Fallout traces of the Fukushima NPP accident in southern West Siberia (Novosibirsk,Russia)

Background  

The fallout of artificially produced radioactive isotopes has been recorded at a site in southern West Siberia (54°50′43.6″ N, 083°06′22.4″ E, Novosibirsk, Russia).     

Distribution pattern of PCBs,HCB and PeCB using passive air and soil sampling in Estonia

Background, aim, and scope  

Passive air sampling survey of the Central and Eastern Europe was initiated in 2006. This paper presents data on toxic organic compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB 28, 52, 101, 118, 153, 138, and 180), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), pentachlorobenzene (PeCB), hexachlorocyclohexane compounds (α-HCH, β-HCH,γ-HCH, δ-HCH), and dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) compounds (p,p′DDE, p,p′DDD, p,p′DDT, o,p′DDE, o,p′DDD, and o,p′DDT) determined in ambient air and soil samples collected at Estonian monitoring stations.     

The role of zooplankton in DDT biomagnification in a pelagic food web of Lake Maggiore (Northern Italy)

Background  

In the present study, we report the analytical results of pp′DDT, pp′DDE and pp′DDD determination in lake water, plankton and zooplanktivorous fish of Lake Maggiore (Northern Italy), rather recently polluted by DDT of industrial origin, in order to understand the bottom-up pollution transfer among the abiotic and biotic components of the lake ecosystem.     

Assessment of exposure to DDT and metabolites after indoor residual spraying through the analysis of thatch material from rural African dwellings

Introduction  

We report on the analysis of 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (4,4′-DDT) and its metabolites in thatch and branch samples constituting the wall materials of dwellings from South African subtropical areas. This approach was used to assess the exposure to DDT in the residents of the dwellings after indoor residual spraying (IRS) following recommended sanitation practices against malaria vectors.     

Estimation of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Effluent from the Striped Catfish Farming Sector in the Mekong Delta,Vietnam

In this study an attempt is made to estimate nitrogen and phosphorus discharged to the environment from the striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) farming sector in the Mekong Delta (8°33′–10°55′N, 104°30′–106°50′E), South Vietnam. The sector accounted for 687,000 t production in 2007 and 1,094,879 t in 2008, with over 95% of the produce destined for export to over 100 countries. Commercial and farm-made feeds are used in catfish farming, currently the former being more predominant. Nitrogen discharge levels were similar for commercial feeds (median 46.0 kg/t fish) and farm-made feeds (median 46.8 kg/t fish); whilst, phosphorus discharge levels for commercial feeds (median 14.4 kg/t fish) were considerably lower than for farm-made feeds (median 18.4 kg/t fish). Based on the median nutrient discharge levels for commercial feeds, striped catfish production in the Mekong Delta discharged 31,602 t N and 9,893 t P, and 50,364 t N and 15,766 t P in 2007 and 2008, respectively. However, the amount of nutrients returned directly to the Mekong River may be substantially less than this as a significant proportion of the water used for catfish farming as well as the sludge is diverted to other agricultural farming systems. Striped catfish farming in the Mekong Delta compared favourably with other cultured species, irrespective of the type of feed used, when the total amounts of N and P discharged in the production of a tonne of production was estimated.     

Automatic pH control system enhances the dechlorination of 2,4,4′-trichlorobiphenyl and extracted PCBs from contaminated soil by nanoscale Fe0 and Pd/Fe0

Purpose  

Dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by nanoscale zerovalent iron (NZVI) is often strongly hindered by increased pH because large amounts of H⁺ ions were consumed during the surface reaction. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of pH control in acid on the dechlorination processes of PCBs and to compare the dechlorination efficiency between 2,4,4′-trichlorobiphenyl (2,4,4′-CB) and the extracted PCBs from the field PCBs-contaminated soil in this system.     

The effect of paraoxon on spermatogenesis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dugesia gonocephala</Emphasis> from the Chilean Altiplano: proliferation and apoptosis

Introduction and aims  

The Chilean Altiplano ecosystem is conserved free from contaminants and pollutants because of the absence of major local human activities such as agriculture or other industries. We studied the effects of paraoxon on proliferation and apoptosis of testicular cells during active spermatogenesis in Dugesia gonocephala collected from a pristine river (Guacollo) in the Altiplano region nearby Visviri town, Chile.     

