Trace elements and microbiological parameters in farmed Nile tilapia with emphasis on muscle,water, sediment and feed

Fish may bioaccumulate contaminants from the aquatic environment and extend them to the food chain provoking risks to human health. This study evaluated the microbiological parameters of the pond´s water and trace elements concentrations in samples of water, sediment, feed and muscle of farmed Nile tilapia used for human consumption in southern Brazil. A total of 240 fish were collected from 12 tilapia farms. Sediment, tank water and dry ration used in the animals' diet were collected for analysis. Analysis were performed by Energy Dispersion X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS), Induced Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES), and Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS-VGA). In addition, the microbiological analysis of the water was carried out. The concentrations of Se, I, Fe, Cu and Zn in fish muscle were higher than the recommended by the Brazilian legislation, considering the advised daily intake for adults. The arsenic element had concentrations above the limit stipulated by the present Brazilian legislation, observed in all samples of muscle, sediment and tank water highlighting a possible environmental and fish contamination by the toxic element. Moreover, the arsenic concentration in the water presented a positive correlation (ρ?=?0.33) with arsenic in the muscle, suggesting that tilapia is a good environmental bioindicator, once they properly reflect the levels of arsenic in the water. It is suggested to perform an arsenic speciation for quantification of the inorganic form and accurate assessment of the degree of toxicity in the muscle samples and risks it can bring to human health. Regarding the other potentially toxic elements (Hg, Pb and Cd), and microbiological analysis of water it was verified that the consumption of the fish in question does not raise risks, since the values are within a quality benchmark established by law. The concentration of total and fecal coliforms in pond´s water in the facilities was in agreement with the microbiological indexes required by the legislation of CONAMA class II. Western region presented the lowest concentrations of fecal coliforms when compared to the other regions. There was no significant difference in the microbiological counts of total heterotrophic bacteria, Vibrio spp. and Pseudomonas spp. among the regions.     

Evaluation of photolysis and hydrolysis of pyraclostrobin in aqueous solutions and its degradation products in paddy water

This study evaluated the hydrolysis and photolysis kinetics of pyraclostrobin in an aqueous solution using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–photodiode array detection and identified the resulting metabolites of pyraclostrobin by hydrolysis and photolysis in paddy water using high-resolution mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography. The effect of solution pH, metal ions and surfactants on the hydrolysis of pyraclostrobin was explored. The hydrolysis half-lives of pyraclostrobin were 23.1–115.5?days and were stable in buffer solution at pH 5.0. The degradation rate of pyraclostrobin in an aqueous solution under sunlight was slower than that under UV photolysis reaction. The half-lives of pyraclostrobin in a buffer solution at pH 5.0, 7.0, 9.0 and in paddy water were less than 12?h under the two light irradiation types. The metabolites of the two processes were identified and compared to further understand the mechanisms underlying hydrolysis and photolysis of pyraclostrobin in natural water. The extracted ions obtained from paddy water were automatically annotated by Compound Discoverer software with manual confirmation of their fragments. Two metabolites were detected and identified in the pyraclostrobin hydrolysis, whereas three metabolites were detected and identified in the photolysis in paddy water.     

Bromide affecting drinking water mutagenicity

The effect of bromide on the mutagenicity of artificially recharged groundwater and purified artificially recharged groundwater after chlorine, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, permanganate, and UV treatments alone and in various combinations was studied. The highest mutagenicity was observed after chlorination, while hydrogen peroxide-ozone-chlorine treatment produced the lowest value for both waters. Chlorinated waters, which were spiked with bromide, had up to 3.7 times more mutagenic activity than waters without bromide after every preoxidation method. 3-Chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (MX) was found to correspond as much as 76% of the overall mutagenicity in the waters not spiked with bromide. MX formation was found to be lower when the treated water contained bromide, implicating the formation of brominated MX analogues. Trihalomethane formation increased when the treated water contained bromide.     

