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Survey of the potential environmental and health impacts in the immediate aftermath of the coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee.

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Date
2009-08-15
Authors
Ruhl, L
Vengosh, A
Dwyer, GS
Hsu Kim, H
Deonarine, A
Bergin, M
Kravchenko, J
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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 article
Subject
Carbon
Coal
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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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6943
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Scholars@Duke

Dwyer

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.
Vengosh

Avner Vengosh

Nicholas Distinguished Professor of Environmental Quality
My research aims to link environmental geochemistry and isotope hydrology in order to trace the sources and mechanisms of water contamination and relationships with human health. Current research includes global changes of the chemical and isotopic compositions of water resources due to human intervention and contamination, salinization of water resources in the Middle East and Northern Africa, naturally occurring contaminants (arsenic, fluoride, boron) and radioactivity in water resources, the
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