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Sauer J, Beushausen K, Keil J, Ruhl L, Kühne J, Schael M, Welte T, Haverich A, Gottlieb J, Niehaus A, Falk C. Variances in Humoral Responses to Different Spike Protein Domains After SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Lung and Heart Transplant Recipients. J Heart Lung Transplant 2022. [PMCID: PMC8988579 DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2022.01.260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Methods Results Conclusion
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Scanlon ML, Maldonado LY, Ikemeri JE, Jumah A, Anusu G, Bone JN, Chelagat S, Keter JC, Ruhl L, Songok J, Christoffersen-Deb A. A retrospective study of the impact of health worker strikes on maternal and child health care utilization in western Kenya. BMC Health Serv Res 2021; 21:898. [PMID: 34465317 PMCID: PMC8408013 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-06939-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There have been dozens of strikes by health workers in Kenya in the past decade, but there are few studies of their impact on maternal and child health services and outcomes. We conducted a retrospective survey study to assess the impact of nationwide strikes by health workers in 2017 on utilization of maternal and child health services in western Kenya. METHODS We utilized a parent study to enroll women who were pregnant in 2017 when there were prolonged strikes by health workers ("strike group") and women who were pregnant in 2018 when there were no major strikes ("control group"). Trained research assistants administered a close-ended survey to retrospectively collect demographic and pregnancy-related health utilization and outcomes data. Data were collected between March and July 2019. The primary outcomes of interest were antenatal care (ANC) visits, delivery location, and early child immunizations. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate risk ratios between the strike and control groups, adjusting for socioeconomic status, health insurance status, and clustering. Adjusted risk ratios (ARR) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). RESULTS Of 1341 women recruited in the parent study in 2017 (strike group), we re-consented 843 women (63%) to participate. Of 924 women recruited in the control arm of the parent study in 2018 (control group), we re-consented 728 women (79%). Women in the strike group were 17% less likely to attend at least four ANC visits during their pregnancy (ARR 0.83, 95%CI 0.74, 0.94) and 16% less likely to deliver in a health facility (ARR 0.84, 95%CI 0.76, 0.92) compared to women in the control group. Whether a child received their first oral polio vaccine did not differ significantly between groups, but children of women in the strike group received their vaccine significantly longer after birth (13 days versus 7 days, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION We found that women who were pregnant during nationwide strikes by health workers in 2017 were less likely to receive WHO-recommended maternal child health services. Strategies to maintain these services during strikes are urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Scanlon
- Indiana University Center for Global Health, 702 Rotary Circle, Suite RO 101, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
- Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya.
| | - Lauren Y Maldonado
- Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
- Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Justus E Ikemeri
- Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Anjellah Jumah
- Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Getrude Anusu
- Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Jeffrey N Bone
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Sheilah Chelagat
- Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
| | | | - Laura Ruhl
- Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Julia Songok
- Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
- Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Astrid Christoffersen-Deb
- Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Christoph S, Hitz A, Bellmas-Sanz R, Kühne J, Ruhl L, Wiegmann B, Sommer W, Salman J, Siemeni T, Kühn C, Haverich A, Warnecke G, Falk C. The Ratio between Naïve and Memory B Cells is Associated with Development of Early Donor-Specific Antibodies within the First Month after Lung Transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2021.01.456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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Sanz RB, Ruhl L, Hitz A, Wiegmann B, Bläsing K, Sommer W, Ius F, Kühne J, Knöfel A, Horn L, Tudorache I, Haverich A, Jonigk D, Warnecke G, Falk C. Donor T and NK Cells with a Special Tissue-Resident Memory Phenotype Migrate into the Periphery of Lung Transplant Recipients - A Potential Feature for Tolerance Development. J Heart Lung Transplant 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2021.01.1872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Nakarmi A, Bourdo SE, Ruhl L, Kanel S, Nadagouda M, Kumar Alla P, Pavel I, Viswanathan T. Benign zinc oxide betaine-modified biochar nanocomposites for phosphate removal from aqueous solutions. J Environ Manage 2020; 272:111048. [PMID: 32677621 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Phosphate is one of the most costly and complex environmental pollutants that leads to eutrophication, which decreases water quality