Seasonal variation of HCH isomers in open soil and plant-rhizospheric soil system of a contaminated environment

Background, aim, and scope  

Lindane, technically 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ- HCH), is the most commonly detected organochlorine pesticide from diverse environmental compartments. Currently, India is the largest consumer and producer of lindane in the world. The production of lindane results in the generation of large quantities of waste HCH isomers (mainly α-, β- and δ-). All these isomers are toxic and have a long-range environmental transport potential. The aim of this study was to monitor the seasonal variation of HCH isomers in an open soil–plant–rhizospheric soil system of a contaminated industrial area. For this, selected plant species and their rhizospheric soil (soil samples collected at a depth range of 0–45 cm near to the root system) and open soil samples (soil samples collected (0–30 cm depth) from 1–1.5 m away from the plant root system) were collected for 2 years (two summer seasons and two winter seasons).     

What determines selection and abandonment of a foraging patch by wild giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in winter?

Background, aim, and scope  Foraging patches can be described as a nested hierarchy of aggregated resources, implying that study of foraging by wild animals should be directed across different spatial scales. However, almost all previous research on habitat selection by the giant panda has concentrated upon one scale. In this research, we carried out a field study to understand foraging patch selection by giant pandas in winter at both microhabitat and feeding site scales and, for the first time, attempted to understand how long it would stay at the feeding sites before moving on. Materials and methods  The field survey was conducted from November 2002 to March 2003 at Fengtongzhai Nature Reserve (102°48′–103°00′ E, 30°19′–30°47′ N), Baoxing County of Sichuan Province, China, to collect data in both microhabitat and control plots. The microhabitat plots were located by fresh feces or foraging traces left by giant pandas, and the control plots were established to reflect the environment. Within each microhabitat plot, one 1 × 1 m² plot was centralized at the center of each feeding site, in which numbers of old bamboos and old shoots, including eaten and uneaten, were counted, respectively. Results  The results showed that winter microhabitats selected by this species were characteristic of gentle slopes and high old-shoot proportions and that the latter was even higher at feeding sites. Two selection processes, namely, from the environment to microhabitats and from the latter to feeding sites, were found during this species’ foraging patch utilization. Giant pandas preferred to eat old shoots to old bamboo at feeding sites in winter and did not leave unless old-shoot density fell to lower than the average in the environment. Discussion  Both microhabitats and feeding sites selected by giant pandas were characteristic of high old-shoot density, indicating that the preferred food item had a significant influence upon its foraging patch selection. The preference for gentle slopes by giant pandas was presumed to save energy in movement or reflect the need to sit and free its fore-limbs to grasp bamboo culms when feeding but also seemed to be correlated with an easier access to old shoots. The utilization of old shoots at feeding sites was assumed to help maximize energy or nutrient intake during their foraging. Conclusions  The difference between microhabitat plots and control plots and between microhabitats and feeding sites uncovered a continuous selection process from the environment via microhabitats to feeding sites. The utilization of old shoots at feeding sites was parallel to the marginal value theorem. The selection and abandonment of foraging patches by giant pandas was an optimal behavioral strategy adapted to their peculiar food with high cellulose and low protein. Recommendations and perspectives  Our results uncovered the importance of multiple scales in habitat selection research. To further understand the process of habitat selection, future research should pay more attention to resolve the question of how to locate foraging patches under dense bamboo forests by the giant panda, which was traditionally considered to have poor eyesight, although our research has answered what type of habitats the giant panda prefers and when to leave.     

