About 20% of untreated water samples from public, private, and monitoring wells across the nation contain concentrations of at least one trace element, such as arsenic, manganese, and uranium, at levels of potential health concern, according to a new study by the US Geological Survey (USGS).
“In public wells these contaminants are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and contaminants are removed from the water before people drink it,” said Joe Ayotte, USGS hydrologist and lead author on the study. “However, trace elements could be present in water from private wells at levels that are considered to pose a risk to human health, because they aren’t subject to regulations. In many cases people might not even know that they have an issue.”
Trace elements in groundwater exceed human health benchmarks at a rate that far outpaces most other groundwater contaminants, such as nitrate, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Most trace elements, including manganese and arsenic, get into the water through the natural process of rock weathering. Radon, derived from naturally occurring uranium in aquifers, also occurs frequently at high levels in groundwater. Human activities like mining, waste disposal, and construction also can contribute to trace elements in groundwater.
Arsenic, uranium, and manganese, were the trace elements in groundwater that most frequently exceeded EPA human-health benchmarks. Arsenic was found above the EPA human health benchmark in 7% of wells. Uranium was found in 4% above the human health benchmark, and manganese was found in 12%. Long-term exposure to arsenic can lead to several types of cancer, and high levels of uranium can cause kidney disease. In doses similar to some of those found in this study, manganese can adversely affect child intellectual function and, in large doses, acts as a neurotoxin, causing symptoms similar to those experienced by sufferers of Parkinson’s disease. Radon, a product of the decay of natural uranium, also exceeded its proposed EPA maximum contaminant level in 65% of wells tested (300 picocuries per liter).
Climate and land use are important factors in trace element distribution. Differences in the concentration of trace elements are related to the climatic conditions and land use of the area. Drier areas of the United States saw higher concentrations of trace elements in groundwater than humid regions. Meanwhile, wells in agricultural areas more often contained trace elements than those in urban areas. However, wells in urban areas contained concentrations of trace elements that more often exceeded human health benchmarks.
Basic geology and geochemistry of water samples helps to predict occurrence of trace elements in groundwater. Redox conditions (related to dissolved oxygen) and pH seem to affect which trace elements persist in groundwater. For example, aluminum and manganese occurred more often in samples that were characterized as anoxic and had slightly acidic pH. Anoxic and slightly alkaline samples commonly contained arsenic and molybdenum. Uranium in groundwater occurred over a wide range of pH and redox conditions because of its association with other compounds. Additionally, samples from glacial and non-glacial sand and gravel aquifers consistently had more occurrences of trace elements in groundwater than samples from other aquifers.
The effects of mixtures of trace elements are poorly understood and could cause further health concerns. Further analysis of the data showed that about one-fifth of wells had exceedances of human health benchmarks and that, of those, about 10% actually contained two or more trace elements exceeding human health benchmarks. This raises additional concerns because contaminants can act together to be more toxic than each individual contaminant.
These findings are based on over 5,000 samples collected primarily from public and private wells nationwide. This study is part of efforts by the USGS’s National Water-Quality Assessment Program to monitor the quality of the nation’s groundwater and surface water.
Human health benchmarks used in this study include EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels for regulated contaminants and Health Based Screening Levels (HBSLs) for unregulated contaminants. HBSLs are unenforceable contaminant threshold guidelines developed by the USGS in collaboration with EPA, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and Oregon Health Sciences University.
Treated drinking water from public wells is regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Water utilities, however, are not required to treat water for unregulated contaminants. The EPA uses USGS information on the occurrence of unregulated contaminants to identify contaminants that may require drinking-water regulation in the future.
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Plastic Bottle Solution for Arsenic-Contaminated Water
With almost 100 million people in developing countries exposed to dangerously high levels of arsenic in their drinking water, and unable to afford complex purification technology, scientists are describing a simple, inexpensive method for removing arsenic based on chopped up pieces of ordinary plastic beverage bottles coated with a nutrient found in many foods and dietary supplements.
The report was part of the 242nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) held recently.
“Dealing with arsenic contamination of drinking water in the developing world requires simple technology based on locally available materials,” said study leader Tsanangurayi Tongesayi, Ph.D., professor of analytical and environmental chemistry at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, New Jersey. “Our process uses pieces of plastic water, soda pop and other beverage bottles. Coat the pieces with cysteine—that’s an amino acid found in dietary supplements and foods—and stir the plastic in arsenic-contaminated water. This works like a magnet. The cysteine binds up the arsenic. Remove the plastic and you have drinkable water.”
Tongesayi described laboratory tests of the plastic bottle arsenic removal method on water containing 20 parts per billion (ppb) of arsenic, which is two times the safe standard set by the EPA for drinking water. It produced drinkable water with 0.2 ppb of arsenic that more than meets the federal standard.
