New and versatile optical-immunoassay instrumentation for water monitoring

This article is a review of new and versatile optical-immunoassay instrumentation for water monitoring developed through two European Union projects, RIver ANAlyser (RIANA) and Automated Water Analyser Computer Supported System (AWACSS). Both projects utilise immunoassay techniques to isolate the analytes and Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) to quantify them. Completed in 1999, the RIANA project developed a sensitive and cost-effective analytical system capable of simultaneous detection of multiple-analytes in real-world water samples. The AWACSS project has been in progress since 2001 and is developing rugged-but-sensitive instrumentation that will detect up to 30 analytes simultaneously, will operate unattended, and will have networking capability.     

Basic processes in phytoremediation and some applications to air pollution control

In this short review, basic processes for phytoremediation and plant enzymes that are potentially useful in phytoremediation are briefly summarized. The remaining part describes the applications of the basic processes to decontaminate pollutants in the environments that have been done in our laboratory. Our work includes (1) analysis of the capability of various naturally occurring plants to decontaminate atmospheric nitrogen dioxide and selection of nitrogen-dioxide-philic plants that grow with nitrogen dioxide as the sole nitrogen source, (2) production of transgenic plants to improve plants' capability to decontaminate atmospheric nitrogen dioxide, and (3) analysis of the denitrification process in plants to innovate a gas--gas-converting plants that convert nitrogen dioxide to nitrogen gas.     

Effects of 17alpha-ethinylestradiol on the reproduction of the cladoceran species Ceriodaphnia reticulata and Sida crystallina

Single-species tests allow the assessment of chronical effects of endocrine disruptors on organisms under laboratory conditions. In the current study, three-generation tests with Ceriodaphnia reticulata and Sida crystallina were carried out to examine the influence of the synthetic hormone 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE) on the reproduction of these cladoceran species. For each species, six different concentrations (10-500 microg/l EE) and two controls were tested with eight replicates for a duration of 4 weeks. The test was initiated by transferring one neonate individual into a test vessel which was incubated under standardized conditions. Every 2 days, the medium was renewed and life history parameters such as survivorship of the adults and juveniles, clutch size, first appearance and number of produced offspring were investigated. Acute toxicity tests showed that C. reticulata (EC50 (24 h) 1814 microg/l) was more sensitive towards the substance compared to S. crystallina (EC50 (24 h) >4100 microg/l). The juvenile phase of S. crystallina was significantly shorter at concentrations above 100 microg/l EE. For C. reticulata, 17alpha-ethinylestradiol caused a higher mortality of the newly hatched juveniles at EE concentrations above 200 microg/l. No effects were found for mortality of adult animals, birth rate, number of juveniles per female and net reproduction rate of S. crystallina and C. reticulata. Thus, sublethal effects on parental generation exposed to EE lead to disturbances in reproduction and to affection of their offspring. Negative consequences for the population dynamic cannot be excluded, e.g. the decrease of a population.     

Behavior of a surface applied radionuclide and a dye tracer in structured and repacked soil monoliths

There has been increasing evidence in recent years about the impact of soil structure on vadose zone hydrology and the distribution of surface applied chemical substances. We have carried out a combined dye and radionuclide tracer study on two monoliths from the same location, one structured and one repacked, as part of an ongoing study to investigate the link between preferential flow, leaching of surface applied substances and their distribution within the soil.A tracer solution containing 1300 Bq/L (58)Co and 0.31 micromol/L Sulforhodamine B (SB) was added with roughly constant irrigation during a period of three weeks. The dye served as a tracer for water movement within the soil and thus allowed linkage of the radiotracer ((58)Co) with the flow pattern. Both were monitored in the outflow and measured within profile sections after monolith disassembly. Preferential flow in the structured monolith promoted the bypass and transport of both tracers, although transport was impeded at depths greater than 30 cm by compacted soil and reduced hydraulic conductivity. Eighty four percent of radiocobalt and 8% of SB were found in the upper 4 cm of the structured monolith. The homogenized monolith, on the other hand, showed mostly chromatographic infiltration and a more efficient soil filtering capacity with 91% of radiocobalt and 20% SB residing in the upper 4 cm. Furthermore no tracer was found in the outflow of the homogenized monolith during normal to high irrigation or at greater depth within the monolith. We have related flow characteristics and sorption of radiotracers by quantifying dye distributions and radionuclide activities throughout the profiles. Activities within the flow paths are up to 20-times higher than those measured in the soil matrix, and a fraction of radiocobalt follows the dye tracer in spite of cobalt's low mobility. The dye can thus be used to trace radionuclide distribution within the soil block.     

Human exposure to dioxins through the diet in Catalonia,Spain: carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk

The main objectives of this study were to estimate the dietary intake of dioxins by the population of Catalonia, Spain, to determine which food groups showed the greatest contribution to this intake, and to assess the health risks potentially associated with the dietary dioxin intake. From June to August 2000, food samples were randomly acquired in seven cities of Catalonia. Dioxin concentrations were determined in 108 samples belonging to the following groups: vegetables, fruits, pulses, cereals, fish and shellfish, meats and meat products, eggs, milk and dairy products, and oils and fats. Estimates of average daily food consumption were obtained from recent studies. Total dietary intake of dioxins for the general population of Catalonia was estimated to be 95.4 pg WHO-TEQ/day (78.4 pg I-TEQ/day), with fish and shellfish (31%), diary products (25%), cereals (14%) and meat (13%) showing the greatest percentages of contribution to dioxin intake. The contribution of all the rest of food groups to the total dietary intake was under 20%. The non-carcinogenic risk index of dioxin intake through the diet was in the range 0.34-1.36, while the carcinogenic risk level was 1,360 excess cancer over a lifetime of 70 years. Our results corroborate the decreasing tendency in dietary intake of dioxins found in recent studies (2000-2001) from various countries.     

