Arsenic uptake in orchard trees: implications for dendroanalysis

The distribution of arsenic in the stems of fruit trees grown in soils exposed to arsenical pesticides has been studied using neutron activation analysis. The results show arsenic to be confined mainly to heartwood near the pith and active xylem tissue in the most recent annual growth rings. These results suggest that dendroanalysis for arsenic in fruit trees will not yield a reliable chronology of arsenic exposure.     

Soil organic matter mobilization by root exudates

In order to study the different soil organic matter mobilisation by agrarian (Zea mais: cultivars Paolo and Sandek) and forest (Picea abies Karst. and Pinus sylvestris L.) root exudates, three different soils (Dystric Spodic Cambisol--S1, Haplic Luvisol--S2 and Calcaric Cambisol--S3) have been considered. Treating the soils with water (control) or plant root exudates, soil organic matter extracts were obtained. The extracts were characterised by hormone-like activities and gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) measurements. Water extract and plant root exudates exhibited no hormone-like activity, while the other soil-extracts were endowed with a different hormone-like behaviour. GC/MS data indicated that in the acid soils (S1) Sandek and Picea abies exudates showed a greater ability in extracting organic acid isomers (Cl4COOH, Cl5COOH and Cl7COOH), while in neutral soils (S3) all the exudates were active in separating organic acids. In intermediate conditions (S2), Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris exudates liberated C15COOH isomers, Paolo C11COOH isomers, while Sandek was not effective. The different role of plant root exudates in mobilising bio-molecules from the bulk of the soil is proposed.     

The photocatalytic disinfection of urban waste waters

In this paper we present the results of the photocatalytic disinfection of urban waste water. Two microbial groups, total coliforms and Streptococcus faecalis, have been used as indexes to test disinfection efficiencies. Different experimental parameters have been checked, such as the effect of TiO2, solar or UV-lamp light and pH. Disinfection of water samples has been achieved employing both UV-lamp and solar light in agreement with data shown by other authors. The higher disinfection rates obtained employing an UV-lamp may be explained by the stronger incident light intensity. Nevertheless no consistent differences have been found between TiO2-photocatalysis and direct solar or UV-lamp light irradiation at natural sample pH (7.8). At pH 5 the presence of TiO2 increases the relative inactivation rate compared with the absence of the catalyst. After the photocatalytic bacterial inactivation, the later bacterial reappearance was checked for total coliforms at natural pH and pH 5, with and without TiO2. Two h after the photocatalytic treatment, CFU increment was almost nill. But 24 and 48 h later an important bacterial CFU increment was observed. This CFU increment is slower after irradiation with TiO2 at pH 5 in non-air-purged samples.     

Monitoring, modelling and environmental exposure assessment of industrial chemicals in the aquatic environment

Monitoring and laboratory data play integral roles alongside fate and exposure models in comprehensive risk assessments. The principle in the European Union Technical Guidance Documents for risk assessment is that measured data may take precedence over model results but only after they are judged to be of adequate reliability and to be representative of the particular environmental compartments to which they are applied. In practice, laboratory and field data are used to provide parameters for the models, while monitoring data are used to validate the models' predictions. Thus, comprehensive risk assessments require the integration of laboratory and monitoring data with the model predictions. However, this interplay is often overlooked. Discrepancies between the results of models and monitoring should be investigated in terms of the representativeness of both. Certainly, in the context of the EU risk assessment of existing chemicals, the specific requirements for monitoring data have not been adequately addressed. The resources required for environmental monitoring, both in terms of manpower and equipment, can be very significant. The design of monitoring programmes to optimise the use of resources and the use of models as a cost-effective alternative are increasing in importance. Generic considerations and criteria for the design of new monitoring programmes to generate representative quality data for the aquatic compartment are outlined and the criteria for the use of existing data are discussed. In particular, there is a need to improve the accessibility to data sets, to standardise the data sets, to promote communication and harmonisation of programmes and to incorporate the flexibility to change monitoring protocols to amend the chemicals under investigation in line with changing needs and priorities.     

