Accumulation of metals by vegetation in a small drainage area exposed to aerotechnogenic pollution

Trends in the accumulation of metals by different plant species have been analyzed in a forest phytocenosis of the southern taiga zone of the Middle Urals, which is polluted by emissions from a copper-smelting plant. The rate of metal accumulation in the course of annual and net phytomass production and metal outflow with surface waters beyond the biogeocenosis boundaries have been estimated.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 1, 2005, pp. 26–31.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Fedorova, Odintseva.     

Removal and seasonal variability of selected analgesics/anti-inflammatory,anti-hypertensive/cardiovascular pharmaceuticals and UV filters in wastewater treatment plant

Seasonal removal efficiency of 16 pharmaceuticals and personal care products was monitored in a wastewater treatment plant in ?eské Budějovice, Czech Republic, over a period of 1 year (total amount of samples, n?=?272). The studied compounds included four UV filters, three analgesics/anti-inflammatory drugs and nine anti-hypertensive/cardiovascular drugs. In most cases, elimination of the substances was incomplete, and overall removal rates varied strongly from ?38 to 100 %. Therefore, it was difficult to establish a general trend for each therapeutic group. Based on the removal efficiencies (REs) over the year, three groups of target compounds were observed. A few compounds (benzophenon-1, valsartan, isradipine and furosemide) were not fully removed, but their REs were greater than 50 %. The second group of analytes, consisting of 2-phenylbenzimidazole-5-sulfonic acid, tramadol, sotalol, metoprolol, atenolol and diclofenac, showed a very low RE (lower than 50 %). The third group of compounds showed extremely variable RE (benzophenon-3 and benzophenon-4, codeine, verapamil, diltiazem and bisoprolol). There were significant seasonal trends in the observed REs, with reduced efficiencies in colder months.     

Passive sampling of perfluorinated acids and sulfonates using polar organic chemical integrative samplers

The applicability of a polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) for detection and determination of perfluorinated acids and sulfonates in water was studied under field conditions. Standard POCIS configurations (i.e., pharmaceutical and pesticide) were deployed in effluent from a wastewater treatment plant for 1, 2, and 3 weeks. Ten of 15 target compounds were found in POCIS, five of which were quantified in wastewater. Pest-POCIS appeared more effective for the sampling, while Pharm-POCIS had a more rapid uptake kinetic, which leads to faster saturation or equilibrium. The results showed that the pesticide configuration is probably more suitable for the sampling of this class of compounds. Based on average concentration in water over the sampling period and amount of compound adsorbed in the POCIS, we calculated sampling rates for five studied compounds and obtained values of 0.034 to 0.222 L?day^?1.     

Ecological and faunistic characteristics of the leech fauna in the Bukhtarma Reservoir,Eastern Kazakhstan

The taxonomic diversity of the Hirudinea fauna and its dependence on the ecological conditions in the Bukhtarma Reservoir (Eastern Kazakhstan) have been studied. The morphological analysis has shown that these leeches belong to two orders and three families: Rhynchobdellida (families Glossiphoniidae and Piscicolidae) and Arhynchobdellida (family Erpobdellidae). On the whole, eight leech species from five genera (Alboglossiphonia, Helobdella, Theromyzon, Piscicola, and Erpobdella) have been identified. Among them, there are three glossiphoniid species (A. heteroclite, H. stagnalis, and T. tessulatum), two species of piscicolids (Piscicola geometra and Piscicola sp.), and three species of predatory leeches (E. octoculata, E. vilnensis, and Erpobdella sp.). Possible effects of hydrochemical parameters of the aquatic environment on the species diversity have been analyzed. Correlation has been revealed between the abundance of species and the physical and chemical characteristics of the environment.     

Evaluation of the dependence of aqueous solubility of nitro compounds on temperature and salinity: a COSMO-RS simulation

The solubility in pure and saline water at various temperatures was calculated for selected nitro compounds (nitrobenzene, 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, 2-nitrotoluene, 3-nitrotoluene, 4-nitrotoluene, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, 2,6-dinitrotoluene, 2,3-dinitrotoluene, 3,4-dinitrotoluene, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene) using the Conductor-like Screening model for Real Solvents (COSMO-RS). The results obtained were compared with experimental values. The COSMO-RS predictions have shown high accuracy in reproducing the trends of aqueous solubilities for both temperature and salinity. The proposed methodology was then applied to predict the aqueous solubilities of 19 nitro compounds in the temperature range of 5-50 °C in saline solutions. The salting-out parameters of the Setschenow equation were also calculated. The predicted salting-out parameters were overestimated when compared to the measured values, but these parameters can still be used for qualitative estimation of the trends.