Organochlorine pesticides in the surrounding soils of POPs destruction facility: source fingerprinting,human health,and ecological risks assessment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The elimination of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) obsolete pesticides stockpiles, particularly the organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), is one of...     

Further Results on Permit Markets with Market Power and Cheating

This paper examines a market for pollution permits in which one firm has market power and one or more firms is noncompliant. I show that the firm with market power may choose to hold more permits than it needs, effectively retiring permits from the market. I also show that some noncompliance may be socially desirable because it can mitigate the distortion caused by market power. Similarly, some degree of market power may be socially desirable because it can, in turn, mitigate the distortion caused by noncompliance.     

Effects of dosing and routes of administration on excretion and metabolism of 14-C dieldrin in rats

The biotransformation and elimination of ¹⁴C-dieldrin (HEOD) in non-acute toxic concentrations were investigated in male rats. A population of 36 rats was divided into two equal subgroups which were either exposed intraperitoneally (i.p.) or orally to 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 mg dieldrin/kg body weight on five consecutive days. 74–84 percent of the cumulative doses were eliminated via faeces and urine within 14 days for all groups. However, the daily excretion of dieldrin-derived residues, calculated as percent of the amount actually stored in the tissues, was significantly different between orally and i.p. treated groups. Also relatively large differences in the kinetic of excretion were found in the beginning of the experiment among individuals of the entire test population and among the six exposure groups. Ninety percent of the radioactive carbon compounds, excreted with urine and faeces, were extracted, purified and chromatographed with T.L.C. techniques. Four major radioactive fractions were isolated and identified from faecal and renal extracts of each group. Comparative studies of the nature (GLC-MS) and of the quantity (T.L.C./G.L.C.) of the metabolites and the parent compound indicated no significant differences in the pattern of metabolism as a consequence of different doses and/or routes of administration.     

Thiram: degradation, applications and analytical methods

In this review a brief introduction to thiram (tetramethylthiuram disulfide; TMTD) pesticide has been given along with other applications. All the important methods available are systematically arranged and are listed under various techniques. Some of these methods have been applied for the determination of thiram in commercial formulations, synthetic mixtures in grains, vegetables and fruits. A comparison of different methods is the salient feature of this review.     

Turning waste to wealth-biodegradable plastics polyhydroxyalkanoates from palm oil mill effluent – a Malaysian perspective

Palm oil industries have been contributing significantly towards the country’s economy and increase standard of living among Malaysians. However, it has also been identified as the major contributor for discharging the largest pollution load throughout the country. Owing to high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), the palm oil mill effluent (POME) cannot be discharged directly into the environment. Thus, palm oil industries are facing tremendous challenges in order to comply with environmental regulations. While anaerobic digestion has been employed by most mills as primary treatment, POME can also be a potential source of degradable organic material which can be converted into value-added products and fine chemicals. Organic acids generated during acid-phase anaerobic digestion of POME could be a potential carbon source for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)- a biodegradable thermoplastic material of microbial origin. This paper aims at understanding how organic acids from POME may serve as a renewable feedstock for the biosynthesis of PHA.     

The level and distribution of selected organochlorine pesticides in sediments from River Chenab,Pakistan

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), viz. β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), γ-HCH, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, endosulfan-I, endosulfan-II, heptachlor endoepoxide, heptachlor exoepoxide, mirex, dicofol, o,p′-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (o,p′-DDT), p,p′-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p′-DDT), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD), and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethylene (DDE) and 12 other physicochemical parameters were measured in surface sediments from River Chenab during two sampling seasons (summer and winter, 2007) to evaluate spatial and temporal trends of sediment pollution. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis identified three groups of sites based on spatial similarities in physicochemical parameters and OCP residual concentrations. Spatial discriminant function analysis (DFA) segregated 14 parameters, viz. dicofol, endosulfan-I, heptachlor endoepoxide, dieldrin, DDD, DDE, endosulfan-II, o,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDT, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), Cl⁻¹, total P (%), and silt, which explained 96% of total variance between spatial groups. γ-HCH was the most frequently detected (63%) pesticide, followed by DDD (56%). The ratio of DDTs to their metabolites indicated current input and anaerobic biodegradation. Temporal DFA highlighted aldrin, heptachlor endoepoxide, Cl⁻¹, total P, and EC as important variables which caused variations between summer and winter. DDTs were relatively more prevalent as compared to other OCPs in the sediments samples during both seasons. DDT metabolites were detected at greater frequencies and concentrations in winter, whereas DDT isomers were more prevalent in summer sediment samples. Factor analysis identified agricultural and industrial activities as major sources of sediment OCP contamination. Concentrations of γ-HCH, heptachlor endoepoxide, dieldrin, and DDTs (isomers and metabolites) in all sediment samples were well above interim sediment quality guidelines (ISQGs) and probable effect limits (PEL) given by Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines (CSQGs).     

Organochlorine residual concentrations in cattle egret from the Punjab Province, Pakistan

In this study, residual concentration of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the sediments, prey, and eggs of Bubulcus ibis were measured from three breeding heronries from the Punjab province of Pakistan. Pattern of contamination in eggs followed the order: DDTs > HCHs > heptachlor > aldrin. Overall, pesticide residual concentrations were greater in eggs of cattle egrets collected from heronry on the River Ravi. Among HCHs, ??-HCH was more prevalent in eggs, whereas DDTs followed the order: DDD > DDE > p,p ^??-DDT > o,p ^??-DDT. Eggshell thinning was detected which showed negative relationship with residual concentration of DDE. In prey samples, residual concentration of POPs followed the order: DDTs > HCHs > dicofol > heptachlor; however, contamination pattern in sediments followed a slightly different order: DDTs > heptachlor > dicofol > HCHs > dieldrin > aldrin. Concentration of ??-HCH was more prevalent in sediments and comparatively greater concentrations of POPs were measured in sediments collected from the River Ravi. Dicofol was found for the very first time in the biological samples from Pakistan, and its concentration was measured as relatively high in eggs from heronry from the River Chenab. Residual concentrations measured in eggs were below the levels that could affect egret populations. Biomagnification of the total OCPs through the food chain was evident in three breeding heronries. The concentration of DDE measured in eggs of the cattle egret suggests the need for monitoring this contaminant in other bird species at different trophic levels.     

Nexus between willingness to pay for renewable energy sources: evidence from Turkey

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The willingness to pay (WTP) plays a central role in directing appropriate policy regarding ambitious renewable energy targets. Based on this...     

Does green environmental innovation really matter for carbon-free economy? Nexus among green technological innovation,green international trade,and green power generation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study examines the association among the green energy production (GEP), green technological innovation (GTI), and green international trade (GIT)...