The Food Chain as a Source of Human Exposure from Municipal Waste Combustion: An Uncertainty Analysis

Belcher, G.; Travis, Curtis C.; Bruins, Randall

doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-3294-1_11

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…A thorough parameter selection was performed for both deterministic and probabilistic approaches. A wide range of input parameters could be impacted by uncertainty and variability, making the probabilistic approach useful for exposure models within the risk assessment model [38][39][40]. The uncertainty is related to the lack of information regarding the actual value of a parameter, whereas variability is related to the intrinsic variation of the data value [41].…”

Section: Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Human Exposure to Mercury (Hg) in a Chlor-Alkali Plant Impacted Zone: Risk Characterization Using Updated Site Assessment Data

et al. 2021

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Industrial activities have resulted in severe environmental contamination that may expose rural and urban populations to unacceptable health risks. For example, chlor-alkali plants (CAPs) have historically contributed mercury (Hg) contamination in different environmental compartments. One such site (a burden from the Soviet Union) is located in an industrial complex in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan. Earlier studies showed the CAP operating in the second half of the twentieth century caused elevated Hg levels in soil, water, air, and biota. However, follow-up studies with thorough risk characterization are missing. The present study aims to provide a detailed risk characterization based on the data from a recent site assessment around the former CAP. The ⅀HI (hazard index) ranged from 9.30 × 10−4 to 0.125 (deterministic method) and from 5.19 × 10−4 to 2.54 × 10−2 (probabilistic method). The results indicate acceptable excess human health risks from exposure to Hg contamination in the region, i.e., exposure to other Hg sources not considered. Air inhalation and soil ingestion pathways contributed to the highest ⅀HI values (up to 99.9% and 92.0%, respectively). The residential exposure scenario (among four) presented the greatest human health risks, with ⅀HI values ranging from 1.23 × 10−2 to 0.125. Although the local urban and rural population is exposed to acceptable risks coming from exposure to Hg-contaminated environmental media, an assessment of contamination directly on the former CAP site on the industrial complex could not be performed due to access prohibition. Furthermore, the risks from ingesting contaminated fish were not covered as methyl-Hg was not targeted. An additional assessment may be needed for the scenarios of exposure of workers on the industrial complex and of the local population consuming fish from contaminated Lake Balkyldak. Studies on the fate and transport of Hg in the contaminated ecosystem are also recommended considering Hg methylation and subsequent bioaccumulation in the food chain.

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Section: Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Human Exposure to Mercury (Hg) in a Chlor-Alkali Plant Impacted Zone: Risk Characterization Using Updated Site Assessment Data

et al. 2021

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“…In addition to exposure to airborne toxicants, a multimedia assessment of risk can include an evaluation of human exposure to toxicants that could migrate into surface and groundwater, shallow soils, crops, livestock, and aquatic species. Numerous methods are employed to estimate human exposure to toxicants in different media (5)(6)(7)(8)(9). These methods rely on models that predict the movement of toxicants in the environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Evaluation of Stack Metal Emissions from Hazardous Waste Incinerators: Assessing Human Exposure through Noninhalation Pathways

Sedman

Polisini²,

Esparza³

1994

Environmental Health Perspectives

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Potential public health effects associated with exposure to metal emissions from hazardous waste incinerators through noninhalation pathways were evaluated. Instead of relying on modeling the movement of toxicants through various environmental media, an approach based on estimating changes from baseline levels of exposure was employed. Changes in soil and water As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr, and Be concentrations that result from incinerator emissions were first determined. Estimates of changes in human exposure due to direct contact with shallow soil or the ingestion of surface water were then ascertained. Projected changes in dietary intakes of metals due to incinerator emissions were estimated based on changes from baseline dietary intakes that are monitored in U.S. Food and Drug Administration total diet studies. Changes from baseline intake were deemed to be proportional to the projected changes in soil or surface water metal concentrations. Human exposure to metals emitted from nine hazardous waste incinerators were then evaluated. Metal emissions from certain facilities resulted in tangible human exposure through noninhalation pathways. However, the analysis indicated that the deposition of metals from ambient air would result in substantially greater human exposure through noninhalation pathways than the emissions from most of the facilities. Environ Health Perspect 102(Suppl 2): 105-112 (1994).

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The Food Chain as a Source of Human Exposure from Municipal Waste Combustion: An Uncertainty Analysis

Cited by 2 publications

References 15 publications

Potential Human Exposure to Mercury (Hg) in a Chlor-Alkali Plant Impacted Zone: Risk Characterization Using Updated Site Assessment Data

Potential Human Exposure to Mercury (Hg) in a Chlor-Alkali Plant Impacted Zone: Risk Characterization Using Updated Site Assessment Data

The Evaluation of Stack Metal Emissions from Hazardous Waste Incinerators: Assessing Human Exposure through Noninhalation Pathways

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