On airborne nano/micro-sized wear particles released from low-metallic automotive brakes

The paper addresses the wear particles released from commercially available “low-metallic” automotive brake pads subjected to brake dynamometer tests. Particle size distribution was measured in situ and the generated particles were collected. The collected fractions and the original bulk material were analyzed using several chemical and microscopic techniques. The experiments demonstrated that airborne wear particles with sizes between 10 nm and 20 μm were released into the air. The numbers of nanoparticles (<100 nm) were by three orders of magnitude larger when compared to the microparticles. A significant release of nanoparticles was measured when the average temperature of the rotor reached 300 °C, the combustion initiation temperature of organics present in brakes. In contrast to particle size distribution data, the microscopic analysis revealed the presence of nanoparticles, mostly in the form of agglomerates, in all captured fractions. The majority of elements present in the bulk material were also detected in the ultra-fine fraction of the wear particles.     

Maturation,fecundity, and spawning strategy of the thornback ray, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Raja clavata</Emphasis>: do reproductive characteristics vary regionally?

In Portuguese waters, thornback ray Raja clavata spawns mainly between May and January, although females and males in spawning condition are found throughout the year. The maturation process can be divided into three main phases by using information on gonad weight, oviducal gland and uterus width in females and on gonad weight, clasper length and sperm duct width in males. Females attain length-at-first-maturity at 784 mm and males at 676 mm, at ages of 7.5 and 5.8 years, respectively. In females larger than length-at-first-maturity, a resting stage was identified characterized by low gonadosomatic index and well-developed oviducal glands and uteri. These results along with the low proportion of adult females that are effectively reproducing per month demonstrated that the thornback ray cannot be considered a continuous spawner as described in other studies. Fecundity was determinate with about 35 eggs released per batch. During the spawning season, a total of four batch episodes occur indicating that the total fecundity was approximately 136 eggs per female. Regional differences may exist in the reproductive strategy of the species, namely on the duration of the spawning season, length-at-first-maturity, and fecundity, which can be related to a more intense fishing pressure in northern European waters.     

Effects of tertiary treatment by fungi on organic compounds in a kraft pulp mill effluent

Background, aim and scope  

Pulp and paper mills generate a plethora of pollutants depending upon the type of pulping process. Efforts to mitigate the environmental impact of such effluents have been made by developing more effective biological treatment systems in terms of biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, colour and lignin content. This study is the first that reports an evaluation of the effects of a tertiary treatment by fungi (Pleurotus sajor caju, Trametes versicolor and Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Rhizopus oryzae) on individual organic compounds of a Eucalyptus globulus bleached kraft pulp and paper mill final effluent after secondary treatment (final effluent).     

Concentrations and sources of Dechlorane Plus in sewage sludge

Sewage sludge from 31 urban Spanish wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) was analyzed for the emerging halogenated flame retardant Dechlorane Plus (DP). Concentrations of the two major isomers in the technical mixture, syn and anti, ranged between 0.903-19.2 and 1.55-75.1 ng g⁻¹ dry weight, respectively. Overall, concentrations of DP were lower than those of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (9.10-995 ng g⁻¹ dry weight) and this is likely related to the higher usage of brominated flame retardants. The average ratio of the syn isomer to total DP (f_syn) was 0.28 ± 0.05, which is similar to that of the commercial mixture. Comparing different wastewater treatment methods, we found lower concentrations in those using biological nitrogen and phosphorous elimination, suggesting that DP is susceptible to microbial degradation and that anti-DP is more so, given the enrichment of syn-DP in the sewage sludge. Principal components analysis revealed significant positive correlation (r = 0.619, p < 0.05) between total DP concentrations with the contribution of industrial input to waste streams. This implies release of DP is related to industrial activity, likely stemming from the use of the technical product during manufacture of consumer goods. However, use and disposal of products containing DP could not be dismissed. According to our knowledge, this is the first report on DP in WWTP sludge.     

Arsenic and mercury bioaccumulation in the aquatic plant, Vallisneria neotropicalis

Arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) are among the most toxic metals/metalloids. The overall goal of this study was to investigate the bioaccumulation of these trace elements in Vallisneria neotropicalis, a key trophic species in aquatic environments. For this purpose, As and Hg concentrations were determined in sediments and natural populations of V. neotropicalis in sub-estuaries of Mobile Bay (Alabama, USA), differing with respect to past and present anthropogenic impact. Analyses indicate that the Fish River is the most contaminated among the sub-estuaries investigated; levels of As found in Fish River sediments fall within a range that could potentially cause adverse effects in biota. Sediment As concentrations were only moderately correlated with those in V. neotropicalis; no correlation was found between sediment and plant Hg levels. However, several parameters could have masked such potential relationships (e.g., differences in sediment characteristics and “biological dilution” phenomena). Results presented herein highlight the numerous parameters that can influence metal/metalloids accumulation in aquatic plants as well as species-specific responses to trace element contamination. Finally, this study underscores the need for further investigation into contaminant bioaccumulation in ecologically and economically important coastal environments.     

