Relationships and bioaccumulation of chemical elements in the Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica)

Concentrations of Al, Ba, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Si, Sr, Zn, Ca, K, Mg, Na and P in the livers of Baikal seal, plankton, zoobenthos, and fish, constituting the food sources for the seals, were determined by ICP-MS and ICP-AES. The accumulation of elements in the liver of seals, affected by internal and external (environmental) factors, was assessed by multidimensional (ANOVA, FA) and correlation analyses. FA has enabled identification of abiotic and biotic factors responsible for the accumulation of elements in the livers of Baikal seals. Significant influence of sex and development stage of the seals analysed on hepatic concentrations of some elements was found. The observed differences in element concentrations between pups, males and females could be attributable to the reproductive cycle of this species. ANOVA showed differences in concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cu and Cd in seals from the three separate basins of the lake. BMFs suggest biomagnification of Fe and Zn in the fish-seal trophic link.     

Mathematical modeling of biofiltration in activated pine-bark charge of a biofilter

Aim, Scope and Background Human economic activities cause emissions of various pollutants of an organic nature: butanol, butyl acetate, methanol, formaldehyde, phenol, benzene, toluene, xylene, etc. These compounds are emitted to atmosphere by various enterprises of food, chemistry, wood processing industries, from transportation means, agricultural enterprises, etc. Therefore, when purifying air from these pollutants, it is necessary to apply efficient and inexpensive air purification methods. In this dimension, the biological air purification is chosen from all possible air cleaning methods. An experimental biofilter with the activated charge of pine bark was developed at the Department of Environment Protection of the Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. In the course of the experimental investigation, it was determined that this air purification method is efficient. Filter efficiency, when purifying air of volatile organic compounds (butanol, butyl acetate and xylene), to a great extent, depending on the nature and concentrations (up to 100 mg/m3) of pollutants injected, might go up to 70-98%. The mathematical model of the biofilter was developed based on the research results and fully taking into consideration physical, chemical, and biological processes going on during its operations. Main Features The aim of this article is to determine biodegradation constant , absorption capacity , and half empiric expressions of filter efficiency. Knowing this, it is possible to find out the dependence of the filter efficiency on the operational parameters of the filter (i.e. on the concentrations and the height of biocharge of the initial pollutants (butanol, butyl acetate, xylene) fed through it). Conclusions With the help of mathematical modeling, the biodegradation constants and absorption capability of volatile organic compounds (butanol, butyl acetate, and xylene) fed into the biofilter charged with the activated pine bark and used for the cleaning of volatile organic compounds, as well as the efficiency of the biofilter in half empiric expression, have been established. It has been discovered that the constant of pollutant biodegradation is a value inverse to the time during which the amount of pollutants in the filter becomes times higher. It is rather complicated to carry out theoretical calculation of the biodegradation constant at a molecular level, therefore this constant has been established based on the results obtained in the course of research. The equations describing pollutant dynamics in the filter charge and the air cleaning processes going on in it have been derived from diffusion equations in a mobile medium. The modeling helped to find out the absorption capacity of the examined pollutants, which by its numeric value is equal to the volume unit of the absorbed gas amount. The latter factor, the same as the biodegradation constant, was determined basing on the experimental results. Mathematical modeling brought a range of formulas expressing dependences of each pollutant's efficiency on its initial concentrations and filter charge height. Recommendation /Outlook. Based on the experimental data, a mathematical model has been developed which will allow the measuring of the filter efficiency not only with regard to the absorption and biodegradation of the pollutants under examination, but also with regard to other pollutants and their compounds, etc., having an impact on the filter performance. The results of the mathematical modeling have revealed that the modeling of processes going on in the filter is much simpler than isthe performance of long and costly experiments. The developed mathematical model makes it possible to measure the filter efficiency at the present moment.     

Status and dynamics of the Kobresia pygmaea ecosystem on the Tibetan plateau

This paper provides information about the distribution, structure, and ecology of the world's largest alpine ecosystem, the Kobresia pygmaea pastures in the southeastern Tibetan plateau. The environmental importance of these Cyperaceae mats derives from the extremely firm turf, which protects large surfaces against erosion, including the headwaters of the Huang He, Yangtze, Mekong, Salween, and Brahmaputra. The emphasis of the present article is on the climate-driven evolution and recent dynamics of these mats under the grazing impact of small mammals and livestock. Considering pedological analyses, radiocarbon datings, and results from exclosure experiments, we hypothesize that the majority of K. pygmaea mats are human-induced and replace forests, scrub, and taller grasslands. At present, the carrying capacity is increasingly exceeded, and reinforced settlement of nomads threatens this ecosystem especially in its drier part, where small mammals become strong competitors with livestock and the removal of the turf is irreversible. Examples of rehabilitation measures are given.     

