Diatoms in bottom sediments as indicators of pollution of urban aquatic ecosystems

Analysis of the concentrations of chemical elements and the composition of diatoms in the surface layer of bottom sediments has been performed in a small reservoir at the mouth of dammed river to evaluate the levels of pollution and the impact of toxicants on diatom communities of the river ecosystem. Data on interrelations between the concentrations of chemical elements and the relationship between inorganic pollution and accumulation of diatoms in bottom sediments as an indicator of development of the diatom assemblage have been obtained using linear correlation analysis and graphical plotting.     

Present and future climate resources for various types of tourism in the Bay of Palma,Spain

The Bay of Palma, in Mallorca, is a leading region for beach holidays in Europe. It is based on a mass tourism model strongly modulated by seasonality and with high environmental costs. Main tourism stakeholders are currently implementing complementary activities to mitigate seasonality, regardless of climate change. But climate is—and will remain—a key resource or even a limitation for many types of tourism. Assessing the present conditions and exploring the future evolution of climate potential for these activities have become a priority in this area. To this end, the climate index for tourism (CIT)—originally designed to rate the climate resource of beach tourism—is adapted to specifically appraise cycling, cultural tourism, football, golf, motor boating, sailing and hiking. Climate resources are derived by using observed and projected daily meteorological data. Projections have been obtained from a suite of Regional Climate Models run under the A1B emissions scenario. To properly derive CITs at such local scale, we apply a statistical adjustment. Present climate potentials ratify the appropriateness of the Bay of Palma for satisfactorily practicing all the examined activities. However, optimal conditions are projected to degrade during the peak visitation period while improving in spring and autumn. That is, climate change could further exacerbate the present imbalance between the seasonal distributions of ideal climate potentials and high attendance levels. With this information at hand, policy makers and regional tourism stakeholders can respond more effectively to the great challenge of local adaptation to climate change.     

COVID-19 pandemic: impacts on bees,beekeeping, and potential role of bee products as antiviral agents and immune enhancers

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - COVID-19 pandemic has passed to the front all the contradictions of the beekeeping sector: the valuable role of bee products as immune enhancers and...     

Iron oxide nanoparticles embedded in organic microparticles from Yerba Mate useful for remediation of textile wastewater through a photo-Fenton treatment: Ilex paraguariensis as a platform of environmental interest – Part 1

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Seven composites of iron oxide nanoparticles embedded in organic microparticles mediated by Cu(II) were synthesized using yerba mate (Ilex...     

Estimation of microplastics in sediments at the southernmost coast of India (Kanyakumari)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Increasing urbanization and anthropogenic activities of the last couple of decades have left significant amounts of plastic debris in both coastal and...     

Legacy and alternative halogenated flame retardants in Lake Geneva fish

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Legacy (i.e., polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD)) and alternative halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) were...     

Assessment of semi-natural habitats and landscape features on Irish farmland: New insights to inform EU Common Agricultural Policy implementation

Concerns over the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in farmland have prompted the development of agri-environment policy measures aimed at reducing farming pressure and maintaining semi-natural habitats in farmed landscapes. However, further knowledge is needed to guarantee successful agri-environment measures implementation. The current study assessed the quantity and the quality of semi-natural habitats in farms across a gradient of farming intensities in two contrasting regions in Ireland. Policy protection seemed fundamental for semi-natural habitats preservation. Habitats not protected by agricultural policy relied on extensive farming and are in danger of disappearing if they are intensified or abandoned. Due to the lack of policy incentives for habitat quality, no correlations were found between farming intensity and share of semi-natural habitats with habitat quality. Therefore, extensive farming and retention of habitats alone may not reverse the decline of farmland quality and biodiverisity and, thus, measures incentivising the environmental quality may be more successful.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01344-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Seveso Women's Health Study: a study of the effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on reproductive health

Although reproductive effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposure have been reported in numerous investigations of animals, studies of this association in humans are limited. In 1976, an explosion in Seveso, Italy exposed the surrounding population to among the highest levels of TCDD recorded in humans. The relatively pure exposure to TCDD and the ability to quantify individual level TCDD exposure from sera collected in 1976 for the Seveso cohort affords a unique opportunity to evaluate the potential dose-response relationship between TCDD exposure and a spectrum of reproductive endpoints. The Seveso Women's Health Study (SWHS) is the first comprehensive study of the reproductive health of a human population exposed to TCDD. The primary objectives of the study are to investigate the relationship of TCDD and the following endpoints: (1) endometriosis; (2) menstrual cycle characteristics; (3) age at menarche; (4) birth outcomes of pregnancies conceived after 1976; (5) time to conception and clinical infertility; and (6) age at menopause. Included in the SWHS cohort are women who were 0-40 yr old in 1976, who have adequate stored sera collected between 1976 and 1980, and who resided in Zones A or B at the time of the accident. All women were interviewed extensively about their reproductive and pregnancy history and had a blood draw. For an eligible subset of women, a pelvic exam and transvaginal ultrasound were conducted and a menstrual diary was completed. More than 95% of the women were located 20 yr after the accident and roughly 80% of the cohort agreed to participate. Data collection was completed in July 1998, serum TCDD analysis of samples for analysis of endometriosis as a nested case-control study was completed in October 1998, and statistical analysis of these data should be completed in early 1999. Serum samples are now being analyzed in order to relate TCDD levels with the remaining reproductive outcomes.     

Study on the cytotoxicity of microcystin-LR on cultured cells

The toxicity of purified blue-green algal toxin, microcystin-LR, on permanent cell lines KB, NIH/3T3, H-4-II-E, HeLa, Vero, Hep G2, Caco-2 and HL-60 was studied. Assessment of cell viability using colorimetric 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays indicated that purified microcystin-LR induced toxic effect on KB and H-4-II-E cell lines after 96 h incubation at toxin concentrations greater than 18.75 microg/ml. KB cell line was selected for further study when reproducibility, consistency and sensitivity were considered. Significant amounts of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were released from KB cells when incubation durations were 72 and 96 h with toxin concentrations of 18.75 microg/ml and higher. Although previous studies suggested that microcystin-LR had no cytotoxic effect on permanent cell lines, LDH release assay performed on KB cells indicated that exposure to microcystin-LR could result in damage to the cell membrane.     

Priority assessment of toxic substances in life cycle assessment. Part I: calculation of toxicity potentials for 181 substances with the nested multi-media fate, exposure and effects model USES-LCA

Toxicity potentials are standard values used in life cycle assessment (LCA) to enable a comparison of toxic impacts between substances. In most cases, toxicity potentials are calculated with multi-media fate models. Until now, unrealistic system settings were used for these calculations. The present paper outlines an improved model to calculate toxicity potentials: the global nested multi-media fate, exposure and effects model USES-LCA. It is based on the Uniform System for the Evaluation of Substances 2.0 (USES 2.0). USES-LCA was used to calculate for 181 substances toxicity potentials for the six impact categories freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity, marine aquatic ecotoxicity, freshwater sediment ecotoxicity, marine sediment ecotoxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity and human toxicity, after initial emission to the compartments air, freshwater, seawater, industrial soil and agricultural soil, respectively. Differences of several orders of magnitude were found between the new toxicity potentials and those calculated previously.