Remobilization of pollutants during extreme flood events poses severe risks to human and environmental health

Sarah E Crawford; Markus Brinkmann; Jacob D Ouellet; Frank Lehmkuhl; Klaus Reicherter; Jan Schwarzbauer; Piero Bellanova; Peter Letmathe; Lars M Blank; Roland Weber; Werner Brack; Joost T van Dongen; Lucas Menzel; Markus Hecker; Holger Schüttrumpf; Henner Hollert

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126691

Remobilization of pollutants during extreme flood events poses severe risks to human and environmental health

J Hazard Mater. 2022 Jan 5:421:126691. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126691. Epub 2021 Jul 19.

Authors

Sarah E Crawford¹, Markus Brinkmann², Jacob D Ouellet¹, Frank Lehmkuhl³, Klaus Reicherter⁴, Jan Schwarzbauer⁵, Piero Bellanova⁶, Peter Letmathe⁷, Lars M Blank⁸, Roland Weber⁹, Werner Brack¹⁰, Joost T van Dongen¹¹, Lucas Menzel¹², Markus Hecker¹³, Holger Schüttrumpf¹⁴, Henner Hollert¹⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
² Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
³ Department of Geography, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
⁴ Institute of Neotectonics and Natural Hazards, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
⁵ Institute of Geology and Geochemistry of Petroleum and Coal, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
⁶ Institute of Neotectonics and Natural Hazards, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Institute of Geology and Geochemistry of Petroleum and Coal, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
⁷ Chair of Management Accounting, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
⁸ Chair of Applied Microbiology, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Germany.
⁹ POPs Environmental Consulting, Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.
¹⁰ Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department Effect-Directed Analysis, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH, Leipzig, Germany.
¹¹ Institute of Biology I, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Germany.
¹² Department of Geography, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
¹³ Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
¹⁴ Institute for Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
¹⁵ Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Electronic address: hollert@bio.uni-frankfurt.de.

PMID: 34315022
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126691

Abstract

While it is well recognized that the frequency and intensity of flood events are increasing worldwide, the environmental, economic, and societal consequences of remobilization and distribution of pollutants during flood events are not widely recognized. Loss of life, damage to infrastructure, and monetary cleanup costs associated with floods are important direct effects. However, there is a lack of attention towards the indirect effects of pollutants that are remobilized and redistributed during such catastrophic flood events, particularly considering the known toxic effects of substances present in flood-prone areas. The global examination of floods caused by a range of extreme events (e.g., heavy rainfall, tsunamis, extra- and tropical storms) and subsequent distribution of sediment-bound pollutants are needed to improve interdisciplinary investigations. Such examinations will aid in the remediation and management action plans necessary to tackle issues of environmental pollution from flooding. River basin-wide and coastal lowland action plans need to balance the opposing goals of flood retention, catchment conservation, and economical use of water.

Keywords: Chemical pollution; Climate change; Contaminant remobilization; Extreme weather events; Flood events; Flood management and policy; Sediment resuspension.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Environmental Health
Environmental Pollutants*
Floods*
Humans
Rivers

Substances

Environmental Pollutants