Influence of academic education on the perception of wood in watercourses

Human perception of in-channel wood can influence decision-making about wood reintroduction in watercourses for restoration purposes. A questionnaire survey was conducted among first-year and advanced Polish students and professionals involved in the management and protection of watercourses in Poland. The purpose was to assess their perception of river scenes with and without wood in terms of naturalness, aesthetics, danger and need for improvement. Generally, students perceived riverscapes with wood to be less aesthetic, more dangerous and needing more improvement than riverscapes without wood. However, many aspects of the riverscape perception are subject to changes as the student progresses in studying. The culturally conditioned, negative perception of in-channel wood is reduced during the education of geography and biology students but enhanced in the course of water engineering studies. The improved perception of watercourses containing wood was most pronounced for the advanced geography students from a university in which some tutors conducted research on in-channel wood and could have transferred knowledge about and positive attitudes toward wood to their students. A comparison of the riverscape evaluation by biology students and national park managers indicates that education in the discipline facilitates understanding of the environmental significance of in-channel wood although its effects are highly insufficient to form the positive attitude toward wood-containing watercourses typical of the managers. In turn, the education of water engineering students about in-channel wood apparently dominantly emphasizes threats caused by its presence in watercourses, so that the students' highly negative attitude toward wood needs to be significantly moderated when the graduates begin working as water authority managers.     

Assessment of the PCDD/F fate from MSWI residue used in road construction in France

MSWI fly ash is susceptible to contain high amount of polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzo-furans. However, the use of MSWI residue for road construction started in France at a period when MSWI Bottom Ash and MSWI fly ash were not separated. From four old road sites, MSWI residue, road soils, reference soils and geo-textiles were sampled and their PCDD/F contents were analyzed. MSWI residue show a great heterogeneity but also high amounts of PCDD/F (14-2960 ng I-TEQ kg(-1)dm). Soils underlying the road show less heterogeneity and PCDD/F contents between 0.57 and 7.23 ng I-TEQ kg(-1)dm, lower than ordinary soils. Moreover, the specific analysis of the 17 toxic PCDD/F congeners (notably the 2,3,7,8-TetraCDD) indicates the very low harmfulness of road soils. The study also allows to assert the relation between the MSWI residue particle size and the PCDD/F content.     

Exposure assessment of French women and their newborn to brominated flame retardants: determination of tri- to deca- polybromodiphenylethers (PBDE) in maternal adipose tissue, serum, breast milk and cord serum

In the frame of a French monitoring program, tri- to deca- polybromodiphenylethers (PBDE) have been measured in maternal and cord serum, adipose tissue, and breast milk samples, collected from 93 volunteer women during caesarean deliveries. The seven major tri- to heptaBDE (BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, and 183) were detected in adipose tissue and breast milk with cumulated median values of 2.59 and 2.51 ng g⁻¹ l w. Nine highly brominated octa- to decaBDE (BDE-196, 197, 201, 202, 203, 206, 207, 208 and 209) was performed in the same samples, with cumulated median values of 2.73 and 3.39 ng g⁻¹ l w in adipose tissue and breast milk, respectively. At this opposite, median levels of octa- to decaBDE in maternal and cord serum appeared significantly higher than the levels of tri- to heptaBDE in the same matrices, i.e. 8.85 and 12.34 versus 0.98 and 0.69 ng g⁻¹ l w, respectively.     

Method to assess and optimise dependability of complex macro-systems: Application to a railway signalling system

Achieving a high degree of dependability in complex macro-systems is challenging. Because of the large number of components and numerous independent teams involved, an overview of the global system performance is usually lacking to support both design and operation adequately.A functional failure mode, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) approach is proposed to address the dependability optimisation of large and complex systems. The basic inductive model FMECA has been enriched to include considerations such as operational procedures, alarm systems, environmental and human factors, as well as operation in degraded mode. Its implementation on a commercial software tool allows an active linking between the functional layers of the system and facilitates data processing and retrieval, which enables to contribute actively to the system optimisation.The proposed methodology has been applied to optimise dependability in a railway signalling system. Signalling systems are typical example of large complex systems made of multiple hierarchical layers. The proposed approach appears appropriate to assess the global risk- and availability-level of the system as well as to identify its vulnerabilities. This enriched-FMECA approach enables to overcome some of the limitations and pitfalls previously reported with classical FMECA approaches.     

