scholarly journals Iron-Rich Magnetic Coal Fly Ash Particles Induce Apoptosis in Human Bronchial Cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (23) ◽  
pp. 8368
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Lawson ◽  
Zoe C. Prytherch ◽  
Tim P. Jones ◽  
Rachel A. Adams ◽  
Kelly A. BéruBé

Svalbard is an arctic archipelago where coal mining generates all electricity via the local coal-fired power station. Coal combustion produces a waste product in the form of particulate matter (PM) coal fly ash (CFA), derived from incombustible minerals present in the feed coal. PM ≤10 µm (diameter) may be “inhaled” into the human respiratory system, and particles ≤2.5 µm may enter the distal alveoli to disrupt normal pulmonary functions and trigger disease pathways. This study discovered that Svalbard CFA contained unusually high levels of iron-rich magnetic minerals that induced adverse effects upon human lungs cells. Iron is a well-characterised driver of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, a driving force for cell death and disease. CFA physicochemical characterisation showed non-uniform particle morphologies indicative of coal burnt at inefficient combustion temperatures. The bioreactivity (ROS generation) of PM2.5/10 fractions was measured using plasmid scission assay (PSA, DNA damage) and haemolysis assays (erythrocyte lysis), with PM2.5 CFA showing significant bioreactivity. CFA leached in mild acid caused a significant increase in toxicity, which could occur in CFA waste-stores. The CFA and leachates were exposed to a surrogate model of human bronchial epithelia that confirmed that CFA induced apoptosis in bronchial cells. This study shows that CFA containing magnetic iron-rich minerals mediated adverse reactions in the human lung, and thus CFA should be considered to be an environmental inhalation hazard.

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
J. Marvin Herndon ◽  
Mark Whiteside

Bats have great economic and environmental importance, including nocturnal insect control, pollination, seed dispersal and forest regeneration. Bats, however, like insects and birds are suffering a precipitous global decline due to anthropogenic causes. Deliberate air pollution in the form of undisclosed tropospheric aerosol geoengineering (TAG) has extremely damaging effects throughout the biosphere. Forensic scientific evidence implicates coal fly ash (CFA), the toxic waste product of coal-burning, as the main constituent of the jet-sprayed particulate trails seen around the world. Coal fly ash is a primary source of the ultrafine and nano-sized particulate fraction of air pollution that adversely impacts human and environmental health. Recently, countless exogenous magnetic pollution particles from combustion sources were found in human brains and heart tissue. Previous studies reveal that aerosolized CFA is a significant factor in the catastrophic global decline of birds and insects. Insects can accumulate aerosolized CFA on their body surfaces and/or ingest CFA particulates that insectivorous bats then consume. Bats are excellent mammalian bioindicators of environmental contaminants and it is known that their tissue contains high levels of metals and persistent organic pollutants. From a review of the literature, we show that the pollutant element ratios in bat tissue and bat guano are consistent with an origin in CFA-type air pollution. These findings suggest that CFA, including its use in covert climate engineering operations, is an unacknowledged factor in the morbidity and mortality of bats. Bats, therefore, are an important "canary in the coal mine" pointing to the urgency of halting covert climate engineering and greatly reducing ultrafine particulate air pollution.


Crystals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thye Foo Choo ◽  
Mohamad Amran Mohd Salleh ◽  
Kuan Ying Kok ◽  
Khamirul Amin Matori ◽  
Suraya Abdul Rashid

Mixture of aluminum dross (AD) and coal fly ash (CFA) was used to produce high-temperature porous mullite for washcoat application. CFA is the combustion by-product of pulverized coal in a coal-fired power plant, while AD is a waste product produced in secondary aluminum refining. In this study, 80 wt% of AD and 20 wt% of CFA was used to prepare a mullite precursor (MP) via acid leaching and dry-milling. The precursor was coated on a substrate and subsequently fired at 1500 °C. The results showed that the precursor transformed to a hierarchical porous microstructure assembled by large interlocked acicular mullite crystals. The pore structures consisted of large interconnected open pores and small pores. The specific surface area of the mullite washcoat was 4.85 m2g−1 after heating at 1500 °C for 4 h. The specific surface area was compatible with the specific surface area of other high-temperature washcoats.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e038960
Author(s):  
Kristina M Zierold ◽  
Clara G Sears ◽  
Abby N Hagemeyer ◽  
Guy N Brock ◽  
Barbara J Polivka ◽  
...  

