Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyl residues in reared and wild Dicentrarchus labrax from the Mediterranean Sea (Sicily, Italy)

The aim of this research was to compare the levels of organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in samples of Dicentrarchus labrax living in the Straits of Messina with samples cultivated in cages in the Mediterranean Sea. Muscles and liver tissues sampled over the months, within the same year, were analyzed. The quantitative determination of the organochlorine compounds was performed by GC-ECD and confirmed with GC–MS. The results showed that the concentrations of DDTs in muscles and livers as such of reared sea bass were in the range 0.2–1.3 μg/kg and 9.6 –48.4 μg/kg, respectively. In wild fish the concentrations of DDTs were very much lower: 0.1 μg/kg in muscles, 5.1–9.0 μg/kg in livers. Total PCBs levels were higher in cultivated sea bass than in wild fish; the concentration ranges were 5.3–59.7 μg/kg and 74.4–267.4 μg/kg in muscle and liver of reared samples, respectively, and 1.1–1.5 μg/kg and 63.2–109.4 μg/kg in muscle and liver of wild samples, respectively.     

Evaluating macroinvertebrate biological metrics for ecological assessment of streams in northern Portugal

A procedure to select the most relevant metrics for assessing the ecological condition of the Douro basin (north Portugal) was developed based upon a set of 184 benthic community metrics. They were grouped into 16 biological categories selected from literature using data collected over 2 years from 54 sites along 31 rivers covering the whole perceived range of human disturbance. Multivariate analyses were carried out to identify the main trends in the macroinvertebrate data, to select reference versus impaired sites, to avoid multicolinearity between metrics, and to identify those that were clearly independent from natural stream typology. Structural metrics, adaptation metrics, and tolerance measures most effectively responded across a range of human influence. We find these attributes to be ecologically sound for monitoring Portugal’s lotic ecosystems and providing information relevant to the Water Framework Directive, which asserts that the definition of water quality depends on its “ecological status”, independent of the actual or potential uses of those waters.     

Comparison of the suitability of two lichen species and one higher plant for monitoring airborne heavy metals

We compared the capacity to accumulate airborne heavy metals of two lichens (Flavoparmelia caperata and Parmotrema chinense) and one higher plant (Nerium oleander) at a very densely populated urban site near Naples. After 15, 45, 75, and 120 days of exposure at four sites with different levels of air pollution, equal portions of thalli and 20 leaves were collected, and four environmentally significant elements, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Pb, were measured by inductively coupled plasma analysis. To compare the accumulation rates of lichens and the vascular plant, we determined an index of relative accumulation rate of pollutants during time and the ratio between the concentrations of each element in exposed samples to that of control samples (exposed-to-control ratio). Our data indicate F. caperata as being the most suitable bioaccumulator, followed by P. chinense. N. oleander was also found to be a useful heavy metal biomonitor though not suitable as a bioaccumulator.     

Autochthonous clams monitoring of Ganzirri Lake (Sicily)

Two autochthonous clams, Venerupis aurea laeta and Cerastoderma edule/glaucum, collected for a period of 1 year, from May 2007 to January 2008, were studied in the Cape Peloro lagoon. On the samples, it was evaluated the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and proteins, lipids and yield edible part were determined. It was evaluated the concentration of mineral elements (Cd, Cu, Mn, Se, Pb, Zn) and organic contaminants (∑DDT and PCBs). Salmonella is never present in any sample. Total and faecal coliform values have always been under law limits for alive bivalves mussels production and sale. Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb levels were found in clams where they are slightly lower too. Both species do not show significant changes for Mn and Se. DDT and PCBs traces were discovered in Ganzirri Lake’ samples, but in all observed cases, they were below law limits. As a result of all these observations, it is clear that, in recent years, the bivalve’s use of Ganzirri Lake does not denote toxicological risk to human health.     

巢湖水华遥感监测与年度统计分析研究

介绍了巢湖蓝藻水华的日常遥感监测方法与流程,开展了基于日常监测的年度统计分析,为水华环境管理提供了科学依据。首先分析了蓝藻水华与正常水体的光谱差异,利用蓝藻水华在近红外波段的"陡坡效应",基于NDVI方法开展水华日常遥感监测。基于日常监测开展水华年度统计分析,获得水华最早发生日期、最晚发生日期、最大发生面积等,并以水华发生频率、水华起始日期和水华持续时间来分析巢湖一年内高发区、发展趋势及持续时间等时空分布规律。研究表明,2010年巢湖水华的高发区域在巢湖西北部水域,水华持续天数最长的区域是巢湖西北和中部部分区域,水华先在西部沿岸聚集,随时间推移向东部和中部扩散,巢湖西南、中部和东南沿岸是最后新增的水华区域。     

Impacts of two best management practices on Pb weathering and leachability in shooting range soils

This study investigated the impacts of two best management practices (BMPs) recommended by US Environmental Protection Agency on Pb weathering and leachability in shooting range soils. The two BMPs included replacing soil berm with sand berm and periodically removing bullets or shot from a berm. A column experiment corresponding to the first BMP was conducted by mixing the bullets with sand/soil, or placing bullets on the surface of sand/soil. After a 16–18-week incubation under high or low rainfall simulations, total Pb concentrations in sand were lower than that in soil. Total leachable Pb in sand (8.48 and 5.52 μg?kg^?1) was also lower than that in soil (60.0 and 30.4 μg?kg^?1) when bullets were mixed with sand/soil; however, they were comparable when bullets were placed on the sand/soil surface. These results indicate that lower Pb concentration in the sand than in soil may be attributed to reduced weathering of bullets. Mechanical removal of Pb bullets in the field transferred Pb from large to finer particles, increasing total Pb in the soil (<2 mm) from 2,170 to 5,000 mg?kg^?1. In contrast, mechanical removal of Pb shot effectively reduced the shot in the soil by 86–92 %. Thus, we concluded that, while replacing soil berm with sand berm can slow down Pb weathering, it may increase Pb leachability in the long term. Removal of Pb bullets and Pb shot can be effective, but caution needs to be exercised to minimize the adverse impacts, especially in pistol/rifle ranges because of increased total Pb content in the soil.     