Lubricants based on renewable resources--an environmentally compatible alternative to mineral oil products

The development of lubricants like, e.g. engine and hydraulic oils was traditionally based on mineral oil as a base fluid. This fact is related to the good technical properties and the reasonable price of mineral oils. The Report to the Club of Rome (W.W. Behrens III, D.H. Meadows, D.I. Meadows, J. Randers, The limits of growth, A Report to the Club of Rome, 1972) and the two oil crises of 1979 and 1983, however, elucidated that mineral oil is on principle a limited resource. In addition, environmental problems associated with the production and use of chemicals and the limited capacity of nature to tolerate pollution became obvious (G.H. Brundtland, et al., in: Hauff, Volker (Ed.), World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), Report of the Brundtland-Commission, Oxford, UK, 1987), and the critical discussion included besides acid rain, smog, heavy metals, and pesticides also mineral oil (especially oil spills like the case Exxon Valdes). A disadvantage of mineral oil is its poor biodegradability and thus its potential for long-term pollution of the environment. From the early development of lubricants for special applications (e.g. turbojet engine oils) it was known, that fatty acid polyol esters have comparable or even better technical properties than mineral oil. Subsequently, innumerable synthetic esters have been synthesized by systematic variation of the fatty acid and the alcohol components. Whereas the alcohol moiety of the synthetic esters are usually of petrochemical origin, the fatty acids are almost exclusively based on renewable resources. The physico-chemical properties of oleochemical esters can cover the complete spectrum of technical requirements for the development of high-performance industrial oils and lubricants (e.g. excellent lubricating properties, good heat stability, high viscosity index, low volatility and superior shear stability). For a comprehensive review of their technical properties see F. Bongardt, in: Jahrbuchfür Praktiker, H. Ziolkowsky (Ed.), Verlag für chemische Industrie GmbH, 1996, pp. 348-361. This article will focus on the ecological properties of oleochemical (synthetic) esters. The environmental relevance of oleochemicals in comparison to petrochemicals is discussed, and then the principles of an ecological assessment are described. The ecotoxicological properties and the biodegradability of oleochemical esters are presented. Finally, the ecological properties of the oleochemical esters are discussed with regard to existing environmental classification and labeling systems.     

Seasonal variation and local distribution of metals in the seagrass Halophila stipulacea (Forsk.) Aschers. In the Antikyra Gulf, Greece

Accumulation of Fe, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Na, K, Ca and Mg concentrations by the seagrass Halophila stipulacea (Forsk.) Aschers. was studied at eight stations of the Antikyra Gulf (Viotia, Greece). This area was of interest because the contribution of bauxite to the mineral substrate and the discharge of an aluminium factory's wastes in it. Fe, Zn and K concentrations showed a significant seasonal variation with the same pattern (maximum mean value in summer and autumn), unlike Cu, Na and Mg concentrations which showed the opposite pattern. The observed patterns were mainly attributed to the dependence of metal concentrations in the plant on the tissue-age, the growth dynamics of the seagrass and the environment. All metal concentrations in the plant present uniform distribution in the inner part of the Gulf. The leaves of H. stipulacea accumulated higher Zn, Na, K and Mg concentrations than the stems, roots and rhizoids. There was a positive correlation between Cu, Zn, Cd and Na concentrations in the above-ground and below-ground plant parts.     

Anaerobic biotransformation of dinitrotoluene isomers by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis strain 27 isolated from earthworm intestine