The technology is so straight-forward that people without technical skills can use it, Tongesayi said, citing that as one of its advantages over some of the existing arsenic-removal technologies. It can use discarded plastic bottles available locally, and the application of cysteine does not require complicated technology. Tongesayi is seeking funding or a commercial partner, which he said is the key to moving the arsenic-removing process into use in a relatively short time. The technology also has the potential for removing other potentially toxic heavy metals from drinking water.
Odorless, tasteless, and colorless, arsenic enters drinking water supplies from natural deposits in soil and rock that occur in some parts of the world, including parts of the United States, and from agricultural and industrial sources. Symptoms of arsenic poisoning include thickening and discoloration of the skin; stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; vision loss; and numbness in hands and feet. Arsenic also has been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver, and prostate.
Definition of Solid Waste: Extension of Comment Period
EPA is proposing to revise certain exclusions from the definition of solid waste for hazardous secondary materials intended for reclamation that would otherwise be regulated under subtitle C of RCRA. The purpose of these proposed revisions is to ensure that the recycling regulations, as implemented, encourage reclamation in a way that does not result in increased risk to human health and the environment from discarded hazardous secondary material. The comment period is being extended to October 20, 2011.
Los Angeles AFB Vehicles go All Electric
Air Force officials unveiled a plan to establish Los Angeles Air Force Base as the first federal facility to replace 100%of its general purpose fleet with plug-in electric vehicles (PEV).
“With gas prices rising and the cost of batteries falling, now is the time to move toward electric vehicles,” said Undersecretary of the Air Force Erin Conaton. “The 100-percent Electric Vehicle Base initiative is a critical first step in this direction and will help guide the way for broader fleet electrification.”
Initial planning for the installation of charging infrastructure at Los Angeles AFB is already underway, and the vehicles could be in place as soon as January 2012.
As part of the program, all Air Force-owned and -leased general purpose fleet vehicles on the base will be replaced with PEVs. There are approximately 40 eligible vehicles, ranging from passenger sedans to two-ton trucks and shuttle buses. The replacement PEVs include fully-electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and extended-range electric vehicles.
The initiative would not include force protection, tactical and emergency response vehicles, which would remain on an exempt status, according to officials. The program is also subject to environmental review.
Electrification of Los Angeles AFB’s general purpose fleet is the first implementation step in an ongoing Department of Defense effort to establish strategies for large-scale integration of PEVs.
The broader PEV program is focused on identifying pathways to establish cost parity between PEVs and comparable conventional vehicles in targeted segments of the DOD fleet.
In addition to the 100-percent Electric Vehicle Base initiative, DOD officials began conducting site assessments to determine the infrastructure costs and operational considerations associated with installing vehicle charging stations. DOD has also partnered with the General Services Administration to launch a comprehensive study of the residual values and useful lives of PEVs relative to conventional vehicles.
“Los Angeles Air Force Base will serve as a model for future efforts to bring PEVs into the Air Force and DOD,” said Dr. Camron Gorguinpour, the special assistant to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment, and logistics.
According to Gorguinpour, the base was selected as the test location for a variety of reasons. “They have a small, diverse general purpose vehicle fleet that will lessen operational risks and maximize value to the base energy management program,” he added.
Los Angeles AFB is continuing to expand its use of solar energy, and the new electric vehicles may be used to support and optimize the base’s solar energy infrastructure. Moreover, Los Angeles AFB is ideally located to demonstrate a variety of vehicle-to-grid activities. Using vehicle-to-grid technologies, electric vehicles can provide valuable services back to the grid while plugged in. This helps offset the cost of the vehicles and supports the electrical demands on the public grid.
The Air Force and DOD are actively exploring the operation and financial feasibility for broad-scale implementation of vehicle-to-grid on their bases.
“Worldwide, the DOD has about 200,000 vehicles in its fleet, so there’s a whole lot of opportunity for us to look at creative ways to advance PEVs and other emerging technologies,” Gorguinpour said.
Cutting Soot Emissions: Fastest, Most Economical Way to Slow Global Warming
A new study of dust-like particles of soot in the air—now emerging as the second most important—but previously overlooked—factor in global warming provides fresh evidence that reducing soot emissions from diesel engines and other sources could slow melting of sea ice in the Arctic faster and more economically than any other quick fix, a scientist is reporting.
In a presentation at the 242nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Mark Z. Jacobson, Ph.D., cited concerns that continued melting of sea ice above the Arctic Circle will be a tipping point for the Earth’s climate, a point of no return. That’s because the ice, which reflects sunlight and heat back into space, would give way to darker water that absorbs heat and exacerbates warming. And there is no known way to make the sea refreeze in the short term.
