Restoring sanitation services after an earthquake: field experience in Bam, Iran

A powerful earthquake hit the city of Bam in southeast Iran on 26 December 2003. In its aftermath, a number of international relief agencies, including Oxfam, assisted in providing emergency sanitation services. Oxfam's programme consisted of constructing and repairing toilets and showers in villages located outside of the city. In contrast with other organisations, Oxfam opted for brick-work structures, using local materials and human resources rather than prefabricated cubicles. The choice illustrates the dilemmas faced by agencies involved in emergency sanitation: responding to needs in a manner consistent with international standards and offering assistance in a timely fashion while involving beneficiaries. Following a preliminary survey, Oxfam concluded that the provision of showers and latrines, in addition to utilisation of local materials and human resources, was essential for ensuring well-being, empowerment and dignity among members of the affected population, thereby maximising the benefits.     

Toxicity of leather tanning wastewater effluents in sea urchin early development and in marine microalgae

This study was designed to investigate the composition and the toxicity of leather tanning wastewater and conditioned sludge collected at the leather tanning wastewater treatment plant (CODISO) located in Solofra, Avellino (Southern Italy). Samples were analyzed for their conventional parameters (COD, TSS, chromium and ammonia) and for metal content. Effluent samples included raw wastewater, and samples collected following coagulation/flocculation process and biological treatment. A set of toxicity endpoints were tested using sea urchin and marine microalgal bioassays by evaluating acute embryotoxicity, developmental defects, changes in sperm fertilization success and transmissible damage from sperm to the offspring, and changes in algal growth rate. Dose-related toxicity to sea urchin embryogenesis and sperm fertilization success was exerted by effluent or sludge samples according to the following rank: conditioned sludge > coagulated effluent > or = raw influent > effluent from biological treatment. Offspring quality was not affected by sperm exposure to any wastewater or to sludge samples. Algal growth was inhibited by raw or coagulated effluent to a similar extent and, again, the effluent from the biological treatment resulted in a decreased toxicity. The results suggest that coagulated effluent and conditioned sludge result in higher toxicity than raw influent in sea urchin embryos and sperm, whereas the biological wastewater treatment of coagulated effluent, in both sea urchins and algae, cause a substantial improvement of wastewater quality. Hence a final biological wastewater treatment should be operated to minimize any environmental damage from tannery wastewater.     

Effect of food level on the acute and chronic responses of daphnids to lindane

The toxic effects of lindane on the zooplankton communities may be strongly related to the population fitness, which is highly dependent on food availability. In order to test this hypothesis, acute (immobilisation) and chronic (life-history) responses of Daphnia longispina and Daphnia magna, reared at different food levels (low, normal, and high), were assessed in laboratorial exposures to several concentrations of lindane. A bifactorial design was employed (food level versus lindane concentration) for both species. Results showed that lindane was toxic to both D. magna and D. longispina, within a similar range. However, lindane toxicity to daphnids was dependent on food level, suggesting that the latter is an important factor to take into account when assessing the toxic effects of lindane on zooplankton communities.     

Pre-assessment of the speciation of 60Co, 125Sb, 137Cs and 241Am in a contaminated aquifer

A sample of contaminated groundwater was analyzed using a combination of wet techniques to obtain geochemical information on the mobile species of 60Co, 125Sb, 137Cs and 241Am. The techniques were combined in a scheme to determine the predominant character of the radionuclides in negative or positive fractions, size separation by ultrafiltration, and their association with natural organic matter (NOM). The analyses indicated that the radionuclides of interest were predominantly in the negative fraction. Most of the 60Co and 125Sb were in the small size fraction (<5000 Da), and 137Cs and 241Am were found with the larger, colloidal-sized material. Antimony-125 and 60Co were predominantly in the hydrophilic fraction, while 137Cs and 241Am were found in hydrophobic fractions. Our analysis indicated that 137Cs is found in the same fraction as the large-sized colloidal (hydrophobic) material, suggesting an association with NOM. The results suggested that 60Co and 241Am were associated with NOM, in different size fractions, suggesting that these two nuclides are bound to different sites. Finally, the 125Sb results were inconclusive, whether this nuclide is associated with NOM, or it is inorganic.     

