Flame ionization gas chromatographic determination of phthalate esters in water, surface sediments and fish species in the Ogun river catchments, Ketu, Lagos, Nigeria

The detection and quantification of four phthalate esters??dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)??in water, sediment, and some fish species were carried out using flame ionization gas chromatography. The samples were collected from the Ogun river catchments, Ketu, Lagos. The DMP was not detected in the water and fish samples but was detected in sediments collected from four of the six sampling sites. The concentration of DEP, DBP, and DEHP in the fish species ranged from 320.0?C810.0, 380.0?C1,080.0, and 40.0?C150.0 ??g/kg in Tilapia sp.; 310.0?C860.0, 400.0?C1,170.0, and 40.0?C110.0 ??g/kg in Chrysichthys sp.; and 320.0?C810.0, 400.0?C3,970.0, and 30.0?C300.0 ??g/kg (DEHP) in Synodontis sp., respectively. The differences in fish phthalate levels are not statistically significant at p?<?0.05, an indication that phthalate esters accumulation is not fish species dependent. The DEP, DBP, and DEHP values recorded are considerably higher than the maximum allowed concentrations for drinking water prescribed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The phthalate pollution index and biosediment accumulation factor values were also calculated.     

Assessment of microcystins in lake water and the omnivorous fish (Carassius gibelio, Bloch) in Lake Pamvotis (Greece) containing dense cyanobacterial bloom

Toxin-producing cyanobacteria in lakes and reservoirs form a threat to humans as well as various forms of aquatic life. This study examined the occurrence and distribution of Microcystins (MCYST) in the shallow eutrophic lake Pamvotis (Greece). MCYST concentrations in the tissues (liver, kidneys, intestine, gonads, brain and muscle) of the fish species Carassius gibelio were also examined. Tests were performed with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). MCYST concentration in water and in the scum of Lake Pamvotis were highest during the warm period (April–October, 2005). Phytoplankton samples were dominated by the genera Microcystis and Anabaena during the same period. MCYST values were always below the WHO Guide level for recreational waters but much higher than the WHO Guide level for drinking water. It was found that MCYST can accumulate in the fish tissues of C. gibelio. Even though the target organ for MCYST is the liver, in our study MCYST were found also in the rest of C. gibelio tissues in the following order: intestine> kidney> > brain>gonads> muscle. Muscle tissue contained concentrations of microcystins that correspond to 0.096 μg/kg/day well above the recommended limit for human consumption (0.04 μg/Kg/day).     

Hydrocarbon Utilization in Yeast Isolates Found to Grow in Association with Petroleum in a Polluted Ultisol of Midwestern Nigeria

The population counts of hydrocarbon-utilising yeasts weremonitored at six sampling stations in the Benin City municipalarea over a four-week period. Although the population countswere relatively constant in each locality, the highest countsoccurred in areas heavily polluted by domestic and industrialeffluents. A total of thirty-five hydrocarbon-degrading yeastswere isolated from soil at the sampling stations usingn-hexadecane as sole carbon source. The isolates were identifiedas belonging to the genera Candida (27 strains), Endomycopsis (4 strains). All the organisms grew on long-chainn-alkane, kerosene, diesel oil and crude oil but failed to growon short-chain n-alkane, aromatic and alicyclic hydrocarbons.Measurement of growth attributes of the isolates usingn-hexadecane, diesel oil and crude oil as substrates showed thatthe Candida species were better utilizers of hydrocarbonsubstrates relative to Endomycopsis and Schizosaccharomyces species.     

