Evaluating the heavy metal contamination in sediments from the guadalquivir estuary after the Aznalcóllar mining spill (SW Spain): a multivariate analysis approach

The Doñana National Park is one of the most importantNatural Reserves in west Europe. The park and theGuadalquivir estuary were impacted by the release of 5million cubic meters of acid waste from the processing ofpyrite ore. Here are presented a multivariate analysisapproach to evaluate the extension and the magnitude of theaccidental spill on the estuarine sediments. Sediments wereused to analyze 6 different metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu).Also the concentration of the metals in the differentgeochemical sediment fractions were determined as a means ofassessing the potential impact of the acid water from themine. The analysis of the results obtained permits toestablish that the impact of the accident was acute on theecosystem due to the set up of a treatment plan in June 1998and to the high hydrodynamic of the estuary that absorb theearly impact. Chronic contamination by Cu was also detectedduring the monitoring of the impact of the accident in theestuary but this did not appear to be related to theaccidental spill. Because the likelihood of long term adverseeffects from the heavy metal contamination of estuarinesediments, further ecotoxicological evaluations should becarried out for the estuary and the park using an integrated approach.     

The behaviour of heavy metals from the Guadalquivir estuary after the Aznalcóllar mining spill: field and laboratory surveys

The spill at `Los Frailes caused a large input of metals intothe riverine, estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Metal behaviourin natural waters can be studied both by performing fieldmeasurements, and by undertaking laboratory simulationexperiments. Here is described the behaviour of the heavymetals Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu in the Guadalquivir estuary usingincubation experiments and the results compared to thoseobtained during field assessments. If the toxic waste water hadbeen discharged untreated into the environment, it could haveraised the heavy metal concentrations in the estuary water tohigh values, such as 20.65 M for Zn and 40 × 10^-3 M for Cd. These values are several times higher than thoseobtained in samples collected in the area during the monitoringof the early impact. The metals present a non-conservative behaviour, with a high loss to waters of low salinity values.     

Bioaccumulation of Trace Elements in a Wild Grass Three Years After the Aznalcóllar Mine Spill (South Spain)

In this paper, we surveyed the concentration of nine trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Tl and Zn) in bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) 3 years after the mine spill in Aznalcóllar (south Spain). The results were compared with those that had been obtained for the same species in a previous study, 18 months after the accident. Three types of soil condition were determined: i) unaffected soils (UN, control); ii) cleaned up and amended soils (A, amended); and (iii) non-amended soils, inaccessible to the clean-up and remediation operations (NA, non-amended). The trace element concentrations in the plants were lower than those reported in the first sampling for both washed (plant tissues) and unwashed plants (as consumed by herbivores). Apart from Cd, trace elements concentrations (plant tissues) were similar in the A and the UN soils. In the NA soils, the Cd, Fe, Mn, Zn and Pb levels in unwashed plants were excessive for animal consumption. This wild grass seems to be suitable as a soil stabilizer for spill affected soils and as a biomonitor for soil pollution by some trace elements (As, Cu and Zn); however, its potential for phytoextraction is negligible.     

Public participation in environmental impact assessment: why,who and how?

Even a cursory glance at the literature on environmental impact assessment (EIA) reveals that public participation is being considered as an integral part of the assessment procedure. Public participation in EIA is commonly deemed to foster democratic policy-making and to render EIA more effective. Yet a closer look at the literature unveils that, beyond this general assertion, opinions of the precise meaning, objectives and adequate representation of public participation in EIA considerably diverge. Against this background, in this article we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the academic debate on public participation in EIA concerning its meaning, objectives and adequate level of inclusiveness. In so doing, we hope to stimulate a more focused debate on the subject, which is key to advancing the research agenda. Furthermore, this paper may serve as a starting point for practitioners involved in defining the role of public participation in EIA practice.     

Assessment of transboundary environmental effects in the Pearl River Delta Region: Is there a role for strategic environmental assessment?

China's EIA Law does not require transboundary proposals to be assessed, despite recognition of this globally, for example in the Espoo Convention and Kiev Protocol, and in the European EIA and SEA Directives. In a transboundary context assessment within a state is unusual, as regulating these effects is primarily about the relationship between states. However where a state has more than one legal system such as in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) Region of southern China, transboundary effects should also be addressed. Yet despite the geographical connections between Guangdong Province in mainland China (where the EIA Law applies) and the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions (which have their own provisions, neither of which requires transboundary assessments), EIA and SEA are carried out separately. Coordinated or joint approaches to transboundary assessment are generally absent, with the legal autonomy of Hong Kong and Macau a major constraint. As a result institutional responses at the policy level have developed. The article considers global experiences with regulating transboundary EIA and SEA, and analyses potential application to land use, transport and air and water planning in the PRD Region. If applied, benefits may include prevention or mitigation of cumulative effects, broader public participation, and improvements to environmental governance. The PRD Region experience may encourage China to conduct and coordinate EIA and SEA processes with neighbouring states, which has been non-existent or extremely limited to date.     

