Variation in arsenic,lead and zinc tolerance and accumulation in six populations of Pteris vittata L. from China

Arsenic, Pb and Zn tolerance and accumulation were investigated in six populations of Pteris vittata collected from As-contaminated and uncontaminated sites in southeast China compared with Pteris semipinnata (a non-As hyperaccumulator) in hydroponics and on As-contaminated soils. The results showed that both metallicolous and nonmetallicolous population of P. vittata possessed high-level As tolerance, and that the former exhibited higher As tolerance (but not Pb and Zn tolerance) than the latter. In hydroponic culture, nonmetallicolous population clearly showed significantly higher As concentrations in fronds than those in metallicolous populations. In pot trials, As concentrations in fronds of nonmetallicolous population ranged from 1060 to 1639 mg kg^?1, about 2.6- to 5.4-folds as those in metallicolous populations. It was concluded that As tolerance in P. vittata resulted from both constitutive and adaptive traits, Pb and Zn tolerances were constitutive properties, and that nonmetallicolous population possesses more effective As hyperaccumulation than metallicolous populations.     

A study of the partitioning behavior of Irgarol-1051 and its transformation products

Partitioning behavior of the antifouling booster biocide, Irgarol-1051 (2-methythio-4-tert-butylamino-6-cyclopropylamino-s-triazine), its production by-product, M3, and its environmental transformation products, M1 and M2, were studied. Octanol-water partition coefficients, log K(OW), and organic matter-water partition coefficients, log K(OC), of these s-triazines were measured by reversed-phase HPLC and a triphasic SPME equilibrium model, respectively. The average log K(OW) (+/-SD) of the four s-triazine species were: 4.39+/-0.07 (M3); 3.38+/-0.12 (Irgarol-1051); 2.92+/-0.12 (M2) and 2.54+/-0.11 (M1), while mean log K(OC) (+/-SD) of these species were: 2.47+/-0.03 (M3); 2.16+/-0.03 (Irgarol-1051); 1.97+/-0.03 (M2) and 1.79+/-0.04 (M1). These results were compared to reported physicochemical parameters of Irgarol-1051 in the literature. Partitioning behavior of these s-triazine species in the coastal environment revealed by their K(OW) and K(OC) were also discussed.     

Environmental contamination from electronic waste recycling at Guiyu, southeast China

The disposal, recycling, and part salvaging of discarded electronic devices such as computers, printers, televisions, and toys are now creating a new set of waste problems. This study is aimed at identifying the sources and quantifying the pollution levels generated from electronic waste (e-waste) activities at Guiyu, Guangdong Province, China, and their potential impacts on the environment and human health. The preliminary results indicate that total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil obtained from a printer roller dump site was 593 μg/kg dry weight (dry wt.) and in sediment from a duck pond, the PAH concentration was 514 μg/kg (dry wt.). Sediment from the Lianjiang River was found to be contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls (743 μg/kg) at a level approaching three times the Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines probable effect level of 277 μg/kg. Total mono- to hepta-brominated diphenyl ether homologue concentrations (1140 and 1169 μg/kg dry wt.) in soils near dumping sites were approximately 10–60 times those reported for other polybrominated diphenyl ether-contaminated locations in the world. In-house study on the open burning of cable wires showed extremely high levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans resulting in 12419 ng toxic equivalents (TEQ)/kg of waste input and 15 610 ng TEQ/kg for two separate tests, respectively, which were about three orders of magnitude higher than those for the open burning of household waste. High levels of Cu (712, 528, and 496 mg/kg), exceeding the new Dutch list action value, were determined for soil near the printer roller dumping area, sediment from Lianjiang River, and soil from a plastic burn site, respectively. A more thorough study is underway to elucidate the extent of contamination of toxic pollutants in different ecological compartments to establish whether these pollutants are bioaccumulated and biomagnified through food chains. Assessments of human health impacts from oral intake, inhalation, and dermal contact will be subsequently investigated. An erratum to this article is available at.     

Removal of batteries from solid waste using trommel separation

This paper describes the design and testing of a trommel for separation of batteries from solid waste. A trommel is a cylindrical separation device that rotates and performs size separation. It has also been used in areas such as municipal solid waste (MSW) processing, classifying construction and demolition debris, screening mass-burn incinerator ash and compost processing. A trommel has been designed based on size separation to separate household batteries from solid waste, which can then be used as feedstock for alternative applications of solid waste combustion, particularly where the metal content of the product is also a critical parameter, such as the Co-Co process for integrated cement and power production. This trommel has been tested with batches of university office and restaurant wastes against various factors. The recovery efficiency of batteries increases with decreasing inclination angle of the trommel and decreasing rotational speed. A physical characterization of the university solid waste has been performed with a 20-kg sample of the tested waste. It was found that there is a trend of decreasing recovery of batteries with increasing paper composition, and a trend of increasing recovery of batteries with increasing organic materials composition.     

