Characterization of contaminated soil and groundwater surrounding an illegal landfill (S. Giuliano,Venice, Italy) by principal component analysis and kriging

The characterization of a hydrologically complex contaminated site bordering the lagoon of Venice (Italy) was undertaken by investigating soils and groundwaters affected by the chemical contaminants originated by the wastes dumped into an illegal landfill. Statistical tools such as principal components analysis and geostatistical techniques were applied to obtain the spatial distribution of chemical contaminants. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), SO4(2-) and Cl- were used to trace the migration of the contaminants from the top soil to the underlying groundwaters. The chemical and hydrogeological available information was assembled to obtain the schematic of the conceptual model of the contaminated site capable to support the formulation of major exposure scenarios, which are also provided.     

Sex-specific effects of albumen removal and nest environment manipulation on Barn Swallow nestlings

In avian species, maternal provisioning to the eggs is predicted to be more valuable for the offspring under adverse environmental conditions and intense sibling competition. However, studies manipulating both the amount of maternal pre-hatching resources and the harshness of post-hatching environment have seldom been performed to date. In this experimental study of Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) nestlings, we tested the consequences of a reduction in the albumen content of the eggs for fitness-related offspring traits, while performing an unbalanced partial cross-fostering soon after hatching, either increasing or decreasing brood size by one nestling. By molecular sexing of the chicks, we additionally tested for sex-specific sensitivity of individual nestlings to experimental treatments and to sex ratio variation in nestmates. We predicted that chicks hatching from albumen-deprived eggs should suffer more than control chicks from the harsher rearing conditions of enlarged broods. However, although albumen removal depressed chick body mass, chicks hatching from control eggs did not fare better than those hatching from eggs with reduced albumen content in enlarged vs. reduced broods. Albumen removal had sex-specific effects on immunity, with males, but not females, hatching from eggs with reduced albumen content showing a lower T-cell-mediated immune response than controls, suggesting that the two sexes were differentially susceptible to resource deprivation during early ontogeny. In addition, both immune response and chick body mass at age 7 days, when maximum growth rate is attained, declined with an increasing proportion of male nestmates. The effect of brood size manipulation on chick body mass at age 12 days, when peak body mass is attained, was also found to depend on brood sex composition, in that an increase in the proportion of male nestmates depressed offspring body mass in reduced broods, while the reverse was true in enlarged broods. On the whole, these findings suggest that sex differences may exist in environmental sensitivity and patterns of resource allocation among different body functions, and that brood size variation and sex composition may affect offspring fitness-related traits.     

Arsenic concentration and speciation of the marine hyperaccumulator whelk Buccinum undatum collected in coastal waters of Northern Britain

European whelks (Buccinum undatum) have shown to accumulate high levels of arsenic. Since the accumulation process is not well understood it is necessary to gain information about the geographical variability of the arsenic concentration in them. Here we show that the mean arsenic concentrations of the whelks are site specific and vary by a factor of 3.5 in ten different geographical locations. At fishing grounds where whelks exhibited low arsenic concentrations the arsenic concentration increased linearly with size, whereas the whelks with high arsenic levels from a different location showed no correlation. Although the overall arsenic concentration in the whelks differed between 45 and 655 mg kg(-1) d.w., the inorganic arsenic concentration did not exceed 0.4 mg kg(-1) d.w. The main arsenic compound is arsenobetaine, which is widely considered as non-toxic. The exposure to toxic inorganic arsenic when eating whelks cannot be estimated from their size or their total arsenic concentration.     

A New Respirometric Test Simulating Soil Burial Conditions for the Evaluation of Polymer Biodegradation

A new convenient and reliable method is described for assessing the biodegradation properties of polymeric materials under simulated soil burial conditions, which makes it possible to test with nutrient-rich soils. This method consists of the utilization of a minimum amount of a soil layer, in which the samples to be tested are set in close contact, sandwiched between two layers of perlite, a natural porous aluminosilicate. The biodegradation level is monitored by determining the carbon dioxide evolution derived from the test samples. The limited amount of soil used limits carbon dioxide evolution from the blanks, due to the corresponding limited overall amount of soil carbon. This experimental setup allows for an extremely satisfactory level of confidence in the analytical results, permitting a wider variety of soil types to be tested.     

