Atmospheric BTEX concentrations in the vicinity of the crude oil refinery of the Baltic region

Among chemical industries, petroleum refineries have been identified as large emitters of a wide variety of pollutants. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) form an important group of aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) because of their role in the troposphere chemistry and the risk posed to human health. A very large crude oil refinery of the Baltic States (200,000 bbl/day) is situated in the northern, rural part of Lithuania, 10 km from the town of Ma?eikiai (Lithuania). The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine of atmospheric levels of BTEX in the region rural and urban parts at the vicinity of the crude oil refinery; and (2) to investigate the effect of meteorological parameters (wind speed, wind direction, temperature, pressure, humidity) on the concentrations measured. The averaged concentration of benzene varied from 2.12 ppbv in the rural areas to 2.75 ppbv in the urban areas where the traffic was determined to be a dominant source of BTEX emissions. Our study showed that concentration of benzene, as strictly regulated air pollutant by EU Directive 2008/50/EC, did not exceed the limit of 5 ppbv in the region in the vicinity of the crude oil refinery during the investigated period. No significant change in air quality in the vicinity of the oil refinery was discovered, however, an impact of the industry on the background air quality was detected. The T/B ratio (0.50-0.81) that was much lower than 2.0, identified other sources of pollution than traffic.     

46,XY/47,XY,+ 17p+ mosaicism in amniocytes associated with fetal abnormalities despite normal fetal blood karyotype

46,XY/47,XY, + 17p + mosaicism was found in two primary amniotic fluid cultures (AFCs). Fetal blood karyotype was normal, but ultrasonography revealed Dandy-Walker malformation and bilateral choroid plexus cysts. Following termination of pregnancy, fetal examination revealed post-axial polydactyly and neuroblastoma-in-situ affecting both adrenals in addition to the cerebellar abnormalities. Mosaicism for the aberrant cell line was confirmed in all fetal tissues sampled and in the placenta.     

Cleaning oiled shores: laboratory experiments testing the potential use of vegetable oil biodiesels

A series of laboratory experiments were carried out to test the potential of vegetable oil biodiesel for the cleaning of oiled shorelines. In batch experiments, biodiesel was shown to have a considerable capacity to dissolve crude oil, which appears to be dependent on the type of biodiesel used. Pure vegetable oil biodiesels (rapeseed and soybean) were significantly more effective in the cleanup of oiled sands (up to 96%) than recycled waste cooking oil biodiesel (70%).In microcosm and mesocosm experiments, oiled sediments were sprayed with biodiesel and subjected to simulated tides. Microcosm experiments revealed that, of those tested, the highest ratio of biodiesel to crude oil, had the highest effectiveness for cleaning fine sands, with ratios of 2:1 (biodiesel:crude oil) giving the best results. In the mesocosm experiments a ratio 1:1 of soybean biodiesel to crude oil removed 80% of the oil in cobbles and fine sands, 50% in coarse sand and 30% in gravel. Most of the oil was removed with the surface water, with only a small amount being flushed through the sediments. Particle size and pore size were important determinants in the cleanup and mobility of crude oil in the sediments in these static systems. It is expected that the biodiesel effectiveness should improve in the natural environment particularly in exposed beaches with strong wave action. However, more laboratory and field trials are required to confirm the operational use of biodiesel as a shoreline cleaner.     

Evaluation of the stability of arsenic immobilized by microbial sulfate reduction using TCLP extractions and long-term leaching techniques

