Brominated flame retardants and organochlorines in the European environment using great tit eggs as a biomonitoring tool

Large-scale studies are essential to assess the emission patterns and spatial distribution of organohalogenated pollutants (OHPs) in the environment. Bird eggs have several advantages compared to other environmental media which have previously been used to map the distribution of OHPs. In this study, large-scale geographical variation in the occurrence of OHPs, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), was investigated throughout Europe using eggs of a terrestrial residential passerine species, the great tit (Parus major). Great tit eggs from 22 sampling sites, involving urban, rural and remote areas, in 14 European countries were collected and analysed (5-8 eggs per sampling site). The environmentally most important congeners/compounds of the analysed pollutants were detectable in all sampling locations. For PCBs, PBDEs and OCPs, no clear geographical contamination pattern was found. Sum PCB levels ranged from 143 ng/g lipid weight (lw) to 3660 ng/g lw. As expected, PCB concentrations were significantly higher in the sampled urban compared to the remote locations. However, the urban locations did not show significantly higher concentrations compared to the rural locations. Sum PBDEs ranged from 4.0 ng/g lw to 136 ng/g lw. PBDEs were significantly higher in the urbanized sampling locations compared to the other locations. The significant, positive correlation between PCB and PBDE concentrations suggests similar spatial exposure and/or mechanisms of accumulation. Significantly higher levels of OCPs (sum OCPs ranging from 191 ng/g lw to 7830 ng/g lw) were detected in rural sampling locations. Contamination profiles of PCBs, PBDEs and OCPs differed also among the sampling locations, which may be due to local usage and contamination sources. The higher variance among sampling locations for the PCBs and OCPs, suggests that local contamination sources are more important for the PCBs and OCPs compared to the PBDEs. To our knowledge, this is the first study in which bird eggs were used as a monitoring tool for OHPs on such a large geographical scale.     

Assessment and Selection of Geomorphosites and Trails in the Miage Glacier Area (Western Italian Alps)

Glacial environments are considered geomorphosites because they exhibit all of the features that characterise sites of geomorphological interest. The Miage Glacier, in particular, is the most important debris-covered glacier of the Italian Alps, and it has been extensively studied since the 18th century because of its scientific features. In this area, the geomorphological and geological attributes are evaluated at 11 sites that have been individuated along the three main touristic trails, which allow an exploration of the surroundings of the glacial tongue and its two main lobes. Using a methodology previously tested in a fluvial environment, single sites and trails are quantitatively assessed to determine the most suitable trail for educational purposes. Hazards that could potentially affect the trails are considered in terms of both risk education and final selection of the most suitable trails for the various possible user groups. The richness of scientific data in this area should increase its importance as a geomorphosite by increasing the educational value of the Miage Glacier and the Veny Valley.     

Toxicity of tire debris leachates

Data on the indicators of environmental impact of tire debris, originated from the tire abrasion on roads, are extremely scarce, while it is well known that tires may produce deleterious effects. Tire debris contains significant quantities of zinc (Zn) which may be released by tire rubber. We have used tire particles (TD) produced in laboratory from new rubber. Two sets of experiments were set up to obtain eluates. One set used 50 and 100 g/L TD to produce eluates at pH 3-7. The Zn quantity was measured with a Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry. The eluates at 1%,10%,50%,100% concentrations in culture media were tested on Raphidocelis subcapitata, Daphnia magna and Xenopus laevis embryos (FETAX test). The other set of experiments was performed putting 250 mg/L TD in a column with glass beads to control particle dispersion during the elution process. We demonstrate that factors such as pH, size and particles aggregation deeply influence the elution process, that the amount of Zn leached from particles is related to their aggregation rather than their quantity. These results, even though do not reflect the real environmental toxicity of the leachates, can be successfully used for comparative purposes allowing an initial assessment of the potential effect of tire derived particles.     

Landfill mining from a deposit of the chlorine/organochlorine industry as source of dioxin contamination of animal feed and assessment of the responsible processes

In 1997, the Polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxin (PCDD)/Polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) concentrations in dairy products in Germany and other European countries increased. The PCDD/PCDF source was contaminated lime used in Brazilian citrus pulp pellets. The contaminated lime was mined from an industrial dump site. However, the detailed origin of the PCDD/PCDFs in the lime was not revealed. This paper investigates the contamination origin and describes the link between lime milk from the dumpsite of a chlorine/organochlorine industry and the contaminated lime. The contaminated lime stem from mining at the corporate landfill of Solvay Indupa in Sao Paulo. The landfill was used for 40 years for deposition of production residues and closed in 1996. The factory operated/operates at least two processes with potentially high PCDD/PCDFs releases namely the oxychlorination process for production of ethylene dichloride (EDC) and the chlor-alkali process. The main landfilled waste was lime milk (1.4 million tons) from the vinyl chloride monomer production (via the acetylene process) along with residues from other processes. The PCDD/PCDF fingerprint revealed that most samples from the chemical landfill showed an EDC PCDD/PCDF pattern with a characteristic octachlorodibenzofuran dominance. The PCDD/PCDF pattern of a Rio Grande sediment samples downstream the facility showed a chlor-alkali pattern with a minor impact of the EDC pattern. The case highlights that PCDD/PCDF- and persistent organic pollutants-contaminated sites need to be identified in a comprehensive manner as required by the Stockholm Convention (article 6) and controlled for their impact on the environment and human health. Landfill mining and reuse of materials from contaminated deposits should be prohibited.     

