After ethanol processing plant AltEn opened in 2015, residents of nearby Mead, Nebraska, noticed odors coming from the plant’s byproducts. The problem continued over the years, until 2021 when Nebraska lawmakers moved to regulate what emerged as the problem: seed treated with pesticides. DWFI is supporting the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) research to help stakeholders understand this situation, monitor pesticide levels in the area and study associated human and animal health threats.
The problem came to researchers’ attention in a couple of different ways. Judy Wu-Smart, Ph.D., UNL entomologist, noticed bee colonies she was trying to establish in the area were dying. Her investigation revealed substantially high levels of pesticide, eventually confirming AltEn residue as the source. Jesse Bell, Ph.D., DWFI director of water, climate and health and Claire M. Hubbard professor of health and environment at UNMC, became aware of the problem when a colleague sent him a newspaper article about it. Bell forwarded the article to UNMC and UNL colleagues, including Shannon Bartelt-Hunt in UNL’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, who now leads the research with Bell.
The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) collected initial samples from the plant’s lagoons and stored solids. Two pesticides in the lagoon, clothianidin and thiamethoxam, were at 58,400 ppb and 85,100 ppb levels, respectively. The EPA benchmark for aquatic life is 11 ppb and 17 ppb, respectively. Solid waste residue was measured at 554,000 ppb. These are very concerning concentrations, especially considering the plant sold solid waste to farmers as fertilizer and about 4 million gallons of contaminated water accidentally leaked from a tank into the local waterway.
This project helps demonstrate the ability of the University and DWFI to convene expert teams to help Nebraskans, from local residents to lawmakers, understand issues and find solutions. The team continues to monitor and evaluate the situation and is seeking additional funding to ensure area residents can access effective remediation resources.
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