Occurrence,removal and health risk assessment of phthalate esters in the process streams of two different wastewater treatment plants in Lagos and Ogun States,Nigeria

Phthalate esters (PEs) are one of the environmentally active organic pollutants capable of causing endocrine disruption. The levels of PE congeners were determined in the influent and effluent from Covenant Oxidation Pond (COP) and Ikeja Wastewater Treatment Plant (IWWTP). Standard methods were adopted for determining the physical and chemical parameters of the water samples. The water samples for PE congener’s determination were collected, acidified and stored at 4 °C prior to liquid-liquid extraction and analysis by gas chromatograph. The possible health risk associated with the usage of effluent-polluted river water was also investigated. The pH and temperature ranges were within the Federal Ministry of Environment (FME) 2001 guideline limits while the dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand were above the limits. The IWWTP performed better at removing PEs at 54% compared to 43.3% on average at COP. The health risk of individual PE congener showed no non-cancer effects (HQ) as the values varied from 5.01E?05 (DAP) to 1.52E?02 (DEHP) for adults and 1.17E?04 (DAP) to 3.76E?03 (DBP) for children at COP, while at IWWTP, it ranged from 8.06E?05 (DIBP) to 1.09E?02 (DEHP) for adults and 5.68E?04 (MMP) to 2.54E?02 (DEHP) for children. Notwithstanding, the usage of effluent-polluted river water by local communities downstream may result in carcinogenic effects due to the cumulative effects of the PE congeners as the values obtained for adults and children for the ingestion and dermal routes for the two waste process streams ranged from 4.67E?06 (IWWTP) to 6.22E?05 (IWWTP) and 2.18E?05 (IWWTP) to 7.18E?05 (COP), respectively.     

Biomonitoring heavy metals in estuaries: a field comparison of two brown algae species inhabiting upper estuarine reaches

Biomonitoring dissolved heavy metals within estuaries,particularly at their upper reaches, frequently has to relyon several biomonitors; rarely a single species thrives allalong the salinity gradient. To properly do so, it must beestablished whether those biomonitors actually accumulateheavy metals alike. In this study, two brown seaweeds fromthe upper section of three NW Spain estuaries – the widely-known Fucus vesiculosus and the estuarine Fucusceranoides – were compared as metal biomonitors. Bothspecies were collected at five locations where they eithercoexist or live close to each other and their heavy metalcontent (Cu, Cr, Mn, Zn, Fe, Al) was measured. Analyseswere appropriately replicated for each species x locationcombination to allow a statistically reliable detection ofdifferences in bioaccumulation, with particular emphasis onthe magnitude of interspecific differences. The lack of significant differences for Cu, Mn, and Zncontents in F. ceranoides and F. vesiculosussupports the feasibility of their joint use to monitorthese metals along the estuaries. Conversely, F.ceranoides concentrated significantly higher levels of Cr,Fe, and Al than F. vesiculosus and hence combiningdata for both fucoids to monitor these elements seemsimpractical. The correlation of species differencestogether with a similar Al:Fe ratio in both weed tissue andsediment suggest that Cr, Fe, and Al tissue-burdens mightbe considerably biased by sediment retained on the surfaceof the weed. Parallel analyses of Al and/or Fe in seaweedsand sediments could serve to keep track of thisinterference and may help to combine data from both fucoidsfor monitoring elements like Cr.     

Assessment of contamination and biomarker responses in two species of herons on the St. Lawrence river

This study was undertaken to validate potential biomarkers of exposure and effects due to chemical contaminants in breedingcolonies of the Great Blue Heron and the Black-crowned Night-Heron on the St. Lawrence River. Eggs and fledglings from both species were collected from many colonies along theRiver. The fledglings from colonies in freshwater and brackishwater were more contaminated by mercury and PCBs than those from estuarine and gulf colonies. With respect to fledglings ofthe two heron species, some morphometric and blood biochemicalmeasurements, including plasma thyroid hormones and retinol, were significantly different among colonies. Significant differences were also observed in liver retinoids, EROD and porphyrins among colonies. The results of this study suggestthat plasma retinoids and thyroid hormones are good biomarkersof exposure and effects, and are sufficiently sensitive to reflect local and regional variations in contamination. Along with the measure of contaminants in egg and plasma, they constitute non-invasive biomarkers which represent an importantcriteria for long term monitoring of wildlife species. It is concluded that the Great Blue Heron is an appropriate sentinelspecies in the surveillance network for the St. Lawrence River.     

