According to the European legislation, REACH, organic compounds are considered as substances of very high concern (SVHC) if they are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT). A substance’s long-range transport potential (LRTP) may also pose a risk to remote regions. This is, however, not yet explicitly included. For identification of compounds, which are not PBT according to REACH criteria, but show LRTP, we investigated 22,438 compounds from the Canadian Domestic Substance List (CDSL). The CDSL was searched for organic, neutral compounds. Substance properties were estimated with EPI Suite v4.00. Next, the substance list was edited in two ways: (1) The half-life criterion in air for LRTP as defined in the Stockholm Convention was applied. (2) For all compounds, indicators for persistence and LRTP were calculated with the multimedia model ELPOS v2.2. Applying the half-life criterion, we identified 594 substances, which are prone to LRT but are not PBT (non-PBT-L substances). In contrast, investigations with ELPOS lead to a shorter list of 188 substances, which are non-PBT-L substances. Finally, the list was compared with potential Arctic contaminants identified in previous literature. Our results show that there is a large number of organic chemicals which would not be considered as SVHC since they are not, at the same time, persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic according to REACH criteria. Nevertheless, they show LRTP according to different screening approaches and thus a potential hazard to remote regions.

PURPOSE: The distribution and speciation of mercury in surface water of East River, Guangdong province, China were investigated. METHODS: All told 63 water samples were collected during a bi-weekly sampling campaign from July 15th to 26th, 2009. RESULTS: Total mercury (THg) concentrations in water samples ranged from 11 to 49 ng/L. Maximum levels of THg were measured in the lower reaches of East River, where it passes through a major industrial area adjacent to Dongguang city. Higher ratios of dissolved mercury (THg (aq)) in proportion to THg were restricted to the downstream section of East River. Concentrations of the minor constituent methyl mercury varied in the range from 0.08 to 0.21 ng/L. On average, methyl mercury made up 0.8% and 0.56% of THg (aq) and THg, respectively. Dissolved species dominated the speciation of methyl mercury in proportions up to 81%, which may imply that methyl mercury is largely produced in situ within the river water. Environmental factors (such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen, etc.) are regarded to play an important role in Hg methylation processes were monitored and assessed. CONCLUSIONS: In an international perspective, East River must be classified as a polluted river with considerably sources within its industrial areas. The THg (aq) and particle mercury fluxes to the Pearl River Estuary by East River run-off were estimated to be 0.31 ± 0.11 and 0.17 ± 0.13 t/year, respectively. Hence, in total nearly 0.5 t Hg is annually released to the sea from the East River tributary.

INTRODUCTION: Textile industry is one of the most common and essential sectors in Tunisia. However, the treatment of textile effluents becomes a university because of their toxic impacts on waters, soils, flora, and fauna. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aim of this work was to evaluate the ability of Pseudomonas putida mt-2 to decolorize a textile wastewater and to compare the biologic decolorization process to the chemical one currently used by the textile industry. RESULTS: P. putida exhibited a high decolorizing capacity of the studied effluent, compared to the coagulation–flocculation method with decolorization percentage of 86% and 34.5%, respectively. Genotoxicity of the studied effluent, before and after decolorization by P. putida mt-2, was evaluated in vitro, using the SOS chromotest, and in vivo, in mouse bone marrow, by assessing the percentage of cells bearing different chromosome aberrations compared to not treated mice. In addition, textile effluent statistically significant influenced acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activities and lipid peroxidation (p < 0.01) when compared to not-treated mice. Coagulation–flocculation treatment process used by industry was revealed to be ineffective. Indeed toxicities persisted after treatment and the effluent did not show any statistically significant decrease in toxicities compared to non-treated effluent. Our results indicate that P. putida is a promising and improved alternative to treating industrial scale effluent compared to current chemical decolorization procedures used by the Tunisian textile industry.