IntroductionFly ash is a waste product generated from burning coal for electricity. It is comprised of spherical particles ranging in size from 0.1 µm to over 100 µm in diameter that contain trace levels of heavy metals. Large countries such as China and India generate over 100 million tons per year while smaller countries like Italy and France generate 2 to 3 million tons per year. The USA generates over 36 million tons of ash, making it one of the largest industrial waste streams in the nation. Fly ash is stored in landfills and surface impoundments exposing communities to fugitive dust and heavy metals that leach into the groundwater. Limited information exists on the health impact of exposure to fly ash. This protocol represents the first research to assess children’s exposure to coal fly ash and neurobehavioural outcomes.MethodsWe measure indoor exposure to fly ash and heavy metals, and neurobehavioural symptoms in children aged 6 to 14 years old. Using air pollution samplers and lift tape samples, we collect particulate matter ≤10 µm that is analysed for fly ash and heavy metals. Toenails and fingernails are collected to assess body burden for 72 chemical elements. Using the Behavioural Assessment and Research System and the Child Behaviour Checklist, we collect information on neurobehavioural outcomes. Data collection began in September 2015 and will continue until February 2021.Ethics and disseminationThis study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of the University of Louisville (#14.1069) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (#300003807). We have collected data from 267 children who live within 10 miles of two power plants. Children are at a greater risk for environmental exposure which justifies the rationale for this study. Results of this study will be distributed at conferences, in peer-reviewed journals and to the participants of the study.


2008 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Harja ◽  
Marinela Barbuta ◽  
Lacramioara Rusu ◽  
Nicolae Apostolescu
Keyword(s):  
Fly Ash ◽  

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Kai Yang ◽  
Zejun Tang ◽  
Jianzhang Feng

Sandy soils are prone to nutrient losses, and consequently do not have as much as agricultural productivity as other soils. In this study, coal fly ash (CFA) and anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) granules were used as a sandy soil amendment. The two additives were incorporated to the sandy soil layer (depth of 0.2 m, slope gradient of 10°) at three CFA dosages and two PAM dosages. Urea was applied uniformly onto the low-nitrogen (N) soil surface prior to the simulated rainfall experiment (rainfall intensity of 1.5 mm/min). The results showed that compared with no addition of CFA and PAM, the addition of CFA and/or PAM caused some increases in the cumulative NO3−-N and NH4+-N losses with surface runoff; when the rainfall event ended, 15% CFA alone treatment and 0.01–0.02% PAM alone treatment resulted in small but significant increases in the cumulative runoff-associated NO3−-N concentration (p < 0.05), meanwhile 10% CFA + 0.01% PAM treatment and 15% CFA alone treatment resulted in nonsignificant small increases in the cumulative runoff-associated NH4+-N concentration (p > 0.05). After the rainfall event, both CFA and PAM alone treatments increased the concentrations of NO3−-N and NH4+-N retained in the sandy soil layer compared with the unamended soil. As the CFA and PAM co-application rates increased, the additive effect of CFA and PAM on improving the nutrient retention of sandy soil increased.


2021 ◽  
Vol 170 ◽  
pp. 302-314
Author(s):  
Adeyinka S. Yusuff ◽  
Aman K. Bhonsle ◽  
Jayati Trivedi ◽  
Dinesh P. Bangwal ◽  
Lok P. Singh ◽  
...  

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