Trace chemicals are common in marine and freshwater ecosystems globally. It is recognized that in the environment, individual chemicals are rarely found in isolation. Insufficient work has examined which chemicals co-occur and which methods best identify these mixtures. Using an existing data set, we found evidence that simple correlation analysis is better at identifying mixtures of commonly co-occurring trace chemicals than more commonly used PCA methods. Moreover, simple correlation analysis, unlike PCA, can be used in cases with unbalanced designs and with data points below reportable limits. Application of this approach allowed identification of 10 groups of chemicals commonly found together in freshwaters of the continental US, representing common “chemical syndromes.” Better identification of co-occurring chemical combinations could aid in our understanding of biological and ecological effects of aquatic contaminants. This research provides evidence of correlation analyses as a more effective method for identifying commonly co-occurring aquatic contaminants. We also examined the patterns of these mixtures with a dataset consisting of concentrations of 406 trace chemicals from 38 sample locations across the continental US.

Papers on Malaysia -- Thailand -- Australia.

"Best practices in the agrochemical industry covers the impact of agrochemicals in food and water supplies, and provides an overview of agrochemical residues and their health impacts as well as mitigation strategies. It includes extensive data tables covering USA and international regulatory frameworks for exposure to pesticides, including EPA, NIOSH, OSHA, WHO and ACGIH. Health impacts are explored, such as the pollution of drinking water with atrazine, trichloropropane and DBCP and the risks associated with these substances, including miscarriages and infertility. The authors also explore the effect of pesticide residues in food, including contaminants in organic food, and they present a case study concerning worker pesticide exposure. This book is a guide and professional reference for those involved in the agrochemical industry and it details safer manufacturing processes and procedures to limit pollution"--Page 4 of cover.