Developing nitrate-nitrogen transport models using remotely-sensed geospatial data of soil moisture profiles and wet depositions.

Nutrients loads in aquatic systems are dynamic and highly influenced by changing the land, soil, and atmospheric conditions. This study enhances water quality modeling by providing novel nitrate transport models using remotely-sensed geospatial data, allowing for dynamic predictions of nitrate loads in watersheds. One factor at a time, sensitivity analysis was employed in the classical nitrate transport model to incorporate the impacts of 1) nitrates in the soil moisture profiles 2) wet deposition of nitrates and 3) the synergistic effects of multiple atmospheric and soil effects on nitrate-nitrogen in catchments. The study found that the effects of soil moisture profiles were dominant than the wet deposition in the evaluation of nitrate-nitrogen in catchments. The addition of nitrates from soil moisture profile, wet deposition and both together effectively increased the annual average nitrates in the Fish River catchment from 0.180 kg/ha to 0.187 kg/ha, 0.396 kg/ha and 0.381 kg/ha respectively. Their additions consistently increased the nitrate loads from spring to winter seasons but exhibited different seasonal trends for soils such as silty sand and fine sand. The models developed in this study can be utilized in water quality assessment tools for effective dynamic predictions of nutrients loads into water bodies.

Reconnoitering the linkage between cardiovascular disease mortality and long-term exposures to outdoor environmental factors in the USA using remotely-sensed data.

This ecological study aimed to assess the association between long-term exposures to outdoor environmental factors and mortality rate from cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a diverse and spatially distributed population from 3,094 counties within the U.S. (n > 3,780,000 CVD deaths) using satellite-derived data of PM2.5 concentrations, sunlight, and maximum heat index. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine whether PM2.5, sunlight and maximum heat index were related to the odds of the total CVD death rate based on gender, race, and age taking into consideration the confounding risk factors of diabetes, obesity, leisure- time physical inactivity, smoking and socioeconomic status. The study has shown that elevated levels of PM2.5, sunlight and heat long-term exposures are significantly associated with an increase in the odds ratio of the total CVD mortality. The results suggest a 9.8% (95% CI = 6.3% - 13.4%), 0.9% (95% CI = 0.5% - 1.2%), and 0.7% (95% CI = 0.5% - 11.2%) increase in total CVD mortality associated with 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentrations, 1,000 kJ/m2 increases in sunlight, and 1 oF increase in heat index, respectively. The odds ratios for the CVD death rate due to long-term exposures of PM2.5, sunlight, and heat index were significantly greater than 1.0 for all categories except for Asians, Hispanics, and American Indians, indicating that the effect of long-term exposures to particulate matter, sunlight radiation, and maximum heat on CVD mortality is trivial for Asians, Hispanics, and American Indians. Among the categories of age, the group of 65 years and older had the highest odds ratios, suggesting that the age group of 65 years and older are the most vulnerable group to the environmental exposures of PM2.5 (OR = 1.179, 95% CI = 1.124 - 1.237), sunlight (OR = 1.047, 95% CI = 1.041 - 1.053), and maximum heat (OR = 1.014, 95% CI = 1.011 - 1.016). The odds ratios of CVD mortality due to the environmental exposures were higher for Blacks than those for Whites. The odds ratios for all categories were attenuated with the inclusion of diabetes, obesity, leisure-time physical inactivity, smoking, and income covariates, reflecting the effect of other medical conditions, lifestyle, behavioral and socioeconomic factors on the CVD death rate besides the environmental factors.

Investigating the effects of environmental factors on autism spectrum disorder in the USA using remotely sensed data.

This study aimed to assess the association between exposures to outdoor environmental factors and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence in a diverse and spatially distributed population of 8-year-old children from the USA (n = 2,097,188) using the air quality index (AQI) of the US Environmental Protection Agency as well as satellite-derived data of PM2.5 concentrations, sunlight, and maximum heat index. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine whether the unhealthy AQI, PM2.5, sunlight, and maximum heat index were related to the odds of ASD prevalence based on gender and race and taking into consideration the confounding factors of smoking and socioeconomic status. The logistic regression odds ratios for ASD per 10% increase in the unhealthy AQI were greater than 1 for all categories, indicating that unhealthy AQI is related to the odds of ASD prevalence. The odds ratio of ASD due to the exposure to the unhealthy AQI was higher for Asians (OR = 2.96, 95% CI = 1.11-7.88) than that for Hispanics (OR = 1.308, 95% CI = 0.607-2.820), and it was higher for Blacks (OR = 1.398, 95% CI = 0.827-2.364) than that for Whites (OR = 1.219, 95% CI = 0.760-1.954). The odds ratio of ASD due to the unhealthy AQI was slightly higher for males (OR = 1.123, 95% CI = 0.771-1.635) than that for females (OR = 1.117, 95% CI = 0.789-1.581). The effects of the unhealthy environmental exposures on the odds ratios of ASD of this study were inconclusive (i.e., statically insignificant; p value > 0.05) for all categories except for Asians. The odds ratios of ASD for Asians were increased by 5, 12, and 14% with increased levels of the environmental exposures of 10 µg/m3 of PM2.5, 1000 kJ/m2 of sunlight, and 1 °F of maximum heat index, respectively. The odds ratios of ASD prevalence for all categories, except for Asians, were increased with the inclusion of the smoking covariate, reflecting the effect of smoking on ASD prevalence besides the unhealthy environmental factors.

