Project 3 - Effect of Extreme Weather on Potential Exposure of Contaminant Mixtures in Karst Water Systems

项目摘要 我们建议评估极端天气，如飓风，干旱和强烈风暴， 暴露于岩溶水系统中污染物混合物的风险。岩溶系统是 这些水资源主要用于人类消费，但极易受到多种来源的污染。作为 因此，岩溶地下水对暴露于污染物混合物和健康构成重大风险 影响。这些系统中的流动可能通过裂缝、管道和岩石基质发生。因为他们的 由于岩溶系统具有独特的特征，它对极端天气条件的反应不同于其他含水层。 在风暴条件下，大量污染物和沉积物进入地下并被输送 快速且不衰减地通过管道到达储存和暴露点。在干燥的条件下， 是固定的;污染物储存在沉积物和岩石基质中，并在长时间内缓慢释放 一段时间，导致长期暴露。负载、物理化学性质、移动性和 岩溶沃茨中污染物的赋存特征决定了污染物在岩溶水体中分布的动态性和不均匀性。 然而，人们对极端天气如何影响自然灾害的动态分布和暴露知之甚少。 岩溶水中的污染物混合物以及它们如何影响健康。 拟议的工作将评估极端天气对（1）地下水水力和地球化学的影响 条件，（2）沉积物输运、沉积和与污染物的潜在相互作用，以及（3）分布 污染物混合物的潜在暴露点。在以往调查结果和现有 基础设施，该项目的重点是北方波多黎各，这是重点领域的喀斯特地区， CNOT研究暴露于多种与超级基金有关的污染物对不良影响的工作 妊娠结局。待研究的污染物是邻苯二甲酸盐、农药、氯化挥发性有机物 化合物和金属，因为它们通常在波多黎各岩溶地区的超级基金网站中发现 并可能对妊娠结果产生不利影响。拟议的研究将应用创新的数据分析 从数据中挖掘、可视化和提取模式和事实的技术，并利用这些事实来 推理和建立基于数据的模型。该模型将用于描述和预测极端的影响， 气候对混合物在地下水和自来水潜在暴露点的分布的影响。这项工作 还将评估岩溶沉积物在极端天气期间污染物的命运和运输中的作用 通过对溶洞沉积物中与深度相关的特性进行新的分析， 通过综合的多学科方法，该项目将有助于发展： 评估多种与超级基金有关的危险物质的接触风险的创新方法 （项目1和3）及其与不良妊娠结局的关系（项目1和2）;以及（ii）优化 减少岩溶沃茨污染物数量和毒性的技术（项目2和4）。

PROJECT SUMMARY We propose to assess the effect of extreme weather, such as hurricanes, droughts, and intense storms, on risks for exposure to contaminant mixtures in karst water systems. Karst systems are important sources of freshwater for human consumption, but are highly susceptible to contamination from multiple sources. As a result, karst groundwater poses a significant risk for exposure to contaminant mixtures and hence health impacts. Flow in these systems may occur through fractures, conduits, and rock matrix. Because of their unique characteristics, karst systems respond differently to extreme weather conditions than other aquifers. Under storm conditions, high loads of contaminants and sediments enter the subsurface and are transported rapidly and unattenuated through conduits to storage and exposure points. Under dry conditions, sediments are immobile; contaminants are stored in sediments and the rock matrix, and are slowly released over long periods of time, resulting in long-term exposure. Differences in loads, physicochemical properties, mobility, and storage characteristics result in dynamic and heterogeneous distribution of contaminants in karst waters. However, little is known about how extreme weather impacts the dynamic distribution and exposure of contaminant mixtures in karst water and how they may affect health. The proposed work will assess the effect of extreme weather on (1) groundwater hydraulic and geochemical conditions, (2) sediment transport, deposition, and potential interactions with contaminants, and (3) distribution of contaminant mixtures at points of potential exposure. Building on previous findings and existing infrastructure, the project focuses on the karst region of northern Puerto Rico, which is the focal area of PROTECT’s work to study the impact of exposure to multiple Superfund-related contaminants on adverse pregnancy outcomes. The contaminants to be studied are phthalates, pesticides, chlorinated volatile organic compounds, and metals because they are commonly found in Superfund sites in karst regions in Puerto Rico and can adversely affect pregnancy outcomes. The proposed research will apply innovative data analytics techniques to mine, visualize, and extract patterns and facts from data, and utilize those facts to make inferences and build data-based models. The models will be used to describe and predict the effect of extreme weather on the distribution of mixtures at groundwater and tap water potential points of exposure. This work will also assess the role of karst sediments in the fate and transport of contaminants during extreme weather conditions through novel analysis of depth-related properties in sediment deposits from karst caves. Through an integrated multidisciplinary approach, this project will contribute to the development of (i) innovative methods for assessing exposure risks to multiple, superfund-related hazardous substances (Projects 1 & 3) and their association to adverse pregnancy outcomes (Projects 1 & 2); and (ii) optimized technologies for reducing the amount and toxicity of contaminants in karst waters (Projects 2 & 4).