Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in influents,suspended particulate matter,sediments, sewage treatment plant and effluents and biota from the Netherlands

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been determined in 133 samples of suspended particulate matter (SPM), sediments, sewage treatment plant (STP) influents and effluents, fish and mussels from various locations in The Netherlands, as a part of a large Dutch national study on estrogenic contaminants in the aquatic environment (LOES project). Some PBBs were also analysed but not found in any of the samples at detectable levels. PBDEs and PBBs were included in this study because indications of long term effects on the balance of endocrine systems were found in the literature. High concentrations of decaBDE (up to 4600 g/kg dry weight) were found in SPM from the Western Scheldt. These levels are possibly related to spillage during use of PBDEs in industries upstream the river Scheldt in Belgium. SPM was identified as an important carrier for higher brominated diphenyl ethers in the aquatic environment. DecaBDE was not found at detectable levels in flounder, bream and mussels. The bioaccumulation of decaBDE in these fish and shellfish samples is apparently limited. Lower brominated PBDE congeners (tetra/penta) were also found in the Western Scheldt as well as in the Rhine delta and the river Meuse, but in much lower concentrations than the decaBDE. In contrast with decaBDE, the tetra and pentaBDEs were found in biota. It was concluded that at least a small part of the PBDE can pass STPs.     

Agriculture,livelihoods and climate change in the West African Sahel

The West African Sahel is a harsh environment stressed by a fast-growing population and increasing pressure on the scarce natural resources. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood of the majority of the people living in the area. Increases in temperature and/or modifications in rainfall quantities and distribution will substantially impact on the natural resource on which agriculture depends. The vulnerability of livelihoods based on agriculture is increased and most likely exacerbate and accelerate the current ‘downward spiral’ of underdevelopment, poverty and environmental degradation. Notably, droughts, a short rainy season and/or very low rainfall will be felt by current systems. To cope with the difficult climatic situation, farm households have developed a range of strategies including selling of animals and on-farm diversification or specialization. At regional level, early warning systems including an operational agro-meteorological information system already provide farmers with crucial information. Substantial political, institutional and financial efforts at national and international level are indispensable for the sustenance of millions of lives. In terms of development, priority needs to be given to adaptation and implementation of comprehensive programs on water management and irrigation, desertification control, development of alternative sources of energy and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices by farmers.     

The impact of chronic pain patients' psychotropic drug knowledge and warning labels on the decision whether to drive a car or not

OBJECTIVE: The attitudes of patients towards driving a car while taking medication with psychotropic side effects is unclear. A growing number of patients use these psychotropic medicines on a daily basis, and this may interfere with their ability to drive a car. METHODS: By means of a survey, we examined attitudes towards driving while using psychotropic medicinal drugs and the effect of warning labels on the decision whether to drive a car or not in patients with chronic pain. RESULTS: Fifty-eight of 100 patients possessing a driver's license used psychotropic medication. Despite warning labels affixed on the packages that these drugs might impair driving ability, the majority (71%) of these patients continued driving a car. A point of concern is that 40% of these patients reported not to be more cautious in traffic after taking psychotropic drugs. CONCLUSION: The results of this survey indicate that drug warning labels applied by Dutch pharmacies do not significantly change attitudes towards driving a car in patients taking medicinal drugs with psychotropic side effects. Future road-safety campaigns should pay more attention to the impairing effects of psychotropic drugs on driving.     

Characterization of the leaching behaviour of concrete mortars and of cement-stabilized wastes with different waste loading for long term environmental assessment

The leaching behaviour of cement-based products-both construction products and cement-stabilized wastes--have been shown to be similar after assessing the leaching characteristics by means of a pH dependence leaching test. This procedure is particularly suited to identifying the chemical speciation of materials. Geochemical modelling has shown a number of solubility controlling phases in this largely inorganic matrix, that can very well explain the observed leaching patterns as a function of pH. Understanding these relationships allows the prediction of leaching behaviour under other exposure conditions and to improve the ultimate quality of products, if so desired. The role of ettringite-type phases for the binding of oxyanions in the pH range above pH 12 has been identified before and confirmed in this work. The order of incorporation follows from the ratio between the maximum leachability at mildly alkaline pH and at high pH. Increased levels of sulfate negatively influence the binding of oxyanions in cement-stabilized waste through site competition.     

