Residual antibiotics in land-applied manure and biosolids present a potential threat to public and ecological health. It remains important to determine antibiotic degradation efficiencies for manure and biosolids waste management practices and to identify conditions that enhance antibiotic degradation. The fates of the antibiotics florfenicol, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethazine, and tylosin were studied during pilot-scale static pile thermophilic composting, and the effects of temperature and feedstock particles on antibiotic degradation rates were tested. The antibiotics were spiked into dairy manure solids and wastewater biosolids, and treatments included aerated and non-aerated manure and biosolids/wood-product (1:3 v/v) composting. Results showed no significant differences between aerated and non-aerated treatments; on average, ≥85, ≥93, and ≥95 % antibiotic degradation was observed after 7, 14, and 21 days of composting. Greater antibiotic degradation was observed in manure compost compared to biosolids compost for florfenicol (7, 14, 21, 28 days) and tylosin (14, 28 days); however, there was no significant difference for sulfadimethoxine and sulfamethazine. Peak temperatures were 66–73, and ≥55 °C was maintained for 6–7 days in the biosolids compost and 17–20 days in the manure compost. Bench-scale experiments conducted at 25, 55, and 60 °C showed that lower temperature decreased degradation of the sulfonamides and tylosin in both feedstocks and florfenicol in the biosolids. The presence of compost particles increased antibiotic degradation, with time to 50 % degradation ≤2 days in the presence of solids (60 °C) compared to no degradation in their absence. These results indicate that thermophilic composting effectively degrades parent antibiotic compounds in manure and biosolids.

Grape stalks, a low-cost agro-industrial by-product, were used for the first time as a biosorbent for the removal of uranium from aquatic systems. Basic operating conditions (effect of pH, biosorbent dose, uranium initial concentration, and kinetics) were investigated, and the sorption mechanism was explored. The proposed biosorbent’s efficiency to sequester uranium from different profile aquatic systems was assessed, as well as the potential uranium recovery. Biosoprtion performance increased progressively from pH 1.5 to 4.5, and uranium uptake was a rapid process, where film diffusion was the determining step. Maximum uptake ranged from 90 to 115 mg U(VI) g⁻¹at 15–33 °C, respectively. None of the commonly used adsorption models (Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich) was able to describe the experimental isotherms, whereas the linear model seems to provide the best fit. Kinetic and thermodynamic data implied that both physical and chemical sorption are involved in the process. Species calculation experiments showed that only positively charged and uncharged uranium species can be retained on the biomass. Quantitative uranium recovery was achieved by mild desorbing agents at concentrations as low as 0.1 M. Therefore, grape stalks seem to be a promising biosorbent due to their high sequestration capacity even under high salinity and acidity conditions, low cost, and easy regeneration.

The effluent of the ornamental rock industry is characterized by presenting great concentrations of total solids, high contents of iron, and elevated pH, all responsible for the contamination of the superficial and ground waters, destruction of the soil, the vegetation, and the silting of the rivers. The purpose of this study is to assess the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects and the anatomical changes caused by the effluents arising from the ornamental rock polishing industry in root apex cells of Allium cepa L. (Amaryllidaceae). The samples of the effluent were collected in a polishing industry located in Nova Venécia, State of Espírito Santo, and were analyzed by mass spectrometry and atomic emission. Bulbs of A. cepa were exposed to the effluent at 12.5, 25, 37.5, 50, 75, and 100 % concentrations (residue in raw form) (v/v) for a period of 20 days. For the positive control, metilmethanesulfonate (MMS) at 4 × 10⁻⁴-M concentration was used, and distilled water was used for the negative control. The experiment was assessed taking into consideration the following parameters: mitotic index, frequency of chromosomal and nuclear abnormalities in the root apical meristem, and root anatomy. The mitotic index suffered a decrease proportional to the increase in the concentration of effluent. All the concentrations of the effluent led to chromosomal and nuclear abnormalities being stickiness and nuclear shoots the most frequent. The root apex evidenced changes that reflected on the decrease of the percentage area of the protoderm and the fundamental meristem and the increase in the areas of the cap and quiescent center. The symptoms of toxicity are related to the high frequency of cell in cellular death process observed in the roots exposed to the higher concentrations and to the decrease in the mitotic index of the apical root meristem.

Lead contamination remains a persistent global environmental problem, the hazards of which are often difficult to identify without specific and targeted research. This study examines environmental contamination arising from the widespread use of lead solder in the joints of large gravity water supply pipelines. Contamination of adjacent grazing lands and subsequent poisoning of domestic livestock are evaluated. In particular, the study demonstrates that replacement of lead joints along an above ground 70 km water supply pipeline in central New South Wales (NSW), Australia, has caused soil lead contamination of up to 20,600 mg/kg. Contamination either side of the pipeline corridor extends to ∼10 m before surface soil lead values correspond more closely to natural background concentrations of 26 mg/kg. The estimated total volume of contaminated soil requiring remediation is 21,000 m³. Contamination is linked to toxicity and mortality in several farm animals and to elevated contamination of grass fodder (up to 50 mg/kg of lead) close to the pipeline. Other similar large-scale above ground reticulation systems in the Sydney (NSW) Metropolitan region and adjacent to the 560 km long Kalgoorlie (Western Australia) Golden Pipeline are shown to present similar environmental hazards. The use of lead solder joints in other international large scale reticulation networks are also identified, demonstrating that this specific anthropogenic hazard is likely to be a more global problem, which has not has been detailed in the research literature to any significant extent.

