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Occurrence, speciation, and controls on arsenic mobilization in the alluvial aquifer system of the Ghaghara basin, India
This study presents As concentration and its speciation As(III) and As(V) data, including the interrelationship with other major and trace aqueous solutes from parts of the Ghaghara basin, India. More than half (57%) of the groundwater samples exhibited elevated As concentrations (>  10 μg/L), whereas 67.4% of samples have higher As(III) values relative to As(V), signifying a potential risk of As(III) toxicity. The elevated concentration of As was associated with higher Fe, Mn, and HCO3−, especially in samples from shallow well depth. PHREEQC modeling demonstrates the presence of mineral phases such as hematite, g...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 28, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

An overview of the impacts of coal mining and processing on soil: assessment, monitoring, and challenges in the Czech Republic
AbstractCoal mining activities are causing an extensive range of environmental issues at both operating and abandoned mine sites. It is one of the most environmentally destructive practices, with the capability to eliminate fauna and flora, impact the groundwater system, and pollute the soil, air, and water. The Czech Republic relies almost exclusively on coal as its primary domestic source of energy. The combined reserves of hard and brown coals in this country are 705 million tons. About 50 million tons of coal is produced annually, making it the 14th biggest producer in the world. Soil degradation is an inevitable outco...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 27, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

Elemental composition of atmospheric PM10 during COVID-19 lockdown and recovery periods in Moscow (April –July 2020)
AbstractChanges in the concentrations of PM10-bound potentially toxic elements (PTEs) during the COVID-19 lockdown period and after the revocation of restrictions were analyzed using the data received at the Aerosol Complex of Moscow State University in April –July 2020. During the lockdown, the input of biomass combustion products enriched in PTEs from the Moscow region hindered the decrease in pollutant concentrations. After the introduction of the self-isolation regime, lower concentrations of most PTEs occurred due to the decrease in anthropogenic activity and the rainy meteorological conditions. After the revocation...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 27, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

Evaluation of the mobility of heavy metals in the sediments originating from the post-galvanic wastewater treatment processes
AbstractThe article presents the assessment of heavy metals mobility in sediments from the process of galvanic wastewater treatment (pH 2.5, Co 1.5  mg/L, Cr6+ <  0.02 mg/L, Cr(total) 62  mg/L, Cu 110 mg/L, Ni 129 mg/L and Pb 59 mg/L) based on the use of hydroxides (Ca(OH)2, NaOH) as well as inorganic and organic sulphur compounds (Na2S, sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate (DMDTC), sodium trithiocarbonate (Na2CS3), trimercapto-s-triazine trisodium salt, TMT). The leachability was assessed after 1, 7, 14 and 21  days of sediment contact with the leaching agent (deionized water). FeCl3 was used as a coagulant. The e...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 26, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

Assessment of heavy metal contamination in street dust: concentrations, bioaccessibility, and human health risks in coal mine and thermal power plant complex
AbstractCoal mining has also been associated with adverse environmental and health impacts including cancer and respiratory disorders, with the presence of thermal power plants exacerbating the problem of heavy metal pollution. Minimal studies have been conducted on the environmental impacts, health risks, and bioaccessibility of heavy metals in coal mine areas. Consequently, samples of street dust were collected from different locations in the Singrauli mine complex and analysed. Heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Co, As, and Mo) were found to be higher than the background concentration, with the maximum concentration was foun...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 26, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

Pollution characteristics, associated risks, and possible sources of heavy metals in road dust collected from different areas of a metropolis in Vietnam
AbstractRoad dust samples were collected from different areas in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) —the largest city in Vietnam to explore pollution characteristics, ecological and human health risks, and sources of heavy metals (HMs). Results revealed the level of HMs found in the samples from residential and industrial zones of HCMC in the order of Mn >  Zn >  Cu >  Cr >  Pb >  Ni >  Co >  As >  Cd, Zn >  Mn >  Cu >  Cr >  Pb >  Ni >  Co >  As >  Cd. Due to the high enrichment of Cu, Zn in residential areas and Cu, Pb,...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 26, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

Effects of the lockdown measure amid COVID-19 pandemic on outpatient department visits associated with air pollution reduction in Thailand
AbstractWe investigated the effects of COVID-19 lockdown on air quality and its consequences health and economic benefits in Thailand. The conditional Poisson regression model was applied to examine the association between air pollution and outpatient department (OPD) visits in each province and pooled the province-specific estimates using the random-effects meta-analysis to derive the national estimates. We then applied a random forest model with meteorological normalization approach to predict the concentration of air pollutants by means of business as usual during the lockdown period (April 3 –May 3) in 2020 and furth...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 25, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

Evaluating natural and anthropogenic inputs on the distribution of potentially toxic elements in urban soil of Valdivia, Chile
This study presents the first systematic geochemical survey of urban soil in the city of Valdivia, in the South of Chile. Topsoil samples (0 –10 cm depth) were collected in less disturbed locations within the city at 130 sampling sites using a grid of 0.25 km2 squares covering a total area of approximately 30  km2. The concentrations of Al, Fe, Na, Ca, Mg, K, Ti, Be, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Sn, Cd, Se, Pb and Hg were measured. The results showed that high concentrations of Cu, V, Zn and Pb are located mainly in the city ’s northern area and exceed international soil quality legislation for agricultural us...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 25, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

