The use of experimental data and their uncertainty for assessing ozone photochemistry in the Eastern Iberian Peninsula

Observation-based methods are useful tools to explore the sensitivity of ozone concentrations to precursor controls. With the aim of assessing the ozone precursor sensitivity in two locations: Paterna (suburban) and Villar del Arzobispo (rural) of the Turia river basin in the east of Spain, the photochemical indicator O₃/NO_y and the Extent-of-Reaction (EOR) parameter have been calculated from field measurements. In Paterna, the O₃/NO_y ratio varied from 0 to 13 with an average value of 5.1 (SD 3.2), whereas the averaged value for the EOR was 0.43 (SD 0.14). In Villar del Arzobispo, the O₃/NO_y ratio changed from 5 to 30 with a mean value of 13.6 (SD 4.7) and the EOR gave an averaged value of 0.72 (SD 0.11). The results show two different patterns of ozone production as a function of the location. The suburban area shows a VOC-sensitive regime whereas the rural one shows a transition regime close to NO_x-sensitive conditions. No seasonal differences in these regimes are observed along the monitoring campaigns. Finally, an analysis of the influence of the measurement quality of NO_y, NO_x and O₃ on the uncertainty of the O₃/NO_y ratio and the EOR was performed showing that the uncertainty of O₃/NO_y is not dependent on either its value or the individual values of O₃ and NO_y but just on the quality of O₃ and NO_y measurements. The maximum uncertainty is 26% as long as the combined uncertainties of O₃ and NO_y remain below the 7.5%. The case of the EOR is different and its uncertainty depends on both the value of the EOR parameter and the individual concentration values of NO_y and NO_x. The uncertainty of the EOR estimation can be very high (>200%) if the combined uncertainties of both NO_y and NO_x are high (>7.5%), or especially, if u(NO_y) and u(NO_x) differ considerably from each other (>3.5%).     

Bioaccumulation of butyltins and liver damage in the demersal fish Cathorops spixii (Siluriformes,Ariidae)

The toxicity of butyltin compounds (BTs), mainly tributyltin (TBT), has been reported in different organisms. However, such an analysis in fish after field exposure with reference to the related biomarkers has not been commonly observed in the literature. This study presents the uptake of BTs in the liver of a neotropical marine catfish Cathorops spixii in Paranagua Bay, an important estuarine system located in southern Brazil. Two different areas, close to and distant from the harbor, were used for chemical analysis evaluation of hepatotoxicity through genetic, enzymatic, and histopathological biomarkers. The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in bile was also considered as a biomarker. The results showed a significant relationship between TBT levels and the inhibition of biotransformation enzymes and high occurrence of melanomacrophages in fish collected close to the harbor site. These effects were linked to the absence of TBT metabolites in the liver. In the second site, the presence of DBT was associated with an increase in EROD and GST activity. The larger amount of DNA damage as well as the highest oxidative stress was noted in fish from the less TBT-polluted area, where DBT and bile PAHs occurred. These findings showed different impact levels due to or increased by the chronic exposure of biota to BTs.     

Food sources of arsenic in pregnant Mediterranean women with high urine concentrations of this metalloid

Seafood consumption provides a significant amount of arsenic, although in its organic, nontoxic forms. Mediterranean populations may incorporate high levels of this metalloid as a consequence of seafood consumption. In the present study, the significance of this input among pregnant women from a Mediterranean city (Sabadell, Catalonia, Spain) is assessed. Total urinary arsenic was analyzed in 489 pairs of urine samples, corresponding to the 12th and 32th weeks of pregnancy. Association of arsenic content with seafood and other dietary items were studied. Geometric mean concentrations were 34 and 37 μg/g creatinine during the first and third trimesters, respectively. The observed concentrations were similar to those reported in studies from other Mediterranean countries. The differences between both periods were not statistically significant. The only dietary factor significantly and positively associated with total urinary arsenic in both series of samples was seafood, particularly lean fish. Moreover, lean fish consumption during both periods was found to be the main determinant for differences in levels of arsenic between the first and third trimesters, which confirms the association between high levels of total urinary arsenic and seafood consumption.     

Exploring Patterns of Seafood Provision Revealed in the Global Ocean Health Index

Sustainable provision of seafood from wild-capture fisheries and mariculture is a fundamental component of healthy marine ecosystems and a major component of the Ocean Health Index. Here we critically review the food provision model of the Ocean Health Index, and explore the implications of knowledge gaps, scale of analysis, choice of reference points, measures of sustainability, and quality of input data. Global patterns for fisheries are positively related to human development and latitude, whereas patterns for mariculture are most closely associated with economic importance of seafood. Sensitivity analyses show that scores are robust to several model assumptions, but highly sensitive to choice of reference points and, for fisheries, extent of time series available to estimate landings. We show how results for sustainable seafood may be interpreted and used, and we evaluate which modifications show the greatest potential for improvements.     