Jacobson’s calculations indicate that controlling soot could reduce warming above parts of the Arctic Circle by almost 3 degrees Fahrenheit within 15 years. That would virtually erase all of the warming that has occurred in the Arctic during the last 100 years.
“No other measure could have such an immediate effect,” said Jacobson, who is with Stanford University. “Soot emissions are second only to carbon dioxide (CO2) in promoting global warming, but its effects have been underestimated in previous climate models. Consequently, soot’s effect on climate change has not been adequately addressed in national and international global warming legislation. Soot emissions account for about 17% of global warming, more than greenhouse gases like methane. Soot’s contribution, however, could be reduced by 90% in 5–10 years with aggressive national and international policies.”
Soot or “black carbon” consists of particles, nearly invisible on an individual basis, released in smoke from combustion of fossil fuels and biofuels. Major sources include exhaust from diesel cars, buses, trucks, ships, aircraft, agricultural machines, construction equipment and the wood/animal dung fires that hundreds of millions of people in developing countries use for used for cooking and heating. Black carbon particles become suspended in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight, just like a black t-shirt on a sunny day. The particles then radiate that heat back into the air around it. Black carbon also can absorb light reflected from Earth’s surface, which helps make it such a potent warming agent.
The good news is that decreasing soot could have a rapid effect, Jacobson said. Unlike carbon dioxide, which remains in the atmosphere for years, soot disappears within a few weeks, so that there is no long-term reservoir with a continuing warming effect. The technology for controlling black carbon, unlike that for controlling CO2, is already available at relatively modest cost. Diesel particulate filters, for instance, can remove soot from car and truck exhaust. Government and other agencies also are trying to introduce low-soot cookstoves in developing countries. “Converting gasoline- and diesel-burning cars and trucks to electric or hydrogen vehicles and reducing emissions from diesel generators could have an immediate effect on warming,” according to Jacobson.
Jacobson, who developed the first detailed climate model to include the global effects of soot, reported on use of the model to gain new insights into the effects of soot particles trapped inside and between the water droplets that make up clouds. Previous research on black carbon and climate overlooked that topic. Jacobson said the information is important because black carbon within clouds makes the clouds “burn off” and disappear over heavily polluted urban and other areas. Climate models that ignore this “cloud absorption” phenomenon underestimate the effects of black carbon on climate.
$6 Million Settlement for UST Violations
The California State Water Board, in coordination with the Office of the State Attorney General and district attorney’s in 17 counties, have announced a $6 million settlement with Golden Gate Petroleum Co., (GGP), following a two year investigation that found widespread violations of environmental rules on storage of petroleum in underground tanks owned or operated by GGP.
The settlement covers violations at approximately 30 gasoline stations located in 17 counties throughout Northern California. Dennis O’Keefe, president and sole shareholder of GGP and its affiliated companies is a defendant in the action and is jointly liable for payment of the penalties.
“The case against GGP is another in a series of underground storage tank cases brought by the State Water Board against facilities that substantially threaten water quality and public safety,” Reed Sato, Director of the State Water Board’s Office of Enforcement, said. “The judgment against GGP compels the defendants to operate and maintain its fuel storage tanks in a manner protective of the environment.”
Under the terms of the settlement, GGP will pay $3 million in cash over a period of five years. The remaining $3 million will be suspended conditioned on GGP maintaining compliance with underground storage tank requirements. GGP must also employ an environmental coordinator to oversee compliance in the future. The amount of the liability was based on the financial inability of GGP to pay higher penalties.
A two year investigation conducted by the State Water Board’s Office of Enforcement and various counties environmental protection staff revealed that GGP had extensive violations including the failure to install and repair leak detection equipment designed to prevent releases of petroleum to the environment. This action does not resolve any liability or responsibility that GGP has to cleanup leaks of petroleum from its tank systems.
Shipping Companies Each Fined $53K for Violating Fuel Regulation
The California Air Resources Board has fined two shipping companies for failing to switch from dirty bunker fuel to cleaner, low-sulfur fuel when sailing within 24 miles of the California coast, as required by state law.
“Cargo vessels can burn some of the dirtiest fuels on the planet and we need to make sure that their engine emissions don’t reach our coast,” said ARB Enforcement Chief James Ryden. “Our fuel regulation is vitally important because it requires shippers to switch to cleaner-burning fuels that help fight air pollution in our coastal regions and port communities.”
The measure, adopted in 2008, eliminates 15 tons of diesel exhaust—a known carcinogen—daily from ocean-going vessels, and is considered a vital tool in helping to reduce premature deaths and the risk of cancer associated with air pollution in the state’s busy ports and trade corridors.
