Fugitive Dust Associated with Scrap Metal Processing
Fugitive dust (FD) is a nuisance and potential health issue, particularly in environmental justice communities that can experience high levels of contaminated FD. This community-initiated study examined FD from a scrap metal processor in Detroit, Michigan, to determine whether the FD was contaminate...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Environments |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/10/12/223 |
| _version_ | 1797381152262062080 |
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| author | Jeff Gearhart Simone Sagovac Tian Xia Md Kamrul Islam Albert Shim Sung-Hee Seo Melissa Cooper Sargent Natalie R. Sampson Jacob Napieralski Ika Danielson Stuart Batterman |
| author_facet | Jeff Gearhart Simone Sagovac Tian Xia Md Kamrul Islam Albert Shim Sung-Hee Seo Melissa Cooper Sargent Natalie R. Sampson Jacob Napieralski Ika Danielson Stuart Batterman |
| author_sort | Jeff Gearhart |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fugitive dust (FD) is a nuisance and potential health issue, particularly in environmental justice communities that can experience high levels of contaminated FD. This community-initiated study examined FD from a scrap metal processor in Detroit, Michigan, to determine whether the FD was contaminated, how it migrated through the community, whether wipe or composite road dust samples were preferable, and whether literature profiles adequately characterized this source. The study was motivated by community concerns, as well as a massive subsidence/upheaval event resulting from excessive accumulation of mill scale, which is a type of scrap metal, at the facility. We collected 57 wipe samples from windows and other surfaces, and 20 composite road dust and surface soil samples, which were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence. Concentrations were expressed using the fraction of the reconstructed mass. We also compared results to air quality monitoring data and calculated pollution indices and enrichment factors. Samples collected near the processor had high levels of Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Sr, and Zn compared with background soils, and levels remained elevated in residential areas several blocks distant. Composite road dust/sediment samples appeared preferable to wipe samples for chemical characterization. The available chemical profiles did not match the FD composition, suggesting the need for local profiles. The high level of Fe, which is consistent with mill scale, was a novel finding and caused the road dust to exceed health protection screening levels. Numerous metal scrap facilities operate locally and nationally, and our results show the need to improve controls to limit or eliminate FD emissions from industrial sources using enforced policies that reduce dust generation and truck track-out. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:48:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-df11782a32c245ffa8ecc3cdf36c211a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3298 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:48:11Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environments |
| spelling | doaj.art-df11782a32c245ffa8ecc3cdf36c211a2023-12-22T14:07:42ZengMDPI AGEnvironments2076-32982023-12-01101222310.3390/environments10120223Fugitive Dust Associated with Scrap Metal ProcessingJeff Gearhart0Simone Sagovac1Tian Xia2Md Kamrul Islam3Albert Shim4Sung-Hee Seo5Melissa Cooper Sargent6Natalie R. Sampson7Jacob Napieralski8Ika Danielson9Stuart Batterman10Ecology Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USASouthwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition, Detroit, MI 48209, USADepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USAEcology Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USADepartment of Natural Sciences, University of Michigan, Dearborn, MI 48128, USADepartment of Natural Sciences, University of Michigan, Dearborn, MI 48128, USADepartment of Natural Sciences, University of Michigan, Dearborn, MI 48128, USADepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USAFugitive dust (FD) is a nuisance and potential health issue, particularly in environmental justice communities that can experience high levels of contaminated FD. This community-initiated study examined FD from a scrap metal processor in Detroit, Michigan, to determine whether the FD was contaminated, how it migrated through the community, whether wipe or composite road dust samples were preferable, and whether literature profiles adequately characterized this source. The study was motivated by community concerns, as well as a massive subsidence/upheaval event resulting from excessive accumulation of mill scale, which is a type of scrap metal, at the facility. We collected 57 wipe samples from windows and other surfaces, and 20 composite road dust and surface soil samples, which were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence. Concentrations were expressed using the fraction of the reconstructed mass. We also compared results to air quality monitoring data and calculated pollution indices and enrichment factors. Samples collected near the processor had high levels of Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Sr, and Zn compared with background soils, and levels remained elevated in residential areas several blocks distant. Composite road dust/sediment samples appeared preferable to wipe samples for chemical characterization. The available chemical profiles did not match the FD composition, suggesting the need for local profiles. The high level of Fe, which is consistent with mill scale, was a novel finding and caused the road dust to exceed health protection screening levels. Numerous metal scrap facilities operate locally and nationally, and our results show the need to improve controls to limit or eliminate FD emissions from industrial sources using enforced policies that reduce dust generation and truck track-out.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/10/12/223fugitive dustmetal processorsironcopperchromiumdetroit |
| spellingShingle | Jeff Gearhart Simone Sagovac Tian Xia Md Kamrul Islam Albert Shim Sung-Hee Seo Melissa Cooper Sargent Natalie R. Sampson Jacob Napieralski Ika Danielson Stuart Batterman Fugitive Dust Associated with Scrap Metal Processing Environments fugitive dust metal processors iron copper chromium detroit |
| title | Fugitive Dust Associated with Scrap Metal Processing |
| title_full | Fugitive Dust Associated with Scrap Metal Processing |
| title_fullStr | Fugitive Dust Associated with Scrap Metal Processing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fugitive Dust Associated with Scrap Metal Processing |
| title_short | Fugitive Dust Associated with Scrap Metal Processing |
| title_sort | fugitive dust associated with scrap metal processing |
| topic | fugitive dust metal processors iron copper chromium detroit |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/10/12/223 |
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