Hazardous Waste Risk and Remediation in the US Southwest

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The University of Arizona Superfund Research Program (UA SRP) is investigating the human and environmental risks associated with metal (hardrock) mining in arid environments and developing innovative remediation technologies to limit these risks. There is currently a large knowledge gap regarding mine waste systems in relation to human and environmental health despite the fact that the hardrock mining industry is the largest industrial polluter in the United States and many mining sites have become listed as Superfund sites. Pollutants of concern include arsenic, lead, and many other metals as well as very fine particulates (dusts) that can exacerbate existing health conditions. A majority of hardrock mining takes place in the western United States and other arid and semi-arid parts of the world. A central challenge for arid environments is that exposure routes and the fate of pollutants are different than for areas that receive more rainfall. For example, the wind-borne movement of pollutants associated with dust particulates is much more significant in arid environments. As a result, inhalation and ingestion of dust becomes an important route of exposure. The UA SRP has two biomedical projects that center around defining health impacts of the metal toxicants in mine waste with a focus on arsenic and its effects on cellular energy metabolism and on epithelial to mesenchymal transition in adult primary culture and adult and neonatal mouse model systems. The three environmental projects are focused on characterizing the surface (dust) and subsurface (water) transport and fate of metals associated with mining waste before and after remediation. Information obtained will be used to build conceptual and quantitative models that describe mechanisms of metal toxicity as well as the off-site transport of metal contaminants. These models will contribute to: 1) providing critical information on how arsenic, one of the most prevalent toxicants in mine waste, exerts its effects; and 2) evaluating the effectiveness of surface and subsurface remediation technologies on reducing contaminant transport into surrounding communities and ecosystems. UA SRP researchers work seamlessly with our Research Translation, Community Engagement, and Training Cores to support the dynamic translation of our research to communities adjacent to Superfund sites, federal (EPA, ATSDR) and state (AZ Dept. Environmental Quality, AZ Dept. Health Services) stakeholders, and the mining industry. To further our impact we will continue to develop complementary initiatives, such as the Center for Environmentally Sustainable Mining, an industry-academic cooperative that is allowing us to move research results into the field in real-time. The guiding principle for the UA SRP is to produce innovative research that can advance fundamental science while also contributing to change in industry-wide practices used in mining to improve environment/ecosystem preservation and protection of human health.