POPs in the Lagoon of Venice: budgets and pathways

Dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in the ecosystem of the Lagoon of Venice were studied, in order to provide a general picture of conditions in the lagoon in terms of contamination by persistent organic pollutants (POPs). We present here novel data on atmospheric deposition, water, sediment and clam samples collected in the lagoon during the period January 2001-December 2004. Atmospheric deposition was sampled monthly at six sites located both close and far from large industrial and urban sources. Water samples were collected monthly from fifteen stations, and twenty-five samples of sediments and clams (Tapes philippinarum) were collected in four areas where clams are farmed and harvested inside the lagoon. All samples were analysed for PCDD/Fs, PCBs and HCB by HRGC/HRMS in the same laboratory. All samples examined (atmospheric deposition and water) substantially confirmed the spatial pattern reported in previously published data on sediments and atmospheric deposition: the zone surrounding the Porto Marghera petrochemical plant always had the highest levels of POPs (i.e., PCDD/Fs: atmosphere approximately 6 pg of 2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalents (I-TE) m(-2)d(-1); water 0.37 pg I-TEl(-1); sediment: 300 ng kg(-1); clam 2.8 pg I-TE g(-1)), and the minima were found at points on the margins of the lagoon (PCDD/Fs: atmosphere approximately 1 pg I-TEm(-2)d(-1); water 0.05 pg I-TEl(-1); sediment: approximately 5 ng kg(-1); clam approximately 0.2 pg I-TE g(-1)). Intermediate values were often encountered in the historical city centre of Venice and in the central part of the lagoon. To confirm this, new data on correlation between levels of PCDD/F in sediments and clams are reported, both for absolute values and for the PCDD/F "fingerprint". There is always a clear fingerprinting signature (PCDF/PCDD>1) for samples collected near Porto Marghera, and the opposite (PCDF/PCDD<1) in the rest of the lagoon.     

Correction to: Energy productivity and environmental degradation: the case of Greece

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

Trout farm effluents: characterization and impact on the receiving streams

Effluents from three rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) farms located in Northern Portugal were characterized and their impact on the receiving streams was evaluated. Mean fish productions in the studied fish farms were 15, 55 and 500 t of trout per year, respectively. The feeding water was abstracted from Fornelo, Inha and Coura Rivers, at flow rates ranging from 1.2 (15 t year(-1) fish farm) to 4.8 litre s(-1) per ton annual fish production (500 t year(-1) fish farm). As the water flows through the farms, net variations in the chemical characteristics were observed: a mean reduction in the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration between 0.7 and 2.4 mg litre(-1); mean increases between 1.9 and 3.2 mg CaCO3 litre(-1) for total alkalinity, between 0.9 and 14 mg litre(-1) for BOD5, between 0.27 and 1.46 mg litre(-1) for ammonia nitrogen (NH4-N), between 0.060 and 0.579 mg litre(-1) for soluble phosphorus (PO4-P) and less than 16 mg litre(-1) for suspended solids; variations in the pH value and nitrate nitrogen concentration were not statistically significant (p<0.05). At the 500 t year(-1) fish farm it was also possible to detect net increases of total hardness (3.2 mg CaCO3 litre(-1)), electric conductivity (19 mS cm(-1)) and permanganate value (3.6 mgO2 litre(-1)). At the other farms net variations in these parameters were not significant. Net mass flow variations reported to the annual fish production are presented. The DO mass flow decreased, on average, between 255 and 549 g t(-1) of fish per day. The mean daily BOD5 increase ranged from 353 to 1510 g t(-1) of fish. The corresponding ranges for the other parameters were 105-157 g t(-1) for NH4-N, 24-62 g t(-1) for PO4-P, 348-1035 g CaCO3 t(-1) for total alkalinity and 224 x 10(6)-506 x 10(6) t(-1) for mesophilic bacteria. Daily net variations of suspended solids, total hardness, electric conductivity and permanganate value were below 1753 g t(-1), 342 g CaCO3 t(-1), 2081 mS cm t(-1) and 392 gO2 t(-1), respectively. Longitudinal concentration profiles for the most relevant parameters show the impact of the effluent discharges on the physico-chemical and bacteriological river water quality downstream from the trout farms. Analyzing the situations from a purely chemical point of view, the polluted stretches were 3, 5 and 12 km long downstream from the effluent discharges, respectively. The microbiological contamination extended over longer distances.     

