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Inter-laboratory exercise on steroid estrogens in aqueous samples
2010
Heath, Ester | Kosjek, T. | Andersen, H.R. | Holten Lützhoft, H.C. | Adolfson Erici, M. | Coquery, Marina | Düring, R.A. | Gans, O. | Guignard, C. | Karlsson, P. | Manciot, F. | Moldovan, Z. | Patureau, Dominique | Cruceru, L. | Sacher, F. | Ledin, L. | Jozef Stefan Institute [Ljubljana] (IJS) | Department of Environmental Engineering ; Danmarks Tekniske Universitet = Technical University of Denmark (DTU) | Stockholm University | Qualité des eaux et prévention des pollutions (UR QELY) ; Centre national du machinisme agricole, du génie rural, des eaux et forêts (CEMAGREF) | Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen = Justus Liebig University (JLU) | Umweltbundesamt | Centre de Recherche Public - Gabriel Lippmann (LUXEMBOURG) | Lantmannen Analycen AB ; Partenaires INRAE | CAE | Mass Spectrometry Department | Laboratoire de Biotechnologie de l'Environnement [Narbonne] (LBE) ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro) | University of Bucharest (UniBuc) | Water Technology Center
International audience | An inter-laboratory comparison exercise was organized among European laboratories, under the aegis of EU COST Action 636: "Xenobiotics in Urban Water Cycle" The objective was to evaluate the performance of testing laboratories determining "Endocrine Disrupting Compounds" (EDC) in various aqueous matrices. As the main task three steroid estrogens. 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol, 17 beta-estradiol and estrone were determined in four spiked aqueous matrices' tap water, river water and wastewater treatment plant influent and effluent using GC-MS and LC-MS/MS Results were compared and discussed according to the analytical techniques applied, the accuracy and reproducibility of the analytical methods and the nature of the sample matrices. Overall, the results obtained in this inter-laboratory exercise reveal a high level of competence among the participating laboratories for the detection of steroid estrogens in water samples indicating that GC-MS as well as LC-MS/MS can equally be employed for the analysis of natural and synthetic hormones.
Show more [+] Less [-]Mobility of radium and trace metals in sediments of the Winterbeek: Application of sequential extraction and DGT techniques
2010
Gao, Y. | Baeyens, W. | Galan, S De | Poffijn, A. | Leermakers, M.
For several decades, phosphate ores containing 226Ra as well as several trace metals have been processed in Belgium to produce calcium phosphate for use in cattle food. The waste water is discharged in two small rivers, the Laak and the Winterbeek. In this study, the levels of 226Ra and trace metals in surface water and sediments of the Winterbeek were investigated and the mobility of these compounds was assessed using DGT (Diffusive Gradient in Thin Films) and sequential extraction techniques. The concentrations of 226Ra and trace metals in water and sediment indicate a decreasing trend in inputs to the Winterbeek. The mobility of 226Ra, assessed by DGT, is related to the reductive mobilization of Fe. The sequential extraction technique shows that at some stations an important fraction of 226Ra is found to labile sediment phases. Diffusive 226Ra sediment fluxes, are however, relatively small and have only a minor contribution to the water column concentration of 226Ra.
Show more [+] Less [-]Comparison of concentrations and stereoisomer ratios of mecoprop, dichlorprop and metolachlor in Ontario streams, 2006-2007 vs. 2003-2004
2010
Kurt-Karakus, Perihan Binnur | Bidleman, Terry F. | Muir, Derrek C.G. | Struger, John | Sverko, Ed | Cagampan, Steve J. | Small, Jeff M. | Jantunen, Liisa M.
Mecoprop, dichlorprop and metolachlor concentrations and enantiomer signatures were determined in Ontario streams in 2006-2007 and compared to results from 2003 to 2004. Median concentrations of dichlorprop and metolachlor were not significantly different between the two campaigns, but mecoprop was higher in 2006-2007. Concentrations of mecoprop and dichlorprop in Lake Ontario surface water were 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than stream averages. Enantiomer fractions (EFs) > 0.5 of mecoprop in high-concentration stream water samples during 2006-2007 were related to replacement of racemic mecoprop by single (+) enantiomer mecoprop-P after 2004. EFs <0.5 in low-concentration samples suggested enantioselective degradation and/or interconversion. Metolachlor profiles were expressed as SF, the fraction of herbicidally active/(active + inactive) stereoisomers. Samples with higher concentrations of metolachlor had SFs similar to S-metolachlor which is enriched in the active stereoisomers. Low concentrations were associated with lower and more variable SFs, suggesting mixed input of racemic and S-metolachlor or stereoselective degradation.
