Influence of suspended clay minerals and humic matter on the solid phase extraction efficiency of selected pesticides from water

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the influence of humic acids (HA) and Ca-montmorillonite (CaM) on the solid-phase extraction (SPE) efficiency of atrazine, alachlor and alpha-cypermethrin from water samples at various pH-values. The nature and intensity of binding of the studied pesticides to CaM were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis and termogravimetric analysis (TGA) test. The studied pesticides eluted from discs were analysed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The effects of CaM and humic acid were generally pH-dependent and acted independently in extraction efficiency influence. Lower recovery of pesticides was observed at higher pH values when CaM was > or =0.1 g and was attributed to greater dispersion of clay, increased surface area and subsequent adsorption. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in humic acid had less effect on the extraction efficiency when water was at pH 8 compared to water at pH 2, which was probably due to greater nonpolar interactions of the pesticides to the charge-neutralized humic acid molecule.     

Factors associated with driving under the influence of alcohol

Objective: This study examined the risk factors of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) among drivers of specific vehicle categories (DSC). On the basis of this research, the variables related to DUI and involvement in traffic crashes were defined. The analysis was conducted for car drivers, bicyclists, motorcyclists, bus drivers, and truck drivers.

Method: The research sample included drivers involved in traffic crashes on the territory of Serbia in 2016 (60,666). Two types of analyses were conducted in this study. Logistic regression established the correlation between DUI and DSC and the The Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (Multi-criteria decision making) method was applied to consider the scoring and explore the potential for the prevalence of DUI on the basis of 2 data sets (DUI and non DUI).

Results: The study results showed that driver error and male drivers were the 2 most significant risk factors for DUI, with the highest scores and potential for prevalence. The nonuse of restraint systems, driver experience, and driver age are the factors with a significant prediction of involvement in an accident and an insignificant prediction of DUI.

Conclusions: Following the development of the logistic prediction models for DUI drivers, testing of the model was conducted for 3 control driver groups: Car, motorcycle, and bicycle. The prediction model with a probability greater than 50% showed that 77% of car drivers were under the influence of alcohol. Similarly, the prediction percentage for motorcyclists and bicyclists amounted to 71 and 67%, respectively. The recommendation of the study is that drivers whose DUI probability is above 50% should be potentially suspected of DUI. The results of this study can help to understand the problem of DUI among specific driver categories and detect DUI drivers, with the aim of creating successful traffic safety policy.     

Microphytoplankton in the Strait of Otranto (eastern Mediterranean)

The Strait of Otranto is the connection between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Low nutrient concentrations, high transparency, and low phytoplankton cell density and biomass reflect the oligotrophic character of the area. Enrichment of the euphotic layer with nutrients is mainly due to discharge of Albanian and Greek rivers, as well as mixing and upwelling in winter/early spring. Following phytoplankton bloom in April, a progressive decrease of phytoplankton cell density is due to the consumption of nutrients throughout the proceeding summer and autumn. Nitrogen was a strong limiting factor for phytoplankton growth in summer. Deep biomass maxima were detected in the 50 to 100 m layer and corresponded mostly to cells smaller than 20 m. The eastern part of the strait is mostly influenced by the northerly inflowing current from the Ionian Sea, and the western part by the southerly outflowing current from the Adriatic Sea. This typical circulation could be disturbed by inertial oscillations in the current field, generated by the strong oscillating winds and cyclonic eddies. The type of circulation determined the distribution of thermohaline characteristics, abundance, biomass, as well as taxonomic composition of phytoplankton, across the strait. Ecological characteristics of the water masses on two sides of the strait were significantly different during the formation of a longitudinal thermohaline front in May 1990.     

Composition and temporal fluctuations of inshore juvenile fish populations in the Kornati Archipelago, eastern middle Adriatic

Temporal fluctuations of species composition and abundance of fish juveniles in the National Park Kornati were studied over 12 months from January to December 1992. A total of 40 168 individuals, representing 24 families and 69 species, were collected using a 50 m long beach seine. The community was dominated numerically by a few species: Atherina hepsetus (45.90%), Sarpa salpa (21.21%), Diplodus vulgaris (10.49%), and Symphodus ocellatus (6.98%), constituting over 84.58% of the total catch. Similarity between patterns in the abundance of the 17 most common species were examined using correlation matrix-based principal component analysis. Results were compared to the abiotic factors leading to the conclusion that only a low amount of variation in the abundance field can be explained by temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen. Received: 23 March 1997 / Accepted: 11 April 1997     

Effects of uncontrolled particulate matter release on precipitation under warfare conditions

This study has shown theoretical, observed and experimental evidence of pollutants released, transported and deposited during the Kosovo conflict in 1999 and their effects on precipitation in Serbia. The greatest bombardment of the chemical industry, oil refineries and fuel storage in Serbia which occurred during April, resulted in releases of many hazardous, toxic and cancerogenic substances. The number of April's days with precipitation greater or equal to 0.1 mm in 1999 are compared to those in the period from 1961 to 1990 registered at thirty meteorological stations in Serbia and especially at the Belgrade-Observatory station in the period from 1888 to 1995. The maximums of days with precipitation greater or equal to 0.1 mm were at the wider Belgrade area and at the central and southwestern parts of Serbia during April 1999. This is confirmed by using the Eta trajectory analysis.     