Determining C/N ratios for typical organic wastes using biodegradable fractions

It is well established that an optimal aerobic and anaerobic microbial metabolism is achieved with a C/N ratio between 20 and 30. Most studies are currently based on chemically-measured carbon and nitrogen contents. However, some organic wastes can be composed of recalcitrant carbon fractions that are not bioavailable. To know the biodegradable C/N ratio, two different methods to determine the aerobic and anaerobic biodegradable organic carbon (BOC_AE and BOC_AN) are proposed and used to analyze a wide variety of different organic samples. In general, raw wastes and digested products have more amount of BOC_AE. On the contrast, the samples collected after an aerobic treatment have higher content of BOC_AN. In any case, all the BOC fractions are lower than the total organic carbon (TOC). Therefore, the C/N ratios based on BOC are always lower than the total C/N ratio based on the TOC measure. The knowledge of the real bioavailable C/N ratio is crucial for the biological treatments of organic materials. To reduce the test time necessary for BOC determination, the values of BOC for all the samples obtained at different times were compared and correlated with the final BOC. A method that allows for the determination of BOC_AE in 4 d is proposed. In relation to the anaerobic assay, the biogas potential calculated after 21 and 50 d was positively correlated with the final potential defined after 100 d of assay.     

Estimating historical landfill quantities to predict methane emissions

There are no observations for methane emissions from landfill waste in Ireland. Methane emissions are imputed from waste data. There are intermittent data on waste sent to landfill. We compare two alternative ways to impute the missing waste “data” and evaluate the impact on methane emissions. We estimate Irish historical landfill quantities from 1960–2008 and Irish methane emissions from 1968–2006. A model is constructed in which waste generation is a function of income, price of waste disposal and, household economies of scale. A transformation ratio of waste to methane is also included in the methane emissions model. Our results contrast significantly with the Irish Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) figures due to the differences in the underlying assumptions. The EPA’s waste generation and methane emission figures are larger than our estimates from the early 1990s onwards. Projections of the distance to target show that the EPA overestimates the required policy effort.     

Plant phenology, growth and nutritive quality of Briza maxima: responses induced by enhanced ozone atmospheric levels and nitrogen enrichment

An assessment of the effects of tropospheric ozone (O₃) levels and substrate nitrogen (N) supplementation, singly and in combination, on phenology, growth and nutritive quality of Briza maxima was carried out. Two serial experiments were developed in Open-Top Chambers (OTC) using three O₃ and three N levels. Increased O₃ exposure did not affect the biomass-related parameters, but enhanced senescence, increased fiber foliar content (especially lignin concentration) and reduced plant life span; these effects were related to senescence acceleration induced by the pollutant. Added N increased plant biomass production and improved nutritive quality by decreasing foliar fiber concentration. Interestingly, the effects of N supplementation depended on meteorological conditions and plant physiological activity. N supplementation counteracted the O₃-induced senescence but did not modifiy the effects on nutritive quality. Nutritive quality and phenology should be considered in new definitions of the O₃ limits for the protection of herbaceous vegetation.     

Level and origin of 129I and 137Cs in lichen samples (Cladonia alpestris) in central Sweden

Lichen is a symbiosis between algae and fungi. They have for decades been used as bioindicators for atmospheric deposition of heavy metals, organic compounds and radioactive elements. Especially the species Cladonia alpestris and Cladonia rangiferina are important for the food chain lichen-reindeer-man.The concentration of ¹²⁹I was determined in lichen samples (Cladonia alpestris) contaminated by fallout from atmospheric nuclear tests explosions and the Chernobyl accident. The samples were collected at Lake Rogen District (62.3°N, 12.4°E) in central Sweden in the periods 1961-1975 and 1987-1998, and analysed with accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) at CNA (Seville) to study its distribution in different layers. Data on the ¹³⁷Cs activity measured previously were also included in this study. The ¹²⁹I concentration ranged from (0.95 ± 0.13) × 10⁸ at g⁻¹ in 1961 in the uppermost layer to (14.2 ± 0.5) × 10⁸ at g⁻¹ in 1987 in deepest layer. The ¹²⁹I/¹³⁷Cs atom ratio ranged between 0.12 and 0.27 for lichen samples collected in the period 1961-1975, indicating weapons tests fallout. For lichen samples collected between 1987 and 1998 the behaviour of ¹³⁷Cs concentrations reflected Chernobyl fallout. The concentrations of the two radionuclides followed each other quite well in the profile, reflecting the same origin for both.From the point of view of the spatial distribution in the lichen, it appears that ¹²⁹I was predominantly accumulated in the lowest layer, the opposite to ¹³⁷Cs for which the highest amounts were detected systematically in the topmost layer of lichen. This vertical distribution is important for radioecology because lichen is the initial link in the food chain lichen-reindeer-man, and reindeer only graze the upper parts of lichen carpets.