Estimation of spatial distrubition of groundwater level and risky areas of seawater intrusion on the coastal region in Çarşamba Plain,Turkey, using different interpolation methods

Groundwater level plays a significant role in coastal plains. Heavy pumping and excessive use of near-coast groundwater can increase the intrusion of seawater into the aquifers. In the present study, groundwater levels were measured at 59 groundwater wells at different times during pre- and post-irrigation seasons (April and September of the year 2012) in Çar?amba Plain, Turkey. To select the best method, two deterministic interpolation methods (inverse distance weighing (IDW) with the weights of 1, 2, and 3 and radial basis function (RBF) with spline with tension (SPT) and completely regularized spline (CRS)) and two stochastic methods (ordinary kriging (OK) with spherical, exponential, and Gaussian variograms) and cokriging (COK)) were compared and then the best interpolation method was used to evaluate the spatial distribution of groundwater levels in different seasons and seasonal changes. A total of nine different techniques were tested. Also, risky areas of seawater intrusion in coastal area were determined using the best methods for two periods. The performance of these interpolation methods is evaluated by using a validation test method. Statistical indices of correlation (R ²), mean absolute error (MAE), and root-mean-square error (RMSE) were used to select and validate the best methods. Comparisons between predicted and observed values indicated RBF as the optimal method for groundwater level estimation in April and September. When the best method RBF and the worst method IDW were compared, significant differences were observed in the spatial distribution of groundwater. Results of the study also revealed that excessive groundwater withdrawals during the post-irrigation season dropped the groundwater levels up to 2.0 m in some sections. With regard to seawater intrusion, 9,103 ha of land area was determined to be highly risky and risky.     

In vitro activity of antimicrobial agents against Legionella isolated from environmental water systems: first results from Turkey

We evaluated the in vitro activity of antimicrobial agents against Legionella obtained from hotel and hospital water systems in three different regions of Turkey. Sixty-five Legionella strains (Legionella pneumophila serogroup 6 [n?=?32], L. pneumophila serogroup 1 [n?=?27], L. pneumophila serogroup 3 [n?=?2], and Legionella spp. [n?=?4]) were tested against levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, and rifampicin. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of each antimicrobial agent for these strains was determined by the microdilution method using buffered yeast extract medium supplemented with 0.1% ketoglutarate broth. L. pneumophila ATCC 33152, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 were used as controls. Minimum inhibitory concentration values were in the following ranges: clarithromycin 0.001–0.5 mg/L, azithromycin 0.001–0.5 mg/L, levofloxacin 0.001–0.5 mg/L, ciprofloxacin 0.001–0.125 mg/L, and rifampicin 0.001– 0.5 mg/L. The MIC₉₀ for rifampicin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, and clarithromycin were 0.015, 0.125, 0.06, 0.125, and 0.06 mg/L, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to determine in vitro activities of antimicrobial agents against Legionella species in Turkey. Rifampicin had the lowest MIC₉₀ value. It would seem that azithromycin and clarithromycin exhibit good activity as well as levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin against Legionella isolated from environmental water systems in Turkey.     

Determination of heavy metals and metals levels in five fish species from I??kl? Dam Lake and Karaca?ren Dam Lake (Turkey)

The concentrations of heavy metals and metals (Zn, Pb, Bi, Cd, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Mg, Cu, Cr, Ca, Sr, Na, Li, K) were measured in muscle of five species Cyprinus carpio (from I??kl? dam), Scardinius erythrophthalmus (from I??kl? dam), Tinca tinca (from I??kl? dam), C. carpio (from Karaca?ren dam), Carassius carassius (from Karaca?ren dam) caught from I??kl? and Karaca?ren. The highest metal was Na (466.95 μg/g) in C. carassius, while the lowest levels were Fe (0.37 μg/g) and Cu (0.37 μg/g) in C. carpio from I??kl? dam. The mean concentrations μg/g d.w. some of heavy metals in muscle of C. carpio (from I??kl? dam), S. erythrophthalmus (from I??kl? dam), T. tinca (from I??kl? dam), C. carpio (from Karaca?ren dam), C. carassius (from Karaca?ren dam) were as follows: Cd 2.00-2.10-1.95-2.06-2.27, Zn 4.36-2.64-13.13-13.33-24.47, Pb 1.65-1.24-1.90-2.37-2.41, Co 2.46-2.37-2.48-2.58-2.80, Mg 138.51-154.35-218.59-204.58-202.16, Fe 0.37-2.62-3.17-3.01-12.33, respectively.     

