Levels of DDT and PCB's in different stages of life cycle of the Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea and the herring gull Larus argentatus

∑DDT and PCB levels were analysed in samples of arctic terns and herring gulls collected in the archipelago of southwestern Finland. Special attention was paid to the levels at various stages of the life cycle and in different sexes. The levels were nearly ten times higher in the herring gull. The highest loads were found in adult birds and in newly hatched chicks but the levels were much lower (only 7–12 % in the herring gull) in chicks just before fledgling. The levels in young gulls remained low until the end of August at least. Therefore it is plausible that the high levels found in adult gulls are a consequence of their wintering in the southern Baltic.The levels of ∑DDT and PCB residues were significantly lower in female arctic terns than in male terns. Differences between the sexes were small in the herring gull. Thus it is possible that the female of the arctic tern is able to release pollutants, especially PCB residues, more effectively into eggs than the female of the herring gull. The biochemical mechanisms involved are not clear but a possible explanation may be different lipoprotein structures in the eggs of the species.     

Dioxin concentrations in sediments of the Baltic Sea--a survey of existing data

Recent survey results for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs, dioxins) in Baltic Sea sediments from Finland, Sweden and Denmark were merged with previously published Baltic Sea data. Regional distribution of concentration levels, differences in congener patterns, and temporal changes in sediment profiles were examined. One of the main objectives was to study if any major point sources for different PCDD/F congeners could be identified on a regional scale, based on sediment records. The survey confirmed the impact of chlorophenol production derived highly chlorinated PCDF-congeners on the total toxicity in sediments in the Gulf of Finland near the Kymijoki river estuary. Signatures of other point sources or combined point sources pertinent to specific industry branches or particular production processes (such as pulp bleaching, vinyl chloride production, thermal processes) may be discerned. However, the findings did not support any of the known point sources significantly influencing those congeners that are most abundant in Baltic herring and salmon. Instead, regional distributions in the Baltic Sea indicate that atmospheric deposition may act as a major source for those congeners and especially for 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF. There were clear indications of declines in levels in sediment in some areas, but generally the levels of highly chlorinated PCDD/Fs on the northern coast of the Gulf of Finland were still high when compared with other areas of the Baltic Sea. Major areas with data gaps cover the south-eastern and eastern coastal regions of the Baltic Proper and the southern Gulf of Finland.     

Photodegradation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in soil with vegetable oil

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to investigate the effect of olive oil on the photodegradation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in contaminated sawmill soil. Previous studies had shown that the solubility of PCDD/Fs in olive oil is high and a rapid photodegradation of PCDD/Fs takes place in olive oil when irradiated with ultraviolet (blacklight) lamps. The efficiency of this treatment method was evaluated under more practical conditions. These included the use of sunlight irradiation and a lower-grade olive oil, without a preliminary extraction of soil with olive oil. METHODS: A 1-cm layer of contaminated sawmill soil was blended with 20 weight-% of olive oil and exposed to sunlight for four weeks. In another experiment, a new dose of olive oil was added at the middle of the exposure period. The PCDD/F concentrations of the soils were monitored periodically. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A reduction in the concentration of 2,3,7,8-chlorinated PCDD/Fs by 59% and in WHO-TEQ in contaminated sawmill soil by 48% was attained after blending the soil with two doses (20 + 20%) of olive oil and exposing the mixture to sunlight for four weeks. Photodegradation with only one dose of olive oil was less efficient. This suggests that periodical additions of olive oil would be needed to maintain a proper degradation rate. After the oil additions, the WHO-TEQ content of the soil declined with first order reaction half-lives of 19.2 to 19.7 d. The overall half-life during the four-week treatment, however, was 30 d. CONCLUSION: A significant reduction in the PCDD/F concentration of aged sawmill soil can be achieved with a relatively simple olive oil-sunlight treatment. RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUTLOOK: Some theoretical and technological questions need to be solved before using the investigated soil decontamination method in larger-scale applications. The functions of vegetable oils in photodegradation processes should be studied in more detail. The amount of oil that is needed for a proper solubilisation and photodegradation of PCDD/Fs should be minimised. Moreover, special care should be taken to prevent mobilisation of PCDD/Fs to the surrounding environment and to avoid leaving bioavailable residuals of PCDD/Fs in soil.     

