From
WBIR.com:
A Duke University scientist has published the first academic scholarly research on the TVA ash spill, citing several health concerns regarding airborne ash. Dr. Avner Vengosh said hotter and drier summer conditions increase the odds of ash going airborne.
Vengosh's
findings were published last week in the Environmental Science and Technology scholarly journal. The paper said the smallest particulate matter poses the most danger in terms of going airborne and toxicity.
The study said, "Fine fractions of fly ash are typically 4 - 10 times enriched in metals... affecting human health directly... through inhalation and indirectly through the food chains (agricultural products)."
The research cites previous studies that say exposure to coal ash is associated with an increased risk of skin, lung, and bladder cancers.
"We agree with him that those are valid concerns that need to be worried about," said Joe Hoagland, TVA Vice President Environmental Science and Policy. "We've done a great deal to monitor airborne particulates and suppress dust."
"The state and EPA have required extensive monitoring and extensive dust suppression measures," said Tisha Calabrese-Benton, spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. "We have not seen dust exceed safe levels in our monitoring, but certainly recommend that people go inside if they see dust outside. And if they are experiencing symptoms to see their primary care physician."
Hoagland said much of Vengosh's data is in line with samples gathered by TVA. However, he disagrees with Vengosh's conclusions regarding
Mercury levels in the river sediment. Vengosh took samples both upstream and downstream from the ash spill.
The paper said "sediments from the downstream Clinch River have higher [Mercury] content, which suggests a significant contribution of [Mercury] from the coal ash to the river sediments. We therefore conclude that ash transport and deposition in the Clinch River has increased the [Mercury] content in the river sediments.
Hoagland said Vengosh's upstream sample showed unusually low Mercury levels compared to historical samples from the Department of Energy. Hoagland said the elevated mercury levels came from Oak Ridge.
"That is legacy material that's in there. I think there's more analysis and research would need to be done related to his [Vengosh's] ideas," said Hoagland.
Calabrese-Benton said TDEC supports Vengosh's scientific efforts and has endorsed his application for a national grant to continue researching the ash spill.