The use of physiological characteristics for comparison of organic compounds phytotoxicity

The influence of intact (FLT) and photomodified (phFLT) fluoranthene (0.05, 0.5 and 5 μmol l⁻¹) and herbicide Basagran (5, 20, 35 and 50 nmol l⁻¹) on the germination, growth of seedlings and photosynthetic processes in pea plants (Pisum sativum L., cv. Garde) was investigated. The germination was significantly inhibited already by the lowest concentration (0.05 μmol l⁻¹) of FLT and phFLT, while Basagran caused inhibition only in higher concentrations (35 and 50 nmol l⁻¹). The growth of roots was significantly inhibited by higher concentration 5 μmol l⁻¹ of both FLT and phFLT and the shoot of seedlings was significantly influenced only by photomodified form. The length of root and shoot was inhibited already by concentration 5 nmol l⁻¹ of Basagran. Organic compounds applied on chloroplasts suspension influenced primary photochemical processes of photosynthesis. In chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, the significant increase of F₀ values and the decrease of F_V/F_M and Φ_II values by application of FLT (0.5 and 5 μmol l⁻¹) and phFLT (0.05, 0.5 and 5 μmol l⁻¹) was recorded. The maximum capacity of PSII (F_V/F_M) was influenced by the highest (50 nmol l⁻¹) and the effective quantum yield of PSII (Φ_II) already by the lowest (5 nmol l⁻¹) concentration of Basagran. Hill reaction activity decreased and was significantly inhibited by higher concentration (0.5 and 5 μmol l⁻¹) of FLT and phFLT and already by the lowest concentration (5 nmol l⁻¹) of Basagran.     

European monitoring for raptors and owls: state of the art and future needs

Sixty-four percent of the 56 raptor and owl species that occur in Europe have an unfavorable conservation status. As well as requiring conservation measures in their own right, raptors and owls function as useful sentinels of wider environmental "health," because they are widespread top predators, relatively easy to monitor, and sensitive to environmental changes at a range of geographical scales. At a time of global acknowledgment of an increasing speed of biodiversity loss, and new, forward-looking and related European Union biodiversity policy, there is an urgent need to improve coordination at a pan-European scale of national initiatives that seek to monitor raptor populations. Here we describe current initiatives that make a contribution to this aim, particularly the current "MEROS" program, the results of a questionnaire survey on the current state of national raptor monitoring across 22 BirdLife Partners in Europe, the challenges faced by any enhanced pan-European monitoring scheme for raptors, and some suggested pathways for efficiently tapping expertise to contribute to such an initiative.     

Decomposition of paper wastes in presence of ceramics and cement raw material

Paper recycling is an environmental important activity that is carried out in all the countries, but during the recycling process a paper waste is produced. Generally these wastes are placed in landfill sites but it is possible to profit it as secondary fuel and raw material in manufacture furnaces.

In this work the combustion of the waste papers with cement and ceramic raw material has been studied with the objective to analyse the interaction of these substances with the emitted pollutants like PAHs and PCDD/Fs.

The results of the study show that the presence of inorganic material produces an increment in the lighter PAH emission but chlorinated compounds are not affected. The PCDD/F emission level found in the combustion of this waste is quite low compared with other wastes subjected to similar conditions.     

Combined photo-Fenton and biological oxidation for pesticide degradation: effect of photo-treated intermediates on biodegradation kinetics

Biodegradability of a partially photo-oxidized pesticide mixture is demonstrated and the effect of photo-Fenton treatment time on growth and substrate consumption of the bacteria Pseudomonas putida CECT 324 is shown. Four commercial pesticides, laition, metasystox, sevnol and ultracid, usually employed in citric orchards in eastern Spain, were chosen for these experiments. The active ingredients are, respectively, dimethoate, oxydemeton-methyl, carbaryl and methidathion. Judging by biomass measurements, dissolved organic carbon measurements and biodegradation efficiency, it may be concluded that 90min相似文献   

Traffic and catalytic converter - related atmospheric contamination in the metropolitan region of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In this work, 24-h PM10 samples were collected in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and analysed for trace elements (Cd, Ce, Cu, La, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pd, Rh, Sb and Sn). The sampling was carried out at five locations (Bonsucesso; Centro, downtown city; Copacabana; Nova Igua?u and Sumaré) with different traffic densities and anthropogenic activities. An analytical method based on the EPA method for the determination of trace elements in airborne particulate matter (PM), using ultrasonic-assisted extraction and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was applied. Our results suggest that vehicular traffic is the most important source of environmental pollution at the studied sites. The presence of Mo, Pd and Rh in the analysed filters reflects an additional source of pollution caused by the erosion and deterioration of automotive catalytic converters.     

