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Kardos MK, Clement A, Jolánkai Z, Zessner M, Kittlaus S, Weber N, Gabriel O, Broer MB, Soare F, Hamchevici C, Sidau M, Tonev R, Milačič R, Ščančar J, Horvat M, Marković K, Kulcsar S, Schuhmann A, Bordós G, Pataj E, Zoboli O. Development and testing of an efficient micropollutant monitoring strategy across a large watershed. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 948:174760. [PMID: 39025144 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
In recent decades, extensive monitoring programmes have been conducted at the national, international, and project levels with the objective of expanding our understanding of the contamination of surface waters with micropollutants, which are often referred to as hazardous substances (HS). It has been demonstrated that HS enter surface waters via a number of pathways, including groundwater, atmospheric deposition, soil erosion, and urban systems. Given the ever-growing list of substances and the high resource demand associated with laboratory analysis, it is common practice to quantify the listed pathways based on emission factors derived from temporally and spatially constrained monitoring programmes. The derivation calculations are subject to high uncertainties, and substantial knowledge gaps remain regarding the relative importance of the unique pathways, territories, and periods. This publication presents a monitoring method designed to quantify the unique emission pathways of HS in large geographical areas characterized by differences in land use, population, and economic development. The method will be tested for a wide range of HS (ubiquitous organic and inorganic pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceuticals) throughout small sub-catchments located on tributaries. The results of the test application demonstrate a high diversity of both emission loads and instream concentrations throughout different regions for numerous substances. Riverine concentrations are found to be highly dependent on the flow status. Soil concentration levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are found to be in proportion, whereas that of potentially toxic elements (PTE) in a reverse relationship with economic development. In many instances, concentration levels are also contingent upon land use. The findings of this study reinforce the necessity for the implementation of harmonised and concerted HS monitoring programmes, which should encompass a diverse range of substances, emission sources, pathways and geographical areas. This is essential for the reliable development of emission factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Máté Krisztián Kardos
- National Laboratory for Water Science and Water Security, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Műegyetem rakpart 3, 1111 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Adrienne Clement
- National Laboratory for Water Science and Water Security, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Műegyetem rakpart 3, 1111 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Jolánkai
- National Laboratory for Water Science and Water Security, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Műegyetem rakpart 3, 1111 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Matthias Zessner
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Wien, Austria
| | - Steffen Kittlaus
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Wien, Austria
| | - Nikolaus Weber
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Wien, Austria
| | - Oliver Gabriel
- Environment Agency Austria, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Florentina Soare
- National Administration Romanian Waters, Str. Edgar Quinet no. 6, Sector 1, 010018 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Carmen Hamchevici
- National Administration Romanian Waters, Str. Edgar Quinet no. 6, Sector 1, 010018 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mugurel Sidau
- National Administration Romanian Waters, Str. Edgar Quinet no. 6, Sector 1, 010018 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Radoslav Tonev
- Bulgarian Water Association, Hristo Smirnenski blvd 1, 1046 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Radmila Milačič
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janez Ščančar
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Milena Horvat
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Katarina Marković
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sandra Kulcsar
- Environment Agency Austria, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrea Schuhmann
- Environment Agency Austria, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gábor Bordós
- Eurofins Analytical Services Hungary Ltd., Anonymus utca 6., 1045 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Pataj
- Eurofins Analytical Services Hungary Ltd., Anonymus utca 6., 1045 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ottavia Zoboli
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Wien, Austria
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Vijayakumaran Nair S, Gačnik J, Živković I, Andron TD, Ali SW, Kotnik J, Horvat M. Application of traceable calibration for gaseous oxidized mercury in air. Anal Chim Acta 2024; 1288:342168. [PMID: 38220300 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.342168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The current speciation methods for mercury (Hg) measurements are fraught with considerable uncertainty, from sample collection to calibration. High reactivity of gaseous oxidized Hg (GOM) species and their ultra-trace level presence makes them difficult to sample and calibrate. Given that improper calibration may lead to measurement biases, reliable and metrologically traceable calibration methods are required for accurately quantifying GOM in air. In the present study, we applied the recently developed calibration method based on non-thermal plasma oxidation of elemental Hg, to a commercially available Hg air speciation system for actual environmental measurements of GOM for the first time. RESULTS Hg species such as HgO, HgCl2, and HgBr2 were produced with trace amounts of reactant gases (oxygen and electrolytically produced chlorine and bromine) and the production was driven by plasma-assisted oxidation. The plasma oxidation efficiency of elemental Hg with oxygen was 98.5 ± 7.5 % (k = 2), while that for chlorine and bromine was 96.8 ± 6.9 % (k = 2) and 97.4 ± 9.6 % (k = 2), respectively. The calibration method was tested against the internal permeation (Hg0) source of the Tekran 2537B Hg analyzer on-field by loading HgO to different KCl-coated denuders using the plasma. GOM concentrations were measured using the Tekran speciation system. With internal calibration, concentrations were up to 9.1 % lower than those in plasma calibration, thereby emphasizing the importance of the calibration strategy. Measurement uncertainty (k = 2) further emphasizes this distinction. Internal calibration measurement uncertainty was 36.8 %, while plasma calibration boasted lower uncertainty at 13.8 %. SIGNIFICANCE The non-thermal plasma calibration strategy, as a unique and discrete calibration method traceable to the NIST SRM 3133 for ambient air GOM measurements, provide a higher level of confidence in the accuracy of GOM measurements with several advantages over other methods. Calibrations at extreme low concentrations (<100 pg) are possible with this method relevant to ambient air GOM concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreekanth Vijayakumaran Nair
