High levels of perfluoroalkyl acids in eggs and embryo livers of great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) and herring gull (Larus argentatus) from Lake Vänern, Sweden

In the eggs and developing chick livers in the two wild bird species, great cormorant and herring gull, the concentrations of a range of 15 perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) were determined. Eggs of the two species were collected from Lake Vänern, Sweden, and analysed either as undeveloped egg (whole egg or separated into yolk and albumen) or incubated until start of the hatching process when the chick liver was removed and analysed. High levels of PFAAs were found in all matrixes except albumen. The predominant PFAA was perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), which was found in the μg/g wet weight (ww) range in some samples of cormorant whole egg, yolk and liver and herring gull egg yolk and liver. The average concentration in yolk was 1,506 ng/g ww in cormorant and 589 ng/g ww in herring gull. The average liver concentrations of PFOS were 583 ng/g ww in cormorant and 508 ng/g ww in herring gull. At these concentrations, biochemical effects in the developing embryo or effects on embryo survival cannot be ruled out. For perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs), the liver/egg and liver/yolk concentration ratios increased with PFCA chain length in cormorant but not in herring gull, indicating that chain length could possibly affect egg-to-liver transfer of PFCAs and that species differences may exist.     

The impact of human frequentation on coastal vegetation in a biosphere reserve

We aimed to assess the impacts of recreational trampling on rare species, plant communities and landscape structure in the Iroise Biosphere Reserve (western France). Focusing on coastal grasslands, we first identified indicators discriminating human-induced short grasslands (i.e. maintained short by intensive trampling) from natural short grasslands (i.e. maintained by environmental constraints): the presence of lichens and succulent or woody species, which are known to be highly sensitive to trampling, as well as a shallow soil were good indicators of natural short grasslands. Recreational activities affected the majority of plots containing rare species, but one third of rare species (according to their habitat preference) appeared currently not threatened by recreational activities. The other rare species were found in grasslands with low trampling intensity and were not found in grasslands with greater trampling intensity. One lichen species (Teloshistes flavicans) was not affected by trampling intensity, while two plants species (Scilla verna and Ophioglossum lusitanicum) showed higher abundances when trampling was low to medium. When it occurs in natural short grasslands, tourist trampling reduced drastically plant species richness. However, when considering maritime high grasslands, we observed that species richness was higher under low trampling vs. no trampling, but decreased at higher trampling intensity. At a landscape scale, the mean annual rate of path creation was about 1.6% and tourist trampling has already completely destroyed 3.5ha of natural coastal vegetation. Trampling of maritime-high grassland has also created 31ha of short grasslands, which represent 50.8% of the whole short grassland habitat of the island. Moreover trampling affected respectively, 41% and 15% of natural short grasslands and maritime-high grasslands. One of the main suggestions for managers to minimise trampling impacts should be to protect areas of rocky soil covered by short grassland that are still non-trampled and not impacted. Fortunately, this appears compatible with a relatively free access of visitors to coastal areas, as tourists can be redirected towards maritime-high grasslands, an habitat which is less impacted by tourism in terms of affected surface, soil cover, loss of species, or presence of rare species host.     

Size distributions of fine and ultrafine particles in the city of Strasbourg: correlation between number of particles and concentrations of NO(x) and SO(2) gases and some soluble ions concentration determination

An Electrical Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI) was used during spring and autumn 2003 in the centre of Strasbourg for the measurement of atmospheric aerosols size distribution. The concentration of NO(x) and SO(2) in air was simultaneously measured with specific analysers. Samples were collected in the range 0.007-10 microm in equivalent aerodynamic diameter size. Number distributions are representative of a pollution originating from urban traffic with a particle size distribution exhibiting a nucleation mode below 29 nm and an accumulation mode around 80 nm in size. A mean particle density equal to 39000+/-35000 total particles per cm(3) with a size ranging from 7 to 10 microm was obtained after a sampling period of 2 weeks in spring. About 86.9% of the number of particles have an aerodynamic diameter below 0.1 microm and 13.1% between 0.1 and 1 microm. Correlation coefficients between the number of particles impacted on each ELPI plate and gas concentrations (SO(2) and NO(x)) showed that the numbers of particles with diameter between 0.10 and 0.62 microm are highly related to the NO(x) concentration. This result indicates that particles are traffic induced since NO(x) is mainly emitted by cars as shown by measurements on various sites. Particles are less clearly correlated to the SO(2) concentration. Particle analysis on different ELPI plates for a sampling period of 2 weeks in autumn showed high level of soluble NO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-) and NH(4)(+) ions. Indeed, up to 90% b.w. of these three species were found in the particle range 0.1-1 microm. The formation of particulate NH(4)NO(3) is favoured by high NO(x) concentration, which induces the formation of gaseous HNO(3).     

Decomposition of paper wastes in presence of ceramics and cement raw material

Paper recycling is an environmental important activity that is carried out in all the countries, but during the recycling process a paper waste is produced. Generally these wastes are placed in landfill sites but it is possible to profit it as secondary fuel and raw material in manufacture furnaces.

In this work the combustion of the waste papers with cement and ceramic raw material has been studied with the objective to analyse the interaction of these substances with the emitted pollutants like PAHs and PCDD/Fs.

The results of the study show that the presence of inorganic material produces an increment in the lighter PAH emission but chlorinated compounds are not affected. The PCDD/F emission level found in the combustion of this waste is quite low compared with other wastes subjected to similar conditions.     