The association of remotely sensed outdoor fine particulate matter with cancer incidence of respiratory system in the USA.

This study aimed to assess the association between exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and respiratory system cancer incidence in the US population (n = 295,404,580) using a satellite-derived estimate of PM2.5 concentrations. Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine whether PM2.5 was related to the odds of respiratory system cancer (RSC) incidence based on gender and race. Positive linear regressions were found between PM2.5 concentrations and the age-adjusted RSC incidence rates for all groups (Males, Females, Whites, and Blacks) except for Asians and American Indians. The linear relationships between PM2.5 and RSC incidence rate per 1 µg/m3 PM2.5 increase for Males, Females, Whites, Blacks, and all categories combined had slopes of, respectively, 7.02 (R2 = 0.36), 2.14 (R2 = 0.14), 3.92 (R2 = 0.23), 5.02 (R2 = 0.21), and 4.15 (R2 = 0.28). Similarly, the logistic regression odds ratios per 10 µg/m3 increase of PM2.5 were greater than one for all categories except for Asians and American Indians, indicating that PM2.5 is related to the odds of RSC incidence. The age-adjusted odds ratio for males (OR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.56-3.01) was higher than that for females (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.09-2.06), and it was higher for Blacks (OR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.43-3.14) than for Whites (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.23-2.42). The odds ratios for all categories were attenuated with the inclusion of the smoking covariate, reflecting the effect of smoking on RSC incidence besides PM2.5.

Particle morphology and mineral structure of heavy metal-contaminated kaolin soil before and after electrokinetic remediation.

This study aims to characterize the physical distribution of heavy metals in kaolin soil and the chemical and structural changes in kaolinite minerals that result from electrokinetic remediation. Three bench-scale electrokinetic experiments were conducted on kaolin that was spiked with Cr(VI) alone, Ni (II) alone, and a combination of Cr(VI), Ni(II) and Cd(II) under a constant electric potential of 1VDC/cm for a total duration of 4 days. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were performed on the soil samples before and after electrokinetic remediation. Results showed that the heavy metal contaminant distribution in the soil samples was not observable using TEM and EDX. EDX detected nickel and chromium on some kaolinite particles and titanium-rich, high-contrast particles, but no separate phases containing the metal contaminants were detected. Small amounts of heavy metal contaminants that were detected by EDX in the absence of a visible phase suggest that ions are adsorbed to kaolinite particle surfaces as a thin coating. There was also no clear correlation between semiquantitative analysis of EDX spectra and measured total metal concentrations, which may be attributed to low heavy metal concentrations and small size of samples used. X-ray diffraction analyses were aimed to detect any structural changes in kaolinite minerals resulting from EK. The diffraction patterns showed a decrease in peak height with decreasing soil pH value, which indicates possible dissolution of kaolinite minerals during electrokinetic remediation. Overall this study showed that the changes in particle morphology were found to be insignificant, but a relationship was found between the crystallinity of kaolin and the pH changes induced by the applied electric potential.

Transient behavior of heavy metals in soils during electrokinetic remediation.

This paper presents a systematic bench-scale laboratory study performed to assess the transient behavior of chromium, nickel, and cadmium in different soils during electrokinetic remediation. A series of laboratory electrokinetic experiments was conducted using two different clayey soils, kaolin and glacial till. For each type of soil, four electrokinetic experiments with 1, 2, 4, and 10 d of treatment time were performed. In all tests, the contaminants were Cr(VI), Ni(II), and Cd(II) combined in the soil. A geochemical assessment was performed using the geochemical model MINEQL(+) to determine the partitioning of the heavy metals in soils as precipitated, adsorbed, and aqueous forms. Results showed that in kaolin, the extent of Ni(II) and Cd(II) migration towards the cathode increased as the treatment time increased. Unlike kaolin, in glacial till treatment time had no effect on nickel and cadmium migration because of its high buffering capacity. In both kaolin and glacial till, the extent of Cr(VI) migration towards the anode increased as the treatment time increased. However, Cr(VI) migration was higher in glacial till as compared to kaolin because of the high pH conditions that existed in glacial till. In all tests, some Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III), and the Cr(VI) reduction rate to Cr(III) as well as the Cr(III) migration were significantly affected by the treatment time. Overall, this study showed that the electroosmotic flow as well as the direction and extent of contaminant migration and removal depend on the polarity of the contaminant, the type of soil, and the treatment duration.

Geochemical assessment of metal transport in glacial till during electrokinetic remediation.