Dinitrotoluenes are widely used as solvents and are intermediates in the synthesis of dyes, explosives, and pesticides. Environmental concerns regarding DNTs have increased due to their widespread use and their discharge into the environment. In this study, the anaerobic biodegradation of four dinitrotoluene isomers, 2,3-, 2,4-, 2,6- and 3,4-DNT, was investigated using Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis strain 27, which was isolated from the intestines of earthworms. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy showed that L. lactis strain 27 non-specifically reduced the nitro groups on the tested dinitrotoluenes to their corresponding aminonitrotoluenes. L. lactis strain 27, however, did not reduce either sequentially or simultaneously two nitro groups of the dinitrotoluenes, resulting in the formation of the corresponding diaminotoluenes. In vitro formation of dinitroazoxytoluenes suggested the presence of oxygen-sensitive hydroxylaminonitrotoluenes. L. lactis strain 27 was capable of reducing 2,4-, 2,6-, 2,3-, and 3,4-dinitrotoluenes up to 173.6, 66.6, 287.1, and 355 microM, respectively in 12 h incubation. A relatively rapid reduction was observed in the case of the 2,3-, and 3,4-dinitrotoluenes, which have vicinal nitro groups on their arene structure. Non-specific anaerobic reduction of dinitrotoluenes by the intestinal bacterium L. lactis strain 27 differentiated the extent of reduction of DNTs according to the substitutional position of the nitro groups and produced in vitro more toxic dinitroazoxytoluenes, suggesting that anaerobic biotransformation of dinitrotoluenes could increase environmental risk.     

Lake Borullus of the Nile Delta: a short history and an uncertain future

Borullus, the most centrally situated of the Nile Delta lakes, probably evolved around the eighth century AD from a preexisting salt marsh by fluviatile deposition of sand dunes north of the lake and subsidence of the preexisting tidal swamp behind this barrier. It was flooded yearly (September-December) by the Sebennytic branch of the Nile, and evacuated water through an exit, Bughaz. At low river levels, this process reversed and Bughaz functioned as a marine inlet. Because of this switch, its fauna and flora contained a mix of marine, freshwater, and brackish-water species. Around the mid-nineteenth century, damming of the Nile began, culminating with the high Aswan Dam (1964) that brought the yearly flood fully under control. As a result, a steady flow of Nile water, used for irrigated delta agriculture, began to drain to the lake and became a constant evacuator to the Mediterranean. It turned almost fresh, and its fishery, formerly marine and mullet-based, became cichlid-catfish based. However, rice and other new delta crops caused huge amounts of nutrients to wash down the drains, and currently the lake is eutrophied and only resists hypertrophication because of the low residence time of its water. Finally, the damming of the Nile terminated the influx to the delta of a yearly sediment layer, but subsidence and coastal erosion continue and are now consuming the sand bar that separates the lake from the sea.     

Relationship between two consecutive lactations and fat level in persistent organochlorine compound concentrations in human breast milk

An attempt was made to understand how consecutive deliveries and the following lactations have an impact on the organochlorine compound levels detected in human milk. The other goal of the study was to check for a possible dependence between fat content and the levels of the studied compounds in milk samples from the same lactations. 199 milk samples were examined for the presence of p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD, alpha-, beta-, gamma-HCH and sigmaPCBs. Moreover, in 87 milk samples the fat content was additionally determined. This study has indicated that, for the mother with a shorter interval between lactations, mean concentrations of the examined compounds were higher in the milk of the first lactation than that of the second. For the other donor whose second lactation began after 2 years, the mean levels of HCB, beta-HCH, p,p'-DDD, and PCBs in her milk were higher during the first lactation. At the same time, the concentrations of p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE after the second delivery were slightly higher. The correlation coefficients between the two data sets (fat content in milk, concentrations of the compounds studied in milk) showed no interrelationship between them.     

Study on the photocatalytic reduction of dichromate and photocatalytic oxidation of dichlorvos

In this paper, dichromate and dichlorvos are selected as the deputies of inorganic and organic pollutants, respectively, and TiO2/beads is used as a photocatalyst. The effects of various parameters, such as the amount of the photocatalyst, H2O2 concentration, metal ions, anions, pH value, and organic compounds on the photocatalytic reduction of dichromate and photocatalytic oxidation of dichlorvos are studied. From the studies, the differences of the parameters effect on the photocatalytic degradation of organic and inorganic pollutants are obtained. The results show that the optimum amount of the photocatalyst used is 6.0 g cm(-3) for the photocatalytic reactions. With the addition of a small amount of H2O2, the photocatalytic reduction of dichromate is inhibited while the photocatalytic oxidation of dichlorvos is accelerated. With the addition of trace amounts of Fe3+ or Cu2+, both the reactions are accelerated, and with the addition of Zn2+ and Na+, no obvious effects on the reactions are observed. Acidic solution is favorable for the photocatalytic reduction of dichromate; and acidic and alkaline solutions are favorable for the photocatalytic oxidation of dichlorvos. Adding SO4(2-), the photocatalytic oxidation is accelerated and adding Cl- the reaction is inhibited; and with the addition of trace amounts of SO4(2-), Cl- and NO3-, no obvious effects on the photocatalytic reduction of dichromate are observed. With the addition of methanol and toluene, the photocatalytic reduction of dichromate is accelerated, and the photocatalytic oxidation of dichlorvos is inhibited. The possible roles of the additives on the reactions are also discussed.     

