Book Reviews

CARCINOGENESIS AND MUTAGENESIS, by Myron A. Mehlman, Morris F. Cranmer and Raymond E. Shapiro, from the Journal of Environmental Pathology and Toxicology (Official Organ of the American College of Toxicology), 388 pages and 135 tables and figures, 1977, linen, format 261 × 178 mm, ISBN 0–930376–02–1, printed by Pathotox Publishers, Inc., Park Forest South, Illinois 60466, $23.00

WASTE TREATMENT AND UTILIZATION (Theory and Practice of Waste Management) by Murray Moo‐Young and Grahame J. Farquhar, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; 574 pages, 211 illustrations and 513 literature references, linen, format 256 × 182mm, ISBN 0–08–023831–9, printed by Pergamon Press Ltd., Oxford OX3 OBW, England 1979, US$ 70.00 or £32.00.

HANDBOOK ON THE TOXICOLOGY OF METALS by Lars Friberg (S‐10401 Stockholm), Gunnar F. Nordberg (DK‐5000 Odense) and Velimir B. Vouk (WHO, CH‐1211 Geneva), and sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1979, 709 pages, linen, format 246 × 173 mm, ISBN 0–444–80075–1, printed by Elsevier/North‐Holland Biomedical Press, Amsterdam NL, $117.00/Dfl. 240.00     

Transformations of pentachlorophenol

ANALYTICAL METHODS IN HUMAN TOXICOLOGY, Part 1, edited by A. S. Curry, Reading, U.K., 319 pages (including 91 figures, 28 tables, references added to each chapter, and a subject index of 19 pages), hard cover, format 242 × 160 mm, ISBN 3–527–26284–9, Verlag Chemie GmbH, Weinheim, Deerfield Beach (Florida), and Basle (1985), DM 148.00, US$65.00.

TOXICOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL MONITORING OF METALS IN HUMANS (INCLUDING FEASIBILITY AND NEED), by Bonnie L. Carson (Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, Missouri), Harry V. Ellis III (PRC Engineering, Chicago, Illinois), and Joy L. McCann (Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, Missouri), 328 pages (including one table on human low‐level exposure to metals: exposure levels, biological effects, concentrations in biological media; including also references for each of 69 metals and a valuable index of 24 pages), hard cover, format 236 × 161 mm, ISBN 0–87371–072‐X, Lewis Publishers, Inc., Chelsea, Michigan 48118 (1986), £45.95.

PHOTOMETRIC METHODS IN INORGANIC TRACE ANALYSIS (Comprehensive Analytical Chemistry Volume XX), by Endre Upor, M. Mohai and Gy Novak, Mecsek Ore‐Mining Enterprise, Pecs, Hungary (translated and revised), 404 pages (including 9 figures, 44 tables, a list of 50 pages (appendix) of the most important reagents, and an index of 6 pages), cloth, format 229 × 157 mm, ISBN 0–444–99588–9, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam and Akadémiai Kiadò, Budapest (1985), hfl 300.00, US$111.00.

CONCEPTS IN MARINE POLLUTION MEASUREMENTS, edited by Harris H. White, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Rockville, Maryland 20852, 743 pages (including 153 figures, 51 tables, references added to each paper, and an index of 7 pages), cloth, format 236 × 162mm, ISBN 0–943676–18–5, Maryland Sea Grant Publication, College Park, Maryland 20742 (1984), US$12.50.

DETERMINATION OF ORGANIC SUBSTANCES IN WATER, Volume 1, by Thomas Roy Crompton, 560 pages (including 260 figures, 167 tables, references added to the four chapters, and an index of 12 pages), hard cover, format 236 × 161 mm, ISBN 0–471–90468–6, John Wiley &; Sons, Chichester, New York, Toronto, and Singapore (1985), £49.95.

MARINE AND ESTUARINE GEOCHEMISTRY, by Anne C. Sigleo, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, and Akihiko Hattori, Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, 331 pages (including 121 tables, 60 figures, references added to each chapter, and an index of 3 pages), hard cover, format 235 × 160 mm, ISBN 0–87371–007‐X, Lewis Publishers, Inc., Chelsea, Michigan 48118 (1985), £35.90.

