Levels of PCDD/F in adipose tissue on non-occupationally exposed subjects living near a hazardous waste incinerator in Catalonia, Spain

The potential adverse effects on human health of hazardous waste incinerators (HWIs) are a subject of concern. The construction of the first and till now only HWI in Spain finished in 1999. In 2007, after approximately 9 years of regular operations in the facility, the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) were determined by HRGC/HRMS in samples of adipose tissue of 15 autopsied subjects living in the area under potential impact of the HWI (Constantí, Tarragona County, Catalonia). These data were compared with the levels found in two previous surveys performed in 1998 (baseline) and 2002. The current mean PCDD/F concentration in adipose tissue was 14.6 pg WHO-TEQ/g of fat (range: 3.3–55.4 pg WHO-TEQ/g of fat). It means significant changes (a reduction of 64% and an increase of 47%) in the mean PCDD/F levels in comparison to those found in 1998 and 2002: 40.1 and 9.9 pg WHO-TEQ/g of fat, respectively. Women showed higher levels of PCDD/F than men (23.8 vs 11.2 pg WHO-TEQ/g of fat). The increase in the last 5 years would not be directly attributable to exposure to PCDD/F emitted by the HWI, as other biological monitors such as human plasma and milk decreased during the same period.     

Analysis and residue levels of forchlorfenuron (CPPU) in watermelons

This paper describes the application of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) for analysis of residues of forchlorfenuron (CPPU), a new plant growth regulator, in watermelons, after a sample preparation step based on the buffered Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe extraction method. Analytical determinations were carried out in a triple quadrupole system fitted with an electrospray interphase operating in the positive ionisation mode (ESI+). Three simultaneous MS-MS transitions of the quasi-molecular ion m/z 248 (precursor ion) were monitored for data acquisition (248 > 129, 248 > 155, and 248 > 248), using the transition 248 > 129 for quantitation. Recovery studies on watermelons at levels of 1-200 microg/kg, performing five replicates at each level and using bracketing single-level calibration with matrix-matched standards for quantitation, gave forchlorfenuron mean recoveries ranging from 82 to 106% with relative standard deviations (RSD) lower than 18%. The limit of determination was established at 1 microg/kg. The method was applied to evaluate the persistence of forchlorfenuron residues in watermelons grown in plastic greenhouses, after applying an individual spray treatment to the flower ovary at the anthesis stage (45 mu g/flower and 60 mu g/flower for cv "Extazy" and cv "reina de corazones" watermelons, respectively). One month after treatment, 20 "Extazy" watermelon units (1.5-2 kg/unit) and 20 "Reina de corazones" watermelon units (4-5 kg/unit) were collected and analyzed individually. None of the samples contained forchlorfenuron residues higher than 1 microg/kg.     

Transport of simazine in unsaturated sandy soil and predictions of its leaching under hypothetical field conditions

The potential contamination of groundwater by herbicides is often controlled by processes in the vadose zone, through which herbicides travel before entering groundwater. In the vadose zone, both physical and chemical processes affect the fate and transport of herbicides, therefore it is important to represent these processes by mathematical models to predict contaminant movement. To simulate the movement of simazine, a herbicide commonly used in Chilean vineyards, batch and miscible displacement column experiments were performed on a disturbed sandy soil to quantify the primary parameters and processes of simazine transport. Chloride (Cl(-)) was used as a non-reactive tracer, and simazine as the reactive tracer. The Hydrus-1D model was used to estimate the parameters by inversion from the breakthrough curves of the columns and to evaluate the potential groundwater contamination in a sandy soil from the Casablanca Valley, Chile. The two-site, chemical non-equilibrium model was observed to best represent the experimental results of the miscible displacement experiments in laboratory soil columns. Predictions of transport under hypothetical field conditions using the same soil from the column experiments were made for 40 years by applying herbicide during the first 20 years, and then halting the application and considering different rates of groundwater recharge. For recharge rates smaller than 84 mm year(-1), the predicted concentration of simazine at a depth of 1 m is below the U.S. EPA's maximum contaminant levels (4 microg L(-1)). After eight years of application at a groundwater recharge rate of 180 mm year(-1) (approximately 50% of the annual rainfall), simazine was found to reach the groundwater (located at 1 m depth) at a higher concentration (more than 40 microg L(-1)) than the existing guidelines in the USA and Europe.     

