Immobilization of metals by two materials (zeolite, AZ, and a synthetic, carbonate-rich material, “slovakite”, SL) was tested in a pot experiment with two soils from urban areas of Sevilla and two soils affected by a mine spill. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L. Hispanic) was grown in the pots, and metal contents were measured after 31 days in shoots and roots. Available metal was estimated by extraction with CaCl₂ (readily soluble), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA; plant available), a mixture of organic acids (soluble by root exudates), and glycine (bioaccessible by ingestion). Neither treatment caused significant differences on plant growth or metal contents of shoots, whereas roots contained more Cu in the SL treatments. Root Zn uptake was reduced in all cases, but reduction of Pb in roots was observed only in AZ treatments of the mine-spill soils. The effects on metal availability were often method-dependent. Decrease of CaCl₂ data were observed only in the mine-spill soils. EDTA-soluble metals were clearly decreased by both materials. Bioaccessible Zn were decreased by either material in several cases (but not in the most heavily polluted soil), whereas Cu or Pb data were less conclusive.

The use of inks containing organic solvents by the offset printing process implies in the release of volatile organic compounds to the work environment. Many of these compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and the xylene isomers (well known by the acronym BTEX) are extremely toxic. In this study, the BTEX concentrations were determined in two different printing plants that use distinct types of inks: the conventional and the so-called ecological, which is manufactured based on vegetal oil. Concentration ranges were 43-84, 15-3,480, 2-133, 5-459, and 2-236 μg m⁻³ for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m + p-xylene, and o-xylene, respectively, for the conventional printing plant. At the ecological printing plant, concentration ranges were below limit of detection (<LD)-31, <LD-618, <LD-1,690, <LD-10,500, <LD-3,360 μg m⁻³ for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m + p-xylene, and o-xylene, respectively. BTEX concentrations are lower at the ecological printing environment than in the conventional, where mineral oil-based inks are used. However, the worker who cleans the printing matrices is exposed to high concentrations of ethylbenzene and xylenes, due probably to the cleaning product's composition (containing high amounts of BTEX). Although the BTEX concentrations found in both printing work environments were below the limits considered by the Brazilian Law for Activities and Unhealthy Operations (NR-15), the exposure to such vapors characterizes risk to the workers' health for some of the evaluated samples, mainly the personal ones.

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash contains economically significant levels of silver and gold. Bottom ashes from incinerators at Amsterdam and Ludwigshafen were sampled, processed, and analyzed to determine the composition, size, and mass distribution of the precious metals. In order to establish accurate statistics of the gold particles, a sample of heavy non-ferrous metals produced from 15 tons of wet processed Amsterdam ash was analyzed by a new technology called magnetic density separation (MDS). Amsterdam's bottom ash contains approximately 10 ppm of silver and 0.4 ppm of gold, which was found in particulate form in all size fractions below 20 mm. The sample from Ludwigshafen was too small to give accurate values on the gold content, but the silver content was found to be identical to the value measured for the Amsterdam ash. Precious metal value in particles smaller than 2 mm seems to derive mainly from waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), whereas larger precious metal particles are from jewelry and constitute the major part of the economic value. Economical analysis shows that separation of precious metals from the ash may be viable with the presently high prices of non-ferrous metals. In order to recover the precious metals, bottom ash must first be classified into different size fractions. Then, the heavy non-ferrous (HNF) metals should be concentrated by physical separation (eddy current separation, density separation, etc.). Finally, MDS can separate gold from the other HNF metals (copper, zinc). Gold-enriched concentrates can be sold to the precious metal smelter and the copper-zinc fraction to a brass or copper smelter.

Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) antlers are a useful tool for historical biomonitoring because they accumulate potential bone-seeking pollutants (Pb) and are naturally standardized environmental samples. Lead concentrations were measured in 45 antlers of roe deer, shot in the period 1925-2003 in the Upper Meža Valley, Slovenia, where lead production started at the end of the nineteenth century. Extremely high levels of lead were determined in the antlers (mean (SD) 54.7 (33.5) mg/kg, dry weight; range 2.69-554 mg/kg), exceeding previously reported levels of Pb in roe deer antlers from Europe. After the cessation of primary lead production in 1989, lead levels in antlers have been declining but are still high (period 2000-2003: mean (SD) 5.81 (6.60) mg/kg; range 2.69-7.74 mg/kg) compared with other areas of Slovenia. Spatial comparison confirmed that the lead contamination declines with distance from the emission source. The study confirmed the exceptional potential of roe deer antlers as a bioindicator of lead contamination of the environment.

The constructions of Cultural and Architecture Patrimony are influenced by pollutants. Many of degenerative processes in the materials which constitute them have their origin in pollutants. That is the reason why a physical-chemical characterisation of the particulate pollutants in the air has been carried out. The deposition and, as a consequence of that, the interaction of the pollutants with the different materials of the monuments depend on the reactivity of the chemical elements that form the atmospheric particulate. Studies of both, bulk dust deposition and total suspended matter, a mineralogical and chemical characterisation of them have been made. Lastly, starting from these data, it can be established that the interactions and degenerative processes are taking place in the monuments of the studied locations. In the present work, the methodology carried out in the study of the particulate atmospheric pollutants, which are capable of accumulating on monuments and buildings with artistic and historical interest in the area of Castellon, is displayed. By means of a network of captors, important samples of sedimentary and suspension atmospheric pollutants, total suspension particles (TSP) were obtained. Firstly, by gravimetric methods, we have obtained the concentration levels of these kinds of pollutants in milligrams per day in busk dust samples and micrograms per cubic meter in TSP. Due to the fact that the corrosivity of these pollutants fundamentally depends on their compositions, the study has been completed with a mineralogical and chemical characterisation. By X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, we have analysed the particles of the two kinds of samples. The chemical analysis was carried out by inductively coupled plasma-atomic spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (multielement analysis techniques) in TSP samples and in the soluble fraction of the depositing particulate matter. The results have shown as main compounds: clay minerals, calcite, and carbonaceous matter coming from non-perfect combustion of vehicles. The chemical analysis indicates a high Ca/S ratio and high levels of concentration in chemical elements associated to this representative industrial cluster of ceramics industry in Europe.