An evaluation of selenium concentrations in water, sediment, invertebrates, and fish from the Solomon River Basin

The Solomon River Basin is located in north-central Kansas in an area underlain by marine geologic shales. Selenium is an indigenous constituent of these shales and is readily leached into the surrounding groundwater. Portions of the Basin are irrigated primarily through the pumping of selenium-contaminated groundwater from wells onto fields in agricultural production. Water, sediment, macroinvertebrates, and fish were collected from various sites in the Basin in 1998 and analyzed for selenium. Selenium concentrations were analyzed spatially and temporally and compared to reported selenium toxic effect thresholds for specific ecosystem components: water, sediments, food-chain organisms, and wholebody fish. A selenium aquatic hazard assessment for the Basin was determined based on protocol established by Lemly. Throughout the Basin, water, macroinvertebrate, and whole fish samples exceeded levels suspected of causing reproductive impairment in fish. Population structures of several fish species implied that successful reproduction was occurring; however, the influence of immigration of fish from low-selenium habitats could not be discounted. Site-specific fish reproduction studies are needed to determine the true impact of selenium on fishery resources in the Basin. The U.S. Government’s right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty free license in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

A new voltammetric method for the simultaneous monitoring of heavy metals in sea water,sediments, algae and clams: application to the Goro Bay ecosystem

Arsenic(III), selenium(IV), copper(II), lead(II), cadmium(II),zinc(II) have been determined in sea water, sediments, algae andclams by differential pulse cathodic (DPCSV) and anodic (DPASV)stripping voltammetry. The voltammetric measurements are carriedout using a conventional three-electrode cell and the ammonia-ammonium chloride buffer pH 9.2 as supporting electrolyte.The analytical procedure has been verified by the analysisof the standard reference materials (Estuarine SedimentBCR-CRM 277, Ulva Lactuca BCR-CRM 279 and Mussel Tissue BCR-CRM278). The precision and the accuracy are less than 5%. Thisprocedure is utilized for the monitoring of heavy metals inthe Po river mouth area (Italy).     

Study of metals concentration levels in Patella piperata throughout the Canary Islands, Spain

In order to assess the extent of metal contamination at rocky shores of the Canarian Archipelago, metal concentrations have been measured in Patella piperata (Gould, 1846), using the standard atomic absorption spectrophotometer technique. Ranges of elements concentrations measured (in μg g⁻¹) found in the biota were: Cd (0.36 ± 0.26 μg g⁻¹ dry wt.), Cu (2.05 ± 0.91 dry wt.), Pb (1.57 ± 1.14 μg g⁻¹dry wt.) and Zn (10.37 ± 4.60 μg g⁻¹ dry wt.). Variation in metal concentrations in Patella, was tested by using non-parametric statistical methods. Cd content had a maximum in the Archipelago Chinijo, northward of Lanzarote Island. The metal concentrations recorded at the clean stations may be considered carefully if they are used like background levels.     

CHemical and Biological Assessment of an Urban, Estuarine marsh in Northeastern New Jersey USA

