Evolution of Radiocontamination of the Northern and Middle Adriatic Sea in the Period 1979-1990

Several investigations were carried out on biotic and abiotic samples to determine the difference between Chernobyl and preChernobyl environmental radiocontamination of the Adriatic Sea. Special emphasis was put on the determination of ¹³⁷Cs which resulted in the most abundant radionuclide in a wide variety of samples (sea water, sediment, pelagic and benthic species). Attention was also given to the neutron activation products ^110mAg and ¹³⁴Cs that were first discovered in the Adriatic ecosystem after the Chernobyl event in particular, although the ¹¹⁰Ag fallout deposition over the area was neglected in comparison to that of ¹³⁷Cs, its bioaccumulation in macroalgae and molluscs was much higher suggesting some particular physiological accumulation mechanism.     

Phytoremediation of Soil Polluted by Nickel Using Agricultural Crops

Soil pollution due to heavy metals is widespread; on the world scale, it involves about 235 million hectares. The objectives of this research were to establish the uptake efficiency of nickel by some agricultural crops. In addition, we wanted to establish also in which part of plants the metal is stored for an eventual use of biomass or for recycling the metal. The experiments included seven herbaceous crops such as: barley (Hordeum vulgaris), cabbage (Brassica juncea), spinach (Spinacea oleracea), sorghum (Sorgum vulgare), bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and ricinus (Ricinus communis). We used three levels of treatment (150, 300, and 600 ppm) and one control. At the end of the biological cycle of the crops, the different parts of plants, i.e., roots, stems, leaves, fruits, or seeds, were separately collected, oven dried, weighed, milled, and separately analysed. The leaves and stems of spinach showed a very good nickel storage capacity. The ricinus too proved to be a very good nickel storer. The ability of spinach and ricinus to store nickel was observed also in the leaves of cabbage, even if with a lower storage capacity. The bean, barley, and tomato, in decreasing order of uptake and storage capacity, showed a high concentration of nickel in leaves and stems, whereas the sorghum evidenced a lesser capacity to uptake and store nickel in leaves and stems. The bean was the most efficient in storing nickel in fruits or grains. Tomato, sorghum, and barley have shown a storage capacity notably less than bean. The bean appeared to be the most efficient in accumulating nickel in the roots, followed in decreasing order by sorghum, ricinus, and tomato. With regard to the removal of nickel, spinach was the most efficient as it contains the highest level of this metal per gram of dry matter. The ricinus, cabbage, bean, sorghum, barley, and tomato evidenced a progressively decreasing efficiency in the removal of nickel.     

Volatile organic compounds produced during the aerobic biological processing of municipal solid waste in a pilot plant

The volatile organic carbon (VOC) and odours emitted during the aerobic biological processing of municipal solid waste (MSW) was studied in a pilot-scale reactor. VOCs were detected by different techniques on solid waste samples and the outlet air stream, before and after a biofilter. Organic compounds (alpha-pinene, beta-myrcene, D-limonene) were also measured in condensate water and leachate from the process. Results showed uniformity in the composition of the air in the solid waste samples, air sampled during the process and condensed water, indicating a matrix-derived origin of these compounds. Leachates, however, contained substances with a quite different molecular structure from the compounds identified in the gaseous fraction. Most of the substances in the gaseous effluent had a hydrocarbon-like structure, mainly terpenoids. The odour produced and detected through olfactometry agreed with GC-MS analyses. This was true above all for terpenes.     

Mercury assessment and evaluation of its impact on fish in the Cecina river basin (Tuscany, Italy)

This paper reports the results of mercury contamination monitoring in the Cecina river basin (Tuscany, Italy). Mercury was measured in the waters, sediments and fish species of the river and its most important tributaries. In fish specimens the organic form was also determined. The results showed high mercury levels in most of the samples analysed. Particularly high concentrations were found in the sediments of the S. Marta canal flowing into the Cecina, where a chlor-alkali plant discharges its wastes, and high levels were still detectable 31 km downstream from the confluence. Near the S. Marta confluence many fish specimens were very contaminated and a study on Leuciscus cephalus cabeda growth suggested that at this site mercury accumulation occurs in these organisms since they are very young.     

Atrazine dissipation in s-triazine-adapted and nonadapted soil from Colorado and Mississippi: implications of enhanced degradation on atrazine fate and transport parameters

