Trends in the elemental composition of fine particulate matter in Santiago, Chile, from 1998 to 2003

Santiago, Chile, is one of the most polluted cities in South America. As a response, over the past 15 yr, numerous pollution reduction programs have been implemented by the environmental authority, Comisión Nacional del Medio Ambiente. This paper assesses the effectiveness of these interventions by examining the trends of fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) and its associated elements. Daily fine particle filter samples were collected in Santiago at a downtown location from April 1998 through March 2003. Additionally, meteorological variables were measured continuously. Annual average concentrations of PM(2.5) decreased only marginally, from 41.8 microg/m3 for the 1998-1999 period to 35.4 microg/m3 for the 2002-2003 period. PM(2.5) concentrations exceeded the annual U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standard of 15 microg/m3. Also, approximately 20% of the daily samples exceeded the old standard of 65 microg/m3, whereas approximately half of the samples exceeded the new standard of 35 microg/m3 (effective in 2006). Mean PM(2.5) levels measured during the cold season (April through September) were three times higher than those measured in the warm season (October through March). Particulate mass and elemental concentration trends were investigated using regression models, controlling for year, month, weekday, wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity. The results showed significant decreases for Pb, Br, and S concentrations and minor but still significant decreases for Ni, Al, Si, Ca, and Fe. The larger decreases were associated with specific remediation policies implemented, including the removal of lead from gasoline, the reduction of sulfur levels in diesel fuel, and the introduction of natural gas. These results suggest that the pollution reduction programs, especially the ones related to transport, have been effective in reducing various important components of PM(2.5). However, particle mass and other associated element levels remain high, and it is thus imperative to continue the efforts to improve air quality, particularly focusing on industrial sources.     

Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and tributyltin (TBT) in Barcelona harbour sediments and their impact on benthic communities

Sediments have long been recognised as a sink for many contaminants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and tributyltin (TBT), which by virtue of their nature can strongly adsorb onto sediments affecting the benthic community inhabiting them. Using geographical information systems, this study reports and combines the results of several already existing studies along Barcelona harbour in order to assess the potential ecological impacts of these contaminants on the benthos of the harbour ecosystem. Chemical analysis indicated low to moderate contents of PAHs and high contents of TBT in sediments in Barcelona harbour. Comparison against existing sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) indicated that acutely toxic effects would not be expected for PAHs but for TBT, which represents a serious environmental threat for the benthic community. Benthos surveys revealed a deterioration of the benthic community throughout the harbour, especially in the inner port.     

Exploring the relationship between nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone by applying the joint multifractal analysis

The main goal of this study is to determine the present heavy metal pollution state in the two gulfs of the Aegean Sea; Saros and Gökova Gulfs. The surface sediments were collected from 11 and eight locations in the Saros and Gökova during May 2001, respectively. The results showed that the sediments of Saros and Gökova gulfs were polluted with Pb, Cr, Zn, Mn, and Ni and Pb, Cr, Ni, and Mn, respectively. For various metals the contamination factor (CF) has been calculated to assess the degree of pollution in sediments. The sediments were noted to be not contaminated with Hg, Cd, and Cu in all areas. Moderate contaminations were observed for Pb, Cr, and Zn in Saros Gulf. The CF was moderate and very high for Ni in the Saros and the Gökova Gulf, respectively.     

Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of Guaribas river water (Piauí, Brazil), influenced by anthropogenic action

In general, tropical rivers have a great impact on human activities. Bioaccumulation of toxins is a worldwide problem nowadays and has been, historically, overlooked by the supervisory authorities. This study evaluated cytogenotoxic effects of Guaribas river (a Brazilian river) water during dry and rainy seasons of 2014 by using the Allium cepa test system. The toxicogenetic variables, including root growth, mitotic index, and chromosomal aberrations, were analyzed in meristematic cells of A. cepa exposed to water samples taken from the up-, within, and downstream of the city Picos (state: Piauí). The physical-chemical parameters were also analyzed to explain water quality and possible anthropogenic action. Additionally, the presence of heavy metals was also analyzed to explain water quality and possible damaging effects on eukaryotic cells. The results suggest that the river water exerted cytotoxic, mutagenic, and genotoxic effects, regardless of the seasons. In addition, Guaribas river presented physico-chemical values outside the Brazilian laws, which can be a characteristic of human pollution (domestic sewage, industrial, and local agriculture). The genetic damage was positively correlated with higher levels of heavy metals. The pollution of the Guaribas river water may link to the chemical contamination, including the action of heavy metals and their impacts on genetic instability in the aquatic ecosystem. In conclusion, necessary steps should be taken into account for further toxicogenetic studies of the Guaribas river water, as it has an influence in human health of the same region of Brazil.     

Fog as a Fresh-Water Resource: Overview and Perspectives

The collection of fog water is a simple and sustainable technology to obtain fresh water for afforestation, gardening, and as a drinking water source for human and animal consumption. In regions where fresh water is sparse and fog frequently occurs, it is feasible to set up a passive mesh system for fog water collection. The mesh is directly exposed to the atmosphere, and the foggy air is pushed through the mesh by the wind. Fog droplets are deposited on the mesh, combine to form larger droplets, and run down passing into a storage tank. Fog water collection rates vary dramatically from site to site but yearly averages from 3 to 10 l m⁻² of mesh per day are typical of operational projects. The scope of this article is to review fog collection projects worldwide, to analyze factors of success, and to evaluate the prospects of this technology.     

