Fate of PBDEs during food processing: Assessment of formation of mixed chlorinated/brominated diphenyl ethers and brominated dioxins/furans

The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of food processing on PBDE levels, in particular influence of heat treatment on degradation of PBDEs, including possible formation of chlorinated diphenyl ethers or brominated dioxins/furans as degradation products. It was shown that PBDEs heated in the presence of chlorine (from either organic or inorganic sources) formed mixed chlorinated/brominated diphenyl ethers. However, no PCDEs were formed in the presence of lipids. Lipid medium increased stability of PBDEs exposed to UV irradiation. Profile of congeners formed in result of the debromination reaction was significantly different than profiles observed by some other authors in aliphatic organic solvents. Grilling processes increased concentrations (calculated on the fresh product basis) of the studied compounds by 4–8/22–34% for electric/coal grill, respectively. Depending on the congener and on the applied heat treatment, PBDE mass in pork meat after grilling dropped by 26–53%. No detectable quantities of either brominated dioxins or furans were formed during thermal processing of food containing typical levels of PBDEs.     

A New Approach to Roof Monitor Particulate Sampling

A new method for sampling of emissions from building monitors using high volume samplers while continuously recording the exit gas velocity is presented. A technique is also outlined for automatic isokinetic sampling using a high volume sampler.     

An Investigation of Odors and Volatile Organic Compounds Released during Composting

ABSTRACT

The emissions of odors and volatile organic compounds produced from a commercial composting operation have been studied using a laboratory-scale composting system. The composting activity of a typical commercial compost feed was followed by monitoring the composting temperature, as well as the respiratory rate. Using a controlled aeration system, the gaseous volatiles produced were tested for odors using the "dilution-to-threshold" method, as well as gas composition, as determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The results indicated that while there may be a reasonable correlation between the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odors, care has to be taken when trying to identify offensive odors with specific chemical species. However, the data obtained suggests that offensive odors formed during commercial composting may be due to sulfurous and nitrogenous compounds, although their concentrations in the compost gases may not be very high.

The major release of VOCs occurred during the first two weeks of composting, after which the gaseous releases fell dramatically as the composting process proceeded and temperatures started to fall.     

PCA and multidimensional visualization techniques united to aid in the bioindication of elements from transplanted <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphagnum palustre</Emphasis> moss exposed in the Gdańsk City Area

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: During the last decades, a technique for assessing atmospheric deposition of heavy elements was developed based on the principle that samples of moss are able to accumulate elements and airborne particles from rain, melting snow and dry deposition. Despite a broad interest in bioindication there are still ongoing works aimed at the preparation of a standard procedure allowing for a comparison of research carried out in various areas. This is why the comparison of living and dry moss of the same species and growth site seems to be interesting, logical and promising. A most reliable approach seems to be the application of bioindication connected with multivariate statistics and efficient visualization techniques in the interpretation of monitoring data. The aim of this study was: (i) to present cumulative properties of transplanted Sphagnum palustre moss with differentiation into dry and living biomaterial; (ii) to determine and geographically locate types of pollution sources responsible for a structure of the monitoring data set; (iii) to visualize geographical distribution of analytes in the Gdańsk metropolitan area and to identify the high-risk areas which can be targeted for environmental hazards and public health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A six month air pollution study based on Sphagnum palustre bioindication is presented and a simplified procedure of the experiment is given. The study area was located at the mouth of the Vistula River on the Baltic Sea, in Gdańsk City (Poland). Sphagnum palustre was selected for research because of its extraordinary morphological properties and its ease in being raised. The capability of dry and living moss to accumulate elements characteristic for anthropogenic and natural sources was shown by application of Principal Component Analysis. The high-risk areas and pollution profiles are detected and visualized using surface maps based on Kriging algorithm. RESULTS: The original selection of elements included all those that could be reliably determined by Neutron Activation Analysis in moss samples. Elimination of variables covered the elements whose concentrations in moss were lower than the reported detection limits for INAA for most observations or in cases where particular elements did not show any variation. Eighteen elements: a, Ca, Sc, Fe, Co, Zn, As, Br, Mo, Sb, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Th, were selected for the research presented. DISCUSSION: Two runs of PCA were performed since, in the first-run a heavy polluted location (Stogi - 'Sto') understood as outlier in the term of PCA approach was detected and results in the form of block diagrams and surface maps were presented. As ensues from the first-run PCA analysis, the factor layout for both indicators is similar but not identical due to the differences in the elements accumulation mechanism. Three latent factors ('phosphatic fertilizer plant impact', 'urban impact' and 'marine impact') explain over 89% and 82% of the total variance for dry and living moss respectively. In the second-run PCA three latent factors are responsible for the data structure in both moss materials. However, in the case of dry moss analysis these factors explain 85% of the total variance but they are rather hard to interpret. On the other hand living moss shows the same pattern as in first-run PCA. Three latent factors explain over 84% of the total variance in this case. The pollution profiles extracted in PCA of dry moss data differ tremendously between both runs, while no deterioration was found after removal of Stogi from data set in case of living moss. Performance of the second-run PCA with exception of Stogi as a heavy polluted location has led to the conclusion that living moss shows better indication properties than dry one. CONCLUSIONS: While using moss as wet and dry deposition sampier it is not possible to calculate deposition values since the real volume of collected water and dust is hard to estimate due to a splash effect and irregular surface. Therefore, accumulation values seam to be reasonable for moss-based air pollution surveys. Both biomaterials: dry and living Sphagnum palustre show cumulative properties relative to elements under interest. Dry moss has a very loose collection of the atmospheric particles, which can also easily get lost upon rinsing with rainwater running through exposed dry moss material. The living moss may, on the contrary, incorporate the elements in its tissue, thus being less susceptible to rinsing and thus better reflecting the atmospheric conditions. Despite the differences in element uptake and uphold capabilities dry and living moss reflect characteristic anthropogenic and natural profiles. Visible differences in impacts' map coverage exist mostly due to the accumulation mechanisms differentiating dry from living moss. However, in case of each indicator 'phosphatic fertilizer plant impact' is recognized as the strongest pollution source present in examined region. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: General types of pollution sources responsible for a structure of monitoring data set were determined as high-risk/low-risk areas and visualized in form of geographic distribution maps. These locations can be targeted for environmental hazards and public health. Chemometric results in the form of easy defined surface maps can became a powerful instrument in hands of decision-makers working in the field of sustainable development implementation.     

