Combined effect of diuron and simazine on photosystem II photochemistry in a sandy soil and soil amended with solid olive-mill waste

Diuron (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)- = 1,1-dimethylurea) and simazine (6-chloro-N(2), N(4)-diethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) are soil-applied herbicides used in olive crops. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of these herbicides on Photosystem II photochemistry of Olea europaea L., and whether the amendment of soil with an organic waste (OW) from olive oil production industry modifies this effect. For this purpose, herbicide soil adsorption studies, with unamended and OW-amended soil, and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements in adult olive leaves, after one, two and three weeks of soil herbicide treatment and/or OW amendment, were performed. Soil application of these herbicides reduced the efficiency of Photosystem II photochemistry of olive trees due to chronic photoinhibition, and this effect is counterbalanced by the addition of OW to the soil. OW reduces herbicide uptake by the plant due to an increase in herbicide adsorption.     

Effect of Fe (III) on acid degradation of methylparathion

A study was undertaken to determine the transformation kinetic of methylparathion (O, O, -dimethyl O-4 nitrophenylphosphorotioate) in the presence of Fe(III) between pH 2 and 7. The Fe(III) was not electroactive under the conditions used in this study, and polarographic signals were exhibited by methylparathion and main degradation product only. Data suggest that hydrolysis of methylparathion in an acid medium is catalyzed by Fe(III) and the pesticide did not degrade in this medium without this cation. Methylparathion degradation was observed at all the pHs studied and was independent of the predominant chemical form of Fe(III) in the aqueous medium. The reaction was first-order with pH-dependent rate constant (k) values ranging from 3.3 x 10(- 3) h(- 1) to 7.0 x 10(- 3) h(- 1). The k values increased as pH decreased, suggesting that Fe(III) acted as an electrophile in the reaction mechanism.     

Use of electrochemical technology to increase the quality of the effluents of bio-oxidation processes. A case studied

In this work, it has been studied the use of conductive-diamond electrochemical oxidation (CDEO) as a refining technology to assure the quality of the effluents of door manufacturing processes (DMP). To do this, the raw effluents of these factories have been treated by a combination of physicochemical, biological and CDEO treatments. CDEO was found to be a feasible alternative to the refinement of a wooden DMP waste. It can successfully decrease the organic load of the effluents of the biological oxidation with low energy requirements. In addition, in case of incidents in the biological process, CDEO can treat successfully the effluents of the coagulation process. The effluents of the biological treatment have also been treated by CDEO in order to check the possible use of electrochemical technology to increase the biodegradability of the effluents and their possible recycle to the biological treatment. Unfortunately, electrochemical technology was found to be not adequate to increase the biodegradability of the effluents of a biological treatment. The hard oxidation conditions generated during CDEO do not lead to the accumulation of intermediates but to the almost direct formation of carbon dioxide. Lowering the current density or changing the electrodes can not enhance the biodegradability of the effluents of an electrochemical cell.     

High chrome exhaustion in a non-float tanning process using a sulphonic aromatic acid

Tanning processes performed in drums consume large amounts of water and chemicals, most of which end up in the wastewater. This study explores an alternative approach at an industrial scale to the traditional pickle-chrome tanning method. The new method replaces formic and sulphuric acids with sulphonic aromatic acid. Because it is done without float, there is a sizeable reduction in the amount of added salt and chrome salt as well as an increase in temperatures at the end of the tanning process. From an environmental perspective, the new method offers important advantages. For instance, there is no float addition in the tannage. Also, there are reductions of 94% and 99%, respectively, in the discharge of chlorides and chrome, as well as a 75% reduction in the residual float. Our financial assessment demonstrated that the new method is 42% cheaper than a traditional approach.     

Increased thyroid volume, prevalence of thyroid antibodies and impaired fasting glucose in young adults from organochlorine cocktail polluted area: outcome of transgenerational transmission?