浮床植物对雨水中氮磷等污染物的去除效果

在实验室条件下,研究以美人蕉、空心菜及两者混合这3种情况下浮床植物对雨水中N、P和COD等营养盐类的去除效果及植物生长状况。结果表明两者混合种植时对TN、TP和COD的去除效果更好,其中美人蕉对TP的去除效果相对较好,空心菜对TN、COD的去除效果较好。选用混合浮床在镇江市雨水利用示范区进行雨水处理,由实验结果得知,混合植物浮床对雨水中TP、TN、COD、SS和浊度的去除效果良好,最高去除率分别达到86%、67.4%、66.4%、93.5%和95.4%。出水水质完全符合城市绿化用水标准,从而在达到雨水回用的目的,对成熟的美人蕉和空心菜进行6种重金属含量检测,也均达到相关的食用及药用标准。     

Effect of SiO2 on immobilization of metals and encapsulation of a glass network in slag

The final disposal of ash from an incinerator is of special concern because of the possibility of its releasing toxic substances. Melting/vitrification has been regarded as a prospective technology of ash treatment. The object of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of silica (SiO2) addition on the immobilization of hazardous metals and the encapsulation of a glass network during the vitrification process. Four specimens with SiO2/fly ash mixing ratios of 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3, respectively, were tested. The mobility of metals in slag was then estimated by a sequential extraction procedure. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that SiO2 leads to the polymerization of silicates. The encapsulation of aluminum, calcium, and magnesium would not be observed unless adequate amount of SiO2 was added. It was also found that SiO2 addition enhances the formation of a compact and interconnected glass network structure and, thus, contributes to the chemical stability of metals in slag. After vitrification, the mobility of cadmium, copper, iron, chromium, nickel, lead, and zinc was significantly reduced. However, there is no significant correlation between the immobilization of these metals and the addition of SiO2.     

Transport of Escherichia coli and solutes during waste water infiltration in an urban alluvial aquifer

Recharge of waste water in an unconsolidated poorly sorted alluvial aquifer is a complex process, both physically and hydrochemically. The aim of this paper is to analyse and conceptualise vertical transport mechanisms taking place in an urban area of extensive wastewater infiltration by analysing and combining the water balance, the microbial (Escherichia coli) mass balance, and the mass balance for dissolved solutes. For this, data on sediment characteristics (grain size, organic carbon, reactive iron, and calcite), groundwater levels, and concentrations of E. coli in groundwater and waste water were collected. In the laboratory, data on E. coli decay rate coefficients, and on bacteria retention characteristics of the sediment were collected via column experiments. The results indicated that shallow groundwater, at depths of 50 m below the surface, was contaminated with E. coli concentrations as high as 10(6) CFU/100 mL. In general, E. coli concentrations decreased only 3 log units from the point of infiltration to shallow groundwater. Concentrations were lower at greater depths in the aquifer. In laboratory columns of disturbed sediments, bacteria removal was 2-5 log units/0.5 cm column sediment. Because of the relatively high E. coli concentrations in the shallow aquifer, transport had likely taken place via a connected network of pores with a diameter large enough to allow bacterial transport instead of via the sediment matrix, which was inaccessible for bacteria, as was clear from the column experiments. The decay rate coefficient was determined from laboratory microcosms to be 0.15 d(-1). Assuming that decay in the aquifer was similar to decay in the laboratory, then the pore water flow velocity between the point of infiltration and shallow groundwater, coinciding with a concentration decrease of 3 log units, was 0.38 m/d, and therefore, transport in this connected network of pores was fast. According to the water balance of the alluvial aquifer, determined from transient groundwater modelling, groundwater flow in the aquifer was mainly in vertical downward direction, and therefore, the mass balance for dissolved solutes was simulated using a 1D transport model of a 200 m column of the Quaternary Alluvium aquifer. The model, constructed with PHREEQC, included dual porosity, and was able to adequately simulate removal of E. coli, cation-exchange, and nitrification. The added value of the use of E. coli in this study was the recognition of relatively fast transport velocities occurring in the aquifer, and the necessity to use the dual porosity concept to investigate vertical transport mechanisms. Therefore, in general and if possible, microbial mass balances should be considered more systematically as an integral part of transport studies.     

