This study presents a comprehensive characterization of occurrence and levels of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in arable soils used for conventional and organic production in northern and central part of Serbia as well as cross-border region with Hungary. Furthermore, this study includes a characterization of PAH sources and carcinogenic/non-carcinogenic human health risk for PAHs accumulated in analysed arable soils. The total concentration of 16 PAHs varied between 55 and 4584 µg kg?1 in agricultural soil used for conventional production and between 90 and 523 µg kg?1 in agricultural soil used for organic production. High molecular weight (HMW) PAHs were dominant compounds with similar contribution in both soil types (86% and 80% in conventional and in organic soil, respectively). Principal component analysis and diagnostic ratios of selected PAHs were used for identification of PAH sources in the analysed soils. Additionally, positive matrix factorization was applied for quantitative assessment. The results indicated that the major sources of PAHs were vehicle emissions, biomass and wood combustion, accounting for?~?93% of PAHs. Exposure of farmers assessed through carcinogenic (TCR) and non-carcinogenic (THQ) risk did not exceed the acceptable threshold (TCR?<?10–6 and THQ?<?1). Oral ingestion was the main exposure route which accounted for 57% of TCR and 80% of THQ. It was followed by dermal contact. This investigation gives a valuable data insight into the PAHs presence in arable soils and reveals the absence of environmental and health risk. It also acknowledges the importance of comprehensive monitoring of these persistent pollutants.
Food and Environmental Virology - Hepatitis A virus (HAV) was detected in frozen strawberries which had been implicated in a large outbreak of hepatitis A in 1997. The sample was analysed after... 相似文献
Background Monitoring biological responses that are mediated via the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in animals exposed to environmental
contaminants can indicate both the presence to chemicals that act through this biochemical pathway and whether these chemicals
are bioavailable.
Objectives The use of an ex-situ method that incorporated biological responsiveness monitoring in mice for determining the presence of
‘biologically active’ hydrocarbons in contaminated soils was investigated.
Methods The use of C57BL/6 as a test organism was validated by determining hepatic and immune responsiveness to two polyaromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs): 3,4 benz[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and 1,2 benz (a)anthracene (BA) administered via intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. The responsiveness
of mice exposed to soils spiked with hydrocarbons or ex situ exposures to soil removed from two contaminated sites was also
investigated.
Results and Discussion Mice that were exposed to B[a]P via i.p. injections showed a 14-fold increase in liver microsomal ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase
(EROD) activity compared to the control group. In contrast EROD activity following BA exposure at the same level was not significantly
enhanced. Mouse immune response was significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by i.p. injections of B[a]P. No significant
inhibition occurred with the same doses of BA. Following i.p. exposure, the retention of B[a]P in mouse carcasses was greater
than BA. Mice exposed to clean soils spiked with environmentally relevant concentrations of B[a]P and BA failed to show any
significantly different hepatic or immune responses. Carcass residue data indicated a limited uptake of PAH from the soil.
In contrast, EROD activity in mice exposed (ex situ) to hydrocarbon-contaminated soils removed from a fuel-loading depot and
decommissioned gas works was significantly enhanced (4- and 2-fold respectively). However, this increase in EROD activity
did not appear to correlate with either soil or carcass PAH concentrations.
Conclusions and Outlook These results support the assumption that B[a]P has a higher affinity for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) compared to
BA. Soil parameters such as organic carbon content, structure and particle size distribution can modulate the bioavailability
of contaminants to biological receptors. These factors are implicated in the lack of responsiveness demonstrated in the spiked
soil experiments. However the responsiveness of EROD activity in mice exposed (ex situ) to soil contaminated with complex
mixtures of hydrocarbon compounds confirms the potential usefulness of this model to determine the presence of ‘biologically
active’ compounds in aged soils removed from contaminated sites. 相似文献
ABSTRACT Public discourse frequently cites the damaging activities of large organisations on global environmental issues, but smaller organisations are rarely, if ever, featured. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) make up 99% of all businesses in the EU, cumulatively causing more industrial pollution and producing more waste than larger businesses. However, large companies are more likely to address sustainability issues than smaller ones. SMEs need help to change. In a collaborative approach, an online sustainability framework was developed to overcome the barriers contributing to the slow uptake in environmental management in SMEs. The views of owner-managers were incorporated throughout the development process. Best practice environmental tools and training were identified, which were designed in an SME-friendly way and made available online. This paper describes the development of the pilot Sustainability and Eco-Innovation (SEco) toolkit, followed by an analysis of its use. This research finds that a self-led toolkit was not enough to nudge SMEs to address environmental issues, despite being approved by owner-managers at each step. 相似文献
Russian Journal of Ecology - The long-term dynamics of the parasitic infection of two coregonid species with different food specializations, peled Coregonus peled (Gmelin, 1789) and Siberian... 相似文献
Shark finning is prohibited in many countries, but high prices for fins from the Asian market help maintain the international black-market and poaching. Traditional shark fin bans fail to recognize that the main driver of fin exploitation is linked to cultural beliefs about sharks in traditional Chinese culture. Therefore, shark finning should be addressed considering the social science approach as part of the fishery management scheme. This paper investigates the cultural significance of sharks in traditional Chinese and Hawaiian cultures, as valuable examples of how specific differences in cultural beliefs can drive individuals’ attitudes toward the property of shark finning. We suggest the use of a social science approach that can be useful in the design of successful education campaigns to help change individuals’ attitudes toward shark fin consumption. Finally, alternative management strategies for commercial fishers are provided to maintain self-sustainability of local coastal communities. 相似文献
The Sahel has been the object of intensive international research since the drought of the early 1970s. A considerable part of the research has focused on environmental change in general and land degradation, land cover change and climate change in particular. Rich and diverse insights from many different scientific disciplines about these three domains have been put forward. One intriguing feature is that an agreement on the overall trends of environmental change does not appear to emerge: questions such as whether the Sahel is greening, cropland is encroaching on rangelands, drought persists remain contested in the scientific literature, and arguments are supported by contrasting empirical evidence. The paper explores the generic reasons behind this situation in a systematic manner. We distinguish between divergences in interpretations emerging from (1) conceptualizations, definitions and choice of indicators, (2) biases, for example, related to selection of study sites, methodological choices, measurement accuracy, perceptions among interlocutors, and selection of temporal and spatial scales of analysis. The analysis of the root causes for different interpretations suggests that differences in findings could often be considered as complementary insights rather than mutually exclusive. This will have implications for the ways in which scientific results can be expected to support regional environmental policies and contribute to knowledge production. 相似文献