scholarly journals Assessment and abatement of the eco-risk caused by mine spoils in the dry subtropical climate

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexey V. Alekseenko ◽  
Carsten Drebenstedt ◽  
Jaume Bech
Keyword(s):  
Soil Stabilization ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Pollution Index ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Subtropical Climate ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
Mine Spoils ◽  
Mine Dumps ◽  
Mine Lands

AbstractThe highly rugged mountainous land topography of the Novorossiysk industrial agglomeration (NW Caucasus, Krasnodar Krai, Russia) and arid climate limit the restoration abilities of disturbed mine lands. Abandoned waste-rock dumps of a marl quarry occupy an area of ca. 150,000 m2 next to the cement plant, residential districts, and a commercial seaport. To assess the eco-risk, topsoil horizons of urban and mine-site Technosols and background Rendzinas were sampled and analyzed; measurements of particulate matter fractions PM1, PM2.5, PM4, and PM10 were conducted throughout the agglomeration. Fugitive dust emission from the unreclaimed marl dumps raises the PM2.5 content in the air by a factor of 2.68 on average. The high sorption capacity of the fine eluvium results in the accumulation of urban emissions by the dust and contributes to the subsequent soil pollution; the Cumulative Pollution Index of pedochemical anomalies reaches the high-risk level over the areas of up to 5 km2. Environmental threats caused by the mine dumps can be assessed more reliably by means of land zoning based on accumulated environmental damage indicators and the debris flow and waterspout risk calculation. To abate the technogenic impact caused by the mine spoils, reclamation actions must be taken including soil stabilization on sensitive sites by application of geosynthetic cover, hydroseeding of the mixture of soil improvers and seeds of herbaceous plants on the slopes, and anti-erosion plantation of cades (Juniperus oxycedrus L.) and smoke trees (Cotinus coggygria Scop.) at subhorizontal surfaces.

scholarly journals A Clay-Based Geopolymer in Loess Soil Stabilization

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 2608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadav Hanegbi ◽  
Itzhak Katra
Keyword(s):  
Polyvinyl Acetate ◽  
Soil Stabilization ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Loess Soil ◽  
Dust Control ◽  
Natural Soil ◽  
Significant Interest ◽  
Global Land ◽  
Soil Destruction ◽  
Mineral Base

Soil erosion has environmental and socioeconomic significances. Loess soils cover about 10% of the global land area. Most of these soils are subjected to increased land uses such as unpaved roads, which increase soil destruction and dust emission to the atmosphere. There is a significant interest in applications for dust control and soil stabilization. Application of geopolymers may significantly reduce environmental impacts. This study examines the use of a metakaolin-based geopolymer for dust control and soil stabilization in a semi-arid loess soil. The application of the geopolymer for dust control in comparison with common products (brine, bitumen, polyvinyl acetate-PVA) resulted in no dust emission. As a soil stabilizer, the geopolymer tested in this study provides remarkably good results in the tensile test. The most successful composition of the geopolymer, which is activation solution of sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) together with an addition of 30% metakaolin, obtained soil strength of 23,900 N after 28 days. The attempt to replace NaOH with lime (CaO) in the activation solution was far inferior to the original composition. There is a strong potential to develop natural soil stabilizers from a mineral base that even surpass their capabilities over existing synthetic stabilizers.