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jan Gačnik
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Igor Živković
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Teodor Daniel Andron
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Saeed Waqar Ali
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jože Kotnik
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Milena Horvat
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Tu IC, Yuan CS, Tseng YL, Lee CW, Lin C. Spatiotemporal variation and inter-transport of atmospheric speciated mercury between Kaohsiung Harbor and neighboring urban areas. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 342:123039. [PMID: 38040182 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the spatiotemporal variation, gas-particle partition, and source resolution of atmospheric speciation mercury (ASM) in Kaohsiung Harbor and neighboring Metro Kaohsiung. Four sampling sites were selected to determine the pollution characteristics and inter-transport of ASM between the port and urban areas. The yearly average GEM, GOM, and PBM concentrations were 7.13 ± 2.2 ng/m3, 331 ± 190 pg/m3, and 532 ± 301 pg/m3, respectively. Notably, GEM emerged as the predominant ASM species (85-94%), primarily originating from anthropogenic emissions from the harbor area and nearby industrial complex. The study revealed a distinct seasonal variation in ASM concentrations in the Kaohsiung Area in the following order: winter > fall > spring > summer. Concerning spatial distribution, ASM concentrations in the port areas were generally higher than those in the urban areas. This disparity was chiefly attributed to the influence of the prevailing winds, local sources, and atmospheric dispersion. Backward trajectory simulation revealed that polluted air masses blown from the northeast in winter and spring, moving along the western in-land part of Taiwan Island, were likely influenced by local sources and long-range transport (LRT). In summer, air pollutants originating from the south were likely transported from the coastal industrial sources. During fall, air masses blown from the western offshore waters transported air pollutants from Kaohsiung Harbor to neighboring Metro Kaohsiung. The results obtained from principle component analysis (PCA) indicated that primary sources in the port areas included ship emissions, vehicular exhausts, and nearby industrial complex, which align with the primary source factors identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF), which were mobile sources and coal-fired industrial boilers. Meanwhile, mobile sources and sulfur-containing fuel/waste combustion were identified as the primary sources in the urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- I-Chieh Tu
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 70, Lian-Hai Road, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Shin Yuan
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 70, Lian-Hai Road, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan.
| | - Yu-Lun Tseng
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 70, Lian-Hai Road, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Wei Lee
- Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, No. 1, University Road, Kaohsiung, 81148, Taiwan
| | - Chitsan Lin
- Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, No. 142, Haijhuan Road, Kaohsiung, 81157, Taiwan
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Elwaleed A, Jeong H, Abdelbagi AH, Quynh NT, Agusa T, Ishibashi Y, Arizono K. Human Health Risk Assessment from Mercury-Contaminated Soil and Water in Abu Hamad Mining Market, Sudan. TOXICS 2024; 12:112. [PMID: 38393207 PMCID: PMC10892728 DOI: 10.3390/toxics12020112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) poses a significant global threat due to mercury emissions and resulting health hazards. This study focuses on assessing these risks in the Abu Hamad ASGM community in Sudan. Utilizing the Mercury Analyzer 3000 (NIC), analyses of twelve soil samples (including one tailings sample) and seven water samples revealed the highest concentrations near amalgam burning locations: 34.8 mg/kg in soil (S06) and 3.26 µg/L in water (W03). Concentrations decrease with distance, with soil near burning exceeding tailings (S05 = 19.0 mg/kg). Hazard quotients indicate mercury vapor inhalation as the primary exposure route from soil, with the Hazard Index reaching 5.34 for adults and 33.4 for children close to amalgam burning sites. Water samples generally pose little risk except for W03, where children face potential danger via ingestion (HI = 1.74). These findings emphasize the urgent need for adopting retorts and eco-friendly practices to reduce mercury emissions and protect ASGM communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Elwaleed
- Graduate School of Environmental and Symbiotic Sciences, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, Tsukide 3-1-100, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan; (A.E.)
- Mining Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Khartoum, Gamma Ave., Khartoum P.O. Box 321, Sudan;
| | - HuiHo Jeong
- Faculty of Environmental and Symbiotic Sciences, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, Tsukide 3-1-100, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan; (H.J.); (Y.I.)
| | - Ali H. Abdelbagi
- Mining Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Khartoum, Gamma Ave., Khartoum P.O. Box 321, Sudan;
| | - Nguyen Thi Quynh
- Graduate School of Environmental and Symbiotic Sciences, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, Tsukide 3-1-100, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan; (A.E.)
| | - Tetsuro Agusa
- Faculty of Environmental and Symbiotic Sciences, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, Tsukide 3-1-100, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan; (H.J.); (Y.I.)
| | - Yasuhiro Ishibashi
- Faculty of Environmental and Symbiotic Sciences, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, Tsukide 3-1-100, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan; (H.J.); (Y.I.)
| | - Koji Arizono
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
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