Contamination status of arsenic and other trace elements in drinking water and residents from Tarkwa, a historic mining township in Ghana

This study was conducted to assess the contamination status of 22 trace elements, especially As in water and residents in Tarkwa, a historic mining town in Ghana. Drinking water and human urine samples were collected from Tarkwa in addition to control samples taken from Accra, the capital of Ghana in March, 2004. Concentrations of As and Mn in some drinking water samples from Tarkwa were found above the WHO drinking water guidelines posing a potential health risk for the people. A potential health risk of As and Mn is a concern for the people consuming the contaminated water in this area. No significant difference of As concentrations in human urine between mining town (Tarkwa) and control site (Accra) was observed. Although As concentrations in drinking water in Tarkwa were low, urinary As levels were comparable to those reported in highly As-affected areas in the world. These results suggest the presence of other sources of As contamination in Ghana. This is the first study on multi-elemental contamination in drinking water and human from a mining town in Ghana.     

Simple removal of dioxins by injecting combustion gas into water

A simple, low-cost method for suppression of dioxins/furans (hereinafter referred to as dioxins) is required because many middle- and, especially, small-scale incinerators have fallen into disuse or have been dismantled because of the high running and system costs of measures for the suppression of dioxins. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to develop a simple removal method for dioxins from combustion gas and to evaluate the basic removal rate of dioxins. The removal method for suspended matter in a gas mixture (cold model) and dioxins in exhaust gases (hot model) has been investigated by means of gas injection into water, the mechanism of which is that the suspended matter in the gas gathers at the gas–liquid interface. In the cold model, the removal ratio of fine particles (R_P) by gas injection into water was reproduced well by the following equation: R_P (%) = 100 × {1−exp(−0.8 · S_S · t_C)}, where S_S (cm²/cm³) is the specific surface area of bubbles and t_C (s) is the residence time of bubbles in water. The removal ratio of fine particles increased as the product S_s · t_C increased. In a hot model using the exhaust gas from combustion experiments of polyvinyl chloride, the removal ratio of dioxins (R_D) by injecting the exhaust gas into water was estimated by the following equation: R_D (%) = 100 × {1−exp(−0.8 · S_S · t_C · C_D0 ^0.07)}, where C_D0 [ng/cm³ (at standard temperature and pressure)] is the dioxins concentration in the exhaust gas before injection into water. R_D depends greatly on the specific surface area of bubbles and the residence time of the bubbles in water, and only weakly on the dioxins concentration in the exhaust gas. Injection of the exhaust gas into water has been shown to be effective and was evaluated as a simple method for the removal of dioxins from exhaust gas.     

Spatial distribution and accumulation of brominated flame retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) from coastal waters of Korea

Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) from 20 locations along the coastal waters of Korea were analyzed to elucidate the characteristic distribution and contamination status of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report on the contamination status of HBCDs from Korea. PBDEs and HBCDs were found in mussels at levels ranging from 6.6 to 440 and from 6.0 to 500 ng/g lipid wt., respectively. Concentrations of PBDEs in mussels from Korea were higher or comparable to available data in mussels from other countries. Among the organochlorine compounds (OCs) analyzed, levels of PCBs and DDTs were the highest followed by CHLs, HCHs and hexachlorobenzene. For all the compounds, higher concentrations were found in mussels from southeastern coast of Korea. The present study shows the importance of mussels as bioindicators for monitoring contaminants in coastal waters.     

Arsenic accumulation in the liver tissue of marine mammals.

Arsenic concentrations were determined in livers of 226 individuals representing 16 different marine mammal species to elucidate its accumulation with age, sex, and feeding habits. Arsenic concentrations varied widely among species and individuals, and ranged from < 0.10 to 7.68 micrograms g-1 dry weight. Marine mammals feeding on cephalopods and crustaceans contained higher arsenic concentrations than those feeding on fishes. No significant gender difference in arsenic concentration was found for almost all the species. Also, no apparent trend with age (or body length) in arsenic accumulation was found for most of the species. It was noted that two seal species, Baikal seal and Caspian seal, from landlocked water environments, contained lower arsenic concentrations than the marine species. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study of arsenic accumulation in a wide range of marine mammal species.     

Urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine in inhabitants chronically exposed to arsenic in groundwater in Cambodia

Arsenic concentrations in hair and urine, and urinary levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a marker of oxidative DNA damage, were examined for inhabitants of the Mekong Basin in Kratie Province, Cambodia. Also, the arsenic levels of tube-well water were determined. Total arsenic concentrations in tube-well water ranged from <1 to 886 microg L(-1), and 44.8% of these exceeded the WHO drinking water guideline of 10 microg L(-1). Elevated levels of arsenic were observed in the human hair and urine, and also a significant positive correlation was observed between the concentrations in hair and urine. These results suggest that the inhabitants are chronically exposed to arsenic through drinking the tube-well water. Levels of urinary 8-OHdG were higher for the subjects with higher arsenic levels in hair and urine, suggesting that induction of oxidative DNA damage was caused by chronic exposure to arsenic in tube-well water for the inhabitants in Kratie Province. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the oxidative DNA damage caused by chronic exposure to arsenic in groundwater for the inhabitants in Cambodia.     

