Erprobung und Erfolgskontrolle eines Phytoremediations-verfahrens zur Sanierung Sprengstoff-kontaminierter B?den

Zusammenfassung  Die Befunde des in seiner Konzeption in Teil I dargestellten Freilandexperimentes dokumentieren die TNT-Abreicherung und Erholung des Standortes im Laufe der Phytoremediation. Das Monitoring umfasst Erhebungen im Feld (Nitroaromatengehalte in Boden, Sickerwasser und Pflanzen; Erfassung von Bodenorganismen und Streuabbau) und den Einsatz einer Biotestbatterie mit 6 Einzeltests. Die Daten belegen die hohe Heterogenit?t der TNT-Kontamination, eine rasche initiale Abreicherung und eine geringe Verlagerung von Nitroaromaten in Pflanzen und Sickerwasser. Die anf?nglich rasche Transformation des TNT zu Aminodinitrotoluolen l?sst nach 3 Monaten deutlich nach. Mit Hilfe der Biotestbatterie wird die Toxizit?t des Bodens differenziert beurteilbar; die boden-biologischen Befunde lassen Langzeitwirkungen der TNT-Belastung wahrscheinlich werden. Eine Gesamtbeurteilung des Projekts wird im dritten Teil der Artikelserie erfolgen. OnlineFirst: 10. 09. 2001     

Non-polar halogenated natural products bioaccumulated in marine samples. II. Brominated and mixed halogenated compounds

Several identified and potential natural brominated bioaccumulative compounds were studied in this work. 4,6-dibromo-2-(2('),4(')-dibromo)phenoxyanisole (BC-2) previously detected in Australian marine mammals and isolated from sponges, was synthesized. Two byproducts (a tetrabromo isomer and a tribromo congener) were investigated as well. The byproducts of the synthesis were not identified in the environmental samples investigated. Previously described natural brominated compounds (BC-1, BC-2, BC-3, BC-10, BC-11, MHC-1) and anthropogenic brominated diphenyl ethers (BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-154) were detected in a sample of human milk. The sample was from a woman from the Faeroe Islands who frequently consumed fish as well as whale blubber and meat. The most abundant compound originated from the natural tetrabromo phenoxyanisole BC-3 which may have a 3:1 distribution of bromine on the two phenyl units. This sample also accumulated a dibromochloroanisole, as well as a previously unknown mixed halogenated compound (MHC-X) and an unknown, most likely aromatic brominated compound. Co-elutions on a DB-5 column were found for BDE-99 and BC-11 as well as BDE-154 and the unknown brominated compound. This suggests that quantification of these two compounds has to be carried out carefully.Two samples of lower trophic level, namely Baltic cod liver and Mexican mussel tissue, were investigated as well. The cod liver samples contained BDE congeners but also abundant signals for the natural 2,3,3('),4,4('),5,5(')-heptachloro-1(')-methyl-1,2(')-bipyrrole Q1 and tribromoanisole (TBA). The mussel sample contained Q1, TBA, another halogenated anisole, BC-1, BC-2, and BC-3, as well as additional, potential natural brominated compounds in the elution range of tribromophenoxyanisoles.     

A Measurement Program to Determine Plume Configurations at the Beaver Gas Turbine Facility,Port Westward,Oregon

An experimental program was undertaken in December 1974, for the Portland General Electric Company (PGE) to ascertain the plume configurations resulting from the operations of the Beaver Gas Turbine Facility at Port Westward, OR. The experimental program consisted of: airborne measurements of NO_X to determine the plume (s) configuration and a meteorological field program to determine atmospheric stabilities and wind profiles during the field program. This note reports on the plume measurement portion of the program only.     

Exposure patterns of UV filters, fragrances, parabens, phthalates, organochlor pesticides, PBDEs, and PCBs in human milk: correlation of UV filters with use of cosmetics

In order to assess potential risks of exposure to environmental chemicals, more information on concomitant exposure to different chemicals is needed. We present data on chemicals in human milk of a cohort study (2004, 2005, 2006) of 54 mother/child pairs, where for the first time, cosmetic UV filters, synthetic musks, parabens and phthalate metabolites were analyzed in the same sample along with persistent organochlor pollutants (POPs), i.e., organochlor pesticides and metabolites, polybrominated diphenylethers and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The two groups of chemicals exhibited different exposure patterns. Six out of seven PCB congeners and a majority of pesticides were present in all milk samples, with significant correlations between certain PCB congener and pesticide levels, whereas the cosmetic-derived compounds, UV filters, parabens and synthetic musks, exhibited a more variable exposure pattern with inter-individual differences. UV filters were present in 85.2% of milk samples, in the range of PCB levels. Comparison with a questionnaire revealed a significant correlation between use of products containing UV filters and their presence in milk for two frequently used and detected UV filters, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor and octocrylene, and for the whole group of UV filters. Concentrations of PCBs and organochlor pesticides were within ranges seen in Western and Southern European countries. For several POPs, mean and/or maximum daily intake calculated from individual concentrations was above recent US EPA reference dose values. Our data emphasize the need for analyses of complex mixtures to obtain more information on inter-individual and temporal variability of human exposure to different types of chemicals.     