Adsorption mechanism of Zn2+, Ni2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+ ions by carbon-based adsorbents: interpretation of the adsorption isotherms via physical modelling

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A theoretical physicochemical and thermodynamic investigation of the adsorption of heavy metals Zn2+, Cd2+, Ni2+, and Cu2+on carbon-based adsorbents...     

Transport of simazine in unsaturated sandy soil and predictions of its leaching under hypothetical field conditions

The potential contamination of groundwater by herbicides is often controlled by processes in the vadose zone, through which herbicides travel before entering groundwater. In the vadose zone, both physical and chemical processes affect the fate and transport of herbicides, therefore it is important to represent these processes by mathematical models to predict contaminant movement. To simulate the movement of simazine, a herbicide commonly used in Chilean vineyards, batch and miscible displacement column experiments were performed on a disturbed sandy soil to quantify the primary parameters and processes of simazine transport. Chloride (Cl(-)) was used as a non-reactive tracer, and simazine as the reactive tracer. The Hydrus-1D model was used to estimate the parameters by inversion from the breakthrough curves of the columns and to evaluate the potential groundwater contamination in a sandy soil from the Casablanca Valley, Chile. The two-site, chemical non-equilibrium model was observed to best represent the experimental results of the miscible displacement experiments in laboratory soil columns. Predictions of transport under hypothetical field conditions using the same soil from the column experiments were made for 40 years by applying herbicide during the first 20 years, and then halting the application and considering different rates of groundwater recharge. For recharge rates smaller than 84 mm year(-1), the predicted concentration of simazine at a depth of 1 m is below the U.S. EPA's maximum contaminant levels (4 microg L(-1)). After eight years of application at a groundwater recharge rate of 180 mm year(-1) (approximately 50% of the annual rainfall), simazine was found to reach the groundwater (located at 1 m depth) at a higher concentration (more than 40 microg L(-1)) than the existing guidelines in the USA and Europe.     

Use of recycled fine aggregate in concretes with durable requirements

The use of construction waste materials as aggregates for concrete production is highly attractive compared to the use of non-renewable natural resources, promoting environmental protection and allowing the development of a new raw material. Several countries have recommendations for the use of recycled coarse aggregate in structural concrete, whereas the use of the fine fraction is limited because it may produce significant changes in some properties of concrete. However, during the last decade the use of recycled fine aggregates (RFA) has achieved a great international interest, mainly because of economic implications related to the shortage of natural sands suitable for the production of concrete, besides to allow an integral use of this type of waste. In this study, the durable behaviour of structural concretes made with different percentage of RFA (0%, 20%, and 30%) is evaluated. Different properties related to the durability of concretes such as absorption, sorptivity, water penetration under pressure, and carbonation are determined. In addition, the results of compressive strength, static modulus of elasticity and drying shrinkage are presented. The obtained results indicate that the recycled concretes have a suitable resistant and durable behaviour, according to the limits indicated by different international codes for structural concrete.     

Field Trial Assessment of Biological,Chemical, and Physical Responses of Soil to Tillage Intensity,Fertilization, and Grazing

Soil microbial populations can fluctuate in response to environmental changes and, therefore, are often used as biological indicators of soil quality. Soil chemical and physical parameters can also be used as indicators because they can vary in response to different management strategies. A long-term field trial was conducted to study the effects of different tillage systems (NT: no tillage, DH: disc harrow, and MP: moldboard plough), P fertilization (diammonium phosphate), and cattle grazing (in terms of crop residue consumption) in maize (Zea mays L.), sunflower (Heliantus annuus L.), and soybean (Glycine max L.) on soil biological, chemical, and physical parameters. The field trial was conducted for four crop years (2000/2001, 2001/2002, 2002/2003, and 2003/2004). Soil populations of Actinomycetes, Trichoderma spp., and Gliocladium spp. were 49% higher under conservation tillage systems, in soil amended with diammonium phosphate (DAP) and not previously grazed. Management practices also influenced soil chemical parameters, especially organic matter content and total N, which were 10% and 55% higher under NT than under MP. Aggregate stability was 61% higher in NT than in MP, 15% higher in P-fertilized soil, and also 9% higher in not grazed strips, bulk density being 12% lower in NT systems compared with MP. DAP application and the absence of grazing also reduced bulk density (3%). Using conservation tillage systems, fertilizing crops with DAP, and avoiding grazing contribute to soil health preservation and enhanced crop production.