Monitoring, modelling and environmental exposure assessment of industrial chemicals in the aquatic environment

Monitoring and laboratory data play integral roles alongside fate and exposure models in comprehensive risk assessments. The principle in the European Union Technical Guidance Documents for risk assessment is that measured data may take precedence over model results but only after they are judged to be of adequate reliability and to be representative of the particular environmental compartments to which they are applied. In practice, laboratory and field data are used to provide parameters for the models, while monitoring data are used to validate the models' predictions. Thus, comprehensive risk assessments require the integration of laboratory and monitoring data with the model predictions. However, this interplay is often overlooked. Discrepancies between the results of models and monitoring should be investigated in terms of the representativeness of both. Certainly, in the context of the EU risk assessment of existing chemicals, the specific requirements for monitoring data have not been adequately addressed. The resources required for environmental monitoring, both in terms of manpower and equipment, can be very significant. The design of monitoring programmes to optimise the use of resources and the use of models as a cost-effective alternative are increasing in importance. Generic considerations and criteria for the design of new monitoring programmes to generate representative quality data for the aquatic compartment are outlined and the criteria for the use of existing data are discussed. In particular, there is a need to improve the accessibility to data sets, to standardise the data sets, to promote communication and harmonisation of programmes and to incorporate the flexibility to change monitoring protocols to amend the chemicals under investigation in line with changing needs and priorities.     

Impact of long-term pesticide applications on some soil biological parameters

The soil oxidative and anaerobic processes, as well as, the microbial biomass were followed during three years in a cotton farm (Tatuí) where the recommended pesticides have been used for several years, and in an experimental field (S?o Paulo) treated first time with the same pesticides. The oxidative process was monitored by the dehydrogenase (DHA)-activity using triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) as substrate. The anaerobic process was followed by the iron-oxide reduction, and the microbial biomass was estimated by the substrate (glucose)-indiced respiration. Increases in DHA-activity and in the microbial biomass occurred only in the farm soil, with concomitant decreases in iron-reduction. In the experimental field soil, the increases in DHA-activity were followed only by decreases in iron-reduction. Soil characteristics were the determining factor for different biological parameters after pesticide inputs. All the pesticides produced at least one clear but transient effect.     

Speciated hydrocarbon emissions from small utility engines

Partially speciated hydrocarbon (HC) emissions data from several small utility engines, as measured by a Fourier Transform Infrared analyzer, are presented. The engines considered have nominal horsepower ratings between 3.7 and 9.3 kW. Both side-valve and overhead-valve engines are studied, and four different fuels are used in the engines. The results indicate that the small HCs present in the exhaust tend to be in the form of either methane or unsaturated HCs. Other small alkanes, such as ethane and propane, are present in only relatively small concentrations. In terms of ozone formation potential, the HCs in the form of methane will lead to little ozone, but the distribution of the C2 and C3 species is not ideal from an ozone reduction stand-point. It is also found that the presence of oxygen in the fuels appears to lead to somewhat more complete combustion, although the effects are not large. Finally, the overhead-valve engines appear to have lower HC emissions than side-valve engines, which is primarily due to higher operating A/F ratios and the engine geometry.     

Estimating separately personal exposure to ambient and nonambient particulate matter for epidemiology and risk assessment: why and how

This paper discusses the legal and scientific reasons for separating personal exposure to PM into ambient and nonambient components. It then demonstrates by several examples how well-established models and data typically obtained in exposure field studies can be used to estimate both individual and community average exposure to ambient-generated PM (ambient PM outdoors plus ambient PM that has infiltrated indoors), indoor-generated PM, and personal activity PM. Ambient concentrations are not highly correlated with personal exposure to nonambient PM or total PM but are highly correlated with personal exposure to ambient-generated PM. Therefore, ambient concentrations may be used in epidemiology as an appropriate surrogate for personal exposure to ambient-generated PM. Suggestions are offered as to how exposure to ambient-generated PM may be obtained and used in epidemiology and risk assessment.     

Ascorbic acid reduction of residual active chlorine in potable water prior to halocarboxylate determination

In studies on the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs), it is necessary to scavenge residual active (oxidizing) chlorine in order to fix the chlorination byproducts (such as haloethanoates) at a point in time. Such research projects often have distinct needs from requirements for regulatory compliance monitoring. Thus, methods designed for compliance monitoring are not always directly applicable, but must be adapted. This research describes an adaptation of EPA Method 552 in which ascorbic acid treatment is shown to be a satisfactory means for reducing residual oxidizing chlorine, i.e., HOCl, ClO-, and Cl2, prior to determining concentrations of halocarboxylates. Ascorbic acid rapidly reduces oxidizing chlorine compounds, and it has the advantage of producing inorganic halides and dehydroascorbic acid as opposed to halogenated organic molecules as byproducts. In deionized water and a sample of chlorinated tap water, systematic biases relative to strict adherence to Method 552 were precise and could be corrected for using similarly treated standards and analyte-fortified (spiked) samples. This was demonstrated for the quantitation of chloroethanoate, bromoethanoate, 2,2-dichloropropanoate (dalapon), trichloroethanoate, bromochloroethanoate, and bromodichlorocthanoate when extracted, as the acids, into tert-butyl methyl ether (MTBE) and esterified with diazomethane prior to gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD). Recoveries for chloroethanoate, bromoethanoate, dalapon, dichloroethanoate, trichloroethanoate, bromochloroethanoate, bromodichloroethanoate, dibromoethanoate, and 2-bromopropanoate at concentrations near the lower limit of detection were acceptable. Ascorbic acid reduction appears to be the best option presently available when there is a need to quench residual oxidants fast in a DBP formation study without generating other halospecies but must be implemented cautiously to ensure no untoward interactions in the matrix.     