Oritani Marsh in the Hackensack Meadowlands of urbanized northeastern New Jersey USA was assessed in 2000 for vegetation, soil/sediment chemistry, abundance/diversity of benthic invertebrates, and bird and mammal usage. Vegetatively, both marsh and uplands are dominated by tall, dense Phragmites australis. Small patches (less than 2 hectares total) dominated by Spartina spp. were found at the lowest elevations. Soil/sediment cores were sliced into 5 intervals and analyzed for metals, pesticides and volatile/semivolatile organic compounds. Thirteen locations had at least one chemical above Long et al.’s [Environmental Management, 19, 1995, 81--97] “Effects Range-Median” (ERM). Seven metals and nine organics exceeded ERM in at least one sample, with mercury showing the most exceedances. The surface 15 cm interval was generally more contaminated with metals than the 15 to 30 cm interval; the reverse was true for semivolatile organic compounds. Twenty taxa of benthic macroinvertebrates were collected, with each location producing from 1 to 9 taxa. Abundance ranged from 11 to 3,889 individuals/m². Number of taxa was moderately (r ² between 0.40 and 0.70) negatively correlated with zinc, beryllium, nickel and arsenic concentrations; no other chemical’s r ² was above 0.25. Diversity was moderately negatively correlated with arsenic and beryllium. These correlations were unexpected: zinc, beryllium, nickel and arsenic were not the chemicals found at the highest concentrations relative to benchmarks. Number of taxa, abundance and diversity were moderately (negatively) correlated with elevation; organic carbon was moderately (positively) correlated with abundance. All other correlations were weak (r ² < 0.35). Live traps captured only one mammal species, the meadow jumping mouse. Bird observations revealed 39 species, dominated by a few common species.     

Hazard assessment of metals in invasive fish species of the Yamuna River,India in relation to bioaccumulation factor and exposure concentration for human health implications

Monitoring of heavy metals was conducted in the Yamuna River considering bioaccumulation factor, exposure concentration, and human health implications which showed contamination levels of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and chromium (Cr) and their dispersion patterns along the river. Largest concentration of Pb in river water was 392 μg L^?1; Cu was 392 μg L^?1 at the extreme downstream, Allahabad and Ni was 146 μg L^?1 at midstream, Agra. Largest concentration of Cu was 617 μg kg^?1, Ni 1,621 μg kg^?1 at midstream while Pb was 1,214 μg kg^?1 at Allahabad in surface sediment. The bioconcentration of Cu, Pb, Ni, and Cr was observed where the largest accumulation of Pb was 2.29 μg kg^?1 in Oreochromis niloticus and 1.55 μg kg^?1 in Cyprinus carpio invaded at Allahabad while largest concentration of Ni was 174 μg kg^?1 in O. niloticus and 124 μg kg^?1 in C. carpio in the midstream of the river. The calculated values of hazard index (HI) for Pb was found more than one which indicated human health concern. Carcinogenic risk value for Ni was again high i.e., 17.02?×?10^?4 which was larger than all other metals studied. The results of this study indicated bioconcentration in fish due to their exposures to heavy metals from different routes which had human health risk implications. Thus, regular environmental monitoring of heavy metal contamination in fish is advocated for assessing food safety since health risk may be associated with the consumption of fish contaminated through exposure to a degraded environment.     

Influence of weight on the content of trace metals in tissues of Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819): a forecast model

Fifty seven samples of Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819) collected along the breakwater barriers of Fano (station 1) and Pesaro (station 2), Adriatic Sea, Marche Region, central Italy, were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry and Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations in the soft tissues were measured. The aims of this work were the statistical analysis of Cd-weight, Cu-weight, Pb-weight, Zn-weight relationships, and the building of a tendency function that allows assessing with a good approximation the concentrations of a metal in different weight organisms. In Mytilus galloprovincialis the content of Cd proportionally grew with the weight and therefore its concentration was independent from this factor; while the concentration of Pb decreased as the weight increased. In both cases the accuracy of multiple regression models improved considering the variable ‘site’, while the same approach appeared not reliable for Cu and Zn, that were two essential metals. Our results showed that a tendency function was reliable, solid and able to predict to a very satisfying extent the concentration of non-physiological metals, like Cd and Pb; while it did not show a good approximation with real Cu and Zn contents.     