Correction to: Water and soil contaminated by arsenic: the use of microorganisms and plants in bioremediation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

Nitrogen deposition and the biodiversity of boreal forests: implications for the nitrogen critical load

The critical load concept is used to establish the deposition levels which ecosystems can tolerate without significant harmful effects. Here we summarize work within the Swedish research program Abatement Strategies for Transboundary Air Pollution (ASTA) assessing the critical load of N for boreal forests. Results from both field experiments in an area with low background N deposition in northern Sweden, and from a large-scale monitoring study, show that important vegetational changes start to take place when adding low N doses and that recovery of the vegetation after ceasing N input is a very slow process. The data presented indicate that changes in key ecosystem components occur even at a lower rate of N input than the present recommended empirical critical load for boreal forest understorey vegetation of 10-15 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1). Based on the data presented, we suggest that the critical load should be lowered to 6 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1).     

Phosphorus removal and recovery: state of the science and challenges

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Phosphorus is one of the main nutrients required for all life. Phosphorus as phosphate form plays an important role in different cellular processes....     

Occurrence of phthalates in sediment and biota: relationship to aquatic factors and the biota-sediment accumulation factor

Phthalate compounds in sediments and fishes were investigated in 17 Taiwan's rivers to determine the relationships between phthalate levels in sediment and aquatic factors, and biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) for phthalates. Mean concentrations (range) of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) in sediment at low-flow season were 4.1 (<0.05-46.5), 0.22 (<0.05-3.1) and 0.14 (<0.05-1.3)mgkg(-1)dw; those at high-flow season were 1.2 (<0.05-13.1), 0.13 (<0.05-0.27) and 0.09 (<0.05-0.22)mgkg(-1)dw, respectively. Trace levels of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP) in sediment were found in both seasons. Concentrations of DEHP in sediments were significantly affected by temperature, suspended solids, ammonia-nitrogen, and chemical oxygen demand. The highest concentration of DEHP in fish samples were found in Liza subviridis (253.9mgkg(-1)dw) and Oreochromis miloticus niloticus (129.5mgkg(-1)dw). BSAF of DEHP in L. subviridis (13.8-40.9) and O. miloticus niloticus (2.4-28.5) were higher than those in other fish species, indicating that the living habits of fish and physical-chemical properties of phthalates, like logKow, may influence the bioavailability of phthalates in fish. Our data suggested that DEHP level in river sediments were influenced by water quality parameters due to their effects on the biodegradation processes, and that the DEHP level in fish was affected by fish habitat and physiochemical properties of polluted contaminants.     

Correction to: Assessment of bioavailable nitrogen and phosphorus content in the sediments of Indian mangroves

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14155-3     

Occurrence of gaseous and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the urban atmosphere: study of sources and ambient temperature effect on the gas/particle concentration and distribution

The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in an urban region (Heraklion, Greece) and processes that govern their atmospheric fate were studied from November 2000 until February 2002. Sixteen samples were collected, by using an artifact-free sampling device, on a monthly basis and the concentration of PAHs in gas and particulate phase was determined. The most abundant members (gas + particles) were phenanthrene (20.0+/-7.0 ng m(-3)), fluoranthene (6.5+/-1.7 ng m(-3)), pyrene (6.6+/-2.4 ng m(-3)), and chrysene (3.1+/-1.5 ng m(-3)). Total concentration (gas+particulate) of PAH ranged from 44.3 to 129.2 ng m(-3), with a mean concentration of 79.3 ng m(-3). Total concentration of PAHs in gas phase ranged from 31.4 to 84.7 ng m(-3) with non-observable seasonal variation. Conversely, maximum PAH concentrations in the particulate phase occurred during winter months. Particulate concentration varied from 11.4 to 44.9 ng m(-3), with an average of 25.2 ng m(-3). PAH distribution between gas and particulate phase was in agreement with the sub-cooled vapor pressure. Shift in gas/particle distribution due to difference in ambient temperature elucidated to some extent the seasonal variation of the concentration of PAHs in particles.     

Correction to: Characterization of a fatty acid-binding protein from the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas): pharmaceutical and toxicological implications

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13135-x     

Correction to: Heterogeneous effects of remittances and institutional quality in reducing environmental deficit in the presence of EKC hypothesis: a global study with the application of panel quantile regression

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13791-z     

Energy productivity and environmental deregulation: the case of Greece

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Among the EU countries, Greece relies heavily on coal the most, and it has lagged behind in cutting emissions. Further, following the oil crisis of...     

Briquettes of acai seeds: characterization of the biomass and influence of the parameters of production temperature and pressure in the physical-mechanical and energy quality

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Agro-industries, leveraged by the high demand of acai products, promote environmental impact through the generation of wastes in several locals in...     