INDOOR AIR AND HUMAN HEALTH, by Richard B. Gammage and Stephen V. Kaye, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee 37831, 430 pages (including 54 figures, 91 tables, references added to each chapter, a summary and conclusions of 5 pages, and an index of 6 pages), hard cover, format 242 × 164 mm, ISBN 0–87371–006–1, Lewis Publishers, Inc., Chelsea, Michigan 48118 (1985), £35.90.

INDUSTRIAL EXPOSURES IN ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION, COAL GASIFICATION, COKE PRODUCTION, AND IRON AND STEEL FOUNDING, POLYNUCLEAR AROMATIC COMPOUNDS PART 3, IARC Monograph No. 34 on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Humans, by G. Matanoski et al., Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, 219 pages (including 7 figures, 49 tables, two appendices on chemicals considered in the volume, and already evaulated earlier, a glossary of two pages, and a cumulative index to IARC Monographs 1 to 34 of 21 pages), soft bound, format 240 × 179 mm, ISBN 92–832–1234–7, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon and Geneva (1984), SFr. 48.00, US$20.00.

BITUMENS, COAL‐TARS AND DERIVED PRODUCTS, SHALE‐OILS AND SOOTS, POLYNUCLEAR AROMATIC COMPOUNDS PART 4, IARC Monograph No. 35 on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Humans, by E. Bingham et al., University of Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, 271 pages (including 10 figures, 61 tables, glossaries, and a cumulative index to IARC Monographs 1 to 35 of 21 pages), soft bound, format 240 × 179mm, ISBN 92–832–1235–5, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon and Geneva (1985), SFr. 70.00, US$25.00.

THE ROLE OF CHEMICALS AND RADIATION IN THE ETIOLOGY OF CANCER, Volume 10 of Carcinogenesis—A Comprehensive Survey, by Eliezer Huberman and Susan H. Barr, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois 60439, 538 pages (including 173 figures, 72 tables, references added to each chapter, an index of 10 pages), linen, format 241 × 167 mm, Raven Press, New York City 10036 (1985), US$76.00.

CHEMICAL CARCINOGENS, SECOND EDITION, ACS Monograph 182, by Charles E. Searle, University of Birmingham, England, 1412 pages (including 61 figures and schemes, 178 tables, many formulae, references added to each contribution, an author index of one page, and an excellent subject index of 38 pages), linen, format 235 × 163 mm, ISBN 0–8412–0869–7, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC 20036 (1984), US$155.95 (in U.S.A. and Canada US$129.95).

ALIPHATIC AND POLYHALOGENATED CARCINOGENS, CHEMICAL INDUCTION OF CANCER VOLUME IIIB (STRUCTURAL BASES AND BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS), by Joseph C. Arcos et al., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Tulane University Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, 598 pages (including 23 figures, 77 tables, references added to each section, updating notes, 4 updating appendices, and an index of 28 pages), linen, format 234 × 164 mm, ISBN 0–12–059323, Academic Press, Inc., Orlando, Florida 32887, and London NW1 7DX, U.K. (1985), US$98.50.

ADVANCES IN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT FOR SYSTEMIC TOXICANTS AND CHEMICAL MIXTURES, Toxicology and Industrial Health Series Volume 1 (number 4), by Jerry F. Stara and Linda S. Erdreich, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268, 364 pages (including 34 figures, 76 tables, references and discussion remarks after the contributions, a list of participants of 3 pages, and an index of 14 pages), cloth, format 261 × 186 mm, ISBN 0–911131–90–6, Princeton Scientific Publishing Co., Inc., Princeton, New Jersey 08540 (1985), £53.35.

