Risk Assessment of Organic Pesticides Pollution in Surface Water of Hangzhou

Advances in research on pollution of organic pesticides (OPs) in surface water, pollution survey and risk assessments of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) of surface water in Hangzhou are conducted. Total concentrations of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and hexachloride-benzene (HCH) in surface water were observed to be 0–0.270 μg/L and 0–0.00625 μg/L respectively. DDE, as a metabolite of DDT and many species of OPP_S were determined in some samples of surface water. Parathion, the main pollutant among OPPs in surface water of Hangzhou, was observed to be 0–0.445 μg/L. Based on these experimental results, health risk assessments on the organic pollution are developed. It is observed that the total risk “R ^T” at present time of surface water in Hangzhou is mainly contributed by organophosphorus pesticides, especially Parathion; HCH and DDT are not the main contaminants; on the contrary, organophosphorous pesticides, especially Parathion, must be of concern at the present time.     

Earthworm cytochrome P450 determination and application as a biomarker for diagnosing PAH exposure

We developed a new microsome purification method and used the Omura and Sato method to measure the total content of cytochrome (Cyt) P450 in earthworm (Eisenia fetida) microsomes. In method development, two different pretreatments, i.e. solubilization or manual separation were used to purify worm microsomes. Solubilization was more effective than manual separation and difference spectra showed a peak at 450 +/- 1 nm in microsomes received solubilization pretreatment. We conducted a 48 h contact test by exposing worms on pyrene (Py) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) spiked filter paper. A dose-response relationship was established between total P450 content and the concentration of Py or BaP ranging from 10(-6) mg mL(-1) to 10(-2) mg mL(-1). Results show that total Cyt P450 content in earthworms is a promising biomarker for diagnosing PAHs exposure at sublethal dose ranges.     

Soil profile distribution of phosphorus and other nutrients following wetland conversion to beef cattle pasture

Largely influenced by the passage of the Swamp Land Act of 1849, many wetlands were lost in the coastal plain region of the southeastern United States, primarily as a result of drainage for agricultural activities. To better understand the chemical response of soils during wetland conversion, soil core samples were collected from the converted beef cattle pastures and from the natural wetland at Plant City, FL in the summers of 2002 and 2003. Data collected from the natural wetland sites were used as reference data to detect potential changes in soil properties associated with the conversion of wetlands to improved beef cattle (Bos taurus) pastures from 1940 to 2003. The average concentration of total phosphorus (TP) in pasture soils (284 mg kg(-1)) was significantly (p 相似文献   

Bioavailability of iodine in the UK-Peak District environment and its human bioaccessibility: an assessment of the causes of historical goitre in this area

Iodine is an essential micronutrient for human health. Its deficiency causes a number of functional and developmental abnormalities such as goitre. The limestone region of Derbyshire, UK was goitre-endemic until it declined from the 1930s and the reason for this has escaped a conclusive explanation. The present study investigates the cause(s) of goitre in the UK-Peak District area through an assessment of iodine in terms of its environmental mobility, bioavailability, uptake into the food chain and human bioaccessibility. The goitre-endemic limestone area is compared with the background millstone grit area of the UK-Peak District. The findings of this study show that ‘total’ environmental iodine is not linked to goitre in the limestone area, but the governing factors include iodine mobility, bioavailability and bioaccessibility. Compared with the millstone grit area, higher soil pH and calcium content of the limestone area restrict iodine mobility in this area, also soil organic carbon in the limestone area is influential in binding the iodine to the soil. Higher calcium content in the limestone area is an important factor in terms of strongly fixing the iodine to the soil. Higher iodine bioaccessibility in the millstone grit than the limestone area suggests that its oral bioaccessibility is restricted in the limestone area. Iodine taken up by plant roots is transported freely into the aerial plant parts in the millstone grit area unlike the limestone area, thus providing higher iodine into the human food chain in the millstone grit area through grazing animals unlike the goitre-prevalent limestone area.     

