Evaluation of vacuum filter sock surface sample collection method for Bacillus spores from porous and non-porous surfaces

Vacuum filter socks were evaluated for recovery efficiency of powdered Bacillus atrophaeus spores from two non-porous surfaces, stainless steel and painted wallboard and two porous surfaces, carpet and bare concrete. Two surface coupons were positioned side-by-side and seeded with aerosolized Bacillus atrophaeus spores. One of the surfaces, a stainless steel reference coupon, was sized to fit into a sample vial for direct spore removal, while the other surface, a sample surface coupon, was sized for a vacuum collection application. Deposited spore material was directly removed from the reference coupon surface and cultured for enumeration of colony forming units (CFU), while deposited spore material was collected from the sample coupon using the vacuum filter sock method, extracted by sonication and cultured for enumeration. Recovery efficiency, which is a measure of overall transfer effectiveness from the surface to culture, was calculated as the number of CFU enumerated from the filter sock sample per unit area relative to the number of CFU enumerated from the co-located reference coupon per unit area. The observed mean filter sock recovery efficiency from stainless steel was 0.29 (SD = 0.14, n = 36), from painted wallboard was 0.25 (SD = 0.15, n = 36), from carpet was 0.28 (SD = 0.13, n = 40) and from bare concrete was 0.19 (SD = 0.14, n = 44). Vacuum filter sock recovery quantitative limits of detection were estimated at 105 CFU m(-2) from stainless steel and carpet, 120 CFU m(-2) from painted wallboard and 160 CFU m(-2) from bare concrete. The method recovery efficiency and limits of detection established in this work provide useful guidance for the planning of incident response environmental sampling for biological agents such as Bacillus anthracis.     

Micro-evolution due to pollution: possible consequences for ecosystem responses to toxic stress

Polluting events can change community structure and ecosystem functioning. Selection of genetically inherited tolerance on exposed populations, here referred as micro-evolution due to pollution, has been recognized as one of the causes of these changes. However, there is a gap between studies addressing this process and those assessing effects at higher levels of biological organization. In this review we attempt to address these evolutionary considerations into the ecological risk assessment (ERA) of polluting events and to trigger the discussion about the consequences of this process for the ecosystem response to toxic stress. We provide clear evidence that pollution drives micro-evolutionary processes in several species. When this process occurs, populations inhabiting environments that become polluted may persist. However, due to the existence of ecological costs derived from the loss of genetic variability, negative pleiotropy with fitness traits and/or from physiological alterations, micro-evolution due to pollution may alter different properties of the affected populations. Despite the existence of empirical evidence showing that safety margins currently applied in the ERA process may account for pollution-induced genetic changes in tolerance, information regarding long-term ecological consequences at higher levels of biological organization due to ecological costs is not explicitly considered in these procedures. In relation to this, we present four testable hypotheses considering that micro-evolution due to pollution acts upon the variability of functional response traits of the exposed populations and generates changes on their functional effect traits, therefore, modifying the way species exploit their ecological niches and participate in the overall ecosystem functioning.     

Leaching and half-life of the herbicide tebuthiuron on a recharge area of Guarany aquifer in sugarcane fields in Brazil

This study was undertaken to evaluate the degradation and mobility of the herbicide tebuthiuron (N-[5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl]-N,N'-dimethylurea) in soil under field conditions, and its potential for leaching and groundwater contamination. A watershed, Espraiado, located over a recharge area in Brazil, was chosen for soil and water studies. At Espraiado, water samples were collected from seven wells at intervals of three months from March 2004 to June 2006 and analyzed for tebuthiuron. Other samples were taken from city wells located outside of the recharge area. To assess the potential movement to the aquifer, tebuthiuron was also applied to trial plots at the recommended label rate of 1.0 kg/ha a.i. in May of 2004, with and without sugarcane coverage, on sandy soil. Soil samples were collected during the years of 2004 and 2005, at depths intervals of 20 cm from soil surface down to 120 cm and analyzed for tebuthiuron at zero, 3, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 240, and 300 days after application. There was no clear effect of sugarcane coverage on the tebuthiuron degradation in soils, but it moved faster into the soil where there was no cover. After 180 days there were no measurable residues in the soil, and tebuthiuron was not found below 40 cm depth in any time. Tebuthiuron had a half-life of 20 days under those conditions. No tebuthiuron residue was found in ground water samples at any sampling time.     

The conversion of chicken manure to biooil by fast pyrolysis II. Analysis of chicken manure, biooils, and char by curie-point pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Cp Py-GC/MS)

The initial chicken manure and the three fractions derived from it by fast pyrolysis, that is, the two biooils Fractions I and II as well as the residual char were analyzed by Curie-point pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Cp Py-GC/MS). The individual compounds identified were grouped into the following six compound classes: (a) N-heterocyclics; (b) substituted furans; (c) phenol and substituted phenols; (d) benzene and substituted benzenes; (e) carbocyclics; and (f) aliphatics. Of special interest were the relatively high concentrations of N-heterocyclics in biooil Fraction II which was obtained in the highest yield and had the highest calorific value. Prominent N-heterocyclics in biooil Fraction II were methyl-and ethyl-substituted pyrroles, pyridines, pyrimidine, pyrazines, and pteridine. Also noteworthy was the high abundance of aliphatics in biooil Fraction I and the char. The alkanes and alkenes in biooil Fraction I ranged from n-C7 to n-C18 and C7:1 to C18:1, respectively, and those in the char from n-C7 to n-C19 and C7:1 to C19:1, respectively. The N-heterocyclics in the two biooil Fractions came from the chicken manure, from proteinaceous materials during fast pyrolysis or were formed during the fast pyrolysis manure conversion by the Maillard reaction which involved the formation of N-heterocyclics by amino acids interacting with sugars.     