Benzotriazoles, Alkylphenols and Bisphenol A in Municipal Wastewaters and in the Glatt River, Switzerland

- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1065/espr2006.01.295 Background Many organic micropollutants occur at trace concentrations in municipal wastewater effluents and in the aquatic environment. Some of these xenobiotic chemicals can be considered as 'emerging' contaminants and some are suspect to have endocrine disrupting effects. Among the latter are nonylphenol (NP), octylphenol (OP) and bisphenol A (BPA), which deserve special attention due to their ubiquitous occurrence in the aquatic environment. The complexing agents benzotriazole (BT) and tolyltriazole (TT) are applied as anticorrosive agents (e.g. in cooling and hydraulic fluids, in antifreezing fluids, in aircraft deicing fluids, in dish washing liquids for silver protection), as antifogging agents and as intermediates for the synthesis of various chemicals. The environmental occurrence of NP and OP is caused by the fact that they are intermediate products (metabolites) in the biodegradation of alkylphenol polyethoxylate surfactants. BPA is globally used for the production of polycarbonate and epoxy resins. Methods BT, TT, NP, OP and BPA were quantitatively determined in municipal wastewater effluents in Switzerland and in the Glatt River. The analytes were enriched by solid-phase enrichment. BT and TT were determined underivatized by electrospray LC/tandem MS. Reversed-phase LC was performed on octylsilica columns with isocratic water/methanol elution. Multiple reaction monitoring of the positive ions provided selective and sensitive detection for reliable quantifications. NP, OP and BPA were determined by GC/MS after derivatization with N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide. Results and Discussion BT and TT concentrations in primary and secondary effluents of municipal wastewater treatment plants varied from below 10 to 100 μg/L. The ranges of the concentrations in the Glatt River in ng/L were 636–3,690 for BT, 122–628 for TT, 68–326 for NP, 6–22 for OP and 9–76 for BPA. The corresponding mass flows in g/d were 93–1,870 for BT, 18–360 for TT, 24–183 for NP, 1–16 for OP and 2–72 for BPA. The concentrations and mass flows of NP in the River Glatt were drastically lower than the analogous values found 15 years ago. Thus, a substantially decreased environmental exposure can be observed due to the reduction of the use of alkyphenol polyethoxylate surfactants in Switzerland. The current concentrations of NP, OP and BPA are within the ranges reported for weakly impacted surface waters. Conclusion The investigated contaminants occur at quantitatively measurable but varying concentrations in municipal wastewaters and in the Glatt River reflecting their ubiquitous input into wastewaters and their different behaviour during biological wastewater treatment.     

Solute transport in crystalline rocks at Äspö — II: Blind predictions, inverse modelling and lessons learnt from test STT1

Based on the results from detailed structural and petrological characterisation and on up-scaled laboratory values for sorption and diffusion, blind predictions were made for the STT1 dipole tracer test performed in the Swedish Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory. The tracers used were nonsorbing, such as uranine and tritiated water, weakly sorbing ²²Na⁺, ⁸⁵Sr²⁺, ⁴⁷Ca²⁺and more strongly sorbing ⁸⁶Rb⁺, ¹³³Ba²⁺, ¹³⁷Cs⁺.Our model consists of two parts: (1) a flow part based on a 2D-streamtube formalism accounting for the natural background flow field and with an underlying homogeneous and isotropic transmissivity field and (2) a transport part in terms of the dual porosity medium approach which is linked to the flow part by the flow porosity.The calibration of the model was done using the data from one single uranine breakthrough (PDT3). The study clearly showed that matrix diffusion into a highly porous material, fault gouge, had to be included in our model evidenced by the characteristic shape of the breakthrough curve and in line with geological observations.After the disclosure of the measurements, it turned out that, in spite of the simplicity of our model, the prediction for the nonsorbing and weakly sorbing tracers was fairly good. The blind prediction for the more strongly sorbing tracers was in general less accurate. The reason for the good predictions is deemed to be the result of the choice of a model structure strongly based on geological observation. The breakthrough curves were inversely modelled to determine in situ values for the transport parameters and to draw consequences on the model structure applied. For good fits, only one additional fracture family in contact with cataclasite had to be taken into account, but no new transport mechanisms had to be invoked. The in situ values for the effective diffusion coefficient for fault gouge are a factor of 2–15 larger than the laboratory data. For cataclasite, both data sets have values comparable to laboratory data. The extracted K_d values for the weakly sorbing tracers are larger than Swedish laboratory data by a factor of 25–60, but agree within a factor of 3–5 for the more strongly sorbing nuclides. The reason for the inconsistency concerning K_ds is the use of fresh granite in the laboratory studies, whereas tracers in the field experiments interact only with fracture fault gouge and to a lesser extent with cataclasite both being mineralogically very different (e.g. clay-bearing) from the intact wall rock.     

