Chiral signature of venlafaxine as a marker of biological attenuation processes

The chiral signature of the antidepressant venlafaxine was used in this study to gain insight into biological attenuation processes and to differentiate abiotic and biotic transformation processes in water. Laboratory scale experiments revealed that sorption and phototransformation processes were not enantioselective while venlafaxine was enantioselectively biotransformed into O-desmethylvenlafaxine. The enantiomeric fraction (EF) variations of venlafaxine appeared to be proportional to its microbial fractional conversion. Enantioselective biotransformation of venlafaxine was also investigated in a eutrophic French river. Venlafaxine was found to be racemic at the output of the main wastewater treatment plant discharging into the river, independently of the sampling date during the year. An analysis of EF variations might provide evidence of biodegradation along a 30 km river stretch.     

Arsenic in marine sediments from French Mediterranean ports: Geochemical partitioning,bioavailability and ecotoxicology

This work investigates arsenic mobility, bioavailability and toxicity in marine port sediments using chemical sequential extraction and laboratory toxicity tests. Sediment samples were collected from two different Mediterranean ports, one highly polluted with arsenic and other inorganic and organic pollutants (Estaque port (EST)), and the other one, less polluted, with a low arsenic content (Saint Mandrier port (SM)). Arsenic distribution in the solid phase was studied using a sequential extraction procedure specifically developed for appraising arsenic mobility in sediments. Toxicity assessment was performed on sediment elutriates, solid phases and aqueous arsenic species as single substance using the embryo-toxicity test on oyster larvae (Crassostrea gigas) and the Microtox test with Vibrio fischeri. Toxicity results showed that all sediment samples presented acute and sub-chronic toxic effects on oyster larvae and bacteria, respectively. The Microtox solid phase test allow to discriminate As-contaminated samples from the less contaminated ones, suggesting that toxicity of whole sediment samples is related to arsenic content. Toxicity of dissolved arsenic species as single substance showed that Vibrio fischeri and oyster larvae are most sensitive to As(V) than As(III). The distribution coefficient (Kd) of arsenic in sediment samples was estimated using results obtained in chemical sequential extractions. The Kd value is greater in SM (450 L kg^?1) than in EST (55 L kg^?1), indicating that arsenic availability is higher for the most toxic sediment sample (Estaque port). This study demonstrates that arsenic speciation play an important role on arsenic mobility and its bioavailability in marine port sediments.     

Distribution of steroid- and dioxin-like activities between sediments, POCIS and SPMD in a French river subject to mixed pressures

The contamination of aquatic systems by endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is now a widely established fact. Nevertheless, there is still a scarcity of knowledge concerning the source, transport, fate and bioavailability of such active compounds. In the present study we assessed the distribution of estrogenic, (anti-)androgenic, pregnane X receptor-like (PXR) and dioxin-like activities between sediment and water compartments using a polar organic compound integrative sampler (POCIS) and a semi-permeable membrane device (SPMD) passive sampler in a river where sediment has been previously described as highly and multi-contaminated. We first confirmed the contamination pattern of this river sediment between 2004, 2009 and 2010 samples, suggesting that this river is subject to a constant high contamination level. However, we showed a different distribution pattern of these activities between compartments: estrogenic activity was mainly detected in POCIS extracts and to a lesser extent in sediment and SPMD extracts; anti-androgenic activities were mainly detected in SPMD and sediment extracts while no activity was detected in POCIS extracts; PXR-like activity was detected in all three investigated compartments, with POCIS > SPMD > sediment; dioxin-like activity was mainly found in the sediment and the SPMD extracts. Overall, partitioning of the biological activities was in accordance with physicochemical properties (e.g., log K _ow) of typical known active chemicals in each bioassay. Furthermore, in order to establish whether the chemicals involved in these activities were similar between the compartments, we fractionated sediment, POCIS and SPMD extracts using a multi-step fractionation procedure. This highlighted differences in the nature of active chemicals between compartments. Altogether, our results support the need to consider different compartments in order to enhance exposure assessment.     

Mortality due to haematological cancer in cities close to petroleum refineries in Spain

Controversy exists as to whether working or living in the vicinity of a petroleum refinery (RF) increases the risk of haematological cancer (HC). The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register obliges petroleum refineries to notify their emissions of toxic substances which include carcinogenic substances. Our objective is to determine if living in the proximity of an RF is associated with a greater risk of mortality due to HC in the census tracts (CTs) of the Spanish cities of Bilbao, Cartagena, Castellón, La Coruña, Huelva, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This is an ecological study of mortality in the years 1996–2007 which includes 968 CTs with 1,263,371 inhabitants. Exposure has been measured as the distance from the centroid of each CT to the RF. The Besag–York–Mollié autoregressive spatial model has been fitted by R-INLA to estimate the relative risk (RR) and 95 % credible intervals (95 % CrI) for distance in quintiles. The most distant quintile has been taken as the reference. A total of 2,574 persons died of HC. The distances from the CTs to RFs ranged from 0.5 to 22.5 km (median?=?7.6 km). All of the RRs for the quintiles of distances in Huelva were greater than 1. Statistically significant excess risk was shown in Cartagena in the nearest CT (1.8 to 6.8 km; RR?=?1.43, 95 % CrI 1.02 to 2.02). Radial effects have not been detected between the CT of residence and the petroleum RF in mortality due to HC in any of the cities.     