Levels of PCDDs, PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs in raw cow's milk collected in France in 2006

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are widespread environmental contaminants. A French national survey was carried out in April 2006 to assess the concentrations of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) in raw cow's milk. A random sampling scheme stratified by region was applied to collect 239 raw milk samples from 93 plants belonging to 17 dairy companies. Compared to a previous survey led in 1998 analyzing half-skimmed drinking milk in France, the PCDD/Fs level was cut by half, with an average concentration of 0.33 pg toxic equivalent (TEQ)/g fat in 2006. The mean DL-PCBs concentration was 0.57 pg TEQ/g fat and subsequently the sum of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs was 0.90 pg/g fat, values below the thresholds defined by the European Union regulations.     

Analysis of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and other perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in the River Po watershed in N-Italy

C7-C11 perfluorinated carboxylates (PFACs) and perfluorooctansulfonate (PFOS) were analysed in selected stretches of the River Po and its major tributaries. Analyses were performed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) with Oasis HLB cartridges and methanol elution followed by LC-MS-MS detection using 13C-labelled internal standards. High concentration levels ( approximately 1.3 microg l(-1)) of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) were detected in the Tánaro River close to the city Alessandria. After this tributary, levels between 60 and 337 ng l(-1) were measured in the Po River on several occasions. The PFOA concentration close to the river mouth in Ferrara was between 60 and 174 ng l(-1). Using the river discharge flow data in m3 s(-1) at this point (average approximately 920 m3 s(-1) for the year 2006), a mass load of approximately 0.3 kg PFOA per hour or approximately 2.6 tons per year discharged in the Adriatic Sea has been calculated. PFOS concentration levels in the Po River at Ferrara were approximately 10 ng l(-1).     

Combined photo-Fenton and biological oxidation for pesticide degradation: effect of photo-treated intermediates on biodegradation kinetics

Biodegradability of a partially photo-oxidized pesticide mixture is demonstrated and the effect of photo-Fenton treatment time on growth and substrate consumption of the bacteria Pseudomonas putida CECT 324 is shown. Four commercial pesticides, laition, metasystox, sevnol and ultracid, usually employed in citric orchards in eastern Spain, were chosen for these experiments. The active ingredients are, respectively, dimethoate, oxydemeton-methyl, carbaryl and methidathion. Judging by biomass measurements, dissolved organic carbon measurements and biodegradation efficiency, it may be concluded that 90min相似文献   

Comparison of arsenic resistance in Mediterranean woody shrubs used in restoration activities

Myrtus communis, Arbutus unedo and Retama sphaerocarpa are Mediterranean shrubs widely used in revegetation of semiarid degraded soils. The aim of this work is to study the resistance of these plants to arsenic under controlled conditions, in order to evaluate their potential use in revegetation and/or phytoremediation of As-polluted soils. R. sphaerocarpa showed higher resistance to As than M. communis or A. unedo according to its higher EC50, P status and P/As molar ratio in both, roots and shoots, and the lower increases in lipid peroxidation and decrease of chlorophyll levels in response to arsenic, while the highest arsenate sensitivity was obtained for A. unedo. Arsenic was mainly retained in roots, and, although M. communis accumulated higher arsenic amounts than the other two species, R. sphaerocarpa showed the highest root to shoot transfer. Most of the studied parameters (chlorophylls, MDA and total thiols) showed significant correlation with arsenic concentration in roots and leaves of plants, so they can be useful indexes in the diagnosis of arsenic toxicity in these species. According to our results, both M. communis and R. sphaerocarpa could be used in the revegetation of moderately arsenic contaminated sites.     

Coupled solar photo-Fenton and biological treatment for the degradation of diuron and linuron herbicides at pilot scale

A coupled solar photo-Fenton (chemical) and biological treatment has been used to remove biorecalcitrant diuron (42 mg l(-1)) and linuron (75 mg l(-1)) herbicides from water at pilot plant scale. The chemical process has been carried out in a 82 l solar pilot plant made up by four compound parabolic collector units, and it was followed by a biological treatment performed in a 40 l sequencing batch reactor. Two Fe(II) doses (2 and 5 mg l(-1)) and sequential additions of H2O2 (20 mg l(-1)) have been used to chemically degrade the initially polluted effluent. Next, biodegradability at different oxidation states has been assessed by means of BOD/COD ratio. A reagent dose of Fe=5 mg l(-1) and H2O2=100 mg l(-1) has been required to obtain a biodegradable effluent after 100 min of irradiation time. Finally, the organic content of the photo-treated solution has been completely assimilated by a biomass consortium in the sequencing batch reactor using a total suspended solids concentration of 0.2 g l(-1) and a hydraulic retention time of 24h. Comparison between the data obtained at pilot plant scale (specially the one corresponding to the chemical step) and previously published data from a similar system performing at laboratory scale, has been carried out.     

Fe(III) promoted LAS (linear alkylbenzenesulfonate) removal from waters

The mechanisms of the interactions between Fe(III) aquacomplexes and surfactants were investigated; three alkylbenzenzsulfonates, two surfactants (octylbenzenesulfonate (OBS) and dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBS)), and a shorter derivative (ethylbenzenesulfonate (EBS)) were studied. The results with OBS show evidence for three different ways in which Fe(III) interferes with the surfactant: the widely described flocculation process, complexation of Fe(OH)2+ (aquacomplexes) by the surfactant, and a redox reaction. The formation of a weak complex is maximum for a ratio of three between the monomeric aquacomplex [FeOH(H2O)5]2+ and OBS. In the presence of oxygen, an intramolecular redox reaction occurs inside the complex. The interaction between commercial DBS and Fe(III) was also investigated. Immediate precipitation occurred, mainly involving derivatives of higher molecular weights that are contained in the DBS samples. The constituents with the shortest alkyl chain were not affected by the presence of Fe(III) as it was also observed with EBS.