Showing papers in "Human and Ecological Risk Assessment in 2015"

Determination of Heavy Metals in Fish and Vegetables in Bangladesh and Health Implications

Abstract: Concentrations of six heavy metals (chromium, nickel, copper, arsenic, cadmium, and lead) in fish and vegetables were estimated to evaluate contamination levels and health risks for Bangladeshi adults. The analyzed metals varied between different species of fish and vegetables. Metals like Ni, Cd, and Pb in fish species were higher than the respective maximum allowable concentrations (MAC), whereas As, Cd, and Pb in some species of vegetables exceeded the MAC. Health risks associated with these metal intakes were evaluated in terms of dietary intake and target hazard quotients (THQs). The THQ values for individual metals were below 1 (except As for some species), suggesting that people would not experience significant health hazards if they ingest a single metal from one species of fish and/or vegetable. However, total metal THQ (TTHQ) signifies the potential non-carcinogenic health hazard to the highly exposed consumers in Bangladesh. Also, the estimation showed that the carcinogenic risk (TR) of...

Evaluation of “Classic” and Emerging Contaminants Resulting from the Application of Biosolids to Agricultural Lands: A Review

Abstract: The presence of detectable amounts of contaminants in treated sewage sludge (concentrations μg/kg – mg/kg) has led to concerns that land applications of biosolids may result in an accumulation of contaminants in the soil and their subsequent translocation through the food chain. Despite advances in wastewater management (e.g., anaerobic, thermophilic, and mesophilic digestion), many compounds and their metabolites remain intact following treatment. This review looks at the main risk factors relating to the occurrence of “classic” (persistent organic pollutants [POPs]) and emerging pollutants (pharmaceuticals and personal care products) in biosolids. Relevant EU legislation and risk assessment strategies for the control of emerging contaminants are also considered. Organic pollutants regulated under the Stockholm Convention on POPs along with PPCPs were identified as contaminants of concern based on the risk factors: persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity (PBT). PPCPs were recognized as being o...

Economic Development, Energy Consumption, and Air Pollution: A Critical Assessment in China

Abstract: Low energy efficiency, energy shortage, and energy-related environmental issues are becoming critical constraints for the sustainable development of China. This research aims for investigating the impacts of economic development on energy consumption and emissions of air pollutants in China with a comparison between China's developed regions and underdeveloped regions. The Resource and Environmental Performance Index (REPI) model is employed to analyze the performance of energy consumption, industrial waste gas, sulphur dioxide, soot, and industrial dust of selected provinces over the past 13 years. As a ratio of energy consumption or emissions of pollutants of a province and the whole country, the REPI value presents the cost of energy and environment and is not consistent with the change of absolute quantities of energy consumption or emissions of pollutants in a province. The REPI value calculated from 2000 through 2012 indicates that economic development has a certain level of impact on energy...

Arsenic and Heavy Metal Concentrations in Drinking Water in Pakistan and Risk Assessment: A Case Study

Abstract: The present study was performed to assess drinking water quality and potential health risk in the Nowshera District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. For this purpose drinking water samples were collected from local available sources and analyzed for physico-chemical characteristics, arsenic (As) and heavy metals. Results revealed high levels of toxic heavy metals such as chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and As contaminations in the drinking water. Results were evaluated for chronic risk including average daily intake (ADI) and hazard quotient (HQ). Among heavy metals the HQ values were highest for Cd (5.80) and As (2.00). Therefore, populations in the study area may be at a low level of chronic toxicity and carcinogenic risk. Statistical analyses showed that contribution of different drinking water sources to the mean contaminant levels in the study area was insignificant (p =.53). Correlation analysis further revealed that anthropogenic activities were the main sources of contam...