An investigation was conducted to evaluate the stability or leachability of arsenic immobilized by microbial sulfate reduction. Anoxic solid-phase samples taken from a bioreactor previously used to treat metal and As contaminated water using sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) were subjected to the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) and long-term column leaching tests. The results from TCLP experiments showed that the concentration of As leached from solid-phase sulfide material (SSM) samples after an 18 h extraction time was <300 microgl(-1), which is below the current maximum Australian TCLP leachate value for As, and thus would not be characterized as a hazardous waste. In terms of percent total As leached, this was equivalent to <8.5% for SSM samples initially containing 61.3 mgkg(-1) As. The levels of As extracted by the TCLP was found to be significantly lowered or underestimated in the presence of dissolved oxygen, with As concentrations increasing with decreasing headspace-to-leachant volume ratios. The concentration of As was also consistently higher in nitrogen purged extractions compared to those performed in air. This was attributed to the dissolution of Fe-sulfide precipitates and subsequent oxidation of Fe(II) ions and precipitation of ferric(hydr)oxides, resulting in the adsorption of soluble As and corresponding decrease in As concentrations. According to the experimental data, it is recommended that TCLP tests for As leachability should be performed at least in zero-headspace vessels or preferably under nitrogen to minimize the oxidation of Fe(II) to ferric(hydr)oxides. In long-term leaching studies (approximately 68 days), it was found that the low solubility of the SSM ensured that rate of release of As was relatively slow, and the resulting leachate concentrations of As were below the current Australian guideline concentration for arsenic in drinking water.     

Effects of herbicide and insecticide interaction on soil entomofauna under maize crop

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the herbicide mixture nicosulfuron + atrazine, with or without the insecticide chlorpyrifos, onto soil entomofauna under maize crop. The treatments, applied 25 days after maize emergence, were represented by a weeded control without insecticide and herbicide, a weeded control with chlorpyrifos, and mixtures of nicosulfuron + atrazine, with or without chlorpyrifos. Arthropods populations, on the soil surface, as well as inside the soil under maize, were principally represented by mites (Arachnida: Acari), decomposer collembolans (Hexapoda:Parainsecta:Collembola) and predator ants (Hymenoptera:Formicidae). The nicosulfuron + atrazine mixture with chlorpyrifos and the isolated chlorpyrifos reduced the population dynamics of all insect groups on the soil surface compared to the weeded control. In the soil, mite and ant populations were reduced after application of the herbicide mixture with chlorpyrifos and of the isolated chlorpyrifos.     

Gastroenteric Viruses Detection in a Drinking Water Distribution-to-Consumption System in a Low-Income Community in Rio de Janeiro

Food and Environmental Virology - The availability of drinking water is one of the main determinants of quality of life, disease prevention and the promotion of health. Viruses are important agents...     

Novel system of communication in crickets originated at the same time as bat echolocation and includes male-male multimodal communication

The Science of Nature - The capability of producing sounds and vibrations is well known in insects and is thought to be a form of intra- and interspecific communication. Sounds and vibrations are...     

Hepatitis A Virus,Hepatitis E Virus,and Rotavirus in Foods of Animal Origin Traded at the Borders of Brazil,Argentina, and Uruguay

The aim of this study was to investigate hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis E (HEV), and rotavirus (RV) in fresh and processed meat traded on the border of Brazil with Argentina and Uruguay. In total, 159 samples of raw and processed foods of animal origin were collected in Paso de los Libres, Argentina (n?=?53 raw meat, n?=?24 processed meat) and Rivera, Uruguay (n?=?55 raw meat, n?=?18 processed meat), or were seized by the Brazilian International Agricultural Surveillance System—VIGIAGRO (Brazil–Argentina border) (n?=?8 raw meat, n?=?1 bush meat). All samples were tested for the presence of HAV, HEV, and RV genomes. HAV genes were detected in 18.23% of samples and RV genes in 23.89%. No HEV-positive samples were detected. HAV was also detected in two of the VIGIAGRO samples. Processed meats from Argentina and Uruguay had a higher rate of HAV and RV than raw meat (P?>?0.05). The median HAV in the Argentinian and Uruguayan samples was 6.9?×?10⁴ and 3.5?×?10³ copies/g, respectively. The presence of RV viral genes in raw meats from Argentina was significant, and this was not observed in processed meats. The presence of HAV and RV genes in a significant portion of products from Argentina and Uruguay is a potential source of human infection. This also indicates precarious conditions of acquisition, processing, and manipulation, which could be improved by improved regulation of food across borders.     

Human dimensions of environmental change in small island developing states: some common themes

Regional Environmental Change - Climate change and its consequence of sea level rise are major issues for small island developing states (SIDS), as they worsen many other pressures on their people...