REPRODUCTIVE HAZARDS OF INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS (an evaluation of animal and human data), by Susan M. Barlow and Frank M. Sullivan, Guy's Hospital Medical School, University of London, U.K., 610 pages (including 3 tables, references (up to 1979, and an index of 11 pages), hard cover, format 235 × 159 mm, ISBN 0–12–078960–4, Academic Press Inc., London, New York and Orlando (1984), USS75.00.

MAXIMUM CONCENTRATIONS AT THE WORKPLACE AND BIOLOGICAL TOLERANCE VALUES FOR WORKING MATERIALS, Reports No. XX and XXI of the Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Prof. Dr Dietrich Henschler, University of D‐8700 Würzburg), 92 resp. 94 pages, paper board, format 240 × 170 mm, ISBN 3–527–27332–8 resp. 3–527–27340–9, VCH Verlagsgesellschaft D‐6940 Weinheim (1984 resp. 1985).     

Book reviews

ACID RAIN, A REVIEW OF THE PHENOMENON IN THE EEC AND EUROPE, by Environmental Resources Limited for the Commission of the European Communities, 159 pages (including a summary, an introduction, findings and conclusions and 13 pages with newest references), 24 figures and 14 tables, stiff paper cover, format 302×212 mm, EUR 8684, ISBN 0 86010 501 6, Graham & Trotman Limited, Sterling House, 66 Wilton Road, London SW1V 1DE, U.K. (1983), £12.50.

STONE DECAY AND CONSERVATION, Atmospheric Pollution, Cleaning, Consolidation and Protection, MATERIAL SCIENCE MONOGRAPHS 11, by Giovanni G. Amoroso and Vasco Fassina, 453 pages (including 301 figures, 72 tables, and a subject index of five pages; references are added to each of the five parts), linen, format 249×174 mm, ISBN 0 444 42146 7, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam and New York (1983) USS 97.75 or Dfl. 230.‐ or SFr. 170.‐

WEATHERING OF POLYMERS, by Anthony Davies and David Sims, Waltham Abbey, Essex, U.K., 294 pages (including 96 figures, 62 tables, an index of 6 pages; and references (mostly from 1972 to 1979, a few newer ones) added to each chapter), linen, format 230×149 mm, ISBN 0 85334 226 1, Applied Science Publishers, London and New York (1983), £35, (plus £1.75 post/packing).     

Book reviews

PROGRESS IN ENVIRONMENTAL MUTAGENESIS AND CARCINOGENESIS, PROGRESS IN MUTATION RESEARCH, VOLUME 2, by A. Kappas, Biology Department, Nuclear Research Center Democritus, Athens (Greece), 205 pages (including 49 tables, 69 figures, concluding remarks of 3 pages, and a subject index of 3 pages), linen, format 246×171 mm, ISBN 0–444–80334–3, Elsevier/North‐Holland, Biomedical Press, Amsterdam 1981, USS 76.50, hfl. 180.00

CHEMICAL MUTAGENESIS, HUMAN POPULATION MONITORING, AND GENETIC RISK ASSESSMENT, PROGRESS IN MUTATION RESEARCH, VOLUME 3, by K, C. Bora, G. R. Douglas and E. R. Nestmann, Environmental Health Directorate, Ottawa (Canada), 364 pages (including 103 tables, 45 figures, an appendix of seven pages with the Report of the WHO Consultation on Genetic Monitoring for Environmental Effects, and a subject index of 20 pages), linen, format 246 ×171 mm, ISBN 0–444–80352–1, Elsevier/North‐Holland, Biomedical Press, Amsterdam 1982 USS 80.75, hfl. 190.00.

AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY, Volume 1 of a Series, by Lavern J. Weber, Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, 238 pages (including 35 tables, 18 figures, and a subject index of 13 pages), linen, format 243 × 163 mm, ISBN 0–89004–439–2, Raven Press, New York 1982, US$ 36.72.

CARDIOVASCULAR TOXICOLOGY, TARGET ORGAN TOXICOLOGY SERIES, by Ethard W. van Stee, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA, 400 pages (including 17 tables, 58 figures, and a subject index of 12 pages), linen, format 243 × 163 mm, ISBN 0–89004–576–3, Raven Press, New York 1982, USS 61.20.     