DEVELOPING A GUIDELINE FOR OIL SPILL RISK ASSESSMENT AND RESPONSE PLANNING FOR OFFSHORE INSTALLATIONS

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 314-327
Author(s):  
Torild Ronnaug Nissen-Lie ◽  
Odd Willy Brude ◽  
Ole Oystein Aspholm ◽  
Peter Mark Taylor ◽  
David Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Offshore Installations ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT Following the April 2010 Gulf of Mexico (Macondo) oil spill and the 2009 Montara incident in Australia, the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) formed the Global Industry Response Group. This Group identified nineteen oil spill response recommendations (OGP, 2011) that are being addressed via an Oil Spill Response Joint Industry Project (OSR-JIP) during 2012–2014. The OSR-JIP is managed by IPIECA on behalf of OGP, in recognition of IPIECA's long-standing experience with oil spill response matters. One of the nineteen recommendations concerned the development of an international guideline for offshore oil spill risk assessment and a method to better relate oil spill response resources to the risk level. Consequently, the OSR-JIP has published a guideline covering oil spill risk assessment and response planning for offshore installations. This paper describes the development and content of the guideline, including how the oil spill risk assessment process provides structured and relevant information to oil spill response planning for offshore operations. The process starts by defining the context of the assessment and describing the activity to be assessed. Thereafter it addresses a series of key questions:What can go wrong, leading to potential release of oil?What happens to the spilled oil?What are the impacts on key environmental - both ecological and socio-economic - receptors?What is the risk for environmental damage?How is the established risk utilised in oil spill response planning? The guideline draws on existing good practices in the determination of oil spill response resources. It promotes consideration, in tactical and logistical detail, of the preferred and viable response strategies to address scenarios covering the range of potential oil spills up to the most serious. The methodology to evaluate the potential spill scenarios utilizes a series of questions:What are the viable techniques/strategies to deliver response with greatest net environment benefit?What are the tactical measures required to implement the identified response strategies, considering technical, practical and safety factors?What Tiered resources are required to mount the tactical measures and achieve effective response? The paper summarizes the useful tools, key information and the necessary level of detail essential to perform an oil spill risk assessment for use in oil spill response planning.

scholarly journals Application of multivariate statistic and pollution index techniques to determine beach sand element distribution, East of Antalya City

Filomat ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 623-630
Author(s):  
Fusun Yalcin
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Pollution Index ◽  
Potential Ecological Risk ◽  
Element Distribution ◽  
Beach Sand ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Unequal Distribution ◽  
Multivariate Statistic

This research was conducted on beach sands in East of Antalya city. The samples collected from 47 locations in the target area were investigated for the existence of possible heavy metal anomaly. The heavy metal contents of the samples were evaluated using categorization of Pollution Index, Enrichment Factor, Potential Ecological Risk, Toxicity Risk Index and statistical applications. Samples were distinguished in different groups of close similarities based on the statistical specifications. There was unequal distribution of elements. Ca, Cr, Fe, Ti and Pb were anomalously concentrated in some samples. Cr, Pb, and Cu showed contaminated and high risk level in some samples. The occurrence of high Cr concentration is thought to be mostly influence by natural activities while Pb and Cu are thought to be mostly due to anthropogenic influence.

scholarly journals Monitoring and Ecological Risks of Heavy Metals of Urban Soils in Different Functional Areas Based on Plasma Technology

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng-Ting Jin ◽  
Hao Yuan ◽  
Quan Xu ◽  
Li-Ping Xu ◽  
De-Zheng Yang
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Metal Content ◽  
Pollution Index ◽  
Heavy Metal Content ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Manas River Basin ◽  
Functional Areas

Abstract Heavy metal pollution in soil has become a global environmental problem in recent years. This study assessed heavy metals' pollution distribution, level and ecological risk in soils from different functional areas in Shihezi City, China. Heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Cd) were measured using atmospheric pressure discharge plasma and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The mean concentration of all heavy metals in soil was higher than heavy metals' background values. The spatial distribution of Cr is the most different, and the distribution of Cu and Zn are similar in other functional regions. The single pollution index indicated that the heavy metals in industrial, traffic, and residential areas were enriched, and the pollution of Cd was more severe than others. The Nemerow pollution index showed that the near Manas River basin coast is alert (still clean), the industrial area is moderately polluted, and all other functional areas are lightly polluted. The potential ecological risk index demonstrated that only the nearshore Manas River Basin is at a mild ecological risk level, while all other functional areas are at a moderate ecological risk level. The determinate power of DEM, temperature, and precipitation were all over 65%, which meant that the topographic and climatic factors were the main factors affecting the change of heavy metal content. Secondly, socio-economic factors are important factors to promote the change of heavy metal content in soil.

