Conceptualizing and Capturing Outcomes of Environmental Cleanup at Contaminated Sites.

Environ Soc (N.Y.)

EPA's Office of Research and Development.

Published: January 2021


Category Ranking

98%

Total Visits

921

Avg Visit Duration

2 minutes

Citations

20

Article Abstract

Our article analyzes interdisciplinary literature within the social sciences on outcomes of environmental cleanups at Superfund, brownfield, and other contaminated sites. By focusing on postremediation sites and outcomes, we expand the understanding of the sociopolitical life of contaminated sites over time. First, we examine the technoscientific practices of how scientists and environmental managers seek to make cleanup outcomes legible and meaningful. Next, we engage with a wider array of litera ture on pollution/toxicity, uncovering circular temporalities in cleanup processes along with continuities in pollution/toxicity and in political struggle. Finally, we examine the social worlds of postremediation landscapes, drawing attention to how cleanups create new relationships among people, history, and nature. In conclusion, we identify areas of opportunity for these insights to inform the conceptualization and evaluation of cleanup outcomes in ways that better incorporate the complex dynamics of postremediation social worlds.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10483959PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3167/ares.2021.120110DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

contaminated sites
12
outcomes environmental
8
cleanup outcomes
8
social worlds
8
outcomes
5
conceptualizing capturing
4
capturing outcomes
4
cleanup
4
environmental cleanup
4
cleanup contaminated
4

Similar Publications

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are environmentally persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals that contaminate global drinking water resources. Their ubiquity and potential impact on human health motivate large-scale remediation. Conventional materials used to remove PFASs during drinking water production are functionally inefficient or energetically expensive, motivating the discovery of new materials and technologies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Soil-transmitted helminth eggs in public areas of Azores archipelago, Portugal.

Parasitol Int

September 2025

CIISA - Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal; Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal. Electronic address: made

In the Azores archipelago, data regarding environmental contamination by soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) is inexistent till the moment. The current study aimed to assess the environmental contamination with helminth eggs, in soil samples collected from public parks/gardens and beaches from three islands belonging to the Azores archipelago (Portugal): Faial, Terceira and São Miguel. Between June-December 2024, a total of 37 soil samples were collected from 26 public parks/gardens and 11 public beaches, and processed using the Mini-FLOTAC method to calculate parasites' prevalences and burdens (eggs/oocysts per gram of soil, EPG/OPG).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This exploratory study surveyed seven contaminated brownfields and Superfund sites in Southern California to identify locally adapted species tolerant of mixed organic and metal contamination under arid and semi-arid conditions. Five novel native plants, including Brickellia californica, Baccharis salicifolia, Baccharis sarothroides, Eriogonum fasciculatum, and Heterotheca grandiflora were identified as hyperaccumulators of copper (Cu), alongside a non-native species from the Asteraceae family, Helminthotheca echioides. Additional metal-accumulating plants (including native plants) for lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), and nickel (Ni) were identified, and warrant further evaluation for their phytoremediation potential.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Coastal sediments in semi-enclosed bays are particularly susceptible to contamination due to limited water circulation and ongoing contaminant input. In Masan Bay, a heavily impacted coastal area in Korea, sediment remediation is essential to alleviate the effects of organic enrichment and hypoxia. This study investigated the effectiveness of oyster shell capping as an in-situ remediation technique by assessing its impact on sediment environment, microbial communities, and macrobenthic fauna.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Occurrence, distribution characteristics, and potential ecological risks of perfluorinated compounds in major estuaries and adjacent offshore areas in Hainan Island.

Mar Environ Res

September 2025

Center for Eco-Environment Restoration of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; Hainan International Joint Research Center for Reef Ecology, School of Ecology, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China. Electronic address:

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have gained attention due to their chemical stability, bioaccumulation potential, and toxicity. The ocean serves as the ultimate sink for these compounds in the global environment. With the rapid development of the Hainan Free Trade Port, environmental pollution on Hainan Island has consequently become more pronounced.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF