INTRODUCTION: The effect of the glass industry on urban soil metal characterization was assessed in the area of Firozabad, India. A comprehensive profile of metal contamination was obtained in five zones each containing five specific sites. FINDINGS: Zn, Cd, and As showed a greater accumulation, whereas accumulation of Ni and Cu was high in limited samples. Positive correlation was found for the metal pairs Cu-Zn, Cu-Co, and Cu-Cr at P < 0.01. Moderate positive correlation was also observed between Zn-Co, Mn-Cd, Mn-As, Pb-As, and Ni-Cu at P < 0.05. Integrated contamination indices indicate that 60% of the sites were heavily contaminated while 28% were moderately contaminated. Phytoremedial potential of native flora (twenty herbs, three shrubs, and two grasses) was also assessed by analyzing their metal uptake. Individual elements displayed remarkably different patterns of accumulation in soils as well as in plants. Mn, Zn, Cu, and As were predominantly partitioned in shoots, Co and Cd in roots while Pb, Cr, and Ni almost equally between shoots and roots. Most plants exhibited capabilities in mobilizing Co, Pb, Cr, and Ni in the root zone. CONCLUSION: Potential phytoextractors include Datura stramonium and Chenopodium murale while phytostabilizers include Calotropis procera and Gnaphalium luteo-album. Poa annua showed potential in both categories. None of the species showed phytoremedial potential for Co and Ni.

INTRODUCTION: The aims of the present study are to investigate the effects of Ce3+ on the growth and some antioxidant metabolisms in rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L. cv Shengdao 16). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The rice was treated with 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mM Ce3+, respectively. The growth index of rice was measured. The chlorophyll content; catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activities; and the level of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anion (O 2 ·− ), and malondialdehyde were assayed. The accumulation of Ce3+ and the uptake of mineral nutrition elements were analyzed with ICP-SF-MS. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Hormetic effects of Ce3+ on the growth and some antioxidant metabolisms were found in the roots and shoots of rice. The roots can accumulate a much higher content of Ce3+ than shoots and Ce3+ mainly located in the cell wall of roots. Moreover, the uptake of K, Mg, Ca, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Mo in the roots and shoots was affected with the exposure of different Ce3+ treatments, which indicated that Ce3+ affected the nutritional status of roots and shoots and further affected the growth of rice. CONCLUSION: The appropriate amount of Ce3+ improved the defense system and growth of rice. The roots can accumulate a much higher content of Ce3+ than shoots. Moreover, the uptake of K, Mg, Ca, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Mo in the roots and shoots was affected with the exposure of different Ce3+ treatments.

Threshold concentrations for treatment related effects of 31 insecticides, as derived from aquatic micro-/mesocosm tests, were used to calibrate the predictive value of the European Tier-1 acute effect assessment on basis of laboratory toxicity tests with Daphnia magna, Chironomus spp., Americamysis bahia and Gammarus pulex. The acute Tier-1 effect assessment on basis of Daphnia (EC50/100) overall was protective for organophosphates, carbamates and most pyrethroids but not for neonicotinoids and the majority of insect growth regulators (IGRs) in the database. By including the 28-day water-spiked Chironomus riparius test, the effect assessment improves but selecting the lowest value on basis of the 48-h Daphnia test (EC50/100) and the 28-day Chironomus test (NOEC/10) is not fully protective for 4 out of 23 insecticide cases. An assessment on basis of G. pulex (EC50/100) is sufficiently protective for 15 out of 19 insecticide cases. The Tier-1 procedure on basis of acute toxicity data (EC50/100) for the combination of Daphnia and A. bahia and/or Chironomus (new EU dossier requirements currently under discussion) overall is protective to pulsed insecticide exposures in micro-/mesocosms. For IGRs that affect moulting, the effect assessment on basis of the 48-h Chironomus test (EC50/100) may not always be protective enough to replace that of the water-spiked 28-day C. riparius test (NOEC/10) because of latency of effects.

