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Urban Geochemistry and Human Health

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2018) | Viewed by 37202

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Gabriel Filippelli

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Guest Editor

Department of Earth Sciences, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
Interests: contaminants and human health; citizen science; climate change impacts

Prof. Dr. Mark Patrick Taylor

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Co-Guest Editor

Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science & Engineering, Macquarie University, Australia
Interests: Community health, mining contamination and mitigation, contaminant transport

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Increasing global urbanization has led to many opportunities, and problems, for city dwellers. Among these problems is the co-location of large numbers of humans with significant sources of geochemical components that may have impacts on human health. These sources may be ongoing, such as small particulates from stationary or mobile sources, or may be legacies of past industrial and transportation activities. In many regions, we have gained the ability to map out the spatial distribution of human health and disease to a fine scale, but we have inadequate understanding of how the indoor or outdoor geochemistry of those environments might be affecting people. This Special Issue aims to expand our approach to understanding the intersection between the geochemistry of the urban environment, including air, soil, water, and dust, and the health of people. Particularly welcome are contributions that show novel methods for collecting spatial and/or temporal data on urban geochemistry at fine scales, and that work to actively engage citizens in understanding the science of their urban environments and taking actions to improve that environment.

Prof. Dr. Gabriel Filippelli
Prof. Dr. Mark Patrick Taylor
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Geochemistry
Human Health
Environmental Exposure
Cities
Citizen Science
Environmental Justice
Research to Action

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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15 pages, 3262 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Variations in Dissolved Nitrate, Chloride, and Sulfate in Precipitation, Reservoir, and Tap Waters, Columbus, Ohio

by Deborah L. Leslie and W. Berry Lyons

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(8), 1752; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15081752 - 15 Aug 2018

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4044

Abstract

Urban potable waters can be very susceptible to human activities that can impact water quality and, hence, public health. Columbus, Ohio, is currently the 14th largest city in the United States with an estimated population of ~860,000. Much of the urban population receives its water supply from a series of reservoirs located north of the city proper. These reservoirs are fed by river systems that drain either large agricultural lands, or rapidly growing suburban areas, or both. The agricultural activities introduce dissolved nitrate, and increased usage of de-icing salts on roads and highways within the drainage area introduce chloride into the river/reservoir systems. High nitrate in drinking water poses a potential health risk, particularly to infants, while high chloride, applied as halite, in drinking water can aid in the development of cardiovascular disease. In this work, we present a 19-month time series measuring nitrate, chloride, and sulfate in local precipitation, reservoir and household tap waters in order to better understand the relationship of the hydrologic residence time on the tap water chemistry, as well as to evaluate the anion concentrations. The highest chloride tap water concentration, 6.9 mM, occurred in early February 2011, while increases in nitrate occurred in both early summer and the middle of winter. In general, the anion concentrations in the precipitation are all equal to or lower than the reservoir waters. Similarly, the tap water had concentrations of chloride and sulfate higher than reservoir water, while nitrate was similar to reservoir water. Tap water had higher fluoride and sulfate concentrations, suggesting that they are added during the treatment of the reservoir water prior to residential distribution. These data clearly demonstrate the importance of watershed lands on the quality of water in the human distribution system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Geochemistry and Human Health)

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11 pages, 2189 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mapping the Urban Lead Exposome: A Detailed Analysis of Soil Metal Concentrations at the Household Scale Using Citizen Science

by Gabriel M. Filippelli, Jessica Adamic, Deborah Nichols, John Shukle and Emeline Frix

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(7), 1531; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15071531 - 19 Jul 2018