In November 2010, the MSC Aniello, owned by the Mediterranean Shipping Company, and the vessel Wieniawski, owned by the Chipolbrok Shipping Company, both used bunker fuel well within the 24-mile limit from the coast prior to docking at the Port of Long Beach.
As part of their settlements with ARB, Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping and Poland-based Chipolbrok each agreed to pay $53,000 to the California Air Pollution Control Fund (CAPCF) to support air quality research. They must also follow all fuel switchover requirements, and maintain accurate records.
The ARB conducts an estimated 250 ship inspections each year, checking for proper fuel usage, record-keeping and other compliance requirements, and takes marine gas oil or marine diesel oil samples for submission to the ARB laboratory to determine if the fuels meet ARB’s low-sulfur standards.
Diesel exhaust contains a variety of harmful substances including more than 40 toxic compounds. In 1998, California identified diesel particulate matter as a toxic air contaminant based on its potential to cause cancer, premature death, and other health problems.
ARB’s mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health based air quality standards.
Washington University Fined for Failure to Disclose Lead-Based Paint Hazards
Washington University of St. Louis, Missouri, has agreed to pay a $2,778 civil penalty to the US and spend at least $24,998 to replace old windows in its married student housing units to settle allegations that it failed to disclose the presence of lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards to tenants prior to the leasing of some of its other housing units.
According to a civil consent agreement filed by EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, Kansas, Washington University leased three apartments at 6012 McPherson Avenue and 6048 McPherson Avenue, northeast of its Danforth Campus, to student tenants in 2008, 2009, and 2010, without disclosing to them that the City of St. Louis Health Department had previously cited the university for lead-based paint violations at those properties in 2000 and 2006.
The settlement alleges that Washington University stated in lead warning statements attached to those property leases that it had no knowledge of the presence of lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards in the units. The university also failed to provide tenants with records and reports of the city’s citations of the units.
Those actions were in violation of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, and the Toxic Substances Control Act, which require landlords and sellers of properties built before 1978 to disclose certain types of information about lead-based paint hazards to tenants and buyers prior to a lease or sale.
The federal government banned lead-based paint from housing in 1978. Lead that remains in pre-1978 housing can pose serious health risks to children when old paint chips or cracks away or turns to dust. High levels of lead in children can cause permanent damage to the brain and nervous system and other widespread health problems, such as reduced intelligence and attention span, hearing loss, stunted growth, reading and learning problems, and behavioral difficulties.
As part of its settlement with EPA, Washington University has agreed to perform a supplemental environmental project that will involve the replacement of approximately 103 old windows in married student housing units located at 6317 Cates Avenue, just west of its North Campus. Lead-based paint on surfaces subjected to regular friction, such as windows and door jams, commonly results in the deterioration of the paint and the increase of lead paint dust in a residence. This project, which will eliminate that particular source of lead-based paint dust in these residences, is expected to cost between $24,998 and $31,000.
Chemsolv Fined $44,000 for Risk Management and Other Violations
EPA announced that Chemicals and Solvents, Inc., (doing business as Chemsolv, Inc.), of Roanoke, Virginia, has agreed to pay a $43,967 penalty and complete more than $200,000 in safety improvements to settle alleged violations of federal environmental laws designed to protect and inform the public about hazardous chemicals.
The company is located at 1111 Industry Ave., S.E., Roanoke. The settlement applies to Chemsolv and Austin Holdings-VA, LLC, owner of two of three properties that make up the facility.
According to an EPA complaint, the alleged violations include the facility’s lack of fire protection, inadequate secondary containment, and improper storage of incompatible chemicals. Other violations concern the company’s failure to fully implement its risk management program that is designed to help prevent chemical releases, and the company’s failure to submit required documentation to state, county, and local officials for the facility’s numerous hazardous chemicals. States and communities can use this information to improve chemical safety and to protect public health and the environment in the event of a release.
The settlement follows up on an EPA order in June 2008 for Chemsolv to take extensive measures to ensure that its storage facilities complied with industry standards and risk management program regulations. To comply with the order, Chemsolv rebuilt two large warehouses at the facility.
In the settlement, Chemsolv has agreed to pay a cash penalty of $43,967, and to implement two additional safety upgrades that exceed regulatory requirements: (1) installation of a nitrogen blanketing system on 20 storage tanks containing flammable materials at a cost of $153,000; and (2) installation of a dry disconnect system on hoses at the facility, which will eliminate drips and accidental spills during loading and unloading of chemicals, at a cost of $63,000. In the settlement documents, the company neither admitted nor denied liability for the alleged violations.
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Trivia Question of the Week
Which of the following hazardous wastes can be neutralized without an EPA hazardous waste TSD permit?
a. D002
b. D003
c. Any P or U waste
d. None of the above