Fugitive gypsum dust deposition on a neighboring wildlife refuge, Antioch Dunes, California, USA

ABSTRACT

Fugitive dust emissions play an important role in urban air quality. Much research on fugitive dust’s effects has focused on human health and societal impacts, with limited work investigating effects on other species. The endangered Apodemia mormo langei butterfly is endemic to the Antioch Dunes, a small area on the south bank of the San Joaquin River in northern California, largely protected as a National Wildlife Refuge. Between the two protected portions of the dunes is a gypsum processing facility. Deposition of gypsum dust may adversely affect endangered insects, especially in their vulnerable larval life stage. Persistent westerly winds blow from the western section of the refuge, across the industrial facility, to the eastern protected dune area. Ambient particulate matter (PM) was collected at 30 sites in both sections of the refuge using passive samplers deployed at times matching the butterfly life cycle. The prevailing wind maintained upwind-downwind sampling orientation throughout the study. PM samples were analyzed for total mass, and elemental composition via X-ray fluorescence. Downwind concentrations of gypsum-related elements were between 4 (strontium) and 12 (sulfur) times higher than upwind loadings, suggesting deposition of PM from the gypsum facility. The effect of fugitive emissions was strongest at the industrial facility’s fenceline, closest to a conveyor belt that loads gypsum. Combined with documented reductions in insect larval longevity when exposed to gypsum dust, the results suggest that gypsum deposition may be affecting the ecosystem and endangered species in the downwind unit of the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge.

Implications: Fugitive dust has impacts not only on humans, but on other organisms. The Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge (ADNWR) in California, set aside to protect the endangered Apodemia mormo langei butterfly, consists of two land units separated by a gypsum processing facility in between them. In this study, we demonstrate fugitive gypsum dust deposition on the downwind unit of the ADNWR, which may impact the endangered butterfly and its ecosystem.

Disclosure statement

Sampling activities at the refuge were conducted under the special use permit #AD-FY2021-01.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the first author upon reasonable request.

Disclaimer

The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendation are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Federal Government, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, UWG, or the authors’ institutions.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this paper can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10962247.2023.2254267

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Cooperative Agreement [F17AP00572] from the Central Valley Improvement Act to The Urban Wildlands Group (TL), which contracted with UC Davis Air Quality Research Center (NJS) and AM to undertake the study.

Notes on contributors

Nicholas J. Spada

Nicholas J. Spada is a scientist in the Air Quality Research Center at the University of California at Davis. Dr. Spada conducts research on elemental profilings in mixed urban/industrial and remote environments. He also provides support on air monitoring strategies and technology to citizen scientists. He is a co-director of the Citizen Air Monitoring Network, based in the Bay Area of California.

Alison M. McNally

Alison M. McNally is an Associate Professor of Geography & Environmental Resources at California State University Stanislaus, Turlock, California. Her current research interests include impacts of land use on surface water quality and developing an interactive community equity index map for the northern San Joaquin Valley. Dr. McNally is a co-founder and co-director of the Center for Applied Spatial Analysis at CSU Stanislaus.

Thomas E. Gill

Thomas E. Gill is a Professor of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences and Environmental Science & Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso. He conducts research on the sources, transport, composition, and human and environmental health effects of atmospheric dust and is co-founder of the Dust Alliance for North America (dustalliance.org).

Hanna Q. Best is an undergraduate student researcher in the Air Quality Research Center at the University of California at Davis. She performs field work, sample analysis, and data processing for the special projects team.

Hanna Q. Best

Hanna Q. Best is an undergraduate student researcher in the Air Quality Research Center at the University of California at Davis. She performs field work, sample analysis, and data processing for the special projects team.

Alexa M. Wells

Alexa M. Wells is an undergraduate student researcher in the Air Quality Research Center at the University of California at Davis. She performs field work, sample analysis, and data processing for the special projects team.

Travis Longcore

Travis Longcore is an Adjunct Professor in the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and Co-Chair of the Environmental Science and Engineering (D.Env.) Program at the University of California, Los Angeles. He also serves as the Science Director of The Urban Wildlands Group.