Social Media, Public Participation, and the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Abstract: This research examines how information about an oil spill, its impacts, and the use of dispersants to treat the oil, moved through social media and the surrounding Internet during the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Using a collection of tweets captured during the spill, we employ a mixed-method approach including an in-depth qualitative analysis to examine the content of Twitter posts, the connections that Twitter users made with each other, and the links between Twitter content and the surrounding Internet. This article offers a range of findings to help practitioners and others understand how social media is used by a variety of different actors during a slow-moving, long-term, environmental disaster. We enumerate some of the most salient themes in the Twitter data, noting that concerns about health impacts were more likely to be communicated in tweets about dispersant use, than in the larger conversation. We describe the accounts and behaviors of highly retweeted Twitter users, noting how...

Ecotoxicity of Imidacloprid to Aquatic Organisms: Derivation of Water Quality Standards for Peak and Long-Term Exposure

Abstract: The neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid is among the pesticides that most frequently exceed current water quality standards in Dutch surface waters. Recent research shows that effects of imidacloprid on water organisms occur at concentrations below these standards. Mayflies appear to be particularly sensitive with chronic No Observed Effect Concentrations in the nanogram per liter range. The aim of this study was to derive updated water quality standards in accordance with the methodology of the European Water Framework Directive by evaluating the available recent literature on acute and chronic ecotoxicity of imidacloprid to aquatic organisms in laboratory and semi-field experiments. It is concluded that the standard for long-term exposure should be lowered to 8.3 nanograms per liter; the standard for short-term concentration peaks can be maintained at the current value of 0.2 micrograms per liter. The European Commission set restrictions to the use of imidacloprid-based products to reduce the...

Health Risk Assessment of Consumption of Heavy Metals in Market Food Crops from Sialkot and Gujranwala Districts, Pakistan

Abstract: This study was performed to investigate the potential health risk of heavy metals (HMs) through consumption of market food crops (MFCs) in the Sialkot and Gujranwala districts, Pakistan. Both study areas are located in industrialized regions of the country, where atmospheric pollution is a problem and irrigation of food crops is mostly practiced on the use of wastewater/contaminated water. For the purpose of this study, MFCs samples were collected and assessed for HMs (Cr, Ni, Cd, Pb, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Fe) by using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Concentration of HMs such as Pb and Cd exceeded the Food and Agriculture/World Health Organization's recommended limits in all MFCs, while Cr in most of the vegetables of the Sialkot and Gujranwala districts also exceeded that limit. The health risk index was >1 in Triticum aestivum for Pb and Cd intake in the Sialkot district and only Pb in the Gujranwala district. Therefore, this study suggests pretreatment of wastewater and its utilization for...

Further Than the Eye Can See: Psychological Distance and Perception of Environmental Threats

Abstract: The deteriorating state of the environment and global warming pose a serious and unprecedented threat to humanity. Yet, public response and personal behavior do not reflect the proportions of such a threat. In the present research we explored possible reasons for this discrepancy. Past research has shown that people perceive events as more threatening based on their immediacy, certainty, or personal implications. Liberman and Trope (2008) developed the concept of “psychological distance” (PD), according to which more immediate events are seen as “closer in time,” more certain events as “closer in probability,” and events with greater potential for personal harm as “socially closer.” Adopting this concept, we examined how distant, in terms of PD, people perceive environmental threats to be. Using a structural equations model, we measured how PD influences environmental threat perception. In a sample of 305 Israeli students who completed a computerized questionnaire, we found that environmental thre...

How Political Connections Affect Corporate Environmental Performance: The Mediating Role of Green Subsidies

Abstract: This study investigates the relationship between political connections and corporate environmental performance, and examines the role of government green subsidies on this relationship within the current Chinese context. Using data from publicly traded private manufacturing firms, empirical results show that politically connected firms are significantly more likely to obtain green subsidies than non-connected firms. Assisted by green subsidies, firms with political connections show better environmental performance than those without. Our findings reveal the mechanism by which corporate political connections influence environmental performance.

