Diuron mobility through vineyard soils contaminated with copper

The herbicide diuron is frequently applied to vineyard soils in Burgundy, along with repeated treatments with Bordeaux mixture (a blend of copper sulfate and calcium hydroxide) that result in elevated copper concentrations. Cu could in principle affect the fate and transport of diuron or its metabolites in the soil either directly by complexation or indirectly by altering the populations or activity of microbes involved in their degradation. To assess the effect of high Cu concentrations on diuron transport, an experiment was designed with ten undisturbed columns of calcareous and acidic soils contaminated with 17--509 mg kg(-1) total Cu (field-applied). Grass was planted on three columns. Diuron was applied to the soils in early May and in-ground lysimeters were exposed to outdoor conditions until November. Less than 1.2% of the diuron applied was found in the leachates as diuron or its metabolites. Higher concentrations were found in the effluents from the grass-covered columns (0.1--0.45%) than from the bare-soil columns (0.02--0.14%), and they were correlated with increases in dissolved organic carbon. The highest amounts of herbicide were measured in acidic-soil column leachates (0.98--1.14%) due to the low clay and organic matter contents of these soils. Cu also leached more readily through the acidic soils (32.8--1042 microg) than in the calcareous soils (9.5--63.4 microg). Unlike in the leachates, the amount of diuron remaining in the soils at the end of the experiment was weakly related to the Cu concentrations in the soils.     

Inactivation of antineoplastics in clinical wastewater by electrolysis

Wastewater from clinical institutions contains a considerable amount of toxic substances. Among the toxic substances, antineoplastics may induce carcinogenesis, teratogenesis, and the emergence of mutant microorganisms in the environment. Although the incineration or chemical treatments of disposed antineoplastics are recommended, a high energy during incineration and a careful quality control during chemical treatment are required. In this study, we determined the conditions for the electrolytic treatment of an antineoplastic, epirubicin hydrochloride (EH), using two platinum electrodes with a constant current of 100 mA. We analyzed the cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and antibacterial activity of electrolyzed EH and compared them with those of unelectrolyzed EH. Nearly 100% cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and antibacterial activity were eliminated and HPLC did not detect an EH molecule, in the case of electrolysis for 6 h. We also examined the biological cytotoxicities of electrolyzed irinotecan hydrochloride, vincristine sulfate, mitomycin C, paclitaxel, methotrexate and cisplatin, and found that 72.1-99.999% toxicity was eliminated by electrolysis under the same conditions. The biological toxicity of a mixture of these drugs was determined to be decreased by approximately 99% by electrolysis under the same conditions.     

Assessment of the importance of sorption for steroid estrogens removal during activated sludge treatment

Distribution coefficients (K(d)) between water and activated sludge particles (f(oc)=27.7+/-0.1%) were measured for the steroid estrogens (SE), estrone (E1), 17beta-estradiol (E2) and 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in batch experiments. Experimental concentration levels ranged from environmentally realistic low ng/l to the high microg/l. In this range K(d)s were independent of their water concentration. The experimentally obtained K(d)s (with 95% confidence intervals) were 402+/-126 l/kg, 476+/-192 l/kg and 584+/-136 l/kg for E1, E2 and EE2, respectively. K(d)s were used to estimate the fraction of the total SE concentration that is expected to be sorbed in the activated sludge treatment tanks of a typical STP assuming equilibrium conditions. Assuming a suspended solids concentration of 4 g/l dissolved solids (ds), it was estimated that 61+/-9%, 66+/-13% and 70+/-6% of the total concentration of E1, E2 and EE2, respectively, would be sorbed during activated sludge treatment. The fraction of the SEs that was expected to be sorbed to suspended sludge particles in the effluents from a typical Danish STP was estimated to be only 0.20+/-0.06%, 0.24+/-0.10% and 0.29+/-0.07% of the total concentration of E1, E2 and EE2, respectively, at a suspended solids concentration of 5 mg/lds. For a typical STP the removal of steroid estrogens with excess sludge was estimated to be only 1.5-1.8% of the total loading if equilibrium conditions exists. Sorption is therefore not important for the fate of SEs in STPs compared to biodegradation.     

Lead reduces shell mass in juvenile garden snails (Helix aspersa)

In an earlier paper examining inherited tolerance to Pb, the shell growth of laboratory-bred offspring of Helix aspersa from contaminated sites was compared with that ofjuveniles from naive populations on dosed and undosed diets. Eight-week-old snails were fed either 500 microg g(-1) Pb or a control food in competitive trials between two populations. In the first series of trials, a parental history of exposure to Pb did not confer any advantage to either of two populations (BI and MI) competing with a na?ve population (LE). whether Pb was present in the diet or not. However, in the analysis of their metal concentrations reported here, LE are found to retain higher levels of Pb in the soft tissues than either BI or MI. Compared to their siblings on the unleaded diet, dosed LE and BI juveniles had lower soft tissue concentrations of Ca and Mg. Although the growth in shell height is unaffected by diet, LE and BI juveniles build lighter shells on the Pb-dosed diet, achieving around 75% of the shell mass of their controls. In contrast, the shell weights of dosed MI juveniles are depressed by only 15% and show no change in the essential metal concentrations of their soft tissues. A second experiment using five populations fed only the dosed food show that the shell weight/soft tissue weight ratios are comparable to the dosed snails of the previous experiment. Building a lighter shell thus appears to be the common response of all Helix populations to a high Pb diet, at least amongst juveniles. The reduction in its mass means that less Ca and Mg is added to the shell and, along with the lowered soft tissue concentrations observed in some populations. may be a consequence of an increased effort to excrete Pb. The possibility that the MI population shows a genotypic adaptation. perhaps as some form of modification of its Ca metabolism, is briefly discussed.     