Post‐earthquake rehabilitation of the rural water systems in Kashmir's Jehlum Valley

After the devastating earthquake of 8 October 2005 in Kashmir, international organizations provided the Pakistani government with relief and reconstruction assistance. Under the oft‐cited motto ‘rebuild better’, many of these efforts targeted the rural areas. The emergency period was followed by a development phase, during which all actors sought to ensure that their reconstruction projects would have long‐term, sustainable impacts. Based on the authors’ experience during that phase, this paper offers specific guidelines for rehabilitation work on Kashmir's rural water supply system, stressing the need for analysis of the social context to guarantee sustainability of the completed projects.     

Immissionsbelastungen im Umfeld des Flughafens München

The airborne immissions in the eastern surroundings to the new Munich airport have been investigated by means of different analytical methods between 1992 and 1995. For a detection of environmental impacts, bioindicators were applied to determine the pollution by PAH and to quantify the pollution by photooxidants. In addition, the PAH content in the upper soil layer was determined. During high pressure weather periods in summer the actual air pollution was investigated in the course of seven measuring campaigns. The PAH pollution of the soil is typical for rural background sites with highest concentrations in the close vicinity of busy roads, and exhibits no temporary trend. The actual input of PAH does not differ from the typical situation of rural regions in Bavaria at any measuring sites at all. Road traffic can be identified as the main PAH source in summer, whereas the considerably higher pollution in winter can be related to domestic heating. The pollution by photooxidants was found to be rather homogeneous throughout the eastern surroundings to the airport, being lowest at the sites directly influenced by road traffic. The pollution by volatile hydrocarbons at a busy road junction in the city of Erding is considerably higher than in the rural vicinity of the airport. The concentrations exhibit distinct daily courses which, among other things, can be related to atmospheric photooxidation. The hydroperoxides as secondary air pollutants exhibit an inverse course similar to that of ozone, with maximum values in the afternoon.     

Biostabilization of municipal solid waste

A mechanical-biological process for municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment was monitored for one year. Mechanical pre-treatment provided two fractions. The oversize fraction (diameter > 50 mm) (yield of 600 g kg(-1) ww) (46 Mg day(-1)) was used for refuse derived fuel production, after undergoing a mechanical refining processes, because of low moisture content (200-250 g kg(-1)) and high calorific value (2500-2800 kcal kg ww(-1)). The undersize fraction (diameter < 50 mm) (yield 400 g kg(-1) ww) (30 Mg day(-1)) contained about 800 g kg(-1) of the MSW organic matter. This fraction was biologically treated using an aerobic process with an organic waste fraction from separate collection (77 Mg day(-1)) and recycled stabilized material (62 Mg day(-1)) obtained from end-product sieve (diameter < 20 mm) used as bulking agent. A retention time of three weeks was sufficient to obtain stabilized products in agreement with up-dated rules of the Lombardy Region (North Italy) regarding biostabilization and composting processes. Dynamic Respiration Index (DRI), such as required by both Lombardy Region rules and suggested by the European Community, was chosen in preference to other indices in order to assess the degree of biological stability of the end products. A mean DRI value of 1164 mg O2 kg SV(-1) h(-1) was obtained and is in agreement with the proposed limit of 1000+/-200 mg O2 kg SV(-1) h(-1). Self-heating test, potential biogas production and fermentable volatile solids were also used as parameters to describe the potential impact of treated waste, providing further useful information. Nevertheless, all of these methods revealed analytical or interpretative limits. A complete mass balance of the biological treatment section showed that, from a net input of 107 Mg day(-1), only 250 g kg(-1) (27 Mg day(-1)) of the waste needed to be landfilled, with 750 g kg(-1) (80 Mg day(-1)) being lost as CO2 and H2O.