Mercury (Hg) is a globally ubiquitous pollutant that has received much attention due to its toxicity to humans and wildlife. The development of non-destructive sampling techniques is a critical step for sustainable monitoring of Hg accumulation. We evaluated the efficacy of non-destructive sampling techniques and assessed spatial, temporal, and demographic factors that influence Hg bioaccumulation in turtles. We collected muscle, blood, nail, and eggs from snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) inhabiting an Hg contaminated river. As predicted, all Hg tissue concentrations strongly and positively correlated with each other. Additionally, we validated our mathematical models against two additional Hg contaminated locations and found that tissue relationships developed from the validation sites did not significantly differ from those generated from the original sampling site. The models provided herein will be useful for a wide array of systems where biomonitoring of Hg in turtles needs to be accomplished in a conservation-minded fashion.

Drug abuse assessment methods based on measuring illicit substances in waste waters are consolidated. The approach of ambient air monitoring looks questionable, nonetheless it can be explored if the variables determining the drug burdens are accounted for, or suitable co-contaminants are adopted to normalize concentrations to environmental and human contours. The general approach linking the airborne drug concentrations to consumption is presented and the case of cocaine is discussed according to measurements conducted in Italy. The cocaine/nicotine concentration ratio, identified as the most suitable tool, fitted well with anti-drug Police operations and people noticed for drug-related crimes, and with the abuse prevalence estimated in the cities investigated. According to that, the conversion factors of drug concentrations into prevalence estimates seem assessable, provided sufficient databases over space and time are collected. Further investigations are necessary to understand if airborne drugs cause adverse sanitary effects.

This paper investigates the biases associated with the ground-level nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations derived from the satellite Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) NO2 data through comparisons with the modeling and the monitoring results for the state of California in 2008. The seasonal and annual average ground-level NO2 concentrations are both analyzed from the OMI using the local NO2 profile obtained from the GEOS-Chem simulation. The OMI-derived ground-level NO2 concentrations are then compared with the NO2 concentrations predicted by a GIS-Based Multi-Source and Multi-Box model (GMSMB) and the in-situ measurements, correlation coefficients among the three sets of results are all above 0.84 with an average slope of 0.81 ± 0.04. Particularly, various biases associated with the three data sets have been analyzed, and the OMI-derived NO2 concentrations and the GMSMB modeling results have been proven to be essential for assessing regional air pollutant exposure risks with the aid of the extensive remote sensing database.

We measured selenium (Se) speciation in the waters of 16 lakes located near two major metal smelters and compared it to Se concentrations in a potential biomonitor, the planktivorous insect Chaoborus. We used this sentinel because planktonic algae and crustaceans, which are lower in the trophic chain leading to Chaoborus, are more difficult to separate and identify to species, whereas many fish species are not obligate planktivores. Percentages of selenate and organo-Se were generally higher in acidic lakes, whereas those of selenite were usually greater in alkaline waters. Chaoborus Se concentrations varied widely among lakes and, with the exception of a single high-sulfate lake, were significantly and highly correlated with those of dissolved organo-Se plus selenate (Se(VI)). We suggest that Chaoborus larvae would be highly effective for monitoring the Se-exposure of planktonic food webs in lakes.

During the last decades, awareness regarding persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), has become a cutting-edge topic, due to their toxicity, bioaccumulation and persistency in the environment. Monitoring of PCDD/Fs and PAHs in air and water has proven to be insufficient to capture deposition and effects of these compounds in the biota. To overcome this limitation, environmental biomonitoring using lichens and aquatic mosses, have aroused as promising tools. The main aim of this work is to provide a review of: i) factors that influence the interception and accumulation of POPs by lichens; ii) how lichens and aquatic bryophytes can be used to track different pollution sources and; iii) how can these biomonitors contribute to environmental health studies. This review will allow designing a set of guidelines to be followed when using biomonitors to assess environmental POP pollution.