Show more [+] Less [-]Dynamic modelling of atmospherically-deposited Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in Pennine catchments (northern England)
2010
Tipping, E. | Rothwell, J.J. | Shotbolt, L. | Lawlor, A.J.
Simulation modelling with CHUM-AM was carried out to investigate the accumulation and release of atmospherically-deposited heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in six moorland catchments, five with organic-rich soils, one with calcareous brown earths, in the Pennine chain of northern England. The model considers two soil layers and a third layer of weathering mineral matter, and operates on a yearly timestep, driven by deposition scenarios covering the period 1400-2010. The principal processes controlling heavy metals are competitive solid-solution partitioning of solutes, chemical interactions in solution, and chemical weathering. Agreement between observed and simulated soil metal pools and surface water concentrations for recent years was generally satisfactory, the results confirming that most contemporary soil metal is from atmospheric pollution. Metals in catchments with organic-rich soils show some mobility, especially under more acid conditions, but the calcareous mineral soils have retained nearly all anthropogenic metal inputs. Complexation by dissolved organic matter and co-transport accounts for up to 80% of the Cu in surface waters.
Show more [+] Less [-]Eco-restoration: Simultaneous nutrient removal from soil and water in a complex residential–cropland area
2010
Wu, Yonghong | Kerr, Philip G. | Hu, Zhengyi | Yang, Linzhang
An eco-restoration system to remove excess nutrients and restore the agricultural ecosystem balance was proposed and applied from August 2006 to August 2008 in a residential-cropland complex area (1.4 × 105 m2) in Kunming, western China, where the self-purifying capacity of the agricultural ecosystem had been lost. The proposed eco-restoration system examined includes three main foci: farming management, bioremediation, and wastewater treatment. The results showed that the removal efficiencies of total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) from the complex wastewater were 83% and 88%, respectively. The Simpson’s diversity indices of macrophytes and zoobenthos indicated that the system had increased macrophyte and zoobenthic diversity as well as improved growth conditions of the plankton habitats. The results demonstrated that the proposed eco-restoration system is a promising approach for decreasing the output of nutrients from soil, improving agricultural ecosystem health, and minimizing the downstream eutrophication risk for surface waters.
Show more [+] Less [-]Chemical contamination and the ecological quality of surface water
2010
Baas, Jan | Kooijman, S. A. L. M.
In the assessment of the quality of surface waters, the typical procedure is that the concentration of contaminants in the surface water is monitored and subsequently compared with their respective Maximum Permissible Concentrations (MPCs). If the MPCs are not exceeded the water quality is considered to be safe. But can we be certain that this is true? We compared MPCs to observed and calculated effects of measured contaminants in Dutch surface waters and showed that effects of mixtures can cause a daphnid population to go extinct within 30 h of exposure even when MPCs are not exceeded. We conclude that there are shortcomings underlying the concepts of the MPCs. And that the MPCs aim to protect 95% of all species is not met.
Show more [+] Less [-]Identification of a phytotoxic photo-transformation product of diclofenac using effect-directed analysis
2010
Schulze, Tobias | Weiss, Sara | Schymanski, Emma | Ohe, Peter Carsten von der | Schmitt-Jansen, Mechthild | Altenburger, R. | Streck, Georg | Brack, Werner
The pharmaceutical diclofenac (DCF) is released in considerably high amounts to the aquatic environment. Photo-transformation of DCF was reported as the main degradation pathway in surface waters and was found to produce metabolites with enhanced toxicity to the green algae Scenedesmus vacuolatus. We identified and subsequently confirmed 2-[2-(chlorophenyl)amino]benzaldehyde (CPAB) as a transformation product with enhanced toxicity using effect-directed analysis. The EC50 of CPAB (4.8 mg/L) was a factor of 10 lower than that for DCF (48.1 mg/L), due to the higher hydrophobicity of CPAB (log Kow = 3.62) compared with DCF (log Dow = 2.04) at pH 7.0.
Show more [+] Less [-]Macronutrient (N, P, K) and Redoximorphic Metal (Fe, Mn) Allocation in Leersia oryzoides (Rice Cutgrass) Grown Under Different Flood Regimes
2010
Pierce, Samuel C. | Moore, Matt T. | Larsen, Dan | Pezeshki, S. R.
