Environmental Evaluation of Dust Stabilizer Products

Steevens, Jeffery A.; Suedel, Burton C.; Gibson, A. H.; Kennedy, Alan J.; Blackburn, William; Splichal, David; Pierce, J. Thomas

doi:10.21236/ada471771

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 12 publications

(17 reference statements)

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“…Dust suppressants have been found to increase runoff into streams (Singh et al 2003), potentially resulting in scour impacts on aquatic communities. The toxicity of some dust suppressants is not well studied, even though they are considered to pose a potential threat to aquatic habitats (Steevens et al 2007). For example, salts are known to enter waterways where they can increase water column stratification, reduce dissolved oxygen, promote the growth of nuisance algae (Ramakrishna and Viraraghavan 2005), and increase salinity to levels that are toxic to riparian vegetation, fish, amphibians, and aquatic invertebrates (Karraker et al 2008).…”

Section: Operationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solar Energy Development and Aquatic Ecosystems in the Southwestern United States: Potential Impacts, Mitigation, and Research Needs

Grippo

Hayse

O’Connor

2014

Environmental Management

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The cumulative impacts of utility-scale solar energy facilities on aquatic ecosystems in the Southwestern United States are of concern, considering the many existing regional anthropogenic stressors. We review the potential impacts of solar energy development on aquatic habitat and biota. The greatest potential for impacts is related to the loss, fragmentation, or prolonged drying of ephemeral water bodies and drainage networks resulting from the loss of desert washes within the construction footprint of the facility. Groundwater-dependent aquatic habitat may also be affected by operational groundwater withdrawal in the case of water-intensive solar technologies. Solar panels have also been found to attract aquatic insects and waterbirds, potentially resulting in mortality. Avoiding construction activity near perennial and intermittent surface waters is the primary means of reducing impacts on aquatic habitats, followed by measures to minimize erosion, sedimentation, and contaminant inputs into waterways. Currently, significant data gaps make solar facility impact assessment and mitigation more difficult. Examples include the need for more regional and site-specific studies of surface-groundwater connectivity, more detailed maps of regional stream networks and riparian vegetation corridors, as well as surveys of the aquatic communities inhabiting ephemeral streams. In addition, because they often lack regulatory protection, there is also a need to develop valuation criteria for ephemeral waters based on their ecological and hydrologic function within the landscape. By addressing these research needs, we can achieve the goal of greater reliance on solar energy, while at the same time minimizing impacts on desert ecosystems.

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Section: Operationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solar Energy Development and Aquatic Ecosystems in the Southwestern United States: Potential Impacts, Mitigation, and Research Needs

Grippo

Hayse

O’Connor

2014

Environmental Management

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“…Conversely, traditional dust suppressants, such as salt brines or petroleum-based products, are not as degradable and may have adverse effects on the surrounding flora and fauna [16,58]. Steevens et al [73] highlighted that overexposure to some synthetic polymers during the handling and application may be carcinogenic to workers. McTigue et al [16] concluded that there is a lack of comprehensive, independent environmental and toxicity data for many commercial dust suppressants, whose ingredients often remain proprietary.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of Protein and Polysaccharide Biopolymers as Dust Suppressants on Mine Soils: Large-Scale Field Trials

Sieger

Lottermoser

Freer

2023

Mining

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Recent laboratory studies have shown that biopolymers have the potential to act as dust suppressants on barren mine soils. However, there is a lack of field trials investigating the effectiveness of biopolymer treatments under real field conditions on a large scale. This study performed field trials to examine the potential of three biopolymers—corn starch (CS), xanthan gum (XG), and fava bean protein concentrate (FBPC)—as dust suppressants. The field trials started in August 2022 with spraying of low doses of the selected biopolymers on trial areas of an overburden dump at the Inden open-cast lignite mine, Germany. The field trials were conducted over 45 days. They included repeated measurements of dust emissions from soil plots exposed to different airflows generated by an electric blower, visual inspections, and penetrometer tests. The results showed that all biopolymer treatments effectively suppressed dust emissions in the short term up to 8 days after application. Total suspended particle emissions measured on the biopolymer-treated trial plots were significantly reduced and ranged from 0.05 to 0.27 mg/m3 compared to the untreated control (4.5 to 39.2 mg/m3). The visual inspections and penetrometer tests supported these results. After day 8, rainfall-induced leaching of the biopolymers resulted in the rapid degradation of the treatments’ effectiveness. The results suggest that the treatments would have lasted longer under dry conditions. Thus, the field trials provide practical evidence that biopolymers can effectively mitigate dust emissions on exposed, undisturbed mine soils in the short term, making them a bio-based alternative to traditional dust suppressants, such as chloride salts or petroleum-based products.

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