Removal of metals from technogenic waters from abandoned coal mines using geochemical barriers

Abstract A study was made of the possibility of using natural materials (vermiculites, zeolite) and wastes (ash from the Partizansk Coal-Burning Power Plant) as sorbents in geochemical barriers to manage discharges (technogenic waters) from abandoned coal mines and reduce metal concentrations to established, acceptable standards. Vermiculite from the Kovdor deposit was shown to reduce the concentrations of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn cations, in both direct and inverse soil column models, by between two and five times.

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Features of antibodies against benzo[a]pyrene formation in workers of coal mines and thermal power plants

Russian Journal of Occupational Health and Industrial Ecology ◽

10.31089/1026-9428-2019-1-9-14 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 9-14

Author(s):

Ye. G. Polenok ◽

S. A. Mun ◽

L. A. Gordeeva ◽

A. A. Glushkov ◽

M. V. Kostyanko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Power Plant ◽

Thermal Power Plant ◽

Power Plants ◽

Reference Group ◽

Coal Dust ◽

Thermal Power ◽

Coal Mines ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Thermal Power Plants ◽

Immune Reactions

Introduction.Coal dust and coal fi ring products contain large amounts of carcinogenic chemicals (specifically benz[a]pyrene) that are different in influence on workers of coal mines and thermal power plants. Specific immune reactions to benz[a]pyrene therefore in these categories of workers can have specific features.Objective.To reveal features of antibodies specifi c to benz[a]pyrene formation in workers of coal mines and thermal power plants.Materials and methods.The study covered A and G class antibodies against benz[a]pyrene (IgA-Bp and IgG-Bp) in serum of 705 males: 213 donors of Kemerovo blood transfusion center (group 1, reference); 293 miners(group 2) and 199 thermal power plant workers (group 3). Benz[a]pyrene conjugate with bovine serum albumin as an adsorbed antigen was subjected to immune-enzyme assay.Results.IgA-Bp levels in the miners (Me = 2.7) did not differ from those in the reference group (Me = 2.9), but in the thermal power plant workers (Me = 3.7) were reliably higher than those in healthy men and in the miners (p<0.0001). Levels of IgG-Bp in the miners (Me = 5.0) appeared to be lower than those in the reference group (Me = 6.4; (p = 0.05). IgG-Bb level in the thermal power plantworkers (Me = 7.4) exceeded the parameters in the healthy donors and the miners (p<0.0001). Non-industrial factors (age and smoking) appeared tohave no influence on specific immune reactions against benz[a]pyrene in the miners and the thermal power plant workers.Conclusions.Specific immune reactions against benz[a]pyrene in the miners and the thermal power plant workers are characterized by peculiarities: the miners demonstrate lower levels of class A serum antibodies to benz[a]pyrene; the thermal power plant workers present increased serum levels of class G antibodies to benz[a]pyrene. These peculiarities result from only the occupational features, but do not depend on such factors as age, smoking and length of service at hazardous production. It is expedient to study specific immune reactions to benz[a]pyrene in workers of coal mines and thermal power plants, to evaluate individual oncologic risk and if malignancies occur.

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