Soil bacteria have developed novel metabolic abilities resulting in enhanced atrazine degradation. Consequently, there is a need to evaluate the effects of enhanced degradation on parameters used to model atrazine fate and transport. The objectives of this study were (i) to screen Colorado (CO) and Mississippi (MS) atrazine-adapted and non-adapted soil for genes that code for enzymes able to rapidly catabolize atrazine and (ii) to compare atrazine persistence, Q(10), beta, and metabolite profiles between adapted and non-adapted soils. The atzABC and/or trzN genes were detected only in adapted soil. Atrazine's average half-life in adapted soil was 10-fold lower than that of the non-adapted soil and 18-fold lower than the USEPA estimate of 3 to 4 mo. Q(10) was greater in adapted soil. No difference in beta was observed between soils. The accumulation and persistence of mono-N-dealkylated metabolites was lower in adapted soil; conversely, under suboptimal moisture levels in CO adapted soil, hydroxyatrazine concentrations exceeded 30% of the parent compounds' initial mass. Results indicate that (i) enhanced atrazine degradation and atzABC and/or trzN genes are likely widespread across the Western and Southern corn-growing regions of the USA; (ii) persistence of atrazine and its mono-N-dealkylated metabolites is significantly reduced in adapted soil; (iii) hydroxyatrazine can be a major degradation product in adapted soil; and (iv) fate, transport, and risk assessment models that assume historic atrazine degradation pathways and persistence estimates will likely overpredict the compounds' transport potential in adapted soil.     

The determination of biological stability of composts using the Dynamic Respiration Index: the results of experience after two years

Biological stability was ascertained by using the Dynamic Respiration Index (DRI) on 144 samples of compost during the years 2003 and 2004, as a routine service for private subjects. Data obtained were collected and are critically discussed in this paper by using other parameters registered during tests, i.e., biomass temperature (T), specific airflow rate (Qs) and biomass analytical data (pH). Good linear correlations were obtained for DRI vs. T, DRI vs. Q(s) and DRI vs. pH, confirming expected results based on the theoretical discussion. Consequently, using the analytical method proposed in this paper means both T and Q can be used as additional parameters for measurement of the biological stability of compost. As a result, T values of 25.8 and 30.5 degrees C, and specific airflow rate of 8.6 and 13.4 m3 Mg(-1) VS h(-1) were found corresponding to 500 and 1000 mg O2 kgVS(-1) h(-1), which, respectively, indicate a high and a medium degree of biological stability.     

Psychological consequences of prenatal diagnosis in a case of familial Angelman Syndrome

Angelman Syndrome (AS), characterized by mental retardation, absence of speech, seizures and motor dysfunction, is caused by genetic defects leading to loss of expression of the maternal copy of the chromosome 15q11–13 imprinted region. Most cases are sporadic, being caused by de novo deletion of maternal chromosome 15q11–13 (75%) or by paternal uniparental disomy (3–4%). Familial cases can occur, due to mutations in the UBE3A gene or in the imprinting center. We describe the case of a pregnant woman having two nephews with AS caused by a UBE3A mutation; lack of communication within the family led the woman to be completely unaware of the risk of disease recurrence until 15 weeks of gestation. UBE3A genetic testing revealed she carried the familial mutation 892–893delCT. Prenatal diagnosis was performed on amniotic fluid and demonstrated that the fetus had inherited the mutation. The unexpected diagnosis and the subsequent termination of the pregnancy caused the woman to undergo acute psychological distress showing relevant psychopathological symptoms. Nevertheless, at 2-year follow-up, adverse consequences were minimized, and the couple was planning a new pregnancy. Factors affecting the psychological outcome of abortion and the role of psychological support in reducing the risk of long-term unfavorable consequences are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reproduction of olive tree habitat suitability for global change impact assessment

The olive tree is so typical of the Mediterranean climate that its presence in a territory qualifies the climate of this as Mediterranean. Many clues indicated that in the past olive cultivation limits moved northward or southward in the Northern Hemisphere according to warmer or cooler climate, respectively. This makes the olive tree cultivation area a possible biological indicator of changes in climate and the identification of the climatological parameters that limit its cultivation plays an important role for climate change impact assessment. In this work, three different approaches were compared, with the aim to compare methodologies suited to predict olive tree distribution over the Mediterranean basin: two classifiers (Random Forest, RF and an Artificial Neural Network, ANN) and a spatial model to infer climatic limiters of plant distribution (CLPD). These methodologies were applied within a framework including a geographical information system (GIS), which spatially defined olive tree cultivated area, and climatological informative layers (average temperature and cumulated rainfall, 50 km × 50 km), which were used as predictor variables. The results indicated that RF achieved on the whole, the lowest classification error (113 misclassified cases on 1906 test cases) followed by ANN (128 cases) and CLPD (153 cases). A validation test, performed over areas out of the Mediterranean basin where olive tree is cultivated (i.e. California and Southern Australia), confirmed the goodness of the RF fitted model in predicting olive tree suitable areas. In general, climatic predictor variables of the coldest and warmest periods of the year were the most significant in determining the limits of suitable olive cultivation area for these methodologies. In particular, temperature of January and July and rainfall of October and July were the climatic predictor variables having highest significance for both RF and ANN. Temperature of January >2 °C, of July >20 °C and cumulated annual rainfall >240 mm were the bounds found in the spatial model. The fitted RF model, coupled with the results of both Regional and General Circulation Model, was finally proposed to assess climate change impact on olive tree cultivated area in the Mediterranean basin.     

Sorption of 4-n-nonylphenol, 4-n-octylphenol,and 4-tert-octyphenol on cyclodextrin polymers

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Alkylphenols are industrial pollutants commonly present in wastewater. They are difficult to eliminate by conventional treatment processes, ending up...