Concentration, Distribution, Source, and Risk Assessment of PAHs and Heavy Metals in Surface Water from the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Abstract: Fifteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals (Cr, Ni, As, Cd, Pb, and Hg) were quantified in 19 surface water sites of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China. The total concentrations of 15 PAHs and six heavy metals in the 19 sample sites ranged from 130.8 ng L−1 to 227.5 ng L−1 and 3.2 μg L−1 to 6.0 μg L−1, respectively. The mean concentration of As was the highest among the six heavy metals (2.1 ± 0.3 μg L−1), followed by Cr (0.5 ± 0.3 μg L−1), Ni (1.3 ± 0.1 μg L−1), Cd (0.2 ± 0.01 μg L−1), Pb (0.07 ± 0.08 μ g L−1) and Hg (0.05 ± 0.08 μg L−1). The isomer ratio results suggest that PAHs at most sites were mainly from petroleum combustion, while coal and biomass combustion was the main source at sites 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 14, and 17. Based on principal component analysis, the main source of heavy metals was anthropogenic activities and weathering of bedrocks. Depending on characteristic of RQ(NCs) ≥ 1 and RQ(MPCs) < 1, BaA showed higher potential ecological risk than other PAHs, therefore...

Monitoring and Risk Assessment of Pesticide Residues in Tea Samples from China

Abstract: In the present study an effort was made to monitor the residue levels of 32 pesticides in tea samples collected from three representative tea districts of China during 2010 to 2012. A total of 223 samples of green tea, pu-erh tea, black tea, and oolong tea were determined using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Among 223 samples, 198 samples contained pesticide residues, and 39 samples had residue levels that were more than the European Union (EU) maximum residue limits (MRLs). The most positive and violated MLRs were observed in Oolong tea. The highest detection rates and the most often exceeding the MRLs were observed for the residues of bifenthrin. Ten pesticides were not found in the 223 tea samples. The potential health risks to consumers due to tea consumption in three representative cities were estimated. The results suggested that non-cancer hazards of organophosphorus, organochlorines, and pyrethroids and the cancer risks from exposure to hexachlorobenzene, heptachlor, ch...

Concentrations of Heavy Metals and Arsenic in Market Rice Grain and Their Potential Health Risks to the Population of Fuzhou, China

Abstract: Heavy metals and As in rice are of increasing concern in China. In this study, concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Sb, Ni, and As in rice collected from markets in Fuzhou, China, were investigated by ICP-MS and AFS, and their potential health risk to inhabitants were estimated by target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), and target cancer risk (TR). The results showed that the concentrations of the seven studied elements in rice grain were all below the permissible limits of China's national standards for foodstuffs (NY/T 419–2007 and GB 2726–2012). For non-carcinogenic risk, the THQ values of individual elements were within the safe interval. However, without considering the bio-accessibility and speciation of toxic elements, the HI values suggest inhabitants in Fuzhou may experience potential health effects due to rice consumption. Cadmium is the major contributor to HI, followed by As. The TR values of As for adults and children were both higher than the acceptable range. The results of th...

Environmental Risk Assessment of Dams in Construction Phase Using a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) Method

Abstract: This study was conducted to identify environmental and human health risks caused by Balarood Dam, in construction phrase. The first step, all risk-generating factors were identified using a Delphi Questionnaire. Afterwards, the identified criteria were prioritized once using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method and then by the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Due to the complex and uncertain nature of decision-making in times of risk, it was necessary to use more than one weighting method to ensure accuracy of weights. The results from AHP and TOPSIS revealed a mismatch in priorities; therefore, an integration method was presented blending Mean-Rank, Borda, and Copeland methods. According to the TOPSIS results, factors including cut and fill, explosion, and transportation, were first to third highest-priority risk-generating factors, respectively. Considering the results from the AHP method, factors cut and fill, drilling, and explosion were iden...

