Agricultural reuse of reclaimed water and uptake of organic compounds: pilot study at Mutah University wastewater treatment plant, Jordan

The residues of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorinated benzenes (CBs) and phenols were investigated for soil, wastewater, groundwater and plants. The uptake concentration of these compounds was comparatively determined using various plant types: Zea mays L., Helianthus annus L., Capsicum annum L., Abelmoschus esculentus L., Solanum melongena L. and Lycopersicon esculentum L. which were grown in a pilot site established at Mutah University wastewater treatment plant, Jordan. Soil, wastewater, groundwater and various plant parts (roots, leaves and fruits) samples were extracted in duplicate, cleaned up by open-column chromatography and analyzed by a multi-residue analytical methods using gas chromatography equipped with either mass selective detector (GC/MS), electron capture detector (GC/ECD), or flame ionization detector (FID). Environmentally relevant concentrations of targeted compounds were detected for wastewater much higher than for groundwater. The overall distribution profiles of PAHs and PCBs appeared similar for groundwater and wastewater indicating common potential pollution sources. The concentrations of PAHs, PCBs and phenols for different soils ranged from 169.34 to 673.20 microg kg(-1), 0.04 to 73.86 microg kg(-1) and 73.83 to 8724.42 microg kg(-1), respectively. However, much lower concentrations were detected for reference soil. CBs were detected in very low concentrations. Furthermore, it was found that different plants have different uptake and translocation behavior. As a consequence, there are some difficulties in evaluating the translocation of PAHs, CBs, PCBs and phenols from soil-roots-plant system. The uptake concentrations of various compounds from soil, in which plants grown, were dependent on plant variety and plant part, and they showed different uptake concentrations. Among the different plant parts, roots were found to be the most contaminated and fruits the least contaminated.     

Long-term oxygen depletion from infiltrating groundwaters: model development and application to intra-glaciation and glaciation conditions

Processes that control the redox conditions in deep groundwaters have been studied. The understanding of such processes in a long-term perspective is important for the safety assessment of a deep geological repository for high-level nuclear waste. An oxidising environment at the depth of the repository would increase the solubility and mobility of many radionuclides, and increase the potential risk for radioactive contamination at the ground surface. Proposed repository concepts also include engineered barriers such as copper canisters, the corrosion of which increases considerably in an oxidising environment compared to prevailing reducing conditions. Swedish granitic rocks are typically relatively sparsely fractured and are best treated as a dual-porosity medium with fast flowing channels through fractures in the rock with a surrounding porous matrix, the pores of which are accessible from the fracture by diffusive transport. Highly simplified problems have been explored with the aim to gain understanding of the underlying transport processes, thermodynamics and chemical reaction kinetics. The degree of complexity is increased successively, and mechanisms and processes identified as of key importance are included in a model framework. For highly complex models, analytical expressions are not fully capable of describing the processes involved, and in such cases the solutions are obtained by numerical calculations. Deep in the rock the main source for reducing capacity is identified as reducing minerals. Such minerals are found inside the porous rock matrix and as infill particles or coatings in fractures in the rock. The model formulation also allows for different flow modes such as flow along discrete fractures in sparsely fractured rocks and along flowpaths in a fracture network. The scavenging of oxygen is exemplified for these cases as well as for more comprehensive applications, including glaciation considerations. Results show that chemical reaction kinetics control the scavenging of oxygen during a relatively short time with respect to the lifetime of the repository. For longer times the scavenging of oxygen is controlled by transport processes in the porous rock matrix. The penetration depth of oxygen along the flowpath depends largely on the hydraulic properties, which may vary significantly between different locations and situations. The results indicate that oxygen, in the absence of easily degradable organic matter, may reach long distances along a flow path during the life-time of the repository (hundreds to thousands of metres in a million years depending on e.g. hydraulic properties of the flow path and the availability of reducing capacity). However, large uncertainties regarding key input parameters exist leading to the conclusion that the results from the model must be treated with caution pending more accurate and validated data. Ongoing and planned experiments are expected to reduce these uncertainties, which are required in order to make more reliable predictions for a safety assessment of a nuclear waste repository.     

Using data linkage to assess the impact of motorized recreational vehicle-related injuries in Ohio

Problem

Motorized recreational vehicle (MRV)-related injuries can result in severe medical and financial consequences. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology, and clinical and financial impact of MRV-related injuries in Ohio.

