Associations Between Surface Mining Airsheds and Birth Outcomes in Central Appalachia at Multiple Spatial Scales

Abstract

A considerable body of research exists outlining ecological impacts of surface coal mining, but less work has explicitly focused on human health, and few studies have examined potential links between health and surface coal mining at fine spatial scales. In particular, relationships between individual birth outcomes and exposure to air contaminants from coal mining activities has received little attention. Central Appalachia (portions of Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, USA), our study area, has a history of resource extraction, and epidemiologic research notes that the region experiences a greater level of adverse health outcomes compared to the rest of the country that are not fully explained by socioeconomic and behavioral factors. The purpose of this study is to examine associations between surface mining and birth outcomes at four spatial scales: individual, Census tract, county, and across county‐sized grid cells. Notably, this study is among the first to examine these associations at the individual scale, providing a more direct measure of exposure and outcome. Airsheds were constructed for surface mines using an atmospheric trajectory model. We then implemented linear (birthweight) and logistic (preterm birth [PTB]) regression models to examine associations between airsheds and birth outcomes, which were geocoded to home address for individual analyses and then aggregated for areal unit analyses, while controlling for a number of demographic variables. This study found that surface mining airsheds are significantly associated with PTB and decreased birthweight at all four spatial scales, suggesting that surface coal mining activities impact birth outcomes via airborne contaminants.

Identifying exposure pathways mediating adverse birth outcomes near active surface mines in Central Appalachia

“…We quantified these potential mediators (Figure 2), respectively, as: (1) the cumulative potential exposure to air pollutants via the airshed experienced at the maternal residential address during the majority gestation year, and (2) the percent of land experiencing active surface mining within the watershed of residency during the majority gestation year. The cumulative potential exposure to airborne pollutants via the airshed is outlined in further detail within Mcknight et al 28 ; briefly, these values represent the cumulative frequency of air originating from active surface mines, as modeled via the HYSPLIT4 atmospheric trajectory model. Residential addresses associated with higher values have higher potential exposure to surface mining air pollution, including fine particulate matter.…”

“…Airsheds for each of the active surface mines in each year of analysis were estimated using the HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT4) atmospheric trajectory model, 27 which uses meteorological data to compute atmospheric trajectories, particle dispersion, and air concentrations. Detailed methods using HYSPLIT4 to characterize airsheds of surface mines are described in further detail in McKnight et al 28 Briefly, we modeled individual airsheds of each active surface mine in the study area. The results of this process were raster data sets (e.g., a pixelated or gridded surface where each pixel or grid square corresponds to a specific geographical location and has an associated value) comprised of frequency values relating to air movement from surface mines per gridded cell.…”

Tinjauan Sistematis: Efek Kontaminasi dari Tailing Pertambangan terhadap Kesehatan Masyarakat

“…Artikel terkait dengan studi pajanan agent yang berasal dari proses produksi tambang, selain dari tailing yang berhubungan dengan dampak kesehatan, akan dikeluarkan. Pada studi yang dilakukan di 4 daerah di Amerika Serikat menunjukkan adanya hubungan antara paparan partikel yang tersebar di permukaan sekitar lokasi pertambangan terhadap kejadian persalinan obstetric premature, yang juga menjelaskan bahwa semakin tinggi distribusi kumulatif bahan pencemar maka akan berdampak pada penurunan berat bayi lahir (14) . Penelitian lainnya yang mengamati tingkat arsenik anorganik yang terkandung pada urin anak-anak sekolah di lokasi bekas tambang, tidak menunjukkan hubungan yang signifikan terhadap ketidakmampuan belajar dan IQ anak (15) .…”

“…Selain itu, beberapa bukti menyebutkan bahwa pajanan jangka panjang As dapat menyebabkan skor IQ yang lebih rendah pada anak-anak (24) . Keterkaitan antara pajanan logam berat dalam tailing dengan kejadian persalinan prematur dan berat bayi lahir rendah juga muncul pada salah satu studi yang disertakan (14) . Pada studi tersebut tidak dijelaskan secara spesifik jenis logam penyebab kejadian, tetapi berdasarkan pada penelitian kohort di Myanmar, disebutkan bahwa ibu hamil yang terpapar oleh Cd akan menyebabkan kejadian berat badan bayi lahir rendah (nilai p =0,020) (25) .…”