EFFECT OF THE PAPER INDUSTRY ON WATER QUALITY OF THE LOWER FOX RIVER1

ABSTRACT: The Lower Fox River, Wisconsin, hosts the densest concentration of paper mills in the US., with 18 located along a 4Gde stretch between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay, Lake Michigan. Some of these companies use only primary, others also secondary, waste treatment techniques. Comparison of the quantities of wastes discharged with the legal limits indicates that all plants discharge only 40-50 percent or less of the allowable suspended solids; most discharge < 50 percent of the allowable BOD. This is equal or better than the performance of paper companies elsewhere in the state. Reductions in pollutant discharges have corresponded to improved water quality, though too much BOD is still discharged to be adequately assimilated by the Fox River. The relatively low current level of discharges means permit levels would have to be drastically cut to make any significant impact on water quality. Only a few companies might be seriously affected by such changes. Flow and temperature related permits would likely be more effective, but more difficult to comply with for the industry. Toxic substances are also a potential problem, particularly chlororganic compounds that can form in situ from the chlorine frequently used for pulp bleaching.     

Toxicity of anti-fouling biocides to encysted metacercariae of Echinoparyphium recurvatum (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) and their snail hosts

The toxicity of the anti-fouling biocides tributyltin (TBTO), copper, and Irgarol 1051 (irgarol) at a nominal concentration of 10 microg/l over a 30 day period were investigated against the viability of metacercarial cysts of the digenean parasite Echinoparyphium recurvatum resident within the body of two common freshwater snails, Lymnaea peregra and Physa fontinalis. Reduced parasite viability was found under most exposures in both snail species. However a greater effect of toxicant exposure was found in cysts within P. fontinalis compared to those in L. peregra. This was associated with an increased mortality of the host snail. Among all tested biocides, TBTO exposures induced the highest mortality to both the parasite and their hosts. These results suggest that parasite viability is interlinked with survival of the host snail. The mechanisms of differing toxicity between host species and its relevance to successful parasite transmission to the next host are discussed.     

Studies on thallium toxicity, its tissue distribution and histopathological effects in rats

The distribution of thallium (Tl) in the body and its toxic effect on the histology and function of the liver and kidney of rats after Tl administration were investigated using biochemical and histopathological assays. Male albino rats exhibited a markedly dose-dependent increase in the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) at 16 h after an intraperitoneal injection of 30, 60 or 120 mg/kg Tl. The serum level of creatinine in the rats injected with 30 mg/kg Tl, elevated significantly after 4 days of administration. The distribution of Tl in the tissues of intoxicated rats was uneven. The content of Tl was found to be highest in the kidney, followed by ileum, stomach and liver. Histological examination demonstrated frequent occurrence of hepatocyte necrosis and vacuolation in the liver and pathological changes of renal tubules in the treated rats.     

Depuration of metals from soft tissues of oysters (Crassostrea gigas) transplanted from a contaminated site to clean sites

The present study aimed at studying the transplantation of oysters from a polluted site Lau Fau Shan (existing oyster culture zone) in Deep Bay to two clean sites mariculture zones at Yung Shue O and Kat O. The hydrological data, growth of oyster shell length, mortality and metal contents in whole soft tissue were monitored from February 1993 to February 1994. The high growth phase (increase in shell length) and gametogenesis (decrease in dry weight of whole soft tissue) were noted in winter (with low temperature and high salinity), and slow growth phase and spawning in summer (with high temperature and low salinity). Significant reductions (p<0.05) of Cd, Cr and Pb concentrations (dry wt basis) in soft tissue of transplanted oysters were observed at Kat O by 29, 55 and 29%, respectively, and at Yung Shue O by 34, 44 and 34%, respectively, with respect to the baseline values for the first batch of oysters and the concentrations in samples collected from Lau Fau Shan in the same months. Maximum reductions of total metal burden in whole soft tissue (microg per individual oyster) of the first oyster batch were found for Cd, Cr, Pb and Sb to be 62, 49, 60 and 25%, respectively, at Kat O, and to be 56, 47, 32 and 49%, respectively, at Yung Shue O. For the second batch of oysters transplanted to Yung Shue O in July 1993, significant reductions (p<0.05) of Cd concentration and total burden of Cd by 60 and 21%, respectively, were observed in February 1994. The high accumulated mortality and the significant (p<0.05) lower growth rate of the transplanted oysters illustrated that the best time for transplantation of oysters should be between the end of gametogenesis and the start of spawning (i.e. January and February), and the oysters should not be kept for longer than 3 months at the transplantation sites.