Toxicity of chemical components of fine particles inhaled by aged rats: effects of concentration

This study tested the hypothesis that exposure to mixtures containing fine particles and ozone (O3) would cause pulmonary injury and decrements in functions of immunological cells in exposed rats (22-24 months old) in a dose-dependent manner. Rats were exposed to high and low concentrations of ammonium bisulfate and elemental carbon and to 0.2 ppm O3. Control groups were exposed to purified air or O3 alone. The biological end points measured included histopathological markers of lung injury, bronchoalveolar lung fluid proteins, and measures of the function of the lung's innate immunological defenses (macrophage antigen-directed phagocytosis and respiratory burst activity). Exposure to O3 alone at 0.2 ppm did not result in significant changes in any of the measured end points. Exposures to the particle mixtures plus O3 produced statistically significant changes consistent with adverse effects. The low-concentration mixture produced effects that were statistically significant compared to purified air but, with the exception of macrophage Fc receptor binding, exposure to the high-concentration mixture did not. The effects of the low- and high-concentration mixtures were not significantly different. The study supports previous work that indicated that particle + O3 mixtures were more toxic than O3 alone.     

Does the Harvard/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ambient Particle Concentrator change the toxic potential of particles?

Inhalation exposure to urban air particles is known to increase morbidity in humans and animals. Our group utilizes the Harvard/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ambient Particle Concentrator (HAPC) to generate concentrated aerosols of outdoor air particles for experimental exposures. We have reported increased pathologic responses to inhalation of concentrated urban air particles and identified silicon (as silicate) as an element associated with many of these responses. Using silicate-rich Mt. St. Helen's volcanic ash (MSHA), we exposed three groups of Sprague-Dawley rats by inhalation for 6 hr to filtered air, MSHA, or MSHA passed though the HAPC. Twenty-four hours following exposure, bronchoalveolar lavage was performed to assess total cell count, differential cell count, protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and n-beta-glucosaminidase levels. Peripheral blood was examined for packed cell volume, total protein, total white cells, and differential cell count. Morphologic studies localized particles in the lung and assessed pulmonary vasculature. No significant differences were observed among any of the groups in any parameter measured including morphometric analysis of pulmonary vasoconstriction. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray analysis identified particles as silicates typical of MSHA throughout the lung. These findings suggest that particles passing through the HAPC have no change in their toxic potential in an exposure setting where particle deposition in the lung has occurred.     

Trimethylbenzoic acids as metabolite signatures in the biogeochemical evolution of an aquifer contaminated with jet fuel hydrocarbons

Evolution of trimethylbenzoic acids in the KC-135 aquifer at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB), Oscoda, MI was examined to determine the functionality of trimethylbenzoic acids as key metabolite signatures in the biogeochemical evolution of an aquifer contaminated with JP-4 fuel hydrocarbons. Changes in the composition of trimethylbenzoic acids and the distribution and concentration profiles exhibited by 2,4,6- and 2,3,5-trimethylbenzoic acids temporally and between multilevel wells reflect processes indicative of an actively evolving contaminant plume. The concentration levels of trimethylbenzoic acids were 3-10 orders higher than their tetramethylbenzene precursors, a condition attributed to slow metabolite turnover under sulfidogenic conditions. The observed degradation of tetramethylbenzenes into trimethylbenzoic acids obviates the use of these alkylbenzenes as non-labile tracers for other degradable aromatic hydrocarbons, but provides rare field evidence on the range of high molecular weight alkylbenzenes and isomeric assemblages amenable to anaerobic degradation in situ. The coupling of actual tetramethylbenzene loss with trimethylbenzoic acid production and the general decline in the concentrations of these compounds demonstrate the role of microbially mediated processes in the natural attenuation of hydrocarbons and may be a key indicator in the overall rate of hydrocarbon degradation and the biogeochemical evolution of the KC-135 aquifer.     