Spatial and seasonal variations of pesticide contamination in agricultural soils and crops sample from an intensive horticulture area of Hohhot, North-West China

The spatial variability and temporal trend in concentrations of the organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), in soils and agricultural corps were investigated on an intensive horticulture area in Hohhot, North-West China, from 2008 to 2011. The most frequently found and abundant pesticides were the metabolites of DDT (p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDT, o,p′-DDT and p,p′-DDD). Total DDT concentrations ranged from ND (not detectable) to 507.41 ng/g and were higher than the concentration of total HCHs measured for the range of 4.84–281.44 ng/g. There were significantly positive correlations between the ∑DDT and ∑HCH concentrations (r ²>0.74) in soils, but no significant correlation was found between the concentrations of OCPs in soils and clay content while a relatively strong correlation was found between total OCP concentrations and total organic carbon (TOC). β-HCH was the main isomer of HCHs, and was detected in all samples; the maximum proportion of β-HCH compared to ∑HCHs (mean value 54%) was found, suggesting its persistence. The α/γ-HCH ratio was between 0.89 and 5.39, which signified the combined influence of technical HCHs and lindane. Low p,p′-DDE/p,p′-DDT in N1, N3 and N9 were found, reflecting the fresh input of DDTs, while the relatively high o,p′-DDT/p,p′-DDT ratios indicated the agricultural application of dicofol. Ratios of DDT/(DDE+DDD) in soils do not indicate recent inputs of DDT into Hohhot farmland soil environment. Seasonal variations of OCPs featured higher concentrations in autumn and lower concentrations in spring. This was likely associated with their temperature-driven re-volatilization and application of dicofol in late spring.     

Chironomid mouthpart deformities as indicator of environmental quality: a case study in Lake Trasimeno (Italy)

The aim of the present study was to monitor mouthpart deformities of Chironomus plumosus (Insecta-Diptera) in Lake Trasimeno (2000-2010) in relation with sediment contamination by heavy metals, which is one of the main causes of deformity induction. In Lake Trasimeno, concentrations of heavy metals in the investigated littoral zone were low, in comparison with those of the central area. By contrast, the incidence of deformities was much higher in the littoral station (2006-2009) than in the central area. In the littoral zone, the deformities progressively decreased and by 2010 reached values similar to those observed in the central area (2000-2002, 2010). This decrease was mainly due to the reduction of severe deformities, thus indicating an environmental quality recovery of this littoral sector. Chemical analysis revealed that the higher incidence of deformities in the littoral zone was not caused by heavy metal contamination, unless they may have contributed to a joint action with other toxicants. The present study on Lake Trasimeno provided additional evidence that chironomid mouthpart deformities can be used in biomonitoring programs to evaluate sediment contamination by toxicants. Since mouthpart deformities may also be induced by compounds not included in routine chemical analyses, they may better reflect sediment quality than chemical analysis alone.     

Evaluation of drinking water treatment and quality in Takua Pa, Thailand

After 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, which hit and devastated several Countries in Southeast Asia, University of Brescia and Mahidol University started a project on water monitoring and treatment for drinking purposes in Takua Pa district (Thailand), the most damaged by the tsunami. In particular, this paper presents the results of a study conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Takua Pa drinking water treatment plant and to identify actions that could be adopted to improve its performances. The results show that, even if the effluent usually meets Thai guide values, except for pH which is already too acid in the influent, the plant needs several structural and managerial improvements, such as filtration and sedimentation upgrade, coagulation/flocculation and final disinfection re-organization, use of proper registers to better plan and control employees activities. Moreover, it was determined that water quality in the distribution network is characterized by turbidity and organic matter values higher than those evaluated in the plant effluent.     

Speciation of inorganic arsenic in coastal seawater from Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas (Sicily, Italy) using derivative anodic stripping chronopotentiometry

The purpose of this paper was to use derivative anodic stripping chronopotentiometry (dASCP) as a sensitive and accurate technique, to determine the concentrations of dissolved As (III) and As (V) in coastal seawater samples from the Straits of Messina, the Ionian and the Tyrrhenian seas, and to investigate the relationship between the anthropogenic activities on the coastal areas and the concentration of dissolved inorganic arsenic in seawaters. The obtained data indicated that As (V) was the most abundant species, with concentration ranging from 26.7 to 307 nM, whereas As (III) levels were lower than 48 nM in all the samples. In particular, As (III) and As (V) levels significantly decreased from high to low anthropogenic activities zones (p < 0.00001, ANOVA), with the reference samples, from a wildlife reserve, showing the lowest values. Furthermore it was observed that human activities influenced inorganic arsenic speciation, since the zones that received high human input presented the highest As(V)/As (III) ratio.