The effects of anthropogenic activities on water, environment, and consequently quality of life can be evaluated using genetic, biochemical, and microbiological parameters. Regarding genetic parameters, the micronucleus test is a fast, efficient, inexpensive method for detecting alterations in genetic material induced by a variety of genotoxic agents. In the present study, blood cells from Poecilia vivipara from the Belém River in the city of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil were evaluated for genotoxic effects stemming from human-produced pollution, as expressed by the micronucleus. The water in the river was evaluated with regard to physiochemical and microbiological parameters as well as for heavy metals. The analysis revealed the presence of copper, zinc, and nickel, with high concentrations of copper. The micronucleus analysis revealed significant differences in relation to the groups (study and control), suggesting a positive relation between the water quality of the Belém River and micronucleus expression as a result of the pollution to which this river is subjected.

Sorption equilibrium of phenol and aniline onto the granular activated carbon and hyperreticulated un-functionalized polymeric resin (MN200) was investigated in single and binary component aqueous systems. Higher loading was obtained for aniline than phenol onto both sorbents, which is probably due to hydrophobic difference between both solutes and the greater electronic density of the aromatic ring of the aniline. Granular activated carbon reported larger uptake than resin MN200 for both solutes, which may be attributed to the better physical properties of the granular activated carbon, for instance, larger surface area. The experimental sorption could be properly described by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Five models for predicting the binary equilibrium sorption isotherm were compared in order to determine the best fit model to correlate binary experimental data: the extended Langmuir isotherm with and without a constant interaction factor, a simplified model based on the single equilibrium factors, the empirical extended Freundlich isotherm and the modified extended Langmuir equation, which considers the synergistic interactions between sorbate-sorbate and not only the competition between them defined by the extended Langmuir model. The modified extended Langmuir model provides the best agreement between predicted and experimental data indicating that the synergistic interactions between solutes play an important role in the binary phenol/aniline sorption system.

The batch sorption experiments were carried out using a novel adsorbent, freshwater macrophyte alligator weed, for the removal of basic dye malachite green from aqueous solution. Effects of process parameters such as initial solution pH, contact time, adsorbent concentration, particle size, and ion strength were investigated. The adsorbent was characterized by FT-IR. The adsorption of malachite green by alligator weed was solution pH dependent. The adsorption reached equilibrium at 240 min for two particle size fractions. The pseudo-first-order equation, Ritchie second-order equation, and intraparticle diffusion models were tested. The results showed that adsorption of malachite green onto alligator weed followed the Ritchie second-order equation very well and the intraparticle diffusion played important roles in the adsorption process. The Langmuir and Freundlich equations were applied to the data related to the adsorption isotherms and the observed maximum adsorption capacity (q max) was 185.54 mg g⁻¹ at 20°C according to the Langmuir model. The effects of particle size, adsorbent concentration, and ionic strength on the malachite green adsorption were very marked. The alligator weed could serve as low-cost adsorbents for removing malachite green from aqueous solution.

Significant quantities of the broiler chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) litter produced in the USA are being applied to pasture lands. The traditional surface- broadcast application of animal manure onto permanent pasture, however, may lead to high concentration of nutrients and pathogenic microorganisms near the soil surface that could be transported off site by runoff water. Subsurface banding of poultry litter has the potential to reduce nutrient and pathogen losses through runoff. However, this has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we used rainfall simulations to examine the effect of broiler litter application methods on the longevity of nutrient and Escherichia coli losses in runoff by successive runoff events. Runoff plots were constructed on Hartsells fine sandy loam (Typic Hapludults) soil with permanent Kentucky 31 tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) pasture in Crossville, AL. Treatments included two methods of litter application (surface broadcast and subsurface banding), commercial fertilizer, and control (no litter or fertilizer applied). To evaluate the longevity of nutrient losses, simulated rainfall (110 mm h⁻¹) was applied to each plot on days 1, 7, and 14 following litter and fertilizer applications. Total P (TP), inorganic N, and E. coli concentrations were all significantly greater in runoff from broadcast litter application than the subsurface litter banding treatments. The TP losses from broadcast litter applications averaged 6.5 times those from subsurface litter applications. About 81% of the runoff TP concentration was in the form of dissolved reactive phosphorus for both litter application methods. The average losses of NO₃-N and total suspended solids from subsurface litter banding plots were 358 g ha⁻¹ and 68 kg ha⁻¹ compared to 462 and 60 kg ha⁻¹ for the broadcast method, respectively. This study shows that subsurface banding of broiler litter into perennial grassland can substantially reduce nutrient and pathogen losses in runoff compared to the traditional surface-broadcast practice.

Actually, there is a growing interest in finding efficient low-cost materials that allow the removal of chemical substances from water in order to decrease the environmental impact. The use of nanoscale systems is a new area of investigation for the elimination of polluting agents from water among other useful applications in science and technology. In this work, removal of indigo blue in water solutions has been evaluated using Fe/Cu nanoparticles and composites of C/Fe–Cu nanoalloy. The first composite was using carbon obtained by pyrolysis of sewage sludge with Fe/Cu nanoparticles (MCL-NP); the second one was made with commercial activated carbon and Fe–Cu nanoparticles (CAC-NP). Synthesis of materials were carried out by the sodium borohydride reduction of FeSO4[Symbol: see text]7H2O and CuSO4[Symbol: see text]5H2O aqueous mixture. Batch adsorption and isotherm experiments were carried out in order to know the behavior of each adsorbent material employed. The experimental data were adjusted to Langmuir, Freundlich, and BET models.

