Presence of carbamazepine,naproxen, and ibuprofen in wastewater from northern Tunisia

We investigated the occurrence of three pharmaceutical residues in four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) from northern Tunisia. The selected compounds were carbamazepine, naproxen, and ibuprofen; they are among the most commonly prescribed and widely used pharmaceutical agents worldwide. Samples (200?mL) were pre-concentrated using the solid phase extraction (SPE) enrichment procedure and the analysis of the pharmaceuticals was performed with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-UV). The overall procedure provided limits of detection (LOD) lower than 0.5 µg.L^?1and recoveries of 78–97%. For the carbamazepine compound, the mean concentrations were 60.58, 93.19, and 132 µg.L^?1 for the Bizerte, Jendouba, and Tunis WWTPs, respectively. This pharmaceutical was not detected in the Beja WWTPs. Naproxen and ibuprofens were not detected in the Jendouba WWTP but were found in the three other WWTPs with concentrations ranging from 2.94 to 36.17 µg.L^?1 and from 8.02 to 43.22 µg.L^?1, respectively. From the obtained data, it seems that these WWTPs are not able to eliminate this kind of micro-pollutants.     

Predicting molybdenum toxicity to higher plants: Influence of soil properties

The effect of soil properties on the toxicity of molybdenum (Mo) to four plant species was investigated. Soil organic carbon or ammonium-oxalate extractable Fe oxides were found to be the best predictors of the 50% effective dose (ED₅₀) of Mo in different soils, explaining > 65% of the variance in ED₅₀ for four species except for ryegrass (26-38%). Molybdenum concentrations in soil solution and consequently plant uptake were increased when soil pH was artificially raised because sorption of Mo to amorphous oxides is greatly reduced at high pH. The addition of sulphate significantly decreased Mo uptake by oilseed rape. For risk assessment, we suggest that Mo toxicity values for plants should be normalised using soil amorphous iron oxide concentrations.     

Application of the ERICA Assessment Tool to freshwater biota in Finland

In recent years there has been growing international interest in the assessment of doses and risks from ionising contaminants to biota. In this study the ERICA Tool, developed within the EC 6th Framework Programme, was applied to estimate incremental dose rates to biota in freshwater ecosystems in Finland mainly resulting from exposure to the Chernobyl-derived radionuclides ¹³⁷Cs, ¹³⁴Cs and ⁹⁰Sr. Data sets consisting of measured activity concentrations in fish, aquatic plants, lake water and sediment for three selected lakes located in a region with high ¹³⁷Cs deposition were applied in the assessment. The dose rates to most species studied were clearly below the screening level of 10 μGy h⁻¹, indicating no significant impact of the Chernobyl fallout on these species. However, the possibility of higher dose rates to certain species living on or in the bottom sediment cannot be excluded based on this assessment.     

Study of soil-plant transfer of 226Ra under greenhouse conditions

A soil-plant transfer study was performed using soil from a former uranium ore processing factory in South Bohemia. We present the results from greenhouse experiments which include estimates of the time required for phytoremediation. The accumulation of ²²⁶Ra by different plant species from a mixture of garden soil and contaminated substrate was extremely variable, ranging from 0.03 to 2.20 Bq ²²⁶Ra/g DW. We found differences in accumulation of ²²⁶Ra between plants from the same genus and between cultivars of the same plant species. The results of ²²⁶Ra accumulation showed a linear relation between concentration of ²²⁶Ra in plants and concentration of ²²⁶Ra in soil mixtures. On the basis of these results we estimated the time required for phytoremediation, but this appears to be too long for practical purposes.     

Bioaccumulation of Ra by plants growing in fresh water ecosystem around the uranium industry at Jaduguda, India

A field study has been conducted to evaluate the ²²⁶Ra bioaccumulation among aquatic plants growing in the stream/river adjoining the uranium mining and ore-processing complex at Jaduguda, India. Two types of plant group have been investigated namely free floating algal species submerged into water and plants rooted in stream & riverbed. The highest ²²⁶Ra activity concentration (9850 Bq kg⁻¹) was found in filamentous algae growing in the residual water of tailings pond. The concentration ratios of ²²⁶Ra in filamentous algae (activity concentration of ²²⁶Ra in plant Bq kg⁻¹ fresh weight/activity concentration of ²²⁶Ra in water Bq l⁻¹) widely varied i.e. from 1.1 × 10³ to 8.6 × 10⁴. Other aquatic plants were also showing wide variability in the ²²⁶Ra activity concentration. The ln-transformed filamentous algae ²²⁶Ra activity concentration was significantly correlated with that of ln-transformed water concentration (r = 0.89, p < 0.001). There was no correlation between the activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra in stream/riverbed rooted plants and the substrate. For this group, correlation between ²²⁶Ra activity concentration and Mn, Fe, Cu concentration in plants were statistically significant.     

固定化微生物-水生生物强化系统在前置库示范工程中的应用

在前置库中构建固定化微生物-水生生物强化系统处理太湖入湖河道污水,以减少入湖污染负荷.在驯化期加入复合微生物菌剂30 mg/kg,驯化期后每月投加1次(20 mg/kg),强化微生物的活性.监测期间(5-11月)库水进水ρ(TN)为0.54～1.59 mg/L,ρ(TP)为0.079～0.172 mg/L,ρ(COD_Mn)为5.41～13.40mg/L,前置库水力停留时间约为9 d,TN,TP和COD_Mn平均去除率分别为45.0%,42.2%和50.8%.固定化微生物区域微生物数量高于水生植物根际区1～2个数量级,反硝化菌数量达到109,水生植物根区微生物数量也高于示范区自然水体2～3个数量级以上.试验结果表明,固定化微生物-水生生物强化系统具有良好的环境适应能力,治理水体富营养化效果明显,但其在前置库中的长效运行,有待于进一步验证.      

东太湖水生植物的促淤效应与磷的沉积

东太湖水生植物促进淤积效应显著,硬度小于５ｋｇ／ｃｍ＾２的淤积物了平均深度０．９６ｍ,总淤积量１４９３７００００ｔ,东南沿岸茭草分布区淤积尤为严重,生物有机物质只占总淤积量的１．５２％,水生植物并非淤积物的主要来源,但生物有机物质引起的淤积物疏松效应使得全湖淤积深度增辑０．２０ｍ,占总淤积深度的２０．８％,表层沉积中生有机物含量３．７７％,疏松效应占淤积深度的６４％,淤积物中总磷平均含量０．０２３     

Plant Bioassays for an in Situ Monitoring of Air Near an Industrial Area and a Municipal Solid Waste – ŽILINA (SLOVAKIA)

The process of a bioindication of genotoxic effects of complex mixtures on the environment using higher plants is very appropriate and effective. We present the results of an in situ indication of the genotoxic effects of polluted environment near Žilina city. For a more complex monitoring we used: the Tradescantia micronucleus (Trad-MCN) assay, the Tradescantia microspore test and an evaluation of the abortivity of the pollen grains of native plant species. We found significant differences in the frequency of the micronuclei when using the Trad-MCN test in local of Dubeň. The Tradescantia pollen abortivity test showed significant differences in the frequency of the abortive pollen grains between the exposed groups and the control group. By using native plant species in the pollen abortivity test we found significant differences in both of the two locations for the four following species during two consecutive years: Artemisia vulgaris, Melilotus albus, Trifolium pratense, Typha latifolia.     

Research Articles

The metabolism of phenanthrene was studied both in cell suspension cultures of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and soybean (Glycine max), and in intact plants of the water mossFontinalis antipyretica. Metabolism in cell suspension cultures strongly differed between the monocotyle and the dicotyle plant. Only small amounts oftrans-phenanthrene-9,10-dihydrodiole and phenanthrene-9,10-dione were detectable in the wheat culture. Soybean cultures, in contrast demonstrated a strong turnover resulting in a 75% reduction of the initial phenanthrene concentration. Metabolites were phenanthrene-9,10-dione, not further characterized polar metabolites and bound residues. Intact plants ofFontinalis antipyretica metabolized only small amounts of phenanthrene. Data obtained from cell cultures did not provide information for the metabolic potential in intact plants. Therefore standardized tests with model systems like suspension cultures lead to inadequate assessment of the ecological risk of certain xenobiotics.     

火电厂氮氧化物控制标准、政策分析及研究

制订污染物的排放标准及控制政策是治理环境污染的主要措施之一,世界各国针对火电厂氮氧化物（NOx）排放量分别制订了适合各国国情的控制政策及排放标准。通过对美国、欧盟及日本等世界主要发达国家及地区火电厂氮氧化物排放控制对策的分析,提出了对我国火电厂氮氧化物排放控制政策的建议。