Integrated risk analysis for acute and chronic exposure to toxic chemicals

Acute and chronic risk assessment of BTEX in the return water of hydraulic fracturing operations in Marcellus Shale

Environmental pollution caused by human activities is a pressing issue in developed countries. In this context, it is vital to establish methodologies for the early and reliable estimation of the health risks posed by potential pollutants. Flowback and produced water (return water) from shale gas operations can contain toxic compounds, of which BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) are of concern due to their toxicity and frequent presence above regulatory limits. The return water generated by these operations is stored in ponds or tanks before reaching its final destination. Over time, the composition of this water changes, and leaks or inadequate contact can harm the environment and human health. Here we developed a risk assessment framework to evaluate the temporal evolution of chronic and acute BTEX exposure risks caused by accidental return water leakage. We applied the approach to a hydraulic fracturing operation in the Marcellus Shale Formation. Starting with a time series of BTEX concentrations in the return water, our method deploys transport models to assess risk to health. Our approach compares exposure levels with regulatory limits for inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact. By identifying the risk levels, exposure pathways, and control parameters in the case study for a range of periods after leakage, our study supports the implementation of appropriate risk mitigation strategies. In addition, by examining risk variation under arid, semi-arid, and humid climate scenarios, the study reveals the impact of climate change on soil characteristics and BTEX transport. The development and application of this methodology is an important step in addressing concerns regarding shale gas operations. The approach proposed paves the way for sustainable practices that prioritise the protection of human health and the environment.

A demonstration of the necessity and feasibility of using a clumsy decision analytic approach on wicked environmental problems

Because controversy, conflict, and lawsuits frequently characterize US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) decisions, it is important that USEPA decision makers understand how to evaluate and then make decisions that have simultaneously science-based, social, and political implications. Air quality management is one category of multidimensional decision making at USEPA. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania metropolitan area experiences unhealthy levels of ozone, fine particulate matter, and air toxics. Many ozone precursors are precursors for particulate matter and certain air toxics. Additionally, some precursors for particulate matter are air toxics. However, air quality management practices have typically evaluated these problems separately. This approach has led to the development of independent (and potentially counterproductive) implementation strategies. This is a methods article about the necessity and feasibility of using a clumsy approach on wicked problems, using an example case study. Air quality management in Philadelphia is a wicked problem. Wicked problems are those where stakeholders define or view the problem differently, there are many different ways to describe the problem (i.e., different dimensions or levels of abstraction), no efficient or optimal solutions exist, and they are often complicated by moral, political, or professional dimensions. The USEPA has developed the multicriteria integrated resource assessment (MIRA) decision analytic approach that engages stakeholder participation through transparency, transdisciplinary learning, and the explicit use of value sets; in other words, a clumsy approach. MIRA's approach to handling technical indicators, expert judgment, and stakeholder values makes it a potentially effective method for tackling wicked environmental problems.