Measurements of surface contamination of spray equipment with pesticides after various methods of application

Abstract

A traditional method to determine operator dermal exposure is to quantify the amount of pesticide coming into contact with specific body regions and then to integrate the deposition density values with the total body surface. It is known that extremely high deposition values may occur in the hand region; however, the source of contamination is generally assumed to be direct splash or contact with the pesticide container. One of the parameters affecting operator/pilot exposure could be the transfer of pesticide residue, particularly in the case of pesticides with a longer half‐life, from contaminated surfaces of spray equipment by direct contact over extended periods. If the rate of skin absorption of pesticide is readily known, the expected values of daily dose for an operator or pilot may significantly rise due to the extended contact period. This study produced field data on the surface contamination of spray equipment used for ground and aerial applications. If field data on precise work practice (time‐motion) observations are incorporated, it may be possible to estimate the potential exposure of operator/pilot due to hand contact with contaminated surfaces.     

Trace metal and metalloid levels in surface water of Marcal River before and after the Ajka red mud spill, Hungary

The aim of this study was to compare and assess the dissolved concentrations of trace elements (As, Zn, Hg, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb and Cu) in surface water of Marcal River before and after the red mud spill that occurred in Ajka, western Hungary, in October 2010. The caustic sludge flooded the surrounding settlements and polluted the nearby Torna Creek, which flows through the Marcal and Raba rivers into the Danube. A total of 92 surface water samples were collected from the Marcal River in the period of 2007–2012 and analysed for dissolved trace metal(loid)s by atomic absorption spectroscopy method. After the spill, the water management authority initially focused on acid dosing of surface waters to lower pH and was effective in lowering both pH and metal(loid) concentrations. Among the dissolved trace metal(loid)s, arsenic and nickel levels were moderately higher in the Marcal River 2 years since the spill compared to that observed in the pre-disaster period. The concentrations of dissolved trace metal(loid)s did not exceed the European water quality standards and the US Environmental Protection Agency aquatic life criteria values (excluding one sample for cadmium).     

Search for biochemical fossils on earth and non-biological organic molecules on Jupiter,Saturn and Titan

Recognizable remnants of ancient biochemicals may survive under mild/moderate geological environments. Acyclic isoprenoid hydrocarbons, cyclic hydrocarbons with terpenoid carbon skeletons (e.g. hopanes) and vanadyl and nickel porphyrins have been isolated from organic matter, including petroleum, in Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks. Remnants of lignin have also been found. Usually, carbohydrates do not survive long; they degrade and/or react with other organic substances to form macromolecular matter. Proteins, e.g. apparently those in dinosaur bone collagen, break down relatively rapidly. Life arose during the Precambrian and potential biochemical fossils, e.g. n-alkanes, 2,5-dimethylfuran have been isolated from Precambrian kerogens. Traces of hydrocarbons, NH₃, PH₃ occur on Jupiter and Saturn. Hydrocarbons, N₂ and HCN, the latter a key intermediary in the laboratory abiological syntheses of amino acids and nucleic acid bases, are present on Titan where life could not have evolved. Precursor abiological organic molecules of some complexity may have been synthesized on Titan and the Jovian planets.     

Release dynamic process identification for a cement based material in various leaching conditions. Part I. Influence of leaching conditions on the release amount

In this paper we investigate at laboratory scale the influence of the liquid/solid leaching conditions on the release of different chemical species from a reference porous material obtained by solidification of PbO and CdO with Portland cement. The pH influence on the dissolution of pollutants and the initial pore solution composition (target elements: Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), Pb(2+), Cd(2+), SO(4)(2-)) were assessed by applying a methodology consisting of two equilibrium leaching tests, the Acid Neutralization Capacity (ANC) and the Pore Water (PW) tests and geochemical modelling. Samples of the same material were submitted in parallel to four different dynamic leaching tests in order to determine the influence of the sample shape (monolithic or granular) and eluate hydrodynamics (instantaneous L/S ratio, eluate renewal) on the leaching of the target elements. The comparison criteria were the eluate saturation state, the cumulative release and the released flux. Generally, the eluates obtained in the tests applied on granular material were more concentrated, even saturated for the eluate pH value with respect to Ca(2+), Pb(2+) and SO(4)(2-). The consequence of the eluate saturation is the slowing down effect on the dynamic release. The highest released flux was observed for the Monolith Leaching Test (MLT) involving the highest instantaneous L/S ratio and the lowest solid/liquid exchange surface and for which no saturation was observed, except Pb(2+) and SO(4)(2-) in some eluates. The maximum cumulative released-mass was obtained for the Column Leaching Test (CLT) applied on granular material having the highest exchange surface, the lowest instantaneous L/S and a continuous input flow of the leachant. The experimental results demonstrate the significance of the liquid/solid contact type which is also a scenario specific parameter.