Index due to operation (ERIo) were higher than those due to the landfill siting (ERIs), indicating that the landfill's continued operation will create more environmental problems. The overall probability of contamination for each element was high, apart from human health and soil, which had a very high probability (>0.8). Human health had the highest (4.688) ERIo, followed by the atmosphere with an ERIo of 3.571, while flora had the lowest ERIo of 0.926. The high values of ERIo, coupled with the exceeded landfill capacity, indicate that it is not environmentally friendly to continue operating the landfill. Hence, the most sustainable course of action is its closure.

Environmental risk assessment in selected dumpsites in Abakaliki metropolis, Ebonyi state, southeastern Nigeria

Metal leaching into adjacent agricultural soil from dumpsites continues to hamper the quality of produce around the world. Three strategically located major solid waste Dumpsites within Abakaliki metropolis were selected and assessed for potential environmental risks of heavy metals. Samples of the soils from the dumpsites were collected from 0 to 15 cm and 15 to 30 cm soil depth. Multivariate approaches, descriptive statistics and contamination indices were employed. Metal concentrations were compared with local and international standard and most were found to be within the threshold. The results further showed that phosphate (PO43−), nitrate (NO3−) sulphate (SO42−), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) varied within depths and across dumpsites. Metal concentration was generally higher at 0–15 cm depth and decreased at 15–30 cm. The distribution trend across the studied dumpsites was Fe > Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd. Anions (NO3−, PO43− and SO42−) concentrations generally increased with depth. We used the world average elemental concentrations as a benchmark for risk assessment. The factor of contamination (CF) and the environmental risk index (RI) indicated high contamination as well as environmental risks. The factor of enrichment (EF), Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and modified environmental risk index (MRI) indicated very high enrichment and environmental risks of Pb, Cd, and Cu. Phyto-remediation, bioremediation, perimeter fencing, and periodic soil monitoring were recommended to restore the degraded soil for improved agricultural productivity.