and access to clean water. Among different adsorbents, biochar is one of the promising adsorbents for phosphate removal as well as heavy metal removal from an aqueous solution. In this study, biochar was impregnated with nano zinc oxide in the presence of glycine betaine. The Zinc Oxide Betaine-Modified Biochar Nanocomposites (ZnOBBNC) proved to be an excellent adsorbent for the removal of phosphate, exhibiting a maximum adsorption capacity of phosphate (265.5 mg. g-1) and fast adsorption kinetics (~100% removal at 15 min at 10 mg. L-1 phosphate and 3 g. L-1 nanocomposite dosage) in phosphate solution. The synthesis of these benign ZnOBBNC involves a process that is eco-friendly and economically feasible. From material characterization, we found that the ZnOBBNC has ~20-30 nm particle size, high surface area (100.01 m2. g-1), microporous (25.79 Å) structures, and 7.64% zinc content. The influence of pH (2-10), coexisting anions (Cl-, CO32-, NO3- and SO43-), initial phosphate concentration (10-500 mg. L-1), and ZnOBBNC dosage (0.5-5 g. L-1) were investigated in batch experiments. From the adsorption isotherms data, the adsorption of phosphate using ZnOBBNC followed Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.9616), confirming the mono-layered adsorption mechanism. The kinetic studies showed that the phosphate adsorption using ZnOBBNC followed the pseudo-second-order model (R2 = 1.0000), confirming the chemisorption adsorption mechanism with inner-sphere complexion. Our results demonstrated ZnOBBNC as a suitable, competitive candidate for phosphate removal from both mock lab-prepared and real field-collected wastewater samples when compared to commercial nanocomposites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amita Nakarmi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR, 72204, USA.
| | - Shawn E Bourdo
- Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Science, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR, 72204, USA
| | - Laura Ruhl
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, USA
| | - Sushil Kanel
- Pegasus Technical Services, Inc., 46 E. Hollister Street, Cincinnati, OH, 45219, USA
| | - Mallikarjuna Nadagouda
- The United States Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, CESER, WID, CMTB, 26 W. Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH, 45268, United States
| | - Praveen Kumar Alla
- Department of Chemistry, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, 45435, USA
| | - Ioana Pavel
- Department of Chemistry, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, 45435, USA
| | - Tito Viswanathan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR, 72204, USA.
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Mercer T, Gardner A, Andama B, Chesoli C, Christoffersen-Deb A, Dick J, Einterz R, Gray N, Kimaiyo S, Kamano J, Maritim B, Morehead K, Pastakia S, Ruhl L, Songok J, Laktabai J. Leveraging the power of partnerships: spreading the vision for a population health care delivery model in western Kenya. Global Health 2018; 14:44. [PMID: 29739421 PMCID: PMC5941561 DOI: 10.1186/s12992-018-0366-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) has been a model academic partnership in global health for nearly three decades, leveraging the power of a public-sector academic medical center and the tripartite academic mission - service, education, and research - to the challenges of delivering health care in a low-income setting. Drawing our mandate from the health needs of the population, we have scaled up service delivery for HIV care, and over the last decade, expanded our focus on non-communicable chronic diseases, health system strengthening, and population health more broadly. Success of such a transformative endeavor requires new partnerships, as well as a unification of vision and alignment of strategy among all partners involved. Leveraging the Power of Partnerships and Spreading the Vision for Population Health. We describe how AMPATH built on its collective experience as an academic partnership to support the public-sector health care system, with a major focus on scaling up HIV care in western Kenya, to a system poised to take responsibility for the health of an entire population. We highlight global trends and local contextual factors that led to the genesis of this new vision, and then describe the key tenets of AMPATH's population health care delivery model: comprehensive, integrated, community-centered, and financially sustainable with a path to universal health coverage. Finally, we share how AMPATH partnered with strategic planning and change management experts from the private sector to use a novel approach called a 'Learning Map®' to collaboratively develop and share a vision of population health, and achieve strategic alignment with key stakeholders at all levels of the public-sector health system in western Kenya. CONCLUSION We describe how AMPATH has leveraged the power of partnerships to move beyond the traditional disease-specific silos in global health to a model focused on health systems strengthening and population health. Furthermore, we highlight a novel, collaborative tool to communicate our vision and achieve strategic alignment among stakeholders at all levels of the health system. We hope this paper can serve as a roadmap for other global health partners to develop and share transformative visions for improving population health globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Mercer