Book Reviews

ION‐SELECTIVE ELECTRODES IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, Vol. 2 by H. Freiser (ed.), Plenum Press, New York, 1980.

CARCINOGENESIS AND MUTAGENESIS by Myron A. Mehlman, Morris F. Cranmer and Raymond E. Shapiro, from the Journal of Environmental Pathology and Toxicology (Official Organ of the American College of Toxicology), 388 pages and 135 tables and figures, 1977, linen, format 261 × 178 mm, ISBN 0–930376–02–1, printed by Pathotox Publishers, Inc., Park Forest South, Illinois 60466, $23.00.     

Book Reviews

INTERACTIONS OF PLANT RESISTANCE AND PARASITOIDS AND PREDATORS OF INSECTS by D. J. Boethel and R. D. Eikenbary, Editors. 224 pp. Ellis Horwood Limited 1986. ISBN 0-85312-836-7, £32.50.

ORGANIC TRACE ANALYSIS, by Klaus Beyermann, Translation editor: R. A. Chalmers. Ellis Horwood, Chichester. £35-00. ISBN 0853126380.

CADMIUM IN THE ENVIRONMENT. Part II: Health Effects. Edited by Jerome O. Nriagu. 908p. Wiley-Interscience, New York and Chichester. £85.00. I.S.B.N. 0-471-0554.     

Book Reviews

SOVIET SCIENCE REVIEWS–SECTION B., CHEMISTRY REVIEWS. Edited by M. E. Vol'pin. Volume 5. Organofluorine Chemistry pp 397. Volume 6. Organophosphorous Chemistry pp 442. OPA Ltd., for Harwood Academic Publishers, 1984. $170 each. Hardback. ISBN 3-7186-0139-7 and ISBN 3-7186-0139-7.

CURRENT TOPICS IN CHINESE SCIENCE-SECTION B., CHEMISTRY. Volume 2, pp 572 and Volume 3, pp 563. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, 1984. $64 and $68 both soft covers. ISBN 0-677-06230-3 and ISBN 0-677-40385-2.

THE EXPORT OF HAZARD. Transnational Corporations and Environmental Control Issues. edited by Jane H. Ives. 229 pp. Routledge and Kegan Paul: Boston, London and Henley. £14.95. ISBN 07102 0072 2

ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY by Peter O'Neill. 232 pp. Allen and Unwin 1985. ISBN 0-04-551085-7, £20. ISBN 0-04-551086-5 Pbk, £8.95.     

Book Reviews

INTERACTIONS OF PLANT RESISTANCE AND PARASITOIDS AND PREDATORS OF INSECTS by D. J. Boethel and R. D. Eikenbary, Editors. 224 pp. Ellis Horwood Limited 1986. ISBN 0-85312-836-7, £32.50.

ORGANIC TRACE ANALYSIS, by Klaus Beyermann, Translation editor: R. A. Chalmers. Ellis Horwood, Chichester. £35-00. ISBN 0853126380.

CADMIUM IN THE ENVIRONMENT. Part II: Health Effects. Edited by Jerome O. Nriagu. 908p. Wiley-Interscience, New York and Chichester. £85.00. I.S.B.N. 0-471-0554.     

Book reviews

AUTOMATIC METHODS OF ANALYSIS by M. Valcárcel and M. D. Luque de Castro, Volume 9 in series Techniques and Instrumentation in Analytical Chemistry, Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam (1988), 560 pages, US$ 131.50

SELF‐DIFFUSION IN ELECTROLYTE SOLUTIONS: A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF DATA COMPILED FROM THE LITERATURE by R. Mills and V. M. M. Lobo, Volume 36 published in the series Physical Sciences Data, Elsevier, Amsterdam (1988), 354 pages, US$ 134.25     