Between ‘best’ and ‘good enough’: How consultants guide quality in environmental assessment

Quality enhancement in environmental assessment tends to be connected to control mechanisms and best-practice guidelines. This paper takes an alternative approach examining quality performance through the lenses of consultants' perceptions of appropriate action, primarily in relation to the scoping phase. The study builds on interviews with Swedish consultants. The interviews are analysed by using a recently published theoretical framework focusing on practitioners' spaces for action. The analysis reveals that quality is highly open for interpretation and that consultants have a strong position for guiding quality performance, partly due to the key knowledge they hold. Their action is strongly guided by how the consultants perceive their responsibility; requiring a balance between maintaining good relationships with their clients through ‘good enough’ performance and maintaining a good professional reputation by undertaking what they themselves perceive as a ‘best’ practice. These findings indicate a need to reconsider the research in this field, promoting a shift of focus away from the dominance of quality enhancement measures and engage with issues of consultants' and other practitioners' perceptions of their responsibility in respect of quality performance.     

Deficit analysis: service capacity assessment and planning in developing countries – case study in the Philippines

Current demand analysis methods do not formally cover the case of chronic deficits in quantity or quality of water and sanitation services. These services include drinking water supply (DWS), wastewater and sewage treatment (WST), and municipal solid waste management (MSW). Formal analysis of this case would, at minimum, define the deficit state and evaluate appropriate options for reducing it. This paper proposes for a formal analytical model for municipal sanitation systems (MSS) that operate with deficits in at least one of the constituent services of DWS, WST, or MSW. The model introduces definitions and notation for describing the deficit state for conducting demand analysis on municipal sanitation systems. This model of demand analysis for systems with chronic deficits will hereinafter be referred to as deficit analysis. A case study for Bacoor, Philippines is presented as an example.     

Monitoring of PAHs and alkylated PAHs in aquatic organisms after 1 month from the Solar I oil spill off the coast of Guimaras Island, Philippines

Following the oil spill accident of the Solar I tanker in 2006 off the coast of Guimaras Island in the Philippines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylated PAHs in some aquatic organisms were investigated at Luzaran in Guimaras and Taklong Islands, which were heavily polluted with spilled oil, immediately and 1 month after the accident. The concentrations of total PAHs were 11.9–52.3 ng/g dry weight in fish. Meanwhile, total PAH concentrations in shellfish were 38.0–3,102 ng/g dry weight in Luzaran and 128–236 ng/g dry weight in Taklong. Pyrene, phenanthrene, and fluoranthene were dominant in most fish and chrysene in all shellfish. Significantly higher concentrations of all alkylated homologs were detected in shellfish than in fish. These differences had two possible causes, that is, the differences between fish and shellfish could be attributed to the uptake routes and/or their metabolizing abilities.     

Arsenic and antimony distribution in the Ría de Arousa: before and after the Prestige oil tanker sinking

The behaviour of arsenic and antimony in the Ría de Arousa (Galicia, north west of Spain) and the influence of the Prestige accident in the estuary is evaluated. As and Sb were simultaneously determined by HG-ICPOES in seawater samples after a preconcentration with La in a knotted reactor. The highest As concentration is in the inner and middle parts of the ría where the current is weaker and next to the main ports of the area. The largest Sb concentrations were found in the bay of the ría. Linear variation of concentration vs. salinity for As and As/Sb ratios indicated that there was no pollution in the waters of Arousa. The Prestige oil spillage had no serious influence and the values of arsenic (most of them <1.5 microg L(-1)) are similar to the average oceanic concentration, whereas concentrations for antimony (most of them <0.15 microg L(-1)) are less than the oceanic ones.     

Geoprocessing applied to the assessment of environmental noise: a case study in the city of Sorocaba, S?o Paulo, Brazil

Noise mapping has been used as an instrument for assessment of environmental noise, helping to support decision making on urban planning. In Brazil, urban noise is not yet recognized as a major environmental problem by the government. Besides, cities that have databases to drive acoustic simulations, making use of advanced noise mapping systems, are rare. This study sought an alternative method of noise mapping through the use of geoprocessing, which is feasible for the Brazilian reality and for other developing countries. The area chosen for the study was the central zone of the city of Sorocaba, located in São Paulo State, Brazil. The proposed method was effective in the spatial evaluation of equivalent sound pressure level. The results showed an urban area with high noise levels that exceed the legal standard, posing a threat to the welfare of the population.     