Change of PCBs and forms of heavy metals in sewage sludge during thermophilic anaerobic digestion

Determination of seven congeners of PCBs was carried out for sewage sludge before, during and after thermophilic digestion. The overall content of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd, Pb, Cr) in sludge before and after digestion was determined. Moreover the concentration of heavy metals in particular chemical fractions of the sludge was analyzed. After the thermophilic digestion total concentration of seven PCBs was reduced by 47%, which suggests that thermophilic digestion affects PCB reduction positively. On the 10th d of the process, concentration of lower chlorinated PCBs increased, whereas those of higher chlorinated PCBs decreased. The thermophilic digestion process showed no accumulation of the studied heavy metals in the mobile fractions (exchangeable and carbonate) of the stabilized sewage sludge, except for nickel. The highest increase in zinc, copper, cadmium, and chromium concentration was observed in the organic-sulfide fraction, whereas the highest increase in lead was found in the residual fraction of the sludge. In case of nickel both fractions of organic-sulfide and exchangeable-carbonate fractions were enriched.     

Herbicide leaching on a recharge area of the Guarany aquifer in Brazil

The region of Ribeir?o Preto City, located in Southeast of Brazil, S?o Paulo State, is an important sugarcane, soybean, and corn producing area with a high level of pesticides utilization. This region is also an important recharge area for groundwater supply of the Guarany aquifer. Since the past ten years atrazine, simazine, ametryn, tebuthiuron, diuron, 2,4-D, picloram, and hexazinone are the main herbicides used in this area. In order to study a possible leaching of some of these herbicides into the aquifer, surface, and groundwater samples were collected in a watershed during the years of 1996 to 2003, from different locations. To detect and quantify the herbicides a GC-MS (gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry) method was used. The response of the herbicides analyzed was linear over the concentration range of 0.02 to 2.0 microg/L. Analysis of groundwater revealed that the herbicides tebuthiuron, diuron, atrazine, simazine, and ametryn were not present in the samples. In the surface water collected in 1997, ametryn was present in two out of nine locations with concentrations ranging from 0.17 and 0.23 microg/L, which is above the allowable 0.1 microg/L according to the European safety level. The leaching potential of tebuthiuron, diuron, atrazine, simazine, 2,4-D, picloram, and hexazinone has been evaluated using CMLS-94, "Chemical Movement in Layered Soil," as simulation model. No leaching into the depth of the water table at 40 m was found.     

Part II: temporal and spatial distribution of multiclass pesticide residues in lake sediments of northern Greece: application of an optimized MAE-LC-MS/MS pretreatment and analytical method

The development and application of an analytical methodology for the pretreatment and determination of 253 multiclass pesticides, in lake sediment samples, using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) are described in this work. Sediments of lakes Volvi, Doirani, and Kerkini, located in northern Greece, were collected in two-time periods (fall/winter 2010 and spring/summer 2011) and analyzed, applying the developed analytical methodology. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was applied to extract the pesticide residues from lake sediment samples. Analytical results were stored, categorized, and visualized using geographical information systems, in order to assess and observe spatial and temporal variations of the pollution. Main pesticides that were detected included the following: amitrole, tebuconazole, phoxim, diniconazole, sethoxydim, temephos, tetrachlorvinphos, pendimethalin, boscalid, disulfoton sulfone, lenacil, propiconazole, cycloxydim, pyridaben, and terbuthylazine. Amitrole, diniconazole, and tebuconazole were found to be common in all three lakes. Lakes Kerkini and Doirani exhibited increased concentrations during the first sampling period (winter 2010) with predominant pesticide classes, triazines/triazoles and organophosphates. Pollution is mainly located near the populated villages of the lakes and the nearby cultivations. During the second sampling period, pesticide concentrations appear lower and located in sediments near the center of the lake. Lake Volvi exhibits increased pesticide concentrations during the second sampling period, temporal and spatial variations and different pesticide profile pattern. Increased pollution occurs near the center of the lake during the first sampling period, mainly comprised by triazines/triazoles and organophosphates. During the second sampling period, the majority of the sediment samples demonstrated a different pesticide profile dominated by unclassified pesticides and triazines/triazoles. Mineralogical analysis of the samples demonstrates that sediments are mainly composed of clay, mud, and sand particles, and they present spatial variations. Near the center of the lakes, sediments appear to be more fine-grained with higher clay content and are more likely to adsorb pesticides.     