Air pollution is a widespread health problem associated with respiratory symptoms. Continuous exposure monitoring was performed to estimate alveolar and tracheobronchial dose, measured as deposited surface area, for 103 children and to evaluate the long-term effects of exposure to airborne particles through spirometry, skin prick tests and measurement of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO). The mean daily alveolar deposited surface area dose received by children was 1.35 × 103 mm2. The lowest and highest particle number concentrations were found during sleeping and eating time. A significant negative association was found between changes in pulmonary function tests and individual dose estimates. Significant differences were found for asthmatics, children with allergic rhinitis and sensitive to allergens compared to healthy subjects for eNO. Variation is a child's activity over time appeared to have a strong impact on respiratory outcomes, which indicates that personal monitoring is vital for assessing the expected health effects of exposure to particles.

The comet assay and micronucleous test were used to assess the genotoxicity of organic compounds associated with particulate material collected in the city of Córdoba, Argentina. Samples were collected on fiber glass filters and their organic extracts were analyzed by GC-MS. These extracts were used for the comet assay on human lymphocytes and for the MCN test with Tradescantia pallida. The concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as some of their nitro derivates were higher during winter. Their composition suggested that their main emission sources were gasoline and diesel vehicles. We observed genotoxic effects of these organic extracts due to the presence of both direct and indirect acting mutagens. We found a good agreement between the two test systems employed, which encourages the further use of plant bioassays for air pollution monitoring, especially in developing countries, due to their flexibility, low cost and efficiency.

Biospectroscopy is an emerging inter-disciplinary field that exploits the application of sensor technologies [e.g., Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy] to lend novel insights into biological questions. Methods involved are relatively non-destructive so samples can subsequently be analysed by more conventional approaches, facilitating deeper mechanistic insights. Fingerprint spectra are derived and these consist of wavenumber–absorbance intensities; within a typical biological experiment, a complex dataset is quickly generated. Biological samples range from biofluids to cytology to tissues derived from human or sentinel sources, and analyses can be carried out ex vivo or in situ in living tissue. A reference range of a designated normal state can be derived; anything outside this is potentially atypical and discriminating chemical entities identified. Computational approaches allow one to minimize within-category confounding factors. Because of ease of sample preparation, low-cost and high-throughput capability, biospectroscopy approaches herald a new greener means of environmental health monitoring in urban environments.

Many citizens live, work, commute, or visit traffic intensive spaces and are exposed to high levels of chemical health stressors. However, urban conurbations worldwide present monitoring “shortage” – due to economical and/or practical constraints – for toxic stressors such as xylene isomers, which can pose human health risks. This “shortage” may be covered by the establishment of associations between rarely monitored substances such as xylenes and more frequently monitored (i.e. benzene) or usually monitored (i.e. CO). Regression analysis is used and strong statistical relationships are detected. The adopted models are applied to EU cities and comparison between measurements and predictions depicts their representativeness. The analysis provides transferability insights in an effort to bridge the gap between traffic-related stressors. Strong associations between substances of the air pollution mixture may be influential to interpret the complexity of the causal chain, especially if a synergetic exposure assessment in traffic intensive spaces is considered.

A case study is presented to illustrate a methodology for mobile monitoring in urban environments. A dataset of UFP, PM2.5 and BC concentrations was collected. We showed that repeated mobile measurements could give insight in spatial variability of pollutants at different micro-environments in a city. Streets of contrasting traffic intensity showed increased concentrations by a factor 2–3 for UFP and BC and by <10% for PM2.5. The first quartile (P25) of the mobile measurements at an urban background zone seems to be good estimate of the urban background concentration. The local component of the pollutant concentrations was determined by background correction. The use of background correction reduced the number of runs needed to obtain representative results. The results presented, are a first attempt to establish a methodology for setup and data processing of mobile air quality measurements to assess the spatial variability of concentrations in urban environments.