17α-Ethinylestradiol in Lakes of Hanoi and its effect on seed germination

Abstract

The lakes of Hanoi are important water resources for urban agriculture. The concentrations of 17α-ethinylestradiol in the water of three major lakes were found to range from 0.1 to 9.1?ng/L, peaking during the rainy season. Effects at levels from 1?ng/L to 1?µg/L on the germination of mung bean (Vigna radiata) and bok choy (Brassica rapa) were studied. Soaking the seeds in solutions containing 17α-ethinylestradiol at 10?ng/L and higher increased the germination rate of mung bean but not of bok choy. For the latter, irrigation after sowing with solutions containing 17α-ethinylestradiol at 10?ng/L and higher accelerated germination.

Abbreviations: MNRE: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; PE₆₀: Population equivalent; USGS: U.S. Geological Survey; SPE: Solid phase extraction; EDTA: Disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate; HPLC: High performance liquid chromatography; ELISA: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; DOM: Dissolved organic matter; EEQ: Estradiol equivalent     

An intergrated waste survey and environmental effects of COGIDO, a bleached pulp and paper mill in Vietnam, on the receiving waterbody

An integrated investigation on wastewater characterization and the environmental effects from the COGIDO pulp and paper mill in Bien Hoa Industrial Estate, Vietnam, a chlorine bleached soda integrated pulp and paper mill operating without a chemical recovery system, on the receiving water body was conducted during the rainy and dry seasons in 1993 and 1995. The pollution load from the mill was very high in terms of BOD, COD and SS (COD_m: 58.7 t/d; BOD: 33.3 t/d and SS: 25.1 t/d). The effluent toxicity was determined using four toxicity tests: the green micro-alga, Selenastrum capricornutum, Microtox (marine bacteria: Photobacterium phosphoreum), the duckweed, Lemna aequinoctialis, and fish (silver barb: Puntius gonionotus, and Tilapia: Tilapia nilotica). Selenastrum capricornutum was the most sensitive among the tested organisms. The mill toxicity emission rate (TER) was as high as 338 610 (Selenastrum test). The bleaching-pulp and semi-chemical pulp plants which contributed the largest pollution load to the total COGIDO effluent, therefore, were targeted for abatement measures. Physico-chemical parameters as well as qualitative and quantitative aquatic organism composition for the river water were established. The BOD₅ and COD values exceeded the potable surface water standard by a factor of 2 to 4. The species diversity and abundance of the phytoplankton, zooplankton and zoobenthos were found to be lower (20–40%) than that of unpolluted rivers in Vietnam, whereas pollution-indicator species increased up to four times during the dry season 1995.     

Sustainable solutions for solid waste management in Southeast Asian countries

Human activities generate waste and the amounts tend to increase as the demand for quality of life increases. Today’s rate in the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEANs) is alarming, posing a challenge to governments regarding environmental pollution in the recent years. The expectation is that eventually waste treatment and waste prevention approaches will develop towards sustainable waste management solutions. This expectation is for instance reflected in the term ‘zero emission systems’. The concept of zero emissions can be applied successfully with today’s technical possibilities in the agro-based processing industry. First, the state-of-the-art of waste management in Southeast Asian countries will be outlined in this paper, followed by waste generation rates, sources, and composition, as well as future trends of waste. Further on, solutions for solid waste management will be reviewed in the discussions of sustainable waste management. The paper emphasizes the concept of waste prevention through utilization of all wastes as process inputs, leading to the possibility of creating an ecosystem in a loop of materials. Also, a case study, focusing on the citrus processing industry, is displayed to illustrate the application of the aggregated material input–output model in a widespread processing industry in ASEAN. The model can be shown as a closed cluster, which permits an identification of opportunities for reducing environmental impacts at the process level in the food processing industry. Throughout the discussion in this paper, the utilization of renewable energy and economic aspects are considered to adapt to environmental and economic issues and the aim of eco-efficiency. Additionally, the opportunities and constraints of waste management will be discussed.     

Removal of heavy metals by leaves-derived biosorbents

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Among various remediation technologies, biosorption is promising for the removal of heavy metals from water and wastewater, since in many cases, it is fast,...     

