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Piersanti A, Adani M, Briganti G, Cappelletti A, Ciancarella L, Cremona G, D'Isidoro M, Lombardi C, Pacchierotti F, Russo F, Spanò M, Uccelli R, Vitali L. Air quality modeling and inhalation health risk assessment for a new generation coal-fired power plant in Central Italy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 644:884-898. [PMID: 30743886 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
An assessment of potential carcinogenic and toxic health outcomes related to atmospheric emissions from the new-generation coal fired power plant of Torrevaldaliga Nord, in Central Italy, has been conducted. A chemical-transport model was applied on the reference year 2010 in the area of the plant, in order to calculate airborne concentrations of a set of 17 emitted pollutants of health concern. Inhalation cancer risks and hazard quotients, for each pollutant and for each target organ impacted via the inhalation pathway, were calculated and mapped on the study domain for the overall ambient concentrations and for the sole contribution of the plant to airborne concentrations, allowing to assess the relative contribution of the power plant to the risk from all sources. Cancer risks, cumulated on all pollutants, resulted around 5 × 10-5 for the concentrations from all sources and below 3 × 10-7 for the plant contribution, mainly targeting the respiratory system. On each part of the study domain, the plant contributed for less than 6% to the overall cancer risk. Hazard quotients from all sources, cumulated on all pollutants, reached values of 2.5 for the respiratory and 1.5 for the cardiovascular systems. Hazard quotients of non-carcinogenic risks from the plant, cumulated on all pollutants, resulted below 0.03 for the respiratory system and 0.02 for the cardiovascular system. On each part of the study domain, the plant contributed for less than 5% to the respiratory and cardiovascular risks. Both cancer risks and hazard quotients related to the plant are far below international thresholds for human health protection, while the values from all sources require consideration. The proposed method provides an instrument for prospective health risk assessment of large industrial sources, with some limitations presented and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Piersanti
- ENEA, National Agency for New technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution, via Martiri di Monte Sole 4, 40129 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Mario Adani
- ENEA, National Agency for New technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution, via Martiri di Monte Sole 4, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Gino Briganti
- ENEA, National Agency for New technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution, via Martiri di Monte Sole 4, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Andrea Cappelletti
- ENEA, National Agency for New technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution, via Martiri di Monte Sole 4, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Luisella Ciancarella
- ENEA, National Agency for New technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution, via Martiri di Monte Sole 4, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cremona
- ENEA, National Agency for New technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution, via Martiri di Monte Sole 4, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Massimo D'Isidoro
- ENEA, National Agency for New technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution, via Martiri di Monte Sole 4, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Carmine Lombardi
- ENEA, National Agency for New technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Laboratory of Biosafety and Risk Assessment, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Santa Maria di Galeria, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Pacchierotti
- ENEA, National Agency for New technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Laboratory of Biosafety and Risk Assessment, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Santa Maria di Galeria, Rome, Italy
| | - Felicita Russo
- ENEA, National Agency for New technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution, via Martiri di Monte Sole 4, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Marcello Spanò
- ENEA, National Agency for New technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Laboratory of Biosafety and Risk Assessment, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Santa Maria di Galeria, Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaella Uccelli
- ENEA, National Agency for New technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Laboratory of Biosafety and Risk Assessment, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Santa Maria di Galeria, Rome, Italy
| | - Lina Vitali
- ENEA, National Agency for New technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Laboratory of Atmospheric Pollution, via Martiri di Monte Sole 4, 40129 Bologna, Italy
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Abel TD. Skewed riskscapes and environmental injustice: a case study of metropolitan St. Louis. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2008; 42:232-248. [PMID: 18506518 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-008-9126-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2007] [Revised: 09/15/2007] [Accepted: 04/13/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
This article presents a case study of Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) air pollution exposure risks across metropolitan St. Louis. The first section critically reviews environmental justice research and related barriers to environmental risk management. Second, the paper offers a conventional analysis of the spatial patterns of TRI facilities and their surrounding census block group demographics for metropolitan St. Louis. Third, the article describes the use of an exposure risk characterization for 319 manufacturers and their air releases of more than 126 toxic pollutants. This information could lead to more practical resolutions of urban environmental injustices. The analysis of TRIs across metropolitan St. Louis shows that minority and low-income residents were disproportionately closer to industrial pollution sources at nonrandom significance levels. Spatial concentrations of minority residents averaged nearly 40% within one kilometer of St. Louis TRI sites compared to 25% elsewhere. However, one-fifth of the region's air pollution exposure risk over a decade was spatially concentrated among only six facilities on the southwestern border of East St. Louis. This disproportionate concentration of some of the greatest pollution risk would never be considered in most conventional environmental justice analyses. Not all pollution exposure risk is average, and the worst risks deserve more attention from environmental managers assessing and mitigating environmental injustices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy D Abel
- Huxley College of the Environment, Department of Environmental Studies, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA.
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Gurjar BR, Mohan M. Integrated risk analysis for acute and chronic exposure to toxic chemicals. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2003; 103:25-40. [PMID: 14568695 DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3894(03)00228-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The traditional practice to assess and evaluate different types of risk in isolation to each other are liable to give erroneous results. Integrated risk assessment is an answer to overcome this problem. This paper presents the cumulative or integrated assessment of acute risk posed by accidental release of hazardous chemical (e.g. chlorine) and chronic risk induced by toxic chemicals (e.g. cadmium, chromium and nickel) present in the ambient environment. The present study has been carried out in a most simplified way to demonstrate and appreciate the broader context of integrated risk analysis (IRA). It has been observed that the inclusion of background risk factors (BRF) in individual risk factors (IRF) related to an industry may significantly alter the siting and planning strategies of that industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- B R Gurjar
- Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Atmospheric Chemistry Division, P.O. Box 3060, D-55020 Mainz, Germany
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