Levels of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in the critically endangered Iberian lynx and other sympatric carnivores in Spain

Accumulation of organochlorine compounds is well studied in aquatic food chains whereas little information is available from terrestrial food chains. This study presents data of organochlorine levels in tissue and plasma samples of 15 critically endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) and other 55 wild carnivores belonging to five species from three natural areas of Spain (Doñana National Park, Sierra Morena and Lozoya River) and explores their relationship with species diet. The Iberian lynx, with a diet based on the consumption of rabbit, had lower PCB levels (geometric means, plasma: <0.01 ng mL⁻¹, liver: 0.4 ng g⁻¹ wet weight, fat: 87 ng g⁻¹ lipid weight) than other carnivores with more anthropic and opportunistic foraging behavior, such as the red fox (Vulpes vulpes; plasma: 1.11 ng mL⁻¹, liver: 459 ng g⁻¹, fat: 1984 ng g⁻¹), or with diets including reptiles at higher proportion, such as the Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon; plasma: 7.15 ng mL⁻¹, liver: 216 ng g⁻¹, fat: 540 ng g⁻¹), or the common genet (Genetta genetta; liver: 466 ng g⁻¹, fat: 3854 ng g⁻¹). Chlorinated pesticides showed interspecific variations similar to PCBs. Organochlorine levels have declined since the 80s in carnivores from Doñana National Park, but PCB levels are still of concern in Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra; liver: 3873-5426 ng g⁻¹) from the industrialized region of Madrid.     

Meta-networks for the study of biogeographical traits in ecological networks: the Mexican hummingbird-plant assemblage

Recent studies on ecological networks have quantified the contribution of ecological, historical, and evolutionary factors on the structure of local communities of interacting species. However, the influence of species’ biogeographical traits, such as migratory habits or phylogeographical history, on ecological networks is poorly understood. Meta-networks, i.e., networks that cover large spatial extensions and include species not co-occurring locally, enable us to investigate mechanisms that operate at larger spatial scales such as migratory patterns or phylogeographical distributions, as well as indirect relationships among species through shared partners. Using a meta-network of hummingbird-plant interaction across Mexico, we illustrate the usefulness of this approach by investigating (1) how biogeographical and morphological factors associate with observed interactions and (2) how species-specific biogeographical characteristics associate with species’ network roles. Our results show that all studied hummingbird and plant species in the meta-network were interrelated, either directly or through shared partners. The meta-network was structured into modules, resulting from hummingbirds and plants interacting preferentially with subsets of species, which differed in biogeographical, and, to a lesser extent, morphological traits. Furthermore, migrants and hummingbirds from Nearctic, Transition, and widespread regions had a higher topological importance in the meta-network. Our study illustrates how meta-networks may contribute to our current knowledge on species’ biogeographical traits and biotic interactions, providing a perspective complementary to local-scale networks.     

Ecotoxicity assessment of lipid regulators in water and biologically treated wastewater using three aquatic organisms

Background, aim, and scope  

The high consumption of blood lipid regulators is leading to frequent reports of the occurrence of fibrates in natural streams and wastewater effluents. This paper describes a study undertaken to evaluate the acute toxicity of bezafibrate, clofibric acid, gemfibrozil, and fenofibric acid, a metabolite of fenofibrate whose ecotoxicity has not been previously reported.     