Assessing social vulnerability to climate change in Samoa

Climate change severely impacts on the natural and socio-economic systems of the Pacific Islands. Samoa, a small insular state of the region, is characterized by widespread awareness of climate change reflected by its leading international role. This also makes Samoa a potentially exemplary reference for the Pacific Islands. Against this backdrop, the overall aim of this article is to investigate the notion of social vulnerability and measure its dimensions in Samoa through a specific index: the Samoa Social Vulnerability Index (SSVI). The SSVI may yield better understanding of the characteristics and dynamics of social vulnerability, as well as information for fostering adaptation strategies in Samoa and in the Pacific Islands. In particular, the article first outlines the major vulnerabilities to climate change in Samoa and then analyses the composite notion of social vulnerability. On this basis, the article methodologically specifies, designs and constructs the SSVI. Afterwards, it uses such index for measuring the dimensions of social vulnerability in Samoa’s districts. Finally, some considerations are made concerning the policy relevance of the SSVI and its potential regional role.     

BIOAMBIENT.ES study protocol: rationale and design of a cross-sectional human biomonitoring survey in Spain

Human biomonitoring (HBM), defined as the measurement of concentrations of chemicals or of their metabolites in human biological matrices, is considered the method of choice for determining internal exposures in individuals. HBM is part of environmental exposure surveillance systems in several countries. In 2007, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment promoted BIOAMBIENT.ES project, a national-level HBM study on environmental pollutants carried out in Spain to estimate levels of heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and other substances on the Spanish active workforce. BIOAMBIENT.ES is a nationwide cross-sectional study, with a stratified cluster sampling designed to cover all geographical areas, sex and occupational sectors, and aimed to obtain a representative sample of the Spanish workforce. Participants were recruited among people residing in Spain for 5 years or more, which underwent their annual occupational medical check-up in the health facilities of the Societies for Prevention of IBERMUTUAMUR, MUTUALIA, MC-PREVENCIÓN, MUGATRA, UNIMAT PREVENCIÓN, and PREVIMAC (March 2009–July 2010). A total of 1,892 subjects fulfilled the criteria for inclusion, donated biological samples (1,880 blood, 1,770 urine, and 577 hair) and completed a short self-administrated epidemiological questionnaire on environmental and lifestyle-related exposures. Additionally, clinical information from participant’s health exams was obtained. This project will provide a first overview of the body burden of selected pollutants in a representative sample of the Spanish-occupied population. This information will be useful to establish reference values of the studied population and, eventually, to evaluate temporal trends and the effectiveness of environmental and health policies.     

Long-term environmental monitoring of persistent organic pollutants and metals in a chemical/petrochemical area: human health risks

Organic pollutants such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as well as some metals are periodically monitored in soil and vegetation samples collected in Tarragona County (Spain). We here report the temporal trends of the concentrations of the above pollutants between the initial survey (2002) and that recently (2009) performed. The area under evaluation was divided into 4 sections (chemical, petrochemical, urban/residential and unpolluted). In general terms, urban soils presented the highest concentrations of PCDD/Fs, PCNs and PAHs, confirming that traffic is a very important emission source of these pollutants. In addition, substantially higher levels of PAHs and some metals were found in vegetation samples from the petrochemical complex. The assessment of health risks of these contaminants indicated that the current concentrations of micropollutants did not mean additional non-carcinogenic or cancer risks for the population living in the zone.     

Modelling the influence of peri-urban trees in the air quality of Madrid region (Spain)

Tropospheric ozone (O(3)) is considered one of the most important air pollutants affecting human health. The role of peri-urban vegetation in modifying O(3) concentrations has been analyzed in the Madrid region (Spain) using the V200603par-rc1 version of the CHIMERE air quality model. The 3.7 version of the MM5 meteorological model was used to provide meteorological input data to the CHIMERE. The emissions were derived from the EMEP database for 2003. Land use data and the stomatal conductance model included in CHIMERE were modified according to the latest information available for the study area. Two cases were considered for the period April-September 2003: (1) actual land use and (2) a fictitious scenario where El Pardo peri-urban forest was converted to bare-soil. The results show that El Pardo forest constitutes a sink of O(3) since removing this green area increased O(3) levels over the modified area and over down-wind surrounding areas.     

Inventory of heavy metal content in organic waste applied as fertilizer in agriculture: evaluating the risk of transfer into the food chain

Background, aim, and scope  

In this work, an environmental risk assessment of reusing organic waste of differing origins and raw materials as agricultural fertilizers was carried out. An inventory of the heavy metal content in different organic wastes (i.e., compost, sludge, or manure) from more than 80 studies at different locations worldwide is presented.