Modeling traffic-related air pollution in street canyons of Beijing

It is important to develop a general model to accurately simulate the air pollution in urban street areas. In this paper, the Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM) initially developed in Denmark is tested with measured data from a relatively wide and open street in Beijing. Major factors influencing the dispersion, such as emission factors, stationary source emissions, and solar radiation, are analyzed. Results show that the model can reflect the basic dispersion pattern in the street but gives systematically higher concentrations. After modifications to estimate street-level wind speed in the model, performance is obviously improved.     

A life-cycle comparison of alternative automobile fuels

We examine the life cycles of gasoline, diesel, compressed natural gas (CNG), and ethanol (C2H5OH)-fueled internal combustion engine (ICE) automobiles. Port and direct injection and spark and compression ignition engines are examined. We investigate diesel fuel from both petroleum and biosources as well as C2H5OH from corn, herbaceous bio-mass, and woody biomass. The baseline vehicle is a gasoline-fueled 1998 Ford Taurus. We optimize the other fuel/powertrain combinations for each specific fuel as a part of making the vehicles comparable to the baseline in terms of range, emissions level, and vehicle lifetime. Life-cycle calculations are done using the economic input-output life-cycle analysis (EIO-LCA) software; fuel cycles and vehicle end-of-life stages are based on published model results. We find that recent advances in gasoline vehicles, the low petroleum price, and the extensive gasoline infrastructure make it difficult for any alternative fuel to become commercially viable. The most attractive alternative fuel is compressed natural gas because it is less expensive than gasoline, has lower regulated pollutant and toxics emissions, produces less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and is available in North America in large quantities. However, the bulk and weight of gas storage cylinders required for the vehicle to attain a range comparable to that of gasoline vehicles necessitates a redesign of the engine and chassis. Additional natural gas transportation and distribution infrastructure is required for large-scale use of natural gas for transportation. Diesel engines are extremely attractive in terms of energy efficiency, but expert judgment is divided on whether these engines will be able to meet strict emissions standards, even with reformulated fuel. The attractiveness of direct injection engines depends on their being able to meet strict emissions standards without losing their greater efficiency. Biofuels offer lower GHG emissions, are sustainable, and reduce the demand for imported fuels. Fuels from food sources, such as biodiesel from soybeans and C2H5OH from corn, can be attractive only if the co-products are in high demand and if the fuel production does not diminish the food supply. C2H5OH from herbaceous or woody biomass could replace the gasoline burned in the light-duty fleet while supplying electricity as a co-product. While it costs more than gasoline, bioethanol would be attractive if the price of gasoline doubled, if significant reductions in GHG emissions were required, or if fuel economy regulations for gasoline vehicles were tightened.     

Acid rain and acidification in China: the importance of base cation deposition

Acid deposition has been recognized as a serious environmental problem in China. Most acid deposition studies have focused on sulfur deposition and the pH of precipitation. However, as high concentration of alkaline dust is an important feature of the atmosphere in large parts of China, base cation deposition must be taken into account when discussing possible effects on soils and vegetation from acid deposition. We estimate the deposition of sulfur as well as calcium, i.e. the dominating anion and cation, on a regional scale in China using data both from measurements and modeling. The ratio of sulfur/calcium in deposition is then used as an indicator for identifying areas where deposition acidity exceeds alkalinity, and where soils may be at risk to acidification. The dynamic soil acidification model MAGIC is applied with data from two sites receiving high deposition loads in southwest China. The model predictions indicate that considerable soil acidification has been going on for the last decades due to acid deposition inputs. Effects on the spatial distribution of acidic deposition in China, using different future deposition scenarios, are illustrated. As the size of the anthropogenic fraction of the base cation deposition is unknown, different possible future trends in calcium deposition were used. Soil response, according to the model, using different combinations of sulfur and calcium deposition scenarios is shown. Applying the most strict measures to reduce sulfur emission will almost eliminate the acid deposition problem; however, such a scenario is not economically feasible in the short term. A strict, but possibly realistic, future scenario for sulfur may be enough to keep the situation at the present level, assuming only moderate reductions in calcium deposition. With large decreases in base cation deposition, increased soil acidification can be expected even with considerable sulfur emission reductions.     

