Mercury and methyl mercury ratios in caimans (Caiman crocodilus yacare) from the Pantanal area, Brazil

The Pantanal region is the largest floodplain area in the world and of great biological importance due to its unique flora and fauna. This area is continuously undergoing increasing anthropogenic threats, and has also experienced mercury contamination associated with gold mining and other anthropogenic activities. Pantanal caimans are top-level predators, and, as such, show great potential to accumulate mercury (Hg) by biomagnification. In this study 79 specimens from four locations in the Pantanal were analyzed for total Hg and methyl mercury (MeHg) by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. Total Hg contents ranged from 0.02 to 0.36 μg g(-1) (ww), and most specimens presented MeHg ratios above 70%. One of the sites, impacted by anthropogenic activities, presented significantly higher total Hg in comparison to three less impacted sites, supporting the hypothesis that caimans can, in fact, be considered effective bioindicators of ecosystem health.     

Treatment of cork boiling wastewater using chemical oxidation and biodegradation

Three cultures were enriched from cork boiling wastewater using tannic acid as the selective carbon substrate, at 25 degrees C and pH 7.2, 25 degrees C and pH 4.7 and 50 degrees C and pH 4.7. The enrichment culture obtained at neutral pH was composed of five culturable isolates, whereas from each acidic enrichment two bacterial strains were isolated. Mesophilic isolates were Gram negative bacteria belonging to the genera Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas and Burkholderia. Thermophilic isolates were members of the genus Bacillus. Despite the capability of the enrichment cultures to use tannic acid as single carbon and energy source, those cultures were unable to reduce the total polyphenols or the total organic carbon content of cork boiling wastewater. In order to increase the bioavailability of the organic carbon in cork boiling wastewater, biodegradation was preceded by Fenton oxidation. It was demonstrated that the combined process, using small amounts of Fenton reagents and biodegradative inoculum added almost simultaneously to cork boiling wastewater, leads to TOC reductions of more than 90%.     

Effects of Land Use Changes on the Ecosystem Service Values of Coastal Wetlands

Changes in the coastal landscape of Southern Sinaloa (Mexico), between 2000 and 2010, were analyzed to relate spatial variations in wetlands extent with the provision and economic value of the ecosystem services (ES). Remote sensing techniques applied to Landsat TM imagery were used to evaluate land use/land cover changes while the value transfer method was used to assess the value of ES by land cover category. Five wetland types and other four land covers were found as representative of the coastal landscape. Findings reveal a 14 % decrease in the saltmarsh/forested mangrove area and a 12 % increase in the area of shrimp pond aquaculture (artificial wetland) during the study period. ES valuation shows that the total value flow increased by 9 % from $215 to $233 million (2007 USD) during the 10-year period. This increase is explained as result of the high value worldwide assigned to saltmarsh. We recognize limitations in the transfer-based approach in quantifying and mapping ES values in the region, but this method provides with value estimates spatially defined, and also provides some guidance in the preliminary screening of policies and projected development in the context of data-scarce regions.     

Association between occupational exposure to domestic solid waste and dental caries: a cross-sectional study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Studies have shown that domestic waste collectors are exposed to toxicants including infectious pathogens, which may be linked to their oral health...     

Biological index based on epiphytic diatom assemblages is more restrictive than the physicochemical index in water assessment on an Amazon floodplain,Brazil

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI) provides protection for freshwater life promoting healthy ecosystems and safeguarding human health. Biological...     

Effects of paracetamol on the polychaete Hediste diversicolor: occurrence of oxidative stress,cyclooxygenase inhibition and behavioural alterations

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Pharmaceuticals are significant environmental stressors, since they are utilized around the world; they are usually released in to the aquatic system...     

Effects of acetaminophen in oxidative stress and neurotoxicity biomarkers of the gastropod Phorcus lineatus

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The growing use of pharmaceutical drugs has become a major environmental issue considering that these substances (or their metabolites) end up...     

Road traffic impact on urban atmospheric aerosol loading at Oporto,Portugal

At urban areas in south Europe atmospheric aerosol levels are frequently above legislation limits as a result of road traffic and favourable climatic conditions for photochemical formation and dust suspension. Strategies for urban particulate pollution control have to take into account specific regional characteristics and need correct information concerning the sources of the aerosol.With these objectives, the ionic and elemental composition of the fine (PM_2.5) and coarse (PM_2.5–10) aerosol was measured at two contrasting sites in the centre of the city of Oporto, roadside (R) and urban background (UB), during two campaigns, in winter and summer.Application of Spatial Variability Factors, in association with Principal Component/Multilinear Regression/Inter-site Mass Balance Analysis, to aerosol data permitted to identify and quantify 5 main groups of sources, namely direct car emissions, industry, photochemical production, dust suspension and sea salt transport. Traffic strongly influenced PM mass and composition. Direct car emissions and road dust resuspension contributed with 44–66% to the fine aerosol and with 12 to 55% to the coarse particles mass at both sites, showing typically highest loads at roadside. In fine particles secondary origin was also quite important in aerosol loading, principally during summer, with 28–48% mass contribution, at R and UB sites respectively. Sea spray has an important contribution of 18–28% to coarse aerosol mass in the studied area, with a highest relative contribution at UB site.Application of Spatial Variability/Mass Balance Analysis permitted the estimation of traffic contribution to soil dust in both size ranges, across sites and seasons, demonstrating that as much as 80% of present dust can result from road traffic resuspension.