Exposure assessment for the abandoned metal mine area contaminated by arsenic

Abstract

Among the results of community health impact assessments completed in 2014, residents of the Indae abandoned metal mine area showed high average urinary concentrations of harmful arsenic (As), at 148.9 µg/L. The concentration of harmful As was derived as the sum of As(V), As(III), MMA, and DMA concentrations known to be toxic. In this area, mining hazard prevention work was not carried out and the pollution source was neglected, and the health effect of the residents due to arsenic exposure was concerned. We re-assessed As exposure levels and tried to identify exposure factors for residents of this area. Analysis of the soil, sediment, and river water to assess the association between the soil of the Indae abandoned metal mine area and the soil in residential areas confirmed a correlation between Pb and As concentrations in the soil. Since Pb and As behave similarly, the use of the stable Pb isotope ratio for assessment of the pollution source tracking was validated. In the 3-isotope plot (207/206Pb vs. 208/206Pb) of soil samples in this area, a stable Pb isotope ratio was located on the same trend line, which confirmed that the soil in the residential area was within the area of influence of the Indae abandoned metal mine. Therefore, we judged that the pollution source of As was the Indae abandoned metal mine. The results by As species were As (III) 1.45 μg/L, As (V) 0.74 μg/L, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) 2.43 μg/L, dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) 27.63 μg/L, and arsenobetaine 88.62 μg/L. The urinary harmful As was 31.92 μg/L, much lower than the 148.9 μg/L reported in a 2014 survey, due to the implementation of a multi-regional water supply in November 2014 that restricted As exposure through drinking river water. However, concerns remain over chronic exposure to As because As in river water used for farming and in agricultural soil still exceeds environmental standards; thus, ongoing work to address hazards from former mining areas and continued environmental monitoring is necessary.

Influential factors of urinary arsenic levels in the population residing close to one heavy-industrial area in Taiwan - A case study

“…In northern Vietnam, the residents exposed to contaminated groundwater had also higher urinary TAs levels (125 ± 115 µg/L) than ours (Pham et al, 2017). Similarly, in Korea, higher urinary As 3+ and As 5+ concentrations have been found in people living near an abandoned metal mine (Chang et al, 2019). In eastern Croatia, residents living in rural areas have been found to have slightly higher urinary TAs than we found in our study (Ćurković et al, 2016).…”

“…The half-life of inorganic As 3+ and As 5+ is short in humans, with 35% excreted through urine within 2 days (Fowler et al, 2015). The sum concentration of As 3+ , As 5+ , DMA, and MMA in urine, named as urinary total inorganic-related As (TiAs) levels, is commonly used to assess the harmful health exposure to humans (Chang et al, 2019).…”

Seismic Safety Analysis of Interlaminar Rock Mass in the Distributed Underground Reservoir of a Coal Mine

“…At its core, this technology leverages the rock cavities formed during coal mining to create water storage spaces. Discontinuous and secure coal pillars are connected by artificial dam structures to establish the reservoir dam [12][13][14]. Additionally, water intake facilities are constructed, making full use of the purifying properties of the rock cavities in the goaf to enhance the quality of mine water [15,16].…”

Cadmium exposure induces autophagy via PLC‐IP3‐IP3R signaling pathway in duck renal tubular epithelial cells

“…It is the third heavy metal element to be classified as a menace to human health after mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb). According to investigation, the average concentration of Cd content in the soil of Korean scrap metal mines and the East River base in China was 4 and 5 mg/kg, respectively 3,4 . Cd can pollute the environment through three ways: atmosphere, soil, and water.…”