Pollution Risk Assessment Research Articles

Risk Assessment of Noise Pollution in a Cement Plant: Perspectives and Recommendations

Introduction: noise is an acoustic phenomenon producing an auditory sensation considered unpleasant or annoying.Exposure to high sound levels over 85 dB(A) can affect the auditory system and other extra-auditory systems Our study had the general objective of evaluating the impact of noise related to noise exposure in the Lafarge Holcim Guinea factory. Material and methods: This was a prospective descriptive study lasting 6 months from March 01, 2022 to September 01, 2022. It focused on the 150 workers at the Lafarge Holcim Guinea plant and their work areas. Results: during our study, we recorded 131 workers who met our selection criteria. Our study population was young with an average age of 40.7 years with extremes of 26-53 years. About the measurement 3 areas out of 10 had a noise level above 85 dB(A). The most frequent signs felt during or after work were whistling/buzzing with 55%. Only 48.1% regularly used this PPE and caps were the most used PPE. Conclusion: at the end of this study, it appears that the workers are mainly exposed to noise and have hearing problems. Despite the availability of PPE, many workers do not use it; however, better communication on the risks associated with noise pollution and the establishment of regular supervision of the correct wearing of PPE would improve the protection and safety of workers.

Effects of single and combined contamination of total petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals on soil microecosystems: Insights into bacterial diversity, assembly, and ecological function

Deciphering the impact of single and combined contamination of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and heavy metals on soil microecosystems is essential for the remediation of contaminated habitats, yet it remains incompletely understood. In this study, we employed high-throughput sequencing to investigate the impact of single TPH contamination, single metal contamination, and their co-contamination on soil microbial diversity, assembly mechanisms, composition, ecological function, and resistome. Our results revealed that contamination led to a reduction in alpha diversity, with single contamination displaying lower diversity compared to co-contamination, depending on the concentration of pollutants. Community beta diversity was primarily driven by turnover rather than nestedness, and narrower ecological niches were detected under pollution conditions. The neutral community model suggested that homogenizing dispersal played a significant role in the community assembly process under single TPH or co-contamination, while homogeneous selection dominated under heavy metals pollution. Procrustes analysis demonstrated a correlation between community composition and functional divergence, while Mantel tests linked this divergence to concentrations of Cr, Cr6+, Pb, and TPH. Interestingly, soils co-polluted with TPH and heavy metals exhibited similar genera, community functions, and resistomes as soils contaminated with only metals, highlighting the significant impact of heavy metals. Ecological functions related to carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S) cycles were enhanced under TPH pollution but impaired under heavy metals stress. These findings enhance our understanding of soil microecosystems subjected to TPH, heavy metals, and their co-contamination, and carry significant implications for environmental microecology and pollutant risk assessment.

Sifat Dan Ciri Tanah Yang Mempengaruhi Adsorpsi-Desorpsi Merkuri (Hg) Pada Pengolahan Emas Tanpa Izin di Lahan Kering Taliwang

Unlicensed Gold Mining (PETI) causes environmental pollution problems because the surrounding community processes gold using mercury (Hg) assisted amlagamation techniques. Mercury waste discharged directly into the environment adversely affects public health and degrades soil and water quality. The presence of mercury in soil is strongly influenced by soil properties and characteristics, as it relates to the availability, movement, transport and behavior of mercury in soil. Adsorption-desorption reactions in soil are a prerequisite for understanding the behavior of Hg in the soil environment and for the assessment of pollution risks to the surrounding environment. Soil properties and characteristics that affect the adsorption-desorption of mercury in soil include soil texture, soil organic matter, soil pH and iron oxide.

Risk assessment of marine litter pollution from maritime industries on seabird habitat

Cases of bird damage caused by marine litter have been reported worldwide. This study represents the investigation in South Korea (“Korea”) focused on the identification and management strategies of marine litter sources targeting seabirds within the context of habitat risk assessment. The purpose of this study is to identify key marine litter stressors affecting seabird habitat and identify ascertain to manage these stressors. Ports, fishing spots, and aquaculture farms where abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) occurs are considered marine litter stressors. Consequently, the principal estuaries in Korea, encompassing the Han River, Nakdong River, and Geum River estuaries, were designated as high-risk zones. Within the maritime industries, it was discerned that marine litter arising from fishing spots exerted the most substantial influence on seabirds. Among the focused seabird species, the Black-faced Spoonbill, Black-tailed Gull, and Great-crested Grebe demonstrated an elevated susceptibility to marine litter exposure. This underscores the potential variability in prioritization and strategies for risk management based on the characteristics of each maritime industry and seabird species. Additionally, it can provide fundamental data for national marine litter monitoring and removal initiatives, and contribute to the efficient budget allocation of government collection projects.