INTRODUCTION: The halophyte Halimione portulacoides collected in a polluted area of the river Sado estuary (Portugal) and obtained from hydroponic cultures was used to evaluate the compartmentation of Zn and its preferential binding sites. In parallel, we tried to assess if the minimum available Zn concentration found in marsh soil induces changes at the ultrastructural level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sequential extraction method was used to study the Zn compartmentation within the cell. Both dried plant samples and extracts/residues from compartmentation studies were digested by HNO₃–HClO₄ (4:1) until dryness and analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Segments of young leaves, previously exposed to Zn were fixed in glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide. Ultrathin sections were stained and examined by transmission electron microscopy at 80 kV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Proteins and carbohydrates of the cell walls constitute preferential binding sites of Zn, containing between 25% and 33% and between 30% and 40% of the total, respectively. Hydroponic plants accumulate Zn in their leaves up to (194 μg g⁻¹) without visible damage or changes in the protein and chlorophyll concentrations, compared with the controls. Chlorenchyma chloroplasts of Zn-treated plants exhibited an unusual number of starch grains, which can be seen as an alert mechanism. CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: Although so far the levels of Zn in the leaves within the studied area have not reached high values, monitoring them remains a priority. Also, issues related with starch synthesis and organic ligands must be evaluated. The understanding of the predictable behavior of this halophyte is our main goal, and the results here presented can contribute to this achievement.

INTRODUCTION: The biosorption characteristics of strontium ions using fungus Aspergillus terreus were investigated. Experimental parameters affecting the biosorption process such as pH, contact time, initial metal concentration, and temperature were studied. MATHEMATICAL DESCRIPTION: Fungus A. terreus exhibited the highest strontium uptake capacity at 15°C at an initial strontium ion concentration of 876 mg L−1 and an initial pH of 9. Biosorption capacity increased from 219 to 308 mg g−1 with a decrease in temperature from 45°C to 15°C at this initial strontium concentration. The equilibrium data fitted very well to the Langmuir adsorption model in the concentration range of strontium ions and at all the temperatures studied. CONCLUSION: Evaluation of the experimental data in terms of biosorption dynamics showed that the biosorption of strontium onto fungus followed the pseudo-second-order dynamics well (R2 > 0.985). The calculated thermodynamics parameters (−1.64 < ∆G° < −1.93 kJ mol−1 at temperatures of 45–15°C, ∆H° = −4.83 kJ mol−1 and ∆S° = −0.01 kJ mol−1 K−1) showed that the biosorption of strontium ions were feasible, spontaneous, and exothermic at the temperature ranges of 15–45°C.

PURPOSE: This study contains some new findings connected to the photolysis of the drug paracetamol (hereinafter APAP) especially in light of estimating natural conditions, and it will offer information to better evaluate environmental problems connected with this widely used analgesic agent. Only a few studies, so far, have focussed on the photodegradation process of APAP in the natural environment, and the question about the role of the colored/chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and nitrate (NO 3 − ) as photoinductors is almost open. METHODS: APAP dissolved in freshwater and pure laboratory water in the presence and absence of CDOM and NO 3 − ions was irradiated using weak-energy photon energies simulating natural conditions. RESULTS: CDOM and NO 3 − as photoinductors produced only the slow phototransformation of APAP under weak energy radiation, and APAP seemed to be practically resistant to direct photolysis under weak radiant energies available in natural conditions. The estimated reaction efficiencies, in addition to half-lives, speak for that NO 3 − and CDOM do not act as quite independent photoinductors but their effect in conjunction (CDOM–NO 3 − –water) is stronger than the separate ones. The principal phototransformation intermediates of APAP were mono-hydroxy derivatives, depending on available photon energies formed via ortho- or meta-hydroxylation, possessing substantial power of resistance to further specific transformation reactions. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated half-life of the phototransformation of APAP in the natural aqueous environment and in the presence of suitable photoinductors will be about 30 days or more.