Long-term exposure to enhanced UV-B radiation has no significant effects on growth or secondary compounds of outdoor-grown Scots pine and Norway spruce seedlings

The effects of long-term enhanced UV-B radiation on growth and secondary compounds of two conifer species were studied in an outdoor experiment. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) seedlings were exposed for two growing seasons and Norway spruce (Picea abies) seedlings for three growing seasons to supplemental UV-B radiation, corresponding to a 30% increase in ambient UV-B radiation. The experiment also included appropriate controls for ambient and increased UV-A radiation. Enhanced UV-B did not affect the growth of the conifer seedlings. In addition, neither the concentrations of terpenes and phenolics in the needles nor the concentrations of terpenes in the wood were affected. However, in the UV-A control treatment the concentrations of diterpenes in the wood of Scots pine decreased significantly compared to the ambient control. Apparently, a small increase in UV-B radiation has no significant effects on the secondary compounds and growth of Scots pine and Norway spruce seedlings.     

Survey of perfluorinated alkyl acids in Finnish effluents, storm water, landfill leachate and sludge

The objective of the Control of Hazardous Substances in the Baltic Sea (COHIBA) project is to support the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan regarding hazardous substances by developing joint actions to achieve the goal of “a Baltic Sea with life undisturbed by hazardous substances”. One aim in the project was to identify the most important sources of 11 hazardous substances of special concern in the Baltic Sea. Among them are perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). In this study, four perfluorinated alkyl acids (PFAAs) were studied: PFOA, PFOS, perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA). The occurrence of PFAAs in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant effluents (MWWTP1-3, IWWTP1), target industry effluent, storm water, landfill leachate and sludge was studied. Effluents were analysed six times and storm water, leachate and sludge were analysed twice, once in the warm season and once in the cold, during a 1-year sampling campaign. PFOS prevailed in two municipal effluents (MWWTP1 and 3) and industrial effluent (IWWTP1; 7.8–14, 8.0–640 and 320–1,300 ng/l, respectively). However, in one municipal effluent (MWWTP2) PFOA was, in a majority of sampling occasions, the predominant PFAA (9–15 ng/l) followed by PFOS (3.8–20 ng/l). The highest PFAA loads of the municipal effluents were found in the MWWTP3 receiving the biggest portion of industrial wastewater. In storm water the highest concentration was found for PFHxA (17 ng/l). The highest concentration of PFOS and PFOA were 9.9 and 5.1 ng/l, respectively. PFOS, PFOA and PFHxA were detected in every effluent, storm water and landfill leachate sample, whereas PFDA was detected in most of the samples (77 %). In the target industry, PFOS concentrations varied between 1,400 and 18,000 μg/l. In addition, on one sampling occasion PFOA and PFHxA were found (0.027 and 0.009 μg/l, respectively). For effluents, PFAA mass flows into the Baltic Sea were calculated. For municipal wastewater treatment plants average mass flows per day varied for PFOS between 1,073 and 38,880 mg/day, for PFOA 960 and 2,700 mg/day, for PFHxA 408 and 1,269 mg/day and for PFDA 84 and 270 mg/day. In IWWTP mass flows for PFOS, PFOA, PFHxA and PFDA were 495 mg/d, 28 mg/d, 23 mg/d and 0.6 mg/g, respectively.     

Warming autumns at high latitudes of Europe: an opportunity to lose or gain in cereal production?

Regional Environmental Change - Climate change is projected to prolong Finland’s short growing season at both ends though warming autumns are not expected to benefit arable crops such as...     

Road pavers' occupational exposure to asphalt containing waste plastic and tall oil pitch

