Seasonal Fluctuation in Heavy Metal Pollution in Iran´s Siahroud River - A Preliminary Study (7 pp)

Background The management of its available water resources has become a key issue for Iran. During the last few decades, the water quality of Siahroud River in the coastal plain of the Caspian Sea in Gilan Province in Northern Iran has significantly degraded. The scarcity of water has been compounded by rapid population growth and increasing pollution from fertilizers, pesticides, and municipal and industrial wastes. One of the sources of this degradation is the movement of heavy metals from the river's watershed into the various water systems supported by the river, including the water system for Rasht City. Methods To study the magnitude of heavy metal pollution in the Siahroud River, seven heavy metals including Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Mn, Fe, and Ni were measured in duplicate from replicated water samples collected over five consecutive seasons and analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. In situ measurements of pH were taken with the samples and total organic carbon (TOC) was analyzed by IR gas measurement. Results The results demonstrated that four of the seven heavy metals including Pb, Fe, Cd, and Mn exceeded permissible safe levels as established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Multivariate factor analysis suggested that industrial land-use was the main contributing factor for the high levels of Fe and Mn in the Siahroud River, whereas, Cd was principly from agricultural activities in the watershed. The data also suggested that pH and TOC had an important role in the behaviour of Pb and Mn, and that the elevated levels of these two heavy metals in Siahroud River was the consequence of other anthropogenic sources. Only negligible levels of Zn, Cu and Ni were detected. Finally, all the sampling stations were subjected to cluster analysis. The results indicated that three different zones could be distinguished according to the levels of pollution. In addition, it was shown that the urban areas did not have a significant impact on the heavy metal pollution in the river. This observation stems from the fact that the data from the sampling stations before and after Rasht City were not significantly different. Recommendation . Preventive measures need to be undertaken in the land-use systems and watersheds of the Siahroud River to reduce the pollution levels of Pb, Cd, Mn and Fe.     

Thyroid status in juvenile alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) from contaminated and reference sites on Lake Okeechobee,Florida, USA

Exposure to environmental contaminants has been shown to alter normal thyroid function in various wildlife species, including the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). Abnormalities in circulating levels of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T₄) have been reported in juvenile alligators from several contaminated lakes in Florida. To further elucidate these functional thyroid abnormalities, this study examines the structure of thyroids and circulating T₄ concentrations from juvenile alligators collected from three sites of varying contamination on Lake Okeechobee, Florida. The following variables were used to characterize thyroid morphology: epithelial cell height, width and area, percent colloid, and follicle area. These variables were compared among study sites and between genders. No difference was detected in epithelial cell height, epithelial cell area, or follicle area among the sites, whereas significant differences in epithelial cell width (p=0.02) and percent colloid (p=0.008) were found. Animals from the most contaminated site (Belle Glade) had significantly greater epithelial cell widths and significantly less colloid present in their follicles compared to animals from the reference site (West). Gender did not have a significant interaction with site for any variable measured. Thyroxine (T₄) concentrations were elevated in the intermediately contaminated site (Conservation Area 3A) compared to the other sites (p<0.0001). It is proposed that the disruptions seen in Lake Okeechobee alligators are due to disruptions at both the thyroid and extra-thyroidal tissues.     

Exploiting plant metabolism for the phytoremediation of persistent herbicides

Weed control by herbicides has helped us to create the green revolution and to provide food for at least the majority of human beings living today. However, some herbicides remain in the environment and pose an ecological problem. The present review describes the properties and fate of four representative herbicides known to be presistent in ecosystems. Metabolic networks are depicted and it is concluded that removal of these compounds by the ecologically friendly technique of phytoremediation is possible. The largest problem is seen in the uptake of the compounds into suitable plants and the time needed for such an approach.     

?kologische Kriterien der Technik- und Stoffbewertung: Integration des Vorsorgeprinzips

Zusammenfassung  Die Erarbeitung von Kriterien zur vergleichenden Bewertung von Technologien und Stoffen über den toxikologischen Ansatz hinaus und die Entwicklung eines integrierten Kriterienrasters stehen erst am Anfang. Die hier vorgestellten Kriterien aus der Technikanalyse zur Integration des Vorsorgeprinzips in die Stoffund Technikbewertung müssen weiter operationalisiert und vervollst?ndigt werden, ebenso wie die bisher im Rahmen

Absch?tzung der Quecksilberexposition

Zusammenfassung  Ein quecksilberkontaminierter Altstandort dient als Beispiel für eine umweltmedizinische Beurteilung der Belastung der im Umfeld wohnenden Personen durch Quecksilberimmissionen. Dabei wird die innere Exposition für sieben verschiedene Altersgruppen bezüglich der KontaktmedienBoden, Luft undNahrungsmittel anhand von konventionell festgelegten Szenarien abgesch?tzt und ein Vergleich mit den epidemiologischen Ergebnissen eines Humanmonitorings angestrebt. Die standortspezifisch und pfadspezifisch durchgeführte Expositionsabsch?tzung stützt sich auf cine Vielzahl von unterschiedlichen Probenehmern sowie auf über mehrere Jahre durchgeführte Konzentrationsmessungen in den aufnahmerelevanten Kompartimenten. Sowohl die Berechnungen als auch die epidemiologischen Untersuchungen zeigen eine leichte Erh?hung der Quecksilberexposition, gemessen an strengen Richtwerten.      