This study aims to identify levels of several organochlorine and organophosphorus compounds in shrimp-raising areas of coastal El Salvador, to assess potential impacts on shrimp growth and survival that hamper the sustainability of aquaculture in the region. The paper reports the current levels of γ-HCH, 4,4′-DDT, 4,4′-DDE, 4,4′-DDD, endrin, dieldrin, heptachlor, parathion, methyl parathion, and etoprophos in soils (depth 20 cm), sediments (depth 5 cm), shrimp (Penaeus sp.), and water of three rearing ponds and also in the sediment (depth 5 cm) and water surrounding those ponds in Jiquilisco Bay. Sampling was carried out during the dry (January–March) and rainy (June–August) seasons of 2008. The presence of pesticides in the samples of water, shrimp, and sediment at shrimp ponds was not detected in either season; however, in soil samples (depth 20 cm) taken from these ponds, heptachlor, endrin, dieldrin, 4,4′-DDD, and 4,4′-DDT were identified at concentrations below the method limit of quantification (LOQ), and 4,4′-DDE was found in a concentration falling in the range from 3.85 to 19.61 ng/g. In samples of water taken at the bay water intakes to the rearing ponds, we observed dieldrin concentrations in the range between 0.085 ng/mL and 0.182 ng/mL during the dry season. In the samples of sediments taken in the surrounding areas of shrimp ponds, we found—for both seasons—that in 60 % of the samples, 4,4′-DDE was present in concentrations ranging from 3.75 ng/g to 30.97 ng/g. Additionally, in the rainy season, we observed heptachlor in sediment at concentrations below the method quantification limit. It was concluded that organochlorine compounds from pesticides are still present in Jiquilisco Bay, trapped in deep sediment, even though they have been banned since the 1980s. These were not detected in shrimp tissue, surface water, and shallow sediment in rearing ponds, and hence, we do not believe their presence has any major impact on shrimp production in sampled areas.

PURPOSE: In the ambit of a project searching for appropriate biological approaches for recovering a refinery soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC), we compared results obtained in the absence and in the presence of the salt marsh plant Scirpus maritimus or Juncus maritimus or an association of these two plants, which were tested in the refinery environment. Synergistic effects caused by addition of a non-ionic surfactant and/or a bioaugmentation product were also investigated. Major challenges of this study were: field conditions and weathered contamination. METHODS: Transplants of the plants were carried out in individual containers filled with a weathered contaminated soil, which was recontaminated with turbine oil with two purposes: for increasing PHC level and allowing a comparison of the potential of plants for remediation of ancient and recent contamination. RESULTS: Analysis of total PHC led to the conclusion that, after 24-month exposure, neither J. maritimus nor the association caused any improvement in remediation. In contrast, S. maritimus revealed potential for PHC remediation, favoring degradation of both recent and older contamination (which was refractory to natural attenuation). About 15% of remediation improvement was found in the soil layer with higher root density (5–10 cm). A more marked improvement in that layer (28%) was observed when non-ionic surfactant amendment and bioaugmentation were used jointly. CONCLUSIONS: The fact that S. maritimus has demonstrated capability for PHC remediation, leads to admit that it has potential to be also used for recovering sediments that have suffered accidental oil spills.

BACKGROUND: The fallout of artificially produced radioactive isotopes has been recorded at a site in southern West Siberia (54°50′43.6″ N, 083°06′22.4″ E, Novosibirsk, Russia). DISCUSSION: The highest activities of 131I, 134Cs, and 136Cs were found in fresh snow precipitated on 02 April 2011, at 0.83, 0.092, and 0.002 Bq L−1 of meltwater, respectively. The 131I/134Cs ratio decreased from 9.0 on 02 April to 1.2 on 27 April, which is consistent with the radioactive decay of 131I. This fallout can only have originated from the accidental emission of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, Japan, in March 2011.

INTRODUCTION: Over the last few decades, the chromium-based tanning industry has shown rapid growth in Pakistan. However, the rules and regulations promulgated by the government are not strictly followed for processing the effluent discharge from the tanneries. Consequently, tannery effluents have become a great source of water pollution in surrounding areas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case study, characterization of tannery effluent wastewater (TW), shallow groundwater (SW), and deep groundwater (DW) samples was carried out to determine the source of water pollution in the district of Kasur, Pakistan. RESULTS: The concentrations of calcium (Ca), chlorine (Cl), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), potassium (K), Mg, sulfur (S), silicon (Si), and Sr in TW were significantly higher than SW and DW, which also exceeded the international limits. In addition, increased concentrations of major toxic elements (Cl, Cr, Fe, K, Ni, and Si) were also observed in SW, which were higher in comparison to DW. Strikingly, the concentrations of Cr and Si in various DW samples were also beyond World Health Organization (WHO) safe limit, which reinforced the trend that water pollution in the area is directly linked to the distance from the source (TW). The particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) indices also suggested that TW is a main contributory source of water-based pollution in the area, which is imposing great threat to local inhabitants due to known hazardous and carcinogenic potential of these elements. CONCLUSION: Protecting the water resources will be a formidable challenge in the study area, which requires modernization of tannery industry, thereby improving the recovery and recycling of TW. Moreover, PIXE analysis presented here as a successful tool, could serve as landmark for the contemporary research in environmental toxicology.