Lead poisoning of waterfowl from direct ingestion of wetland mine tailings has been reported at the Coeur d'Alene River basin in Idaho. A greenhouse study was conducted to evaluate the effects of surface applications of amendments on lead bioavailability in the tailings. Treatments included sediment only, and sediment with three different surface amendments: (i) biosolids compost plus wood ash,...

OBJECTIVE To estimate physical and mental health effects of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption on nearby residents. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING The Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted on 14 April 2010. The eruption lasted for about 6 weeks and was explosive, ejecting some 8 million tons of fine particles into the atmosphere. Due to prevailing winds, the ash spread mostl...

The levels of trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fly ash generated by coal combustion have received considerable attention in recent years, due to their potential environmental impact. Sixteen high priority PAHs and 14 trace elements in coal fly ash were measured. The particle sizes of fly ash showed a bimodal distribution, and most ash particles were within a range o...

Emerald ash borer is an invasive Asian pest of ash species in North America. All North American species of ash tested so far are susceptible to it, but there are no published reports of this insect developing fully in non-ash hosts in the field in North America. I report here evidence that emerald ash borer can attack and complete development in white fringetree, Chionanthus virginicus L., a sp...

Coal ash is the main waste from power plant. It is estimated that the consumption of the coal for power plant will increase to 240 million tons each year and the coal ash wastes will produce more than 2 million tons per year. Although the utilization of coal fly ash can be reached 74.1%, large amount of coal fly ash and bottom ash still cannot be utilized. The purpose of this research is to dev...

In order to improve the whiteness of fly ash, the particles were coated by in-situ precipitation of calcium carbonate. After different mass ratios of calcium oxide to fly ash were mixed into water, a certain amount of carbon dioxide was bubbled into the mixture to form a precipitated calcium carbonate deposit on the surface of fly ash. With the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the pr...

Exercise during growth can be important for attaining optimal bone mass. High-intensity long-duration protocols, however, can have detrimental effects on immature bone morphology and mechanics. The underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we quantified the mechanical environment of the middiaphyseal rooster tarsometatarsus during high-speed running and examined whether short bouts of ...

Oil shale ash contains mineral ingredients of agricultural importance and could be used for treatment of soils. However, the ash contains several hazardous ingredients, i.e. toxic trace metals which could be mobile and create environmental concerns. Beneficial use of the oil shale ash in agriculture and forestry requires better knowledge of leaching characteristics of soil-ash systems. In this ...

Coal ash, generated from coal combustion, is composed of small particles containing metals and other elements, such as metalloids. Coal ash is stored in open-air impoundments, frequently near communities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of health and sleep problems in children living near coal ash and compare these prevalences to children not living near coal ash. In ...

Data from 139 research sites throughout the Inland Northwest were analyzed for effects of ash cap on site productivity, nutrient availability and fertilization response. Stand productivity and nitrogen (N) fertilizer response were greater on sites with ash cap than on sites without. Where ash was present, depth of ash had no effect on site productivity or N fertilizer response. Site productivit...