Survey of the potential environmental and health impacts in the immediate aftermath of the coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee.
Abstract
An investigation of the potential environmental and health impacts in the immediate
aftermath of one of the largest coal ash spills in U.S. history at the Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA) Kingston coal-burning power plant has revealed three major findings.
First the surface release of coal ash with high levels of toxic elements (As = 75
mg/kg; Hg = 150 microg/kg) and radioactivity (226Ra + 228Ra = 8 pCi/g) to the environment
has the potential to generate resuspended ambient fine particles (< 10 microm) containing
these toxics into the atmosphere that may pose a health risk to local communities.
Second, leaching of contaminants from the coal ash caused contamination of surface
waters in areas of restricted water exchange, but only trace levels were found in
the downstream Emory and Clinch Rivers due to river dilution. Third, the accumulation
of Hg- and As-rich coal ash in river sediments has the potential to have an impact
on the ecological system in the downstream rivers by fish poisoning and methylmercury
formation in anaerobic river sediments.
Type
Journal articleSubject
CarbonCoal
Coal Ash
Data Collection
Environment
Environmental Pollution
Geography
Geologic Sediments
Health
Metals
Particulate Matter
Radioactive Pollutants
Rivers
Tennessee
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Water Pollution
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Gary S Dwyer
Sr. Research Scientist and Instructor in Earth and Ocean Sciences
Dwyer's experience lies in the development of tracers and indicators of environmental
change, and their application to modern and ancient environmental systems. Research
areas include paleoceanography, paleoclimatology, carbonate sedimentology, marine
geology and environmental geochemistry.
Avner Vengosh
Nicholas Distinguished Professor of Environmental Quality
Avner Vengosh is a Duke University Distinguished Professor of Environmental Quality
at the Nicholas School of the Environment. Professor Vengosh and his team have studied
the energy-water nexus, conducting pioneer research on the impact of hydraulic fracturing
and coal ash disposal on the quantity and quality of water resources in the U.S. and
China. He has also investigated the sources and mechanisms of water contamination
in numerous countries across the globe, including salinity and
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