Trace element geochemistry of the Keana brines field,middle Benue trough,Nigeria

A trace elements study of various samples from the Keana brines field, middle Benue Trough was carried-out to determine the extent to which Pb–Zn–S and BaSO₄ mineralisations have affected the quality of the brines and the waters in the area. Different sample media such as well-water, pond water, brine spring pool water, stream water, stream sediments etc. were analysed. Geochemical results show that Cu, Zn, Pb, As and S are concentrated in the waters (0.3, 0.36, 0.05, 0.07 and 1 1.5 ppm respectively). These elements are more concentrated in both the spring and pond waters, suggesting that the spring water could have acted as the transport medium for these elements released from deep-seated sources. Transitions elements (Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni and Sr) are concentrated in the waters. Compared to the World Health Organization (WHO) admissible limits, the well waters present very high concentrations in Cd (0.56 ppm) and Sb (0.40 ppm) (200× and 70× WHO admissible values respectively). There is a preferential concentration of transition elements (Ti, V, Fe, Co and Ni) in the sediments (41.38, 362, 52.21, 269 and 54 ppm respectively) than in the waters (0.70, 0.05, 5.6, 0.04 and 0.02 ppm respectively). Similarly, Cu, Zn, Pb and As are concentrated in the sediments (44, 72, 41 and 14 ppm respectively). The concentrations of transition elements (Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Co and Ni) in the refined salt were highly elevated (784, 363, 283, 105, 59.2 and 42.6 ppm respectively) (7000–10,000× well water). Similarly, the concentrations of As, Pb, Br and Sr in the refined salt were also alarming (11.6, 16.4, 16.4 and 122 ppm respectively), (1000, 700, 3000 and 20,000× well water values respectively). S on the other hand is absent. One of the striking features is the absence of I, Cd, Sb and Se in the refined salt crystals which were detected in the waters and the brines. Compared to WHO admissible values, the refined salt crystal concentrations for Ni (426 ppm) and Cr (283 ppm) were also very high (2000× WHO values respectively) and to a lesser extent Cu (26.9 ppm) and Zn (21.7 ppm) (12 and 7× WHO values respectively).     

Cover Caption

Cover: Lappet‐faced (Torgos tracheliotus), Rüppell's (Gyps rueppellii), and White‐backed (Gyps africanus) Vultures feeding on the carcass of a Grant's gazelle (Gazella granti) recently killed by a cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Laikipia, Kenya (October 2010). Vultures (Accipitridae and Cathartidae) are the only known obligate scavengers. On pages 453‐460, Ogada et al. present evidence that effects of decreases in abundances of vultures may include longer persistence of carcasses and increasing abundance of and contact among facultative scavengers at these carcasses. Such changes could increase rates of transmission of infectious diseases among mammalian carnivores, with carcasses serving as hubs of infection. Cover image © 2012 Tui De Roy. Photographer: Tui De Roy ( http://www.tuideroy.com ) is a founding fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers. Her work has been published in over 30 countries. She has authored 14 large‐format natural history books on the Galápagos Islands, Andes, Antarctica, New Zealand, and the world's albatrosses and is producing a volume on penguins. Tui founded Th e Roving Tortoise Nature Photography ( http://www.rovingtortoise.co.nz ) in partnership with Mark Jones. She has spent most of her life in the Galápagos Islands, is a former member of the board of directors of the Charles Darwin Foundation, and works in close association with Galápagos National Park to document the islands' landscapes and their rare species. Tui currently lives in New Zealand, where she is patron of the New Zealand chapter of Friends of Galapagos.     

Uranium quantification in groundwater and health risk from its ingestion in Haryana,India

Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element which may cause toxicological or radiological hazards to the public if present in drinking water. This study reports the quantification of uranium in groundwater of major towns of the district Fatehabad, Haryana, India. Uranium concentrations ranged between 0.3 and 48 μg L^?1. In 22% of the groundwater samples, uranium concentrations were higher than the World Health Organization maximum permissible limit of 30 µg L^?1. The radiological dose for males was found to be in the range of 4.8?×?10^?4–7.1?×?10^?2 mSv y^?1 and for females 3.5?×?10^?4–5.2?×?10^?2 mSv y^?1. The results showed that due to the ingestion of groundwater in the study area, radiological cancer risk is in the range of 9.1?×?10^?7–1.3?×?10^?4, lower than the risk limit. Uranium ingestion from groundwater varied from 0.02 to 3.5 µg kg^?1 day^?1, which is within acceptable limit.     