Cited by 54 | Viewed by 7311

Abstract

An ambitious citizen science effort in the city of Indianapolis (IN, USA) led to the collection and analysis of a large number of samples at the property scale, facilitating the analysis of differences in soil metal concentrations as a function of property location (i.e., dripline, yard, and street) and location within the city. This effort indicated that dripline soils had substantially higher values of lead and zinc than other soil locations on a given property, and this pattern was heightened in properties nearer the urban core. Soil lead values typically exceeded the levels deemed safe for children’s play areas in the United States (<400 ppm), and almost always exceeded safe gardening guidelines (<200 ppm). As a whole, this study identified locations within properties and cities that exhibited the highest exposure risk to children, and also exhibited the power of citizen science to produce data at a spatial scale (i.e., within a property boundary), which is usually impossible to feasibly collect in a typical research study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Geochemistry and Human Health)

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15 pages, 1090 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Smelting Remains a Public Health Risk Nearly a Century Later: A Case Study in Pueblo, Colorado, USA

by Moussa M. Diawara, Sofy Shrestha, Jim Carsella and Shanna Farmer

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(5), 932; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15050932 - 7 May 2018

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5782

Abstract

Pueblo, Colorado has a long history of smelting activities, and recent studies raised concerns about lead exposure. This study tested 240 children in Pueblo for blood lead levels (BLLs) and found a significant association between distance from old smelters and children BLLs. Around 7.5% of Pueblo children had BLLs above the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference level of 5 µg/dL for elevated BLL, and 18.3% had BLLs between 3.3–4.9 µg/dL. Out of the 36 children who lived near former smelters, 13.9% had BLLs above 5 µg/dL vs. 6.37% for children living away from old smelters. The proportion of Pueblo children with elevated BLL was nearly three times the 2007–2010 United States national average (7.5% vs. 2.6%), and this was higher in the immediate vicinity of old smelters (13.9% vs. 2.6%). Genetic polymorphisms for ALAD-1 or ALAD-2 alleles, which play a role in susceptibility to lead toxicity, were not associated with children BBLs. Around 38.5% of houses sampled near the smelters had topsoil lead levels higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s benchmark of 400 mg/kg. Our study resulted in the addition of areas of Pueblo to the EPA Superfund National Priorities List in December 2014, and cleanup is currently underway to minimize the public health risks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Geochemistry and Human Health)

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9 pages, 24746 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Radon Levels in Indoor Environments of the University Hospital in Bari-Apulia Region Southern Italy

by Luigi Vimercati, Fulvio Fucilli, Domenica Cavone, Luigi De Maria, Francesco Birtolo, Giovanni Maria Ferri, Leonardo Soleo and Piero Lovreglio

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(4), 694; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15040694 - 7 Apr 2018

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4440

Abstract

Since 1988, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified radon among the compounds for which there is scientific evidence of carcinogenicity for humans (group 1). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a reference radon level between 100 and 300 Bq/m³ for homes. The objective of this study is to measure the radon concentrations in 401 workplaces, different from the patient rooms, in 28 different buildings of the university hospital in Bari (Apulia region, Southern Italy) to evaluate the exposure of health care workers. Radon environmental sampling is performed over two consecutive six-month periods via the use of passive dosimeters of the CR-39 type. We find an average annual radon concentration expressed as median value of 48.0 Bq/m³ (range 6.5–388.0 Bq/m³) with a significant difference between the two six-month periods (median value: February/July 41.0 Bq/m³ vs. August/January 55.0 Bq/m³). An average concentration of radon lower than the WHO reference level (100 Bq/m³) is detected in 76.1% of monitored environments, while higher than 300 Bq/m³ only in the 0.9%. Most workplaces report radon concentrations within the WHO reference level, therefore, the risk to workers’ health deriving from occupational exposure to radon can be considered to be low. Nevertheless, the goal is to achieve near-zero exposures to protect workers’ health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Geochemistry and Human Health)

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3883 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fine-Scale Spatial Variability of Pedestrian-Level Particulate Matters in Compact Urban Commercial Districts in Hong Kong

by Yuan Shi and Edward Ng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(9), 1008; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14091008 - 3 Sep 2017