Effects of post-sampling conditions on ambient carbon aerosol filter measurements

Ambient carbonaceous material collected on quartz filters is prone to measurement artifacts due to material gained or lost during post-sampling field latency, shipping, and storage. In seventeen sampling events over a one year period, ambient PM_2.5 aerosols were collected on quartz filters (without denuders) and subjected to various filter treatments to assess the potential for and extent of artifacts. The filter treatments simulated post-sampling environments that filters may be exposed to and included: storage at 40 °C for up to 96 h, storage at ?16 °C for 48 h, and storage at room temperature (～21 °C) for 48 h. Carbon mass on the filters was measured using a thermal-optical method. The total carbon (TC), total organic carbon (TOC) and total elemental carbon (TEC) as well as carbon thermal fraction masses were obtained. Statistical analyses were performed to identify significant differences in carbon fraction concentrations between filters analyzed immediately after sampling and after being subjected to treatment.TOC and TC concentrations decreased by on average 15 ± 5% and 10 ± 4%, respectively, for filters maintained at 40 °C for 96 h but did not change for filters stored at room temperature or frozen for 48 h. TEC did not change for any of the filter treatments. The mass concentration for the organic carbon thermal fraction that evolves at the lowest temperature step (OC1) decreased with increasing storage time at 40 °C with average losses of 70 ± 7% after 96 h. Therefore, OC1 is not a stable measurement due to post-sampling conditions that may be encountered. This work demonstrates that TOC and TC can have substantial measurement artifacts on filters subjected to field latency and other non-temperature controlled post-sampling handling, compared to the carbon loadings on the filter at the end of the sampling period.     

Simultaneous immobilization of metals and arsenic in acidic polluted soils near a copper smelter in central Chile

Introduction  

Acidic and metal(oid)-rich topsoils resulted after 34 years of continuous operations of a copper smelter in the Puchuncaví valley, central Chile. Currently, large-scale remediation actions for simultaneous in situ immobilization of metals and As are needed to reduce environmental risks of polluted soils. Aided phytostabilization is a cost-effective alternative, but adequate local available soil amendments have to be identified and management options have to be defined.     

Degradation and detoxification of acid orange 52 by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas putida</Emphasis> mt-2: a laboratory study

Introduction  

Acid orange 52 (AO52), extensively used in textile industries, was decolorized by Pseudomonas putida mt-2. AO52 azoreduction products such as N,N′-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DMPD) and 4-aminobenzenesulfonic acid (4-ABS), were identified in the static degradation mixture. These amines were identified only in media of static incubation, which is consistent with their biotransformation under shaken incubation (aerobic conditions).     

The influence of natural stressors on the toxicity of nickel to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Daphnia magna</Emphasis>

Global warming has become a source of awareness regarding the potential deleterious effects of extreme abiotic factors (e.g., temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO) levels) and also their influence on chemicals toxicity. In this work, we studied the combined effects of nickel and temperature (low and high levels) and nickel and low levels of DO to Daphnia magna, and concentration addition and independent action concepts as well as their deviations for synergism/antagonism, dose ratio and dose level dependency, were applied to survival and feeding rate data. Nickel single exposure showed an LC₅₀ value for 48 h of 7.36 mg l⁻¹ and an EC₅₀ value for feeding impairment at 2.41 mg l⁻¹. In the acute exposures to high and low temperatures, 50% of mortality was observed, respectively, at 30.7°C and 4.2°C whereas 50% reduction on the feeding activity was recorded at 22.6°C and 16.0°C. Relatively to low DO levels, a LC₅₀ value for 48 h of 0.5 mg l⁻¹ was obtained; feeding activity EC₅₀ value was 2 mg l⁻¹. On acute combined experiments, antagonism was observed for the combination of nickel and extreme temperatures, whereas a synergistic behaviour was observed in the combined exposure of nickel and low DO levels. At sublethal levels, nickel showed to be the main inducer of toxicity at high and low temperatures but not at low levels of dissolved oxygen. Toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics modelling studies should be made in the future to understand the toxicological pathways involved on complex combinations of stressors and to validate any conclusions.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls in farmed and wild <Emphasis Type="Italic">Onchorhynchus kisutch</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Onchorhynchus mykiss</Emphasis> from the Chilean Patagonia

Purpose  

This paper analyses the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in escaped: farmed and wild salmons in southern Chile, analysing their concentrations and congener profiles in two species (Oncorhynchus kisutch and Oncorhynchus mykiss).     