Method

Probabilistically linked statewide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and hospital (inpatient and emergency department) data for 2003 and 2004 were examined. Record pairs with a MRV-related E-code (E821-E823, E825) were included in this study.

Results

There were 2,893 patients with MRV-related injuries, who had linked EMS and hospital records, resulting in more than $15 million in hospital charges and 1,921 inpatient days of hospitalization. The male-to-female ratio was nearly 4:1, and 19% were younger than 16. Almost 82% of cases were not wearing a helmet; there was a trend of decreasing helmet use with increasing age. Mean (SE) inpatient hospital charges and length of stay (LOS) were $22,218 ($1,290) and 3.8 (0.2) days, respectively. The mean (SE) Injury Severity Score (ISS) for inpatients was 9.2 (0.4). Individuals injured on a street/highway were 3.20 times more likely to sustain an ISS ≥ 16 (95% CI: 1.03, 9.88; p = 0.044) and 3.05 times more likely to sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) (95% CI: 1.17, 7.94; p = 0.024) than those who were injured at a place designated for sport or recreation. Children aged 12 to 15 and young adults aged 16 to 25 were 2.47 and 2.14 times more likely, respectively, to sustain a TBI than adults aged 36 or older (aged 12 to 15: 95% CI: 1.13, 5.38; p = 0.024; aged 16 to 25: 95% CI: 1.26, 3.64; p = 0.005). Higher ISS was associated with both higher total charges (p < 0.001) and longer LOS (p < 0.001).

Discussion

This study demonstrates that MRV-related injuries are an important public health problem in Ohio, with a substantial clinical and financial impact.

Impact on Industry

Enactment and enforcement of statewide MRV safety legislation and training of MRV users offer valuable opportunities to prevent these costly injuries.     

Urban observatories opportunities for environmental monitoring: solid wastes

Towns concentrate around 50% of world-wide population and the trend is oriented to underscore an urban profile of population. In addition, towns have become important for their economic contribution to the Gross Internal Product. The negative side of towns is the environmental and social impacts as a result of productive and domestic activities, besides the lack of available data. In order to overcome these shortcomings, the United Nations has established a project of urban monitoring throughout the Global Network of Urban Observatories; Mexico joined the project in 2005. The Local Urban Observatory of Mexicali has the task to produce information about cities that is useful to design public policies. Some of this information deals with a set of environmental indicators in the United Nations Habitat Agenda, which includes solid wastes. Therefore, this paper deals with two main topics; firstly, from the Habitat Agenda, a comparative urban analysis of waste production and coverage of domestic waste collection services; secondly, from the Local Agenda, the identification and ranking of environmental problems according to public perception coming from people involved in the municipal planning and decision making process. Results will be used to develop local indicators and public environmental policies.     

Agricultural Chemicals in the Alluvial Aquifer of a Typical County of the Arkansas Delta

Statistical methods and a Geographic Information System (GIS) were used to investigate potential indicators of ground water vulnerability to agricultural chemical contamination in a representative area of the Mississippi River alluvial aquifer. A total of 47 wells were sampled for analysis of nitrate, phosphorus, potassium, and 13 pesticides commonly-used in the area. Ten soil and hydrogeologic variables and five ground water vulnerability indices were examined to explain the variations of chemical concentrations. The results showed that no individual soil or hydrogeologic variables or their linear combinations could explain more than 25% of the variation of the chemical concentrations. A quadratic response surface model with the values of confining unit thickness, slope, soil permeability, depth to ground water, and recharge rate accounted for 62% of the variation of nitrate, 43% of P, and 83% of K, suggesting that the interactions among soil and hydrogeologic variables were significant. Observed trends of decreasing nitrate and P concentrations with increasing well depth and/or depth to ground water seemed to correlate with carbonate equilibrium in the aquifer and more reduced environment with depth. In view of uncertainties involved, it was recognized that the limitations associated with input data resolution used in GIS and the formulation of leaching indices limited their use for predicting ground water vulnerability. Misuse of pesticides could be another factor that would complicate the relationships between pesticide concentrations and the vulnerability indices.     