Quality of tube well water intended for irrigation and human consumption with special emphasis on arsenic contamination at the area of Punjab,Pakistan

In the present study, the tube well water quality and the associated health risks, emphasizing on arsenic contamination, were investigated in rural and urban samples from Tehsil Mailsi located in Punjab, Pakistan. Arsenic concentrations (μg/L) were ranged from 12 to 448.5 and which exceeded the WHO recommended limit (10 μg/L) in all cases. The calculated average daily dose (3.3 × 10^?0.4 to 1.2 × 10^?0.2 mg/kg day) and hazard quotient (1.1–40) reflected the potential health risk to local population due to tube well water consumption as drinking purpose. Sodium percent (Na%), sodium absorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, Kelly’s index and magnesium absorption ratio were also determined to assess the suitability of tube well water for irrigation purpose. The resulting piper plot revealed the Na–Ca–HCO₃ type water chemistry of the area and generally alkaline environment. The spatial distribution of arsenic in the tube well waters pinpoints the significant contribution of anthropogenic activities to arsenic pollution. Nevertheless, different statistical tools, including principal component analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis and correlation matrices, revealed the contribution of both natural and anthropogenic activities and alkaline type of aquifers toward the high level of arsenic contamination.     

Nickel accumulation in paddy rice on serpentine soils containing high geogenic nickel contents in Taiwan

We investigated the extractability of nickel (Ni) in serpentine soils collected from rice paddy fields in eastern Taiwan to evaluate the bioavailability of Ni in the soils as well as for demonstrating the health risks of Ni in rice. Total Ni concentrations in the soils ranged were 70.2–2730 mg/kg (mean, 472 mg/kg), greatly exceeding the natural background content and soil control standard in Taiwan. Available Ni concentration only accounts for <10% of total soil Ni content; 0.1 N HCl-extractable Ni was the more suitable index for Ni bioavailability in the soil to rice than was diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extractable Ni. The accumulation ability of rice roots was much higher than that of its shoots; however, compared with those reported previously, our brown and polished rice samples contained much higher Ni concentrations, within the ranges of 1.50–4.53 and 2.45–5.54 mg/kg, respectively. On the basis of the provisional tolerable Ni intake for adults recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), daily consumption of this rice can result in an excessive Ni intake.     

Air pollution below WHO levels decreases by 40 % the links of terrestrial microbial networks

Air pollution has a deleterious impact on public health and the environment. There is few knowledge on the effect of air pollution on terrestrial microbial communities, despite the major role of microbes in ecosystems. Here, we designed an in situ trial ecosystem to assess the impact of moderate atmospheric pollution, below World Health Organization (WHO) thresholds, on an indigenous microbial communities, including bacteria, fungi, ciliates, algae, cyanobacteria, testate amoebae, rotifers and nematodes, extracted from terrestrial bryophytes. These micro-ecosystems were placed at a rural, an urban and an industrial site in France and were thus exposed to various levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), from 6.6–67.9 μg·m^?3, and particulate matter, from 0.7–7.9 μg·m^?3. Microbial analysis was performed by microscopy. We determined atmospheric temperature, relative humidity and particulate matter with diameter lower than 10 µm (PM₁₀), Cu, Cr, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn in PM₁₀, and (NO₂). Results show a significant impact of chronic moderate exposure to NO₂ and copper Cu-associated particulate matter on the global microbial network complexity. This is evidenced by a loss of about 40 % of microbial co-occurrence links during incubation. Most lost microbial links are ecologically positive links. Moreover, most changes in community co-occurrence networks are related to testate amoebae, a major top predator of microbes. Overall, our findings demonstrate that air pollution can have strong deleterious effects on microbial interactions, even at levels below WHO thresholds.     