The changes of T-PAH levels and health status of mussels in Izmit bay (Turkey) after Marmara earthquake and subsequent refinery fire

As is well known, a powerful earthquake along the North Anatolian Fault struck the eastern part of the Marmara region on August 17, 1999. Izmit Bay, which is known as one of the most polluted sites of Turkey, was also affected by the quake and the subsequent refinery fire. The measurements performed just before and after the earthquake showed that T-PAH levels increased significantly after the event [Okay OS, Tolun L, Telli-Karako? F, Tüfek?i V, Tüfek?i H, Morko? E. Izmit Bay (Turkey) ecosystem after Marmara earthquake and subsequent refinery fire: the long-term data. Marine Pollution Bulletin 2001;42:361-9]. In the framework of ecotoxicological studies, the Bay ecosystem was continuously monitored for T-PAH levels in seawater, sediments and mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) to find out whether change occurred during the 2-year period following the earthquake. For that purpose, after the earthquake, the samples were collected six times between the period of September 1999 and March 2001 at coastal stations of the Bay situated away from the mouth of main discharges. The responses of the mussels were also measured by means of the lysosomal stability of the blood cells and feeding rate biomarker techniques at two different sites of the bay. Although the T-PAH levels in all matrices generally showed a decreasing trend, they were found to be still high especially at stations near the refinery. Both biomarker results showed that the health status of the mussels is very poor in the Bay ecosystem, based on the results obtained from the two sites monitored.     

Influence of oil contamination levels on hydrocarbon biodegradation in sandy sediment

The influence of oil concentration on hydrocarbon biodegradation in a sandy sediment was studied in polyvinyl chloride reactors (0.45 x 0.28 x 0.31 m) containing 76.8 kg of beach sand in natura, where the upper layer was artificially contaminated with petroleum. The oil-degrading microorganisms used consisted of a mixed culture named ND, obtained from landfarming and associated with indigenous microorganisms. On the 28th day of the process, the degradation in reactors containing sandy sediment contaminated with light Arabian oil and presenting an initial oil content of 14, 21 or 28 g kg-1 reached the following levels (%): 33.7, 32.9 and 28.9 for oil and grease; up to 88.3, 35.3 and 13.0 for C14-C26 n-alkanes; and 100, 61.3 and 59.4 for pristane, respectively. Phytane removal (37.1%) was only detected in the reactor contaminated with the lowest oil concentration studied. These results, together with the expressive bacterial growth observed (from 10(6) to 10(11) cfu g-1) give strong support to the argument that biodegradation was the dominant component of the remediation process. Susceptibility to biodegradation was inversely proportional to increasing oil contamination. The degradation of branched alkane: pristane was not repressed by the presence of n-alkanes.     

Reasons for women's non-uptake of amniocentesis

More than 10 years after a chromosomal anomaly screening programme was set up in France for pregnant women of advanced age, amniocentesis is still a controversial issue. The reasons why eligible women did not utilize the test and whether or not the existence of social welfare coverage determined women's access to prenatal diagnosis were studied. A group of 291 women aged ⩾35 years who recently gave birth to normal liveborns was interviewed by telephone. Among those aged 38 years and over, who automatically qualified for social security coverage, 75 per cent had undergone amniocentesis as opposed to 23 per cent in the 35 to 37-year-old non-covered age group who did not qualify for social security coverage. In both groups, access to amniocentesis was found to depend on the physicians', women's and male partners' attitudes towards prenatal diagnosis and abortion. Among the younger group, the uptake depended mainly on socio-economic factors. Institutional policies should ensure greater equality of access while allowing for individual preferences.     

Measuring total sustainable incomes from multifunctional management of Corsican Maritime Pine and Andalusian Cork oak Mediterranean forests

Enough advances have recently been made in income accounting theory to recommend that environmental services accruing either to the forest owner or to the general public should be included in the forest accounting system. In this study, the results of two case studies, one in Bonifatu, Corsica (France) and the other in Alcornocales, Andalusia (Spain), show that private environmental services provide the majority share of social total sustainable income in Alcornocales (29%), whereas public environmental services are the most relevant in Bonifatu (32%). The social total sustainable income measured by the agroforestry accounting system is, respectively, 1.6 and 2.4 times higher than the income estimated by economic accounts for forestry in Alcornocales and Bonifatu forests.