Speciation of heavy metals in estuarine sediments in the northeast of Brazil

An analytical procedure involving a three-step sequential extraction was used to determine the chemical association of heavy metals (Zn, Cr, Mn and Fe) with the major phases (exchangable, reducible and oxidizable) in samples from a fishpond of estuarine sediments. The pond is located in the Capibaribe River estuary, within the boundaries of the city of Recife, in the State of Pernambuco in the northeast of Brazil. The total metal content was determined as well. All metals were extracted from the residual fraction at a percentage greater than 50%.     

Stra?enversiegelung in Deutschland und ihre Beinflussung der Umwelt im Vergleich mit anderen OECD-L?ndern

Zusammenfassung  Die durch die Fernstra?en versiegelte Fl?che in Deutschland betr?gt 0,47% der Oberfl?che, ohne die Seitenstreifen und Gemeindestra?en. Z?hlt man diese hinzu, so erh?ht sich der Wert auf 1,3%. In den dicht besiedelten Bundesl?ndern Hessen und Nordrhein-Westfalen erh?hen sich die Werte in Hessen auf 0,59 bzw. 1,59% und in NRW auf 0,68 bzw. 1,82%. In anderen OECD-L?ndern betragen die Prozents?tze des durch Fernstra?en versiegelten Bodens zwischen 0,2 und 3,0%. Bei diesem Vergleich liegt Deutschland an 5. Stelle hinter den Benelux-L?ndern und Japan. In der Verkehrsdichte (zugelassene Kraftfahrzeuge pro Stra?enkilometer) liegt Deutschland an 3. Stelle hinter Italien und Gro?britannien. Die Bodenversiegelung durch Stra?endecken sch?digt die Umwelt durch die Einbringung verkehrsbedingter Schadstoffe und St?rung des Grundwasserspiegels, aber noch mehr durch die Zerteilung und Zerst?rung von Biotopen. Online-First: 19. Mai 2000     

Toxic Effects of Crude Oil Combined with Oil Cleaner Simple Green on Yolk-sac Larvae and Adult Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (4 pp)

Background, Goal and Scope Cleaner CRYSTAL Simple Green (SG) was used for the cleanup of the oil spill in the Baltic Sea near Lithuania in 2001. No scientific data are available on the effects and consequences of its application for local aquatic life. The aim of this study was to determine and compare sublethal effects of a) solution SG; b) crude oil alone; c) SG in combination with oil on rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss at different stages of its development in laboratory conditions.Methods Laboratory studies were performed on adult rainbow trout (4-day duration) and on yolk-sac larvae (25-day duration) evaluating their biological parameters. Concentrations of water-soluble and thin-dispersed fractions of petroleum hydrocarbons were measured using gas chromatography.Results and Discussion SG solution (0.5 mg/l) did not affect the survival of larvae and adult fish, and no significant changes were determined in respiratory parameters of the exposed larvae and adult fish. The most expressed alterations were found in morphological parameters (a decrease in the average body mass) of larvae and in haematological indices (a decrease in the leukocyte count) of adult fish at the end of the tests. Crude oil (1610 mg/l) did not affect the survival of adult fish during the 4-day exposure. An increase in larvae mortality rate (~ 36%) was recorded at the end of the tests. A significant decrease in the average body mass and heart rate of larvae as well as in gill ventilation frequency of larvae and adult fish were determined. SG combined with oil induced an increase in larval mortality &#61566; 46% of individuals died at the end of the tests. No mortality was recorded in adult fish. The average body mass and heart rate of larvae were significantly decreased. Marked changes were also found in respiratory parameters (gill ventilation frequency of larvae and adult fish significantly decreased, while “coughing” rate increased). A 1-day, 2-day exposure of fish to SG combined with oil induced a significant decrease in the leukocyte count of adult fish, which was also determined at the end of the tests. The augmentation of adverse impact could be explained by the data obtained from our studies. When SG was added into dilution water with crude oil the concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons in the mixture increased 3 ~ 4.5 times after 24 h and 96 h, respectively. Conclusions The comparative study of the effects of crude oil alone, SG and SG combined with oil showed that their toxic effects on fish differed. Oil combined with SG was found to be more toxic to fish (larvae and adults) than SG alone and oil alone. Fish at early stages of development (yolk-sac larvae) were more sensitive to the effects of the compounds studied than adults.Recommendations and Outlook To diminish the negative impact of oil spill cleanup using chemicals on aquatic ecosystems, it is recommended to carry out more comprehensive studies of their effects and after-effects in laboratory conditions using a wide scale of local aquatic organisms. The selected species of the most sensitive aquatic organisms should include those which are unable to escape the impact of combined action of oil and cleaners. Special attention should be directed to the research of effects of these pollutants on studied organisms at their most sensitive stages of life (reproduction, hatching, early stages of development), as after-effects of exposure to pollutants may be observed in future generations.