Impacts of urbanization on groundwater hydrodynamics and hydrochemistry of the Toluca Valley aquifer (Mexico)

The Toluca Valley is located on the high plains of Mexico, where there are significant industrial zones and large populations. Water needs are almost exclusively met by groundwater, which has brought about intense exploitation of the aquifer and indication of some contamination. The present study investigates the effect of urbanization, related to industrialization of the region, on groundwater in the central portion of the Toluca Valley aquifer—a zone with high population density and where the largest industrial park is located. A general decline in the groundwater level has been found over the years, at a rate of as much as 2.5 m/year. The appearance of a large drawdown cone was identified, indicating changes in the direction of groundwater flow. Also identified was the presence of several ground fissures, the location of which coincided with the drawdown cone. In hydrochemical terms, the water type is sodium-magnesium bicarbonate and this characteristic has not changed over time, although it has been possible to detect the presence of larger quantities of sulfates (up to 117 mg/L) and nitrates (up to 47 mg/L) in recent years, likely associated with contamination from industrial and urban wastewater. Factor analysis made it possible to identify ions that would characterize natural processes involving the acquisition of salts (HCO₃ ^?, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, and Si), as well as anthropic activities (SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^?, Cl^?, Ca²⁺, and K⁺).     

Hydrotalcites and organo‐hydrotalcites as sorbents for removing pesticides from water

Abstract

This paper reports on the adsorption of different organic pesticides by hydrotalcite, hydrotalcite heated to 500°C and organo‐hydrotalcite in aqueous medium by employing adsorption isotherms, and using X‐ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy techniques. The results suggest that the adsorption capacity of the different materials depends on their nature as well as on the structure, polarity and hydrophobic or anionic nature of the pesticides. The results also show that hydrotalcite, both natural and after calcination at 500°C, is not a good sorbent of hydrophobic pesticides. The data demonstrated that both types of hydrotalcite, however, are very good sorbents of glyphosphate. Furthermore, the organo‐hydrotalcites may be as good sorbents as organo‐montmorillonites for hydrophobic pesticides.     

New trends in the analytical determination of emerging contaminants and their transformation products in environmental waters

Since the so-called emerging contaminants were established as a new group of pollutants of environmental concern, a great effort has been devoted to the knowledge of their distribution, fate and effects in the environment. After more than 20 years of work, a significant improvement in knowledge about these contaminants has been achieved, but there is still a large gap of information on the growing number of new potential contaminants that are appearing and especially of their unpredictable transformation products. Although the environmental problem arising from emerging contaminants must be addressed from an interdisciplinary point of view, it is obvious that analytical chemistry plays an important role as the first step of the study, as it allows establishing the presence of chemicals in the environment, estimate their concentration levels, identify sources and determine their degradation pathways. These tasks involve serious difficulties requiring different analytical solutions adjusted to purpose. Thus, the complexity of the matrices requires highly selective analytical methods; the large number and variety of compounds potentially present in the samples demands the application of wide scope methods; the low concentrations at which these contaminants are present in the samples require a high detection sensitivity, and high demands on the confirmation and high structural information are needed for the characterisation of unknowns. New developments on analytical instrumentation have been applied to solve these difficulties. Furthermore and not less important has been the development of new specific software packages intended for data acquisition and, in particular, for post-run analysis. Thus, the use of sophisticated software tools has allowed successful screening analysis, determining several hundreds of analytes, and assisted in the structural elucidation of unknown compounds in a timely manner.     

Analysis of PM2.5and PM10 in the Atmosphere of Mexico City during 2000-2002

Abstract

During the last 10 years, high atmospheric concentrations of airborne particles recorded in the Mexico City metropolitan area have caused concern because of their potential harmful effects on human health. Four monitoring campaigns have been carried out in the Mexico City metropolitan area during 2000-2002 at three sites: (1) Xalos-toc, located in an industrial region; (2) La Merced, located in a commercial area; and (3) Pedregal, located in a residential area. Results of gravimetric and chemical analyses of 330 samples of particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) and PM with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm (PM₁₀) indicate that (1) PM_2.5/PM₁₀ average ratios were 0.42, 0.46, and 0.52 for Xalostoc, La Merced, and Pedregal, respectively; (2) the highest PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations were found at the industrial site; (3) PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations were lower at nighttime; (4) PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ spatial averages concentrations were 35 and 76 μg/m³, respectively; and (5) when the PM_2.5 standard was exceeded, nitrate, sulfate, ammonium, organic carbon, and elemental carbon concentrations were high. Twenty-four hour averaged PM_2.5 concentrations in Mexico City and Sao Paulo were similar to those recorded in the 1980s in Los Angeles. PM₁₀ concentrations were comparable in Sao Paulo and Mexico City but 3-fold lower than those found in Santiago.     

Removal of pharmaceutical compounds from urban wastewater by an advanced bio-oxidation process based on fungi <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trametes versicolor</Emphasis> immobilized in a continuous RBC system

Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are not able to remove completely some emerging contaminants, such as residual pharmaceutical compounds (PCs) with potential ecotoxicity to water bodies. An advanced bio-oxidation process (ABOP) using white-rot fungi (WRF) has been proposed as alternative biological treatment for degradation of non-biodegradable compounds. A synthetic and real wastewater spiked with 12 PCs at 50 μg L^?1 was treated by means of ABOP based on WRF in a rotating biological contactor (RBC) at 1 day of hydraulic retention time (HRT). The ABOP achieved a remarkable biological performance in terms of TOC removal and reduction of N-NH₄ ⁺ and P-PO₄ ^3? nutrients. Likewise, 5 of the 12 PCs were eliminated with removal efficiencies ranging from 80 to 95%, whereas 6 of 12 PCs were eliminated with removal values ranging from 50 to 70%. The anaerobic digestion of the fungal sludge generated upon the treatment was also evaluated, obtaining a methane yield of 250 mL CH₄ g_VS ^?1. These results evidenced that the proposed ABOP is a promising alternative for the sustainable wastewater treatment of urban effluents, combining advanced oxidation with biological operation for the removal of emerging PCs and energy recovery.     