Influence of gas flow-induced shear stress on the operation of the Anammox process in a SBR

The start up and performance of the Anammox process were tested in sequencing batch reactors with two different configurations: a bubble column (SBR-B) and a gas-lift reactor (SBR-G). Different off-gas upflow velocities were tested (3.53-12.3 cm min(-1)) in order to expose the biomass to different shear conditions and to study their effects on both efficiency and physical properties of the Anammox granular biomass. For the SBR-B the minimum gas upflow velocity needed to achieve biomass suspension inside the reactor was 12.3 cm min(-1). Such velocity made impossible the stable operation of the process. The fluidization of biomass for the SBR-G was reached at a gas upflow velocity of 3.52 cm min(-1). This system maintained an efficiency of nitrite removal around 98% at values up to 5.29 cm min(-1) but when the gas upflow velocity was increased from 5.29 to 9.70 cm min(-1) a significant decrease of the specific Anammox activity of the biomass from 0.35 to 0.05 g Ng(-1) VSS d(-1) was measured. The system lost 85% of its nitrogen removal efficiency which was not restored in spite of returning the gas upflow velocity to its initial value.     

Spatial trends of polyfluorinated compounds in guillemot (Uria aalge) eggs from North-Western Europe

Polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFCs) are a group of chemicals of growing concern that have been detected in biological and abiotic samples worldwide. This study reports the concentrations of a suite of PFCs: perfluorooctyl sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctyl sulfonamide (PFOSA) and perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in guillemot (Uria aalge) eggs, collected in North-Western Europe, from Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Sweden and two locations in Norway. The highest concentrations of PFOS were found in samples from Sweden (mean 400 ng g(-1) wet weight (w.w.)), which were almost five times higher than concentrations found in Norwegian samples (mean 85 ng g(-1)w.w. from both sample sites). The concentrations found in Icelandic and Faroe samples were lowest (mean 16 and 15 ng g(-1)w.w., respectively). Only Swedish samples differed significantly from the other locations. In general, PFCAs show a different spatial trend than PFOS. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was not detected in any sample and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) was only detected in samples from Sweden. The most abundant PFCA was perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUA) with highest concentrations in samples from Sweden (mean 82 ng g(-1)w.w.), samples from the Faroe Islands had the second highest concentration (mean 57 ng g(-1)w.w.) and samples from Iceland and Norway had concentrations ranging between 18 and 30 ng g(-1)w.w. The original hypothesis was based on the idea that PFC concentrations are the highest close to more densely populated and industrialized areas and lower levels in remote areas. However, the geographic pattern is more complicated than predicted and varies among different PFCs.     

Use of electrochemical technology to increase the quality of the effluents of bio-oxidation processes. A case studied

In this work, it has been studied the use of conductive-diamond electrochemical oxidation (CDEO) as a refining technology to assure the quality of the effluents of door manufacturing processes (DMP). To do this, the raw effluents of these factories have been treated by a combination of physicochemical, biological and CDEO treatments. CDEO was found to be a feasible alternative to the refinement of a wooden DMP waste. It can successfully decrease the organic load of the effluents of the biological oxidation with low energy requirements. In addition, in case of incidents in the biological process, CDEO can treat successfully the effluents of the coagulation process. The effluents of the biological treatment have also been treated by CDEO in order to check the possible use of electrochemical technology to increase the biodegradability of the effluents and their possible recycle to the biological treatment. Unfortunately, electrochemical technology was found to be not adequate to increase the biodegradability of the effluents of a biological treatment. The hard oxidation conditions generated during CDEO do not lead to the accumulation of intermediates but to the almost direct formation of carbon dioxide. Lowering the current density or changing the electrodes can not enhance the biodegradability of the effluents of an electrochemical cell.     

Sorption of copper, zinc and lead on soil mineral phases

Soil mineral phases play a significant role in controlling heavy metal mobility in soils. The effective study of their relation needs the integrated use of several analytical methods. In this study, analytical electron microscopy analyses were combined with sequential chemical extractions on soils spiked with Cu, Zn and Pb. Our aims were to study the metal sorption capacity of soil mineral phases and the effect of presence of iron oxide and carbonate on this property of soil minerals. Copper and Pb were found to be characterized by higher and stronger sorption on the studied samples than Zn. Only the former two metals showed significant differences in their immobilized metal amounts on the studied samples and soil mineral particles. Highest metal amounts were sorbed on the swelling clay mineral particles (smectites and vermiculites), but iron-oxide phases may also have similar lead sorption capacity. Alkaline conditions due to the carbonate content of soils resulted both in increased sorption on the mineral particles for Cu and in enhanced role of precipitation for all the studied metals. On the other hand, the intimate association of phyllosilicates and iron resulted in significant increase in metal sorption capacity of the given particle. The results of sequential extractions could be successfully completed by the analytical electron microscopy analyses for studying the sorption capacity of discrete mineral particles. Their integrated use helps us in better understanding the heavy metal-mineral interactions in soils.