Characterization of gas/particle concentrations and partitioning of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) measured in an urban site of Turkey

Air concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in both gas and particle phases were measured in an urban site (BUTAL-Merinos) of the city of Bursa, Turkey between August 2004 and May 2005. The mean of total (particle+gas) PCB concentrations was about 491.8+/-189.4pg/m(3). The main contributors for PCBs in the sampling site were the local sources and long-range atmospheric transport supported by back trajectory analysis. Lower molecular weight PCB congeners generally dominated in the samples. The particle phase of the measured PCBs accounted for 15% of the total PCB concentrations. Gas/particle distribution was investigated using different approaches such as log K(P)-log P(L)(o), log K(P)-log K(OA) and the Junge-Pankow model. Regression analysis among log K(P), log P(L)(o) and log K(OA) exhibited significant correlation at p<0.05. Correlation between PCB homologs and meteorological parameters was formed to investigate the possible relationships.     

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of pentachlorophenol in aqueous solution using a TiO2 nanotube film electrode

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotube film electrodes are fabricated by the anodic oxidation method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that these tubes were well aligned and organized into high-density uniform arrays. XRD analysis showed the TiO2 nanotubes to be in the anatase crystal form. The TiO2 nanotube film electrode exhibited increased photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) capability compared to a traditional TiO2 film electrode fabricated using the anodizing method for pentachlorophenol (PCP) degradation in aqueous solution. The bias potential, pH value, and electrolyte concentration were shown to be important factors influencing the degradation of PCP by the PEC method using the TiO2 nanotube film electrode as the working electrode.     

Vegetable and synthetic tannins induce hormesis/toxicity in sea urchin early development and in algal growth

Mimosa tannin and phenol-based synthetic tannin (syntan) were tested for toxicity to sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus and Sphaerechinus granularis) early development and to marine algal growth (Dunaliella tertiolecta). Sea urchin embryogenesis was affected by vegetable tannin and syntan water extracts (VTWE and STWE) at levels >or=1mg/L. Developmental defects were significantly decreased at VTWE and STWE levels of 0.1 and 0.3mg/L when control cultures displayed suboptimal quality, i.e. <70% "viable" (normal or retarded) larvae. Fertilization success of sea urchin sperm was increased up to 0.3 mg/L STWE or VTWE, then was inhibited by increasing tannin levels (1-30 mg/L). Offspring abnormalities, following sperm exposure to VTWE or STWE, showed the same shift from hormesis to toxicity. Cell growth bioassays in D. tertiolecta exposed to VTWE or STWE (0.1-30 mg/L) showed non-linear concentration-related toxicity. Novel criteria are suggested in defining control quality that should reveal hormetic effects.     

Development and application of long-term sublethal whole sediment tests with Arenicola marina and Corophium volutator using Ivermectin as the test compound

Short-term whole sediment tests using the amphipod Corophium volutator and the polychaete Arenicola marina are now routinely used in Europe to assess the acute toxicity of marine sediments. However, there is still a need to develop longer-term assays which measure effects on sublethal endpoints that are more relevant to predicting impacts at the population level. The effect of increasing exposure times and measuring additional endpoints such as growth, on the sensitivity of these assays was investigated. The test compound used was the chemotherapeutant Ivermectin (IVM), used in aquaculture to treat sea lice infestations. IVM was found to be acutely toxic to both test organisms. Extending the lugworm test to 100 days increased sensitivity of survival by a factor of three; a significant reduction in casting rate was observed at concentrations an order of magnitude lower. This assay shows potential for detecting the sublethal effects of low concentrations of sediment contaminants. Increasing the exposure time did not seem to affect the sensitivity of the amphipod, but further method development is required.     

Prokaryotic life in a potash-polluted marsh with emphasis on N-metabolizing microorganisms

Prokaryotic life along the salt gradient of the potash marsh resulting from mining waste at Schreyahn, Northern Germany, was screened for the distribution of total prokaryote (assessed by the 16S rRNA gene) and of N2-fixing (nifH gene), denitrifying (nosZ) and nitrifying (amoA) microorganisms. Information on prokaryotes was retrieved from the different soil sites (a) by culturing in conventional media, (b) by isolating the DNA, amplifying the target genes by PCR followed by sequencing, (c) by employing the recently developed computer program (TReFID [R?sch, C., Bothe, H., 2005. Improved assessment of denitrifying, N2-fixing, and total-community bacteria by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis using multiple restriction enzymes. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 71, 2026-2035]) based on tRFLP data. New sequences were obtained as well as ones that were almost identical to those found at far distant locations. Whereas the distribution of plants strictly follows the salt gradient, this is apparently not the case with prokaryotes. Bacteria of hypersaline areas coexist with salt-non-tolerant species. The recently developed TReFID program is successfully applied to characterize a prokaryote community structure.     

Age and seasonal variability of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in free-ranging East Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus)

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were analysed in adipose tissue from 92 East Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus) sampled during 1999-2001. Mean SigmaPBDE concentrations were 70 ng/g lipid weight (lw) (range: 22-192 ng/g lw) and showed no relationship with age or sex. Of the 32 analysed PBDE congeners; BDE47, BDE153, BDE99 and BDE100 dominated, and comprised 99.6% of the SigmaPBDE concentration. The SigmaPBDE concentration had a highly significant correlation with SigmaPCB, SigmaCHL, dieldrin, HCB and SigmaHCH concentrations. We found a seasonal pattern of median SigmaPBDE concentration with 1.2 to 1.8 times higher concentrations in March to July than the rest of the year. The seasonal variation also provides a clue to the seasonal exposure, bio-availability, toxic exposure and degradation. We suggest that future geographical PBDE data comparisons may not need corrections for sex or age, but such data sets should be corrected for seasonal variability, using the presented correctional trigonometric regression.     