Size-resolved environmentally persistent free radicals in urban road dust and association with transition metals
AbstractEnvironmental persistent free radicals (EPFRs) are receiving growing concerns owing to their potentially adverse impacts on human health. Road dust is one important source of air pollution in most cities and may pose significant health risks. Characteristics of EPFRs in urban road dusts and its formation mechanism(s) are still rarely studied. Here, we evaluated occurrence  and size distributions of EPFRs in road dusts from different functional areas of an urban city, and assessed relationship between EPFRs and some transition metals. Strong electron paramagnetic resonance signals of 6.01 × 1016 − 1.3â€...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 24, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

Identification and apportionment of groundwater nitrate sources in Chakari Plain (Afghanistan)
In this study, the geochemistry of major ions and stable isotope ratios ( δ2H –H2O, δ18O –H2O, δ15N –NO3̄, and δ18O –NO3̄) of groundwater and river water samples from the Chakari Plain were analyzed to better understand characteristics of nitrate. Herein, we employed nitrate isotopic ratios and BSIMM modeling to quantify the proportional contributions of major sources of nitrate pollution in the Chakari Plain. The c ross-plot diagram of δ15N-NO3̄ against δ18O –NO3̄ suggests that manure and sewage are the main source of nitrate in the plain. Nitrification is the primary biogeochemical process, whereas de...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 18, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

Distribution and relationship of antibiotics, heavy metals and resistance genes in the upstream of Hanjiang River Basin in Shiyan, China
In this study, 8 antibiotics and 19 heavy metals were analyzed, the results showed that the highest antibiotic content was tetracycline, with mean concentrations of 43.201 µg/kg and 0.022 µg/L. Mn was the highest heavy metal in soil with a content of 1408.284 µg/kg, and in water was Zn wi th a content of 10.611 µg/L. We found that the most abundant antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and metal resistance genes (MRGs) in the study area were bacA and arsT genes, coding for resistance mechanisms to bacitracin and arsenic, respectively. The data showed that heavy metals had a greater im pact on antibiotic resistance ge...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 15, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

A geochemical and mineralogical characterization of soils associated with podoconiosis
AbstractPodoconiosis is a disease that causes swelling and disfiguration of the lower legs found in several developing countries where shoes are not regularly worn. The current model for the etiology of the disease proposes that mineralogical agents enter the lymph system through the skin leading to inflammation that causes swelling of the feet and legs. We collected 125 soil samples from 21 towns associated with podoconiosis, 8 towns unassociated with Podoconiosis as controls, and 3 towns of unknown status. Data collected for each soil sample included color, particle size, mineralogy, and geochemistry to distinguish uniqu...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 15, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

An integrated overview of metals contamination, source-specific risks investigation in coal mining vicinity soils
AbstractHeavy metals in soil are harmful to natural biodiversity and human health, and it is difficult to estimate the effects accurately. To reduce pollution and manage risk in coal-mining regions, it is essential to evaluate risks for heavy metals in soil. The present study reviews the levels of 21 metals (Nb, Zr, Ag, Ni, Na, K, Mg, Rb, Zn, Ca, Sr, As, Cr, Fe, Pb, Cd, Co, Hg, Cu, Mn and Ti) in soils around Barapukuria coal-mining vicinity, Bangladesh which were reported in literature. An integrated approach for risk assessments with the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, source-oriented ecological and health haza...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 14, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

Arsenic level in groundwater and biological samples in Khanewal, Pakistan
AbstractGroundwater is the most valuable natural source in our earth ’s planet, being contaminated in various regions worldwide. Despite considerable research, there are scarce data regarding arsenic (As) levels in groundwater and its build-up in biological samples in Pakistan. The current investigation analyzed As contamination in four tehsils of District Khanewal (Kabirwala tehsil, Jahaniyan tehsil, Mian Channu tehsil, and Khanewal tehsil). For that, 123 groundwater samples, 19 animal milk samples, 20 human nails, and 20 human hair samples were collected from the study area. Arsenic concentration in groundwater was up ...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 13, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

Connection between health risk and heavy metals in agricultural soils of China: a study based on current field investigations
In this study, we performed a preliminary assessment of heavy metals in agricultural soils of the Chinese mainland, and found obvious carcinogenic risks (total lifetime carcinogenic ri sk (TLCR) >  1 × 10–5). A similar spatial distribution pattern was found in soil heavy metal and the mortality of esophagus and stomach cancers. Combining the potential carcinogenic risk assessed by LCR for individual heavy metal with Pearson correlation, Geographical Detector (q statistic  >  0.75 for TLCR, p <  0.05), and redundancy analysis (RDA), it was found that long-term exposure and intake route of heavy m...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - July 11, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research