Mercury in salt marshes ecosystems: Halimione portulacoides as biomonitor

Mercury concentrations were quantified in Halimione portulacoides (roots, stems and leaves) as well as in sediments from eight Portuguese estuarine systems, covering seventeen salt marshes with distinct degrees of mercury contamination. The concentration of mercury in the sediments ranged from 0.03 to 17.0 microg g(-1). The results show that the accumulation of mercury differed according to the organ of the plant examined and the concentration of mercury in the sediments. Higher mercury concentrations were found in the roots (up to 12.9 microg g(-1)) followed by the leaves (up to 0.12 microg g(-1)), while the stems had the lowest concentrations (up to 0.056 microg g(-1)). A linear model explained the relation between the concentrations of mercury in the different plant organs: roots and stems (R(adj)(2)=0.75), stems and leaves (R(adj)(2)=0.85) and roots and leaves (R(adj)(2)=0.78). However, the results show that the variation of mercury concentration in the roots versus mercury concentration in the sediments was best fitted by a sigmoidal model (R(adj)(2)=0.89). Mercury accumulation in the roots can be described in three steps: at a low range of mercury concentrations in the sediments (from 0.03 up to 2 microg g(-1)), the accumulation of mercury in roots is also low reaching a maximum concentration of 1.3 microg g(-1); the highest rates of mercury accumulation in the roots occur in a second step, until the concentrations of mercury in the sediments reach approximately 4.5 microg g(-1); after reaching this maximum value, the rate of mercury accumulation in the roots slows down leading to a plateau in the concentration of mercury in the roots of about 9.4 microg g(-1), which corresponds to a mercury concentration in the sediments of about 11 microg g(-1). A linear model explained also the accumulation of mercury in leaves versus the mercury concentration in the sediments (R(adj)(2)=0.88). Differences in responses of roots and leaves are explained by the dynamics of the plant organs: old roots are mineralised in situ close to new roots, while leaves are renewed. Previous studies have already shown that H. portulacoides is a bioindicator for mercury and the results from this work sustain that H. portulacoides may also be used as a biomonitor for mercury contamination in salt marshes. Nevertheless, caution should be taken in the application of the models, concerning the life cycle of the species and the spatial variability of the systems.     

Determination of Hg and diet identification in otter (Lontra longicaudis) feces

An analytical procedure for the determination of Hg in otter (Lontra longicaudis) feces was developed, to separate fish scales for the identification of the animal diet. Samples were washed with ultra-pure water and the suspension was sampled and transferred for digestion. The solubilization was performed with nitric-perchloric acid mixture, and detection carried out by the atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). The quality of the analytical procedure was assessed by analyzing in-house standard solutions and certified reference materials. Total Hg concentrations were in the range of 7.6-156 ng g(-1) (July 2004), 25.6-277 ng g(-1) (January 2005) and 14.6-744 ng g(-1) (May 2005) that is approximately the same order of magnitude for all samples collected in two reservoirs at the Tiete River, Brazil. Although Hg concentrations varied with sampling periods and diet, high levels were correlated to the percentage of carnivorous fish scales present in the otter feces.     

Catalytic oxidation processes for removing dimethylsulfoxide from wastewater

An effective method for removing dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) from wastewater, based on the mild selective catalytic sulfoxidation with H(2)O(2), is proposed in this study. The catalysts are W-containing layered double hydroxides (LDH), and they were obtained by ionic exchange of the nitrate anions from MAl-LDH precursors (M=Mg(2+) or Zn(2+)) with both WO(4)(2-) and W(7)O(24)(6-) species. Results of X-ray diffraction (XRD), N(2) adsorption, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), diffuse reflectance ultraviolet spectroscopy (DRUV) and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation of the W-oxospecies inside the interlayer space and the modification of the textural properties upon the exchange process. All catalysts showed very good activity and stability in the DMSO conversion into dimethylsulfone with dilute H(2)O(2) aqueous solution, at low temperatures (20-50 degrees C). The efficiency of the H(2)O(2) was higher than 95% and the behaviour of the water as solvent was very close to that of the organic solvents (ethanol, acetonitrile, 1,4-dioxane).     