Molecular response of the sponge Suberites domuncula to bacterial infection

The aim of this study was the documentation of the molecular immune response of Suberites domuncula upon bacterial infection. Additionally, the bacteria that are naturally present in the sponge after prolonged aquarium maintenance were characterized. After 6 months of maintenance of S. domuncula in seawater aquaria, only one bacterial 16S rDNA sequence could be recovered, which belongs to the genus Pseudomonas. Concomitantly, morphologically uniform bacteria were found encapsulated in bacteriocytes. These findings indicate that certain bacteria, possibly of the genus Pseudomonas, are able to persist for long periods in host bacteriocytes. Subsequent to performing a previously established infection assay with S. domuncula, a potentially pathogenic Vibrio sp. was isolated from the tissues. Furthermore, the host tissue disintegrated and asexual propagation bodies (gemmules) were formed. In order to gain insights into the molecular events occurring after bacterial infection, the stress-response kinases, p38 protein kinase and JNK protein kinase, were analyzed. It is demonstrated that these two kinases are activated (phosphorylated) upon incubation of the tissue with the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Moreover, LPS strongly inhibits protein synthesis. It is concluded that there are many functionally different interactions between S. domuncula and bacteria and that the animal possesses mechanisms to differentiate between bacteria and to respond accordingly.     

The ichthyofaunal composition of the Elbe Estuary: an analysis in space and time

A stow net (90 m² opening) was used, at regular intervals between July 1989 and June 1993, to collect fish over ca. 4 h on both the flood and ebb tides at five sites distributed at regularly spaced distances throughout the Elbe Estuary. Overall, 53.4% of the species were marine, and some of these were abundant, e.g.Clupea harengus, Pleuronectes flesus, Pomatoschistus minutus, Merlangius merlangus and Sprattus sprattus. However, in terms of number of individuals, such species contributed only 9.1%, compared with 90.0% by anadromous species, which was predominantly due to exceptionally high catches of Osmerus eperlanus. The ichthyofaunal compositions on the flood and ebb tides were similar, even downstream where salinities change markedly during each tidal cycle. Although this is probably due in part to groups of fish being swept first upstream on the flood tide and then back downstream on the ebb tide, several species clearly tended to occupy particular regions of the estuary. Each year the species composition changed sequentially from the most downstream site (max. salinity=ca. 31.4‰) to the most upstream site (max. salinity=ca. 1.5‰), mainly as a result of a sequential decline in the number and abundance of marine species and a progressive increase in the contributions of both anadromous and freshwater species. However, the marine species diagnostic of differences in the compositions among regions varied between years. Thus, for example, the diagnostic species for the downstream sites were C. harengus and M. merlangus in 1990/1991 and S. sprattus in 1992/1993, reflecting differences in the recruitment strengths of these marine species in the two years. The ichthyofaunal composition exhibited pronounced annual cyclical changes in each region and thus occurred irrespective of whether or not the salinity in a region underwent pronounced changes during the year. This cyclicity was attributable to intra-annual variations in the times of recruitment of certain marine species, particularly in the downstream region, and to seasonal migrations of diadromous species into each region, as well as to the movements of freshwater species into the upstream region in winter and early spring. Received: 18 November 1999 / Accepted: 25 October 2000     

Characterisation of Particulate Matter Sampled during a Study of Children's Personal Exposure to Airborne Particulate Matter in a UK Urban Environment

The personal exposure of children aged 9 – 11 years to particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5) was carried out between January and September 1997 in the London Borough of Barnet. Personal sampling along with home, garden and classroom microenvironmental monitoring was completed for all ten children. Each child was monitored for five days during winter, spring and summer. All children completed daily time activity diaries to provide information on any potential activities that could influence their exposure to particulate matter. Each evening a household activity questionnaire was also completed by the parents. Personal Environmental Monitors were used to sample personal exposure to PM₁₀ and PM_2.5. Harvard Impactors were used for the microenvironmental sampling of both size fractions. The children's mean personal exposure concentrations for PM₁₀ during winter, spring and summer were 72, 54 and 35 µg/m³ respectively and for PM_2.5 22, 17 and 18 µg/m³ respectively. In order to determine the potential sources of particulate matter, analysis of the Teflon filters has been undertaken. The physical characteristics of the particles have been identified using Scanning Electron Microscopy. The relationships between personal exposure concentrations and the different microenvironments will be discussed.