Distribution of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) in the fly ash and atmospheric air of one medical waste incinerator (MWI) and one industrial hazardous waste incinerator (IHWI) plants were characterized. The PCDD/F concentrations of the stack gas (fly ash) produced from MWI and IHWI were 17.7 and 0.7 ng international toxic equivalent (I-TEQ)/Nm³(4.1 and 2.5 ng I-TEQ/g), respectively. For workplace air, the total concentrations of PCDD/Fs were 11.32 and 0.28 pg I-TEQ/Nm³(819.5 and 15.3 pg/Nm³). We assumed that the large differences of PCDD/F concentrations in workplace air were due to the differences in chlorine content of the waste, combustion conditions, and other contamination sources. With respect to the homologue profiles, the concentrations of PCDFs decreased with the increase of the substituted chlorine number for each site. Among all of the PCDD/F congeners, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF was the most important contributor to the I-TEQ value accounting for ca. 43 % of two sites. The gas/particle partition of PCDD/Fs in the atmosphere of the workplace in the MWI was also investigated, indicating that PCDD/Fs were more associated in the particle phase, especially for the higher chlorinated ones. Moreover, the ratio of the I-TEQ values in particle and gas phase of workplace air was 11.0. At last, the relationship between the distribution of PCDD/Fs in the workplace air and that from stack gas and fly ash was also analyzed and discussed. The high correlation coefficient might be a sign for diffuse gas emissions at transient periods of fumes escaping from the incinerator.

Widespread use of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in schistosomiasis endemic areas had led to ubiquitous exposure to PCP and its residues. Numerous studies had revealed that occupational PCP exposure probably increased risk of cancers, but whether long-term community-level exposure to PCP generates the similarly carcinogenic effect, seldom studies focused on it. This study was to explore the cancer risks of long-term community-level PCP exposure from drinking water in a Chinese general population. Incident (2009–2012) cancer records were identified by local government national registry. And PCP concentration of raw drinking water samples in each district was measured by GC-MS/MS analysis for further division of three PCP exposure categories by interquartile range (high vs. medium vs. low). Internal comparisons were performed, and standard rate ratio was calculated to describe the relationship between PCP exposure and cancer risks by using low-exposure group as the reference group. PCP was detected in all 27 raw drinking water samples ranging from 11.21 to 684.00 ng/L. A total of 6,750 cases (4,409 male and 2,341 female cases) were identified, and age-standardized rate (world) was 154.95 per 100,000 person-years. The cancer incidence for the high-exposure group was remarkably high. Internal comparisons indicated that high PCP exposure might be positively associated with high cancer risks in the community population, particularly for leukemia (SRR = 5.93, 95 % CI = 5.24–6.71), maligant lymphoma (SRR = 2.27, 95 % CI = 2.10–2.54), and esophageal cancer (SRR = 2.42, 95 % CI = 2.35–2.50). Long-term community-level exposure to PCP was probably associated with hemolymph neoplasm, neurologic tumors, and digestive system neoplasm.

An extensive and year-round survey was conducted to assess metal pollution in vast watershed areas of the Selenga River Basin (2007–2009), which provided baseline heavy metal database for the future management. Sources and environmental hazard and risk indices associated with metal pollution were evidenced across the countries of Mongolia and Russia (Buryatia Republic). In general, the concentrations of heavy metals in river water of Mongolia were greater than those of Russia, expect for the upstream of the Dzhida River in Russia. The spatial distribution generally indicated that metal pollution in the Selenga River was mainly associated with the activities in the Mongolian upstream regions. Similar pollution sources of metals between river water and wastewater associated with surrounding activities were found across the industrial and mining areas. Compositional patterns of metals suggested their sources were independent of each other, with hot spots in certain sites. Our measurements indicated that about 63 % of the locations surveyed (48 of 76) exceeded the critical heavy metal pollution index of 100, identifying possible harmful effects on aquatic ecosystems through metal pollution. Zinc was found to be the chemical of priority concern, as more than half of the locations exceeded the corresponding water quality guideline. Other metals including Mn, Fe, Cr, Cu, and As might be problematic in the Selenga River Basin considering the occurrence and their concentrations. Results of our extensive survey during the period of 3 years indicated that urgent action would be necessary in timely manner to improve water quality and mitigate the impact of heavy metals on aquatic environment of the Selenga River Basin.

Heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) levels in red fox small intestine samples with or without Echinococcus multilocularis infection were studied. The red foxes were taken from the open countryside of northwest Bohemia (CR). Red foxes with E. multilocularis infection had lower levels of toxic metals (Cd, Pb); cadmium levels in infected foxes (0.0052 mg/kg) were twice as low as in uninfected foxes (0.0106 mg/kg). This was the same case for lead: 0.0288 mg/kg infected red foxes (inf.) and 0.0413 mg/kg uninfected (uninf.). Conversely, red foxes with E. multilocularis infection yielded higher concentrations in comparison to their uninfected counterparts: Cr (0.0087 mg/kg uninf. and 0.0116 mg/kg inf.), Cu (0.2677 mg/kg uninf. and 0.3205 mg/kg inf.), Fe (6.46 mg/kg uninf. and 10.89 mg/kg inf.), Mn (0.1966 mg/kg uninf. and 0.2029 mg/kg inf.), Ni (0.0415 mg/kg uninf. and 0.064 mg/kg inf.) and Zn (16.71 mg/kg uninf. and 20.25 mg/kg inf). This could support the hypothesis that tapeworms are able to absorb toxic heavy metals from the host body into their tissues, as well as to modify other element concentrations in the host body.

Effects of electrolysis by low-amperage electric current on the chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of Microcystis aeruginosa were investigated in order to reveal the mechanisms of electrolytic inhibition of algae. Threshold of current density was found under a certain initial no. of algae cell. When current density was equal to or higher than the threshold (fixed electrolysis time), growth of algae was inhibited completely and the algae lost the ability to survive. Effect of algal solution volume on algal inhibition was insignificant. Thresholds of current density were 8, 10, 14, 20, and 22 mA cm⁻² at 2.5 × 10⁷, 5 × 10⁷, 1 × 10⁸, 2.5 × 10⁸, and 5 × 10⁸ cells mL⁻¹ initial no. of algae cell, respectively. Correlativity between threshold of current and initial no. of algae cells was established for scale-up and determining operating conditions. Changes of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters demonstrated that photosystem (PS) II of algae was damaged by electrolysis but still maintained relatively high activity when algal solution was treated by current densities lower than the threshold. The activity of algae recovered completely after 6 days of cultivation. On the contrary, when current density was higher than the threshold, connection of phycobilisome (PBS) and PS II core complexes was destroyed, PS II system of algae was damaged irreversibly, and algae could not survive thoroughly. The inactivation of M. aeruginosa by electrolysis can be attributed to irreversible separation of PBS from PS II core complexes and the damage of PS II of M. aeruginosa.

Due to their toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation, metals are important marine environment pollutants, especially in low renewal rate water such as the Mediterranean Sea, receiving a lot of untreated industrial waste. The impact of a phosphate fertilizer plant on the marine biota metal contamination was studied. Several types of organisms: crabs, mussels, patella and fish were collected from two areas of the Lebanese coast, one subjected to the impact of the plant and another away from it; samples were analyzed for Zn, U, Cr, V, Mn, Ni, Co, Cu, As, Cd and Pb by ICP-MS. Higher accumulation was in crabs, patella, and mussels. Fish accumulated principally Zn, Cu, and Cd; a difference was observed between species and tissues. Cytosol metal fractionation using size-exclusion LC-ICP-MS showed principally Pb, As, Co, and Mn in the low molecular weight fraction (<1.8 Da); Cd, Zn, and Cu in the metallothionein fraction (1.8–-18 k Da), and Ni in high molecular weight fraction (>20 kDa).

This study investigates carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) emissions and carbon (C) budgets in a horizontal subsurface flow pilot-plant constructed wetland (CW) with beds vegetated with Cyperus papyrus L., Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty, and Mischantus × giganteus Greef et Deu in the Mediterranean basin (Sicily) during the 1st year of plant growing season. At the end of the vegetative season, M. giganteus showed the higher biomass accumulation (7.4 kg m⁻²) followed by C. zizanioides (5.3 kg m⁻²) and C. papyrus (1.8 kg m⁻²). Significantly higher emissions of CO₂were detected in the summer, while CH₄emissions were maximum during spring. Cumulative CO₂emissions by C. papyrus and C. zizanioides during the monitoring period showed similar trends with final values of about 775 and 1,074 g m⁻², respectively, whereas M. giganteus emitted 3,395 g m⁻². Cumulative CH₄bed emission showed different trends for the three C4 plant species in which total gas release during the study period was for C. papyrus 12.0 g m⁻²and ten times higher for M. giganteus, while C. zizanioides bed showed the greatest CH₄cumulative emission with 240.3 g m⁻². The wastewater organic carbon abatement determined different C flux in the atmosphere. Gas fluxes were influenced both by plant species and monitored months with an average C-emitted-to-C-removed ratio for C. zizanioides, C. papyrus, and M. giganteus of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.9, respectively. The growing season C balances were positive for all vegetated beds with the highest C sequestered in the bed with M. giganteus (4.26 kg m⁻²) followed by C. zizanioides (3.78 kg m⁻²) and C. papyrus (1.89 kg m⁻²). To our knowledge, this is the first paper that presents preliminary results on CO₂and CH₄emissions from CWs vegetated with C4 plant species in Mediterranean basin during vegetative growth.

