Contamination of marine fauna by chlordecone in Guadeloupe: evidence of a seaward decreasing gradient

Chlordecone is an organochlorine pesticide, used in the Lesser Antilles from 1972 to 1993 to fight against a banana weevil. That molecule is very persistent in the natural environment and ends up in the sea with runoff waters. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the level of contamination in several trophic groups of marine animals according to their distance from the source of pollution. Samples of suspended matter, macroalgae, herbivorous fishes, detrivorous crustaceans, zooplanktivorous fishes, first- and second-order of carnivorous fishes, and piscivorous fishes have been collected in two sites, located downstream the contaminated sites (Goyave and Petit-Bourg), in three marine habitats (coastal mangroves, seagrass beds located 1.5 km from the shoreline, and coral reefs at 3 km offshore). Animals collected in mangroves were the most contaminated (mean concentrations 193 μg kg^?1 in Goyave and 213 μg kg^?1 in Petit-Bourg). Samples from seagrass beds presented intermediate concentrations of chlordecone (85 μg kg^?1 in Goyave and 107 μg kg^?1 in Petit-Bourg). Finally, samples from coral reefs were the less contaminated (71 μg kg^?1 in Goyave and 74 μg kg^?1 in Petit-Bourg). Reef samples, collected 3 km offshore, were two to three times less contaminated than those collected in mangroves.     

A multivariate examination of ‘artificial mussels’ in conjunction with spot water tests in freshwater ecosystems

Metal pollution in aquatic systems is considered a serious environmental issue globally due to their ability to accumulate in aquatic environments. Wetlands are vulnerable to this pollution as they are known to trap toxins, removing them from the water. Artificial mussel technology, originally developed for marine environments, was applied to this freshwater system and spot water samples were collected. The Nyl River floodplain (Ramsar classified) is one of the largest and most ecologically significant wetlands in South Africa. The aims of this study were to determine metal contamination along the Nyl River system by means of artificial mussels (AM) and water ICP-MS analysis and to determine whether the use of AMs in conjunction with spot water testing could give more insight into the pollution in freshwater wetlands. The concentrations of Al, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined at seven sites. It was determined that the levels accumulated by the AMs differed in spatial and temporal trends when compared to spot water samples. It was determined that there were high levels of some metals found in the spot water tests that were not corroborated by the AMs results, which could indicate isolated pollution events. The use of AMs in conjunction with spot water testing was determined to be beneficial in gaining deeper insight into water metal conditions in dynamic freshwater systems.     

Photo-Stabilisation and UV Blocking Efficacy of Coated Macro and Nano-Rutile Titanium Dioxide Particles in Paints and Coatings

Surface treated macro and nanoparticle TiO₂ samples have been prepared, characterised and their efficiency as UV blockers evaluated in clear coatings and paints. The particle size of the ‘base’ TiO₂ has been optimised to block UV radiation and the surface treatment developed to deactivate the photocatalytic activity of the surface of the TiO₂ particles. The resultant UV blockers have been evaluated in both solvent and water-based clear coatings. Nanoparticle TiO₂ has been prepared from ‘seed’ and the particle size was controlled by calcination. It was found that the choice of particle size is a compromise between UVA absorption, UVB absorption, visible transmission and photoactivity. It has been demonstrated that TiO₂ with a crystallite size of 25 nm yields a product with the optimum properties. A range of dispersants was successfully used to disperse and mill the TiO₂. Both organic and inorganic dispersants were used; 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol and 1-amino-2-propanol (MIPA) and P₂O₅ and Na₂SiO₃ respectively. The surface of the nano-TiO₂ was coated with mixed oxides of silicon, aluminium, zirconium and phosphorous. Addition of the resultant coated nano-rutiles to an Isocyanate Acrylic clear coating prolonged the lifetime of that coating compared to the blank. Generally, a surface treatment based on SiO₂, Al₂O₃ and P₂O₅ was more successful than one based on ZrO₂, Al₂O₃ and P₂O₅. Higher addition levels of the surface treatment were beneficial for protecting the polymeric coating. The UV blocker products were also evaluated in a water-based acrylic, first a water-based dispersion of the UV blocker was prepared before addition to the acrylic. The dispersions and resultant acrylic thin films were evaluated using UV/Vis spectroscopy and durability assessed. The ratio of absorbance at 300:500 nm for the water-based dispersion was shown to be a good predictor of both the transparency of the resultant acrylic thin film and the durability of that film, in terms of weight loss. Macro grade titanium dioxide pigments were also prepared and coated with treatments of silica, alumina and siloxane and their photo-stabilising activity in alkyd paint film assessed and found to be directly related to the electron–hole pair mobility and trapping as determined by micro-wave spectroscopy.     