Microplastic pollution and regulating factors in the surface sediment of the Xuande Atolls in the South China Sea

Microplastics are widely present in the marine environment, but their pollution and potential risk assessment in the seabed sediments have not been well addressed in remote sea areas. In this study, microplastics in 50 surface sediment samples from the Xuande Atolls at the Xisha of the South China Sea were studied. There were 20 samples with detectable microplastics of 5–20 items kg−1. They were all fibers in shapes and blue/transparent in colors with the dominant chemical component of polyester and the typical size of 0.02-3 mm. We found a large spatial variability of microplastic abundance in the surface sediment with generally low or undetectable levels in the lagoon deposits and the offshore deep-sea sediments but elevated abundances in the slope sediments of the Xuande Atolls. Correlation analyses suggested that microplastic variability in the Xisha sediment was less affected by local environmental parameters such as water depth, sediment particle size, organic carbon content, and sediment types. We also found that elevated microplastics in the seabed sediments on various sides of the Xuande Atolls could be related to the seasonal change in monsoon-driven currents. Finally, a low risk of microplastic pollution in the surface sediment of the Xisha is concluded based on the assessments of the polymer hazard index and the pollution load index. These findings provide not only a baseline understanding of microplastics but also their dynamics in the surface sediment of the remote Xisha area of the South China Sea.

Ecological risk assessment of metal pollutants in two agriculturally impacted estuaries

A focused diagnosis of ecosystem health in two South African estuaries (Kromme and Gamtoos) was conducted. Four pollution indices were used, i.e., geoaccumulation (Igeo), ecological risk (RI), contamination factor (CF) and pollution load index (PLI), to assess toxicity levels of metal contaminants in relation to background values. The Igeo results (11.1 %) can be classified as contaminated, with Cd, the only element with high values in both estuaries. Likely sources (herbicides, pesticides) of Cd are used in the agricultural dominated catchments. There was a high concentration of Mn (13.4 ± 2.51 and 12.3 ± 1.13 μg·g−1) and Fe (1289 ± 243 and 1291 ± 130 μg·g−1) at site 4 for Gamtoos and Kromme estuary respectively compared to the other metal elements. Although results indicate low metal contamination, with increasing global anthropogenic pressure, continuous monitoring should be prioritised to assist in managing estuarine systems that support a wide range of socio-economic and ecosystem services.

Comparison of heavy metal pollution and ecological risk assessment in ballast tank sediments based on two applicable reference standards

The potential risks of ballast tank sediments have garnered global attention. This study collected sediment samples from ballast tanks of four transoceanic ships and determined 27 metal(loid) s by GB 5085.6-2007 and 9 metal(loid)s by GB 18668-2002. The pollution characteristics and ecological risk assessment of 8 typical heavy metals measured by both standards were analyzed and compared. Concentrations of Cd, Zn, and As were found to be high in the ballast tank sediments, and attention should also be directed toward Sn and Mn, which were rarely studied in ballast tank sediments. The concentration of Ni had significant differences between the two standards (P < 0.05). The results of ecological risk methods indicate that Cd, Zn, and As pose significant ecological risks. GB 5085.6-2007 demonstrated sensitivity in reflecting the ecological risks of heavy metals. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into establishing a unified standard for heavy metals for future ballast tank sediment management.

Heavy metals pollution and potential ecological risk assessment in farmland soils from typical mining area: a case study

ABSTRACT The research aimed to investigate HMS, utilizing the Pearson correlation coefficient for speciation distribution analysis, PCA for assessing pollution characteristics and identifying sources, the Muller index to evaluate ecological risk level, and the Hakanson potential ecological risk index to determine the order of risk from heavy metals. The topsoil near SA was collected, and the contents of seven kinds of HMS, As, Cd, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cu and Cr were determined, so as to evaluate the types of high-risk heavy metal pollution further accurately. The research recorded valuable data showing that the concentration values of all seven HMS in the investigated area exceeded prescribed agricultural soil contamination limits. The concentrations of As, Cd, and Pb were found to be 8.30, 46.20, and 6.08 times higher than the screening values in Hunan Province, respectively. In the GYB sampling area, the coefficient of variation (CV) values for Cu, Pb, As, Zn, and Cd are all between 0.50 and 1.00. Notably, the CV value for Cd reaches 0.82, indicating a significant variation. Significant correlations were found between Cd and Zn (Cd-Zn), Pb and Zn (Pb-Zn), Ni and Cr (Ni-Cr) in the tested soils. The ecological risk index () results showed that Cd was the primary pollutant in the study area, with the potential ecological hazards in the tested soils ranked as Cd>As>Pb>Cu>Zn>Ni>Cr. Combining both evaluation methods, the study area’s potential ecological risk order is SZY>GYB>CTL.

