The Stockholm Convention and the Global Monitoring Plan encourage the production of monitoring data to effectively evaluate the presence of the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in all regions, in order to identify changes in levels over time, as well as to provide information on their regional and global environmental transport. Here, we report the first step of two to investigate whether butter is a feasible matrix to screen with the purpose to reflect regional ambient atmospheric air levels of POPs. The first step described here is to generate monitoring data; the second is to investigate the relationship between the two matrixes, i.e., POP concentrations in air and butter, which will be reported in another article published in this journal. Here, the 27 organochlorine pesticides listed under the Stockholm Convention have been analyzed in 75 butter samples from Europe. The general conclusions were as follows: Total organochlorine pesticide concentration is lower in butter from northern and central Europe. The spatial gradient of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-di(4-chlorophenyl)ethane and hexachlorocyclohexane is increasing in the eastern region of Europe (Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine), dieldrin towards France, and endosulfan levels were elevated on the Azores Island in the Atlantic Ocean. One butter sample from Romania exceeded the European Maximum Residue Limit value for lindane, but the other butter pesticide levels were all below the limit values. The dataset reported here can be used for the calibration of the air–grass–dairy products model, which would support the feasibility to use butter as biomonitor for measuring POP levels in ambient air.

This work aims to analyze the relationship between root growth, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), auxin signaling, and cell cycle-related gene expression in cadmium (Cd)-stressed rice. The role of MAPKs in auxin signal modification and cell cycle-related gene expression during root growth was investigated by disrupting MAPK signaling using the MAPKK inhibitor PD98059 (PD). Treatment with Cd caused a significant accumulation of Cd in the roots. A Cd-specific probe showed that Cd is mainly localized in the meristematic zone and vascular tissues. Perturbation of MAPK signaling using PD significantly suppressed root system growth under Cd stress. The transcription of six MAPK genes was inhibited by Cd compared to the control. Detection using DR5-GUS transgenic rice showed that the intensity and distribution pattern of GUS staining was similar in roots treated with PD or Cd, whereas in Cd plus PD-treated roots, the GUS staining pattern was similar to that of the control, which indicates a close association of MAPK signaling with auxin homeostasis under control and Cd stress conditions. The expression of most key genes of auxin signaling, including OsYUCCA, OsPIN, OsARF, and OsIAA, and of most cell cycle-related genes, was negatively regulated by MAPKs under Cd stress. These results suggest that the MAPK pathway plays specific roles in auxin signal transduction and in the control of the cell cycle in response to Cd stress. Altogether, MAPKs take part in the regulation of root growth via auxin signal variation and the modified expression of cell cycle-related genes in Cd-stressed rice. A working model for the function of MAPKs in rice root systems grown under Cd stress is proposed.

The concentrations and distributions of mercury (Hg) in topsoil from four provinces and one municipality in China were investigated. A total of 1,254 samples were collected and analyzed. The average concentrations of Hg were 0.064 mg kg⁻¹ for Liaoning Province, 0.100 mg kg⁻¹ for Jiangsu Province, 0.110 mg kg⁻¹ for Zhejiang Province, 0.154 mg kg⁻¹ for Sichuan Province, and 0.098 mg kg⁻¹ for Chongqing Municipality. Although differences were found among the ranges of Hg concentrations, the average values for each region were similar with other published data. The concentrations of Hg in topsoil varied largely upon the sampling locations. More than 80 % of the soil samples from Liaoning Province, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, and Chongqing Municipality, were ranked Grade I by the China Environmental Quality Standard for Soils, which can be considered as not contaminated by Hg. The concentrations of Hg in 0.3–0.4 % of soils collected from Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province and Chongqing Municipality exceeded the limitation for Grade III, indicating the contamination of Hg in these sites. The sources and potential risks of Hg in these sites should be brought to attention and further investigated.

