Seasonal variation of some heavy metal pollution with environmental and microbiological parameters in sub-basin of Kocabas Stream (Biga, Canakkale, Turkey) by ICP-AES

Waste water pollution in industrial areas is one of the most important environmental problems. Heavy metal pollution, especially chromium species in waste water sources from tannery affects our lives. Kocabas Stream is located in south-west Marmara region and Biga town is positioned in the sub basin on the stream. This water source functions as the water for irrigation in agriculture, drinking water for animals and for human use. Thus, this study is of great importance. Waste water pollution can affect all ecosystems and human health by directly or indirectly as in food chain. The concentration of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn and Cr) were pre-analysed by ICP-AES method in water samples taken from sub-basin of Kocabas stream. In the results of these analyses, concentrations of the metals except chromium were founded at the limit value. But the total concentration of the Cr was found at high levels of between 0.0082 +/- 0.0001 and 5.7231 +/- 0.0921 mg l(-1) over the limit value (0.05 mg l(-1); WHO, EPA, TSE 266 and inland water quality classification) at sampling points very close to tannery factories. Also physicochemical and microbiological parameters of Kocabas Stream were determined. The effects of the experimental results on environment were investigated.     

Estimates of soil erosion using cesium-137 tracer models

The soil erosion was studied by ¹³⁷Cs technique in Yatagan basin in Western Turkey, where there exist intensive agricultural activities. This region is subject to serious soil loss problems and yet there is not any erosion data towards soil management and control guidelines. During the soil survey studies, the soil profiles were examined carefully to select the reference points. The soil samples were collected from the slope facets in three different study areas (Kırtas, Peynirli and Kayısalan Hills). Three different models were applied for erosion rate calculations in undisturbed and cultivated sites. The profile distribution model (PDM) was used for undisturbed soils, while proportional model (PM) and simplified mass balance model (SMBM) were used for cultivated soils. The mean annual erosion rates found using PDM in undisturbed soils were 15 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ at the Peynirli Hill and 27 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ at the Kırtas Hill. With the PM and SMBM in cultivated soils at Kayışalan, the mean annual erosion rates were obtained to be 65 and 116 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, respectively. The results of ¹³⁷Cs technique were compared with the results of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE).     

An assessment of the quality of various bottled mineral water marketed in Turkey

Fifteen bottled mineral waters purchased at random all over Turkey were analyzed for their chemical composition by OPTIMA-2000 ICP-AES Perkin Elmer techniques. Results show a wide spread in the chemical specification of these mineral waters, with differences in chemical composition observed in the regions being due to the geological environment and the majority of bottled mineral waters exceeding the pH limit of Turkish drinking water standards. When the concentrations of elements are evaluated, it can readily be seen that generally there are three types of mineral water in Turkey. The concentrations of Al, B, Ba, Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn Pb and Zn in mineral water were compared with the limits established by the Turkish Standard for Natural Mineral Waters (Turkish Official Gazette 2004); water standards prepared by World Health Organization (2006) and the United States of America Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) drinking water standards (1993). Such a comparison shows that, except for Ba and Mn, the concentrations of the other heavy metals are lower than the limit of the US.EPA in Turkey. Some parameters examined were found to comprise strong correlations pair-wise.     

Distributions of 210Pb around a uraniferous coal-fired power plant in Western Turkey

In the present study the spatial and the vertical distributions of 210Pb were investigated in the soils around a uranifereous coal fired power plant (CPP) in Yatagan Basin, in Western Turkey. The variation of 226Ra activity along the soil profiles was studied to assess the unsupported 210Pb distribution in the same samples. 226Ra was measured by gamma spectroscopy and 210Pb activities were determined from 210Po activities using radiochemical deposition and alpha spectroscopy. The total 210Pb activity concentrations in bulk core samples varied in the range of 38-250 Bq kg(-1) in the study sites and of 22-78 Bq kg(-1) in reference site. In the sectioned cores sampled from the study areas the ranges for activity concentrations of 226Ra, total 210Pb and unsupported 210Pb are 24-77; 39-344 and 4-313 Bq kg(-1), respectively. Corresponding ranges for reference site are 37-39; 39-122 and 1-83 Bq kg(-1).     