Atmospheric deposition can be an important source of ions to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Previous studies have indicated that dry deposition of ions in and near large cities is greater than in nearby rural areas. However, few studies have compared dry deposition in and near smaller cities. We measured dry deposition of ions at various distances from Greenville, a smaller city in the piedmont of northwestern South Carolina. Dry deposition was estimated by exposure of artificial surfaces (glass Petri plates and paper filters) to the atmosphere at 13 locations during June–July 2008. Petri plates were expected to collect dust particles primarily, whereas filters were expected to collect both dust and gases. Fluxes measured by filters were significantly greater than those measured by Petri plates for nitrate and ammonium, suggesting that dry deposition of nitrogen in gases exceeded dry deposition in dust. Dry deposition of ammonium and nitrate declined significantly with distance from Greenville, and rates were significantly higher at urban than at rural locations. Also, dry deposition rates of ammonium correlated positively with road densities and traffic volumes around sampling locations, suggesting that automobiles were important sources of ammonia gas. Relationships between ammonium deposition and urban land cover and roads were stronger than for nitrate deposition, perhaps reflecting the influence of automobiles using catalytic converters. Base cation concentrations in dry deposition typically were below detection, precluding flux calculations. Overall, our results provide evidence that smaller cities influence atmospheric deposition of nitrogen, though perhaps not as strongly as larger cities.

Early detection of landfill leachate plumes may minimise aquifer degradation and financial expenditure for the landfill operator. Current methods of landfill leachate monitoring typically include analysis of groundwater field parameters such as electrical conductivity (EC), coupled with laboratory analysis of a selection of major cations and anions. In many instances, background influences can mask the impact of leachate, which only becomes apparent once a significant impact has occurred. Here, we investigate the potential for changes in fluorescent dissolved organic material (FDOM) concentration to be used as an indicator of leachate impact. The research was undertaken in a fractured rock aquifer located downgradient of a local government-operated putrescible landfill in Central West NSW, Australia. Field measurement of groundwater FDOM was undertaken using an in situ fluorometer (FDOM probe) which provides a relative measurement of FDOM. To quantify the FDOM values, a bench fluorescence spectrophotometer was used to collect excitation/emission spectra. A plume of elevated FDOM and EC levels within the fractured rock system up to 600 m downgradient of the landfill was identified, whereas analysis of major cations and anions from boreholes within the plume did not detect leachate impacts above background. Excitation/emission matrices of groundwater from these locations confirmed that similar fluorescence signatures to those collected from the landfill were present. Photodegradation experiments were conducted to determine if fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs) were a component of the fluorescence signal. Observed photodegradation of 40 % compared to background (8 %) suggests that a component of the fluorescence signal can be attributed to FWAs. FDOM in groundwater therefore provides an indicator of low-level (up to 98 % dilution) leachate influence, and the identification of FWAs within groundwater can be considered confirmation of a leachate signal.

Genotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), etoposide (ET) and cadmium chloride (CdCl₂) was evaluated in Limnodrilus udekemianus, cosmopolitan tubificid species, by alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). Groups of 50 individuals were exposed in vivo in water-only short-term (96 h) tests to 5-FU (0.004, 0.04, 0.4, 4 and 40 μM), ET (0.004. 0.04, 0.4 and 4 μM) and CdCl₂ (0.004, 0.04, 0.4, 4 and 40 μM). Mortality of worms was observed only for CdCl₂ (4 and 40 μM). Cell viability lower than 70 % was detected for 5-FU (0.4, 4 and 40 μM), ET (4 μM) and CdCl₂ (0.4 and 4 μM). All tested substances induced significant increase of DNA damage except 0.004 μM of ET. L. udekemianus being sensitive to all tested substances indicates that it can be used in ecogenotoxicology studies. Concern should be raised to cytostatics, especially to 5-FU, since concentration of 0.004 μM induced DNA damage is similar to ones detected in wastewaters.

Sorption is commonly agreed to be the major process underlying the transport and fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils. However, there is still a scarcity of studies focusing on spatial variability at the field scale in particular. In order to investigate the variation in the field of phenanthrene sorption, bulk topsoil samples were taken in a 15 × 15-m grid from the plough layer in two sandy loam fields with different texture and organic carbon (OC) contents (140 samples in total). Batch experiments were performed using the adsorption method. Values for the partition coefficient Kd(L kg⁻¹) and the organic carbon partition coefficient KOC(L kg⁻¹) agreed with the most frequently used models for PAH partitioning, as OC revealed a higher affinity for sorption. More complex models using different OC compartments, such as non-complexed organic carbon (NCOC) and complexed organic carbon (COC) separately, performed better than single KOCmodels, particularly for a subset including samples with Dexter n < 10 and OC <0.04 kg kg⁻¹. The selected threshold revealed that KOC-based models proved to be applicable for more organic fields, while two-component models proved to be more accurate for the prediction of Kdand retardation factor (R) for less organic soils. Moreover, OC did not fully reflect the changes in phenanthrene retardation in the field with lower OC content (Faardrup). Bulk density and available water content influenced the phenanthrene transport mechanism phenomenon.

Marine birds are important vectors of nutrient and contaminant transfer from sea to land. In eastern Nova Scotia, Canada, colonial marine birds nest on specific nearshore islands within archipelagoes, and we predicted that soils on islands with bird colonies would have higher concentrations of selected trace elements (notably K, Ca, As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Se, Hg, and Zn) than soils on islands without colonies. In this study, common eider (Somateria mollissima), Leach’s storm petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), black guillemot (Cepphus grylle), double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), great black-backed gull (Larus marinus), and herring gull (Larus argentatus) were considered to be the principal avian vectors for contaminant transfer. Results indicate that soils from islands with bird colonies had unique chemical compositions and commonly displayed elevated concentrations of K, Ca, Cu, Se, and Zn when compared to islands without colonies. Thus, marine birds feeding in the nearby marine zone move pollutants and nutrients from the ocean to nesting islands, potentially influencing habitat quality for coastal terrestrial species.