Determination of Q1, an unknown organochlorine contaminant, in human milk, Antarctic air, and further environmental samples

Q1, an organochlorine component with the molecular formula C(9)H(3)Cl(7)N(2) and of unknown origin was recently identified in seal blubber samples from the Namibian coast (southwest of Africa) and the Antarctic. In these samples, Q1 was more abundant than PCBs and on the level of DDT residues. Furthermore, Q1 was more abundant in seals from the Antarctic than the Arctic. To prove this assumption, gas chromatography-electron-capture negative ion mass spectrometry (GC/ECNI-MS), which is sensitive and selective for Q1, allowed for screening of traces of Q1 even in samples with particularly high levels of other organochlorine contaminants. Q1 was isolated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) from a skua liver sample. A 1:1 mixture with trans-nonachlor in electron-capture detectors (ECDs) was used to determine the relative response factor with ECNI-MS. The ECNI-MS response of Q1 turned out to be 4.5 times higher than that of trans-nonachlor in an ECD. With GC/ECNI-MS in the selected ion-monitoring mode, four Antarctic and four Arctic air samples were investigated for the presence of Q1. In the Antarctic air samples, Q1 levels ranged from 0.7 to 0.9 fg/m(3). In Arctic air samples, however, Q1 was below the detection limit (<0.06 fg/m(3) or 60 ag/m(3)). We also report on high Q1 levels in selected human milk samples (12-230 microg/kg lipid) and, therefore, suggested that the unknown Q1 is an environmental compound whose origin and distribution should be investigated in detail. Our data confirm that Q1 is a bioaccumulative natural organochlorine product. Detection of a highly chlorinated natural organochlorine compound in air and human milk is novel.     

Seedling insensitivity to ozone for three conifer species native to Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Field symptoms typical of ozone injury have been observed on several conifer species in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and tropospheric ozone levels in the Park can be high, suggesting that ozone may be causing growth impairment of these plants. The objective of this research was to test the ozone sensitivity of selected conifer species under controlled exposure conditions. Seedlings of three species of conifers, Table Mountain pine (Pinus pungens), Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana), and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), were exposed to various levels of ozone in open-top chambers for one to three seasons in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, USA. A combination of episodic profiles (1988) and modified ambient exposure regimes (1989-92) were used. Episodic profiles simulated an average 7-day period from a monitoring station in the Park. Treatments used in 1988 were: charcoal-filtered (CF), 1.0x ambient, 2.0x ambient, and ambient air-no chamber (AA). In 1989 a 1.5x ambient treatment was added, and in 1990, additional chambers were made available, allowing a 0.5x ambient treatment to be added. Height, diameter, and foliar injury were measured most years. Exposures were 3 years for Table Mountain pine (1988-90), 3 years for hemlock (1989-91), and 1 and 2 years for three different sets of Virginia pine (1990, 1990-91, and 1992). There were no significant (p<0.05) effects of ozone on any biomass fraction for any of the species, except for older needles in Table Mountain and Virginia pine, which decreased with ozone exposure. There were also no changes in biomass allocation patterns among species due to ozone exposure, except for Virginia pine in 1990, which showed an increase in the root:shoot ratio. There was foliar injury (chlorotic mottling) in the higher two treatments (1.0x and 2.0x for Table Mountain and 2.0x for Virginia pine), but high plant-to-plant variability obscured formal statistical significance in many cases. We conclude, at least for growth in the short-term, that seedlings of these three conifer species are insensitive to ambient and elevated levels of ozone, and that current levels of ozone in the Park are probably having minimal impacts on these particular species.     

Trace elements, organochlorines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, and furans in lesser scaup wintering on the Indiana Harbor Canal

During the winter of 1993-94, male lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) were collected on the heavily polluted Indiana Harbor Canal (IHC), East Chicago, IN, USA, and examined for tissue contaminant levels. Lesser scaup collected on the IHC had higher concentrations of cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), selenium (Se), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), selected organchlorine pesticides, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and aliphatic hydrocarbons than reference birds. Of the scaup collected on the IHC, 44% had Cd concentrations in the liver considered above background for freshwater waterfowl (>3 microg/g dry wt.), 50% had Se concentrations in the liver above a level possibly harmful to the health of young and adult birds (>33 microg/g dry wt.), and 88% of the scaup carcasses exceeded the PCB human consumption guidelines for edible poultry in the USA (>3.0 microg/g lipid wt.). The ratio of pristane:n-heptadecane concentrations in 47% of lesser scaup collected on IHC was elevated above 1.0, which is indicative of chronic exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons.