Heterogeneous and unconventional coalitions around global food risks: integrating Brazil into the debates

Current debates about food-borne risks (GMOs and BSE) have not only deepened public concern about how food is produced on farms, processed in factories, and transported, stored and traded. More importantly, these debates have exposed a crisis related to central social issues, such as the role of science, politics and business corporations in the decision-making processes for determining which risks societies should, or are prepared to, assume. In this article, I discuss how cultural and social constructivist studies of environmental and health risks and Ulrich Beck's theory of world risk society can contribute to the analysis of how to deal with these conflicts. The criticism of quantitative methods of risk analysis has resulted in a certain idealization of the lay knowledge of risks as being intuitively more correct than the scientific one. One consequence of this polarization between expert and lay knowledge—idealizing the latter—is a disappointing vagueness when looking for alternatives on how to deal practically with risks that have important consequences. A key obstacle to the implementation of some of the suggestions presented by the critical risk analysis approach is that, for example, in the current global dynamics of food-borne risks we can find heterogeneous alliances for and against GMOs allying lay people and experts, as well as conventional and unconventional social actors, in a complicated manner, at the regional, national and international levels. Since a significant part of the analysis of manufactured risks focuses on the situation of highly industrialized countries, a more complex perspective of these lay and scientific alliances can be obtained from a more extensive study of the reactions surrounding GMOs and BSE in less-industrialized countries, such as Brazil. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Socio-Economic Stakes and Perceptions of Wetland Management in an Arid Region: A Case Study from Chott Merouane, Algeria

The objective of our study was to identify how actors from the main socio-economic sectors perceive their interactions and impacts on a sensitive wetland in an arid climate, specifically the salt pans of Chott Merouane in Algeria. The results revealed that there are three main economic stakes including agriculture, livestock production and salt mining, each activity providing a great benefit for local and national populations. The local population perceived that the current activities are conducted in such a way that they created conflict between socio-economic sectors and caused a threat for long term sustainability of the wetlands. The results highlighted the need to initiate an integrated management approach between the different sectors and to develop a shared vision for the territory.     

A Socio-Ecological Investigation of Options to Manage Groundwater Degradation in the Western Desert, Egypt

Under increasing water scarcity, collective groundwater management is a global concern. This article presents an interdisciplinary analysis of this challenge drawing on a survey including 50 large and small farms and gardens in a village in an agricultural land reclamation area on the edge of the Western Desert of Egypt. Findings revealed that smallholders rely on a practice of shallow groundwater use, through which drainage water from adjacent irrigation areas is effectively recycled within the surface aquifer. Expanding agroindustrial activities in the surrounding area are socio-economically important, but by mining non-renewable water in the surrounding area, they set in motion a degradation process with social and ecological consequences for all users in the multi-layered aquifer system. Based on the findings of our investigation, we identify opportunities for local authorities to more systematically connect available environmental information sources and common pool resource management precedents, to counterbalance the degradation threat.     

Challenges in assessing the toxic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to marine organisms: a case study on the acute toxicity of pyrene to the European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.)

The acute toxicity (96 h) of pyrene (PY) to European seabass (Dicentrachus labrax) juveniles assessed in a semi-static bioassay (SSB) with medium renewal at each 12 h, and in a static bioassay (SB) without medium renewal was compared in laboratorial conditions (water PY concentrations: 0.07-10 mg L⁻¹). Main findings in the SSB that assessed mainly the toxicity of PY and its metabolites were: increased levels of bile PY metabolites in good agreement with the profile of lipid peroxidation levels (LPO) in exposed fish relating PY exposure and oxidative damage; increased levels of PY-type compounds in the brain indicating their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier; increased levels of these substances in liver and muscle which are edible tissues for humans thus raising concern on potential adverse effects on consumers of fish from PY contaminated areas; a significant inhibition of glutathione S-transferase activity suggesting its involvement in PY detoxication as toxicant scavenger; finally, an almost complete impairment of the swimming velocity at all the PY concentrations linking sub-individual to higher population level effects. In the SB, where the overall toxicity of PY, its metabolites and environmental degradation products was evaluated, 19% and 79% of PY decay in test media was found at 12 and 96 h, respectively. In general, the effects were similar to those of SSB but with significant effects being induced at higher PY concentrations indicating that the parental compound is more toxic than its environmental degradation products. The other main differences relatively to the SSB were: increased levels of PY-type substances in the liver suggesting more accumulation in this organ. Therefore, these findings highlight the need of carefully considering experimental design options when assessing the toxicity of readily degradable substances to marine fish, and stress the importance of taking into consideration the toxicity of environmental degradation products in addition to toxic effects of the parental substance and its metabolites for marine ecological risk assessment.     

