Do tailings from the Mariana,MG (Brazil), disaster affect the initial development of millet,maize, and sorghum?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The collapse of the Fundão dam in Mariana, MG, in 2015 resulted in the overflow of more than 50 million m3 of mud containing mine tailings,...     

Influence of the current density on the electrochemical treatment of concentrated 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride solutions on diamond electrodes

This paper focuses on the influence of the current density treatment of a concentrated 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMImCl) solution on an electrochemical reactor with a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode. The decrease in the total organic carbon (TOC) and the BMImCl concentration demonstrate the capability of BDD in oxidizing ionic liquids (ILs) and further mineralizing (to CO₂ and NO₃ ^?) more rapidly at higher current densities in spite of the reduced current efficiency of the process. Moreover, the presence of Cl^? led to the formation of oxychlorinated anions (mostly ClO₃ ^? and ClO₄ ^?) and, in combination with the ammonia generated in the cathode from the nitrate reduction, chloramines, more intensely at higher current density. Finally, the analysis of the intermediates formed revealed no apparent influence of the current density on the BMImCl degradation mechanism. The current density presents therefore a complex influence on the IL treatment process that is discussed throughout this paper.     

Chemometric tools applied to optimize a fast solid-phase microextraction method for analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in produced water

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Chemometric tools are powerful strategies to efficiently optimize many processes. These tools were employed to optimize a fast-solid phase...     

Genotoxic Effect of Phenol on the Cells of Onion (Allium cepa) Roots

The roots of onion (Allium cepa) stand out for having cells with large size and small number of chromosomes.These characteristics make them useful in bioassays for the measurement of a variety of cytogenetic and morphological parameters , in which they can be used as toxicity indicators of the induction and formation of micronuclei and chromosomal aberrations.Based on this background , the potential genotoxic effect of phenol concentration on cells of A.ceparoots was investigated either in terms of induced aberrations or micronuclei formation.The results demonstrated that the higher the concentration of phenol , the higher the incidence of abnormalities , thus confirming the genotoxicity of this pollutant.     

Sequential determination and chemical speciation analysis of inorganic As and Sb in airborne particulate matter collected in outdoor and indoor environments using slurry sampling and detection by HG AAS

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this work, fast sequential determination and chemical speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic and antimony in airborne particulate matter...     

The adverse effects of injected functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube (f-MWCNT) on in vivo neurosecretory brain cells of Jamaican field cricket,Gryllus assimilis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been increasingly more prevalent due to their use in product technology owing to their exceptional electrical and thermal...     

Are there true cosmopolitan sipunculan worms? A genetic variation study within Phascolosoma perlucens (Sipuncula, Phascolosomatidae)

Phascolosoma perlucens is one of the most common intertidal sipunculan species and has been considered a circumtropical cosmopolitan taxon due to the presence of a long-lived larva. To verify whether P. perlucens is a true cosmopolitan species or a complex of cryptic forms, we examined the population structure and demographics of 56 putative P. perlucens individuals from 13 localities throughout the tropics. Analysis of two mitochondrial markers, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S rRNA, suggests high levels of genetic differentiation between distantly located populations of P. perlucens. At least four different lineages identified morphologically as P. perlucens were distinguished. These lineages are likewise supported by phylogenetic analysis of the two mitochondrial markers and by the haplotype network analysis. Our results suggest that P. perlucens is a case of overconservative taxonomy, rejecting the alleged cosmopolitanism of P. perlucens. However, cryptic speciation also exists in some areas, including a possible case of geminate species across the Isthmus of Panama.     

DDT residues in Lebanese soils

The present study was conducted to evaluate the levels of residual DDT in Lebanese soils. A total of 113 surface soil samples were collected for analysis from three major agricultural regions in the country: Mount Lebanon, Beqa'a valley and the coastal plain. The values of residual DDT in soils ranged between 0 and 1190 ng g(-1). The majority of the analyzed soil samples were free or contained very low concentrations of DDE. Only two surface soil samples, which were collected from urban areas with high human activities, contained relatively high concentrations of residual DDT. The levels of residual DDT in all of the analyzed soil samples were within the permissible limits for agricultural soils.