Ground water contamination with 238U, 234U, 235U, 226Ra and 210Pb from past uranium mining: cove wash,Arizona

The objectives of the study are to present a critical review of the ²³⁸U, ²³⁴U, ²³⁵U, ²²⁶Ra and ²¹⁰Pb levels in water samples from the EPA studies (U.S. EPA in Abandoned uranium mines and the Navajo Nation: Red Valley chapter screening assessment report. Region 9 Superfund Program, San Francisco, 2004, Abandoned uranium mines and the Navajo Nation: Northern aum region screening assessment report. Region 9 Superfund Program, San Francisco, 2006, Health and environmental impacts of uranium contamination, 5-year plan. Region 9 Superfund Program, San Franciso, 2008) and the dose assessment for the population due to ingestion of water containing ²³⁸U and ²³⁴U. The water quality data were taken from Sect. “Data analysis” of the published report, titled Abandoned Uranium Mines Project Arizona, New Mexico, Utah–Navajo Lands 1994–2000, Project Atlas. Total uranium concentration was above the maximum concentration level for drinking water (7.410–1 Bq/L) in 19 % of the water samples, while ²³⁸U and ²³⁴U concentrations were above in 14 and 17 % of the water samples, respectively. ²²⁶Ra and ²¹⁰Pb concentrations in water samples were in the range of 3.7 × 10^?1 to 5.55 × 102 Bq/L and 1.11 to 4.33 × 102 Bq/L, respectively. For only two samples, the ²²⁶Ra concentrations exceeded the MCL for total Ra for drinking water (0.185 Bq/L). However, the ²¹⁰Pb/²²⁶Ra ratios varied from 0.11 to 47.00, and ratios above 1.00 were observed in 71 % of the samples. Secular equilibrium of the natural uranium series was not observed in the data record for most of the water samples. Moreover, the ²³⁵U/^totalU mass ratios ranged from 0.06 to 5.9 %, and the natural mass ratio of ²³⁵U to ^totalU (0.72 %) was observed in only 16 % of the water samples, ratios above or below the natural ratio could not be explained based on data reported by U.S. EPA. In addition, statistical evaluations showed no correlations among the distribution of the radionuclide concentrations in the majority of the water samples, indicating more than one source of contamination could contribute to the sampled sources. The effective doses due to ingestion of the minimum uranium concentrations in water samples exceed the average dose considering inhalation and ingestion of regular diet for other populations around the world (1 μSv/year). The maximum doses due to ingestion of ²³⁸U or ²³⁴U were above the international limit for effective dose for members of the public (1 mSv/year), except for inhabitants of two chapters. The highest effective dose was estimated for inhabitants of Cove, and it was almost 20 times the international limit for members of the public. These results indicate that ingestion of water from some of the sampled sources poses health risks.     

Ecological and health risks of DDTs and HCHs in surface water from the upper reaches of the Huaihe River

Based on the available toxicity data and the concentrations of DDTs and HCHs in surface water from the upper reaches of the Huaihe River, overlapping areas of probability density and margin of safety (MOS₁₀) were used to estimate the risk levels of DDTs and HCHs to aquatic organisms. The overlapping areas of α-HCH, γ-HCH, p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD, and p,p′-DDT were found to be 9.3 × 10^?5, 4.6 × 10^?3, 4.3 × 10^?2, 2.2 × 10^?2, and 4.2 × 10^?2, respectively. The risks from DDTs were higher than those from HCHs, the risk from α-HCH being the smallest. The MOS₁₀ values of α-HCH, γ-HCH, p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD, and p,p′-DDT were 2.6 × 10³, 97, 5.9, 15, and 8.6, respectively, i.e. greater than 1.0, indicating limited overlaps between the distributions of exposure concentrations and of toxicity data, and thus minimal ecological risk. Health risk calculations based on incremental lifetime risks for HCHs and DDTs were conducted to evaluate human cancer risk and non-carcinogenic hazard. The total cancer risks from organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the studied area were in the range of 10^?8–10^?7, lower than the baseline value of acceptable risk (10^?6). Non-carcinogenic hazard indices of OCPs ranging from 10^?6 to 10^?5 were much lower than the threshold values (1.0). These results suggest that the water from the upper reaches of the Huaihe River does not pose any health risk for local residents using river water as a source for drinking water.     

