Geochemical assessment of metal concentrations in sediment core of Korangi Creek along Karachi Coast, Pakistan

Sediment core from Korangi Creek, one of the polluted coastal locations along the Karachi Coast Pakistan, was collected to trace the history of marine pollution and to determine the impact of industrial activity in the area. Down core variation of metals such as Ca, K, Mg, Al, S, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn was studied in the 72.0 cm core. Nuclear analytical techniques, proton induced X-rays emission (PIXE), was employed to ascertain the chemical composition in sediment core. Grain size analysis and sediment composition of cored samples indicated that Korangi creek sediments are clayey in nature. Correlation matrix revealed a strong association of Ni, Cu, Cr and Zn with Fe and Mn. To infer anthropogenic input, enrichment factor (EF), degree of contamination and pollution load index were calculated. EF showed severe enrichment in surface sediment for Ni, Cu, Cr and Zn, indicating increased industrial effluents discharge in recent years. The study suggests that heavy metal discharge in the area should be regulated. If the present trend of enrichment is allowed to continue unabated, it is most likely that the local food web complexes in the creek might be at highest risk.     

Delineating shallow saline groundwater zones from Southern India using geophysical indicators

A geophysical survey was conducted over an industrial belt encompassing 80 functional leather factories in Southern India. These factories discharge untreated effluents which pollute shallow groundwater where electrical conductivity (EC) value had a wide range between 545 and 26,600 μS/cm (mean, 3, 901 μS/cm). The ranges of Na⁺ and Cl^? ions were from 46 to 4,850 mg/L (mean, 348 mg/L) and 25 to 10,390 mg/L (mean, 1,079 mg/L), respectively. Geoelectrical layer parameters of 37 vertical electrical soundings were analyzed to demarcate fresh and saline water zones. However, the analysis not did lead to a unique resolution of saline and fresh waters. It was difficult to assign a definitive value to the aquifer resistivity of any area. Thus, geophysical indicators, namely longitudinal unit conductance (S), transverse unit resistance (T), and average longitudinal resistivity (R _s), were calculated for identifying fresh and saline waters. Spatial distributions of S, T, and R _s reflected widely varying ranges for the saline and fresh water zones. Further, the empirical relation of formation factor (F) was established from pore-water resistivity and aquifer resistivity for fresh and saline aquifers, which may be used to estimate local EC values from the aquifer resistivity, where well water is not available.     

Fractionation of heavy metals and assessment of contamination of the sediments of Lake Titicaca

Chemical weathering is one of the major geochemical processes that control the mobilization of heavy metals. The present study provides the first report on heavy metal fractionation in sediments (8–156 m) of Lake Titicaca (3,820 m a.s.l.), which is shared by the Republic of Peru and the Plurinational State of Bolivia. Both contents of total Cu, Fe, Ni, Co, Mn, Cd, Pb, and Zn and also the fractionation of these heavy metals associated with four different fractions have been determined following the BCR scheme. The principal component analysis suggests that Co, Ni, and Cd can be attributed to natural sources related to the mineralized geological formations. Moreover, the sources of Cu, Fe, and Mn are effluents and wastes generated from mining activities, while Pb and Zn also suggest that their common source is associated to mining activities. According to the Risk Assessment Code, there is a moderate to high risk related to Zn, Pb, Cd, Mn, Co, and Ni mobilization and/or remobilization from the bottom sediment to the water column. Furthermore, the Geoaccumulation Index and the Enrichment Factor reveal that Zn, Pb, and Cd are enriched in the sediments. The results suggest that the effluents from various traditional mining waste sites in both countries are the main source of heavy metal contamination in the sediments of Lake Titicaca.     