- Department of Population Health, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, 1701 Trinity St, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Adrian Gardner
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 535 Barnhill Dr, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.,Department of Medicine, Moi University School of Medicine, PO Box 4606 30100, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Benjamin Andama
- Academic Model Providing Access to Health Care (AMPATH), PO Box 4606 30100, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Cleophas Chesoli
- Academic Model Providing Access to Health Care (AMPATH), PO Box 4606 30100, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Astrid Christoffersen-Deb
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, 123 Edward Street, Suite 1200, Toronto, ON, M5G1E2, Canada.,Department of Reproductive Health, Moi University School of Medicine, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Jonathan Dick
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 535 Barnhill Dr, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.,Department of Medicine, Moi University School of Medicine, PO Box 4606 30100, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Robert Einterz
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 535 Barnhill Dr, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Nick Gray
- Dow AgroSciences, 9330 Zionsville Rd, Indianapolis, IN, 46268, USA
| | - Sylvester Kimaiyo
- Department of Medicine, Moi University School of Medicine, PO Box 4606 30100, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Jemima Kamano
- Department of Medicine, Moi University School of Medicine, PO Box 4606 30100, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Beryl Maritim
- Academic Model Providing Access to Health Care (AMPATH), PO Box 4606 30100, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Kirk Morehead
- Dow AgroSciences, 9330 Zionsville Rd, Indianapolis, IN, 46268, USA
| | - Sonak Pastakia
- Purdue University College of Pharmacy, 575 Stadium Mall Dr, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Moi University School of Medicine, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Laura Ruhl
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 705 Riley Hospital Dr, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.,Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, Moi University School of Medicine, PO Box 4606 30100, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Julia Songok
- Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, Moi University School of Medicine, PO Box 4606 30100, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Jeremiah Laktabai
- Department of Family Medicine, Moi University School of Medicine, PO Box 4606 30100, Eldoret, Kenya
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Fleischauer AT, Ruhl L, Rhea S, Barnes E. Hospitalizations for Endocarditis and Associated Health Care Costs Among Persons with Diagnosed Drug Dependence - North Carolina, 2010-2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017; 66:569-573. [PMID: 28594786 PMCID: PMC5720243 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6622a1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Liu YT, Chen TY, Mackebee WG, Ruhl L, Vengosh A, Hsu-Kim H. Selenium speciation in coal ash spilled at the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston site. Environ Sci Technol 2013; 47:14001-9. [PMID: 24266628 DOI: 10.1021/es4041557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Selenium (Se) in coal ash spills poses a threat to adjacent ecosystems because of its potential to mobilize and bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms. Given that the mobility and bioavailability of Se is controlled by its valence states, we aimed to define Se speciation in coal ash solids and examine the relationships between Se speciation and the magnitude of its mobilization from coal ash. We used coal ash samples from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)-Kingston fossil plant and the site of a coal ash spill that occurred in 2008 in Tennessee. Results of X-ray absorption spectroscopic analyses showed that Se in coal ash samples was a mixture of elemental Se(0) and Se oxyanions. The amount of leachable Se increased with an increase of pH from 3 to 13. At the natural pH of coal ash samples (from pH 7.6 to 9.5), the leachable Se was comprised of Se oxyanions, mainly selenite. This was observed by both direct quantification of Se oxyanions in the leachate and the corresponding loss of Se oxyanions in the solid phase. At pH 12, however, the Se release appeared to derive from both desorption of Se oxyanions and oxidative dissolution of elemental Se(0). Our results indicate that Se oxyanions are the most labile species; however, the magnitude of Se mobilization will increase if the waste material is subjected to alkaline conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Liu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 121 Hudson Hall, Box 90287, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