Serum concentrations of indicator PCB congeners in the Czech adult population

In 2006, levels of seven indicator polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCB28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, and 180) in blood serum of 202 blood donors residing for more than 2 years in five urban areas included in the Czech Human Biomonitoring project were measured by GC/MS/MS method. PCB congeners 138, 153 and 180 accounted for about 97% of the sum of the indicator congeners analyzed. Overall, the median and 95th percentile of the most abundant congener PCB 153 were 438 ng/g lipid and 1079 ng/g lipid, respectively. The highest median levels were found in Uherské Hradiste (669 ng/g lipid) and Ostrava (672 ng/g lipid in males compared to 341 ng/g lipid in females). Serum PCB concentrations were significantly associated with age, gender, place of residence and smoking habit, but not with body mass index and education. The results suggest the importance of PCB body burden in the Czech general population and the existence of hot spots.     

Environmental Degradation of Blends of Atactic Poly[(R,S)-3-hydroxybutyrate] with Natural PHBV in Baltic Sea Water and Compost with Activated Sludge

Degradation of atactic poly[(R,S)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (a-PHB) binary blends with natural poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV, 12 mol% of 3HV units), has been investigated and compared with plain PHBV in the compost containing activated sludge and under marine exposure conditions in the dynamic water of the Baltic Sea. Characteristic parameters of compost and the Baltic Sea water were monitored during the incubation period (6 weeks) and their influence on the degree of biodegradation is discussed. After specified degradation times of the experiments the weight loss of the samples, surface changes, changes in molecular weight and polydispersity as well as changes of the composition and thermo-mechanical properties of the blends have been evaluated. Macroscopic observations of the samples were accompanied by investigations using optical microscopy, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and tensile testing. The degree of degradation of blends of a-PHB with PHBV depends on the blend composition and environmental conditions. In both environments studied the weight loss of plain PHBV was more significant than changes the molecular weight. In both environments only enzymatic degradation of the blends, which proceeds via surface erosion mechanisms, was observed during the incubation period.     

Greenhouse gas emissions from two soils receiving nitrogen fertilizer and swine manure slurry

The interactive effects of soil texture and type of N fertility (i.e., manure vs. commercial N fertilizer) on N(2)O and CH(4) emissions have not been well established. This study was conducted to assess the impact of soil type and N fertility on greenhouse gas fluxes (N(2)O, CH(4), and CO(2)) from the soil surface. The soils used were a sandy loam (789 g kg(-1) sand and 138 g kg(-1) clay) and a clay soil (216 g kg(-1) sand, and 415 g kg(-1) clay). Chamber experiments were conducted using plastic buckets as the experimental units. The treatments applied to each soil type were: (i) control (no added N), (ii) urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN), and (iii) liquid swine manure slurry. Greenhouse gas fluxes were measured over 8 weeks. Within the UAN and swine manure treatments both N(2)O and CH(4) emissions were greater in the sandy loam than in the clay soil. In the sandy loam soil N(2)O emissions were significantly different among all N treatments, but in the clay soil only the manure treatment had significantly higher N(2)O emissions. It is thought that the major differences between the two soils controlling both N(2)O and CH(4) emissions were cation exchange capacity (CEC) and percent water-filled pore space (%WFPS). We speculate that the higher CEC in the clay soil reduced N availability through increased adsorption of NH(4)(+) compared to the sandy loam soil. In addition the higher average %WFPS in the sandy loam may have favored higher denitrification and CH(4) production than in the clay soil.     

Differences in Cu content in selected mushroom species growing in the same unpolluted areas in Poland

The aim of the study was to estimate copper (Cu) accumulation efficiency in whole-fruiting bodies of 18 edible and non-edible wild growing mushrooms collected from 27 places in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship. Mushrooms were collected each time from the same places to estimate the diversity in Cu accumulation between tested mushroom species within 3 consecutive years of study (2011–2013). The study results revealed various accumulation of Cu in the whole-tested mushroom fruiting bodies. The highest mean accumulation of Cu was observed in Macrolepiota procera (119.4 ± 20.0 mg kg^?1 dm), while the lowest was in Suillus luteus and Russula fellea fruiting bodies (16.1 ± 3.0 and 18.8 ± 4.6 mg kg^?1 dm, respectively). Significant differences in Cu accumulation between mushroom species collected in 2011 and in the two following years (2012 and 2013) were observed. The results indicated that sporadic consumption of these mushrooms was not related to excessive intake of Cu for the human body (no toxic influence on health).     

Bioaccumulation and growth characteristics of Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara after chronic exposure to metal-contaminated sediments

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Metal-contaminated sediments in lakes is a global concern that poses toxicological risk to aquatic organisms. This study performed bioassays using the...     

Effect of biochar addition on the improvement of the quality parameters of compost used for land reclamation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The 5% addition of biochar in composting in rows contributes significantly to reducing volatile organic compound(VOC) emissions. When composting with...