Citrulline in amniotic fluid and the prenatal diagnosis of citrullinemia

We report relatively high citrulline concentration in amniotic fluid of a citrullinemic fetus suggesting that prenatal detection of this condition could be done on this basis in conjunction with a direct or an indirect determination of argininosuccinate synthetase activity in amniotic fluid cells.     

OASIS(R) WAX固相提取吸附剂用于水及组织中PFOS和相关化合物的UPLC(R)/MS定量分析

近年来,全氟化合物(PFCs)如全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)和全氟辛酸(PFOA,其分子结构如图1所示)已经被明确为持久性有机污染物(POPs),并在环境中普遍存在[1].由于PFCs可能具有毒性和生物积聚性,因此,对食品、饮用水、组织、血浆和全血中PFCs分析方法的建立受到越来越多的关注.     

Bioconcentration and half-life of quinalphos pesticide in rice-fish integration system in the Mekong Delta,Vietnam

In order to determine the distribution and enable the elimination of quinalphos, a popular active pesticide compound used in the Mekong Delta, an experiment was set up in a rice-fish integration system in Can Tho City, Vietnam. Fish was stocked into the field when the rice was two-months old. Quinalphos was applied twice in doses of 42.5 g per 1000 m². Water, fish and sediment samples were collected at time intervals and analyzed by a Gas Chromatography Electron Capture Detector system. The results show that quinalphos residues in fish muscles were much higher than those of the water and the bioconcentration factor (logBCF) was above 2 for the fish. The half-life of first and second quinalphos applications were 12.2 and 11.1 days for sediment, 2.5 and 1.1 days for silver barb, 1.9 and 1.3 days for common carp, and 1.1 and 1.0 days for water, respectively.     

Arsenic residue in residential area after cleanup of pesticide illegal dumping sources in Thanh Hoa province,Central Vietnam

In Vietnam, Nicotex's site is perhaps the most infamous case of illegal disposal of toxic pesticides near residential areas. In 2013, affected villagers discovered illegal burials of around 1,000 tons of expired pesticides in the Nicotex factory. Organic pesticides were detected in illegal burial areas (IBAs) around 60 times greater than acceptable levels, but no attention was paid to contamination of metals, metalloids, and other classes of organic contaminants, which could be co-contaminants in pesticide formulation. This study assessed the contaminants remaining in the IBAs and surrounding residential areas two years after the source removal conducted in 2014. Additionally, a preliminary health risk assessment from residual contaminants was performed. Nine classes of chemicals including parental pesticides, inorganic and organic degradation byproducts, and metals and metalloids, comprising 123 chemicals were quantified in soil, sediment, and water samples from Nicotex and surrounding residential areas. Although concentrations of organic pesticides were below acceptable levels, arsenic contamination in the soil in a Nicotex IBA named NCT5 and Nap village (NV) exceeded the acceptable level. The enrichment factor and log-probability plot indicate that arsenic enrichment at NV is not from natural sources but is associated with arsenic contamination in NCT5. Arsenic may be a co-contaminant in pesticide manufacturing or an arsenical pesticide, such as monosodium methanearsonate. Arsenic found in NV was toxic arsenate for which the preliminary risk assessment yielded an unacceptable excess carcinogenic risk (1 × 10^?4). While all attention was paid to investigate and treat contamination of organic pesticides, it turns out that arsenic is the major existing threat which poses an unacceptable cancer risk in good agreement with the high cancer rate claimed by villagers near Nicotex. This justifies the need for further investigation of the extent of the arsenic contamination and restoration of the contaminated land.     

Arsenic and other trace elements in groundwater and human urine in Ha Nam province,the Northern Vietnam: contamination characteristics and risk assessment

The contamination characteristics of arsenic and other trace elements in groundwater and the potential risks of arsenic from the groundwater were investigated. Elevated contamination of arsenic, barium and manganese was observed in tube-well water of two villages (Chuyen Ngoai and Chau Giang) in Ha Nam province in the Northern Vietnam. Concentrations of As in the groundwater ranged from 12.8 to 884 µg/L with mean values in Chuyen Ngoai and Chau Giang were 614.7 and 160.1 µg/L, respectively. About 83 % of these samples contained As concentrations exceeding WHO drinking water guideline of 10 μg/L. The mean values of Mn and Ba in groundwater from Chuyen Ngoai and Chau Giang were 300 and 657 μg/L and 650 and 468 μg/L, respectively. The mean value of Ba concentration in groundwater in both Chuyen Ngoai and Chau Giang was about 22 % of the samples exceeded the WHO guideline (700 µg/L). Arsenic concentrations in human urine of residents from Chuyen Ngoai and Chau Giang were the range from 8.6 to 458 µg/L. The mean values of Mn and Ba in human urine of local people from Chuyen Ngoai were 46.9 and 62.8 μg/L, respectively, while those in people from Chau Giang were 25.9 and 45.9 μg/L, respectively. The average daily dose from ingesting arsenic for consuming both untreated and treated groundwater is from 0.02 to 11.5 and 0.003 to 1.6 μg/kg day, respectively. Approximately, 57 % of the families using treated groundwater and 64 % of the families using untreated groundwater could be affected by elevated arsenic exposure.     

Contamination status and potential release of trace metals in a mangrove forest sediment in Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam

Can Gio district is located in the coastal area of Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam. Discharge of wastewater from Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces to the rivers of Can Gio has led to concerns about the accumulation of trace metals (As, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the coastal sediments. The main objective of this study was to assess the distribution of As, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn in surface and core sediments and to evaluate the contamination status in relation to local background values, as well as the potential release of these selected trace metals from sediments to the water environment. Sediment characteristization, including determination of fine fraction, pH, organic matter, and major elements (Al, Fe, Ca, K, Mg, and S), was carried out to investigate which parameters affect the trace metal enrichment. Fine fraction and Al contents were found to be the controlling proxies affecting the distribution of trace metals while other sediment characteristics did not show any clear influence on trace metals’ distribution. Although As concentrations in the sediments were much higher compared to its reference value in other areas, the enrichment factor based on local background values suggests minor contamination of this element as well as for Cr, Cu, and Pb. Risk assessment suggested a medium to very high risk of Mn, Zn, and Ni under acidification. Of importance is also that trace metals in sediments were not easily mobilized by organic complexation based on their low extractabilities by ammonium-EDTA extraction.

     

Toxic cyanobacteria and microcystin dynamics in a tropical reservoir: assessing the influence of environmental variables

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Toxic cyanobacterial blooms (TCBs) have become a growing concern worldwide. The present study investigated the dynamic of toxic cyanobacteria and...     

Status of water use and potential of rainwater harvesting for replacing centralized supply system in remote mountainous areas: a case study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The failure of the centralized water supply system forced XY community to become more dependent on uncertain and unstable water sources. The results...     

Plastic waste as a valuable resource: strategy to remove heavy metals from wastewater in bench scale application

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Single-use plastic waste is gradually considered a potential material for circular economy. Ion exchange resin obtained from polystyrene waste by...