Bisphenol A (BPA) and nonylphenols (NP) are of major concern to public health due to their high potential for human exposure and to their demonstrated toxicity (endocrine disruptor effect). A limited number of studies have shown that BPA and NP are present in drinking water. The chlorinated derivatives that may be formed during the chlorination step in drinking water treatment plants (DWTP) exhibit a higher level of estrogenic activity than their parent compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate BPA, 353NP, and their chlorinated derivative concentrations using an accurate and reproducible method of quantification. This method was applied to both surface and treated water samples from eight French DWTPs producing from surface water. Solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was developed in order to quantify target compounds from water samples. The limits of detection ranged from 0.3 to 2.3 ng/L for BPA and chlorinated BPA and from 1.4 to 63.0 ng/L for 353NP and chlorinated 353NP. BPA and 353NP were found in most analyzed water samples, at a level ranging from 2.0 to 29.7 ng/L and from 0 to 124.9 ng/L, respectively. In most of DWTPs a decrease of BPA and 353NP was observed between surface water and treated water (36.6 to 78.9 % and 2.2 to 100.0 % for BPA and 353NP, respectively). Neither chlorinated BPA nor chlorinated 353NP was detected. Even though BPA and 353NP have been largely removed in the DWTPs studied, they have not been completely eliminated, and drinking water may consequently remain a source of human exposure.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The ubiquitous dissolved organic matter (DOM) is actually not inert as we always think, and the hormone-like effects of DOM have been reported. The objective of this study was to investigate the estrogenic effects of DOM and its impact on the activity of the natural estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2). MATERIALS AND METHODS: DOM of three different sources, HA sodium salt, Suwannee River natural organic matter (NOM), and Nordic Reservoir NOM, were used. The estrogenic activity was detected by using the yeast estrogen screen (YES) assay. Estrogenic effects of DOM without and after solar irradiation were tested. Influences on the action of E2 by DOM were also investigated. RESULTS: No direct estrogenic effects of the DOM used were observed in the YES assay. However, the estrogenic activities after 24 h of irradiation increased to 0.0288, 0.0178, and 0.0195 μM of E2 equivalents for HA sodium salt, Suwannee River NOM, and Nordic Reservoir NOM, respectively. After incubation of DOM, the estrogenic activity of E2 was increased by low concentrations (8.33 and 83.3 μM) of DOM while decreased by higher concentrations (8.33 × 102 and 8.33 × 103 μM) of DOM. CONCLUSIONS: Though direct estrogenic effects of DOM were not observed, increase in the estrogenic activity of DOM after irradiation was significant. DOM shows amphoteric influence on the natural estrogen E2, which depends on the concentration of DOM used. Because of its ubiquity, DOM may be of great ecological significance, playing an important role in regulating the reproduction of aquatic organisms.

Contaminants are ubiquitous in the environment and their impacts are of increasing concern due to human population expansion and the generation of deleterious effects in aquatic species. Oxidative stress can result from the presence of persistent organic pollutants, metals, pesticides, toxins, pharmaceuticals, and nanomaterials, as well as changes in temperature or oxygen in water, the examined species, with differences in age, sex, or reproductive cycle of an individual. The antioxidant role of glutathione (GSH), accompanied by the formation of its disulfide dimer, GSSG, and metabolites in response to chemical stress, are highlighted in this review along with, to some extent, that of glutathione S-transferase (GST). The available literature concerning the use and analysis of these markers will be discussed, focusing on studies of aquatic organisms. The inclusion of GST within the suite of biomarkers used to assess the effects of xenobiotics is recommended to complement that of lipid peroxidation and mixed function oxygenation. Combining the analysis of GSH, GSSG, and conjugates would be beneficial in pinpointing the role of contaminants within the plethora of causes that could lead to the toxic effects of reactive oxygen species.

PURPOSE: To assess groundwater exposure to pesticides, in agricultural areas of ‘Ribatejo’ region (Portugal), and the influence of some key factors in that exposure, field, laboratory and modelling studies were carried out. METHODS: The study was performed in maize, potato, sugar beet, tomato and vegetables agricultural areas, located in a shallow aquifer, with pesticides use and, in most cases, with irrigation practices. Pesticides used in the studied agricultural areas and having leaching potential were selected, being considered also other pesticides included in priority lists, defined in Europe. Evaluation of groundwater exposure to pesticides was carried out by successively: (1) groundwater sampling in seven campaigns over the period 2004–2006; (2) pesticide analysis [including isolation and concentration from the groundwater samples and further determination by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) of 14 herbicides, four insecticides and two metabolites]; and (3) analysis and discussion of the results by applying joint correspondence analysis (JCA). RESULTS: From the 20 pesticides and metabolites selected for the study, 11 were found in groundwater. Pesticides and metabolites most frequently detected were atrazine, alachlor, metolachlor, desethylatrazine, ethofumesate, α-endosulfan, metribuzine, lindane and β-endosulfan. The results showed that groundwater exposure to pesticides is influenced by local factors—either environmental or agricultural, as precipitation, soil, geology, crops and irrigation practices. Spring and autumn were more associated with the detection of pesticides being more likely to observe mixtures of these compounds in a groundwater sample in these transition seasons. CONCLUSIONS: This work evidences the importance of models, which evaluate pesticides environmental behaviour, namely their water contamination potential (as Mackay multicompartimental fugacity model) and, specially, groundwater contamination potential (as GUS and Bacci and Gaggi leaching indices), in pesticide selection. Moreover, it reveals the importance to adapt proper statistical methods according to level of left-censored data. Using JCA was still possible to establish relations between pesticides and their temporal trend in a case study where there were more than 80% of data censored. This study will contribute to the Tagus river basin management plan with information on the patterns of pesticide occurrence in the alluvial aquifer system.