Vegetated drainages are an effective method for removal of pollutants associated with agricultural runoff. Leersia oryzoides, a plant common to agricultural ditches, may be particularly effective in remediation; however, research characterizing responses of L. oryzoides to flooding are limited. Soil reduction resulting from flooding can change availability of nutrients to plants via changes in chemical species (e.g., increasing solubility of Fe). Additionally, plant metabolic stresses resulting from reduced soils can decrease nutrient uptake and translocation. The objective of this study was to characterize belowground and aboveground nutrient allocation of L. oryzoides subjected to various soil moisture regimes. Treatments included: a well-watered and well-drained control; a continuously saturated treatment; a 48-h pulse-flood treatment; and a partially flooded treatment in which water level was maintained at 15 cm below the soil surface and flooded to the soil surface for 48 h once a week. Soil redox potential (Eh, mV) was measured periodically over the course of the 8-week experiment. At experiment termination, concentrations of Kjeldahl nitrogen, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) were measured in plant tissues. All flooded treatments demonstrated moderately reduced soil conditions (Eh < 350 mV). Plant Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations demonstrated no treatment effect, whereas P and K concentrations decreased in aboveground portions of the plant. Belowground concentrations of P, Mn, and Fe were significantly higher in flooded plants, likely due to the increased solubility of these nutrients resulting from the reductive decomposition of metal–phosphate complexes in the soil and subsequent precipitation in the rhizosphere. These results indicate that wetland plants may indirectly affect P, Mn, and Fe concentrations in surface waters by altering local trends in soil oxidation–reduction chemistry.
Show more [+] Less [-]Assessment of the Pollution from Tannery Effluents upon Waters and Soils in and Around Kula Vicinity, Turkey
2010
Tarcan, Gültekin | Akıncı, Görkem | Danışman, M Ali
More than 50 tanneries are operated in Kula, Turkey which is located on highly permeable geological units. The untreated effluents from the tanneries discharged onto the ground surface may cause pollution in surface waters, in groundwater, and in soil. Since the water resources of the region are used for drinking, agricultural, and industrial purposes, the quality assessment of groundwaters and surface waters is completed in the content of this study. Additionally, the surface soil samples are analyzed for their heavy metal content to describe the size of the pollution. The results obtained from the analysis of the water samples show that the concentrations are mostly within drinking water limits. But, concentrations are expected to increase in the next years as no effective effluent collection and treatment is present in the tanneries. Although the concentrations of K, SO₄, Mg, Na, and Cl exceed the permissible limits for drinking water in some cases, they may not directly be caused by tannery activities. Nevertheless, they should be assessed as an indicator of the beginning of groundwater pollution. Also, soil samples collected near the tannery district are extremely polluted. This paper discusses the assessment of the geochemical dispersals of Cr and other pollutants derived from the tannery activities within soil and water in Kula.
Show more [+] Less [-]Performance Evaluation of Integrated Constructed Wetlands Treating Domestic Wastewater
2010
Kayranli, Birol | Scholz, Miklas | Mustafa, Atif | Hofmann, Oliver | Harrington, Rory
The performances of a new and a mature integrated constructed wetland (ICW) system treating domestic wastewater were evaluated for the first time. The new ICW in Glaslough (near Monaghan, Ireland) comprises five wetland cells, and the mature system in Dunhill (near Waterford, Ireland) comprises four cells. The performance assessment for these systems is based on physical and chemical parameters collected for 1 year in Glaslough and 5 years in Dunhill. The removal efficiencies for the former system were relatively good if compared to the international literature: biochemical oxygen demand (BOD, 99.4%), chemical oxygen demand (COD, 97.0%), suspended solids (SS, 99.5%), ammonia nitrogen (99.0%), nitrate nitrogen (93.5%), and molybdate-reactive phosphorus (MRP, 99.2%). However, the mature ICW had removal efficiencies that decreased over time as the Dunhill village expanded rapidly. The mean removal efficiencies were as follows: BOD (95.2%), COD (89.1%), SS (97.2%), ammonia nitrogen (58.2%), nitrate nitrogen (−11.8%), and MRP (34.0%). The findings indicate that ICW are efficient in removing BOD, COD, SS, and ammonia nitrogen from domestic wastewater. Moreover, both ICW systems did not pollute the receiving surface waters and the groundwater.
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