In the assessment of complex spatial planning projects, the ecological impacts and socio-economic impacts are fundamental to the evaluation. The measurements of ecological impacts of spatial plans have to be integrated in a standardised way. In the present paper, we analyse two Dutch case studies and apply the standardised Threat-Weighted Ecological Quality Area measurement. This measurement is developed to evaluate projects with terrestrial impacts but has not yet been applied for water evaluations. We aim to show how the use of a common measurement tool incorporates both ecological quality and degree of threat on criteria in the EU Water Framework Directive and Nature 2000. The measurements discussed here derive from two cases of cost–benefit analysis: The first case is the Markermeer, the second largest lake of The Netherlands, and a study on water quality improvement and nature restoration; an artificial island will also be the setting for a new residential area. The second case study is on water level management carried out on the IJsselmeer, the largest lake in the country. Results of our analysis show the potential impacts with a standardised method to the spatial distribution and quality of the ecosystems.

A mesophilic alkali-tolerant bacterial consortium belonging to the Bacillus genus was evaluated for its ability to biodegrade high free cyanide (CN⁻) concentration (up to 500 mg CN⁻/L), subsequent to the oxidation of the formed ammonium and nitrates in a continuous bioreactor system solely supplemented with whey waste. Furthermore, an optimisation study for successful cyanide biodegradation by this consortium was evaluated in batch bioreactors (BBs) using response surface methodology (RSM). The input variables, that is, pH, temperature and whey-waste concentration, were optimised using a numerical optimisation technique where the optimum conditions were found to be as follows: pH 9.88, temperature 33.60 °C and whey-waste concentration of 14.27 g/L, under which 206.53 mg CN⁻/L in 96 h can be biodegraded by the microbial species from an initial cyanide concentration of 500 mg CN⁻/L. Furthermore, using the optimised data, cyanide biodegradation in a continuous mode was evaluated in a dual-stage packed-bed bioreactor (PBB) connected in series to a pneumatic bioreactor system (PBS) used for simultaneous nitrification, including aerobic denitrification. The whey-supported Bacillus sp. culture was not inhibited by the free cyanide concentration of up to 500 mg CN⁻/L, with an overall degradation efficiency of ≥99 % with subsequent nitrification and aerobic denitrification of the formed ammonium and nitrates over a period of 80 days. This is the first study to report free cyanide biodegradation at concentrations of up to 500 mg CN⁻/L in a continuous system using whey waste as a microbial feedstock. The results showed that the process has the potential for the bioremediation of cyanide-containing wastewaters.

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are a group of widely used compounds that, due to their limited biodegradability, exhibit excessive persistence in the environment. The persistence and high toxicity of these compounds to the natural biota causes great environmental concern. We investigated the biodegradation of the BFR dibromoneopentyl glycol (DBNPG) under continuous culture conditions using a miniature membrane bioreactor (mMBR) to assess its feasibility as a bioremediation approach. This system demonstrated long-term, stable biodegradation of DBNPG (>90 days), with an average removal rate of about 50 %. Pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene of the microorganisms involved in this process revealed the dominance of reads affiliated with the genus Brevundimonas of the Alphaproteobacteria class during the different mMBR operational stages. The bacterial community was also dominated by reads affiliated with the Sinorhizobium and Sphingopyxis genera within the Alphaproteobacteria class and the Sediminibacterium genus of the Sphingobacteria class. Real-time PCR used to analyze possible changes in the population dynamics of these four dominant groups revealed their consistent presence throughout the long-term mMBR biodegradation activity. Two genera, Brevundimonas and Sphingopyxis, were found to increase in abundance during the acclimation period and then remained relatively stable, forming the main parts of the consortium over the prolonged active stage.

In the aquatic environment, biotransformation enzymes are established biomarkers for assessing PAH exposure in fish, but little is known about the effect of 17β-estradiol (E2) on these enzymes during exposure to benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). In this study, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were exposed for 3, 5, and 10 days to BaP (300 μg L⁻¹) and E2 (5 μg L⁻¹). These substances were applied isolated or mixed. In the mixture experiment, fish were analyzed pre- and postexposure in order to better understand whether preexposure to the hormone masks the responses activated by PAH or vice versa. Phase I enzymes ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), pentoxyresorufin-O-depenthylase (PROD), and benzyloxyresorufin-O-debenzylase (BROD) activities as well as the phase II enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST) were analyzed. Isolated E2 treatment decreased EROD activity after 3 days, but this enzyme activity returned to control values after 5 and 10 days of exposure. Isolated BaP treatment significantly induced EROD activity after 3 and 5 days, and the activity returned to control levels after ten exposure days. Combined treatment (E2 + Bap) significantly increased EROD activity, both in the pre- and postexposure. This increase was even higher than in the isolated BaP treatment, suggesting a synergism between these two compounds. When E2 and BaP were used singly, they did not change BROD and PROD activities. However, combined treatment (E2 + Bap) significantly increased PROD activity. Isolated BaP treatment increased GST activity after 10 days. However, this response was not observed in the mixture treatment, suggesting that E2 suppressed the GST induction modulated by BaP. The results put together indicated that E2 altered the biotransformation pathway regarding enzymes activated by BaP in Nile tilapia.