Determination of lindane leachability in soil-biosolid systems and its bioavailability in wheat plants

The leachability of lindane from different biosolid amended soils was determined and compared to its bioavailability. Sand, soil, and a mixture of soil-sand (1:1 w/w) were spiked with lindane, blended with different amounts of biosolids, and subjected to a leaching process with water that lasted for 1-28 d. This procedure is in accordance with ISO/TS 21268-1: 2007. After these batch tests, lindane was extracted from the leachates using three different solvent-free microextraction techniques, including solid phase microextraction (SPME), stir-bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), and silicone rod extraction (SRE). The amount of lindane was determined with thermal desorption and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The efficiencies of the three microextraction techniques were statistically different, and the efficiency could be related to the amount of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in each extraction device. However, all of the techniques provide data that shows that the leachability of lindane is dependent on the amount of organic matter contained in the matrix.The results of the lindane leachability assay were compared to the bioavailability of lindane, which was determined by measuring the amount of lindane that accumulated in the roots of wheat plants grown in similar soil-biosolid systems.It was confirmed that the amount of organic matter in the matrix is a determining factor for lindane immobilization. The presence of biosolids decreases the mobility of lindane in all of the systems under study. Similarly, increasing biosolid concentrations in the soil significantly decreased the bioavailability of lindane and, consequently, plant absorption.The good correlation (R² = 0.997) between the leachability of lindane from the matrix and plant absorption of lindane indicates that the proposed biomimetic methodology can predict the bioavailability of lindane in a time period as short as 7 d.The results of this work confirm that amending contaminated soils with biosolids is beneficial for immobilizing lindane and helps prevent the percolation of lindane through the soil profile and into groundwater.     

Occurrence of multiclass UV filters in treated sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants

Many substances related to human activities end up in wastewater and accumulate in sewage sludge. So far, there is only one extensive survey on the occurrence of UV filter residues in sewage sludge. However, more data are required to draw a reliable picture of the fate and effects of these compounds in the environment. This study attempts to fill this gap through the determination of selected UV filters and derivatives namely 4-methylbenzylidenecamphor, benzophenone-3, octocrylene, ethylhexylmethoxycinnamate, ethylhexyldimethyl PABA, 4-hydroxybenzophenone, 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone, and 4,4′-dihydroxybenzophenone in treated sewage sludge.The target compounds were extracted using pressurized liquid extraction and after this, determined by ultra high resolution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The determination was fast and sensitive, affording limits of detection lower than 19 ng g⁻¹ dry weight (dw) except for 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone (60 ng g⁻¹ dw). Good recovery rates, especially given the high complexity of sludge matrix (between 70% and 102% except for 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone (30%)) were achieved.The application of developed method allowed reporting for the first time the occurrence of two major degradation products of benzophenone-3 that have estrogenic activity in sewage sludge: 4,4′-dihydroxybenzophenone (in 5/15 WWTPs) and 4-hydroxybenzophenone (in 1/15 WWTPs). Results revealed the presence of UV filters in 15 wastewater treatment plants in Catalonia (Spain) at concentrations ranging from 0.04 to 9.17 μg g⁻¹ dw.     

Good deposits are not enough: Mining labor productivity analysis in the copper industry in Chile and Peru 1992–2009

Chile and Peru produce almost 45% of world’s mine copper output. This situation reflects their natural endowment and mining tradition, but is also the result of development processes undertaken over the last decades. As a result, both countries multiplied its mine copper production in more than 3 times in the last 20 years. Mining labor productivity played a central role achieving these amazing growth rates. Although there is a consensus about the relevance of this variable for the mining industry, the specific factors behind labor productivity changes are not completely understood.     

The Organizational and Operational Boundaries of Triple Bottom Line Reporting: A Survey

This article responds to Gray’s (2002) call for normative research on social and environmental accounting (SEA) and Parker’s (2005) call for active engagement in the process of designing SEA systems. More specifically, our investigation focuses on the study of boundary setting for triple bottom line (TBL) reporting, an issue that has been given more attention by practitioners than by researchers. The study reviews the consequences of boundary setting for the discharge of organizational accountability, from which it develops a framework to investigate TBL reporting boundaries and then reports on an empirical survey of best practice. It concludes that organizations are strategically setting and disclosing their boundaries instead of discharging their accountability and argues that such strategies have far-reaching consequences, because reporting boundaries are not only reflective of organizations but also have a constitutive role in their definition. A further consequence is that it calls into question the use of voluntary labeling, such as “in accordance” with Global Reporting Initiative; one implication being that further research into technical developments in TBL reporting could contribute to the discharge of organizational accountability.     

Effect of biosolid incorporation on arsenic distribution in Mollisol soils in central Chile

The effect of biosolid incorporation on arsenic distribution in Mollisol soils in central Chile was studied. Two soils were sequentially extracted for arsenic with a five-step method that accounts for the following arsenic forms: non-specifically adsorbed (F1), specifically adsorbed (F2), amorphous and poorly crystallized Fe and Al oxides (F3), well-crystallized Fe and Al oxides (F4) and residual (F5). The arsenic residual fraction was predominant in Pintué soil, whereas in Graneros soil, arsenic was mostly associated to amorphous Fe and Al oxides. Graneros soil exhibited a higher As(V) adsorbing capacity than Pintué soil, which relates to the higher clay and iron and aluminum oxides contents, confirming that these components participation is essential for the adsorption of this metalloid. Biosolid application at a rate of 100Mg ha(-1) caused an increase in arsenic bound to amorphous Fe and Al oxides and in the residual fraction, in Pintué soil. When Pintué soil was spiked with arsenic, aged for two months, and treated with biosolid (100Mg ha(-1)), the content of arsenic in the most labile fractions decreased, thus showing a favorable effect in its application to soils with few specific sites for arsenic adsorption. Arsenic speciation was carried out in the first two fractions of the sequential extraction procedure. As(V) was the main form in both fractions. Biosolid incorporation at a rate of 100Mg ha(-1) caused a significant increase in organic arsenic forms.