Adsorption of DBT and 4,6-DMDBTon nanoporous activated carbons: the role of surface chemistry and the solvent

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Adsorption of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) from solutions in hexane and hexadecane respectively as well as in...     

Pesticide and agro-ecological transition: assessing the environmental and human impacts of pesticides and limiting their use

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

Fungal bioremediation of the creosote-contaminated soil: influence of Pleurotus ostreatus and Irpex lacteus on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons removal and soil microbial community composition in the laboratory-scale study

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of selected basidiomycetes in the removing of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from the creosote-contaminated soil. Fungi Pleurotus ostreatus and Irpex lacteus were supplemented with creosote-contaminated (50-200 mg kg(-1) PAH) soil originating from a wood-preserving plant and incubated at 15 °C for 120 d. Either fungus degraded PAH with 4-6 aromatic rings more efficiently than the microbial community present initially in the soil. PAH removal was higher in P. ostreatus treatments (55-67%) than in I. lacteus treatments (27-36%) in general. P. ostreatus (respectively, I. lacteus) removed 86-96% (47-59%) of 2-rings PAH, 63-72% (33-45%) of 3-rings PAH, 32-49% (9-14%) of 4-rings PAH and 31-38% (11-13%) of 5-6-rings PAH. MIS (Microbial Identification System) Sherlock analysis of the bacterial community determined the presence of dominant Gram-negative bacteria (G-) Pseudomonas in the inoculated soil before the application of fungi. Complex soil microbial community was characterized by phospholipid fatty acids analysis followed by GC-MS/MS. Either fungus induced the decrease of bacterial biomass (G- bacteria in particular), but the soil microbial community was influenced by P. ostreatus in a different way than by I. lacteus. The bacterial community was stressed more by the presence of I. lacteus than P. ostreatus (as proved by the ratio of the fungal/bacterial markers and by the ratio of trans/cis mono-unsaturated fatty acids). Moreover, P. ostreatus stimulated the growth of Gram-positive bacteria (G+), especially actinobacteria and these results indicate the potential of the positive synergistic interaction of this fungus and actinobacteria in creosote biodegradation.     

Correction to: Knowledge domain and emerging trends of carbon footprint in the field of climate change and energy use: a bibliometric analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

The forest frontier in the Global South: Climate change policies and the promise of development and equity

Halting forest loss and achieving sustainable development in an equitable manner require state, non-state actors, and entire societies in the Global North and South to tackle deeply established patterns of inequality and power relations embedded in forest frontiers. Forest and climate governance in the Global South can provide an avenue for the transformational change needed—yet, does it? We analyse the politics and power in four cases of mitigation, adaptation, and development arenas. We use a political economy lens to explore the transformations taking place when climate policy meets specific forest frontiers in the Global South, where international, national and local institutions, interests, ideas, and information are at play. We argue that lasting and equitable outcomes will require a strong discursive shift within dominant institutions and among policy actors to redress policies that place responsibilities and burdens on local people in the Global South, while benefits from deforestation and maladaptation are taken elsewhere. What is missing is a shared transformational objective and priority to keep forests standing among all those involved from afar in the major forest frontiers in the tropics.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01602-1.     

The impact of inorganic tin on the planktonic cyanobacterium Synechocystis aquatilis: the effect of pH and humic acid

The influence of inorganic tin compounds on the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis aquatilis was studied, and its dependence on changing pH of the surrounding medium and the presence of humic acid. Both Sn(II) and Sn(IV), used as chlorides (at the concentrations 1-10 mg litre(-1)), inhibit the growth and chlorophyll a content of the cyanobacterium cultures, but only under alkaline conditions. Generally, the observed tin toxicity increased with increase of metal concentration, time of exposure and pH value of the medium (in the range 7-9.8). Sn(II) seems to be more toxic than Sn(IV). At the lowest studied metal concentration (1 mg litre(-1)), Sn(II) caused a 36 and 40% decrease in growth and chl a content, respectively, after 96 h exposure at pH 9.8, while Sn(IV) caused even a slight increase of both physiological parameters (hormetic effect). Similar increases in growth and chl a content were also observed at a high Sn (II) and Sn(IV) concentration (10 mg litre(-1)), but only in cultures exposed to metal at pH 7. At high pH (9.8), 10 mg litre(-1) of Sn(II) and Sn(IV) significantly suppressed both the growth of the cyanobacterium (by 54.2 and 26.1%, respectively) and the chl a content in cultures (by 58.2 and 24%, respectively). Humic acid reduced the toxicity of tin towards the cyanobacterium. The observed effects of pH and complexing ligand on the inorganic tin toxicity are discussed in the context of changing, chemical metal speciation and bioavailability.