Cover Caption

Cover: African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. On pages 1002–1010, Wittemyer examines relations between African elephant mortality and human‐caused wounds and measures of local economic conditions, macroeconomic conditions, and primary productivity. When cattle prices in pastoralist Samburu, Kenya, were low, human‐caused wounds to and adult mortality of elephants increased. Changes in gross domestic product in Kenya and East Asia, the primary markets for ivory, did not explain significant variation in mortality. Results suggest that in some cases, economic metrics are associated with changes in human use of and resulting effects on natural resources. Cover image © 2011 Art Wolfe. Photographer: For the past 30 years, Art Wolfe has worked in hundreds of locations spanning all continents. His photographic style draws on both art and journalism to document his subjects and educate his viewers. His goal is to obtain public support for conservation by focusing on what is beautiful on Earth. Wolfe has published over 60 books for adults and children, including The Living Wild, Vanishing Act, Edge of the Earth–Corner of the Sky, and The Art of Photographing Nature. His book Light on the Land was a gift of state during the Clinton administration, and he has received awards from diverse organizations, including the National Outdoor Book Awards and Graphis. Wolfe is a recipient of the Photographic Society of America's Progress Medal and the first Rachel Carson Award from the National Audubon Society.     

Use of Coarse‐Resolution Models of Species’ Distributions to Guide Local Conservation Inferences

Abstract: Distribution models are used increasingly for species conservation assessments over extensive areas, but the spatial resolution of the modeled data and, consequently, of the predictions generated directly from these models are usually too coarse for local conservation applications. Comprehensive distribution data at finer spatial resolution, however, require a level of sampling that is impractical for most species and regions. Models can be downscaled to predict distribution at finer resolutions, but this increases uncertainty because the predictive ability of models is not necessarily consistent beyond their original scale. We analyzed the performance of downscaled, previously published models of environmental favorability (a generalized linear modeling technique) for a restricted endemic insectivore, the Iberian desman (Galemys pyrenaicus), and a more widespread carnivore, the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), in the Iberian Peninsula. The models, built from presence–absence data at 10 × 10 km resolution, were extrapolated to a resolution 100 times finer (1 × 1 km). We compared downscaled predictions of environmental quality for the two species with published data on local observations and on important conservation sites proposed by experts. Predictions were significantly related to observed presence or absence of species and to expert selection of sampling sites and important conservation sites. Our results suggest the potential usefulness of downscaled projections of environmental quality as a proxy for expensive and time‐consuming field studies when the field studies are not feasible. This method may be valid for other similar species if coarse‐resolution distribution data are available to define high‐quality areas at a scale that is practical for the application of concrete conservation measures.     

Sensitized photooxygenation of mononitrophenols in micellar media

The singlet molecular oxygen‐mediated photooxidation of simple nitrophenols was studied in micellar (CTAB) alkaline solutions.

A different behaviour for the values of the overall rate constant (K_t ) and the reactive rate constant (K_t ) in the interaction nitrophenol‐singlet molecular oxygen was observed as a function of surfactant concentration. The former decreases as [CTAB] increases, from values of 1–3 × 10⁹ M^–1 s^–1 in the absence of surfactant to values at least one order of magnitude lower at [CTAB] ～0.1 M. Parallel, k_t remains practically unaffected, in values of the order of 10⁶ — 10⁷ M^–l s^–1, depending on the particular nitrophenol, within the same [CTAB] range. The quantum yield of nitrophenols photooxidation reaches a maximum at [CTAB] ～0.1 M.

The results are discussed in terms of a combination of causes, the polarity of the nitrophenolic microenvironment being the driving effect. The implication of the results on environmental decontamination are also analyzed.