Public Reaction to Air Pollution in Nashville,Tennessee

Extensive air pollution studies have been completed in Nashville. One part of the study involved collection of opinions from nearly 8000 people. Opinions were solicited relative to awareness and concern about possible adverse effects of air pollution on health, property, materials, and aesthetics. Responses of the interviewed people are related to several types of pollutant measurements. The results indicate widespread concern about air pollution, and the degree of concern is, in general, closely related to the degree of air contamination experienced by interviewed people. Methodology is discussed, data are analyzed statistically, and conclusions are presented.     

Effects of mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) on chicken germ cells cultured in vitro

In recent decades, many toxicological tests based on in vivo or in vitro models, mainly from mammalian (rat–mouse) and fish species, were used to assess the risks raised by contact or ingestion of molecules of pharmaceutical, agricultural, or natural origin. But no, or few, in vitro tests using other non-mammalian models such as bird have been explored despite their advantages: the embryonic gonads of birds have a high plasticity of development sensitive to estrogen, and sperm production is nearly two times faster than in rodents. Hence, we have established an in vitro culture of germ cells and somatic cells from chicken post-natal testis, and we have evaluated the sensitivity against the endocrine disruptor compound mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) in comparison to previous studies using rodent and human models. After 96 h of exposure in presence of 10 μM MEHP, chicken seminiferous tubules cultures present a structural alteration, a reduction in cell proliferation and in germ cells population. Apoptosis of germ and somatic cells increases in presence of 1 μM MEHP. Furthermore, MEHP does not affect inhibin B and lactate production by Sertoli cells. These results are in accordance with previous studies using rat, mice, or human culture of testicular cells and in similar range of exposures or even better sensitivity for some “end-points” (biological parameters). In conclusion, the establishment of this postnatal testicular cells culture could be considered as an alternative method to in vivo experiments frequently used for evaluating the impact on the terrestrial wildlife species. This method could be also complementary to mammal model due to the limiting number of animals used and its elevated sensitivity.     

Stream water chemistry in the arsenic-contaminated Baccu Locci mine watershed (Sardinia, Italy) after remediation

The abandoned Pb–As Baccu Locci mine represents the first and only case of mine site remediation in Sardinia, Italy. Arsenic is the most relevant environmental concern in the Baccu Locci stream watershed, with concentrations in surface waters up to and sometimes over 1 mg/L. The main remediation action consisted in creation of a “storage site”, for the collection of contaminated materials from different waste-rock dumps and most of tailings piles occurring along the Baccu Locci stream. This paper reports preliminary results on the level of contamination in the Baccu Locci stream after the completion of remediation measures. Post-remediation stream water chemistry has not substantially changed compared to the pre-remediation situation. In particular, dissolved As maintains an increasing trend along the Baccu Locci stream, with a concentration of about 400 μg/L measured at a distance of 7 km from the storage site. Future monitoring will provide fundamental information on the effectiveness of remediation actions conducted and their applicability to other mine sites in Sardinia. At the stage of mine site characterisation of future remediation plans, it is recommended to pay more attention to the understanding of mineralogical and geochemical processes responsible for pollution. Moreover, mixing of materials with different composition and reactivity in a storage site should require careful consideration and long-term leaching tests.     

Multilingual education of students on a global scale and perspective—international networking on the example of bioindication and biomonitoring (B&B technologies)

Living or formerly living organisms are being used to obtain information on the quality of the general health status of our environment by bioindication and biomonitoring methods for many decades. Thus, different roads toward this common scientific goal were developed by a lot of different international research groups. Global cooperation in between various scientific teams throughout the world has produced common ideas, scientific definitions, and highly innovative results of this extremely attractive working field. The transdisciplinary approach of different and multifaceted scientific areas—starting from biology, analytical chemistry, via health physics, up to social and economic issues—have surpassed mental barriers of individual scientists, so that “production” of straightforward common results related to the influence of material and immaterial environmental factors to the well-being of organisms and human life has now reached the forefront of international thinking. For the further sustainable development of our common scientific “hobby” of bioindication and biomonitoring, highest personal energy has to be given by us, being teachers to our students and to convince strategically decision makers as politicians to invest (financially) into the development of education and research of this innovative technique. Young people have to be intensively convinced on the “meaning” of our scientific doing, e.g., by extended forms of education. One example of multilingual education of students on a global scale and perspective is given here, which we started about 3 years ago.     

Assessment of heavy metal and organic contaminants levels along the Libyan coast using transplanted mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis)