The Nandong Underground River System (NURS) is located in Southeast Yunnan Province, China. Groundwater in NURS plays a critical role in socio-economical development of the region. However, with the rapid increase of population in recent years, groundwater quality has degraded greatly. In this study, the analysis of 36 groundwater samples collected from springs in both rain and dry seasons shows significant spatial disparities and slight seasonal variations of major element concentrations in the groundwater. In addition, results from factor analysis indicate that NO ₃ ⁻ , Cl⁻, SO ₄ ²⁻ , Na⁺, K⁺, and EC in the groundwater are mainly from the sources related to human activities while Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, HCO ₃ ⁻ , and pH are primarily controlled by water-rock interactions in karst system with Ca²⁺ and HCO ₃ ⁻ somewhat from anthropogenic inputs. With the increased anthropogenic contaminations, the groundwater chemistry changes widely from Ca-HCO₃ or Ca (Mg)-HCO₃ type to Ca-Cl (+NO₃) or Ca (Mg)-Cl (+NO₃), and Ca-Cl (+NO₃+SO₄) or Ca (Mg)-Cl (+NO₃+SO₄) type. Concentrations of NO ₃ ⁻ , Cl⁻, SO ₄ ²⁻ , Na⁺, and K⁺ generally show an indistinct grouping with respect to land use types, with very high concentrations observed in the groundwater from residential and agricultural areas. This suggests that those ions are mainly derived from sewage effluents and fertilizers. No specific land use control on the Mg²⁺ ion distribution is observed, suggesting Mg²⁺ is originated from natural dissolution of carbonate rocks. The distribution of Ca²⁺ and HCO ₃ ⁻ does not show any distinct land use control either, except for the samples from residential zones, suggesting the Ca²⁺ and HCO ₃ ⁻ mainly come from both natural dissolution of carbonate rocks and sewage effluents.

The levels and chemical composition of the particulate matter (PM) are linked to the effects of this atmospheric pollutant on human health. An assessment of the PM levels and its constituents present in the atmosphere is an important requirement of the air quality management and air pollution abatement. Taking into account that (i) EC Directives allow the Regional Government to assess the air quality by objective estimation and modelling techniques and (ii) the experimental effort required in the analysis of heavy metals in air, the present work aims to estimate the annual levels of the heavy metals regulated by the EC Directives (Pb in 1999/30/EC, and As, Ni and Cd in 2004/107/EC) in PM10 by means of multivariate linear regression (MLR). The main results show that although important deviations are found for individual measurements, the 2008 annual average metal concentrations are well estimated by the MLR technique at the studied areas. So, these estimations may be used by Regional Governments for the level assessment of regulated metals when their concentrations are below the lower assessment threshold | The authors would like to thank the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (CTM2006-00317) and the Government of Cantabria (“Actions for improving the air quality and its diagnosis in Cantabria”) for their funding.

Electrocoagulation (EC) has been evaluated as a treatment technology for arsenic (As) removal. Experiments were developed in an electrochemical reactor with three parallel iron plates. Current densities of 15, 30, and 45 A m⁻² were used to treat model water and 45 A m⁻² to treat underground water (GW). For both types of water, the EC process was able to decrease the residual arsenic concentration to less than 10 μg L⁻¹. However, the treatment time for As removal from GW was higher. This phenomenon was attributed to the competition of dissolved species present in GW such as silica and calcium with arsenic for the adsorption sites on the ferric oxyhydroxides flocs generated during the EC process. A procedure is proposed to reduce such interference by the addition of a silica adsorption inhibitor compound into the GW achieving a reduction in the process time. The adsorption of arsenic species over adsorbent was found to follow Lagergren adsorption model.

For more than a decade, Lakeland, FL, has invested in restoring its urban Lake Hollingsworth from a hypereutrophic state to its natural eutrophic state. The lake bottom was dredged of nearly 2 million m3 of accumulated organic sediments, and treatment wetlands, storm water curb inlet strainers, and a storm water baffle box were installed within the lake’s catchment area to reduce the loading of dirt, leaves, and trash to the lake. After dredging ceased, the lake was dosed one time with alum to improve water clarity and reduce phosphorus recycling from its sediments. Water quality surrogates for algal biomass— Secchi disk transparency and water column total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-α concentrations— were reviewed to assess Lakeland’s progress towards its goal. In the years since dredging has stopped, algal biomass concentration in Lake Hollingsworth has significantly declined. Even with these improvements, however, the lake still remains hypereutrophic.

In 1996, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) pollution of industrial origin was discovered in Lake Maggiore. It was caused by industrial effluents on a tributary of the River Toce, one of the major affluents of the lake in correspondence of Pallanza Bay. This event is the worst case of environmental pollution that has occurred in Western countries in the last 25 years, not due to agricultural use of DDT, but because of an accidental industrial discharge. Heavy polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) pollution was also noticed in 2002, with concentration levels three to seven times higher than those measured in other Italian subalpine lakes. In this study, the current DDT and PCBs contamination levels were assessed according to their presence in zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) specimens sampled in the last 5 years (2003-2008) in eight sampling stations of Lake Maggiore, chosen to cover the entire perimeter of the basin. Moreover, for two stations (Baveno and Pallanza-Villa Taranto) located inside and outside Pallanza Bay, respectively, it is possible to make comparisons starting from 1996. The results obtained show how Lake Maggiore is still an ecosystem with a severe environmental risk, more than 10 years after the original insecticide discharge. DDT contamination continues to evolve, and natural events, like lake overturn, floods, and heavy rains, can have a great influence on the insecticide levels in the lake. By contrast, PCB contamination is absolutely negligible, even if the peak of pollution revealed in 2002 seems to indicate that these pollutants are still present in large quantities in the Lake Maggiore watershed.