Estimation of thyroid doses and health risks resulting from the intake of radioactive iodine in foods and drinking water by the citizens of Tokyo after the Fukushima nuclear accident

The release of radioactive materials from the Fukushima nuclear power plant after the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011 poses health risks. In this study, the intake of iodine 131 (I-131) in drinking water and foods (milk, dairy products, and vegetables) by citizens of Tokyo was estimated. The effects of countermeasures (restrictions on the distribution of foods and the distribution of bottled water for infants) on reducing intake were also evaluated. The average thyroid equivalent doses without countermeasures from 21 March 2011 were 0.42 mSv in adults, 1.49 mSv in children, and 2.08 mSv in infants. Those with countermeasures were 0.28, 0.97, and 1.14 mSv respectively, reductions of 33%, 35%, and 45%. Drinking water contributed more to intake by adults and children than foods. The intake of I-131 within the first 2 weeks was more than 80% of the estimated intake, owing to its short half-life, indicating that rapid countermeasures are important in reducing intake. The average risks of cancer incidence and mortality due to I-131 for infants were estimated to be 3 × 10⁻⁵ and 0.2 × 10⁻⁵, respectively, lower than the annual risks of traffic accidents, naturally occurring radioactive material (potassium 40), and environmental pollutants such as diesel exhaust particles.     

Assessment of DDT and mercury levels in fish and sediments in the Iriri River,Brazil: Distribution and ecological risk

Abstract

In order to assess the risk of exposure of human populations to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and mercury, muscles of five fish species were analysed, along with the surface sediment of 14 Iriri River sampling sites. The fish specimens were sacrificed by the spinal section, prior to sex identification, body weight determination and total length. Considering the fish specimens studied, 11% of them showed concentrations of mercury higher than the maximum established by the World Health Organization for safe human consumption. A positive correlation between fish body weight and mercury concentration was observed, besides a positive correlation between the fish size and Hg concentration. Significant differences (P?<?0.05) were found between mean concentrations of DDT and metabolites among species of fish studied. In the Plagioscion squamossissimus species, the highest concentration of total DDT (151.4?ng/g) was found, while in Eugerres Brasilianus species, the lowest. However, the DDT levels in fish muscle of studied species are below the maximum set by FAO-Alimentarius CODEX. In the sediments, total DDT ranged from 11.58?ng/g to 48.4?ng/g, which is associated with the historical DDT use in the Amazon. According to sediment quality guidelines, these levels have a moderate toxic effect in almost all of the studied region.     

Phytotoxic activity of crop residues from Burdock and an active substance

Abstract

Problems related to weed management such as outbreaks of herbicide-resistant weeds have recently increased. An interesting approach to such problems is to use plant materials with phytotoxic activity. Burdock (Arctium lappa L.) is a biennial herb belonging to Asteraceae and is cultivated in several countries. The present study investigated the phytotoxic activity of burdock and its active substances. Extracts of both burdock leaves and roots inhibited the shoot and root growth of cress and barnyard grass, where the level of inhibition increased with increasing extract concentration. The leaf extracts had 2.0–2.5 times higher activity than the root extracts. Bioassay-guided separations of the leaf extracts led to isolation of a phytotoxic substance, onopordopicrin. Onopordopicrin significantly inhibited the shoot and root growth of cress and barnyard grass. The concentrations of the substance required for 50% growth inhibition were 0.27 and 0.26?mM for cress shoots and roots, respectively, and 1.86 and 0.35?mM for barnyard grass shoots and roots, respectively. The present results suggest that burdock leaves have high phytotoxic activity and onopordopicrin may play a major role in the activity. Burdock leaves may be a good resource for weed management.     