Evaluation of the genotoxic and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase-inhibitory potential of Dicuran on procaryotic and eucaryotic test systems

The effect of the herbicide Dicuran 500 FL (formulated product) on the phenotypical and genotypical changes in procaryotic and eucaryotic organisms was investigated using short-term tests for detecting genotoxins. Since pesticides discharged in the water environment can modulate the mixed-function monooxygenases (MFO) detoxification system of water organisms, the in vivo and in vitro effects of Dicuran on hepatic cytochrome P450 (cyt P450) monooxygenase activities were also examined in juvenile carp (Cyprinus carpio L.). By measuring the activities of MFO in experimental carp exposed to Dicuran an attempt was made to establish whether Dicuran could be bioactivated by MFO into ultimate mutagens. Our results on the bacterial strains Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and TA98 show that Dicuran does not possess either mutagenic or premutagenic characteristics. The micronucleus test on the erythrocytes of experimental carp did not establish any clastogenic effect either. However, Dicuran significantly inhibited the MFO activity of 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) and benzo[a]pyrene monooxygenase (BaPMO) in the liver of experimental carp in vitro, as well as in in vivo conditions. These findings demonstrate the potentially damaging effect of Dicuran on the xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme systems of fish, and suggest the applicability of described methods for the prediction of the ecotoxicological significance of the presence of pesticides in the water environment.     

Uptake,distribution and loss of Cr in the crab Xantho hydrophilus

Uptake of ⁵¹Cr(III) is faster than uptake of ⁵¹Cr(VI), but it occurs mainly on the surface of the animals. Steady state is attained after 28 d. The resulting concentration factor is about 200. Although the uptake of ⁵¹Cr(VI) is slower, it is more intensively distributed into the organs and tissues of the animals. Steady state was not attained during the experiments (35 d); the highest concentration factor reached was about 10. The uptake of both ⁵¹Cr(III) and ⁵¹Cr(VI) seems to be passive. For both chemical forms of chromium, the loss rate is inversely proportional to the exposure time. When the uptake lasted longer, owing to the distribution of Cr(VI) into the organs and tissues, the loss rate of Cr(III) is somewhat faster relative to the loss rate of ⁵¹Cr(VI). The opposite is the case when the uptake of both forms lasts only two days. On the basis of the distribution and loss experiments, we argue that hexavalent chromium in living organisms is reduced to the trivalent form and then complexed with organic molecules.     

Benefits of protected areas for nonbreeding waterbirds adjusting their distributions under climate warming

Climate warming is driving changes in species distributions and community composition. Many species have a so-called climatic debt, that is, shifts in range lag behind shifts in temperature isoclines. Inside protected areas (PAs), community changes in response to climate warming can be facilitated by greater colonization rates by warm-dwelling species, but also mitigated by lowering extirpation rates of cold-dwelling species. An evaluation of the relative importance of colonization-extirpation processes is important to inform conservation strategies that aim for both climate debt reduction and species conservation. We assessed the colonization-extirpation dynamics involved in community changes in response to climate inside and outside PAs. To do so, we used 25 years of occurrence data of nonbreeding waterbirds in the western Palearctic (97 species, 7071 sites, 39 countries, 1993–2017). We used a community temperature index (CTI) framework based on species thermal affinities to investigate species turnover induced by temperature increase. We determined whether thermal community adjustment was associated with colonization by warm-dwelling species or extirpation of cold-dwelling species by modeling change in standard deviation of the CTI (CTI_SD). Using linear mixed-effects models, we investigated whether communities in PAs had lower climatic debt and different patterns of community change than communities outside PAs. For CTI and CTI_SD combined, communities inside PAs had more species, higher colonization, lower extirpation, and lower climatic debt (16%) than communities outside PAs. Thus, our results suggest that PAs facilitate 2 independent processes that shape community dynamics and maintain biodiversity. The community adjustment was, however, not sufficiently fast to keep pace with the large temperature increases in the central and northeastern western Palearctic. Our results underline the potential of combining CTI and CTI_SD metrics to improve understanding of the colonization-extirpation patterns driven by climate warming.     

产业与环境：丹麦展望

近20-30年来,很多国家引进了综合性环境保护法律.然而,人们逐渐认识到,在进行具体技术调控的同时,也需要意识上和管理原则上的改变.为帮助各公司在公司层次上减少、评估、监测和控制环境影响,已经开发了各种环境管理技术.本文根据对丹麦公司的一次调查,论述了下列问题:这些技术是如何在工业中采用的?以及发生态度上的变化了吗?