Biomonitoring of ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb using lichens and mosses around coal-fired power plants in Western Turkey

Mosses and lichens are useful biological indicators of environmental contamination for a variety of metals and radionuclides of both natural and artificial origin. These plants lack a well-developed root system and rely largely on atmospheric deposition for nourishment. Therefore in the study, different lichens (Cladonia convoluta, Cladonia foliacea) and mosses (Homalothecium sericeum, Hypnum lacunosum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Tortella tortuosa, Didymodon acutus, Syntrichia ruralis, Syntrichia intermedia, Pterogonium graciale, Isothecium alopecuroides, Pleurochatae squarrosa) were collected around the Yata?an (Mu?la), Soma (Manisa), Seyitömer - Tunçbilek (Kütahya) coal-fired power plants and investigated for potential use as biomonitors for ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb deposition. While the activity concentrations of ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb in lichens are in the ranges of 151 ± 7-593 ± 21 and 97 ± 5-364 ± 13 Bq kg⁻¹, for mosses the ranges for ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb are 124 ± 5-1125 ± 38 and 113 ± 4-490 ± 17 Bq kg⁻¹, respectively. In the study, the moss samples were observed to accumulate more ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb compared to lichens. While the most suitable biomonitor was a moss species (H. lacunosum) for Yata?an (Mu?la), it was another moss species (S. intermedia) for Soma (Manisa) and Seyitömer - Tunçbilek (Kütahya) sites. ²¹⁰Po concentrations were found higher than ²¹⁰Pb concentrations at the all sampling stations.     

Comparison of risk factors for falls from height between commercial and residential roofers

Introduction

The purpose of this investigation was to compare commercial roofers and residential roofers in terms of their behaviors, beliefs, working conditions, and attitudes toward the use of fall protection devices, which could lead to fall accidents.

Methods

A cross-sectional sample of 252 roofers participated in the survey in the Midwest (Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Iowa).

Results

Residential roofers were more likely to fall (adjusted prevalence ratio = 1.57, 95% CI = 0.86, 2.27) than commercial roofers. Existence of fall protection programs, enforcement of fall protection device use, actual use of fall protection devices, work type, company size, and race/ethnicity were significantly associated with fall accidents.

Impact on industry

This study adds insight into fall accidents from roofs in the construction industry and provides industry-specific cautions against fall accidents that can be reflected in regulatory agency implementation.     

Heterogeneous light-induced ozone processing on the organic coatings in the atmosphere

Many of the more recent studies concerning heterogeneous reactions of atmospheric interest, carry, in some cases, much more details but still follow the basic philosophy of the first pioneering studies. Therefore, in this study the accent is put on the additional complexities that arise when the aerosols of interest have more complex compositions. Hence, it is attempted to identify the products following the simultaneous ozone processing and light irradiation on particles coated with 4-phenoxyphenol in the presence of 4-carboxybenzophenone as a photosensitizer. In order to reveal a more complete picture on the fate of these aromatic compounds under controlled experimental conditions, different analytical tools such as gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) have been applied.Several surface bound products were identified via GC–MS and some of them (phenol, hydroquinone, catechol, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, benzoic acid, fumaric acid, terephthalic acid, maleic acid, 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene and 4,4′-oxydiphenol) confirmed with standards. The main volatile secondary products as identified by PTR-MS in this study were formic acid, phenol and p-benzoquinone.A reaction mechanism was proposed and density functional theory calculations were performed in order to elucidate the initial steps of the ozonolysis reaction on 4-phenoxyphenol in the presence of 4-carboxybenzophenone.     

The gas/particle partitioning of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons collected at a sub-Arctic site in Canada

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were measured in air samples at a remote air monitoring site established in the Yukon Territory, Canada as part of a global project (International Polar Year; IPY) to study the potential for atmospheric long-range transport of anthropogenic pollutants to the Arctic. Gas- and particle-phase PAH were collected in polyurethane foam plugs and on glass fibre filters respectively from August 2007 to October 2009. PAH concentrations were found to be highest in the winter months and lowest in summer. The gas/particle partitioning coefficients of 3–5 ringed PAH were computed and seasonal averages were compared. In the summer time, lower molecular mass PAH exhibited relatively higher partitioning into the particle-phase. This particle-phase partitioning led to the shallowest slopes being recorded during summer for the log–log correlation plots between the PAH partition coefficients and their sub-cooled vapour pressures. Air mass back trajectories suggest that local impacts may be more important during the summer time which is marked by increased camping activities at camping sites in the proximity of the sampling station. In conclusion, both summer and wintertime variations in PAH concentrations and gas/particle partitioning are considered to be source- and phototransformation-dependent rather than dependent on temperature-driven shifts in equilibrium partitioning.     