An innovative technique for lake management with reference to aeration unit installed at lower lake, Bhopal, India

Water is key element in human life. All forms of life upon the earth depend upon water for their mere existence. Life & water may be aptly said to be two facets of the same coin. Most of the water bodies are getting polluted due to domestic waste, sewage, industrial waste and agricultural effluent. The present study is designed to ascertain the effectiveness of artificial aeration cum Ozonizer unit installed at Lower Lake, Bhopal for assessment of water quality. Various physico- chemical parameters like pH, Dissolved oxygen, Biochemical Oxygen demand, Chemical oxygen demand, nitrate, phosphate and bacteriological status were studied to assess the extent of deterioration in water quality of Lower lake and at the same time to assess the performance of the dual aeration system in improvement of water quality.     

226Ra, 232Th and 40K analysis in soil samples from some areas of Malwa region, Punjab, India using gamma ray spectrometry

The activity concentrations of soil samples collected from thirty different locations of Malwa region of Punjab were determined by using HPGe detector based on high-resolution gamma spectrometry system. The range of activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in the soil from the studied areas varies from 18.37 Bq kg⁻¹ (Sangrur) to 53.11 Bq kg⁻¹ (Sitoguno), 57.28 Bq kg⁻¹ (Dhanola) to 148.28 Bq kg⁻¹ (Sitoguno) and 211.13 Bq kg⁻¹ (Sunam) to 413.27 Bq kg⁻¹ (Virk Khera) with overall mean values of 35 Bq kg⁻¹, 80 Bq kg⁻¹and 317 Bq kg⁻¹ respectively. The absorbed dose rate calculated from activity concentration of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K ranges between 8.47 and 24.48, 35.68 and 92.38, and 8.74 and 17.11 nGy h⁻¹, respectively. The total absorbed dose in the study area ranges from 58.08 nGy h⁻¹ to 130.85 nGy h⁻¹ with an average value of 79.11 nGy h⁻¹. The calculated values of external hazard index (H_ex) for the soil samples of the study area range from 0.35 to 0.79. Since these values are lower than unity, therefore, according to the Radiation Protection 112 (European Commission. Radiation Protection 112 1999) report, soil from these regions is safe and can be used as a construction material without posing any significant radiological threat to population.     

Reduction of dissolved organic matter in terms of DOC, UV-254, SUVA and THMFP in industrial estate wastewater treated by stabilization ponds

The aim of this research was to monitor the influent and effluent water quality of the aeration, facultative and oxidation water treatment ponds of an industrial estate. This industrial estate, the largest in northern Thailand, has proposed to utilization of reclaimed treated wastewater in their raw water supply so as to cope with the yearly water shortage during the dry season. Water samples were collected four times from four sampling points and evaluated for their dissolved organic matter (DOM) content in terms of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ultraviolet light absorbance at 254 nm (UV-254), specific ultraviolet absorption (SUVA), trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) and trihalomethane (THM) species. Average values of DOC, UV-254, SUVA and THMFP in the influent wastewater of 12.9 mg L⁻¹, 0.165 cm⁻¹, 1.29 L mg⁻¹m⁻¹ and 1.24 mg L⁻¹, respectively, were observed. The aeration ponds produced the best results: a 54% reduction of DOC, a 33% reduction of UV-254, and a 57% reduction of THMFP. However, SUVA in the aeration pond effluent showed a moderate increase. The facultative ponds and oxidation ponds did not take part in the reduction of DOC, UV-254, SUVA and THMFP. Average DOC, UV-254, SUVA and THMFP value of the treated wastewater were 5.8 mg L⁻¹, 0.107 cm⁻¹, 1.85 L mg⁻¹m⁻¹ and 468 μg L⁻¹, respectively. Chloroform, at 72.6% of total THMFP, was found to be the predominant THM species.     

Concentrations of cadmium and lead heavy metals in Dardanelles seawater

Cadmium and lead were determined simultaneously in seawater by differential pulse stripping voltammetry (DPSV) preceded by adsoptive collection of complexes with 8-hydroxyquinoline (oxine) on to a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). In preliminary experiments the optimal analytical condition for oxine concentration was found to be 2.10⁻⁵ M, at pH 7.7, the accumulation potential was −1.1 V, and the initial scannig potential was −0.8 V. The peak potentials were found −0.652 V for Cd and −0.463 V for Pb At the 60 s accumalation time. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitatification (LOQ) were found to be by voltammetry as 0.588 and 1.959 μg l⁻¹ (RSD, 5.50%) for Cd and 0.931 and 3.104 μg l⁻¹ (RSD, 4.10%) for Pb at 60 s stirred accumulation time respectively. In these conditions the most of the seawater samples are amenable for direct voltammetric determination of cadmium and lead using a HMDE. An adsorptive stripping mechanism of the electrode reaction was proposed. For the comparison, seawater samples were also analysed by ICP-atomic emission spectrometry method (ICP-AES). The applied voltammetric technique was validated and good recoveries were obtained.