Effect of diurnal changes in VOC source strengths on performances of receptor models

Introduction

The effect of diurnal changes in strengths of volatile organic compound (VOC) sources on the performances of positive matrix factorization (PMF) and principal component analysis (PCA) was investigated using ambient measurement results that were taken during daytime and nighttime hours between March 24 and May 14, 2011, within Davutpasa Campus of Yildiz Technical University (Istanbul, Turkey).

Methods

Forty-five VOC species, ranging from C₅ to C₁₁ in volatility, were measured in the samples, 40 of which are included in the analyses. Ambient samples were grouped as daytime, nighttime, and all day datasets, and both PMF and PCA were applied to each dataset. A total of six source groups were extracted from each dataset: solvent use, general industrial paint use, gasoline and diesel vehicle exhausts, and biogenic as well as evaporative emissions. Estimated source contributions showed great diurnal variations.

Results

The results suggested that extraction of possible sources by PCA depends greatly on the number of samples and the strength of the sources, while PMF produced stable results regardless of number of samples and source strengths.

Conclusion

Although PMF was unable to resolve gasoline vehicle and evaporative emissions, it was found to be successful in explaining diurnal fluctuations in source strengths, while the performance of PCA depends on the strength of emission source.     

Effects of aqueous suspensions of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on Artemia salina: assessment of nanoparticle aggregation, accumulation, and toxicity

Aquatic stability and impact of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs, 10–30 nm) were investigated using Artemia salina. Acute exposure was conducted on nauplii (larvae) and adults in seawater in a concentration range from 10 to 100 mg/L TiO₂ NPs for 24 and 96 h. Rapid aggregation occurred in all suspensions of TiO₂ NPs to form micrometer size particles. Yet, both nauplii and adults accumulated the aggregates significantly. Average TiO₂ content in nauplii ranged from 0.47 to 3.19 and from 1.29 to 4.43 mg/g in 24 and 96 h, respectively. Accumulation in adults was higher ranging from 2.30 to 4.19 and from 4.38 to 6.20 mg/g in 24 and 96 h, respectively. Phase contrast microscopy images revealed that Artemia were unable to excrete the particles. Thus, the TiO₂ aggregates filled inside the guts. No significant mortality or toxicity occurred within 24 h at any dose. Lipid peroxidation levels characterized with malondialdehyde concentrations were not statistically different from those of the controls (p?>?0.05). These results suggested that suspensions of the TiO₂ NPs were nontoxic to Artemia, most likely due to the formation of benign TiO₂ aggregates in water. In contrast, both mortality and lipid peroxidation increased in extended exposure to 96 h. Highest mortality occurred in 100 mg/L TiO₂ NP suspensions; 18 % for nauplii and 14 % for adults (LC₅₀?>?100 mg/L). These effects were attributed to the particle loading inside the guts leading to oxidative stress as a result of impaired food uptake for a long period of time.     

Sorption of alpha and beta hydrophobic endosulfan in a Vertisol from southeast region of Turkey

Endosulfan has been applied to control numerous insects in a variety of food and non-food crops. Limited information is available on dynamics of this pesticide in the soil. The objective of this research was to determine the adsorption–desorption behavior of the alpha (α) and beta (β) endosulfan in a Vertisol from the southeast region of Turkey, where cotton is the main crop in the large irrigated lowlands. The α and β endosulfan were adsorbed considerably and Freundlich adsorption–desorption isotherms fitted the α and β endosulfan data (R² > 0.98). Freundlich adsorption coefficients (K_f) for the α endosulfan ranged between 21.63 and 16.33 while for the β endosulfan they were between 14.01 and 17.98 for the Ap and Bw2 horizons. The difference of K_f values of α and β endosulfan for two horizons were explained with the slight difference in the amount of organic matter and clay, but considerable difference in Fe contents of the two horizons. Alpha and β endosulfan K_fd values were 118.03 and 45.81 for the Ap and 48.08 and 68.71 for the Bw2 horizons. Higher adsorption and desorption behavior of the endosulfan isomers for the same horizon was attributed to poor physical bonding between the endosulfan molecule and the surfaces of fundamental soil particles. This fact is thought to increase the effective use of endosulfan in agriculture with a possibility of its movement to the surface and groundwater in the Vertisol studied.     