Encapsulation behaviors of metals in slags containing various amorphous volume fractions

In this study, a melting process with addition of SiO2 was applied to treat incinerator fly ash. To describe the encapsulation behaviors of metals quantitatively, the amorphous volume fraction (AVF) of slags was initially determined. Vitrification appeared to reduce the mobility of Cr, Cu, Mn, and Ni instead of significantly immobilizing Cd, Pb, and Zn. It was verified that SiO2 enhanced the formation of an amorphous glassy structure. With the increase of SiO2, the crystalline phases would gradually diminish and transform into a higher silica-connected species. During the formation of slag matrix, Al, Ca, and Mg could modify the glass network, and consequently the encapsulation behaviors of these species would noticeably affect the chemical stability of slags. Significant immobilization of crust metals could be achieved only when a more compact and interconnected amorphous glass network was formed. Hence, it indicated that a higher AVF silica-based slag had a better potential to resist acid attack. In conclusion, for environmental protection, it is important to investigate the correlation between the encapsulation behaviors of metals and the crystalline characteristics of slag structure.     

湿地底质环境对不同浓度污水的净化效果

实验以扎龙湿地底泥做为介质,模拟表面流湿地系统,研究了不同底质和进水浓度对表面流湿地净化效率及其稳定性的影响。通过对各个指标去除率均值,变异系数和方差的综合分析,表明在本实验设计的高、中、低3种浓度梯度下,高、中浓度进水时,湿地底质的净化效果更好。粘土对TN、NO3--N去除效果最好,粉砂土对NH4+-N、COD去除效果较好。3种底质对磷的去除效果没有显著差异。此外,随着进水浓度的不同,底质因素的影响也发生相应的变化。即粘土和粉砂土的去除率受进水浓度影响大,亚砂土的去除效果相对稳定。实验结果客观反映了扎龙湿地不同底质地段的净化污水功能,为表面流人工湿地净化不同浓度的污水水质和选择最佳净化效果的湿地底质提供理论依据。     

Influence of contaminated particles on the bioaccumulation of hydrophobic organic micropollutants in fish

The influence of contaminated particles on the bioconcentration of hydrophobic chemicals by fish is dependent on the hydrophobicity of the chemicals. This has been shown for polychlorinated benzenes and biphenyls (ranging over three orders of magnitude in octan-1-ol/water partition coefficient) which are sorbed on very low organic carbon content particles. For chemicals with low to moderate hydrophobicity, the amount of the chemical which is sorbed, relative to the amount which is dissolved, determines the influence that contaminated particles have on the uptake of the chemicals by fish. In this present experiment, for lower chlorinated benzenes and biphenyls, the amount dissolved in water are high compared with the amounts which are present in the sorbed state, and the influence of contaminated particles on their uptake by fish is negligible. For more hydrophobic chemicals, which have lower aqueous solubilities, such as penta and hexachlorobenzene, and tri and tetrachlorobiphenyls, contaminated particles can have a much greater influence on the uptake by fish. If the number of contaminated particles is sufficiently high, the low aqueous solubilities, in combination with relatively high rates of desorption or dissolution, enable the particles to act as a source of the hydrophobic chemicals. For extremely hydrophobic chemicals, the rates of dissolution or desorption determine the rates of uptake of the chemical by the fish. Hence, during relatively short periods of exposure, there is no influence of contaminated particles on the bioaccumulation.     

Influence of hydrological regime on pore water metal concentrations in a contaminated sediment-derived soil

Options for wetland creation or restoration might be limited because of the presence of contaminants in the soil. The influence of hydrological management on the pore water concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn in the upper soil layer of a contaminated overbank sedimentation zone was investigated in a greenhouse experiment. Flooding conditions led to increased Fe, Mn, Ni and Cr concentrations and decreased Cd, Cu and Zn concentrations in the pore water of the upper soil layer. Keeping the soil at field capacity resulted in a low pore water concentration of Fe, Mn and Ni while the Cd, Cu, Cr and Zn concentrations increased. Alternating hydrological conditions caused metal concentrations in the pore water to fluctuate. Formation and re-oxidation of small amounts of sulphides appeared dominant in determining the mobility of Cd, Cu, and to a lesser extent Zn, while Ni behaviour was consistent with Fe/Mn oxidation and reduction. These effects were strongly dependent on the duration of the flooded periods. The shorter the flooded periods, the better the metal concentrations could be linked to the mobility of Ca in the pore water, which is attributed to a fluctuating CO(2) pressure.