Biological hydrogen production by Rhodobacter capsulatus in solar tubular photo bioreactor

The purpose of this study was to develop a pilot scale tubular photo bioreactor (80 L) for photo fermentative hydrogen production by photosynthetic purple-non-sulfur bacterium, Rhodobacter capsulatus, operating in outdoor conditions, using acetate as the carbon source. The reactor was operated continuously in fed-batch mode for 30 days throughout December 2008 in Ankara. It was placed in a greenhouse in order to keep the temperature above freezing levels. It was found that R. capsulatus had a rapid growth with a specific growth rate of 0.025 h^?1 in the exponential phase. The growth was defined with modified logistic model for long term duration. The hydrogen production and feeding started in the late exponential phase. Evolved gas contained 99% hydrogen and 1% carbon dioxide by volume. The average molar productivity calculated during daylight hour was 0.31 mol H₂/(m³ h) with regard to the total reactor volume and 0.112 mol H₂/(m²·day) with regard to the total illuminated surface area. It was proven that even at low light intensities and low temperatures, the acetic acid which was fed to the system can be utilized for biosynthesis, growth and hydrogen production. The overall hydrogen yield was 0.6 mole H₂ per mole of acetic acid fed. This study showed that photofermentation in a pilot scale tubular photo bioreactor can produce hydrogen, even in winter conditions.     

Tissue-specific accumulation and lactational transfer of polychlorinated biphenyls, chlorinated pesticides, and brominated flame retardants in hooded seals (Cistophora cristata) from the Gulf of St. Lawrence: applications for monitoring

Accumulation and mother-pup transfer of halogenated organic contaminants was studied in hooded seal tissues from eastern Canada. Blubber polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and total pesticide concentrations were relatively high, possibly due to their high trophic level and demersal feeding habits. Blood plasma showed the lowest contaminant concentrations compared to blubber and liver, possibly due to a lower affinity of these compounds to lipoproteins in blood plasma. Total contaminant body burden correlated well with blubber, liver, and milk contaminants, but not with blood plasma contaminants, indicating that blood plasma might be less suitable to monitor contaminants in hooded seals. Lactational transfer favored less lipophilic contaminants and was associated with relatively high blood plasma PCB and polybrominated diphenyl ether concentrations in females. Despite lactational transfer, females did not show significantly lower blubber contaminant concentrations or burdens than males. This might be caused by their low blubber, and thus contaminant, loss during lactation compared to other species.     

Calibration of the Chemcatcher passive sampler for the monitoring of priority organic pollutants in water

An integrative passive sampler consisting of a C18 Empore disk receiving phase saturated with n-octanol and fitted with low-density polyethylene diffusion membrane was calibrated for the measurement of time-weighted average concentrations of hydrophobic micropollutants, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorine pesticides, in water. The effect of temperature and water turbulence on kinetic and thermodynamic parameters characterising the exchange of analytes between the sampler and water was studied in a flow-through system under controlled conditions. It was found that the absorption of test analytes from water to the sampler is related to their desorption to water. This allows for the in situ calibration of the uptake of pollutants using offload kinetics of performance reference compounds. The sampling kinetics are dependent on temperature, and for most of the tested analytes also on the flow velocity. Sampler-water partition coefficients did not significantly change with temperature.     

Modelling the dynamic air-water-sediment coupled fluxes and occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls in a high altitude lake

The BIODEP model in terms of atmosphere-lake interactions was developed. The model was applied to an oligotrophic, dimictic high altitude lake (Lake Redo, Pyrenees) for a range of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners. High altitude lakes, which receive their contaminant inputs uniquely from the atmosphere through long-range atmospheric transport, provide ideal controlled environments for the study of the interactions between atmospheric depositional and water column biogeochemical processes. The BIODEP model was able to predict dissolved water concentrations and PCB accumulation in the lake sediment within a factor of 2. This shows that the BIODEP model captures the essential processes driving the sink of POPs in high altitude lakes and that POP occurrence in the lake is driven by direct atmospheric inputs with limited influence from the watershed. An important seasonal variability in water column concentrations is predicted which should have important implications in sampling strategies. Furthermore, it is shown that diffusive air-water exchange dominated the PCB dynamics in the lake, especially for the less chlorinated biphenyls.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in weathered bottom ash from incineration of municipal solid waste

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analysed in weathered bottom ash from different municipal solid waste incinerators. The sum of the 16 "USEPA" PAHs was found to vary from 480 to 3590 microg/kg. The amounts of carcinogenic PAHs were between 89 and 438 microg/kg ash. The maximum levels of carcinogenic PAHs exceed the Swedish generic guidelines for sensitive land use. The results showed that the amount of PAHs in fresh and weathered bottom ash are similar, indicating that the PAHs are strongly bound to the ash and only limited amounts are released to the surroundings.