Metal tolerating methylotrophic bacteria reduces nickel and cadmium toxicity and promotes plant growth of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L)

Inoculation of plants with microorganisms may reduce the toxicity of heavy metals to plants in contaminated soils. In this study, we have shown that the plant growth promoting bacteria Methylobacterium oryzae strain CBMB20 and Burkholderia sp. strain CBMB40 from rice reduce the toxicity of Ni and Cd in tomato and promote plant growth under gnotobiotic and pot culture experiments. The bacterial strains bound considerable amounts of Ni(II) and Cd(II) in their growing and resting cells and showed growth in the presence of NiCl2 and CdCl2. In gnotobiotic assay, inoculation with the bacterial strains reduced the ethylene emission and increased the tolerance index of the seedlings against different concentrations of NiCl2/CdCl2. In pot experiments carried out with non-polluted, Ni and Cd supplemented Wonjo-Mix bed soil, the results clearly demonstrated reduction in the accumulations of Ni(II) and Cd(II) in roots and shoots, with significant increase in the plant growth attributes with bacterial inoculations compared to untreated control. Strain CBMB20 performed better than CBMB40 in reducing the heavy metal accumulations in plants. Our results suggest conclusively, that protection against the heavy metals toxicity is rendered by these bacterial strains by reducing their uptake and further translocation to shoots in plants and promote the plant growth by other PGP characteristics.     

双Z型MIL-88A(Fe)/Ag3PO4/AgI光芬顿催化剂对染料的去除

以MIL-88A (Fe)为载体,通过原位沉淀法和离子交换法成功合成双Z型三元复合材料MIL-88A (Fe)/Ag₃PO₄/AgI (MAI),并将其应用于光芬顿体系中,高效去除染料废水中的罗丹明B (RhB).棒状的MIL-88A (Fe)作为载体,减少了Ag₃PO₄和AgI颗粒的团聚现象,形成的双Z型异质结减少了电子-空穴对的复合,提高了光催化活性.在催化剂为0.5g/L,初始pH值为3.0,H₂O₂浓度0.4mmol/L的条件下,20min内100mL的20mg/L的RhB可被完全降解,并且在循环5次使用后仍保持较高的催化性能.此外,自由基捕获实验和电子自旋共振实验表明h⁺,O₂^·﹣和HO^·是MAI/Vis/H₂O₂催化体系中的主要活性物质.最后,提出了MAI降解的可能机理.     

Using data mining to predict soil quality after application of biosolids in agriculture

The amount of biosolids recycled in agriculture has steadily increased during the last decades. However, few models are available to predict the accompanying risks, mainly due to the presence of trace element and organic contaminants, and benefits for soil fertility of their application. This paper deals with using data mining to assess the benefits and risks of biosolids application in agriculture. The analyzed data come from a 10-yr field experiment in northeast France focusing on the effects of biosolid application and mineral fertilization on soil fertility and contamination. Biosolids were applied at agriculturally recommended rates. Biosolids had a significant effect on soil fertility, causing in particular a persistent increase in plant-available phosphorus (P) relative to plots receiving mineral fertilizer. However, soil fertility at seeding and crop management method had greater effects than biosolid application on soil fertility at harvest, especially soil nitrogen (N) content. Levels of trace elements and organic contaminants in soils remained below legal threshold values. Levels of extractable metals correlated more strongly than total metal levels with other factors. Levels of organic contaminants, particularly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, were linked to total metal levels in biosolids and treated soil. This study confirmed that biosolid application at rates recommended for agriculture is a safe option for increasing soil fertility. However, the quality of the biosolids selected has to be taken into account. The results also indicate the power of data mining in examining links between parameters in complex data sets.