This paper presents the chemical speciation and retention behavior of chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and cadmium (Cd) prior to and after the electrokinetic remediation in glacial till soil. The speciation of the metals was predicted using the chemical speciation program MINEQL(+). The simulations were performed for single-contaminant with only Cr(VI) or Ni, and multi-contaminants consisting of: (1) Cr(VI), Ni, and Cd; (2) Cr(III), Ni and Cd; (3) Cr(VI), Cr(III), Ni and Cd; (4) Cr(VI), Ni, and Cd with reducing agents; and (5) Cr(III), Ni, and Cd with oxidizing agent (Mn). The results showed that the speciation and distribution of cationic metals [Ni, Cd, and Cr(III)] in glacial till soil remain unaffected or slightly affected during electrokinetics. This is attributed to the high pH buffering capacity of the glacial till, leading the metals to precipitate in the soil prior to and after electrokinetics. This study showed that during electrokinetics, Cr(VI) existed as anionic complex and migrated towards the anode and the migration is maximum in case of a single-contaminant system. The study also showed that near the anode in the absence of any reducing and oxidizing agent, Cr(VI) mostly adsorbed, and some of Cr(VI) reduced to Cr(III) and migrated towards the cathode and finally precipitated due to high pH conditions. Ni and Cd remain adsorbed or precipitated due to the high pH conditions throughout the soil. Among the reducing agents, the sulfide had significant effect on the migration of metals compared to ferrous ions. While in the presence of oxidizing agent (Mn), no noticeable Cr(VI) was found in the soil sample indicating the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) and the predominance of reducing conditions due to the presence of naturally occurring iron in the glacial till soil. Overall, this study provides a reasonable explanation of the speciation and distribution of chromium, nickel and cadmium during the electrokinetic remediation of glacial till soil.

Performance reconnaissance of stormwater proprietary best management practices.

This paper presents a study to investigate the relative pollutant removal effectiveness of three proprietary end-of-pipe Best Management Practices (BMPs), namely, Baysaver, CDS, and Stormceptor. In this study, controlled conditions were used in order to provide documentation for the performance of the BMPs. For that purpose, a prototype facility was constructed at the University of Central Florida. For each BMP, five tests were conducted with five different flow rates: 1.6, 1.28, 0.96, 0.64, and 0.32 cfs. The monitored pollutants were sediments, nutrients, metals, and litters such as organic leaves, soda cans, plastic bottles, and cigarette butts and boxes. The results showed that some of the pollutants decreased in concentration while others increased between the influent and the effluent of the units. TSS load reductions for Baysaver, CDS and Stormceptor were 62.2%, 71.2%, and 83%, respectively. The performances of the studied BMPs for the pollutants were different. All the studied BMPs had good performance in removing the large sediment particles and litter. However, CDS had lower average inflow velocities in all tests than Baysaver and Stormceptor, causing sediment accumulation in the CDS inlet pipe. This study also showed that there was an increase in the total nitrogen concentration in Stormceptor while the nitrate/nitrite concentration increased in Baysaver and CDS. Other factors that should be considered in BMP evaluation are also presented in this paper.

Geochemical reconnaissance of heavy metals in kaolin after electrokinetic remediation.

The development or implementation of electrokinetic soil remediation technique requires a good knowledge of how the contaminants are retained within the soil-water system. This paper investigates the speciation and extent of migration of the heavy metals, Cr(VI), Cr(III), Ni(II), and Cd(II), during electrokinetic soil remediation. A geochemical assessment of how the contaminants are held within the kaolin soil under induced electric potential is made by using the equilibrium model MINEQL+. The study is performed for three different contaminant cases: the Cr(VI) existing alone in the soil, the Cr(VI) combined with Ni(II) and Cd(II) in the soil, and the Cr(VI) combined with Ni(II) and Cd(II) in the soil in the presence of a reducing agent (sulfide). The adsorption of the studied metals by kaolin was implemented as an electrostatic behavior. FITEQL 4.0 model was used to determine the equilibrium constants of the electrostatic adsorption model of kaolin for the studied metals by optimizing the experimental titration and adsorption data of kaolin. This study showed that the initial speciation of the contaminants in the soil prior to the electrokinetic treatment depends on the type and amounts of contaminants present as well as on the presence of the co-contaminants or any reducing agent. Moreover, the extent of migration of the contaminants is strongly dependent on their initial speciation prior electrokinetic treatment. This study also showed that adsorption and precipitation are the significant hindering mechanisms for the removal of heavy metals from kaolin soil during electrokinetic treatment. The adsorption and precipitation forms of Cr(III), Ni(II), and Cd(II) increased near the cathode and decreased near the anode, whereas the adsorption form of Cr(VI) increased near the anode as well as in the middle region. However, the precipitation form of Cr(III), Ni(II), and Cd(II) as Cr2O3 or Cr(OH)3, Ni(OH)2, and Cd(OH)2, respectively, dominates over their adsorption form as they get closer to the cathode. Overall this study demonstrates that the electrolysis reactions control contaminant speciation and distribution in the soil during electrokinetic remediation because of the generated variations in pH and redox potential in the soil as a result of these reactions.