Bioaerosol sampling by a personal rotating cup sampler CIP 10-M

High concentrations of bioaerosols containing bacterial, fungal and biotoxinic matter are encountered in many workplaces, e.g. solid waste treatment plants, waste water treatment plants and sewage networks. A personal bioaerosol sampler, the CIP 10-M (M-microbiologic), has been developed to measure worker exposure to airborne biological agents. This sampler is battery operated; it is light and easy to wear and offers full work shift autonomy. It can sample much higher concentrations than biological impactors and limits the mechanical stress on the microorganisms. Biological particles are collected in 2 ml of liquid medium inside a rotating cup fitted with radial vanes to maintain an air flow rate of 10 l min(-1) at a rotational speed of approximately 7,000 rpm. The rotating cup is made of sterilisable material. The sampled particles follow a helicoidal trajectory as they are pushed to the surface of the liquid by centrifugal force, which creates a thin vertical liquid layer. Sterile water or another collecting liquid can be used. Three particle size selectors allow health-related aerosol fractions to be sampled according to international conventions. The sampled microbiological particles can be easily recovered for counting, incubation or further biochemical analysis, e.g., for airborne endotoxins. Its physical sampling efficiency was laboratory tested and field trials were carried out in industrial waste management conditions. The results indicate satisfactory collection efficiency, whilst experimental application has demonstrated the usefulness of the CIP 10-M personal sampler for individual bioaerosol exposure monitoring.     

主动为环境监督管理服务

分析了一些县级监测站存在的只注重监测数据,缺乏主动为环境管理服务的思想,介绍了海门市则站主动为环境管理及时提供的监测数据,促进了环境监督管理。     

Vegetation succession and impacts of biointrusion on covers used to limit acid mine drainage

A cover with capillary barrier effects (CCBE) was constructed in 1998 on the abandoned Lorraine mine tailings impoundment to limit the generation of acid mine drainage. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Fauna of Quebec (MRNF) is responsible for the site and for all restoration works on it, including CCBE construction. The CCBE is made up of three layers: a 0.3-m layer of sand used as a support and capillary break layer; a moisture-retaining layer with a thickness of 0.5 m (this layer is constructed of a nonplastic silt); and a 0.3-m sand and gravel layer on top. The main objective of the CCBE is to maintain one (or more) of the layers at a high degree of water saturation to impede oxygen migration and acid generation. Vegetation succession on the Lorraine CCBE results in an improvement in soil conditions, leading to the installation of deep-rooted species, which could represent a risk to CCBE long-term performance. Hence, the characterization of vegetation succession is an important aspect of the monitoring strategy for the Lorraine CCBE. Species occurrence was documented, and depth of tree roots was measured by excavation on a regular basis. Eight functional groups of plants were identified; herbaceous plants were the most abundant ecological plant groups. Tree ring counts confirmed that tree colonization started the year of CCBE construction (1999). Of the 11 tree species identified, the most abundant were poplar (Populus spp.), paper birch (Betula payrifera Marsh.), black spruce (Picea mariana Mill.), and willow (Salix spp.). Significant differences in occurrence related to environmental conditions were observed for most functional groups. Root excavation showed that tree roots exceeded the depth of the protective layer and started to reach the moisture-retaining layer; in 2008, root average depth was 0.4 m and the maximal root depth was 1.7 m.     

Feeding behavior of adult <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vinciguerria nimbaria</Emphasis> (Phosichthyidae), in the tropical Atlantic (0°–4°N, 15°W)

Adult Vinciguerria nimbaria are the main prey of tuna during the tuna fishing season (late autumn and winter) in the equatorial Atlantic (0–4°N, and ~15°W). V. nimbaria trophic behavior in the fishing grounds was studied in relation to hydrobiological factors to determine its role in the trophic food web. Sampling stations spaced by 20 nautical miles were set up along a 15°W north–south transect from 4°N to 0°40S. At each station, the temperature and vertical fluorescence profiles were recorded. Nitrate and chlorophyll a analyses were performed on water sampled at different levels in the euphotic zone. Vertical plankton hauls were carried out at depths of 0–100 and 0–200 m using a standard WP2 net fitted with a 200-μm mesh gauze. Vinciguerria nimbaria adults were collected using a young-fish mid-water trawl net (10 × 15 m opening mouth, 10 mm cod end mesh). The weight of the stomach contents, the stomach fullness index, the number of prey, the frequency of occurrence and the prey preponderance were recorded for 20 fish from each haul. An oligotrophic typical tropical structure (TTS) was found between 1° and 4°N where small zooplankton was relatively abundant above or near the thermocline. In the TTS, V. nimbaria behaved as an epipelagic fish, feeding on the dominant small prey during the daytime. In turn, it was a prey for tuna. In the equatorial zone, where zooplankton was more abundant than in the north equatorial zone, V. nimbaria behaved as a mesopelagic fish and as an opportunistic mesozooplankton feeder. It consumed a wide range of sizes of food, feeding on the most abundant species of zooplankton as well as the largest zooplankton species, possibly while migrating towards the surface in the late afternoon or in the deep layer.