The Barcelona harbour is one of the biggest and most important in commercial and passenger traffic in the Mediterranean Sea. In 2003, construction works for the enlargement of the port were carried out with the opening of a new entrance for large boats in the northern area. Following the opening of this new mouth, the redistribution of heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni and Cr), As and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was investigated to discuss their origin and to evaluate the environmental implications. A previous study of the sediments provided a first picture of high levels of heavy metals and PCBs in the innermost harbour (Port Vell). Then, the opening of the northern mouth led to a remarkable decline in the contaminant concentrations and to an improvement of the sediment quality. During the period 2002-2005, the percentage of concentration decreases in Port Vell for Hg, Pb and PCB (from 20% to 34%), for Zn and Cd (from 10% to 15%) and for the remaining metals with values lesser than 10%. This general decline was probably due to a more efficient water flushing between the original and the new northern entrance. Concentrations of target contaminants were also compared against sediment quality guidelines to assess the ecotoxicological significance of sedimentary contaminants on the benthic communities.

The processes impacting arsenic toxicity are a function of molecular speciation, where risk from chronic exposure to the reduced arsenic species is estimated to be four orders of magnitude higher than many oxidized arsenic species. While the adverse health effects of arsenic are generally well known, the impact of speciation on carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic adverse health effects has rarely, if ever, been considered in traditional chronic arsenic exposure risk assessments. Utilizing standard Environmental Protection Agency protocol, lifetime cancer risk and hazard quotient are calculated for chronic arsenic exposure at the local, regional, and national scale to characterize potential risk as a function of arsenic speciation. Additionally, the antagonistic and synergistic impacts of biogeochemical processes on arsenic bioavailability and bioaccessibility are discussed and show chronic exposure risk is likely to be reduced below some maximum value calculated for reduced arsenic species.

The paper presents the first comprehensive account of congener profiles of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in intertidal bivalve mollusks [Meretrix meretrix, Macoma birmanica, and Sanguilonaria (Soletellina) acuminata] of Sunderban mangrove wetland (India). The main aim of this work was to use the bivalves as bioindicators of the contamination of the 16 USEPA PAH. The PAH profile in bivalves is largely dominated by a petrogenic fingerprint, with over-imposition of pyrolytic PAH sources, as evidenced by diagnostic molecular ratios. Bioaccumulation factors (BAF) of individual compounds from the sediments were calculated, and it reveals overall higher values in the visceral mass of the bivalves. S acuminata showed significantly higher levels of PAHs, especially the high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs, compared to the other two species as a sensitive indicator of trace organic stress in future monitoring programs.

The loss of pendimethalin, a selective herbicide, was determined in runoff water from loamy soil plots of various surface slopes cultivated with tobacco, over a period of 193 days. Conditions were selected to simulate agricultural practices employed in the Mediterranean region. The surface slopes of plots were 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10% and both cultivated and uncultivated (control) areas were simultaneously monitored. The cumulative losses of pendimethalin in surface runoff, as percentage of the initial applied active ingredient, were 0.067% for tilled and 0.098% for untilled soil of 10% slope, while for the plots of 0% slope they were ten times lower, 0.006% and 0.009% respectively. The maximum concentrations in runoff water reached 15.87 μg L⁻¹ and were detected after the second run off event. The dissipation in top soil was studied for a period of 129 days. The half-lives that were calculated using first order kinetics ranged from 23 to 27.2 days in non-cropped soil and from 22.3 to 26.2 in tobacco plots.

Sampling was conducted at seven sites on, and at varying distances adjacent to, the Island of Montréal (Québec, Canada), and as far as 1,100 km away in Northern Québec, to explore the hazard potential of snowpacks in remote, rural, and urban environments. Ecotoxic effects of melted snow were ascertained with a suite of small-scale bioassays representing several aquatic taxonomic groups (bacteria, micro-algae, micro-invertebrates, fish liver cells) as well as with biomarker measurements determined with a rainbow trout primary hepatocyte (RTPH) assay. Bioassays undertaken with the cnidarian Hydra attenuata and RTPH cell assays, and to a lesser extent with the micro-alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, proved particularly sensitive to infer the presence of bio-available pollutants in snow samples collected from all sites, thereby suggesting their contamination (at least) via atmospheric sources. Furthermore, biomarker responses indicated that snow samples presumably included metals (free Zn biomarker), organics (CYP 1A1 biomarker), estrogens (alkali-labile phosphate biomarker) as well as chemicals capable of causing oxidative stress (LPO biomarker), depending on the site being considered. Overall, effects data acquired during this preliminary investigation on the ecotoxicity of snowpacks submit that adverse impact toward aquatic biota is conceivable at some sites during spring meltdown. Because snow has a recognized affinity for sequestering solids and contaminants of atmospheric origin, future studies aimed at identifying sources and chemicals implicated in observed effects are legitimate endeavors.