Evaluation and Potential Health Hazard of Selected Metals in Water, Sediments, and Fish from the Gomti River

Abstract: The health hazard associated with the consumption of fish from the Gomti River in India, contaminated with the heavy metals Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn was assessed in terms of target hazard quotients (THQs). The concentrations of metals (mg kg−1, wet weight basis) in the muscle tissues of different fish species Mastacembelus puncalus, Clupisona garua, Cyrinous carpio, Botia lochachata, Channa punctatus, Heteropneustise fossilis, Puntius sofore, and Clarious batrachus ranged as follows: Cr (2.2–21.4), Cu (0.3–14.3), Mn (2.3–5.5), Ni (0.5–10.9), Pb (1.0–3.9), and Zn (12.3–46.9). The accumulation of metals in fish muscle tissue was in the order: Zn > Cr > Ni > Mn > Cu > Pb. THQs indicated a potential health hazard to children due to the consumption of fish contaminated with Ni and Pb; their THQs were greater than 1 for almost all fish species except for Ni in C. garua (THQ, 0.07) and C. carpio (THQ, 0.90). For adults, insignificant health hazard was associated with THQs less than 1 for all metals in ...

Ecotoxicological Effects of Nanomaterials on Earthworms: A Review

Abstract: The concern regarding the ecotoxicological effects of nanomaterials in the terrestrial environment is increasing. Against this background, several studies have investigated the effects of different nanomaterials on various earthworm species. Since the earthworm is a representative invertebrate present in soil and occupies an important trophic level, many studies have focused on earthworms. Understanding how and why nanoparticles are toxic to organisms is important to nanotoxicologists and ecotoxicologists. We have collated information from studies on the toxicity of metal- and carbon-based nanomaterials to earthworms in the soil matrix, and trends in the adverse effects of nanomaterials on earthworms were analyzed. Most studies showed that the survival and growth of adult earthworms are negligibly affected by nanomaterials in the soil. However, many studies reported that nanomaterials may result in a reduction in the reproductive activity. This study presents an intensive overall view of the ecoto...

Environmental Monitoring of Heavy Metal Status and Human Health Risk Assessment in the Agricultural Soils of the Jinxi River Area, China

Abstract: Soil contamination with heavy metals is one of the main environmental concerns in China, mainly owing to rapid industrialization and mining activities in certain areas. The current study aimed at monitoring the levels of heavy metals in soils of the industrial areas along the Jinxi River and surrounding Lake Qingshan. In addition, a health risk assessment for humans in contact with these soils was also conducted. The results revealed that the soils of the studied areas were contaminated with Cr, Cu, As, Se, Cd, Pb, and Zn and that the industrial activities were the main source of soil contamination therein. Furthermore, soils of the sites adjacent to Lin’an city exhibited higher levels of heavy metals than the upstream and Lake Qingshan sites. Most of the studied heavy metals tended to concentrate in the fine soil fractions (PM100, PM10, and PM2.5). Calculation of the hazard index (HI) revealed that humans, especially children, have potential health risks. Moreover, As was found to contribute to m...

Science in Risk Assessment and Policy (SciRAP): An Online Resource for Evaluating and Reporting In Vivo (Eco)Toxicity Studies

Abstract: (Eco)toxicity studies conducted according to internationally standardized test guidelines are often considered reliable by default and preferred as key evidence in regulatory risk assessment. At the same time regulatory agencies emphasize the use of all relevant (eco)toxicity data in the risk assessment process, including non-standard studies. However, there is a need to facilitate the use of such studies in regulatory risk assessment. Therefore, we propose a framework that facilitates a systematic and transparent evaluation of the reliability and relevance of (eco)toxicity in vivo studies for health and environmental risk assessment. The framework includes specific criteria to guide study evaluation, as well as a color-coding tool developed to aid the application of these criteria. In addition we provide guidance intended for researchers on how to report non-standard studies to ensure that they meet regulatory requirements. The intention of the evaluating and reporting criteria is to increase the usability of all relevant data that may fill information gaps in chemical risk assessments. The framework is publically available online, free of charge, at the Science in Risk Assessment and Policy (SciRAP) website: [GRAPHICS] . The aim of this article is to present the framework and resources available at the SciRAP website.