Russian armed aggression against Ukraine – the impact on the environment of the temporarily occupied territories

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-92
Author(s):  
Myroslav Malovanyy ◽  
◽  
Nataliia Bohach ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Water Flooding ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
The Future ◽  
Occupied Territories ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
The Impact

The armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which has been going on since 2014, caused severe consequences for our state. Besides killing and injuring dozens of thousands of Ukrainian citizens, expelling hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, seizing and destroying infrastructure, Russia has inflicted large-scale environmental damage in the occupied territories. Thus, as a result of the occupation of Crimea, the situation with fresh water on the peninsula is rapidly deteriorating, which can significantly change the ecosystem in the future. In addition, the warfare launched by the aggressor against Ukraine in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions caused serious environmental and man-made consequences, among which the main are pollution of groundwater and surface water, flooding of mines, subsidence, air pollution, destruction of agricultural lands, destruction and damage of nature reserves, forest fires, etc. Ignoring the environmental threats caused by Russian armed aggression can lead to catastrophic aftermath in the future. To prevent this scenario, an effective response is needed not only from Ukraine but also from the entire international community.

scholarly journals A Comparative Evaluation of Cement and By-Product Petrit T in Soil Stabilization

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (23) ◽  
pp. 5238
Author(s):  
Wathiq Al-Jabban ◽  
Jan Laue ◽  
Sven Knutsson ◽  
Nadhir Al-Ansari
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Soil Stabilization ◽  
Size Fraction ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Particle Size Analysis ◽  
Engineering Properties ◽  
Size Analysis ◽  
Treated Soil ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
Fine Grained Soil

This study presents a comparison between the effectiveness of adding low binder amounts of industrial by-product Petrit T as well as cement to modify and improve fine-grained soil. Binder amount was added by soil dry weight; cement at 1%, 2%, 4% and 7% and Petrit T at 2%, 4% and 7%. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) was used as an indicator of soil strength. In addition, the consistency limits, laser particle size analysis, and pH tests were also conducted on the treated soil. The samples were cured at 20 °C for different periods from 7 to 90 days before testing. Results indicate that cement is more effective at improving the physical and engineering properties of the treated soil. Soil plasticity index decreases after treatment and with time. Liquidity index and the water content to plastic limit ratio are introduced as new indices to define the improvement in the workability of treated soil. Soil particle size distribution is changed by reducing the clay size fraction and increasing the silt size fraction after treatment. The findings confirm that adding small binder contents improve soil properties, which subsequently reduce the environmental threats and costs that are associated with using a high amount of binder.

scholarly journals Risk Assessment Based on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Forms in Watershed Sediments: A Case Study of the Upper Reaches of the Minjiang Watershed

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongmeng Ye ◽  
Hao Yang ◽  
Nian Han ◽  
Changchun Huang ◽  
Tao Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Pollution Index ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Nutrient Elements ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Phosphorus Forms ◽  
Minjiang River ◽  
Index Evaluation ◽  
Bioavailability Index

In order to achieve effective eutrophication control and ecosystem restoration, it is of great significance to investigate the distribution characteristics of nutrient elements in sediments, and to perform ecological risk assessments. In the current grading criteria for nutrient elements in sediments, only the overall or organic components of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus are considered, while the specific species distributions and bioavailability characteristics are rarely taken into account. Hence, using the current grading criteria, the differences in the release, migration and biological activity of nutrient elements in sediments cannot be accurately reflected. Taking the upper reaches of the Minjiang River watershed as an example, we analyzed the overall distributions and the ratio of nutrient elements in sediments, the spatial changes of nitrogen and phosphorus forms, the bioavailability, and the environmental significance. The ecological risk of nitrogen and phosphorus in sediments was assessed using an evaluation method based upon the biological effective parameter. The results were compared with the results of the evaluation methods based on the single pollution index, and then these evaluation methods were confirmed accordingly. From the results, the following conclusions can be obtained: (1) The spatial distributions of nutrient elements in sediments in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River Watershed (including the Jianxi Basin, Futunxi Basin, and Shaxi Basin) were significantly affected by the local ecology and the urban sewage discharge system. (2) The maximum average contents of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in sediments were observed in the Jianxi Basin, the Futunxi Basin and the Shaxi Basin, respectively. (3) According to the contents of nitrogen and phosphorus in sediments, the bioavailable nitrogen (TTN) accounted for 35.49% of the total contents of TN. The components of TTN can be sorted from high to low as follows: Nitrogen in organic sulfide form (SOEF-N) > nitrogen in iron-manganese oxide form (SAEF-N) > nitrogen in ion exchange form (IEF-N) > nitrogen in weak acid leaching form (WAEF-N). Inorganic phosphorus (IP) was the main component of TP. The components of IP can be sorted from high to low as follows: Metal oxide bound phosphorus (NaOH-P) > calcium bound phosphorus (HCl-P) > reduced phosphorus (BD-P) > weakly adsorbed phosphorus (NH4Cl-P). Meanwhile, bioavailable phosphorus (BAP, BAP = NH4Cl-P + BD-P + NaOH-P) accounted for 36.94% of TP. According to the results of the single pollution index method, the risk level of TOC pollution in the sediments was relatively low in the whole area, while the risk level of TN pollution was low or moderate in most zones, and severe in certain ones. The risk level of TP pollution was low to moderate. (4) From the results of the bioavailability index evaluation method, based on the total amounts and forms of N and P, the risk level of N pollution was moderate, while the risk of P pollution was negligible. In addition, the results of the bioavailability index evaluation method were more consistent with the actual situation and reflected the overall environmental effects of nitrogen and phosphorus.