Preparation of a highly sensitive enzyme electrode using gold nanoparticles for measurement of pesticides at the ppt level

A highly sensitive enzyme electrode was prepared based on gold nanoparticles for measurement of pesticides. Gold nanoparticles of 25-30 nm were synthesized on a glassy carbon electrode by double-pulse technique while the coverage was controlled by applied potential and time. The gold nanoparticles were modified to form a self-assembled monolayer, followed by covalent binding of tyrosinase. The TYR-AuNP-GC electrode was compared with bare GC, AuNP-GC, and modified AuNP-GC and TYR-Au (plate type) electrodes in terms of cyclic voltammetry. The voltammograms well represent the sensitivity of enzymatic oxidation of catechol, substrates for the enzyme activity. The prepared electrode integrated into a continuous flow system and was tested to detect pesticides, such as 2,4-D, atrazine, and ziram. Under the optimized conditions of the flow system, the electrode performed reasonably according to the inhibition mechanism in the concentration range of 0.001-0.5 ng mL(-1). The enhanced performance was attributed to the favored microenvironment for the enzyme activity provided by SAM on gold nanoparticles.     

Coral communities of the remote atoll reefs in the Nansha Islands, southern South China Sea

During the months of May and June in the year 2007, a survey was conducted regarding coral reef communities in the remote atolls (Zhubi Reef and Meiji Reef) of Nansha Islands, southern South China Sea. The goals of the survey were to: (1) for the first time, compile a scleractinian coral check-list; (2) estimate the total richness, coral cover, and growth forms of the community; and (3) describe preliminary patterns of community structure according to geomorphological units. Findings of this survey revealed a total of 120 species of scleractinia belonging to 40 genera, while the average coral cover was 21 %, ranging from less than 10 % to higher than 50 %. Branching and massive corals were also found to be the most important growth forms of the whole coral community, while Acropora, Montipora, and Porites were the three dominant genera in the overall region, with their contributions to total coral cover measuring 21, 22, and 23 %, respectively. Overall, coral communities of the Nansha Islands were in a relative healthy condition with high species diversity and coral cover. Spatial pattern of coral communities existed among various geomorphological units. Mean coral cover was highest in the patch reef within the lagoon, followed by the fore reef slope, reef flat, and lagoon slope. The greatest contributors to total coral cover were branching Acropora (45 %) in the lagoon slope, branching Montipora (44 %) in the reef flat, and massive Porites (51 %) in the patch reef. Coral cover in the fore reef revealed a greater range of genera than in other habitats. The leeward fore reef slope had higher coral cover (>50 %) when compared with the windward slope (<10 %). The coral communities of the inner reef flat were characterized by higher coral cover (27 %) and dominant branching Montipora corals, while lower coral cover (4 %) was dominated by Psammocora with massive growth forms on the outer reef flat. Destructive fishing and coral bleaching were two major threats to coral communities in the study area.     

Ecosystem classifications based on summer and winter conditions

Ecosystem classifications map an area into relatively homogenous units for environmental research, monitoring, and management. However, their effectiveness is rarely tested. Here, three classifications are (1) defined and characterized for Canada along summertime productivity (moderate-resolution imaging spectrometer fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation) and wintertime snow conditions (special sensor microwave/imager snow water equivalent), independently and in combination, and (2) comparatively evaluated to determine the ability of each classification to represent the spatial and environmental patterns of alternative schemes, including the Canadian ecozone framework. All classifications depicted similar patterns across Canada, but detailed class distributions differed. Class spatial characteristics varied with environmental conditions within classifications, but were comparable between classifications. There was moderate correspondence between classifications. The strongest association was between productivity classes and ecozones. The classification along both productivity and snow balanced these two sets of variables, yielding intermediate levels of association in all pairwise comparisons. Despite relatively low spatial agreement between classifications, they successfully captured patterns of the environmental conditions underlying alternate schemes (e.g., snow classes explained variation in productivity and vice versa). The performance of ecosystem classifications and the relevance of their input variables depend on the environmental patterns and processes used for applications and evaluation. Productivity or snow regimes, as constructed here, may be desirable when summarizing patterns controlled by summer- or wintertime conditions, respectively, or of climate change responses. General purpose ecosystem classifications should include both sets of drivers. Classifications should be carefully, quantitatively, and comparatively evaluated relative to a particular application prior to their implementation as monitoring and assessment frameworks.     