Assessment of thermal stratification within stream pools as a mechanism to provide refugia for native trout in hot, arid rangelands

Native trout species, such as the redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), occupy thermally harsh stream habitats in hot, arid rangeland basins of the western United States. Declines in the distribution and abundance of these species has generated interest in understanding how these cold water species survive in these systems, as well as in identifying opportunities to restore these species to their former ranges. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential for thermal stratification to provide thermal refuge for redband trout in stream pools characterized by warm intermittent flow conditions on arid rangelands. We studied vertical thermal stratification in two pools during three summers on Boles Creek located on the Modoc Plateau in extreme northeastern California. Water and air temperature data were collected on a 0.5 h time step from 15-Jun through 15-Sep during 1996, 1997, and 2000 using commercial temperature data-loggers. Water temperature was measured at the top (0.3 m below pool surface) and bottom (0.3 m above pool substrates) of each pool. Vertical thermal stratification occurred within these pools creating conditions as much as 7.6 ˚C cooler and consistently more constant at the bottom of pools compared to pool surface waters. Thermal stratification was dependent upon air temperature with the magnitude of stratification increasing as air temperature increased. The magnitude of thermal stratification varied significantly from year to year, likely reflecting variation in annual weather conditions. The thermal regime in the study pools was often near the upper lethal limit reported for redband trout, but temperatures at the bottom of these pools did offer refuge from lethal temperatures realized near the pool surface. Temperatures at pool bottom were consistently above optimal levels published for redbands.     

The prevalence of bacterial resistance in clinical, food, water and some environmental samples in Southwest Nigeria

The resistance pattern and mechanisms of bacterial isolates obtained from clinical origin, soil, industrial effluent, orange juice products and drinking water were studied using commonly used antibiotics. The microbial load of the water samples, industrial effluent and orange juice products were 1.0 × 10¹–2.25 × 10⁶, 2.15 × 10⁵, and 3.5 × 10⁴–2.15 × 10⁵ cfu mL^–1, respectively. The faecal coliform test revealed that only two out of twenty orange juice products had MPN of 2 and 20, the MPN of water ranged from 1–1800, while the effluent had MPN of 1800. The bacterial isolates that were isolated include E. coli, S. aureus, P. vulgaris, S. marcescens, S. pyogenes, B. cereus, B. subtilis, Micrococcus sp., Klebsiella sp., P. aeruginosa, and Enterobacter sp. Also, clinical and soil isolates of P. aeruginosa were used in the study. Among the eight antibiotics tested for resistance on five strains of each bacterium, seven different resistance patterns were observed among the bacterial isolates obtained from water, effluent and orange juice products. Among the clinical and soil isolates of P. aeruginosa, four multiple-drug resistance patterns were obtained. Thirty strains of E. coli and S. aureus were tested for -lactamase production and fourteen strains, seven each of E. coli and S. aureus that had high Minimum Inhibitory Concentration values (MIC) for both Amoxycillin and Cloxacillin were positive.     

Bioaccumulation of Metals in Fish of Salmonidae Family and the Impact on Fish Meat Quality

The study was aimed at determining the levels of metals in water samples and muscles of the fish caught in the Una River basin, located in the northwestern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. For that purpose, three fish species: Brown Trout (Salmo trutta m. fario), Grayling (Thymallus thymallus) and Californian Trout (Salmo gairdneri), together with stem water samples, were analyzed for metal concentrations (Pb, Hg, Cd, As, Mn, Ni, Cu, Cr, Se, Co, Sn, Zn, Fe, Ca, P) during a 2-year period. The fish was captured using electric fishing, nets or fishing equipment. The capture was undertaken on three sites (the river source, the middle flow and the river mouth) of each of the five biggest rivers belonging to the Una River basin (Unac, Krušnica, Sana, Klokot, and Una). The concentrations of metals in each sample were determined via atomic absorption spectrophotometry. In the tested waters, the presence of Mn in concentrations higher than permitted (0.07 mg/l) had been detected. In the tested meat, the following average concentrations of metals (mg/kg) had been found: Pb (0.67), Cd (0.06), Mn (0.65), Ni (0.15), Cu (0.79), Cr (1.05), Se (0.03), Zn (8.92), Fe (5.40), Ca (14.68), and P (10.85). The correlation between Mn concentrations identified in the tested waters and those identified in the meat of Brown Trout was revealed to be statistically significant, which confirms that, over time, bioaccumulation of metals took place. Even though the results were not indicative of contamination, they strongly suggest that constant monitoring of the ecosystems in reference should be implemented.     