Lead (II) has been as one of the most toxic heavy metals because it is associated with many health hazards. Therefore, people are increasingly interested in discovering new methods for effectively and economically scavenging lead (II) from the aquatic system. Recent studies demonstrate biosorption is a promising technology for the treatment of pollutant streams. To apply these techniques, suitable adsorbents with high efficiency and low cost are demanded. The waste biomass of Bacillus gibsonii S-2 biosorbent was used as low-cost biosorbent to remove metallic cations lead (II) from aqueous solution. To optimize the maximum removal efficiency, the effect of pH and temperature on the adsorption process was studied. The isotherm models, kinetic models and thermodynamic parameters were analysed to describe the adsorptive behaviour of B. gibsonii S-2 biosorbent. The mechanisms of lead (II) biosorption were also analysed by FTIR and EDX. The results showed that the optimum pH values for the biosorption at three different temperatures, i.e. 20, 30 and 40 °C, were determined as 4. The equilibrium data were well fitted to Langmuir model, with the maximum lead (II) uptake capacities of 333.3 mg g⁻¹. The kinetics for lead (II) biosorption followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation. The thermodynamic data showed that the biosorption process were endothermic (∆G < 0), spontaneous (∆H > 0) and irreversible (∆S > 0). The mechanism of lead (II) biosorption by the waste biomass of B. gibsonii S-2 biosorbent could be a combination of ion exchange and complexation with the functional groups present on the biosorbent surface. The application of the waste biomass of B. gibsonii S-2 for lead (II) adsorption, characterized with higher lead (II) sorption capacity and lower cost, may find potential application in industrial wastewater treatment.

The cyanobacterial cytotoxin cylindrospermopsin (CYN) has become increasingly common in fresh waters worldwide. It was originally isolated from Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii in Australia; however, in European waters, its occurrence is associated with other cyanobacterial species belonging to the genera Aphanizomenon and Anabaena. Moreover, cylindrospermopsin-producing strains of widely distributed C. raciborskii have not yet been observed in European waters. The aims of this work were to assess the occurrence of CYN in lakes of western Poland and to identify the CYN producers. The ELISA tests, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-DAD, and HPLC-mass spectrometry (MS)/MS were conducted to assess the occurrence of CYN in 36 lakes. The cyrJ, cyrA, and pks genes were amplified to identify toxigenic genotypes of cyanobacteria that are capable of producing CYN. The toxicity and toxigenicity of the C. raciborskii and Aphanizomenon gracile strains isolated from the studied lakes were examined. Overall, CYN was detected in 13 lakes using HPLC-MS/MS, and its concentrations varied from trace levels to 3.0 μg L(-1). CYN was widely observed in lakes of western Poland during the whole summer under different environmental conditions. Mineral forms of nutrients and temperature were related to CYN production. The molecular studies confirmed the presence of toxigenic cyanobacterial populations in all of the samples where CYN was detected. The toxicity and toxigenicity analyses of isolated cyanobacteria strains revealed that A. gracile was the major producer of CYN.

In Kazakhstan, there is a problem of finding ways to clean local sites contaminated with pesticides. In particular, such sites are the deserted and destroyed storehouses where these pesticides were stored; existing storehouses do not fulfill sanitary standards. Phytoremediation is one potential method for reducing risk from these pesticides. Genetic heterogeneity of populations of wild and weedy species growing on pesticide-contaminated soil provides a source of plant species tolerant to these conditions. These plant species may be useful for phytoremediation applications. In 2008–2009 and 2011, we surveyed substances stored in 80 former pesticide storehouses in Kazakhstan (Almaty oblast) to demonstrate an inventory process needed to understand the obsolete pesticide problem throughout the country, and observed a total of 354.7 t of obsolete pesticides. At the sites, we have found organochlorine pesticides residues in soil including metabolites of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane. Twenty-four of the storehouse sites showed pesticides concentrations in soil higher than maximum allowable concentration which is equal to 100 μg kg⁻¹ in Kazakhstan. Seventeen pesticide-tolerant wild plant species were selected from colonizing plants that grew into/near the former storehouse’s pesticides. The results have shown that colonizing plant annual and biannual species growing on soils polluted by pesticides possess ability to accumulate organochlorine pesticide residues and reduce pesticide concentrations in soil. Organochlorine pesticides taken up by the plants are distributed unevenly in different plant tissues. The main organ of organochlorine pesticide accumulation is the root system. The accumulation rate of organochlorine pesticides was found to be a specific characteristic of plant species and dependent on the degree of soil contamination. This information can be used for technology development of phytoremediation of pesticide-contaminated soils.