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4966

Abstract

Particulate matters (PM) at the pedestrian level significantly raises the health impacts in the compact urban environment of Hong Kong. A detailed investigation of the fine-scale spatial variation of pedestrian-level PM is necessary to assess the health risk to pedestrians in the outdoor environment. However, the collection of PM data is difficult in the compact urban environment of Hong Kong due to the limited amount of roadside monitoring stations and the complicated urban context. In this study, we measured the fine-scale spatial variability of the PM in three of the most representative commercial districts of Hong Kong using a backpack outdoor environmental measuring unit. Based on the measurement data, 13 types of geospatial interpolation methods were examined for the spatial mapping of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ with a group of building geometrical covariates. Geostatistical modelling was adopted as the basis of spatial interpolation of the PM. The results show that the original cokriging with the exponential kernel function provides the best performance in the PM mapping. Using the fine-scale building geometrical features as covariates slightly improves the interpolation performance. The study results also imply that the fine-scale, localized pollution emission sources heavily influence pedestrian exposure to PM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Geochemistry and Human Health)

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1904 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Contaminations, Sources, and Health Risks of Trace Metal(loid)s in Street Dust of a Small City Impacted by Artisanal Zn Smelting Activities

by Tingting Wu, Xiangyang Bi, Zhonggen Li, Guangyi Sun, Xinbin Feng, Lihai Shang, Hua Zhang, Tianrong He and Ji Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(9), 961; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14090961 - 25 Aug 2017

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4915

Abstract

To investigate the impact of artisanal zinc smelting activities (AZSA) on the distribution and enrichment of trace metal(loid)s in street dust of a small city in Guizhou province, SW China, street dust samples were collected and analyzed for 10 trace metal(loid)s (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Sb, Pb, and Hg). Meanwhile, the health risks of local resident exposed to street dust were assessed. The result showed that the average concentrations of 10 elements were Zn (1039 mg kg⁻¹), Pb (423 mg kg⁻¹), Cr (119 mg kg⁻¹), Cu (99 mg kg⁻¹), As (55 mg kg⁻¹), Ni (39 mg kg⁻¹), Co (18 mg kg⁻¹), Sb (7.6 mg kg⁻¹), Cd (2.6 mg kg⁻¹), and Hg (0.22 mg kg⁻¹). Except Ni, Co, and Cr, other elements in street dust were obviously elevated compared to the provincial soil background. Pb, Zn, Cd, Sb, and Cu were at heavy to moderate contamination status, especially Pb and Zn, with maximums of 1723 and 708 mg kg⁻¹, respectively; As and Hg were slightly contaminated; while Cr, Ni, and Co were at un-contaminated levels. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed AZSA contributed to the increase of Pb, Zn, Cd, Sb, As, and Hg, while, natural sources introduced Ni, Co, Cr, and Cu. The health risk assessment disclosed that children had higher non-carcinogenic risk than those found in adults, and As has hazardous index (HI) higher than 1 both for children and adults, while Pb and Cr only had HIs higher than 1 for children, other elements were relatively safe. For carcinogenic risks, the major concern was As, then a lesser concern for Cr. The study showed that although the scale of AZSA was small, the contamination of heavy metal(loid)s in street dust and associated health risks were severe. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Geochemistry and Human Health)

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8 pages, 1932 KiB

Open AccessCommentary

Dynamic Geochemistry of Tetraethyl Lead Dust during the 20th Century: Getting the Lead In, Out, and Translational Beyond

by Howard W. Mielke

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(5), 860; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15050860 - 26 Apr 2018

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4995

Abstract

This commentary provides a brief overview of policy decisions that permitted getting tetraethyl lead (TEL) into petrol; global geochemical lead-dust deposition evidence; 1975 catalytic converter requirements; concern about habitability of cities; a personal perspective on legacy lead research that accelerated getting TEL out of petrol; and translational beyond, including New Orleans pre- vs. post-Hurricane Katrina observations about legacy lead interventions that effectively improve urban children’s health outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Geochemistry and Human Health)

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