Halophyte vegetation influences in salt marsh retention capacity for heavy metals

We analysed concentrations of Cu, Cd and Pb in above and belowground tissues of the halophyte species Halimione portulacoides and Spartina maritima, as well as in sediments and pore water between the roots in a Tagus estuary salt marsh (Portugal). From these results we calculated the pools of metals in the compartments mentioned above. Relative percentages of accumulation in each pool were also determined. Our aim was to determine how the type of vegetation in the salt marsh affects overall metal retention capacity of the system. It was concluded that areas colonised by H. portulacoides are potential sources of Cu, Cd and Pb to the marsh ecosystem, whereas areas colonised by S. maritima are more effective sinks at least for Cu and Cd. Consequently, S. maritima seems to contribute more effectively to the stabilisation of metals in salt marsh sediments, reducing their availability to the estuarine system.     

A municipal solid waste incinerator as the single dominant point source of PCDD/Fs in an area of increased non-Hodgkin's lymphoma incidence

Since 1971, a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) with high dioxin emission levels has been in operation in Besan?on, France. We recently found a 2.3-fold risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the highest exposure zone using a Gaussian-type dispersion model as a proxy for dioxin exposure. However, the sources of PCDD/Fs in this area are a matter of controversy. The aim of this survey was therefore to examine the nature of the PCDD/F soil contamination in the surroundings of the MSWI to characterize whether more than one potential emission source could explain the presence of the PCDD/Fs. PCDD/F congener profiles were determined in 75 soil samples collected in the vicinity of the MSWI. They were compared according to the most environmentally impacted zones and to various spatial contrasts. PCDD/F concentrations ranged from 0.25 to 28.06 pg WHO-TEQ g(-1). Two different clustering algorithms identified the same main cluster (consisting of 73 samples). The remaining two soil samples composed either one, or two clusters. All clusters showed similar congener profiles. Moreover, no contrast was observed for congener distributions between complex and simple topographies, inside and outside the city boundary, the two most and the two least exposed areas, reflecting a common fingerprint. Congener profiles indicate that the area under influence of the MSWI is not subject to other point sources of PCDD/Fs. Since, the most polluting combustion chambers were recently shut down and replaced by a new one with up-to-date pollution control, slowly decreasing dioxin concentrations in the soils are to be expected.     

Disruption of thyroid hormone binding to sea bream recombinant transthyretin by ioxinyl and polybrominated diphenyl ethers

A number of chemicals released into the environment share structural similarity to the thyroid hormones (THs), thyroxine (T(4)) and triiodothyronine (T(3)) and it is thought that they may interfere with the thyroid axis and behave as endocrine disruptors (EDs). One of the ways by which such environmental contaminants may disrupt the TH axis is by binding to TH transporter proteins. Transthyretin (TTR) is one of the thyroid hormone binding proteins responsible for TH transport in the blood. TTR forms a stable tetramer that binds both T(4) and T(3) and in fish it is principally synthesized in the liver but is also produced by the brain and intestine. In the present study, we investigate the ability of some chemicals arising from pharmaceutical, industrial or agricultural production and classified as EDs, to compete with [I(125)]-T(3) for sea bream recombinant TTR (sbrTTR). Ioxinyl, a common herbicide and several polybrominated diphenyl ethers were strong inhibitors of [I(125)]-T(3) binding to TTR and some showed even greater affinity than the natural ligand T(3). The TTR competitive binding assay developed offers a quick and effective tool for preliminary risk assessment of chemicals which may disrupt the thyroid axis in teleost fish inhabiting vulnerable aquatic environments.