ESTROM—a Romanian–Swiss research programme

Background, aim, and scope  Composting is an effective treatment process to realize sludge land application. However, nitrogen loss could result in the reduction of nutrient value of the compost products and the stabilization effect of composting on heavy metal concentration and mobility in sludge has been shown to be very limited. Materials and methods  Laboratory-scale experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of bamboo charcoal (BC) on nitrogen conservation and mobility of Cu and Zn during sludge composting. Results  The result indicated that the incorporation of BC into the sludge composting material could significantly reduce nitrogen loss. With 9% BC amendment, total nitrogen loss at the end of composting decreased 64.1% compared with no BC amendment (control treatment). Mobility of Cu and Zn in the sludge may also have been lessened, based on the decline in diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-extractable Cu and Zn contents of composted sludge by 44.4% and 19.3%, respectively, compared to metal extractability in the original material. Discussion  Ammonia adsorption capability of BC might be the main reason for the retention of nitrogen in sludge composting materials. Decrease of extractable Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ in the composting material mainly resulted from the adsorption of both metals by BC. Conclusions  Incorporation of BC into composting material could significantly lessen the total nitrogen loss during sludge composting. Mobility of heavy metals in the sludge composting material could also be reduced by the addition of BC. Recommendations and perspectives  Bamboo charcoal could be an effective amendment for nitrogen conservation and heavy metal stabilization in sludge composts. Further research into the effect of BC-amended sludge compost material on soil properties, bioavailability of heavy metals, and nutrient turnover in soil needs to be carried out prior to the application of BC-sludge compost in agriculture.     

Common Patterns of Ecosystem Breakdown Under Stress

Ecosystems, despite their diversity, respond to stress in similar ways. The major pressures which cause the transformation of systems from healthy states to pathological states are classified into four groups: physical restructuring, overharvesting, waste residuals, and the introduction of non-native species. Signs of Ecosystem Distress Syndrome (EDS) are briefly examined in three contrasting ecosystems: desert grasslands, the Great Lakes, and the Baltic Sea. The issue is raised as to the difficulty in discerning between healthy ecosystems, recovering from a natural disturbance, and those ecosystems that have lost their original resilience due to anthropogenic stress. Knowledge of site history and a rigourous monitoring program are important in the evaluation of EDS. An assessment of how ecosystem services are affected is indicative of the consequences to the human component of ecosystems. Management strategies which are employed to mitigate the signs of EDS are usually initiated after resilience is lost or the ecosystem has transformed to an alternate, stress-induced, stable state. It is proposed that preventive strategies measure signs of EDS that serve as early warning signals, combined with "fitness tests" that measure ecosystem response to natural perturbations. The fitness test for ecosystems is based on the premise that unstressed systems are more resilient to natural disturbances than stressed systems.     

Using two classification schemes to develop vegetation indices of biological integrity for wetlands in West Virginia, USA

Bioassessment methods for wetlands, and other bodies of water, have been developed worldwide to measure and quantify changes in “biological integrity.” These assessments are based on a classification system, meant to ensure appropriate comparisons between wetland types. Using a local site-specific disturbance gradient, we built vegetation indices of biological integrity (Veg-IBIs) based on two commonly used wetland classification systems in the USA: One based on vegetative structure and the other based on a wetland’s position in a landscape and sources of water. The resulting class-specific Veg-IBIs were comprised of 1–5 metrics that varied in their sensitivity to the disturbance gradient (R ²?=?0.14???0.65). Moreover, the sensitivity to the disturbance gradient increased as metrics from each of the two classification schemes were combined (added). Using this information to monitor natural and created wetlands will help natural resource managers track changes in biological integrity of wetlands in response to anthropogenic disturbance and allows the use of vegetative communities to set ecological performance standards for mitigation banks.