Pollen allergy related to the area of residence in the city of Córdoba,south-west Spain

The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between the distribution of hay-fever patients in the city of Córdoba, south-western Iberian Peninsula, and the specific atmospheric biological content originating from local sources. Four different districts were established in the metropolitan area of the city, according to vegetational and urbanistic characteristics. Air samples were taken in each area using portable Hirst-type samplers (Lanzoni VPPS 1000) and the spectrum of biological content was defined. Patients attending the Allergy Unit at Córdoba Teaching Hospital in 2000 with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma, and displaying a positive reaction to aeroallergen extracts, were distributed within the areas as a function of their district of residence. Aerobiological results revealed differences in pollen content between areas, in terms of both quantity and number of pollen types recorded. These differences were largely due to proximity to rural areas, prevalence of pollen from typically urban species and the possible effect of urban architecture as a barrier to the dispersal/ concentration of particles and other pollutants. Patients were not uniformly distributed within the city. The majority lived in districts in which pollen from rural species was mixed with pollen from ornamentals. Patients living in typically urban districts displayed a higher prevalence of allergy to pollen from ornamentals. It is concluded that a high degree of exposure to the same environment may influence the development of sensitisation to the particular pollen load associated with that area.     

Mesoscale variability related to iron speciation in a coastal Ross Sea area (Antarctica) during summer 2014

Dissolved iron (Fe) distribution and speciation was determined in water samples (0–200?m) collected in a coastal area near Terra Nova Bay during the austral summer of 2014. Nutrients, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a, phytoplankton composition and prokaryotic biomass distribution were investigated in combination with measurements of the physical properties of the water columns and its dynamics. The dFe value was above the limiting growth concentration, ranging from 0.52 to 4.51?nM, and it showed a spatial variability with a horizontal length scale of about 10?km, according to the variability of the water column physical properties and to iron sources. The organic ligands (L) maintained the concentrations of dFe at levels much higher than the inorganic solubility of Fe, keeping it available for phytoplankton and the log K’_FeL values found (from 22.1 to 23.6) highlighted the presence of complexes of differing stabilities.     

Electrostatic Precipitation of Ultrafine Particles Enhanced by Simultaneous Diffusional Deposition on Wire Screens

Abstract

A laboratory-scale electrostatic precipitator has been designed and constructed in which the grounded collector plate has been substituted by a set of wire screens placed perpendicularly to the gas flow. Particles are deposited onto the screens by two mechanisms—electrostatic deposition and diffusional deposition—which act simultaneously. On the one hand, electrostatic deposition is effective for relatively large particles, but it is quite ineffective for the smallest ones because their charging probability in the corona field is too low. On the other hand, the diffusional collection efficiency of particles on fibers is high for small particles but low for the larger ones. Therefore, the simultaneous diffusional-electrostatic precipitation may become a useful technique for efficient filtration of particles below 0.1 μm. A preliminary experimental evaluation of this filtering device has shown that submicrometer particles with diameters down to a few nanometers can be collected with number efficiencies greater than 99%.     

Use of the Light Absorption Coefficient to Monitor Elemental Carbon and PM2.5—Example of Santiago de Chile

Abstract

The optical absorption coefficient, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm, and elemental carbon (EC) have been measured simultaneously during winter and spring of 2000 in the western part of Santiago, Chile (Pudahuel district). The optical measurements were carried out with a low-cost instrument recently developed at the University of Santiago. From the data, a site-specific mass absorption coefficient of 4.45 ± 0.01 m²/g has been found for EC. In addition, a mass absorption coefficient of 1.02 ± 0.03 m²/g has been obtained for PM_2.5. These coefficients can be used during the colder months (May-August) to obtain EC concentration or PM_2.5 from a measurement of the light absorption coefficient (σ_a). The high correlation that has been found between these variables indicates that σ_a is a good indicator of the degree of contamination of urbanized areas.

The data also show an increase in PM_2.5 and EC concentration during winter and an increase in the ratio of EC to PM_2.5. When the EC/PM_2.5 ratio is calculated during rush hour (7:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.) and during part of the night (9:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m.), it is found that the increase is caused by higher concentration levels of EC at night. These results suggest that the rise in the EC concentration is caused by emissions from heating and air mass transport of pollution from other parts of the city, while traffic contribution remains approximately constant.