Development and application of LC–APCI–MS method for biomonitoring of animal and human exposure to imidacloprid

Imidacloprid (IMI) is a relatively new neuro-active neonicotinoid insecticide and nowadays one of the largest selling insecticides worldwide. In the present study a LC–APCI–MS based method was developed and validated for the quantification of imidacloprid and its main metabolite 6-chloronicotinic acid (6-CINA) in urine and hair specimens. The method was tested in biomonitoring of intentionally exposed animals and subsequently applied for biomonitoring of Cretan urban and rural population.     

Investigation of naphthalene contamination in olive oil from Greece

Abstract

Incidents of using naphthalene in olive orchards as a repellent of olive fly (Bactrocera oleae) have recently been recorded. Naphthalene, the primary ingredient of mothballs, is described to be diluted in plastic bottles and hanged on the trees releasing its characteristic odor which is supposed to repel olive fly. Since naphthalene has been characterized as possibly carcinogenic to humans and animals, it was considered essential to monitor olive oils regarding their potential contamination with this specific pollutant. To this goal, a simple, sensitive and reliable analytical method for the determination of naphthalene in olive oil has been developed. The method involves extraction with ethyl acetate: acetonitrile (1:1) and determination of naphthalene using gas chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. The method was validated in four fortification levels, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1?mg/kg in accordance with the EU requirements. The obtained results were acceptable as far as validation criteria are concerned, given recoveries between 71% and 87% and RSDs between 5% and 24%. The limit of determination for naphthalene was set at 0.005?mg/kg based on the lowest concentration level being validated with acceptable accuracy. The analytical technique was successfully applied to 75 olive oil samples collected from oil mills in Greece and no positive results of naphthalene were detected.     

Personal deposited dose and its influencing factors at several Greek sites: an analysis in respect to seasonal and diurnal variations

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The deposited dose in the human respiratory tract and its influencing factors were investigated for 8 urban/suburban locations within Greek cities. A...     

Environmental and Socio-economic Aspects of the Operation of Industrial Regions: The Case Study of the Industrial Area of Alexandroupolis (Greece)

The paper summarizes the results of a study concerning the operation of industrial plants and their effects to the environment. It also addresses, shortly, the consequences to the quality of human life and proposes potential measures that may contribute to the reduction of the negative environmental impacts. The relatively small organized Industrial Area of Alexandroupolis (Greece) is examined as a case study. In particular, the activities of its major industrial facilities are presented and their emissions to the environment are examined. In addition, the socio-economic aspects of the operation of the Industrial Area are studied. The results of the study showed that the operation of the Industrial Area has specific negative effects in the natural environment of the region and in the quality of life of the residents. Methodological and legislative tools, such as control systems for the environmental pollution, the green chemistry, and the environmental management systems, may be employed to assist the prevention and confrontation of environmental problems.     

Green additives to enhance silica dissolution during water treatment

The effect of various environmentally friendly chemical additives on the dissolution of colloidal silica is systematically studied. These silica scale dissolvers are principally polycarboxylates with one to five –COOH groups, mixed polycarboxylates/phosphonates and aminoacids. Based on these results, an effort is made to link their dissolution performance to structural features in this structure/function study. Presence of additional groups (eg. –PO₃H₂, –NH₂, or –OH) in the dissolver molecule augments the dissolution process.     

Inorganic and carbonaceous components in indoor/outdoor particulate matter in two residential houses in Oslo, Norway

A detailed analysis of indoor/outdoor physicochemical aerosol properties has been performed. Aerosol measurements were taken at two dwellings, one in the city center and the other in the suburbs of the Oslo metropolitan area, during summer/fall and winter/spring periods of 2002-2003. In this paper, emphasis is placed on the chemical characteristics (water-soluble ions and carbonaceous components) of fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM2.5-10) particles and their indoor/outdoor relationship. Results demonstrate that the carbonaceous species were dominant in all fractions of the PM10 particles (cut off size: 0.09-11.31 microm) during all measurement periods, except winter 2003, when increased concentrations of water-soluble inorganic ions were predominant because of sea salt transport. The concentration of organic carbon was higher in the fine and coarse PM10 fractions indoors, whereas elemental carbon was higher indoors only in the coarse fraction. In regards to the carbonaceous species, local traffic and secondary organic aerosol formation were, probably, the main sources outdoors, whereas indoors combustion activities such as preparation of food, burning of candles, and cigarette smoking were the main sources. In contrast, the concentrations of water-soluble inorganic ions were higher outdoors than indoors. The variability of water-soluble inorganic ion concentrations outdoors was related to changes in emissions from local anthropogenic sources, long-range transport of particles, sea salt emissions, and resuspension of roadside and soil dusts. In the indoor environment the infiltration of the outdoor air indoors was the major source of inorganic ions.     