Physicochemical properties of environmental media can affect the adsorption of arsenic (As) by microplastics

Microplastics are emerging pollutants that can adsorb heavy metals and threaten human health through food chain. Recently, there has been increasing interest in understanding the adsorption behavior of heavy metals by microplastics in farmland soil. In particular, arsenic (As), as a carcinogen, has the potential to be adsorbed by soil microplastics. However, the mechanisms and controlling factors of As adsorption by microplastics in farmland soil under natural conditions are still unknown. Here, microplastics and As were respectively added to farmland soils with different physicochemical properties from twelve provinces of China for adsorption experiment. We performed surface analysis of microplastics, quantified As accumulation through quasi-first-order kinetic equation and developed regression models to screen the factors controlling As adsorption. The results showed that the adsorption of As by soil microplastics was a chemical process accompanied by the loss of electrons from oxygen-containing functional groups. Soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) was the main factor controlling the adsorption rate, while soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN) and CEC mainly influenced the equilibrium adsorption capacity. This is the first report on microplastic-As adsorption in natural soil, which allows deeper insights into risk assessment, prediction and control of microplastic-As pollution in agricultural soil.

The influence and risk assessment of multiple pollutants on the bacterial and archaeal communities in agricultural lands with different climates and soil properties

Soil microorganisms play a vital role in maintaining the health of farmland ecosystems. The structures and functions of soil microorganisms are determined by the combined effects of natural and anthropogenic processes. To investigate the influence of anthropogenic contaminants on agricultural soil conditions and their impact on the prokaryote community, we collected agricultural soils from 3 types of villages (industrial, livestock breeding and agricultural) in four regions with typical geoclimatic features. We assessed the influences of changing environmental factors (climatic conditions, soil properties, heavy metal and organic pollutants) on soil bacterial and archaeal communities and their relative contributions. The results showed that differences in soil properties and contaminants between regions were more significant than those between villages of different types. Cu, Zn, Cd, antibiotics and phthalate esters were identified as major pollutants with medium to high level of risk in agricultural soils. The richness and biodiversity index showed no significant differences among regions, while dominant species and community composition were significantly correlated with changing environmental and pollution factors. Major environmental factors explained 65 % of the total variances based on the RDA analysis, with average temperature, precipitation and soil pH identified as the major factors shaping the prokaryote community. Combined pollution explained 20.14 % of total community variances, with moderate levels of pollution stresses being as significant as climatic and soil conditions to community composition. The correlation analysis indicated that different species respond differently to environmental factors. The major groups of functional microbes for N cycling, Nitrososphaeraceae and Nitrospiraceae, were found to be stressed by combined pollution. The Bacillaceae family showed a negative correlation to soil pH and a positive correlation to pollutants, suggesting their resistance to changing environments. The interaction among species and the correlation between environmental factors and multiple pollutants brought significant complexity to the assessment of co-contamination. In general, this study provides insights into the responses of agricultural soil microbial communities to multiple changing factors at a continental scale, which would substantially benefit the soil health assessment and management of agro-ecosystems under global environmental changes.

Microplastic pollution and ecological risk assessment of Yueqing Bay affected by intensive human activities

Microplastics (MPs) are a widespread environmental problem posing ecological risks in the ocean. We investigated the abundance, spatial distribution, characteristics and ecological risks of MPs in surface seawater, sediments and organisms in Yueqing Bay, China. MPs were detected in both environmental media and organisms. The overall abundance (0.24 items/m3 seawater, 6.13 items/kg dry sediment, 0.77 items/individual in organisms) was low to medium compared with other coastal areas. The MPs were mainly derived from the high-intensity mariculture and shipping in the bay, as well as industrial and human activities along the surrounding coast. The abundance of MPs in water of the left (western) bay (0.39 items/m3) was considerably higher than that of the right (north-eastern) bay (0.07 items/m3) due to the different levels of population and economic development on the left and right coasts. The ecological risk assessment showed generally low to medium risk from MPs pollution in Yueqing Bay, with higher ecological risk index (H) and potential ecological hazards (RI) of MPs polymers in water samples. These data emphasize the need for timely and effective action to reduce the contribution of intensive human activities to MPs pollution and provide information for further ecotoxicological studies, pollution control, and policy development of MPs.