Autotrophic biofilms are complex and fundamental biological compartments of many aquatic ecosystems. Since microbial species differ in their sensitivity to stressors, biofilms have long been proposed for assessing the quality of aquatic ecosystems. Among the many stressors impacting aquatic ecosystems, eutrophication and metal pollution are certainly the most common. Despite that these stressors often occur together, their effects on biofilms have been far much studied separately than interactively. In this study, we evaluated the interactive effects of silver (Ag), a reemerging contaminant, and phosphorus (P), a nutrient often associated with freshwater eutrophication, on the structure and functioning of two types of autotrophic biofilms, one dominated by diatoms and another one dominated by cyanobacteria. We hypothesized that P would alleviate the toxic effects of Ag, either directly, through the contribution of P in metal detoxification processes, or indirectly, through P-mediated shifts in biofilm community compositions and associated divergences in metal tolerance. Results showed that Ag impacted biofilm community structure and functioning but only at unrealistic concentrations (50 μg/L). P availability led to significant shifts in biofilm community composition, these changes being more pronounced in diatom- than those in cyanobacteria-dominated biofilm. In addition, P tended to reduce the impact of Ag but only for the cyanobacteria-dominated biofilm. More generally, our results highlight the preponderant role of the initial community structure and nutrient level on biofilm response to metallic pollutants.

There is a substantial lack of information on most priority pollutants, related contamination trends, and (eco)toxicological risks for the major Italian watercourse, the River Po. Targeting substances of various uses and origins, this study provides the first systematic data for the River Po on a wide set of priority and emerging chemicals, all characterized by endocrine-active potentials. Flame retardants, natural and synthetic hormones, surfactants, personal care products, legacy pollutants, and other chemicals have been investigated in sediments from the River Po and its tributary, the River Lambro, as well as in four fish species from the final section of the main river. With few exceptions, all chemicals investigated could be tracked in the sediments of the main Italian river for tens or hundreds of kilometres downstream from the Lambro tributary. Nevertheless, the results indicate that most of these contaminants, i.e., TBBPA, TCBPA, TBBPA-bis, DBDPE, HBCD, BPA, OP, TCS, TCC, AHTN, HHCB, and DDT, individually pose a negligible risk to the River Po. In contrast, PBDE, PCB, natural and synthetic estrogens, and to a much lower extent NP, were found at levels of concern either to aquatic life or human health. Adverse biological effects and prohibition of fish consumption deserve research attention and management initiatives, also considering the transport of contaminated sediments to transitional and coastal environments of the Italian river.

Soil pollution in Egypt became far more serious than before due to either the heavy usage of different toxic pesticides or aerosol deposition of industrial pollutants. The present mentioned ground beetle, Blaps polycresta Tschinkel 1975 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), showed ecological, morphological, and histological alterations in adult insects as biomonitors. Two cultivated sites (reference and polluted) were chosen for sampling the insects. The results indicated a significant increase in soil cadmium concentration of the polluted site leading to sex-specific difference in cadmium accumulation in gonads and alimentary canal of insects that being higher in males than females. The cadmium pollution leads significantly to a decrease in population density, a reduction in body weight, an increase in mortality rate, and an increase in sex ratio of the insects. The results also revealed a striking decrease in body length of the polluted insects with a marked increase in the percentage of deformed gonads and alimentary canal of both sexes. Some histopathological alterations were also recorded in testis, ovary, and midgut of the polluted insects. Our results confirmed that beetles are a good bioindicator for soil pollution, and the different studied parameters could be easily employed as sensitive monitors for cadmium soil pollution.