PCB exposure and potential future cancer incidence in Slovak children: an assessment from molecular finger printing by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA®) derived from experimental and epidemiological investigations

The risk of cancer due to PCB exposure in humans is highly debated. In eastern Slovakia, high exposure of the population to organochlorines (especially PCBs) was associated with various disease and disorder pathways, viz., endocrine disruption, metabolic disorder & diabetes, and cancer, thereby disturbing several cellular processes, including protein synthesis, stress response, and apoptosis. We have evaluated a Slovak cohort (45-month children, at lower and higher levels of PCB exposure from the environment) for disease and disorder development to develop early disease cancer biomarkers that could shed new light on possible mechanisms for the genesis of cancers under such chemical exposures, and identify potential avenues for prevention.

Microarray studies of global gene expression were conducted from the 45-month-old children on the Affymetrix platform followed by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA®) to associate the affected genes with their mechanistic pathways. High-throughput qRT-PCR TaqMan low-density array (TLDA) was performed to further validate the selected genes on the whole blood cells of the most highly exposed children from the study cohort (n = 71).

TP53, MYC, BCL2, and LRP12 differential gene expressions suggested strong relationships between potential future tumor promotion and PCB exposure in Slovak children. The IPA analysis further detected the most important signaling pathways, including molecular mechanism of cancers, prostate cancer signaling, ovarian cancer signaling, P53 signaling, oncostatin M signaling, and their respective functions (viz., prostate cancer, breast cancer, progression of tumor, growth of tumor, and non-Hodgkin’s disease). The results suggest that PCB exposures, even at the early age of these children, may have lifelong consequences for the future development of chronic diseases.

     

Trace analysis of parabens preservatives in drinking water treatment sludge,treated, and mineral water samples

Parabens have been widely used as antimicrobial agents, mainly in food products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Although they are known as safe preservatives, they also cause some harm to human health, which has been discussed lately. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of nine parabens (including isomers) in mineral and drinking waters, besides in drinking water treatment sludge (DWTS) samples with determination by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Both methods solid phase extraction (SPE) and QuEChERS were validated. Calibration curves showed a correlation coefficient of 0.99 for all compounds. LOQ values ranged from 0.04 to 4 μg L^?1 in aqueous matrices and from 5 to 500 ng g^?1 in DWTS. Recoveries between 70 and 115% were reached with RSD below 20% for all compounds in SPE whereas recoveries between 62 and 119% were found with RSD below 20% for almost all compounds in QuEChERS. Matrix effect had low values (<?20%); it was only above 20% for methylparaben in the SPE and for pentylparaben in the QuEChERS. Using a quick and simple extraction procedures with SPE, QuEChERS, and LC-MS/MS analyses, these methods proved to be selective and sensitive. They were successfully applied to real samples (treated water, mineral water, and sludge), and methylparaben was detected at concentration levels below 0.242 μg L^?1 in mineral and treated water samples and 10 ng g^?1 in DWTS samples.     

Multivariate analyses of the effect of an urban wastewater treatment plant on spatial and temporal variation of water quality and nutrient distribution of a tropical mid-order river