Research on the Evaluation System of Light Pollution Risk Index

Light pollution is the general term for the sum of various harmful effects of artificial light. This report aims to establish a light pollution risk level evaluation model through light pollution risk assessment, and provide effective intervention strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of light pollution. First of all, the report follows the principle of scientific and comprehensive, and establishes a comprehensive evaluation system for the risk level of light pollution. Then, the corresponding data were collected, 19 indicators such as average night illumination, electricity consumption, glare index, artificial light intensity were selected as evaluation indicators, and the entropy weight method-TOPSIS comprehensive evaluation model was constructed to quantify the data, and the weights of each index were determined, and it was found that the proportion of glare index and community lighting weight was the largest. Then, applied to four different types of sites, the level of light pollution risk in different regions was discussed. Finally, the stability of the data is verified and it is concluded that prosperous cities have the highest light pollution levels, while protected areas have lower light pollution levels. The model passed the stability test, and a variety of visualization methods were used in the article to make the results more intuitive.

Human activities contributing to the accumulation of high-risk trace metal(loid)s in soils of China's five major urban agglomerations

Rapid urbanization has accelerated the accumulation of trace metal(loid)s (TMs) in soils, but the relationship between this accumulation and human activities remains largely unknown. Therefore, based on 775 published literatures (2001–2020), this study aimed to identify the influence of human activities on TM accumulation. Results showed that all soil TM concentrations were higher than their corresponding Chinese soil background values. The pollution risk assessment indicated that the soil TMs in the study area were at moderate levels, and the value of Pollution load index was 2.10. According to the assessment of health risks, the non-carcinogenic risks for adults were at the “Negligible risk” level; while the carcinogenic risk was not negligible for all populations, with children being more susceptible than adults. Meanwhile, six high-risk TMs were identified based on the grading of Contaminating factors (CF ≥ 3) and contribution to health risk (≥ 75%), including four high pollution risk TMs (Cd, Hg, Cu, and Pb) and two high health risk TMs (Cr and As) . In addition, in accordance with the results of the Random forest model, the accumulation of soil high-risk TMs was closely related to influencing factors associated with human activities. The accumulation of Hg and Cr among five major urban agglomerations had the same influencing factors (the number of industrial companies and the amount of industrial wastewater discharge for Hg; the amount of pesticide application and highway mileage for Cr). However, there were significant differences in the factors influencing the accumulation of the other four high-risk TMs (including Cd, As, Cu and Pb), due to the different characteristics of each urban agglomeration. Our results provide new insights into the relationship between human activities and soil TM accumulation.

Characteristics, Pollution and Health Risk Assessment of Metals and Metalloid in Drinking Water of Yangtze River and Taihu Lake

Characteristics, Pollution and Health Risk Assessment of Metals and Metalloid in Drinking Water of Yangtze River and Taihu Lake

Analytical model for contaminants transport in triple composite liners with depth-dependent adsorption process

Predictions of contaminant transport in landfill composite liners are essential to assess the risk of groundwater pollution. The amount of soil organic carbon is strongly depth-dependent, which plays a crucial role in the adsorption of organic contaminants and heavy metal ions. The one-dimensional analytical model of contaminant transport in the triple composite liner consisting of geomembrane, geosynthetic clay liner and attenuation liner is presented considering the influence of depth-dependent adsorption coefficients. A specific sigmodal function is introduced to describe the attenuation of adsorption coefficients along the depth. The solution is obtained by the Laplace transformation. The analytical model was validated by experimental and numerical results. The results of the sensitivity analysis show that depth-dependent adsorption coefficients are critical for the risk assessment of groundwater pollution. The breakthrough time of composite liners can be overestimated by a folder of 2.5 with constant adsorption coefficients. The effects of parameters related to the depth-dependent adsorption process on the long-term transport of contaminants are critical for the design of a stable and effective composite liner system The proposed solution can capture the field observed data well and is consistent with the field observation. In addition, the proposed analytical solution may serve as a benchmark for various numerical models.