Mineral contents of the head, caudal, central fleshy part, and spinal columns of some fishes

In the experiment, mineral contents of the head, caudal, central fleshy part, and spinal columns of fishes were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The Ca content of base fleshy part ranged from 1,682 to 5,505 mg/kg. The Ca contents of central fleshy part were found between 104 and 428 mg/kg. This value was found between 5,582 and 7,368 in the spinal column parts. The K content in general ranged from 2,411 (Carassius gibellio) and 4,419 mg/kg (Scomber scombrus). The highest potassium was found on the central fleshy part and ranged between 3,214 and 4,419. The P content was found mostly on the bones and it range between 28,833 and 34,726. The least phosphor amount was found on the central fleshy part. While the Cd content ranges between 0.019 ppm and 0.104 mg/kg, Cr content changed between 1.32 and 4.20 ppm.     

Relative Phytoplankton growth responses to physically and chemically dispersed South Louisiana sweet crude oil

We conducted controlled laboratory exposure experiments to assess the toxic effects of water-accommodated fractions (WAFs) of South Louisiana sweet crude oil on five phytoplankton species isolated from the Gulf of Mexico. Experiments were conducted with individual and combinations of the five phytoplankton species to determine growth inhibitions to eight total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) equivalent concentrations ranging from 461 to 7,205 ppb. The composition and concentration of crude oil were altered by physical and chemical processes and used to help evaluate crude oil toxicity. The impact of crude oil exposure on phytoplankton growth varied with the concentration of crude oil, species of microalgae, and their community composition. At a concentration of TPH <?1,200 ppb, dinoflagellate species showed significantly better tolerance, while diatom species showed a higher tolerance to crude oil at higher concentrations of TPH. For both groups, the larger species were more tolerant to crude oil than smaller ones. The toxicity potential of crude oil seems to be strongly influenced by the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The addition of the dispersant, Corexit® EC9500A, increased the amount of crude oil up to 50-fold in the water column, while the physical enhancement (vigorous mixing of water column) did not significantly increase the amount of TPH concentration in the water column. The species response to crude oil was also examined in the five-species community. Each phytoplankton species showed considerably less tolerance to crude oil in the five-species community compared to their individual responses. This study provides baseline information about individual phytoplankton responses to crude oil and dispersed crude oil for subsequent research efforts seeking to understand the impacts of oil on the phytoplankton in the bigger picture.     

Determination of heavy metal contents in some freshwater fishes

The concentrations of heavy metals in tench, pike-perch, and common carp fish caught in four different seasons from Damsa dam lake (Nev?ehir) were determined. Heavy metal contents of fishes changed depending on seasons. The highest Al (20.894 mg/kg) in tench was established in winter, and the lowest Al (1.605 mg/kg) was determined in summer. Fe content of tench fish changed between 112.906 mg/kg (autumn) and 31.207 mg/kg (spring). In addition, Zn contents of tench were found between 36.0323 mg/kg (summer) and 430.586 mg/kg (winter). The results indicate that concentrations of Cu of tench varied from 0.1934 mg/kg (winter) to 15.422 mg/kg (autumn). Results indicate that concentrations varied from 2.923 mg/kg (autumn) to 32.078 mg/kg (summer) with a mean of 11.1893 mg/kg for Al; 0.2483 mg/kg (spring) to 3.3088 mg/kg (autumn) with a mean of 1.6189 mg/kg for Ni; 0.5325 mg/kg (spring) to 0.845 mg/kg (autumn) with a mean of 0.7234 for Pb; and 7.0464 mg/kg (winter) to 253.686 mg/kg (summer) with a mean of 133.6348 for Zn. In common carp, Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, Se, Ga, and Te contents were determined as 3.9623 mg/kg; 0.1293, 0.2336, 0.0526, 0.1543, 4.2406, 0.726, 1.797, 0.6216, 6.8536, 0.1783, 0.7876, and 0.371 mg/kg in autumn, respectively.     