Concentrations and Health Risk of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Some Brands of Biscuits in the Nigerian Market

Abstract: Concentrations of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in 40 brands of biscuits in the Nigerian market. The analyses were performed by gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) after Soxhlet extraction of the sample with hexane/dichloromethane and clean-up of the extract. The concentrations of Σ16 PAHs in these biscuit samples were in the range of 35.7–645.3 μg kg−1, 75.9–490.7 μg kg−1, 91.5–537 μg kg−1, 18.4–522.2 μg kg−1, 123.5–393.8 μg kg−1, 167.2–880 μg kg−1, 136.5–316 μg kg−1, and 135.5–241.6 μg kg−1 for shortcake, digestives, cookies, shortbread, wafers, crackers, Pringles, and cabin, respectively. The concentrations of Σ8 carcinogenic PAHs in the samples ranged from not detected (nd)–323.3 μg kg−1, 15.7–138 μg kg−1, 9.7–312.9 μg kg−1, nd–331.7 μg kg−1, nd–220.9 μg kg−1, nd–53.3 μg kg−1, 18.4–56.6 μg kg−1, and 6.6–170.8 μg kg−1 for shortcake, digestives, cookies, shortbread, wafers, crackers, Pringles, and cabin, respectively. The margin of exposur...

Factors Causing Victims of Wildland Fires in Spain (1980–2010)

Abstract: The worst consequence of wildland fires is the loss of human lives, a regular phenomenon over the last few decades worldwide. This work analyzes all recorded wildland fires in Spain with victims between 1980 and 2010. We classified causality causes during wildland fires to study the most frequent causes of fatalities and how they were related to regions, fire size, and extreme weather conditions (i.e., high temperature days). Trends in number of both injured and killed individuals were analyzed. We observed that the annual number of victims did not decrease in the study period. Entrapment is the most frequent cause of death within the fire suppression employees. Fire size is a key factor in the occurrence of victims because 95% of fatalities in wildland fires (not counting aerial casualties) happened in fires larger than 100 ha. High temperature days also were important because 60% of entrapments were produced in this kind of days.

Pre-Positioning Disaster Response Facilities and Relief Items

Abstract: Large-scale disasters cause enormous damage to people living in the affected areas. Providing relief quickly to the affected is a critical issue in recovering the effects of a disaster. Pre-disaster planning has an important role on reducing the arrival time of relief items to the affected areas and efficiently allocating them. In this study, a mixed integer programming model is proposed in order to pre-position warehouses throughout a potential affected area and determine the amount of relief items to be held in those warehouses. Time between the strike of the disaster and arrival of relief items at the affected areas is aimed to be minimized. In addition, using probabilistic constraints, the model ensures that relief items arrive at affected areas within a certain time window with certain reliability. Considering instable fault lines on which Istanbul is located, the proposed model is applied to the Istanbul case for pre-positioning warehouses a priori to the possible expected large-scale earthq...

Spatial Assessment of Heavy Metals in Surface Soil from Klang District (Malaysia): An Example from a Tropical Environment

Abstract: Heavy metals (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn) in surface soil of Klang district were determined and multivariate analysis was used to understand their potential sources. The total and bioavailability of concentrations were used in identifying the potential risks to the ecology and human health. The means for the total heavy metal concentrations were found to be in the order of Fe > Al > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cr > Co > Cd, while the means for the bioavailability concentrations were found to be in the order of Al > Fe > Zn > Cu > Co > Cd > Pb > Cr. Principal Component Analysis showed Principal Component 1 as being of natural origin whereas Principal Components 2, 3, and 4 were associated with mixed anthropogenic sources, such as traffic and industrial emissions, organic matter, and granulometric fractions. Potential ecological risk assessment indicated an overall low ecological risk. Spatial assessment of non-carcinogenic risks showed that the Hazard Index values were more than one in Johan Setia, due to b...