PURPOSE: An online cloud-point extraction (CPE) coupled with flow injection method is developed for the separation and preconcentration of palladium and lead from various matrices using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). METHOD: The method employs the formation of complexes of the metallic species with dimethylglyoxime, which are subsequently entrapped in the micelles of the surfactant Triton X-114, upon increase of the solution temperature to 60°C and loaded into the flow injection system at a flow rate of 4.6 mL min−1. The surfactant rich-phase was retained in a minicolumn packed with animal wool at pH 6 and eluted with 1.0 mol L−1 nitric acid in methanol at a flow rate of 1.1 mL min−1 directly into the nebulizer of the FAAS. The CPE variables and flow injection conditions affecting the analytical performance of the combined methodology was studied and optimized. RESULTS: Under the optimized conditions for 25 mL of preconcentrated solution, the enrichment factors were 51 and 44, and the limit of detections were 1.0 and 1.4 ng mL−1 for palladium and lead, respectively. Finally, the developed method was applied for the determination of palladium and lead in street dust, soil, radiology waste, catalytic converter, and urban aerosol samples. CONCLUSIONS: Cloud-point extraction coupled with flow injection-FAAS was proposed as an effective preconcentration and separation method for Pd and Pb determination in radiology waste, road dust, soil, and urban aerosol samples. The most favorable feature of this method is its much higher selectivity, sensitivity, rapidity, good extraction efficiency, and employs the green chemistry concept, as it does not require the addition of toxic chemicals. In addition, this proposed method gives very low detection limits and good relative standard.

PURPOSE: This paper presents a novel approach to interpret ground-level O3 with the measured atmospheric stability index (ASI). METHODS: O3 concentrations were monitored by automatic analysers at three types of stations: traffic site, residential site and regional background site in 2005, and the ASI was simultaneously measured by observing radon and its short-lived decay products. RESULTS: The observed results showed a clear annual variation of O3 concentrations with a maximum in spring, relatively high at the regional background site over 120 ppb, and lower at the residential and traffic sites at about 70 ppb. ASI gives information about the dilution properties of the lower boundary layer and allows to highlight the relevant role of the dilution factor in determining atmospheric pollution events. We demonstrated the analysis of O3 night peak episodes with vertical wind and ASI. CONCLUSIONS: With the advantage of ASI and vertical wind profiles, it was possible to isolate particular photochemical pollution phenomena of O3 peaks from the free troposphere reservoir or formed by local reactions. This shows that the index constitutes a powerful and valuable tool for describing O3 night-peak episodes at background station.

INTRODUCTION: Trends in precipitation pH and conductivity during 1992–2009, and in ionic compositions from January 2007 to June 2009, are reported from Lushan Mountain, one of the highest mountains in mid-east China. Annual mean pH was in the range of 4.35–5.01 and showed a statistically very significant (P < 0.01) decreasing trend with time. Annual mean conductivity showed a statistically significant (P < 0.05) increasing trend, although this was not the case for non-H conductivity. Increasing rainwater acidity was mainly caused by increasing amounts of acid substances entering the rain. The trends in precipitation pH and conductivity were directly associated with energy consumption. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: Over the period of study, Lushan Mountain received more rainfall in spring and summer. The pH values varied seasonally with winter minima. The winter multiyear seasonal mean pH was 4.35. The corresponding summer value was 4.88. SO 4 2− and NO 3 − were the main anions, and NH 4 + and Ca2+ the main cations. The anion to cation ratio was 0.8–1.0, and that of [SO 4 2− ] to [NO 3 − ] was 2.4-3.0, much lower than that of the 1980s. However, sulfuric acid was still the main acid present. The ratio of [NH 4 + ] to [Ca2+] was about 1.0, suggesting that these two alkaline substances provided close acid neutralizing capacity. The ratio of [Cl−] to [Na+] was about 0.67, somewhat lower than that of natural precipitation. CONCLUSIONS: Ionic composition varied seasonally and was closely correlated to the amounts of rainfall and pollution. Trajectory analyses showed that the trajectories to Lushan Mountain could be classified in six clusters and trajectories originating from the South Sea and the areas surrounding Lushan Mountain had the greatest impacts on precipitation chemistry.