Mercury in hair and blood from residents of Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and possible effect on serum hormone levels

High concentration of mercury (Hg) in hair has been reported for Cambodians. To confirm the Hg contamination occurring through intake, Hg concentrations were determined in both hair and blood of residents (n=20) from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Mercury concentrations in the hair and blood were 0.69-190microg g(-1) dry wt and 5.2-58microg l(-1), respectively, which were lower than those from Hg contaminated or high fish intake regions, but were higher than those from non-contaminated regions. Some female subjects had hair and blood Hg levels exceeding the threshold values for neurotoxic effects. Interestingly, serum estrone and estradiol levels were positively correlated with blood Hg level for both males and females, indicating possible induction of female hormones by Hg exposure in Cambodians.     

Mercury emission from sewage sludge incineration in Japan

Sewage sludge contains trace amounts of mercury, and sewage sludge incineration is a major source of mercury emissions. However, relatively few studies have reported on mercury emissions from sewage sludge incineration. Consequently, data on emissions from sewage sludge incinerators must be updated to estimate current emissions of mercury. In this study, we examined mercury emissions and speciation using continuous mercury analyzers in two incinerators. The mercury concentrations in stack gas from facilities A and B were 36.6 and 21.1???g/Nm³, respectively. As a result, the emission rate was calculated to be 0.282?C0.750?g/ton-dry sludge. Considering the total amount of sewage sludge incinerated in Japan, the mercury emissions from sewage sludge incinerators were estimated to be 0.49?C1.31?tons/year.     

Carbon nanotube-like materials in the exhaust from a diesel engine using gas oil/ethanol mixing fuel with catalysts and sulfur

Particulate matter from a diesel engine, including soot and carbon nanomaterials, was collected on a sampling holder and the structure of the materials was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As a result of employing gas oil/ethanol mixing fuel with sulfur and ferrocene/molybdenum as catalyst sources, formation of carbon nanotubes (CNT)-like materials in addition to soot was observed in the exhaust gas from a diesel engine. It was revealed that CNT-like materials were included among soot in our system only when the following three conditions were satisfied simultaneously: high ethanol fraction in fuel, high sulfur loading, and presence of catalyst sources in fuel. This study confirmed that if at least one of these three conditions was not satisfied, CNT-like materials were not observed in the exhaust from a diesel engine. These experimental results shown in this work provide insights into understanding CNT-like material formation mechanism in a diesel engine.

Implications: Recent papers reported that carbon nanotube-like materials were included in the exhaust gas from engines, but conditions for carbon nanotube-like material formation have not been well studied. This work provides the required conditions for carbon nanotube-like material growth in a diesel engine, and this will be helpful for understanding the carbon nanotube-like material formation mechanism and taking countermeasures to preventing carbon nanotube-like material formation in a diesel engine.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Africa: a review of environmental levels

Several studies have shown an increase in PCB sources in Africa due to leakage and wrongly disposed transformers, continuing import of e-waste from countries of the North, shipwreck, and biomass burning. Techniques used in the recycling of waste such as melting and open burning to recover precious metals make PCBs contained in waste and other semivolatile organic substances prone to volatilization, which has resulted in an increase of PCB levels in air, blood, breast milk, and fish in several regions of Africa. Consequences for workers performing these activities without adequate measures of protection could result in adverse human health effects. Recent biodegradation studies in Africa have revealed the existence of exotic bacterial strains exhibiting unique and unusual PCB metabolic capability in terms of array of congeners that can serve as carbon source and diversity of congeners attacked, marking considerable progress in the development of effective bioremediation strategies for PCB-contaminated matrices such as sediments and soils in tropical regions. Action must be taken to find and deal with the major African sources of these pollutants. The precise sources of the PCB plume should be pinned down and used to complete the pollutant inventories of African countries. These nations must then be helped to safely dispose of the potentially dangerous chemicals.     

Organochlorine and organotin compounds in Caspian seals (Phoca caspica) collected during an unusual mortality event in the Caspian Sea in 2000

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides and organotin compounds were determined in the blubber and liver of Caspian seals (Phoca caspica) found stranded on the coast of the Caspian Sea during an outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV) in 2000. Among organochlorines analyzed, DDTs were the most dominant contaminants with concentrations ranging from 6.3 to 470 microg/g on a lipid-weight basis. Caspian seals collected in 2000 during the epizootic had higher concentrations of organochlorines than healthy individuals sampled in 1998. However, the blubber layer was generally thinner in the seals collected in 2000 than those in the previous surveys. Although compositions of organochlorine pesticides in seals suggested that the contamination status in the Caspian Sea is improving, the levels found in Caspian seals in 2000 were comparable to those in other marine mammals that have suffered from epizootics. This implies that the present status of contamination found in Caspian seals poses a risk of immunosuppression. Concentrations of butyltin compounds in livers of seals ranged from 0.49 to 17 ng/g on a wet-weight basis and octyltin compounds were below limit of detection in all the samples analyzed, suggesting less contamination by organotin compounds in the Caspian Sea.