In 137 females (F) and 94 males (M) aged 21-35 years from organochlorines (OCs) polluted area (POLL) increased thyroid volume (ThV), prevalence of antibodies to thyroperoxidase (TPOab), thyrotropin receptor (TRab) and of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) was found compared to 116 F and 107 M from background pollution area (BCGR). In F and M from POLL also strikingly increased level of PCBs, DDE and HCB was found. Such findings were compared to the generation of their parents aged 41-55 years consisting of 320F/213M from POLL and 406F/231M from BCGR. However, in spite of strikingly lower level of those OCs in young adults from POLL, they showed about the same prevalence of adverse health signs as the old generation. From such reason 44 young F and 40 young M with lowest PCBs level from POLL were selected to obtain nearly the same PCB level as found in all young F and M from BCGR. In such PCB adjusted groups the prevalence of TPOab, TRab, IFG and increased ThV was still significantly higher than that in all young subjects from BCGR. At the same time, also the level of DDE and HCB in such PCBs adjusted groups was considerably lower. It was concluded that such adverse effects in young adults from POLL possibly did not result from their actual OCs levels, but very likely from their exposure to high OCs levels of their mothers during their prenatal and perinatal life. Thus, the data may be compatible with present views on transgenerational transmission of endocrine disruptors action.     

Antibacterial behavior of silver-modified clinoptilolite-heulandite rich tuff on coliform microorganisms from wastewater in a column system

The water disinfecting behavior of silver-modified clinoptilolite–heulandite rich tuff (ZSAg) as an antibacterial agent against coliform microorganisms from water in a continuous mode was investigated. Silver recovery from the disinfected effluents by the sodium-modified clinoptilolite–heulandite rich tuff (ZSNa) was also considered. Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739) and total coliform microorganisms, as indicators of microbiological contamination of water, were chosen to achieve the disinfection of synthetic wastewater or municipal wastewater. Ammonium (NH₄⁺) and chloride (Cl⁻) ions were added to the synthetic wastewater as an interfering chemical species on the disinfection processes. The antibacterial activity of the ZSAg as a bactericide was measured by the coliform concentration as evaluated by the APHA method. The amount of silver in the disinfected effluents was determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The inactivation of the ZSAg was calculated from the breakthrough curves based on the model reported by Gupta et al. It was found that when the silver concentration in the effluent is less than 0.6 μg/mL, the bacterial survival percentage increased and the volume of disinfected water diminished. The total silver amounts found in the effluent at the end of the disinfection processes varied depending on the water treated (synthetic or municipal wastewater). The presence of NH₄⁺ ions in synthetic wastewater influent notably improved the disinfected water volume (zero NVC/100 mL), in comparison to the disinfection of the same influent without NH₄⁺ ions. A contrary water disinfection behavior was observed in the presence of Cl⁻ ions. The silver recovery does not depend on the mass of the sodium zeolitic bed according with the wastewater to be treated (synthetic or municipal wastewater) and the presence of NH₄⁺ or Cl⁻ ions in the influent also influenced the silver recovery from wastewater. The ZSNa did not have antibacterial activity. Therefore the amount of bactericide agent (silver-modified natural zeolite), coliform microorganisms from water (E. coli or consort of coliform microorganisms) as well as the water quality (synthetic wastewater or municipal wastewater) influenced both the disinfection process and the silver recovery in a column system.     

Inverse modeling of multicomponent reactive transport through single and dual porosity media

Compacted bentonite is foreseen as buffer material for high-level radioactive waste in deep geological repositories because it provides hydraulic isolation, chemical stability, and radionuclide sorption. A wide range of laboratory tests were performed within the framework of FEBEX (Full-scale Engineered Barrier EXperiment) project to characterize buffer properties and develop numerical models for FEBEX bentonite. Here we present inverse single and dual-continuum multicomponent reactive transport models of a long-term permeation test performed on a 2.5 cm long sample of FEBEX bentonite. Initial saline bentonite porewater was flushed with 5.5 pore volumes of fresh granitic water. Water flux and chemical composition of effluent waters were monitored during almost 4 years. The model accounts for solute advection and diffusion and geochemical reactions such as aqueous complexation, acid-base, cation exchange, protonation/deprotonation by surface complexation and dissolution/precipitation of calcite, chalcedony and gypsum. All of these processes are assumed at local equilibrium. Similar to previous studies of bentonite porewater chemistry on batch systems which attest the relevance of protonation/deprotonation on buffering pH, our results confirm that protonation/deprotonation is a key process in maintaining a stable pH under dynamic transport conditions. Breakthrough curves of reactive species are more sensitive to initial porewater concentration than to effective diffusion coefficient. Optimum estimates of initial porewater chemistry of saturated compacted FEBEX bentonite are obtained by solving the inverse problem of multicomponent reactive transport. While the single-continuum model reproduces the trends of measured data for most chemical species, it fails to match properly the long tails of most breakthrough curves. Such limitation is overcome by resorting to a dual-continuum reactive transport model.     