Effect of metallic pollutants on the physiology of lichen, Pyxine subcinerea Stirton in Garhwal Himalayas

Chl. a, Chl. b, total Chl., Carotenoid, Protein and OD 435/OD 415 ratio were measured to estimate the possible damage caused by the metallic pollutants in the lichen, Pyxine subcinerea Stirton collected from four different sites of Srinagar Garhwal, Uttaranchal, India. Multiple correlation analysis revealed significant correlation (P < 0.001) among the Fe, Ni, Cu, Cr, Zn and Pb metals analysed. Cd did not correlate with any other metals except Fe (P < 0.05). Cu, Pb and Zn, are the main constituents of the vehicular emissions had significant positive correlation (P < 0.001) with protein content while, the OD 435/OD 415 ratio values decreased statistically (P < 0.001) with increase in amount of Cu, Pb and Zn.     

Step-up multiple regression model to compute Chlorophyll a in the coastal waters off Cochin, southwest coast of India

The interaction effects of abiotic processes in the production of phytoplankton in a coastal marine region off Cochin are evaluated using multiple regression models. The study shows that chlorophyll production is not limited by nutrients, but their physiological regulations (responses to nutrients, pH, temperature and salinity) are mainly responsible for the increased biological production. The model explaining 77% of variability for chlorophyll a production is indicative of preconditioning of the coastal waters. The phytoplankton production is found to be sensitive to the environment, which varies seasonally. Further, the study suggests that supply of organic matter and grazing of zooplankton (not included) would improve the model efficiency. Despite this, the good agreement in the computed and measured chlorophyll a values shows that step-up multiple regression model is a useful tool to understand the influence of environmental variables on the production of phytoplankton in these coastal waters.     

Abundance, behavior, and movement patterns of western gray whales in relation to a 3-D seismic survey, Northeast Sakhalin Island, Russia

A geophysical seismic survey was conducted in the summer of 2001 off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island, Russia. The area of seismic exploration was immediately adjacent to the Piltun feeding grounds of the endangered western gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus). This study investigates relative abundance, behavior, and movement patterns of gray whales in relation to occurrence and proximity to the seismic survey by employing scan sampling, focal follow, and theodolite tracking methodologies. These data were analyzed in relation to temporal, environmental, and seismic related variables to evaluate potential disturbance reactions of gray whales to the seismic survey. The relative numbers of whales and pods recorded from five shore-based stations were not significantly different during periods when seismic surveys were occurring compared to periods when no seismic surveys were occurring and to the post-seismic period. Univariate analyses indicated no significant statistical correlation between seismic survey variables and any of the eleven movement and behavior variables. Multiple regression analyses indicated that, after accounting for temporal and environmental variables, 6 of 11 movement and behavior variables (linearity, acceleration, mean direction, blows per surfacing, and surface-dive blow rate) were not significantly associated with seismic survey variables, and 5 of 11 variables (leg speed, reorientation rate, distance-from-shore, blow interval, and dive time) were significantly associated with seismic survey variables. In summary, after accounting for environmental variables, no correlation was found between seismic survey variables and the linearity of whale movements, changes in whale swimming speed between theodolite fixes, mean direction of whale movement, mean number of whale exhalations per minute at the surface, mean time at the surface, and mean number of exhalations per minute during a whales surface-to-dive cycle. In contrast, at higher received sound energy exposure levels, whales traveled faster, changed directions of movement less, were recorded further from shore, and stayed under water longer between respirations.