Cooling Pond Steam Fog

This paper is responsive to needs to describe and predict the environmental effects from power plant cooling ponds. A study was made to determine atmospheric and pond surface conditions required for steam fog to occur from power plant cooling ponds, to define the dimensions of the fog, and to collect data on deposition of ice. Data, collected principally at the 4-Corners Plant over a three-year period, included water surface temperature, ambient meteorological conditions and occurrence and magnitude of steam fog and ice deposition. With strong winds, the fog extended onshore without lifting. With light winds, the fog extended some distance onshore but then lifted to form stratus. With almost calm winds, the steam fog lifted over the pond and drifted downwind as stratus. Steam fog was observed in winds to 28 mph, air-water temperature differences from 21.5° to 68°F and in atmospheric stability categories C, D, E, and F. A fog index number, Ar/(e_s — e_a)°F/mbs, was defined and used for data interpretation, where Ar is temperature of water less temperature of ambient air, e_s is the saturation vapor pressure of the ambient air and e_a is the actual vapor pressure of the ambient air. The probability of occurrence of steam fog as a function of the fog index number varied from 0.04 for an index number less than 10 to 1.00 for an index number greater than 90. From the data, if fog occurred, its extent along the ground was &#x2265;100 feet 88% of the time, &#x2265;500 feet 35% of the time, &#x2265;1000 feet 18% of the time, and &#x2265;5000 feet 12% of the time. If stratus occurred its extent above ground was &#x2265;1 mile 91% of the time, &#x2265;5 miles 55% of the time and &#x2265;10 miles 36% of the time. Measurements showed that steam fog droplet sizes predominate in the 10 micron diameter size. Values of liquid water content up to 0.20 g/m³ were reported. Ice accretion data show build-up rates from 0.23 to 13 mm/hr of rime.     

Effect of pumpkin root exudates on ex situ polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) phytoextraction by pumpkin and weed species

Introduction  

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine if Cucurbita pepo ssp. pepo (pumpkin) root exudates could increase the uptake of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into plants. Contaminated soil was pre-treated with pumpkin root exudates by first growing pumpkins in the soil. Plants (pumpkins and weeds) were grown in the pre-treated (root exudate group) and non-treated (control group) contaminated soils. Seeds from five weed species collected from two contaminated sites were germinated in sufficient quantities (n ≥ 6) for three seedlings to be planted in two groups.     

Contents and sources of DDT impurities in dicofol formulations in Turkey

Background, aim, and scope  Dicofol is widely used as a pesticide in agriculture applications. Since dicofol is mainly synthesized from dichlorodiphenyltrichlorethane (DDT), it contains DDT as an impurity. The European Community has forced Prohibition Directive 79/117/EEC to reduce DDT in dicofol formulations. Specifically, DDT content in a dicofol formulation cannot exceed 0.1%. The goal of this project was to determine the DDT content in dicofol formulations used in Turkey. Materials and methods  Samples of all the dicofol formulations in Turkey were collected to quantify DDT and DDT-related compounds. Four replicates were used for each sample. GC/MS/MS was used to analyze p,p′ and o,p′ isomers of DDT, DDD, and DDE. A HPLC was used to determine p,p′-Cl-DDT concentrations. Results  The total DDT content of the formulated dicofol was found between 0.3% and 14.3%. The concentration of p,p′-DDE ranged from 167 to 1,042 mg kg⁻¹ in dicofol samples. p,p′-DDT concentrations were found to be 32 to 183 mg kg⁻¹. The o,p’-DDT level ranged from 2 to 34 mg kg⁻¹ in the dicofol formulations analyzed. Discussion  It was estimated that 617.8 kg of DDT was released from dicofol. The main impurity was identified as p,p-Cl-DDT. Based on these results, dicofol serves as a continuing source of DDT contamination. Conclusions  All DDT concentrations in dicofol samples analyzed were higher than the permitted 0.1% level of Prohibition Directive 79/117/EEC. The reduction of dicofol is critical since it serves as a continual source of DDT contamination. Recommendations and perspectives  DDT has been found in soil, water, and air samples. Dicofol has been identified as a contributor to continued DDT contamination in soil and water. More studies are needed to ascertain the source of DDT in the air.     