The aim of this paper was to analyze the groundwater quality of Imphal West district, Manipur, India, and assess its suitability for drinking, domestic, and agricultural use. Eighteen physico-chemical variables were analyzed in groundwater from 30 different hand-operated tube wells in urban, suburban, and rural areas in two seasons. The data were subjected to uni-, bi-, and multivariate statistical analysis, the latter comprising cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), and factor analysis (FA). Arsenic concentrations exceed the Indian standard in 23.3 % and the WHO limit in 73.3 % of the groundwater sources with only 26.7 % in the acceptable range. Several variables like iron, chloride, sodium, sulfate, total dissolved solids, and turbidity are also beyond their desirable limits for drinking water in a number of sites. Sodium concentrations and sodium absorption ratio (SAR) are both high to render the water from the majority of the sources unsuitable for agricultural use. Multivariate statistical techniques, especially varimax rotation of PCA data helped to bring to focus the hidden yet important variables and understand their roles in influencing groundwater quality. Widespread arsenic contamination and high sodium concentration of groundwater pose formidable constraints towards its exploitation for drinking and other domestic and agricultural use in the study area, although urban anthropogenic impacts are not yet pronounced.

The present work is employed in Omalur Taluk (study area 538.10 km(2)), Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India. Eighty-nine groundwater samples were collected during pre-monsoon (May) 2011 and were analyzed for major cations and anions. The irrigational parameters like; EC, Kelley's ratio, sodium absorption ratio (SAR) values, Mg(2+) hazards, HCO3 (-) and residual sodium carbonate (RSC) have been worked out to know the suitability of the groundwater for irrigational purpose. Wilcox diagram indicates that out of 89 samples, 39 samples belong to good permissible category and Doneen diagram revealed that 98.88 % of the groundwater samples fall in Class I. The plotting of SAR values in USSL diagram indicates that all the samples have low SAR value. Out of 89 samples, 44 samples were in C3-S1 field. This implies that no alkali hazard is anticipated to the crops. In 44 locations (49.44 %), samples fall within C3-S1 category. This category is suitable for irrigation purpose. However, the concentration of bicarbonate was in significant amount showing 82 % of sites under "increasing problem" and the 4 % sites under "Severe Problem" zones. Finally, the above-said results are taken into a Geographic Information System (GIS) platform. To understand the spatial distribution of unsuitable zones, ArcGIS was employed. The present work reveals that groundwater in the Omalur Taluk is of good quality and is suitable for all uses including interbrain water transfer in the region.

During screening for poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) producing bacteria from distillery effluent sample, six out of 30 isolates comprising of three strains of Alcaligenes sp., two strains of Bacillus sp., and one strain of Pseudomonas sp. were found to accumulate varying levels of intracellular PHB. Amongst the various isolates, Alcaligenes sp. RZS4 was found as the potent PHB-producing organism, accumulating higher amounts of PHB. PHB productivity was further enhanced in the presence of oxygen, nitrogen-limiting conditions, and cloning of PHB synthesizing genes of Alcaligenes sp. RZS 4 into Escherichia coli. A twofold increase in PHB yield was obtained from recombinant E. coli vis-à-vis Alcaligenes sp.; the recombinant E. coli accumulated more PHB in NDMM, produced good amount of PHB in a single-stage cultivation process under both nutrient-rich and nutrient-deficient conditions. Extraction of PHB with acetone–alcohol (1:1) was found as suitable method for optimum extraction of PHB as this mixture selectively extracted PHB without affecting the non-PHB cell mass. PHB extract from recombinant E. coli showed the presence of C–H, =O stretching, =C–H deformation, =C–H, =CH, and =C–O functional groups characteristic of PHB.