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Vengosh A, Lindberg TT, Merola BR, Ruhl L, Warner NR, White A, Dwyer GS, Di Giulio RT. Isotopic imprints of mountaintop mining contaminants. Environ Sci Technol 2013; 47:10041-10048. [PMID: 23909446 DOI: 10.1021/es4012959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Mountaintop mining (MTM) is the primary procedure for surface coal exploration within the central Appalachian region of the eastern United States, and it is known to contaminate streams in local watersheds. In this study, we measured the chemical and isotopic compositions of water samples from MTM-impacted tributaries and streams in the Mud River watershed in West Virginia. We systematically document the isotopic compositions of three major constituents: sulfur isotopes in sulfate (δ(34)SSO4), carbon isotopes in dissolved inorganic carbon (δ(13)CDIC), and strontium isotopes ((87)Sr/(86)Sr). The data show that δ(34)SSO4, δ(13)CDIC, Sr/Ca, and (87)Sr/(86)Sr measured in saline- and selenium-rich MTM impacted tributaries are distinguishable from those of the surface water upstream of mining impacts. These tracers can therefore be used to delineate and quantify the impact of MTM in watersheds. High Sr/Ca and low (87)Sr/(86)Sr characterize tributaries that originated from active MTM areas, while tributaries from reclaimed MTM areas had low Sr/Ca and high (87)Sr/(86)Sr. Leaching experiments of rocks from the watershed show that pyrite oxidation and carbonate dissolution control the solute chemistry with distinct (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios characterizing different rock sources. We propose that MTM operations that access the deeper Kanawha Formation generate residual mined rocks in valley fills from which effluents with distinctive (87)Sr/(86)Sr and Sr/Ca imprints affect the quality of the Appalachian watersheds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avner Vengosh
- Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
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Bartov G, Deonarine A, Johnson TM, Ruhl L, Vengosh A, Hsu-Kim H. Environmental impacts of the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston coal ash spill. 1. Source apportionment using mercury stable isotopes. Environ Sci Technol 2013; 47:2092-9. [PMID: 23157719 DOI: 10.1021/es303111p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Mercury stable isotope abundances were used to trace transport of Hg-impacted river sediment near a coal ash spill at Harriman, Tennessee, USA. δ(202)Hg values for Kingston coal ash released into the Emory River in 2008 are significantly negative (-1.78 ± 0.35‰), whereas sediments of the Clinch River, into which the Emory River flows, are contaminated by an additional Hg source (potentially from the Y-12 complex near Oak Ridge, Tennessee) with near-zero values (-0.23 ± 0.16‰). Nominally uncontaminated Emory River sediments (12 miles upstream from the Emory-Clinch confluence) have intermediate values (-1.17 ± 0.13‰) and contain lower Hg concentrations. Emory River mile 10 sediments, possibly impacted by an old paper mill has δ(202)Hg values of -0.47 ± 0.04‰. A mixing model, using δ(202)Hg values and Hg concentrations, yielded estimates of the relative contributions of coal ash, Clinch River, and Emory River sediments for a suite of 71 sediment samples taken over a 30 month time period from 13 locations. Emory River samples, with two exceptions, are unaffected by Clinch River sediment, despite occasional upstream flow from the Clinch River. As expected, Clinch River sediment below its confluence with the Emory River are affected by Kingston coal ash; however, the relative contribution of the coal ash varies among sampling sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gideon Bartov
- Department of Geology, 208 Natural History Building, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
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Deonarine A, Bartov G, Johnson TM, Ruhl L, Vengosh A, Hsu-Kim H. Environmental impacts of the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston coal ash spill. 2. Effect of coal ash on methylmercury in historically contaminated river sediments. Environ Sci Technol 2013; 47:2100-2108. [PMID: 23249246 DOI: 10.1021/es303639d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston coal ash spill in December 2008 deposited approximately 4.1 million m(3) of fly ash and bottom ash into the Emory and Clinch River system (Harriman, Tennessee, U.S.A.). The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the ash on surface water and sediment quality over an eighteen month period after the spill, with a specific focus on mercury and methylmercury in sediments. Our results indicated that surface water quality was not impaired with respect to total mercury concentrations. However, in the sediments of the Emory River near the coal ash spill, total mercury concentrations were 3- to 4-times greater than sediments several miles upstream of the ash spill. Similarly, methylmercury content in the Emory and Clinch River sediments near the ash spill were slightly elevated (up to a factor of 3) at certain locations compared to upstream sediments. Up to 2% of the total mercury in sediments containing coal ash was present as methylmercury. Mercury isotope composition and sediment geochemical data suggested that elevated methylmercury concentrations occurred in regions where native sediments were mixed with coal ash (e.g., less than 28% as coal ash in the Emory River). This coal ash may have provided substrates (such as sulfate) that stimulated biomethylation of mercury. The production of methylmercury in these areas is a concern because this neurotoxic organomercury compound can be highly bioaccumulative. Future risk assessments of coal ash spills should consider not only the leaching potential of mercury from the wastes but also the potential for methylmercury production in receiving waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrika Deonarine