scholarly journals The Continuing Relevance of Common Law Property Rights and Remedies in Addressing Environmental Challenges

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 633-686
Author(s):  
David Grinlinton
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Common Law ◽  
The United States ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Environmental Challenges ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
The Common

Environmental protection and natural resources management is today dominated by legislative measures and administrative procedures. Enforcement and penalty regimes for environmental damage and the management of natural resources are all highly regulated. Nevertheless, there remains the oft-neglected realm of common law rules and procedures available to individuals and public interest groups, and indeed government, as alternate or supplementary mechanisms to enforce rights and obligations, to guide the implementation and interpretation of environmental regulation, and to provide new avenues for addressing environmental challenges. The common law, particularly in the areas of tort and property, has demonstrated remarkable adaptability in addressing novel environmental threats and in innovating to protect environmental values and incentivize ecologically-sustainable development of natural resources. This article is intended to provide a review of the historical and current contribution of the common law, focusing particularly on property law concepts and property-related torts, and to explore the future potential of those mechanisms in contributing to environmental protection and environmentally-sustainable development. The article draws on cases and developments in a number of similar common law jurisdictions, including Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

scholarly journals Approach for Assessing Direct Flood Damages

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-64
Author(s):  
Lenka Gaňová ◽  
Martina Zeleňáková ◽  
Daniel Słyś ◽  
Pavol Purcz
Keyword(s):  
Flood Risk ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Life Assessment ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Accurate Estimation ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Eu Directive

Abstract This article presents a methodological approach to flood direct tangible damage - damage to assets and direct intangible damage - environmental damage and loss of life assessment. The assessment of flood risk is an essential part of the risk management approach, which is the conceptual basis for the EU directive 2007/60/ES on the assessment and management of flood risk. The purpose of this directive is to establish a framework for the assessment and management of flood risk, aiming at the reduction of the adverse consequences for human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activity associated with flood in the community. Overall, an accurate estimation of negative effects on assets, environment and people is important in order to be able to determine the economy, environmental and social flood risk level in a system and the effects of risk mitigation measures.

scholarly journals The Content and Sources of Potentially Toxic Elements in the Road Dust of Surgut (Russia)

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Dmitriy Moskovchenko ◽  
Roman Pozhitkov ◽  
Andrey Soromotin ◽  
Valeriy Tyurin
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Enrichment Factor ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Pollution Index ◽  
Road Dust ◽  
Size Composition ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Contamination Assessment ◽  
The Road ◽  
Particle Size Composition

The chemical and particle size composition of road dust in Surgut, which is a rapidly developing city in Western Siberia, was studied for the first time. Contents of major and trace elements were determined using ICP-MS and ICP-AES, respectively. It was found that the road dust had an alkaline pH (from 7.54 to 9.38) and that the particle size composition was dominated by the 100–250-μm fraction. The contamination assessment based on calculations of the enrichment factor (EF) showed that the road dust was significantly enriched in Sb and Cu and moderately enriched in Zn, Pb, Mo, Ni and W. The sources of these elements are probably associated with the abrasion of car tires and brake pads. Based on calculations of global pollution index (PIr) and total enrichment factor (Ze), the road dust of Surgut was characterized by a generally low level of potential ecological risk, except for stretches of road subject to regular traffic jams, where a moderate ecological risk level was identified. In comparison to the other Russian cities (Moscow, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen, etc.) where studies of road dust composition have been carried out, Surgut had similar contents of Cr and Cu and relatively lower contents of Sb, Cd, As and Pb.

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