Small effects of a large sediment contamination with heavy metals on aquatic organisms in the vicinity of an abandoned lead and zinc mine

The effects of the long-term contamination of water reservoirs with mine effluents were investigated at an abandoned mine site in Upper Silesia, southern Poland. The studies covered metal content and mobility in bottom sediments as well as water chemistry in relation to the content of metals in selected macrophytes and their physiology and the composition of phyto- and zooplankton communities. Although it is 40 years since mining ceased, reservoir sediments are still heavily contaminated with cadmium, zinc and lead with concentrations (mg/kg), which vary roughly between 130–340, 10,000–50,000 and 4,000–12,000, respectively. About 50–80 % of these elements are associated with the reducible phase, and only a small percentage, <10 %, is present in the most mobile exchangeable phase. Despite the high total metal concentration in sediments, their content in the submerged plants Myriophyllum spicatum and the emerged plants Phragmites australis was low. The observed effects of heavy metal contamination on photosynthetic activity in the leaves of P. australis were negligible, whereas those in M. spicatum show up only as a difference in the distribution of photosynthetic activity in leaves of different ages, which seems to be related to the very good water quality and to the generally small concentrations of metals in pond water. The physicochemical properties of water also seem to control the presence of planktonic species more than does sediment contamination. However, a shift toward groups of species known to be more resistant to heavy metals (diatoms, green algae and Rotifera) indicates some adaptative changes related to the long-lasting contamination of ponds.     

Introduction

Abstract

Eight pairs of O‐methyl and O‐ethyl O‐(substituted‐phenyl) phenylphosphonothionates were evaluated with respect to their delayed neurotoxic activity in hens. O‐methyl compounds were in all cases more active than their O‐ethyl analogs. The neurotoxic potential of the O‐methyl phenylphosphonothionates was 2,5‐diCl >4‐NO₂ >2,4,5‐triCl and 2,4,6‐triCl >2,4‐diCl >2,5‐diCl‐4‐Br >4‐CN, when single oral doses were given. Both EPN‐ethyl and leptophos‐raethyl were more neurotoxic in multiple dermal than multiple oral dosing regimens. LD₅₀s for mice and flies were established.     

Biochemical effects of some organo‐phosphorus insecticides on new targets in white rats

Abstract

The three S‐n‐propyl phosphates and phosphothioates: RH 218, profenofos and prothiophos were compared with fenitrothion in their potential as inhibitors of rat liver and brain AChE. Fenitrothion was more potent as an inhibitor than the three S‐n‐propyl derivatives. Incubation of hepatic protein enhanced ChE inhibition in brain in the case of fenitrothion, while it reduced the inhibitory effect of the S‐n‐propyl derivatives. On the other hand, the four organophosphorus esters caused hypoglycemia in both male and female rats and also reduced their blood urea with different degrees.     

Biosorption of Direct Yellow 12 from aqueous solution using green alga Ulva lactuca

The potential of commonly available green alga Ulva lactuca was investigated as viable biomaterials for removal of synthetic azo dye (Direct Yellow 12, DY-12) from aqueous solution. The results obtained from the batch experiments revealed that the ability of the U. lactuca to remove DY-12 from its aqueous solution was dependent on the dye concentration, pH, and algal biomass but less dependent on the particle size of the U. lactuca. The equilibrium conditions and kinetics of adsorption were investigated, and the adsorption kinetic was consistent with the pseudo-second-order model (R²=1). The adsorption isotherm followed only the Freundlich model with a correlation coefficient R²=0.99. This study demonstrated that the U. lactuca could be used as an effective biosorbent for the removal of DY-12 from its aqueous solution.     

Efficiency and degradation products elucidation of the photodegradation of mefenpyrdiethyl in water interface using TiO2 P-25 and Hombikat UV100

The photodegradation of mefenpyrdiethyl (MFD), an herbicide safener, was investigated in aqueous suspensions by using Degussa P-25 and Hombikat UV100 titanium oxide under simulated sunlight irradiation. The effects of initial concentration of the herbicide, pH, catalysts and hydrogen peroxide doses as well as their combinations were studied and optimized. Accordingly, the kinetic parameters were determined and the effectiveness of the processes was assessed by calculating the rate constants. A pseudo first-order kinetics was observed. Under experimental conditions, the degradation rate constants were strongly influenced using P-25 and no noticeable effect was observed for Hombikat UV100. DFT calculations with B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p)//B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory were performed to check whether significant conformational changes occur when the charge state of the MFD substrate changes and whether these changes could play a role in the dependency of photodegradation rate constant on the studied pH. High resolution mass spectrometry (FT-ICR/MS) was implemented to identify the main degradation products.     