Investigation of appropriate initial composition and aeration method for co-composting of yard waste and market wastes

The purpose of this research was to shorten the composting period by speeding up the composting process and to obtain good quality compost that can be used in agriculture. In order to accomplish the acceleration of the process, different mixtures of feedstock were loaded to the composting containers to observe the effect of initial composition on the quality of the compost and the rate of composting. The first feedstock prepared was composed of grass, leaves and market waste whereas the second feedstock composed only of leaves and market wastes. Composting process was accomplished by applying different composting methods such as composting without manual stirring, with manual stirring, with aeration by air, with aeration by oxygen, with manual stirring and aeration by air and finally by with manual stirring and aeration by oxygen to achieve the purpose of the research. Aeration was found as a primary requirement for the acceleration of composting because it was observed that when the aeration was not applied the conversion of nutrients was very low. The high conversion efficiency of the nutrients in the feedstock with market and yard wastes-without grass-resulted in higher quality end product. The organic content of the composted yard and market wastes were monitored and the best operational parameters and methods were identified. Parameters such as temperature, moisture, pH and end-product metal contents were also monitored in the study. and the experiments were run in duplicates. Corrected C/N, (C/N)t/(C/N)initial, were used in the calculations which provided objectivity in comparison of the compost quality with respect to nutritional components. The C/N change was found to be higher in the container that was manually stirred and aerated with oxygen but with regard to the economic feasibility of the system aeration with air was preferred. Compost quality that was achieved in the study was compared to the standards of different countries with respect to the amount of metal contents in the end-product. The applicability of the end-product in agriculture depends on the level of contaminants in the compost, especially metals that have to be present only in trace amounts.     

ESF Workshop

Dioxin and PCB monitoring programs for food and feeding stuff in most countries of the world, including many European Countries are currently inadequate. Better control of food production lines and food processing procedures is needed to minimize entry of dioxin to the food chain and will help to avoid dioxin contamination accidents. This would also improve the ability to trace back a possible contamination to its source. European guidelines for monitoring programs should be established to ensure comparable and meaningful results. These guidelines should define the minimum requirements for the design of monitoring programs, analytical methods, and quality assurance. Though data from Northern Europe shows that the general population exposure to dioxin and PCB has decreased during the last ten years these compounds continue to be a risk of accidental contamination of the food chain. The most prominent recent example is the Belgian dioxin contamination of feeding stuff in 1999. The Belgian dioxin contamination was not detected due to dioxin monitoring programs but by their direct biological effects seen in animals. Four other cases of dioxin contamination have been detected in Europe since 1997 due to local monitoring programs. One of them (citrus pulp pellets 1998) was in a much larger scale than the Belgian dioxin contamination. The general population's exposure to dioxins and PCBs is still in the same range (1-4 pg WHO-TEQ/kg body weight and day) as the recently revised WHO tolerable daily intake (TDI). There is concern that short-term high level exposure to dioxins, furans, and PCB may cause biological effects on the human fetal development and further research is required. Further actions to control sources building on considerable advances already made in many countries may need to be supplemented by measures to prevent direct contamination of feeding stuff or food to reduce general population exposure further.     

The effect of a green leaf volatile on host plant finding by larvae of a herbivorous insect

 The role of a general green leaf volatile (glv) in host finding by larvae of the oligophagous chrysomelid Cassida denticollis was investigated using a new bioassay which takes into account the need for neonate larvae of this species to climb fresh host plants from the ground. A "stem arena" was designed in which plant stems of the host, tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), and stem dummies (tooth picks), both wrapped in perforated filter paper, were offered to neonate larvae. The wrapping allowed olfactory responses to be tested by preventing access to contact stimuli of stems and dummies. Larvae significantly preferred to climb the wrapped tansy stems over dummies after a period of 15 min. The test glv, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, was not attractive when applied to dummies. However, when the glv was applied to the bottom of the arena, the ability of larvae to discriminate between host stems and untreated dummies was significantly enhanced. More larvae climbed wrapped host stems than dummies even within 5 min. While numerous other herbivorous insects are known to be directly attracted by glv, this study shows that a singly offered glv on its own is unattractive to an herbivore but enhances the herbivore's ability to differentiate between host and nonhost plants. Received: 19 October 1999 / Accepted in revised form: 28 February 2000     

A GPS-based system for recording the flight paths of birds

 The GPS recorder consists of a GPS receiver board, a logging facility, an antenna, a power supply, a DC-DC converter and a casing. Currently, it has a weight of 33 g. The recorder works reliably with a sampling rate of 1/s and with an operation time of about 3 h, providing time-indexed data on geographic positions and ground speed. The data are downloaded when the animal is recaptured. Prototypes were tested on homing pigeons. The records of complete flight paths with surprising details illustrate the potential of this new method that can be used on a variety of medium-sized and large vertebrates. Received: 2 February 2000 / Accepted in revised form: 17 April 2000     

Levels of toxaphene congeners in fish from Danish waters

The levels of toxaphene congeners, in addition to PCB congeners and organochlorine pesticides, were determined in various fish samples from different Danish waters. While PCB-153 and p,p'-DDE show different levels depending on the fishing area, with highest levels in fish from the Western Baltic Sea, toxaphene was detected in all the samples investigated at a more constant level. The distribution of the three toxaphene congeners Parlar #26, #50 and #62 depends on the fishing area, with the Western Baltic Sea being different from the other waters by having almost equal levels of toxaphene congeners #26 and #50.