Effect of a reservoir in the water quality of the Reconquista River, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The lower portion of the Reconquista River is highly polluted. However, little is known about the state of the high and middle basins. The aims of this work were to assess the water quality on the high and middle Reconquista River basins and to determinate if the presence of a reservoir in the river has a positive effect on the water quality. We conducted a seasonal study between August 2009 and November 2010 at the mouth of La Choza, Durazno, and La Horqueta streams at the Roggero reservoir—which receives the water from the former streams—at the origin of the Reconquista River and 17 km downstream from the reservoir. We measured 25 physical and chemical parameters, including six heavy metal concentrations, and performed a multivariate statistical analysis to summarize the information and allow the interpretation of the whole data set. We found that the Durazno and La Horqueta streams had better water quality than La Choza, and the presence of the reservoir contributed to the improvement of the water quality, allowing oxygenation of the water body and processing of organic matter and ammonia. The water quality of the Reconquista River at its origin is good and similar to the reservoir, but a few kilometers downstream, the water quality declines as a consequence of the presence of industries and human settlements. Therefore, the Roggero reservoir produces a significant improvement of water quality of the river, but the discharge of contaminants downstream quickly reverses this effect.     

DDT, DDE, and 1-hydroxypyrene levels in children (in blood and urine samples) from Chiapas and Oaxaca, Mexico

The aim of this study was to evaluate the DDT, DDE, and 1-hydroxypyrene exposure levels of children living in communities located in southeastern Mexico. The study communities were Lacanja and Victoria in Chiapas state and Ventanilla in Oaxaca state. Children living in Lacanja had total blood DDT levels (mean?±?SD, 29,039.6?±?11,261.4 ng/g lipid) that were significantly higher than those of children in Victoria (10,220.5?±?7,893.1 ng/g lipid) and Ventanilla (11,659.7?±?6,683.7 ng/g lipid). With respect to the 1-hydroxypyrene levels in urine samples, the levels in Lacanja (4.8?±?4.1 μg/L or 4.5?±?3.9 μmol/mol creatinine) and Victoria (4.6?±?3.8 μg/L or 3.9?±?3.0 μmol/mol Cr) were significantly higher than levels found in Ventanilla (3.6?±?1.4 μg/L or 2.5?±?0.5 μmol/mol Cr). In conclusion, our data indicate high levels of exposure in children living in the communities studied in this work. The evidence found in this study could be further used as a trigger to revisit local policies on environmental exposures.     

Ozone facilitated dechlorination of 2-chloroethanol and impact of organic solvents and activated charcoal

The ozone-initiated oxidation of 2-chloroethanol was followed by monitoring the consumption of the halogenated organic substrate. Gas chromatographic analysis of the ozonated products showed an increase in conversion from about 1 % after 3 h of ozone treatment to about 22 % after 12 h. The yields of major ozonated products identified and quantified namely acetaldehyde, acetic acid, and chloride ion increased proportionately as a function of ozone treatment time. The percent conversion of 2-chloroethanol in the presence of acetic acid or ethyl acetate were found to be higher than those under solvent-free conditions with similar products obtained. The use of activated charcoal during the ozonolyis of 2-chloroethanol showed a significant increase in the percent conversion of the substrate compared to solvent free ozonation. Based on the experimental findings, the overall mechanism for the reaction between 2-chloroethanol and ozone is described.     

我国流域水生态完整性评价方法构建

流域水生态完整性评价是指通过对水生态系统中不同水生态指标(生物和非生物)的监测以及由数学方法综合形成的综合评价指数,来反映水生态系统完整性状况。近年来,世界各国水环境管理政策发生了变化,开始强调生态保护,重视水体的生态质量。中国现行的常规理化监测指标(如COD、氨氮、BOD5)很难满足水环境管理的需求,难以全面准确地反映水环境质量变化的趋势。因此,在借鉴欧美发达国家流域水生态完整性评价方法的基础上,结合中国目前监测现状以及流域水环境管理需求,构建了包括物理生境指标、理化指标、水生生物指标在内的流域水生态完整性监测与评价方法,以期为中国流域水质目标管理技术体系的业务化运行提供可资借鉴的技术支撑,实现从单一的化学指标监测转向综合的水生态系统监测,实现流域水生态完整性的监测与评价。