长江三角洲地区基于喷涂工艺的溶剂源VOCs排放特征

了解挥发性有机物(volatile organic compounds,VOCs)的溶剂源排放特征是制定长江三角洲地区PM2.5和臭氧防控策略的关键.本研究通过罐采样-GC-MS/FID测定了长江三角洲地区重点喷涂行业(集装箱喷涂、造船喷涂、木器喷涂和汽车喷涂业)的VOCs排放特征.结果表明,长江三角洲地区喷涂行业排放的主要VOCs组分为甲苯、二甲苯、乙苯等芳香烃类物质,三者之和占总VOCs的质量分数为79%~99%.生产工艺的不同对VOCs的排放组成影响并不大,废气处理装置中活性炭吸附对VOCs的组成并无明显影响,而催化燃烧的处理过程会使VOCs的排放组成产生显著变化,乙烯排放明显增大,同时也使得催化燃烧处理最大增量反应活性(maximum increment reactivity,MIR)值高于活性炭吸附处理后的MIR值,说明不同的处理措施的使用将影响VOCs对臭氧的生成作用.     

水华束丝藻对汞的吸附-解吸特征

通过室内模拟实验,探究不同丰度的活、死水华束丝藻对Hg²⁺的吸附动力学特征和等温吸附模型以及解吸特征。结果表明,水华束丝藻对Hg²⁺有较好的吸附效果,能在短时间内吸附大量Hg²⁺,120 min左右达到吸附平衡,且活藻对Hg²⁺的吸附效果比死藻好;活藻和死藻吸附Hg²⁺的动力学过程符合准一级、准二级动力学模型,且准二级动力学模型拟合效果更好;活、死水华束丝藻对Hg²⁺的吸附分别符合Langmuir模型、D-R模型,最大吸附量分别为2.07×10^-2 ng/（10⁶ cells）、3.56×10^-2 ng/（10⁶ cells）;水华束丝藻对Hg²⁺的单位吸附量随着藻丰度的增加而减少,吸附总量随着藻丰度的增加而增加。反应初期（0～5 min）,活、死水华束丝藻对Hg²⁺进行生物吸附,吸附速度快且效率高;随后活藻依靠新陈代谢将Hg²⁺转移至细胞内进行生物富集,因而活藻的单位吸附量高于死藻。活藻和死藻对Hg²⁺的解吸量随藻丰度的增加而增加,且死藻变化更明显。     

An assessment of heavy-metal contamination in surface sediments of the Suez Gulf using geoaccumulation indexes and statistical analysis

An assessment of marine pollution due to metals was made in the Suez Gulf based on surface costal sediment collected from 18 locations along the Gulf. The samples were dried and acid-digested, and the metal contents (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (air-acetylene) with deuterium background correction. An evaluation of the heavy-metal pollution status of the Gulf was carried out using enrichment factors (EF) and geo-accumulation Indexes (I_geo). Also, heavy-metal concentrations in Suez Gulf sediments were evaluated using the Effect Range-Low (ERL) and the Effect Range-Median (ERM). The results of a Spearman correlation and factor and cluster analysis of the heavy metals analysed in the collected sediment were discussed. The main source of contamination is offshore oil field and industrial wastes, which arise due to the ineffective and inefficient operation equipments, illegal discharge and lack of supervision, and prosecution of offenders.     

Characterization of the TE-NORM waste associated with oil and natural gas production in Abu Rudeis, Egypt

The present study was conducted to characterize the Technically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TE-NORM) waste generated from oil and gas production. The waste was characterized by means of dry screening solid fractionation, X-ray analysis (XRF and XRD) and gamma-ray spectrometry. Sediment of the TE-NORM waste was fractionated into ten fractions with particle sizes varying from less than 100 microm to more than 3 mm. The results showed that the TE-NORM waste contains mainly radionuclides of the 238U, 235U and 232Th series. The mean activity concentrations of 226Ra (of U-series), 228Ra (of Th-series) and 40K in the waste samples before fractionation (i.e. 3 mm) were found to amount to 68.9, 24 and 1.3 Bq/g (dry weight), respectively. After dry fractionation, the activity concentrations were widely distributed and enriched in certain fractions. This represented a 1.48 and 1.82-fold enrichment of 226Ra and 228Ra, respectively, in fraction F8 (2.0-2.5 mm) over those in bulk TE-NORM waste samples. The activity ratios of 238U/226Ra, 210Pb/226Ra, 223Ra/226Ra and 228Ra/224Ra were calculated and evaluated. Activity of the most hazardous radionuclide 226Ra was found to be higher than the exemption levels established by IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency, 1994. International Basic Safety Standards for the Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources. GOV/2715/94, Vienna]. The radium equivalent activity (Ra-eq), radon (222Rn) emanation coefficient (EC) and absorbed dose rate (Dgammar) were estimated and these are further discussed.