Use of Sediment Quality Guidelines and pollution indicators for the assessment of heavy metal and PAH contamination in Greek surficial sea and lake sediments

Eight different surface sediment samples (K1–K8) were collected from two separate areas of Lake Koumoundourou and two samples (E1 and E2) from one area of Elefsis Bay, Athens, Greece. The level of pollution attributed to heavy metals was evaluated using several pollution indicators. Degree of Contamination, Modified Contamination Degree and Geoaccumulation Indexes were applied in order to determine and assess the anthropogenic contribution of the selected six elements (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As and Pb). Moreover, the adverse effects of the sediments to aquatic organisms, from both heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were determined by using Sediment Quality Guidelines. The results indicated that Lake Koumoundourou is contaminated with heavy metals in a moderate degree and almost 50 % of the sediments are associated with frequent observation of adverse effects, when it comes to Ni and occasional observation of adverse effects, when it comes to Cu, Zn and Pb. As far as PAHs are concerned, around 60 % of the samples can be occasionally associated to toxic biological effects according to the effect-range classification for phenanthrene, benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene and pyrene. Finally, samples taken from the north side of the lake are more contaminated with PAHs than the ones taken from the east side probably due to the existence of the water barrier which acts as a reservoir of PAHs.     

Microsatellite analysis provides efficient confirmation of fetal trophoblast isolation from maternal circulation

Fetal trophoblasts can be found in maternal circulation from an early stage of pregnancy and thus provide a potential source of DNA for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. We have developed a two-step method for trophoblast isolation between the 8th and 12th week of pregnancy. Blood was sampled from 14 women undergoing termination of pregnancy or spontaneous abortion. Immunomagnetic beads precoated with HLA class I and II, and with anti-cytokeratin-18 monoclonal antibodies, were used to remove CD8+ and other maternal cells, and to select for fetal trophoblasts, respectively. Microsatellite analysis was performed on DNA extracted from the isolated, maternal, paternal and placental cells after PCR amplification. Recovery of the trophoblasts was confirmed in 13/14 cases (93%) by the identification of an identical microsatellite pattern for fetal and placental cells. Further evidence was the presence of heterozygous alleles of both maternal and paternal origin. The correct prediction of gender in all five male fetuses was an additional confirmation of trophoblast recovery. We conclude that trophoblasts can be effectively isolated from maternal blood in the first trimester, and by using polymorphic microsatellite markers to confirm sample purity, this method has potential future application in prenatal diagnosis. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biodegradation of Aliphatic and Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Specificity among Bacteria Isolated from Refinery Waste Sludge

Indigenous microorganisms, enriched and isolated from refinery waste sludge, were observed to possess a broad range of metabolic activities for mixtures of several classes of substrates of petroleum hydrocarbons, such as monoaromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and n- and branched alkanes. Three of the best-growing bacterial isolates selectively enriched with these compounds were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as belonging to the genera Enterobacter and Ochrobactrum. Two of them, Enterobacter sp. strain EK3.1 and Ochrobactrum sp. strain EK6 utilise a hydrocarbon mixture of the branched alkane 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane and the PAHs acenaphthylene and acenaphthene. Enterobacter sp. strain EK4 can grow with a mixture of 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane, toluene, acenaphthylene and acenaphthene as carbon sources. Nucleic acid fingerprint analysis, by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of the PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes, of the autochthonous bacterial community in contaminated soil samples showed complex and different community structures under different treatments of refinery waste sludge in landfarm areas. The characteristic peaks of the T-RFLP profiles of the individual, isolated degrading bacteria Enterobacter spp. and Ochrobactrum sp. were detected in the T-RFLP fingerprint of the bacterial community of the four months old treated landfarm soil, suggesting the enrichment of bacteria belonging to the same operational taxonomic units, as well as their importance in degrading activity.