A study on emission of phthalate esters from plastic materials using a passive flux sampler

Phthalate esters are used as plasticizer in many plastics, and several studies have shown their toxicity. Phthalate esters are gradually emitted over time, and so it is conceivable that they pose a significant health risk. This study aims to investigate the temperature dependence of the emissions of various phthalate esters and to estimate the health risks of these emissions at various temperatures. A passive-type sampler was developed to measure the flux of phthalate esters from the surface of plastic materials. With this sampler, we examined three widely used plastic materials: synthetic leather, wallpaper and vinyl flooring. The observed maximum emissions of diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) from these materials at 20°C were 0.89, 0.77, and 14 μg m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively. Emissions at 80°C were 2.8, 4.5×10², and 1.5×10³ μg m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively. The results showed this temperature dependence is determined primarily by the type of phthalate ester and less so by the type of material. The estimation from the results of temperature dependence indicated the concentration of DEHP in a vehicle left out in the sunshine during the day can exceed the recommended levels of Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.     

Local-scale fluxes of carbon dioxide in urban environments: methodological challenges and results from Chicago

Much attention is being directed to the measurement and modeling of surface-atmosphere exchanges of CO2 for different surface types. However, as yet, few measurements have been conducted in cities, even though these environments are widely acknowledged to be major sources of anthropogenic CO2. This paper highlights some of the challenges facing micrometeorologists attempting to use eddy covariance techniques to directly monitor CO2 fluxes in urban environments, focusing on the inherent variability within and between urban areas, and the importance of scale and the appropriate height of measurements. Results from a very short-term study of CO2 fluxes, undertaken in Chicago, Illinois in the summer of 1995, are presented. Mid-afternoon minimum CO2 concentrations and negative fluxes are attributed to the strength of biospheric photosynthesis and strong mixing of local anthropogenic sources in a deep mixed layer. Poor night-time atmospheric mixing, lower mixed layer depths, biospheric respiration, and continued missions from mobile and fixed anthropogenic sources, account for the night-time maxima in CO2 concentrations. The need for more, longer-term, continuous eddy covariance measurements is stressed.     

Insights into aqueous carbofuran removal by modified and non-modified rice husk biochars

Biochar has been considered as a potential sorbent for removal of frequently detected pesticides in water. In the present study, modified and non-modified rice husk biochars were used for aqueous carbofuran removal. Rice husk biochars were produced at 300, 500, and 700 °C in slow pyrolysis and further exposed to steam activation. Biochars were physicochemically characterized using proximate, ultimate, FTIR methods and used to examine equilibrium and dynamic adsorption of carbofuran. Increasing pyrolysis temperature led to a decrease of biochar yield and increase of porosity, surface area, and adsorption capacities which were further enhanced by steam activation. Carbofuran adsorption was pH-dependant, and the maximum (161 mg g^?1) occurred in the vicinity of pH 5, on steam-activated biochar produced at 700 °C. Freundlich model best fitted the sorption equilibrium data. Both chemisorption and physisorption interactions on heterogeneous adsorbent surface may involve in carbofuran adsorption. Langmuir kinetics could be applied to describe carbofuran adsorption in a fixed bed. A higher carbofuran volume was treated in a column bed by a steam-activated biochar versus non-activated biochars. Overall, steam-activated rice husk biochar can be highlighted as a promising low-cost sustainable material for aqueous carbofuran removal.     

Bringing together raptor collections in Europe for contaminant research and monitoring in relation to chemicals regulations

Raptors are good sentinels of environmental contamination and there is good capability for raptor biomonitoring in Europe. Raptor biomonitoring can benefit from natural history museums (NHMs), environmental specimen banks (ESBs) and other collections (e.g. specialist raptor specimen collections). Europe’s NHMs, ESBs and other collections hold large numbers of raptor specimens and samples, covering long periods of time. These collections are potentially a valuable resource for contaminant studies over time and space. There are strong needs to monitor contaminants in the environment to support EU and national chemical management. However, data on raptor specimens in NHMs, ESBs and other collections are dispersed, few are digitised, and they are thus not easy to access. Specimen coverage is patchy in terms of species, space and time. Contaminant research with raptors would be facilitated by creating a framework to link relevant collections, digitising all collections, developing a searchable meta-database covering all existing collections, making them more visible and accessible for contaminant research. This would also help identify gaps in coverage and stimulate specimen collection to fill gaps in support of prioritised contaminant monitoring. Collections can further support raptor biomonitoring by making samples available for analysis on request.