Are Top Executives Rewarded for Environmental Performance? The Role of the Board of Directors in the Context of China

Abstract: Based on institutional and agency theories, this study investigates whether firms use environmental performance as a criterion in incentive schemes for top executives in China, where the weakness of environmental regulations is criticized, and examines the potential moderating effects of board composition on the relationship between environmental performance and top executives’ compensation. Our analysis of 687 publicly traded firms in the manufacturing industry for the period 2008–2010 finds evidence of a positive association between environmental performance and top executives’ compensation. It shows that in firms with Chief Executive Officer–chairperson duality and larger boards, there is a tighter environmental performance–pay relationship, while top executives are found to be rewarded less for environmental performance in firms whose directors hold significant ownership. The presence of independent directors is not found to exert a significant influence on the environmental performance–pay re...

Communication Practices for Oil Spills: Stakeholder Engagement During Preparedness and Response

Abstract: The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill was a pivotal moment in the expression of and reporting on stakeholder risk perceptions about oil spills, response options, and safety. Public engagement through both traditional and social media was arguably much higher than in prior spills. The DWH response organization undertook a wide variety of activities to manage risks and communicate with both the general public and those directly affected, such as commercial fishers. However, these did not fully address widespread concerns about ecological and human health risks associated with dispersant use. Consequentially the DWH spill heightened awareness of persistent risk communication problems around oil spill response, and especially dispersant use. Oil spill risk research and experience suggests that institutional and operational factors inhibit engaging communities and stakeholders during oil spill preparedness and response, and that such engagement is essential for effective risk management. In this articl...

Health Risks from Heavy Metals via Consumption of Cereals and Vegetables in Isfahan Province, Iran

Abstract: The present study was conducted to assess the risks to human health from exposure to arsenic, lead, nickel, zinc, and copper through consumption of wheat, rice, and some vegetables in Isfahan Province, central Iran, using the total non-carcinogenic hazard quotient and cancer risk assessment estimates. Risk contribution from Ni is minimal compared with other metals and it was less than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. The results showed that total non-carcinogenic hazard of As and Pb, were greater than 1, and total cancer risk of As slightly greater than 1 × 10−4 for all age groups. Therefore, the inhabitants who reside in Isfahan Province may experience the adverse health risks via consumption of cereals and vegetables.

Geochemical Approach to Human Health Risk Assessment of Inhaled Trace Elements in the Vicinity of Industrial Enterprises in Tomsk, Russia

Abstract: Human health risks due to exposure of heavy metals in the atmospheric air of Tomsk, Russia, were studied. The concentrations of 22 metals in the ambient air were calculated on the basis of the ICP–MS experimental determination of their contents in the insoluble fraction of snow cover. Non-carcinogenic hazards were estimated for the areas of power plant (“Zone PP”), brickworks location (“Zone BF”), zone influenced by concrete product plants (“Zone CP”), and petrochemical plant suburbs (“Zone PCP”). Manganese, Al, Cu, and Ba make the largest contribution to the integral non-cancer hazard caused by chronic inhalation intake in all areas. Zinc is added to the above listed elements in the “Zone PP” and V, Co, Cr, and Ni in the “Zone BF” are also added. Densely populated residential areas “Zone BF” and “Zone PP” were characterized by the higher levels of diseases risks associated with human inhalation intake of metals in comparison with other areas. The dust load should be primarily decreased in the zon...

Oil Spill Response Risk Judgments, Decisions, and Mental Models: Findings from Surveying U.S. Stakeholders and Coastal Residents

Abstract: This study applies a mental models survey approach to assess public thinking about oil spills and oil spill response. Based on prior interdisciplinary oil spill response research, the study first applies qualitative interview results and a response risk decision model to the design of a survey instrument. The decision model considers controlled burning, public health, and seafood safety. Surveying U.S. coastal residents (36,978 pairs of responses) through Google Insights identifies beliefs and gaps in understanding as well as related values and preferences about oil spills, and oil spill responses. A majority of respondents are concerned about economic impacts of major oil spills, and tend to see ocean ecosystems as fragile. They tend to see information about chemical dispersants as more important than ecological baseline information, and dispersants as toxic, persistent, and less effective than other response options. Although respondents regard laboratory studies as predictive of the effects of ...