Within the framework of the MYTIOR project in 2009, heavy metals and organic compounds contaminations were assessed in transplanted mussels in 16 different stations along the coasts of Libya. These stations were located at miles offshore industrial/urban sources but in open sea providing original results related to the background contamination rather than linked to a specific coastal source of pollutants. Results indicated mercury (Hg, 0.045–0.066 mg/kg dry weight (dw)), lead (Pb, 0.44–0, 71 mg/kg dw) and copper (Cu, 3.56–4.21 mg/kg dw) were in the same range or at lower value than control for all stations. Chromium (Cr) in Meleta (3.08 mg/kg dw) and Bomba (3.80 mg/kg dw) and Cadmium values in all stations (1.21–2.41 mg/kg dw) were above control. Meleta, stations from the gulf of Syrt and the three eastern stations were the most affected stations by nickel (max at 5.83 mg/kg dw in Syrt) when zinc was in the same range (141–197 mg/kg dw) and above the control (92 mg/kg dw) at all stations. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) levels were found in the range of 16.8–42.8 mg/kg (dry weight) indicating low levels along the Libyan coast with acenaphthene and benzo (a, b, k) pyrenes detected mainly in western Libya. The study of PAH ratios indicated a mixed petrogenic/pyrolytic origin. The only polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in Libya were PCB 101 in one location and PCB 153 in Tripoli, Garrapoli, Syrt, Ras Lanuf and Benghazi (1.2–1.9 μg/kg dw). Insecticides were lower than control in all stations except DDT, only detected in Misratah (3.5 μg/kg dw). Overall, the results indicated a low background contamination and a low pollution extent according to the environmental pressure occurring offshore the Libyan coast.     

Microbiological risk infection assessment using QMRA in agriculture systems in Côte d’Ivoire,West Africa

Poor wastewater management that results from a lack of appropriate sanitation infrastructure contributes to increasing health risks in urban areas in Côte d’Ivoire. We assessed the health risks associated with the use of wastewater for watering salad destined for human consumption, to help local authorities in developing appropriate risk mitigation measures for Yamoussoukro, the political capital of Côte d’Ivoire. We applied a stochastic approach based on quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA), focusing on wastewater for farming activities and salad consumption at the household level. Farming activities rely on a large degree on contaminated water and are conducted without any protection. The QMRA highlights that the poor quality of watering water increased the microbiological risk of the two assessed groups of urban farmers and individual households. The annual risk of infection due to watering wastewater in the city is estimated at 0.01 per person per year (pppy) for Giardia lamblia and 0.2 pppy for Escherichia coli O157:H7. The annual risk from salad consumption is 0.01 pppy for G. lamblia and 0.9 pppy for E. coli O157:H7. Both the annual risks from farming activities and salad consumption were higher than the tolerable standard of risk of 10^?4 pppy as defined by the World Health Organization. There is a need to conduct a risk analysis and a cost-effectiveness study on intervention to improve public health and the livelihoods of the producers which are women in majority in Yamoussoukro.     

Monitoring pollution in Tunisian coasts using a scale of classification based on biochemical markers in worms Nereis (Hediste) diversicolor

This paper aims to assess the marine environment quality along the Tunisian coasts using a statistical approach based on biomarkers response in the polychaete worms Nereis (Hediste) diversicolor. Worms were collected from six sites: Bizerta Lagoon, Gargour, Nakta, Mahres, Skhira and from Teboulba considered as a reference site. The biomarkers selected in this work were (1) the activities of cytochrome P450-dependent NADPH cytochrome c reductase (NADPH red) as phase I enzyme, (2) glutathione S-transferase as phase II enzyme and (3) the acetylcholinesterase activity as neurotoxicity marker. Oxidative stress was evaluated using catalase activity and malondialdehyde accumulation. For each biomarker, a discriminatory factor was calculated and a response index was allocated. For each site, a multi-marker pollution index was calculated as the sum of the response index of each of the five more discriminating biomarkers. The results show differences between sites compared with the reference samples. The multi-marker approach confirms that worms from Bizerta and Mahress have been submitted to highly polluted environment. Mahress shows the highest multi-marker pollution index, indicating a highly contamination status.     

Effect of citric acid and EDTA on chromium and nickel uptake and translocation by Datura innoxia

EDTA and citric acid were tested to solubilize metals and enhance their uptake by Datura innoxia, chosen because of its ability to accumulate and tolerate metals. Two application modes were used on an industrial soil contaminated mainly by Cr and Ni. The results showed that citric acid was the most effective at increasing the uptake of Cr and EDTA for Ni. These results are consistent with the effectiveness of both chelants in solubilizing metals from the soil. The translocation factor (TF) of Ni was 1.6- and 6.7-fold higher than the control, respectively, for one and two applications of 1mmolkg(-1) EDTA. After two applications of 5 and 10mmolkg(-1) citric acid, the TF of Cr increased 2- and 3.5-fold relative to the control. Whatever the concentration, the application of EDTA modified the plant physiology significantly. For citric acid this was only observed with the highest dose (10mmolkg(-1)).     

Sub-tropical urban environment affecting content and composition of non-structural carbohydrates of Lolium multiflorum ssp. italicum cv. Lema

This study analyzed the relationship between environmental factors, especially air pollution and climatic conditions, and non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) in plants of Lolium multiflorum exposed during 10 consecutive periods of 28 days at a polluted site (Congonhas) and at a reference site in São Paulo city (Brazil). After exposure, NSC composition and leaf concentrations of Al, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd were measured. The seasonal pattern of NSC accumulation was quite similar in both sites, but plants at Congonhas showed higher concentrations of these compounds, especially fructans of low and medium degree of polymerization. Regression analysis showed that NSC in plants growing at the polluted site were explained by variations on temperature and leaf concentration of Fe (positive effect), as well as relative humidity and particulate material (negative effect). NSC in the standardized grass culture, in addition to heavy metal accumulation, may indicate stressing conditions in a sub-tropical polluted environment.