Trace metal (Cd,Cu, Pb,Zn) fractionation in urban-industrial soils of Ust-Kamenogorsk (Oskemen), Kazakhstan—implications for the assessment of environmental quality

Ust-Kamenogorsk is one of the largest cities and industrial centers in Kazakhstan. Non-ferrous metallurgy (Zn–Pb smelter) has acted as a predominating industrial branch in the city since late 1940s. The industrial plants are situated directly adjacent to the residential area of the city which creates grievous ecotoxicological hazard. In the present paper, we aimed at assessing the trace metal pollution of top soils in Ust-Kamenogorsk and its potential threats to the local population. The top soils were sampled at 10 sites throughout the city center. We determined the physical and chemical properties of soils as well as the contents of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. In addition, the soil samples were subjected to a five-step sequential extraction to ascertain the fractionation of trace metals. On this basis, we calculated the geoaccumulation index (I_geo) and pollution load index (PLI) and assessed bioavailability of the elements. From our data, it emerged that the soils displayed a strong polymetallic pollution. PLI was as high as 33.4. Throughout the city, the trace metal contents exceeded the geochemical background and allowable values for residential, recreational, and institutional areas. The I_geo obtained were 3.7–6.5 for Cd, 1.5–4.7 for Cu, 2.8–5.7 for Pb, and 2.6–4.6 for Zn. The soils in Ust-Kamenogorsk displayed extremely high contamination with Cd, moderate to strong contamination with Pb and Zn, and low to moderate contamination with Cu. Cd and Pb were found to be the most bioavailable elements. The mobility of trace metals in the soils changed in the order Cd > Pb > Zn > Cu.     

Risk assessment for methylmercury in fish from the Songhua River,China: 30 years after mercury-containing wastewater outfalls were eliminated

This study aims to investigate the methylmercury contamination of fish from the Songhua River, China. A total of 328 fish representing various trophic levels were captured from ten reaches of the river and determined for methylmercury by gas chromatography method. Total mercury in fish, water and sediments from three typical reaches were analyzed simultaneously. Methylmercury concentrations in fish from the Second Songhua River and the mainstream of the Songhua River were 0.024 ± 0.016 and 0.015 ± 0.007 mg/kg fresh weight, respectively. The proportion of methylmercury to total mercury ranged from 21.8% to 69.7%, with the mean value of 42.6%. The observed methylmercury concentrations were much lower than the historical values and were generally within the reported literature range, and health hazard assessment showed no health risk from exposure to methylmercury by consuming fish from this river, demonstrating that mercury contamination of the Songhua River has been effectively controlled by nearly 30 years of environmental governance and natural purification.     

Anionic surfactant linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) in sediments from the Gulf of Gdańsk (southern Baltic Sea, Poland) and its environmental implications

Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) is a group of anionic surfactants employed in the formulation of laundry and cleaning products, with a global production rate of 4 million metric tons. Sediments from the Polish coast of the southern Baltic Sea were collected at ten stations. Total LAS concentrations, measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, were between 0.04 and 0.72 mg LAS·kg(-1) dry weight. Highest LAS concentrations were found in suspended matter collected from the Vistula River, sediment collected close to the Vistula River mouth and from the Gdańsk Deep, known as the depositional area. With the obtained environmental LAS concentrations, a risk assessment for this surfactant has been carried out, based on publicly available acute and chronic toxicity data in target organisms. The results indicated that LAS could pose a low risk for the existing benthic community applying worst case scenario assessment. This is the first time that levels of LAS have been measured in environmental samples of the southern Baltic Sea.     

Heavy metals and arsenic concentrations in ten fish species from the Šalek lakes (Slovenia): assessment of potential human health risk due to fish consumption

The study, which measured the concentrations of Hg, Pb, Cd, Zn and As in various fish tissues (muscle, gill and liver) of 10 fish species (Abramis brama danubii, Alburnus alburnus alburnus, Barbus meridionalis petenyi, Carassius auratius gibelio, Cyprinus carpio, Lepomis gibossus, Leuciscius cephalus cephalus, Perca fluviatilis fluviatilis, Rutilus rutilus, Scardinus erythrophtlalmus erythrophtlalmus) collected in the Šalek lakes, is the first survey regarding metal concentrations in fish species with samples originating from Slovene lakes, while only a limited number of such studies have been carried out in southeastern Europe. Since these lakes are situated in the close vicinity of the largest Slovene thermal power plant, the study provides an insight into the potential impact of increased levels of metals in the environment as well as an estimate of the contamination of fish tissues with metals. Furthermore, it was possible to compare the results obtained with those from other studies regarding metal levels in freshwater fish species. The mean metal concentrations of different tissues irrespective of species varied in the following ranges: Zn 4.31–199 mg/kg ww, Pb 0.01–0.48 mg/kg ww, As 0.02–0.44 mg/kg ww, Hg <0.01–0.31 mg/kg ww, Cd < 0.01–0.19 mg/kg ww. In general, higher contents of Hg were found in muscles and livers than in gills and higher contents of As in gills and livers than in muscles, respectively. The accumulation of Pb and Zn was most pronounced in gills. The result obtained regarding metal concentrations in fish revealed that the ecosystems of the Šalek lakes are not polluted with Hg and Pb, slightly loaded with As and Cd and moderately polluted with Zn. In addition, the potential human health risk due to fish consumption was assessed. This showed that the estimated weekly intakes for all metals were far below provisional permissible tolerable weekly intakes determined by WHO/FAO. The consumption of fish from the Šalek lakes, therefore, does not pose a risk to human health.