Investigation of a ponding irrigation system to recycle agricultural wastewater

This article presents the results of natural carrying capacity of ponding irrigation system in Taoyuan agricultural zone, Taiwan. Both the systematic water quality and the ponding effects were examined. The ponding irrigation system included a flow channel and storage ponds. The data showed that most water characteristics deteriorated gradually from upper- to down-stream in the flow channel and the flow channel was not attributed to any self-purification in agricultural returning water practically. On the other hand, the results of storage ponds indicated that they can provide a natural treatment (i.e., the outlet water quality of the ponds is more desirable than that of the inlet). Consequently, the ponding irrigation system offers the natural self-purification in ponds to reuse and recycle the returning agricultural wastewater and to extend the irrigation capacity and efficiency.     

Morphophysiological Rearrangements in Fish in Response to Pollution (in the Light of S.S. Shvarts' Theory)

The results of a study on morphophysiological variation in fish inhabiting a subarctic lake exposed to chronic industrial pollution are described using an example of cisco, Coregonus lavaretus. It is shown that indices of the heart, liver, kidneys, gills, and fatness in these fish are increased significantly and have retained increased values for the past 20 years. The observed changes are analyzed on the basis of biochemical data. The results of studies on the dynamics of hematological parameters in fish are used for characterizing the development of toxicosis. Adaptive rearrangements associated with an increase in the metabolic rate and the activation of protective systems in the fish are explained in the context of S.S. Schvarts' concept. The idea is proposed that the additional energy cost of detoxification may be responsible for morphophysiological variation in fish under conditions of water pollution.     

Effect of Recycling on Material Properties of Glass-filled Polyethylene Terephthalate

Recycled plastics are considered low performance materials because their properties are expected to decrease drastically with recycling. The objective of this study was to characterize a 15 wt.% glass filled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET-15GF) using six recycle generations and four recycle ratios. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elastic modulus, and percent elongation to failure of the PET composite were determined for various recycle generations and recycle ratios. Results show that the mechanical properties of rPET-15GF decrease slightly per recycle generation. In contrast, thermal properties of rPET-15GF were not at all affected by the recycling process. This data demonstrates that recycled glass filled PET can be used effectively to fabricate components without significantly affecting their mechanical performance.     

Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Reducing the Emission of Nitrogen Oxides in Asia

The purpose of this study is to evaluate cost-effective reduction strategies for nitrogen oxides (NO _x ) in the Asian region. The source-receptor relationships of the Lagrangian “puff” model of long-range transportation, ATMOS-N, were used to calculate the wet/dry deposition of the nitrogen (N) in Asia. Critical loads of N deposition in Asia were calculated from the relationships between the critical load of sulfur (S) and balance of N in and out using the data of S critical load of RAINS-ASIA. The cost functions of N reduction of Asian countries were derived by the regression analysis with the data of cost functions of European countries used in RAINS. In order to assess the environmental impact, the gaps between N deposition and critical load of N were calculated. The emission of NO _x was reduced in some cases of this model, and the changes of gaps between N deposition and critical load were observed as well as the changes of the reduction cost. It is shown that a uniform reduction of NO _x emissions by countries in Asia is not cost-effective strategy.     

Pilot‐scale evaluation using bioaugmentation to enhance PCE dissolution at dover AFB national test site

An Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) forum was recently held that focused on six case studies in which bioremediation of dense nonaqueous‐phase liquids (DNAPLs) was performed; the objective was to demonstrate that there is credible evidence for bioremediation as a viable environmental remediation technology. The first two case studies from the forum have been previously published; this third case study involves a pilot‐scale demonstration that investigated the effects of biological activity on enhancing dissolution of an emplaced tetrachloroethene (PCE) DNAPL source. It used a controlled‐release test cell with PCE as the primary DNAPL in a porous media groundwater system. Both laboratory tests and a field‐scale pilot test demonstrated that bioaugmentation can stimulate complete dechlorination to a nontoxic end product and that the mass flux from a source zone increases when biological dehalorespiration activity is enhanced through nutrient (electron donor) addition and bioaugmentation. All project goals were met. Important achievements include demonstrating the ability to degrade a PCE DNAPL source to ethene and obtaining significant information on the impacts to the microbial populations and corresponding isotope enrichments during biodegradation of a source area. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.