We have created a divided convective-dispersive transport (D-CDT) model that can be used to provide an accurate simulation of conservative transport processes in planted horizontal sub-surface flow constructed wetlands filled with coarse gravel (HSFCW-C). This model makes a fitted response curve from the sum of two independent CDT curves, which show the contributions of the main and side streams. The analytical solutions of both CDT curves are inverse Gaussian distribution functions. We used Fréchet distribution to provide a fast optimization mathematical procedure. As a result of our detailed analysis, we concluded that the most important role in the fast upward part of the tracer response curve is played by the main stream, with high porous velocity and dispersion. This gives the first inverse Gaussian distribution function. The side stream shows slower transport processes in the micro-porous system, and this shows the impact of back-mixing and dead zones, too. The significance of this new model is that it can simulate transport processes in this kind of systems more accurately than the conventionally used convective-dispersive transport (CDT) model. The calculated velocity and dispersion coefficients with the D-CDT model gave differences of 24–54 % (of velocity) and 22–308 % (of dispersion coeff.) from the conventional CDT model, and were closer to actual hydraulic behaviour.

Adsorption/desorption and desorption hysteresis of methamphetamine (MMA) on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as well as bioavailability of MMA were studied in simulated gastrointestinal fluids and background fluids. Adsorption of MMA in near-neutral (weak alkaline) intestinal fluid was enhanced, while adsorption of MMA on CNTs in acid gastric fluid was suppressed. Desorption of MMA is divided into fast and slow stages, and fast desorption conducting in the gastric fluid lasted shortly and slow desorption occurred in intestinal fluid; pepsin can enhance the release of MMA in gastrointestinal system. While, the acidic condition in gastric fluid is the main factor which causes the release of MMA. The amount of MMA released from CNTs in different fluids follows the order gastric > background (pH = 2.0) > intestinal (fed) > intestinal (fasted) > background (pH = 7.5). These findings in the simulated gastrointestinal system suggest that the release of MMA from CNTs could be promoted by biomacromolecules (such as pepsin and bile salts in digestive tract); thus, the bioavailability of MMA is enhanced.

Approximately, 20 % of particulate and aerosol emissions into the urban atmosphere are of natural origin (including wildfires and Saharan dust). During these natural episodes, PM₁₀and PM₂.₅levels usually exceed World Health Organisation (WHO) health protection thresholds. This study sought to evaluate the possible effect of advections of particulate matter from biomass fuel combustion on daily specific-cause mortality among the general population and the segment aged ≥75 years in Madrid. Ecological time-series study in the city of Madrid from January 01, 2004 to December 31, 2009. The dependent variable analysed was daily mortality due to natural (ICD-10:A00-R99), circulatory (ICD-10:I00-I99), and respiratory (ICD-10:J00-J99) causes in the population, both general and aged ≥75 years. The following independent and control variables were considered: a) daily mean PM₂.₅and PM₁₀concentrations; b) maximum daily temperature; c) daily mean O₃and NO₂concentrations; d) advection of particulate matter from biomass combustion (http://www.calima.ws/), using a dichotomous variable and e) linear trend and seasonalities. We conducted a descriptive analysis, performed a test of means and, to ascertain relative risk, fitted a model using autoregressive Poisson regression and stratifying by days with and without biomass advection, in both populations. Of the 2192 days analysed, biomass advection occurred on 56, with mean PM₂.₅and PM₁₀values registering a significant increase during these days. PM₁₀had a greater impact on organic mortality with advection (RRall ages = 1.035 [1.011–1.060]; RR ≥ 75 years = 1.066 [1.031–1.103]) than did PM₂.₅without advection (RRall ages = 1.017 [1.009–1.025]; RR ≥ 75 years = 1.012 [1.003–1.022]). Among specific causes, respiratory—though not circulatory—causes were associated with PM₁₀on days with advection in ≥75 year age group. PM₁₀, rather than PM₂.₅, were associated with an increase in natural cause mortality on days with advection of particulate matter from biomass combustion, particularly in the ≥75 year age group.

This study investigated the inactivation of two antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)—sul1 and tetG, and the integrase gene of class 1 integrons—intI1 by chlorination, ultraviolet (UV), and ozonation disinfection. Inactivation of sul1, tetG, and intI1 underwent increased doses of three disinfectors, and chlorine disinfection achieved more inactivation of ARGs and intI1 genes (chlorine dose of 160 mg/L with contact time of 120 min for 2.98–3.24 log reductions of ARGs) than UV irradiation (UV dose of 12,477 mJ/cm²for 2.48–2.74 log reductions of ARGs) and ozonation disinfection (ozonation dose of 177.6 mg/L for 1.68–2.55 log reductions of ARGs). The 16S rDNA was more efficiently removed than ARGs by ozone disinfection. The relative abundance of selected genes (normalized to 16S rDNA) increased during ozonation and with low doses of UV and chlorine disinfection. Inactivation of sul1 and tetG showed strong positive correlations with the inactivation of intI1 genes (for sul1, R ² = 0.929 with p < 0.01; for tetG, R ² = 0.885 with p < 0.01). Compared to other technologies (ultraviolet disinfection, ozonation disinfection, Fenton oxidation, and coagulation), chlorination is an alternative method to remove ARGs from wastewater effluents. At a chlorine dose of 40 mg/L with 60 min contact time, the selected genes inactivation efficiency could reach 1.65–2.28 log, and the cost was estimated at 0.041 yuan/m³.