采油废水中多环芳烃的生态风险评价

先利用C-18固相萃取小柱富集大港油田港东联合处理站污水处理站的采油废水中16种多环芳烃(PAHs,即萘、苊烯、苊、芴、菲、蒽、荧蒽、芘、、苯并[a]蒽、苯并[b]荧蒽、苯并[k]荧蒽、苯并[a]芘、茚并[1,2,3-cd]芘、二苯并[a,h]蒽和苯并[g,h,i]苝),再用气相色谱/质谱(GC/MS)分析测定其浓度,以评价PAHs的去除率和生态风险。结果表明:(1)采油废水经处理后,COD、石油类去除率分别达到82.27%、91.06%;外排水COD、石油类达到《污水综合排放标准》(GB 8978—1996)一级标准要求,优于中国采油废水处理的一般水平。(2)采油废水主要以2、3环的PAHs为主,约占总量的93%以上。(3)苯并[a]芘超过《地表水环境质量标准》(GB 3838—2002)中限值。(4)处理前的采油废水中蒽、菲和苯并[a]芘具有一定的生态风险;处理后的外排水中萘、蒽、菲、荧蒽、苯并[a]芘的暴露浓度(PEC)/预测无效应浓度(PNEC)均小于1,目前尚未对环境造成威胁。但是8种PAHs(苊烯和苯并类PAHs除外)总和表现出较大的毒性,需要引起重视。     

西安市大气中多环芳烃的季节变化及健康风险评价

对西安市2009年6月-2010年5月空气中的总悬浮颗粒（TSP）和气态样品进行了连续采样,利用GC—MS对16种PAHs进行分析。∑PAHs浓度（气相＋颗粒相）范围为39．93～1032．46ng／m^3,平均值为197．34ng／m^3;其中,冬季大气中∑PAHs浓度最大,相对浓度的范围为31．21％～72．98％,而夏季的浓度最小;检测出16种2～6环的PAHs,其中以3—4环为主。利用特征分子比值法和因子分析进行源解析,发现研究区PAHs的主要来源为燃煤和机动车尾气排放。通过苯并（a）芘（BaP）等效毒性（BEQ）和苯并（a）芘等效致癌浓度（BaPE）进行健康风险评价,结果显示,西安大气中PAHs的毒性具有明显的季节差异,特别是秋季和冬季大气中PAHs对人类的健康存在较大的潜在威胁。     

Effects of dimethoate on rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus using multigeneration toxicity tests

As important members of the zooplankton community and sources of food for fish, rotifers are used extensively in ecotoxicological research to assess the health of the environment and safety of compounds. However, most rotifer toxicity tests are only conducted using rotifer neonates derived from unexposed mothers, thus ignoring the potential transfer of contaminants from mother to offspring. To understand better the mother to offspring exposure, a multigenerational study was conducted using three successive generations (F₀, F₁ and F₂) of the common freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus to investigate the toxic effects of the widely used organophosphate pesticide, dimethoate (O, O-dimethyl S-methylcarbamoylmethyl phosphorodithioate). When the F₀ generation was exposed to five pesticide concentrations, the population growth rate (r) displayed symptoms of hormesis, characterized by the conversion of low-concentration stimulation to high-concentration inhibition. Despite this observation, the exposure to any given concentration of dimethoate reduced the population growth rates of the F₁ and F₂ generation rotifers. Significant differences existed between the F₀, F₁ and F₂ rotifers for the population growth rate under dimethoate stress: F₂ individuals were more sensitive than F₁, whereas the F₁ individuals were more sensitive than F₀. The results indicated that the parental exposure to a given toxic stress could result in increased sensitivity and decreased fitness in the offspring. This study illustrates the utility of multigenerational toxicity tests, which may better reflect and more accurately predict the effects of long-term pesticide exposure to aquatic organisms at the population level.