Freshwater resources are increasingly scarce due to human activities, and the understanding of water quality variations at different spatial and temporal scales is necessary for adequate management. Here, we analyze the hypotheses that (1) the presence of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and (2) a polluted tributary that drains downstream from the WWTP change the spatial patterns of physicochemical variables (pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and electrical conductivity) and nutrient concentrations (reactive soluble phosphorus, total phosphorus, nitrogen series, total nitrogen, and total dissolved carbon) along a mid-order river in SE Brazil and that these effects depend on rainfall regime. Six study sites were sampled along almost 4 years to evaluate the impacts of human activities, including sites upstream (1–3) and downstream (5–6) from the WWTP. The impacts were observed presenting an increasing trend from the source (site 1) towards Água Quente stream (site 4, the polluted tributary), with signs of attenuation at site 5 (downstream from both WWTP and site 4) and the river mouth (site 6). Input of nutrients by rural and urban runoff was observed mainly at sites 2 and 3, respectively. At sites 4 and 5, the inputs of both untreated and treated wastewaters increased nutrient concentrations and changed physicochemical variables, with significant impacts to Monjolinho River. Seasonal variations in the measured values were also observed, in agreement with the pluviometric indexes of the region. Univariate analyses suggested no effect of the WWTP for most variables, with continued impacts at sites downstream, but non-parametric multivariate analysis indicated that these sites were recovering to chemical characteristics similar to upstream sites, apparently due to autodepuration. Therefore, multivariate methods that allow rigorous tests of multifactor hypotheses can greatly contribute to determine effects of both point and non-point sources in river systems, thus contributing to freshwater monitoring and management.     

Influence of Clear Fellings on the Bryophyte Component of the Broad-leaved Forests of the Bashkir Cis-Ural Region

The change in the composition of the bryophyte component of succession communities that occur in the process of natural regeneration at the site of clear felling of the indigenous elm—maple–linden forests of the Bashkir Cis-Ural Region has been studied. The vulnerability of species to the consequences of felling is affected by their substrate confinement, ecological amplitude in relation to the factors of temperature, humidity, variability of soil moisture, and type of life strategy. In the secondary aspen forests, the absence or low constancy of nemoral epiphytic and ground mosses was noted.     

Effects of Topographical Heterogeneity and Dispersal Limitation on Species Turnover in a Temperate Mountane Ecosystem: a Case Study in the Henan Province,China

Species turnover patterns can be inconsistent due to differences in the dispersal ability of different growth forms. Here, species of trees, shrubs, herbs, and bryophytes in the Xiaoqinling National Nature Reserve in China were analyzed to determine patterns of species turnover along an elevation and spatial gradient. Variance partitioning was used to assess the relative contribution of topographic heterogeneity and dispersal limitation to species turnover. Our results suggest that the effect of dispersal limitation is more important than topographic heterogeneity on species turnover in temperate mountane ecosystems in the study area. Dispersal limitation has a greater effect on trees species turnover than on shrubs, herbs or bryophytes species turnover.     

Factors Affecting Predator-Prey Distribution in a Protected Area,Tehran, Iran (a Case with Wolves and Wild Sheep)

We tried to model habitat suitability of two prey and predator species including wild sheep (Ovis orientalis) and wolf (Canis lupus) in Varjin protected area located in northern east of Tehran using a presence only method, maximum entropy (MaxEnt). Totally 11 environmental variables were measured in the species presence points which can be classified in three groups including topographical, vegetation and distal variables. Resulted maps indicated that habitat variables such as slope (ranging from 35 to 40 percent) and elevation (lower than 1700 meters above sea level) are both institute those factors which mostly affect studied prey and predator habitat use. Our results regarding prey and predator geographical range of used habitat indicated that wolves cover most area than wild sheep which show more dispersed habitat resources for the prey species. ENMTools test revealed that wolf’s niche breadth is more than twice as much as wild sheep’s. Wild sheep in Varjin protected area has a relatively narrow geographical extent and shows a tendency to marginal habitats while wolves cover obviously more areas which denotes its high mobility and low dependency to specific habitats.     

Sustainability indicators in the swine industry of the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina

In recent decades, there has been a growing concern about measuring and evaluating the results of intensive production practices, such as the mode of integration practiced on a large scale by agro-industries. The present study discusses the application and the results of a Sustainability Indicators System in the context of the swine industry in the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina. These indicators, focused on the level of sustainability maturity, can be used as a way to diagnose and compare the efficiency of the industry from a broader perspective. The research findings indicate that most of the pig farms that have been studied can be classified as “in search of sustainability or sustainable.” Nevertheless, there are differences among the dimensions and between the most ranked farms and the others which must be considered for a better design and application of public policies and company strategies toward an effective and balanced social, economic and environmental sustainability.