Spatial Distribution, Potential Sources, and Risk Assessment of Trace Metals of Groundwater in the North China Plain

Abstract: Diversion of water for irrigation from the Yellow River has impacted groundwater quality in the North China Plain (NCP). In this study, by using geochemical and isotope methods, groundwater origin, the spatial distribution of trace metals, pollution sources , and health risks were evaluated. Groundwater is recharged from surface water. The primary pollution components in surface water were B, Al, Se, Zn, Mn, and Ni-with concentrations exceeding standards by 100%, 84.4%, 64.4%, 31.1%, 20%, and 2.2%, respectively. In groundwater, exceeding standard rates for those elements were 100%, 100%, 61%, 25.7%, 39%, and 4.9%, respectively. The spatial distribution of polluted metals in surface water and groundwater was correlated, indicating an irrigation-influenced spatial distribution of trace metals in the groundwater. The trace metals were introduced via anthropogenic and geogenic activities. Zinc poses the most serious non-carcinogenic hazard for local residents. The ingestion pathway is much more likely to lead to zinc toxicity than the dermal absorption pathway. The carcinogenic Cd and Pb could result in an increased cancer risk for individuals exposed to the water. Non-carcinogenic hazard and carcinogenic risk attributable to groundwater is serious in the regions traversed by the rivers in the study area.

Estimation of Toxicity Equivalency and Probabilistic Health Risk on Lifetime Daily Intake of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Urban Residential Soils

Abstract: In this study, toxicity equivalents and health risks, based on concentration of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban residential soils were estimated for the human population in Gwalior, India. Benzo(a)pyrene total potency equivalents (BaP TPE) were estimated for assessment of human health risk from direct contact with PAH-contaminated soil. Potential risk to contaminated groundwater from leaching of carcinogenic PAHs was assessed by estimating the index of additive cancer risk (IACR). On the basis of lifetime average daily intake of 16 PAHs through ingestion of PAH-contaminated soils, lifetime cancer risk to human adults and children was estimated. The concentration of probable human carcinogenic PAHs in soils accounted for 38% of ∑16PAHs. BaP TPE and index of additive cancer risk (IACR) were lower than guideline values of 0.6 mg kg−1 and <1, respectively. Estimated lifetime average daily intakes of PAHs via soil ingestion were lower than recommended dose. However, the ILC...

Laypeople's Risky Decisions in the Climate Change Context: Climate Engineering as a Risk-Defusing Strategy?

Abstract: This study explores the development of laypeople’s preferences for newly emerging climate engineering technology (CE). It examines whether laypeople perceive CE to be an acceptable back-up strategy (plan B) if current efforts to mitigate CO 2 emissions were to fail. This idea is a common justification for CE research in the scientific debate and may significantly influence future public debates. Ninety-eight German participants chose their preferred climate policy strategy in a quasi-realistic scenario. Participants could chose between mitigation and three CE techniques as alternative options. We employed a think-aloud interview technique, which allowed us to trace participants’ informational needs and thought processes. Drawing on Huber’s risk management decision theory, the study addressed whether specific CE options are more likely to be accepted if they are mentally represented as a back-up strategy. Results support this assumption, especially for cloud whitening. This result is especially relevant considering the high prevalence of the plan B framing in CE appraisal studies and its implications for public opinion-formation processes.

Reducing Urban Disaster Risk by Improving Resilience in China from a Planning Perspective

Abstract: This article aims to examine the implications of improving urban resilience that emerge from Chinese practices for reducing urban disaster risk. First, the concept of urban resilience is discussed, the goal of which is to shape a “culture of resilience” to the largest extent possible in order to reduce urban risk. Urban resilience encompasses broad and diverse areas, and thus can be improved in many ways. This article primarily discusses the planning process. Second, the main focus of the discussion on planning process to improve urban resilience is that of the urban risk management planning of Shenzhen, China. This was the first local urban government project in China to have comprehensively and broadly assessed and reduced urban risk, and it is covered along with the Chinese legislation system and current urban resilience programs in China. The findings show that both the Chinese central government and local governments are paying more and more attention to urban resilience through various legis...