Association between heavy metals and antibiotic-resistant human pathogens in environmental reservoirs: A review

Heavy metals can act as co-selecting agents and promote antibiotic resistance. Most frequent resistances to heavy metals are observed for zinc and cadmium. P. aeruginosa and E. coli are commonly resistant to heavy metals and antibiotics. Heavy metals proliferate antibiotic resistance through co- and cross-resistance. Heavy metal and antibiotic resistances are common near anthropogenic activities. Antibiotic resistance in human pathogens can proliferate under selective pressures. Heavy metals in environmental reservoirs may contribute to selecting antibiotic-resistant strains. To determine the associations between heavy metals and antibiotic resistance, a literature review was conducted to systematically collect and categorize evidence for co-occurrence of resistance to heavy metals and antibiotics within human pathogenic bacteria in water, wastewater, and soil. In total, 42 publications adhered to inclusion criteria. Across the reservoirs, zinc and cadmium were the most commonly observed heavy metals associated with resistance to antibiotics. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli were the most commonly studied bacteria with reported co-occurrence of resistance to several heavy metals and antibiotic classes. As co-selecting agents, prevalence of heavy metals in the environment can proliferate resistance to heavy metals and antibiotics through co-resistance and cross-resistance mechanisms. In comparing different reservoirs, soils and sediments harbor higher heavy metal and antibiotic resistances compared to water environments. Additionally, abiotic factors such as pH can affect the solubility and hence, the availability of heavy metals to bacterial pathogens. Overall, our review demonstrates heavy metals act as co-selecting agents in the proliferation of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens in multiple environmental reservoirs. More studies that include statistical data are needed to further describe the exposure-response relationships between heavy metals and antibiotic resistance in different environmental media. Moreover, integration of culture-based and molecular-based methods in future studies are recommended to better inform our understanding of bacterial co- and cross-resistance mechanisms to heavy metals and antibiotics.     

Investigation of As, Mn and Fe fixation inside the aquifer during groundwater exploitation in the experimental system imitated natural conditions

Water-dissolved oxygen was supplied into anaerobic aquifer , which oxidized Fe(II), Mn(II) and trivalent arsenic and changed them into undissolved solid matter through hydrolysis, precipitation, co-precipitation and adsorption processes. The experiment was carried out on the column imitated a bore core of anaerobic aquifer with water phase containing Fe(II), Mn(II), As(III) concentration of 45.12 mg/L, 14.52 mg/L, 219.4 μg/L, respectively and other ions similarly composition in groundwater. After 6 days of air supply, concentration of iron reduced to 0.38 mg/L, manganese to 0.4 mg/L, arsenic to 9.8 μg/L (equivalent 99.16% of iron, 97.25% of manganese and 95.53% of arsenic fixed), and for other ions, the concentration changed almost according to general principles. Ion phosphate and silicate strongly influenced on arsenic removal but supported iron and manganese precipitation from water phase. Based on the experimental results, new model of groundwater exploitation was proposed.     

Comparison of spatiotemporal distribution patterns of NO2 between four different types of air quality monitoring stations

The concentration data of nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), obtained from four different types of air quality monitoring (AQM) stations in Korea (i.e., urban traffic (A), urban background (B), suburban background (C), and rural background (D)), were explored to evaluate the fundamental facets of its distribution and behavior. As there are many distinctions between these four types of AQM stations, the observed NO(2) values were clearly distinguished from each other. It is found that the average NO(2) concentrations from all A stations exhibit notably high values within the range of 24.8 (Gwangju) to 54.6 ppb (Seoul), while those of all B stations change from 19.6 (Ulsan) to 34.7 ppb (Seoul). Similarly, large differences were also observed from NO(2) values measured between C and D type stations. The NO(2) values of the former were from 16.5 (Jeonbuk) to 30.2 ppb (Gyunggi), while the latter from 4.3 (Gyeongbuk) to 8.7 ppb (Gyunggi). Although their annual patterns are rather complicated to explain, the results by and large reflected the changes in the conditions of the surrounding environment. When the results are compared across seasons, most stations (A, B, and D types) tend to exhibit their maximum values in the winter followed by spring, fall, and summer. The results of this study confirm that the distribution patterns of NO(2) are fairly sensitive enough to reflect the basic characteristics of its source processes in association with such factors as the intensity of anthropogenic activity or population density.     

Contamination status of persistent organochlorines in human breast milk from Japan: recent levels and temporal trend

Contamination levels of persistent organochlorines (OCs) such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and chlordane compounds (CHLs) was examined in human breast milk collected during 2001-2004 from Fukuoka prefecture in Japan. The concentrations of OCs such as dioxins and related compounds, DDTs, CHLs and HCB in human breast milk from primiparae were comparable to or slightly higher than the data obtained during 1998, indicating that the levels of these contaminants in Japanese human breast milk have not decreased since 1998 and Japanese are continuously exposed to these chemicals, presumably via fish intake. In addition, OC levels in human breast milk from primiparae were significantly higher than those from multiparae, implying elimination of OCs via lactation. Furthermore, significant positive correlations were observed between levels of OCs in human breast milk and the age of primiparae. These results indicate that the mothers with higher age may transfer higher amounts of OCs to the first infant than to the infants born afterwards through breast-feeding, and hence the first born children might be at higher risk by OCs.