The effect of simulated rain on folpet and mancozeb residues on grapes and on vine leaves

Artificial rainfalls were used to determine the effect of the amount of the rainfall and the time interval between pesticide application and rainfall event, on folpet and mancozeb residues on grapes and vine leaves. Forty-five mm of rain were administered to the vineyard in different amounts (45; 30+15; 15+15+15 mm). Folpet showed good rainfastness on the grapes and on the leaves. A modest decrease was observed only in the experiments that had received 45 mm of rain at one go. Mancozeb showed a lower rainfastness, since a portion of the deposit was easily washed off also by a modest rainfall. The percentage of this portion was higher in the grapes (38%) than in the leaves (20%). The data obtained in these experiments show that, in the case of folpet, it is not necessary to repeat the treatment when it rains the day after, while it is recommendable to repeat it in the case of mancozeb.     

Application of dispersion modeling to indoor gas release scenarios

Many complex models are available to study the dispersion of contaminants or ventilation effectiveness in indoor spaces. Because of the computationally complex numerical schemes employed, most of these models require mainframe computers or workstations. However, simple design tools or guidelines are needed, in addition to complicated models. A dispersion model based on the basic governing equations was developed and uses an analytical solution. Because the concentration is expressed by an analytical solution, the grid size and time steps are user definable. A computer program was used to obtain numerical results and to obtain release history from a thermodynamic source model. The model can be used to estimate three-dimensional spatial and temporal variations in concentrations resulting from transient gas releases in an enclosure. The model was used to study a gas release scenario from a pressurized cylinder into a large ventilated building, in this case, a transit parking and fueling facility.     

Thinning effects on production, root biomass and some soil properties in a young oriental beech stand in Artvin, Turkey

In this study, three thinning treatments were applied on a 0.54 ha young oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) stand (25-30 years old) in Karadag, Artvin in the fall of 1999. The treatments were: (1) no thinning, (2) light thinning, and (3) heavy thinning. Prior to thinning, the stand averaged 15000 trees ha(-1) and 40.0 m2 ha(-1) of basal area, with an average mean diameter of 5 cm. Thinning reduced stand basal areas to about 31.1 and 24.9 m2 ha(-1) for the light and heavy thinning treatments, respectively. After 3-years, diameter increment was the highest in heavily thinned stand and the lowest in unthinned stand. The increment in stand basal area was about 10, 18 and 27% in the unthinned, lightly thinned, and heavily thinned stands, respectively. Fine root biomass significantly decreased with thinning and thinning had no significant effects on soil pH and soil organic matter content.     

Spatial and Seasonal Variations of Water Quality in a Mediterranean Catchment: The Llobregat River (NE Spain)

The Llobregat and Ter Rivers, typical Mediterranean catchments in Northeast Spain, supply water to more than 4.5 million inhabitants residing in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. The objective of this work is to study the factors that influence the surface water quality of Llobregat catchment. As such, spatial and temporal variations of more 50 water chemical parameters were monitored in 10 sampling sites for a period that extended from July 1996 to December 2000. The temperature, pH and conductivity were measured at sites, whereas metals were analysed using ICP-OES and ICP-MS instrumental techniques. The head waters of the Llobregat River catchment flow through detrital Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary rocks resulting in calcium bicarbonate-type water with low mineral content. The high water quality of the waterhead is deteriorated in the upper-middle part of the catchment due to: occurrence of evaporite-bearing geological formations, and the mining and industrial activities related to potash exploitation. As a result, an obvious increase in Na, K, Mg, Cl-, Br, Rb, and Sr concentrations is reported leading to a sodium (potassium) chloride water type. This saline hydrochemical fingerprint persists downstream. This important feature renders the low water quality of the Llobregat River to be adequate for drinking supply purposes. In addition, the industrial and residential activities, specially at the lower part of the catchment, increases P, B, Mn, Fe, Pb, Al, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As and Sb water concentrations.     

Mercury in surface sediments and benthic organisms from Guaymas Bay,east coast of the Gulf of California

In order to know the concentration of mercury in surface sediments, macroalgae and clams from Guaymas Bay, Mexico, 20 surface sediment samples and several individuals of Codium amplivesciculatum (3), Enteromorpha clathrata (4), Gracilaria subsecundata (2), Ulva lactuca (2), Chione subrugosa (80) and Crassostrea gigas (40) were collected and their Hg concentration was measured by a cold vapor Hg analyzer, after acid digestion. In addition, granulometric analysis and quantification of total organic carbon, aluminum, iron and manganese contents in sediments were performed. A Pearsons correlation matrix was determined and, the enrichment factor, the geoaccumulation index and the biota-sediment accumulation factor were calculated. Mercury concentrations in sediments ranged from 0.3 to 2.3 μg g⁻¹, with the central and northern portions showing the highest values. Macroalgae had a content of Hg that oscillated from 0.058 to 0.134 μg g⁻¹, while the average concentrations of this metal for clams and oysters were 0.063 and 0.230 μg g⁻¹, respectively. A clear effect of Guaymas City and the anthropogenic activities carried out around the Guaymas Bay has been observed and the enrichment factor and the geochemical index suggest that sediments from this coastal ecosystem are moderately to strongly contaminated with Hg. However, according to the figure of the maximum human consumption of Hg per week recommended by the World Health Organization, people can ingest clams without risk to their health.     

地质物料与无机材料分析(述评,上)

本文为美国分析化学杂志(Anal.Chem.)每两年一次的文献述评。文中分直流发射光谱、原子吸收光谱、等离子光谱、分光光度法、电分析法、色谱法、分解技术、核活化法、X射线荧光光谱、微束分析技术、其他方法、地球化学标准参考物质等十二个专题,各专题均概括介绍了1984—1986年期间各自领域内的重要文献,共引用方献402篇。