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 121 Hudson Hall, Box 90287, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
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Ruhl L, Vengosh A, Dwyer GS, Hsu-Kim H, Schwartz G, Romanski A, Smith SD. The impact of coal combustion residue effluent on water resources: a North Carolina example. Environ Sci Technol 2012; 46:12226-12233. [PMID: 23020686 DOI: 10.1021/es303263x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The combustion of coal to generate electricity produces about 130 million tons of coal combustion residues (CCRs) each year in the United States; yet their environmental implications are not well constrained. This study systematically documents the quality of effluents discharged from CCR settling ponds or cooling water at ten sites and the impact on associated waterways in North Carolina, compared to a reference lake. We measured the concentrations of major and trace elements in over 300 samples from CCR effluents, surface water from lakes and rivers at different downstream and upstream points, and pore water extracted from lake sediments. The data show that CCR effluents contain high levels of contaminants that in several cases exceed the U.S. EPA guidelines for drinking water and ecological effects. This investigation demonstrates the quality of receiving waters in North Carolina depends on (1) the ratio between effluent flux and freshwater resource volumes and (2) recycling of trace elements through adsorption on suspended particles and release to deep surface water or pore water in bottom sediments during periods of thermal water stratification and anoxic conditions. The impact of CCRs is long-term, which influences contaminant accumulation and the health of aquatic life in water associated with coal-fired power plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Ruhl
- Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
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Ruhl L, Vengosh A, Dwyer GS, Hsu-Kim H, Deonarine A. Environmental impacts of the coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee: an 18-month survey. Environ Sci Technol 2010; 44:9272-8. [PMID: 21105737 DOI: 10.1021/es1026739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
An 18 month investigation of the environmental impacts of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee combined with leaching experiments on the spilled TVA coal ash have revealed that leachable coal ash contaminants (LCACs), particularly arsenic, selenium, boron, strontium, and barium, have different effects on the quality of impacted environments. While LCACs levels in the downstream river water are relatively low and below the EPA drinking water and ecological thresholds, elevated levels were found in surface water with restricted water exchange and in pore water extracted from the river sediments downstream from the spill. The high concentration of arsenic (up to 2000 μg/L) is associated with some degree of anoxic conditions and predominance of the reduced arsenic species (arsenite) in the pore waters. Laboratory leaching simulations show that the pH and ash/water ratio control the LCACs' abundance and geochemical composition of the impacted water. These results have important implications for the prediction of the fate and migration of LCACs in the environment, particularly for the storage of coal combustion residues (CCRs) in holding ponds and landfills, and any potential CCRs effluents leakage into lakes, rivers, and other aquatic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Ruhl
- Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of Environment, 205 Old Chemistry Building, Box 90227, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
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Ruhl L, Vengosh A, Dwyer GS, Hsu-Kim H, Deonarine A, Bergin M, Kravchenko J. Survey of the potential environmental and health impacts in the immediate aftermath of the coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee. Environ Sci Technol 2009; 43:6326-33. [PMID: 19746733 DOI: 10.1021/es900714p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
An investigation of the potential environmental and health impacts in the immediate aftermath of one of the largest coal ash spills in U.S. history at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston coal-burning power plant has revealed three major findings. First the surface release of coal ash with high levels of toxic elements (As = 75 mg/kg; Hg = 150 microg/kg) and radioactivity (226Ra + 228Ra = 8 pCi/g) to the environment has the potential to generate resuspended ambient fine particles (< 10 microm) containing these toxics into the atmosphere that may pose a health risk to local communities. Second, leaching of contaminants from the coal ash caused contamination of surface waters in areas of restricted water exchange, but only trace levels were found in the downstream Emory and Clinch Rivers due to river dilution. Third, the accumulation of Hg- and As-rich coal ash in river sediments has the potential to have an impact on the ecological system in the downstream rivers by fish poisoning and methylmercury formation in anaerobic river sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Ruhl
- Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment, 205 Old Chemistry Building, Box 90227, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
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