Waste plastic (WP) and tall oil pitch (T), which are organic recycled industrial by-products, have been used as a binder with bitumen in stone mastic asphalt (SMA) and asphalt concrete (AC). We compared the exposure over one workday in 16 road pavers participating in a survey at four paving sites, using mixes of conventional asphalt (SMA, AC) or mixes containing waste material (SMA-WPT, AC-WPT). The concentrations of 11 aldehydes in air were 515 and 902 microg m(-3) at the SMA-WPT and AC-WPT worksites, being 3 and 13 times greater than at the corresponding worksites laying conventional asphalt. Resin acids (2-42 microg m(-3)), which are known sensitizers, were detected only during laying of AC-WPT. The emission levels (microg m(-3)) of total particulates (300-500), bitumen fumes (60-160), bitumen vapour (80-1120), naphthalene (0.59-1.2), phenanthrene (0.21-0.32), pyrene (<0.015-0.20), benzo(a)pyrene (<0.01) and the sum of 16 PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 1.28-2.00) were similar for conventional and WPT asphalts. The dermal deposition of 16 PAHs on exposure pads (on workers' wrist) was low in all pavers (0.7-3.5 ng cm(-2)). Eight OH-PAH biomarkers of naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene exposures were quantified in pre- and post-shift urine specimens. The post-shift concentrations (mean +/- SD, micromol mol(-1) creatinine) of 1- plus 2-naphthol; 1-,2-,3-,4- plus 9-phenanthrol; and 1-hydroxypyrene were, respectively, for asphalt workers: 18.1+/- 8.0, 2.41 +/- 0.71 and 0.66+/- 0.58 (smokers); 6.0+/- 2.3, 1.70+/- 0.72 and 0.27+/- 0.15 (non-smokers); WPT asphalt workers: 22.0+/- 9.2, 2.82+/- 1.11 and 0.76+/- 0.18 (smokers); 6.8+/- 2.6, 2.35+/- 0.69 and 0.46+/- 0.13 (non-smokers). The work-related uptake of PAHs was low in all pavers, although it was significantly greater in smokers than in non-smokers. The WPT asphalt workers complained of eye irritation and sore throat more than the pavers who had a much lower exposure to aldehydes and resin acids.     

Prenatal detection of free sialic acid storage disease: genetic and biochemical studies in nine families

Sialic acid storage disorders, Salla disease (SD) and a severe infantile form of disease (ISSD), are recessively inherited allelic lysosomal storage disorders due to impaired egress of free sialic acid from lysosomes. Fourteen pregnancies at risk of adult-type free sialic acid storage disease, SD, were monitored by sialic acid assays, genetic linkage or mutation detection analyses using chorionic villus samples. Three affected and 12 unaffected fetuses were identified. The first studies were based on the sialic acid assays alone, but the location of the gene enabled the use of genetic linkage analysis and, more recently, the identification of the SLC17A5 gene and disease-causing mutations added yet another possibility for prenatal studies. A missense mutation 115C→T (R39C) is present in 95% of all Finnish SD alleles, providing an easy and reliable means of diagnostic studies. Both molecular and biochemical (sialic acid assay) studies can be used for prenatal diagnosis of free sialic acid storage diseases. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interactive effects of UV radiation and enhanced temperature on photosynthesis, phlorotannin induction and antioxidant activities of two sub-Antarctic brown algae

Lessonia nigrescens and Durvillaea antarctica, two large sub-Antarctic brown algae from the southern Chilean coast, were exposed to solar UV radiation in an outdoor system during a summer day (for 11 h) as well as to artificial UV radiation under controlled laboratory conditions at two temperatures (15 and 20 °C) for 72 h. Chlorophyll a fluorescence–based photoinhibition of photosynthesis was measured during the outdoor exposure, while electron transport rates, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant activity and content of phlorotannins were determined at different time intervals during the laboratory exposure. Under natural solar irradiances in summer, both species displayed well-developed dynamic photoinhibition: F _v/F _m values decreased by 70 % at noon coinciding with the levels of PAR >1,500 μmol m^?2 s^?1 and UV-B radiation >1 W m^?2 and recovered substantially in the afternoon. In treatments including UV radiation, recovery in D. antarctica started already during the highest irradiances at noon. The results from laboratory exposures revealed that (a) elevated temperature of 20 °C exacerbated the detrimental effects of UV radiation on photochemical parameters (F _v/F _m and ETR); (b) peroxidative damage measured as MDA formation occurred rapidly and was strongly correlated with the decrease in F _v/F _m, especially at elevated temperature of 20 °C; (c) the antioxidant activity and increases in soluble phlorotannins were positively correlated mainly in response to UV radiation; (d) phlorotannins were rapidly induced but strongly impaired at 20 °C. In general, short-term (2–6 h) exposures to enhanced UV radiation and temperature were effective to activate the photochemical and biochemical defenses against oxidative stress, and they continued operative during 72 h, a time span clearly exceeding the tidal or diurnal period. Furthermore, when algae were exposed to dim light and control temperature of 15 °C for 6 h, F _v/F _m increased and lipid peroxidation decreased, indicating consistently that algae retained their ability for recovery. D. antarctica was the most sensitive species to elevated temperature for prolonged periods in the laboratory. Although no conclusive evidence for the effect of the buoyancy of fronds was found, the interspecific discrepancies in thermo-sensitivity in the UV responses found in this study are consistent with various ecological and biogeographical differences described for these species.