Biological monitoring of aromatic diisocyanates in workers exposed to thermal degradation products of polyurethanes

Exposure to diisocyanates was assessed by biological monitoring among workers exposed to the thermal degradation products of polyurethanes (PURs) in five PUR-processing environments. The processes included grinding and welding in car repair shops, milling and turning of PUR-coated metal cylinders, injection moulding of thermoplastic PUR, welding and cutting of PUR-insulated district heating pipes during installation and joint welding, and heat-flexing of PUR floor covering. Isocyanate-derived amines in acid-hydrolysed urine samples were analysed as perfluoroacylated derivatives by gas chromatography mass spectrometry in negative chemical ionisation mode. The limits of quantification (LOQs) for the aromatic diamines 2,4- and 2,6-toluenediamine (2,4- and 2,6-TDA) and 4,4'-methylenedianiline (4,4'-MDA) were 0.25 nmol l(-1), 0.25 nmol l(-1) and 0.15 nmol l(-1), respectively. The LOQ for the aliphatic diamines hexamethylenediamine (HDA), isophoronediamine (IpDA) and 4,4'-diaminodicyclohexyl methane (4,4'-DDHM) was 5 nmol l(-1). TDA and MDA were detected in urine samples from workers in car repair shops and MDA in samples from workers welding district heating pipes. The 2,4-TDA isomer accounted for about 80% of the total TDA detected. No 2.6-TDA was found in the urine of non-exposed workers. The highest measured urinary TDA and MDA concentrations were 0.79 nmol mmol(-1) creatinine and 3.1 nmol mmol(-1) creatinine, respectively. The concentrations found among non-exposed workers were 0.08 nmol mmol(-1) creatinine for TDA and 0.05 nmol mmol(-1) creatinine for MDA (arithmetic means). Exposure to diisocyanates originating from the thermal degradation of PURs are often intermittent and of short duration. Nevertheless, exposure to aromatic diisocyanates can be identified by monitoring diisocyanate-derived amines in acid-hydrolysed urine samples.     

Large-scale diversity and biogeography of benthic copepods in European waters

A large-scale database concerning benthic copepods from the Arctic, Baltic Sea, North Sea, British Isles, Adriatic Sea and Crete was compiled to assess species richness, biodiversity, communities, ecological range size and biogeographical patterns. The Adriatic showed the highest evenness and the most species-rich communities. Assemblages from the North Sea, British Isles, Baltic and Crete had a lower evenness. The British Isles were characterised by impoverished communities. The ecological specificity of copepod species showed two diverging trends: higher specificity of species in more diverse assemblages was observed in the Adriatic, North Sea and Baltic. A uniformly high species specificity disregarding sample diversity was found on Crete and in the British Isles. Benthic copepod communities showed distinct patterns that clearly fit the predefined geographical regions. Communities were distinguishable and β-diversity was found to be high around Europe, indicating a high species turnover on the scale of this investigation. The British Isles and the North Sea were found to be faunistic links to the Baltic and the Arctic.     

Seasonal variation in the effects of food availability on gametogenesis in the purple urchin (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Strongylocentrotus purpuratus</Emphasis>)

The amount of food and when it is available affect both the timing of reproduction and the number of gametes produced by purple sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. To investigate this further, the effects of food availability on feeding rates, gonad growth, and gamete development were examined in S. purpuratus collected from the Point Loma kelp forest near San Diego, California, USA (32.69° N, 117.26° W) in September (Fall) 2007, and February (Spring) and July (Summer) 2008, using laboratory mesocosms. Each seasonal laboratory feeding experiment lasted 3 months, and different levels of food availability were established with different feeding frequencies (from 1 to 7 days week⁻¹). Gonad tissues of male and female urchins were staged at the end of each experiment using histological analyses. Reduced food availability resulted in increased daily consumption rates, especially in the Fall when gamete development began. Food limitation at this time resulted in failure to produce viable gametes, suggesting there is a critical period early in gonad development when food limitation affects reproductive competency. Food limitation later in gonad development did not stop viable gamete production, although it did reduce gamete output.     

Earthworm additions affect leachate production and nitrogen losses in typical midwestern agroecosystems