Spatial and temporal variations in San Joaquin Valley fog chemistry

Fog was sampled at four locations in California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV) during December 1995 and January 1996 as part of the 1995 Integrated Monitoring Study (IMS95). The fog sampling campaign was conducted in two phases. During the first phase, fog was sampled at three southern SJV surface locations, two urban (Fresno and Bakersfield) and one rural (near the Kern Wildlife Refuge). Both bulk samples (representative of the entire fog drop spectrum) and size-fractionated samples were collected. During the second phase, bulk fog samples were collected at three elevations on a 430 m television transmission tower in the northern SJV, representing some of the first observations of vertical variations in fog composition. SJV fog was observed to be consistently alkaline. The median pH measured in the southern SJV was 6.49, with a range from 4.97 to 7.43. Dominant species in the fog water were ammonium (median southern SJV concentration of 1008 microequivalents/l (μN)), nitrate (483 μN), sulfate (117 μN), acetate (117 μN), formate (63 μN), and formaldehyde (46 μM). Concentrations of the inorganic ions were similar in the urban and rural fogs, although occasionally much higher spikes of S(IV) and sulfate were observed in Bakersfield fog. Acetate, formaldehyde, and total organic carbon, by contrast, were observed to be present in greater concentration in the urban fogs. Bakersfield IMS95 fog concentrations of most species were similar to those measured there in the early 1980s, although concentrations of S(IV) and sulfate were much lower in IMS95 fogs. Significant differences were found between the composition of large and small fog drops, with pH differences at times exceeding one pH unit. The chemical heterogeneity present among SJV fog drop populations is likely to result in significant enhancement of aqueous sulfate production rates over those expected from average fog properties. Significant vertical variations were also observed in fog composition. Liquid water content was observed to increase strongly with elevation, while major ion aqueous concentrations in fog drops decreased with altitude. The total amount of solute contained within the fog (per unit volume of air) was observed to increase with altitude. These observations form a unique data set to be used for model evaluation and for further analysis of aerosol processing by fogs.     

Water-soluble main ions in precipitation over the southeastern Adriatic region: chemical composition and long-range transport

Background, aim and scope  

Precipitation samples collected from 1995 to 2000 at meteorological station in the eastern outskirts of Herceg Novi (Montenegro) were analysed on Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Cl^–, SO₄ ^2–, NO₃ ^– and NH₄ ⁺. Four-day backward trajectory simulations were conducted during the precipitation period to investigate the regional transport of main ions and their deposition in the region of the southeastern Adriatic Sea. The air mass trajectories were classified into six trajectory categories by the origin and direction of their approach to Herceg Novi.     

Production and removal of aerosol in a polluted fog layer: model evaluation and fog effect on PM

A radiation fog physics, gas- and aqueous-phase chemistry model is evaluated against measurements in three sites in the San Joaquin Valley of California (SJV) during the winter of 1995. The measurements include for the first time vertically resolved fog chemical composition measurements. Overall the model is successful in reproducing the fog dynamics as well as the temporal and spatial variability of the fog composition (pH, sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium concentrations) in the area. Sulfate production in the fog layer is relatively slow (1–4 μg m⁻³ per fog episode) compared to the episodes in the early 1980s because of the low SO₂ concentrations in the area and the lack of oxidants inside the fog layer. Sulfate production inside the fog layer is limited by the availability of oxidants in the urban areas of the valley and by SO₂ in the more remote areas. Nitrate is produced in the rural areas of the valley by the heterogeneous reaction of N₂O₅ on fog droplets, but this reaction is of secondary importance for the more polluted urban areas. The gas-phase production of HNO₃ during the daytime is sufficient to balance the nitrate removed during the nighttime fog episodes. Entrainment of air from the layer above the fog provides another source of reactants for the fog layer. Wet removal is one of most important processes inside the fog layer in SJV. We estimate based on the three episodes investigated during IMS95 that a typical fog episode removes 500–2000 μg m⁻² of sulfate, 2500–6500 μg m⁻² of nitrate, and 2000–3500 μg m⁻² of ammonium. For the winter SJV valley the net fog effect corresponds to reductions in ground ambient concentrations of 0.05–0.2 μg m⁻³ for sulfate, 3–6 μg m⁻³ for total nitrate, and 1–3 μg m⁻³ for total ammonium.