Use of headspace SPME-GC-MS for the analysis of the volatiles produced by indoor molds grown on different substrates

An automated headspace solid phase microextraction method followed by GC-MS analysis was used to evaluate and compare the in vitro production of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) on malt extract agar, plasterboard and wallpaper. Five fungal strains were isolated from the walls of water-damaged houses and identified. In addition, four other common molds were studied. In general, MVOC production was the highest on malt extract agar. On this synthetic medium, molds typically produced 2-methylpropanol, 2-methylbutanol and 3-methylbutanol. On wallpaper, mainly 2-ethylhexanol, methyl 2-ethylhexanoate and compounds of the C8-complex such as 1-octene-3-ol, 3-octanone, 3-octanol and 1,3-octadiene were detected. The detection of 2-ethylhexanol and methyl 2-ethylhexanoate indicates an enhanced degradation of the substrate by most fungi. For growth on plasterboard, no typical metabolites were detected. Despite these metabolite differences on malt extract agar, wallpaper and plasterboard, some molds also produced specific compounds independently of the used substrate, such as trichodiene from Fusarium sporotrichioides and aristolochene from Penicillium roqueforti. Therefore, these metabolites can be used as markers for the identification and maybe also mycotoxin production of these molds. All five investigated Penicillium spp. in this study were able to produce two specific diterpenes, which were not produced by the other species studied. These two compounds, which remain unidentified until now, therefore seem specific for Penicillium spp. and are potentially interesting for the monitoring of this fungal genus. Further experiments will be performed with other Penicillium spp. to study the possibility that these two compounds are specific for this group of molds.     

Heavy metals in the liver and muscle of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Micropogonias manni</Emphasis> fish from Budi Lake,Araucania Region,Chile: potential risk for humans

The concentrations of cadmium, lead, manganese and zinc were determined in the fish species Micropogonias manni captured in Budi Lake, Araucanía Region (Chile). The measurements were made by atomic absorption spectroscopy, and the analysis considered the sex, weight and size of the species; the representative samples were taken from the liver and muscle tissue. The method was validated using certified reference material (DOLT-1). The ranges of concentrations found in the muscle tissue were: Cd, not determinate (n.d.)–0.26; Pb, n.d.–1.88; Mn, 0.02–12.17 and Zn, 0.48–39.04 mg kg⁻¹ (dry weight). The concentrations in muscle tissue were generally lower than those found in the liver. With respect to the average concentrations recorded for each metal in the edible part of the fish (muscle tissue), it was found that the levels of Cd, Pb, Mn and Zn are within the ranges published by other authors in similar works and below the maximum concentration limits permitted by current legislation (FAO/WHO 2004; EU 2001) and do not constitute a health hazard for consumers of this species. The results were subjected to statistical analysis to evaluate the correlations between the content of the various metals and the sex, weight and size of each sample.     

Environmental Management in the Industrial Enterprises of the South of Spain

The eighties were notable for awareness of the need to prevent defects and for orientation towards the client to improve the competitiveness of industrial enterprises. This objective of zero defects has meant for many enterprises a management orientation to zero environmental impact. In this article we analyse the special situation of industrial enterprises in Andalusia (Spain) in the establishment of environmental management systems, proposing a matrix of strategies for their development based on the analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.     

Mercury fractionation in stream sediments from the Quadrilátero Ferrífero gold mining region, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

The Iron Quadrangle (IQ) region, located in the state of Minas Gerais, has been the most important gold producing area in Brazil since the end of seventeenth century. The use of mercury for gold amalgamation in small scale mines has been responsible for large release of Hg to aquatic and terrestrial environments during 300 years of mining. The present work sought to evaluate the fractionation of Hg in stream sediments is the southern region of the IQ by utilizing sequential extraction. Since mobility and availability of Hg are related to its distribution among sediment partitions, fractionation methods provide detailed information on the ecotoxicological impact and risks associated to the presence of Hg in sediments. The total Hg concentration varied from 179.3 to 690.1 microg kg( - 1) and Hg(0) accounted for the majority at all sample sites, ranging from 42% to 56% of the total.     

Historical changes of sediments and mollusk assemblages in the Gulf of Batabanó (Caribbean Sea) in the twentieth century

The first paleoecological reconstruction of the biogeochemical conditions of the Gulf of Batabanó, Caribbean Sea was performed from (210)Pb-dated sediment cores. Depth profiles of 20 major elements and trace metals, organic compounds, grain size, and mollusk assemblage composition were determined from 9 stations encompassing unconsolidated sediments in the gulf. Spatial heterogeneity was evident for the geochemistry of sediments and for the mollusk assemblage composition. Our reconstruction indicates that pollution is not a critical threat to the ecosystem, although a slight historical increase of lead enrichment factor was detected probably due to long-range atmospheric fallout. Mollusk assemblages were composed by 168 species belonging to 59 families and no temporal trends in the species diversity or assemblage composition were detected, suggesting no depletion of diversity or habitat loss. Other signals of habitat loss such as changes in organic budget or increase of fine sediment fraction were absent or weak. Nitrogen retained in sediments changed by <1% in the century, indicating no historical events of eutrophication or oligotrophication in the gulf. Historical decrease of fine sediment fraction in the eastern sector would be linked to modifications in sedimentation rate, land use, and/or particle transport from the shelf border; this also suggests that both sectors have different sedimentary dynamics. Although, on theoretical grounds, historical fishery may have caused deleterious ecosystem effects by overexploitation of spiny lobster stocks, no evidence of habitat degradation or loss, caused by fisheries, could be detected.