AVS-SEM relationships and potential bioavailability of trace metals in sediments from the Southeastern Mediterranean sea,Egypt

In risk assessment of aquatic sediments, much attention is paid to the difference between acid volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) as indicators of metal bioavailability. Distribution of AVS and SEM (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined in 20 representative sampling sites collected along the Egyptian Mediterranean coast. Total SEM concentration [ΣSEM] ranged from 0.012 to 0.241 μmoleg^?1. AVS concentrations were much more variable, showing significant spatial variations. The values ranged from 0.015 to 31.326 μmoleg^?1. The different relationships between AVS and SEM to establish mechanical models such as the ratio of ΣSEM and AVS [ΣSEM/AVS], the difference between the ΣSEM and AVS [ΣSEM–AVS], or the organic carbon normalised difference between SEM and AVS [ΣSEM-AVS]/f_oc models were used as parameters to evaluate potential bioavailability. Considering SEM/AVS model, sediments at the Western Harbour, Eastern Harbour, Ras El-Burr, El-Gamil East, and Port Said stations are occasionally toxic, while according to SEM-AVS model, no indication of associated adverse toxic effect would occur at any of the sampling sites. Calculated [ΣSEM-AVS]/f_oc was<130 μmoleg^?1 in the sediments indicating that sediments should pose a low risk of adverse biological effects owing to cadmium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc. Association of adverse effects to aquatic organisms was determined, using the classification of the sediments according to the Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs). The marine Threshold Effect Levels (TEL) and Probable Effect Levels (PEL) were used in this work and in order to obtain a more realistic measure of predicted toxicity, mean PEL quotients (PELq) were calculated. The mean PELq calculated for the sampling sites was (0.11–1.5) and categorised as slightly toxic at all stations except Baghoush, Nobarreya and western harbour, which had PELq<0.1 and categorised as non-toxic. The obtained data concluded that the remobility and bioavailability of trace metals contained in surfacial sediments of the Egyptian Mediterranean coastal area are low.     

Fractionation of trace metals (Mn,Zn, Cu,Pb) in Red Sea sediments,Gulf of Aden,Yemen

A sequential extraction technique was applied to estimate the chemical association of Mn, Zn, Cu and Pb in five chemical phases (exchangeable, carbonate, Fe–Mn oxides, organic matter and residual) in sediments of the Gulf of Aden, Yemen. The results indicated that a higher level of Mn was associated with the residual fraction (natural sources) than the non-residual fraction (anthropogenic sources). Zn fractionations revealed that it was associated more with Fe–Mn oxides and organic fractions than exchangeable and carbonate fractions. Most of the Cu was present in the residual form (60–72%) except for in the main port area (zone III), where it was associated with the organic phase (77% of the total Cu content, the organic matter content was 5%). Similarly, most Pb was bound in the residual fraction (56–71%) except the main port area where ～ 62% of the total Pb was bound in non-residual fractions. It was also found that the Pb concentration in the exchangeable fraction was very high compared with other metals. The risk assessment code for the metals showed a low risk for Zn and Cu, but low to medium risk for Mn. Fractionation of Pb showed medium risk at most of the regions except at the eastern area, which revealed a high risk for the aquatic environment.     

A Phororhacoid bird from the Eocene of Africa

The bird fossil record is globally scarce in Africa. The early Tertiary evolution of terrestrial birds is virtually unknown in that continent. Here, we report on a femur of a large terrestrial new genus discovered from the early or early middle Eocene (between ～52 and 46?Ma) of south-western Algeria. This femur shows all the morphological features of the Phororhacoidea, the so-called Terror Birds. Most of the phororhacoids were indeed large, or even gigantic, flightless predators or scavengers with no close modern analogs. It is likely that this extinct group originated in South America, where they are known from the late Paleocene to the late Pleistocene (～59 to 0.01?Ma). The presence of a phororhacoid bird in Africa cannot be explained by a vicariant mechanism because these birds first appeared in South America well after the onset of the mid-Cretaceous Gondwana break up (～100?million years old). Here, we propose two hypotheses to account for this occurrence, either an early dispersal of small members of this group, which were still able of a limited flight, or a transoceanic migration of flightless birds from South America to Africa during the Paleocene or earliest Eocene. Paleogeographic reconstructions of the South Atlantic Ocean suggest the existence of several islands of considerable size between South America and Africa during the early Tertiary, which could have helped a transatlantic dispersal of phororhacoids.     

An overview on the enhanced gas condensate recovery with novel and green methods

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A consideration of the negative environmental aspects of fossil fuels has made natural gas the best choice to meet the human demand for energy. The...     

Current perspective on veterinary drug and chemical residues in food of animal origin

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The marked increase in the demand for animal protein of high quality necessitates protecting animals from infectious diseases. This requires...