Monitoring PCDD/Fs, PCBs and metals in the ambient air of an industrial area of Catalonia, Spain

In 2005 and 2006, the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and metals (As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Tl and V) were measured in air samples collected in an industrial area of Sant Adrià del Besòs (Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain) where a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) is placed, and in a background/control area. In general terms, concentrations of all environmental pollutants were higher at the industrial site. No significant seasonal/temporal variations were observed in any of the areas. No Pearson correlation was found between the PCDD/F concentrations and the environmental conditions of the two sampling periods considered. Principal component analyses (PCA) were performed to get information on the relationship among samples, pollutants, and emission sources. The results indicate that the MSWI of S. Adrià de Besòs is not a significant emission source of the above compounds for the area under its direct influence. Moreover, a notable difference in the PCDD/F congener profiles was found between ambient air and stack gas emissions, indicating that the current levels of PCDD/Fs are more related to other potential emissions sources rather than to those from the MSWI.     

Model approach for estimating potato pesticide bioconcentration factor

We presented a model that estimates the bioconcentration factor (BCF) of pesticides in potatoes supposing that the pesticide in the soil solution is absorbed by the potato by passive diffusion, following Fick's second law. The pesticides in the model are nonionic organic substances, traditionally used in potato crops that degrade in the soil according to a first-order kinetic equation. This presents an expression that relates BCF with the pesticide elimination rate by the potato, with the pesticide accumulation rate within the potato, with the rate of growth of the potato and with the pesticide degradation rate in the soil. BCF was estimated supposing steady state equilibrium of the quotient between the pesticide concentration in the potato and the pesticide concentration in the soil solution. It is suggested that a negative correlation exists between the pesticide BCF and the soil sorption partition coefficient. The model was built based on the work of Trapp et al. [Trapp, S., Cammarano, A., Capri, E., Reichenberg, F., Mayer, P., 2007. Diffusion of PAH in potato and carrot slices and application for a potato model. Environ. Sci. Technol. 41 (9), 3103-3108], in which an expression to calculate the diffusivity of persistent organic substances in potatoes is presented. The model consists in adding to the expression of Trapp et al. [Trapp, S., Cammarano, A., Capri, E., Reichenberg, F., Mayer, P., 2007. Diffusion of PAH in potato and carrot slices and application for a potato model. Environ. Sci. Technol. 41 (9), 3103-3108] the hypothesis that the pesticide degrades in the soil. The value of BCF suggests which pesticides should be monitored in potatoes.     

Chemosensory discrimination of familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics by lizards: implications of field spatial relationships between males

The ability of territorial lizards to discriminate between scents of neighbors and non-neighbors might contribute to decreasing the costs of aggressive interactions. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a field study to analyze the spatial relationships between male Iberian rock-lizards, Lacerta monticola. We then used the same individuals in a laboratory experiment to test whether male lizards can use chemical cues to discriminate between familiar conspecific males (those whose home ranges overlapped) and unfamiliar conspecific males (those whose home ranges did not overlap, and whose home range centers were at least 50 m apart). Differences in tongue-flick rates in the presence of chemical cues suggested that male L. monticola discriminated between odors of familiar and unfamiliar males. The behavioral responses were also dependent on relative differences in body size between the responding male and the unfamiliar male that donated the scent: There was a significant negative correlation between tongue-flick rates emitted in cages of unfamiliar males and the body size differences between males. In contrast, when the donor of the scent was a familiar male, the tongue-flick rate was not dependent on body size differences. These results are compatible with individual discrimination through chemical cues in male L. monticola.