Earthworms affect soil structure and the movement of agrochemicals. Yet, there have been few field-scale studies that quantify the effect of earthworms on dissolved nitrogen fluxes in agroecosystems. We investigated the influence of semi-annual earthworm additions on leachate production and quality in different row crop agroecosystems. Chisel-till corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation (CT) and ridge-till corn-soybean-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation (RT) plots were arranged in a complete randomized block design (n = 3) with earthworm treatments (addition and ambient) as subplots where zero-tension lysimeters were placed 45 cm below ground. We assessed earthworm populations semi-annually and collected leachate biweekly over a three-year period and determined leachate volume and concentrations of total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). Abundance of deep-burrowing earthworms was increased in addition treatments over ambient and for both agroecosystems. Leachate loss was similar among agroecosystems, but earthworm additions increased leachate production in the range of 4.5 to 45.2% above ambient in CT cropping. Although leachate TIN and DON concentrations were generally similar between agroecosystems or earthworm treatments, transport of TIN was significantly increased in addition treatments over ambient in CT cropping due to increased leachate volume. Losses of total nitrogen in leachate loadings were up to approximately 10% of agroecosystem N inputs. The coincidence of (i) soluble N production and availability and (ii) preferential leaching pathways formed by deep-burrowing earthworms thereby increased N losses from the CT agroecosystem at the 45-cm depth. Processing of N compounds and transport in soil water from RT cropping were more affected by management phase and largely independent of earthworm activity.     

Environmental and Socio-economic Aspects of the Operation of Industrial Regions: The Case Study of the Industrial Area of Alexandroupolis (Greece)

The paper summarizes the results of a study concerning the operation of industrial plants and their effects to the environment. It also addresses, shortly, the consequences to the quality of human life and proposes potential measures that may contribute to the reduction of the negative environmental impacts. The relatively small organized Industrial Area of Alexandroupolis (Greece) is examined as a case study. In particular, the activities of its major industrial facilities are presented and their emissions to the environment are examined. In addition, the socio-economic aspects of the operation of the Industrial Area are studied. The results of the study showed that the operation of the Industrial Area has specific negative effects in the natural environment of the region and in the quality of life of the residents. Methodological and legislative tools, such as control systems for the environmental pollution, the green chemistry, and the environmental management systems, may be employed to assist the prevention and confrontation of environmental problems.     

PFAS profiles in three North Sea top predators: metabolic differences among species?

Profiles of seven compounds of perfluoro-alkyl substances (PFASs) were compared among three species of top predators from the Danish North Sea: the white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris), the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), and the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina). The seals had higher total burdens (757.8 ng g^?1 ww) than the dolphins (439.9 ng g^?1 ww) and the porpoises (355.8 ng g^?1 ww), probably a reflection of feeding closer to the shore and thus contamination sources. The most striking difference among the species was the relative contribution of perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA) to the profiles; the seals (0.1 %) had much lower levels than porpoises (8.3 %) and dolphins (26.0 %). In combination with the values obtained from the literature, this result indicates that Carnivora species including Pinnipedia have a much higher capacity of transforming PFOSA to perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) than cetacean species. Another notable difference among the species was that the two smaller species (seals and porpoises) with supposedly higher metabolic rates had lower concentrations of the perfluorinated carboxylic acids, which are generally more easily excreted than perfluorinated sulfonamides. Species-specific characteristics should be recognized when PFAS contamination in marine mammals is investigated, for example, several previous studies of PFASs in cetaceans have not quantified PFOSA.     

Comparison of four different methods for reliability evaluation of ecotoxicity data: a case study of non-standard test data used in environmental risk assessments of pharmaceutical substances

Part 2 presents measures at the city scale, which are distinguished into object- and area-related means. The former ones include emission reduction, energy gaining and saving, as well as the climate-improving impact of rooftop and façade greening. Area-related means refer to the reduction of radiation temperature through shading and transpiration as well as impact of urban green areas of different size on the urban climate. Furthermore the opportunities to use subsurface urban heat island as an energy-reservoir for cooling or heating are discussed.     

Climate change impacts,vulnerability and adaptive capacity of the electrical energy sector in Cyprus

The purpose of this study was to investigate the climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptive capacity of the electrical energy sector in Cyprus. Spatial vulnerability of the island was assessed using the degree-day indicator to investigate heating and cooling demands in the near future using daily temperature projections from regional climate models (RCMs). Using daily electrical energy consumption data for the present climate, an impact model linking consumption and temperature was constructed and this relationship was projected to the future climate using the data from the RCMs and assuming the same technology use. Our impact model results showed that for the period between November and April (‘cold period’), a decreasing trend in electrical energy consumption is evident due to warmer conditions in the near future, while for the period between May and October (‘warm period’), an increasing trend in electricity consumption is evident as warmer conditions dominate by 2050. Regarding the spatial vulnerability assessment, the cooling degree-day indicator testified that major increases in cooling demand, between 100 and 200 degree-days, are expected in inland and southern regions during the summer in the near future. In addition, increases of about 20–50 degree-days are anticipated during autumn. Conversely, energy demand for heating is projected to decrease during spring and winter, especially in the higher elevation parts of the island. More precisely, reductions of about 30–75 degree-days are projected during spring, while greater reductions of about 60–90 degree-days are expected during winter in heating demand, especially for in the near future. The ability of the energy sector to adapt and follow these changes was deemed to be satisfactory reducing the overall vulnerability of the sector to future climate change.