PCDD/Fs in sprat (Sprattus sprattus balticus) from the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Sea

The concentrations and congeners pattern of the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were determined in sprat collected by the commercial catches in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea. Based on the toxic equivalent concentrations 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF prevailed among the congeners of PCDD/Fs. The significance of age- and season-specific relationship between the concentration of lipids and dioxins was demonstrated. On lipid weight basis the concentration of PCDDs was significantly higher in spring than in autumn. This difference was not statistically significant for PCDFs. On lipid weight basis the concentration of dioxins decreased with rising content of lipids. PCDD/Fs toxic equivalent concentration increased with the age of sprat exceeding the EU maximum limit value at more than 5-year-old fish.     

Novel approach for assessing heavy metal pollution and ecotoxicological status of rivers by means of passive sampling methods

In order to study the pollution of fluvial ecosystems, it is necessary to analyze not only the levels of chemical contaminants in water, but also those accumulated in the sediment matrix, as well as to assess its ecotoxicological status. Eleven Catalan (Spain) river sections (one sampling point per river) located near urban and industrial areas were sampled during winter of 2009. Water pollutants were collected by using passive samplers as Diffusive Gradient in Thin-Films (DGTs) and Semi-Permeable Membrane Devices (SPMDs). Point water samples were also collected. The concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTE) in water, filtered water, DGTs and sediment samples were analyzed. Aqueous and organic solvent extracts of sediments samples and organic extracts of SPMDs were performed to assess acute toxicity to Vibrio fischeri by Microtox(?), and chronic toxicity to the green alga Pseudokirschneriella subcapitata. Microtox(?) test was also performed with DGT extracts. The results show that metals content of Catalan river waters are below the freshwater screening US EPA benchmarks, excepting some industrial areas (for Hg, Pb, and Zn). In contrast, sediments levels of some rivers were far above freshwater sediment screening US EPA benchmarks (for Zn, As, Cr, Pb, Ni, Hg, and Mn), particularly in the most industrialized areas. A good correlation was found between toxicity values of extracts (from sediments and DGTs) and PTE levels in sediments. The current results support the suitability of using combined point and passive sampling methods for assessing the chemical and ecotoxicological status of aqueous environments.     

Differences in photosynthetic pigment signatures between phytoneuston and phytoplankton communities in a coastal lagoon of Baja California

In order to understand the relationships between the dynamics of phytoplankton populations in the surface microlayer (MIL) and in the water column below (SSW), this study used high-performance liquid chromatography-derived pigment markers in samples from a coastal lagoon of Baja California (Estero de Punta Banda, EPB) under summer (October 2003) and winter (December 2003) conditions. Photosynthetic pigment signatures of phytoplankton at the air–sea interface (phytoneuston) and subsurface measurements were related to bottom-up (temperature, salinity, nutrient concentrations) and top-down factors (zooplankton abundance). Slicks and scum layers were observed in the inner part of the lagoon and coincided with greater stratification of layers just below the sea surface and lower wind intensities. In general, spatial variability in pigment markers and ancillary data was very high and resulted in non-significant differences between MIL and subsurface samples when different regions of EPB or sampling dates were compared. However, different patterns were found between pigments and environmental factors of MIL and SSW samples when the relative numbers of stations with positive and negative differences (ΔX = X _MIL−X _SSW) were computed. For each survey, pigment markers of phytoneuston and phytoplankton samples were not necessarily correlated. Further analysis revealed that those markers (19′-butanoyloxyfucoxanthin, prasinoxanthin, divinil-chlorophyll a) corresponded to picophytoplankton groups (haptophyte, prasinophyte, and prochlorophyte). On both dates, the MIL was enriched in 19′-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin (a marker for a type 4 haptophyte) and fucoxanthin (marker for bacillariophytes, haptophytes, and crysophytes) and depleted in peridinin (marker for dinophytes). Different zooplankton grazers accumulated in the MIL (loricate tintinnids) and in SSW (copepod nauplii).     

Carbofuran degraded by iron-doped anatase: Weakening the cholinesterase inhibitory activity in the photoproducts mixture

Carbofuran is a toxic carbamate pesticide, and its use has increased in recent years. While marketing information indicates stability in different chemical media, carbofuran exhibits relative photolability. The aim of this research was to decompose carbofuran and to identify the photoproducts achieved when two different doped titania photocatalysts were employed under UV irradiation. The iron-doped TiO₂ materials were obtained (a) via a hydrothermal method and (b) by an ultrasound-assisted sol–gel method. The precursors were TiOSO₄?xH₂O and Fe₃(NO₃)·9H₂O. X-ray studies confirmed that the anatase phase of the iron-doped TiO₂ resulted from the two preparation methods. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared materials was monitored by LC/ESI-QTOF-MS, enabling the identification of photoproducts: oxo-carbamates, hydroxylated benzofuranes, a carboxamide, and one amine. By using the iron-doped TiO₂ materials, 2,2-dimethyl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-3,7-diol was the most abundant photoproduct, and N,2,2-trimethyl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-7-amine was the only compound that had not been previously reported in the photolysis and photocatalysis of carbofuran. The product 3-hydroxy carbofuran, a cholinesterase inhibitor, was quantified and was found to be transformed into compounds that lack this inhibitive property.