Taurine modulates dynamics of oxidative defense,secondary metabolism,and nutrient relation to mitigate boron and chromium toxicity in Triticum aestivum L. plants

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The present study was undertaken to appraise the efficacy of exogenous taurine in alleviating boron (B) and chromium (Cr) toxicity. Taurine protects...     

Application of response surface methodology for the optimization of biodiesel production from yellow mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seed oil

In the present study, response surface methodology (RSM) involving central composite design (CCD) was applied to optimize the reaction parameters of biodiesel production from yellow mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seed oil during the single-step transesterification process. A total of 30 experiments were designed and performed to determine under the effects of variables on the biodiesel yield such as methanol to oil molar ratio (2:1–10:1), catalyst concentration (0.2–1.0 wt.% NaOH), reaction temperature (50–70°C), and reaction time (30–90 min). The second order polynomial model was used to predict the biodiesel yield and coefficient of determination (R²) was found to be at 0.9818. The optimum biodiesel yield was calculated as 96.695% from the model with the following reaction conditions: 7.41:1 of methanol to oil molar ratio, 0.63 wt. % NaOH of catalyst concentration, 61.84°C of reaction temperature, and 62.12 min of reaction time. It is seen that the regression model results were in agreement with the experimental data. The results showed that RSM is a suitable statistical technique for optimizing the reaction parameters in the transesterification process in order to maximize the biodiesel yield.     

Combined chemical and biological oxidation of penicillin formulation effluent

Antibiotic formulation effluent is well known for its important contribution to environmental pollution due to its fluctuating and recalcitrant nature. In the present study, the chemical treatability of penicillin formulation effluent (average filtered COD(o)=830 mg/l; average soluble COD(o)=615 mg/l; pH(o)=6.9) bearing the active substances penicillin Amoxicillin Trihydrate (C(16)H(19)N(3)O(5)S.3H(2)O) and the beta-lactamase inhibitor Potassium Clavulanate (C(8)H(8)KNO(5)) has been investigated. For this purpose, the penicillin formulation effluent was subjected to ozonation (applied ozone dose=2500 mg/(lxh)) at varying pH (2.5-12.0) and O(3)+H(2)O(2) (perozonation) at different initial H(2)O(2) concentrations (=2-40 mM) and pH 10.5. According to the experimental results, the overall Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal efficiency varied between 10 and 56% for ozonation and 30% (no H(2)O(2)) and 83% (20 mM H(2)O(2)) for the O(3)+H(2)O(2) process. The addition of H(2)O(2) improved the COD removal rates considerably even at the lowest studied H(2)O(2) concentration. An optimum H(2)O(2) concentration of 20 mM existed at which the highest COD removal efficiency and abatement kinetics were obtained. The ozone absorption rate ranged between 53% (ozonation) and 68% (perozonation). An ozone input of 800 mg/l in 20 min was sufficient to achieve the highest BOD(5)/COD (biodegradability) ratio (=0.45) and BOD(5) value (109 mg/l) for the pre-treated penicillin formulation effluent. After the establishment of optimum ozonation and perozonation conditions, mixtures of synthetic domestic wastewater+raw, ozonated and perozonated penicillin formulation effluent were subjected to biological activated sludge treatment at a food-to-microorganisms (F/M) ratio of 0.23 mg COD/(mg MLSSxd), using a consortium of acclimated microorganisms. COD removal efficiencies of the activated sludge process were 71, 81 and 72% for pharmaceutical wastewater containing synthetic domestic wastewater mixed with either raw, ozonated or perozonated formulation effluent, respectively. The ultimate COD value obtained after 24-h biotreatment of the synthetic domestic wastewater+pre-ozonated formulation effluent mixture was around 100 mg/l instead of 180 mg/l which was the final COD obtained for the wastewater mixture containing raw formulation effluent, indicating that pre-ozonation at least partially removed the non-biodegradable COD fraction of the formulation effluent.