Soil organic pollution and ecological risk assessment in brownfield soil from Northwest China: an integrated analysis of man-land interrelations

In general, chemical plants are accompanied by a variety of secondary production in the production process, which may have different degrees of impact on the environment. At the same time, in order to ensure the environmental safety of new urban construction land, it is necessary to conduct pollution investigation and further environmental risk assessment on potentially polluting abandoned chemical plants. This paper takes a chemical plant producing food grade fumaric acid in Northwest China as an example to investigate the pollution of organic matter in the soil in accordance with relevant standards, then analyzes the vertical pollution degree of key pollution areas. The calculation results of single factor pollution index and Nemerow pollution index show that there are 17 kinds of organic pollutants that exceed the screening value in land of Class I. Among them, benzene, 1,2,3-trichloropropane and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane are most serious, and the highest exceeded the standard by 11,311 times. Moreover, the distillation zone and the reactor zone have reached the level of V pollution, and the maximum pollution depth can reach more than 6 m. The results of HERA software analysis showed that there were 18 and 10 kinds of organic pollutants with carcinogenic risk values exceeding 10−6 in the reactor and distillation area, respectively, and 25 and 11 kinds of organic pollutants with hazard quotients exceeding 1, respectively. According to relevant regulations, the contaminated areas with unacceptable regional risks must be properly repaired.

Polystyrene size-dependent impacts on microbial decomposers and nutrient cycling in streams

The particle size of plastic is one of the most important factors influencing its ecotoxicity, but we are unclear about the effect of polystyrene (PS) particle size on microbial decomposers and consequent nutrient cycling in streams. Here, using microcosm experiments, we assessed how three PS sizes (50 nm, 1 μm, and 20 μm) influenced the process and consequences of leaf litter decomposition. Under acute exposure to 1 μm and 20 μm PS, fungal biomass significantly decreased, but microbial biomass significantly increased, indicating compensations may work between fungi and other microbial decomposers. After chronic exposure to 50 nm and 1 μm PS, the leaf decomposition rate decreased by 19.27 % and 15.22 %, respectively, due to the reduced microbial enzyme activity, fungal diversity, and dominance of Anguillospora. As a result, the regeneration of nutrients, especially phosphorus, was significantly depressed, which might influence the primary productivity of streams. Therefore, our results suggest that nanoscale PS has a greater impact on microbial activity, thus affecting their functioning in leaf litter decomposition and consequent nutrient cycling. The findings provide a data support for the risk assessment of plastic pollution in freshwater systems.

Effect of the Method Detection Limit on the Health Risk Assessment of Ambient Hazardous Air Pollutants in an Urban Industrial Complex Area

Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) significantly impacted environmental air quality and were widely studied to determine human health risks. Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s second-largest city, known for its heavily industrialized and densely populated development. The Linhai industrial park, located in this region, contains roughly 500 industrial facilities that contributed to the emission of HAPs. The purpose of this study was to identify the volatile organic compound (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM)-bounded heavy metals and to examine the effects of the method detection limit (MDL) for analyzed species and the sampling program on health risk assessments. This study identified formaldehyde, 1,2-dichloroethane, acetaldehyde, benzene, and vinyl chloride. As, ethylbenzene, Ni, Cr(VI), Cd, Pb, and 1,3-butadiene were defined as high-risk species and VOCs accounted for more than 95% of respiratory-related health risks, this study proposes that the MDL for analysis methods and the sampling frequency for different species (and the species of interest) would eventually affect the results of health risk assessments. In other words, the current control strategies for reducing health risks may be ineffective. This research output can be used to comprehend the effects of MDL on the health risk assessments of HAPs better while also providing a reliable method to determine the major sources of air pollutants in urban industrial areas.

Health risk assessment of nitrate pollution of drinking groundwater in rural areas of Suihua, China.

In order to investigate the health risks of NO3- in rural drinking groundwater in Suihua, China and provide a basis for healthy drinking water, 40 sets of groundwater samples were collected in the Suihua area, and the average concentration of nitrate in the study area was 71.66 mg/L, statistical analysis software (SPSS19), Hydrogeochemical Analysis Software (AqQA) and groundwater pollution analysis software were used. Through water sample collection, chemical analysis and construction of human health risk model (HHRA), a qualitative and quantitative assessment of NO3- health risk was carried out for people of different ages and sexes, and it was concluded that there was NO3- pollution health risk in rural drinking groundwater in Suihua. Health risk level: infants > children > adult females > adult males. The evaluation provides a scientific basis for the prevention and control of NO3- pollution in groundwater and new ideas for preventing human health risks.

Pollution levels and risk assessment of heavy metals in the agricultural area affected by sugar cane factory’s fly ash: A case study from South Egypt

Pollution levels and risk assessment of heavy metals in the agricultural area affected by sugar cane factory’s fly ash: A case study from South Egypt