Chemische Reaktionen von Chlorvinylarsinverbindungen (Lewisit)

2,2′-Dichlorodivinylarsine chloride (Lewisite II) react by room temperature quickly with alcohols in an equilibrium reaction to yield 2,2′-Dichlorodivinylarsine ether. The reactions are not quantitative. The methyl-, ethyl-and propylether are not stable.     

ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC DAMAGE CAUSED BY SEDIMENT FROM AGRICULTURAL NONPOINT SOURCES1

Environmental and economic damages caused by agricultural nonpoint source inputs of sediment and associated pollutants are examined. Widespread water quality problems are identified in lakes, rivers, and estuaries in agricultural areas, and billions of dollars of on-site and offsite costs result from this eroded soil every year. Some water bodies have been irretrievably damaged, and expensive rehabilitation programs are needed to remedy in-place water pollution problems if Clean Water Act goals are to be achieved. Unless effective abatement and rehabilitation programs are established, billions of dollars of benefits to future generations will not be realized as more waters become irretrievably damaged, and billions more will continue to be spent by government to treat symptoms of these sediment-related problems.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi involvement in zinc and cadmium speciation change and phytoaccumulation

Over the past few years, there has been a greater study and understanding of the application of phytoremediation to remediate contaminated soil. The enhancement of phytoaccumulation of heavy metals—zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and selenium (Se)—in plants has been shown by inoculation of roots using arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). This article presents the results of in vitro lab experiments conducted to verify the effects of AMF ( Glomus intraradices) hyphae on speciation of essential Zn and nonessential Cd heavy metals in order to change these metals from a water‐ insoluble carbonate to a soluble and phytoavailable form. Results show that in the presence of heavy metals in a nonavailable form to plants, endomycorrhizal hyphae can change the metal from carbonate to a water‐ soluble species. This phenomenon is more apparent with a nonessential (Cd) than with an essential metal (Zn). Zn saturation is reached in the G. intraradices colonized roots at around 400 ppm, independently of initial ZnCO₃ concentrations. Cd saturation is not reached; in the lower Cd treatment, the plant/media metal ratio is 3:1, and in the higher treatment, the ratio is 1:1. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Uptake and cellular distribution of cadmium in Mytilus edulis

Cadmium uptake has been studied in starved and fed Mytilus edulis L. It is suggested that fairly elevated cadmium contents in fed mussels are not due to contaminated food, but to increased pumping rate when food is available. Highest concentration and main body burden are found in the mid-gut gland. Transport via haemolymph, and selective discrimination at the basement lamina of the mid-gut gland tubuli are regarded as mainly responsible for accumulation. Mercury seems to be processed in a similar way as cadmium. In the tubuli, both metals are immobilized in membrane-bound vesicles, which are finally defaecated.This work was financially supported by the German Research Council (DFG) (Sto 75/4 and Th 158/13).     

Bewertung der Luftqualität in Rheinland-Pflaz mittels verschiedener Luftqualitätsindizes

Goal and Scope

The constant increase of traffic and the rising energy and material consumption both in industry and trade as well as in private households mean a constant challenge to environmental protection and to the air pollution control. With the commencement of the Federal ambient pollution control act in April 1974, the legal basis for the monitoring of air pollution was created. In future, the limit values laid down in the Council Directive 1999/30/EG, 2000/69/EG and 96/62/EG, will be valid. In town and regional planning there is a great demand for a simple index to evaluate the air quality. From the available data of PM₁₀, NO₂, O₃, CO, SO₂, trends of the air quality will be derived.

Methods

The indices LQI and TLQ suggested by Mayer et al. (2002) were calculated for selected stations of the air pollution monitoring network (ZIMEN) in Rhineland-Palatine. All analysis are based on hourly recorded value, Mean values and frequency distributions are used for the interpretation. Furthermore, the characteristics and trends of the indices under different weather conditions were examined and discussed.

Results

The examination figures out that the air pollutions indices at all stations show similar patterns in the period between January 2001 and December 2002. Neither the LQI, nor the TLQ shows an annual variation. Existing variations are mainly controlled by the general weather situation and the air temperature. High values of the indices appear at extremely high or low mean daily air temperature. The absolute value of the air pollution index is determined by local pollution factors.

Outlook and Recommendations

Both indices are well suitable to evaluate the air quality and to assess the effects of state-aided measures for air pollutant control. Therefore, the indices TLQ and LQI should be published as an additional information in the world wide web.