Arsenic contamination in groundwater and its possible sources in Hanam, Vietnam

This study investigated the arsenic (As) level in groundwater, and the characteristics of aquifer sediment as related to the occurrence of As in groundwater in Hanam, Vietnam. The deposition and transport of As-containing substances through rivers were also examined. Arsenic concentrations in 88% of the groundwater samples exceeded the As limit for drinking water based on the WHO standards. The dominating form of arsenic was As(III). The maximum total As content in bore core sediment was found in a peat horizon of the profiles and generally, elevated levels of As were also found in other organic matter-rich horizons. Total As contents of the bore core sediments were significantly correlated with crystalline iron oxide, silt and clay contents, suggesting that As in aquifer sediment was mainly associated with iron (hydr)oxides and clay mineral. In the groundwater, As concentration showed significant correlations with the total concentrations of Fe and HCO (3)(-). Significant correlations between HCl-extractable As and non-crystalline Fe oxide, total C, N, and S were also observed in the profiles. The results support the hypothesis that under favorable reductive conditions established by the degradation of organic matter, the dissolution of iron (hydr)oxides releases adsorbed As into the groundwater. The deposition of As in the sediments from the Red River were significantly higher than that in the Chau Giang River, suggesting that the Red River is the main source of As-containing substances deposited in the study area.     

Mutagenic activity of river water from a river near textile industrial complex in Korea

The mutagenic activity of XAD-2 adsorbates and water extracts recovered from nine locations of the Kumho River was tested on S. typhimurium TA98 strain to identify the source of the mutagenicity. A sampling site, receiving effluents from the textile industrial complex located in Daegu City, showed extraordinarily high mutagenic activity, especially in the presence of S9 mixture, at all sampling time in both XAD-2 adsorbates and dichloromethane extracts. This indicated the existence of the frame-shift mutagens in the Kumho River, same type of mutagens detected in previous studies by other researchers in the Nakdong River into which the Kumho River discharges. The fractionation study showed that the mutagenic chemicals in the river water are mid-polar. Furthermore, mean tail length obtained by single cell gel electrophoresis assay (Comet assay) showed consistent dose-dependent DNA damage, indicating that the chemicals in the river water not only act as frame-shift mutagens but also break human lymphocytes DNA strain. Chemical identification of the mutagens should be required.     

An experimental method to verify soil conservation by check dams on the Loess Plateau, China

A successful experiment with a physical model requires necessary conditions of similarity. This study presents an experimental method with a semi-scale physical model. The model is used to monitor and verify soil conservation by check dams in a small watershed on the Loess Plateau of China. During experiments, the model–prototype ratio of geomorphic variables was kept constant under each rainfall event. Consequently, experimental data are available for verification of soil erosion processes in the field and for predicting soil loss in a model watershed with check dams. Thus, it can predict the amount of soil loss in a catchment. This study also mentions four criteria: similarities of watershed geometry, grain size and bare land, Froude number (Fr) for rainfall event, and soil erosion in downscaled models. The efficacy of the proposed method was confirmed using these criteria in two different downscaled model experiments. The B-Model, a large scale model, simulates watershed prototype. The two small scale models, D_a and D_b, have different erosion rates, but are the same size. These two models simulate hydraulic processes in the B-Model. Experiment results show that while soil loss in the small scale models was converted by multiplying the soil loss scale number, it was very close to that of the B-Model. Obviously, with a semi-scale physical model, experiments are available to verify and predict soil loss in a small watershed area with check dam system on the Loess Plateau, China.