Release of particles and metals into seawater following sediment resuspension of a coastal mine tailings disposal off Portmán Bay,Southern Spain

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Portmán Bay in Southern Spain is one of the most extreme cases in Europe of anthropogenic impact on the marine ecosystem by the disposal of mine...     

Rate of pesticide volatilization from soil: an experimental approach with a wind tunnel system applied to trifluralin

Pesticide volatilization to the atmosphere may be a major pathway of dissipation closely linked with environmental, physico-chemical and technical factors. Understanding the volatilization process requires systems that make it possible to control some of these factors. Wind tunnels meet to these criteria. The volatilization flux is determined from a mass balance, using the difference in atmospheric pesticide concentration between the entrance and the exit of the tunnel and the airflow rate. An experiment was carried out in June 2000 to study the repeatability of this technique. Volatilization of trifluralin was measured in three wind tunnels for 8 days with a sampling period varying between 3 h and 2 days. Pesticide concentration was determined by trapping by XAD-2 resin in a two-stage cartridge, solvent extraction and analysis by gas chromatography. Cumulated losses through volatilization reached 30% of the measured application dose after 8 days, with a variability of less than 20% between the three tunnels. Approximately 20% remained in the topsoil (0–2 cm), with a variability of 14% between the three tunnels. The decrease in the volatilization flux over time is coherent with the expected theoretical evolution for a volatile pesticide such as trifluralin and with previous experimental works.     

Environmental fate of chlordecone in coastal habitats: recent studies conducted in Guadeloupe and Martinique (Lesser Antilles)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The organochlorine pollution by chlordecone, an insecticide spread in the past in banana plantations, is now recognized as a major ecological,...     

Comparison of percolation to batch and sequential leaching tests: Theory and data

This article constitutes a brief discussion of the article by Grathwohl and Susset (2009) on the interpretation of column and batch leaching tests. The objective of the discussion is to contribute to certain issues raised by the original article, with particular reference to data presented by Guyonnet et al. (2008) in this journal and cited by the authors.     

Effect of canopy removal on a rocky shore community metabolism and structure

The effects of the permanent removal of the canopy-forming alga Fucus serratus was studied in terms of both functioning and diversity on a mid–low rocky shore ecosystem in the south-west English Channel (48°N 43.686′, 3°W 59.282′). Ecosystem functioning was examined as net or gross primary productivity (NPP or GPP) and respiration (Resp) measured through CO₂ fluxes. Diversity was examined as number and composition of species. Measurements were performed in situ, during emersion times, without altering target assemblages. The experiment was designed with two treatments [control (C) or canopy removed (CR)] and five replicates, and was conducted over an 18-month period (from February 2006 to August 2007) to integrate the seasonal variability. The mean GPP and Resp were severely reduced in CR treatment compared to control throughout the survey. The mean NPP was not affected at first, due to the development of opportunistic green algae, but was drastically reduced after 9 months of experiment. The canopy removal affected neither the number of species nor their distribution among trophic groups, and the algal community was only slightly affected. The abundance and biomass of mobile invertebrates, however, were greatly reduced in the absence of canopy. This indicates an important effect of the dominant alga on the higher trophic levels of the community. At this tidal level, the canopy did not seem to affect the community by dampening the environmental stress but by providing food, habitat or both.     

From bioavailability to risk assessment of polluted soil using snails: link between excess transfer and inhibition of sexual maturation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - An accurate assessment of the environmental risk of soils contaminated by metal(loid)s (MEs) requires quantifying exposure and knowing the toxicity of...     

Amniopatch for iatrogenic rupture of the fetal membranes

With the increased use of invasive fetal procedures, the number of women facing post-procedure membrane rupture is increasing. Here we review the use of platelets and fresh frozen plasma for sealing iatrogenic fetal membrane defects by describing the mechanisms of action of the amniopatch procedure as well as published experience. In cases of iatrogenic preterm pre-labour rupture of the membranes, amniopatch effectively seals the fetal membranes in over two-thirds of cases. There is a risk of 16% of in utero fetal death, which may occur at varying intervals from the procedure and often for unknown reasons. Amniopatch has also been used as a treatment of chorionic membrane separation. In summary, current experience suggests that in cases of early onset but persistent amniotic fluid leakage following an invasive fetal procedure, amniopatch is an option. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of the Introduced Common Slipper Shell on the Suprabenthic Biodiversity of the Subtidal Communities in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc

Abstract: Our study compared the suprabenthic fauna collected in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc (western English Channel) in September 1995 and May 1996 at two sites colonized by Crepidula fornicata with that of one site where it was absent (site 23–0). Where Crepidula was present, no species dominated and abundance remained low. At the site without Crepidula , abundance was higher and the mysid Haplostylus lobatus dominated the suprabenthic community. Swimming activity of most suprabenthic species was increased by the presence of C. fornicata . The differential abundance and swimming activity of certain species are linked to the conversion of the formerly soft substrate to now hard, shelled substrate.