The role of bacterial consortium and organic amendment in Cu and Fe isotope fractionation in plants on a polluted mine site

Copper and iron isotope fractionation by plant uptake and translocation is a matter of current research. As a way to apply the use of Cu and Fe stable isotopes in the phytoremediation of contaminated sites, the effects of organic amendment and microbial addition in a mine-spoiled soil seeded with Helianthus annuus in pot experiments and field trials were studied. Results show that the addition of a microbial consortium of ten bacterial strains has an influence on Cu and Fe isotope fractionation by the uptake and translocation in pot experiments, with an increase in average of 0.99?‰ for the δ⁶⁵Cu values from soil to roots. In the field trial, the amendment with the addition of bacteria and mycorrhiza as single and double inoculation enriches the leaves in ⁶⁵Cu compared to the soil. As a result of the same trial, the δ⁵⁶Fe values in the leaves are lower than those from the bulk soil, although some differences are seen according to the amendment used. Siderophores, possibly released by the bacterial consortium, can be responsible for this change in the Cu and Fe fractionation. The overall isotopic fractionation trend for Cu and Fe does not vary for pot and field experiments with or without bacteria. However, variations in specific metabolic pathways related to metal–organic complexation and weathering can modify particular isotopic signatures.     

Kinetics of aerobic and anaerobic biomineralization of atrazine in surface and subsurface agricultural soils in Ohio

The purpose of this study was to assess atrazine mineralization in surface and subsurface samples retrieved from vertical cores of agricultural soils from two farm sites in Ohio. The Defiance site (NW-Ohio) was on soybean-corn rotation and Piketon (S-Ohio) was on continuous corn cultivation. Both sites had a history of atrazine application for at least a couple of decades. The clay fraction increased at the Defiance site and the organic matter and total N content decreased with depth at both sites. Mineralization of atrazine was assessed by measurement of ¹⁴CO₂ during incubation of soil samples with [U-ring-¹⁴C]-atrazine. Abiotic mineralization was negligible in all soil samples. Aerobic mineralization rate constants declined and the corresponding half-lives increased with depth at the Defiance site. Anaerobic mineralization (supplemented with nitrate) was mostly below the detection at the Defiance site. In Piketon samples, the kinetic parameters of aerobic and anaerobic biomineralization of atrazine displayed considerable scatter among replicate cores and duplicate biometers. In general, this study concludes that data especially for anaerobic biomineralization of atrazine can be more variable as compared to aerobic conditions and cannot be extrapolated from one agricultural site to another.     

Duo-molecularly imprinted polymer-coated magnetic particles for class-selective removal of endocrine-disrupting compounds from aqueous environment

The removal of steroid and phenolic endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) from an aqueous environment was investigated using magnetic particles encapsulated by a duo-molecularly imprinted polymer (duo-MIP). The effect of environmental variables on the binding efficiency was studied. Experimental results showed that the amount of EDCs adsorbed was neither affected by up to 10.0 mM NaCl nor significantly interfered by up to 10.0 mg/L humic acid. Negligible influence was observed from pH 3.3 to pH 6.8, but a decrease started at pH 9. Freundlich isotherm parameters indicated binding capacities in the order of DES?>?E2?～?E1?>?BPA. The applicability of class-selective removal was verified using river water samples spiked with these EDCs at 10 μg/L; the binding efficiencies were 90, 90, 88, and 98 % for estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), bisphenol A (BPA), and diethylstilbestrol (DES), respectively. A reuse investigation verified constant binding capacities exhibiting <2 % reduction after seven cycles of regeneration.