Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the level and possible sources of trace elements in Tshwane metropolis using transplanted lichen thallus of Parmelia sulcata with a view to evaluating the ability of this lichen species to monitor air pollutants from a perceived polluted environment. Methods Samples of the lichen thalli were transplanted into ten different sites and covered with a net. Samples were exposed for 3 months. Concentrations of ten trace elements were determined with the use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results A significant difference was observed in the values of elemental concentration in lichen from unpolluted area and those transplanted to all the sites (p < 0.01). Variations in values of trace elements recorded in lichen transplant from different sites were also statistically significant (p < 0.01). The high traffic sites showed significantly higher elemental concentrations, particularly for Pb, Zn, and Cu than the industrial and residential areas (p < 0.05). Conclusion Trends in the trace element values from different sites suggested that the elements might have come from anthropogenic sources.

Background Airborne fine particulates (PM 2.5) and its associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are reportedly hazardous in urban environment due to the presence of multiple emission sources. Methods In this study, fine particulates collected from fourth largest metropolitan city of India, Chennai, were extracted and analyzed for 11 PAHs by high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with a fluorescence detector. Results PM 2.5 values varied between 27.2 and 190.2 μg/m³, while average concentration of particle-associated PAHs determined was in the range from 325.7 to 790.8 ng/m³, which signaled an alarming pollution level in Chennai. Conclusions Factor analysis suggested vehicular emissions inclusive of petrol- and diesel-driven engines as probable sources.

BACKGROUND, AIM, AND SCOPE: The present study is an attempt to examine some of the probable causes of the unusually low tropospheric column ozone observed over eastern India during the exceptional drought event in July 2002. METHOD: We examined horizontal wind and omega (vertical velocity) anomalies over the Indian region to understand the large-scale dynamical processes which prevailed in July 2002. We also examined anomalies in tropospheric carbon monoxide (CO), an important ozone precursor, and observed low CO mixing ratio in the free troposphere in 2002 over eastern India. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: It was found that instead of a normal large-scale ascent, the air was descending in the middle and lower troposphere over a vast part of India. This configuration was apparently responsible for the less convective upwelling of precursors and likely caused less photochemical ozone formation in the free troposphere over eastern India in July 2002. CONCLUSION: The insight gained from this case study will hopefully provide a better understanding of the process controlling the distribution of the tropospheric ozone over the Indian region.

Purpose Spillage of petroleum hydrocarbons causes significant environmental pollution. Bioremediation is an effective process to remediate petroleum oil contaminant from the ecosystem. The aim of the present study was to reclaim a petroleum oil-contaminated soil which was unsuitable for the cultivation of crop plants by using petroleum oil hydrocarbon-degrading microbial consortium. Materials and methods Bacterial consortium consisting of Bacillus subtilis DM-04 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa M and NM strains were seeded to 20% (v/w) petroleum oil-contaminated soil, and bioremediation experiment was carried out for 180 days under laboratory condition. The kinetics of hydrocarbon degradation was analyzed using biochemical and gas chromatographic (GC) techniques. The ecotoxicity of the elutriates obtained from petroleum oil-contaminated soil before and post-treatment with microbial consortium was tested on germination and growth of Bengal gram (Cicer aretinum) and green gram (Phaseolus mungo) seeds. Results Bacterial consortium showed a significant reduction in total petroleum hydrocarbon level in contaminated soil (76% degradation) as compared to the control soil (3.6% degradation) 180 days post-inoculation. The GC analysis confirmed that bacterial consortium was more effective in degrading the alkane fraction compared to aromatic fraction of crude petroleum oil hydrocarbons in soil. The nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen compounds fraction was least degraded. The reclaimed soil supported the germination and growth of crop plants (C. aretinum and P. mungo). In contrast, seeds could not be germinated in petroleum oil-contaminated soil. Conclusions The present study reinforces the application of bacterial consortium rather than individual bacterium for the effective bioremediation and reclamation of soil contaminated with petroleum oil.

Purpose Textile dyeing and sago industries are the most polluting industries in South India, especially in industrial cities like Salem, Tamil Nadu, where textile dyeing and sago industries are clumped together geographically. Conventional physicochemical treatment followed by biological processes for the effluent generated from these industries are ineffective, costlier and produce huge quantities of hazardous sludge and harmful by-products which requires further treatment and safe disposal. Hence, the development of an alternative treatment method will become important. The main objective of this investigation is to establish a sustainable biotreatment technology for the treatment of textile dyeing effluent using sago effluent as co-substrate in a two-phase upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. Methods In this study, influence of hydraulic retention time (HRT) in a two-phase UASB reactor treating textile dyeing effluent using sago effluent as co-substrate was investigated with different HRTs (36, 30, 24 and 18 h) with an optimum mixing ratio of 70:30 (sago to textile dye wastewaters). Results The results revealed that the HRT had a high influence on the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and colour removal. The maximum COD removal efficiency of 39.4% and 88.5% and colour removal efficiency of 43.7% and 84.4% in the acidogenic and methanogenic reactors, respectively was achieved at 24 h of HRT. The biogas production was 312 L/day. Conclusion The biphasic UASB reactor could be a very feasible alternative, cost-effective, eco-friendly and sustainable treatment system for textile dyeing effluent with sago effluent as a co-substrate.

Purpose This paper analyses the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in escaped: farmed and wild salmons in southern Chile, analysing their concentrations and congener profiles in two species (Oncorhynchus kisutch and Oncorhynchus mykiss). Methods Muscle samples from both farmed and escaped fish of two species, O. mykiss (rainbow trout) and O. kisutch (coho salmon), were analysed for PCBs (42 congeners). To differentiate between the wild salmon and the salmon that have escaped from fish farms, the astaxanthin content in the muscular tissue was analysed with a high-performance liquid chromatography -diode array detector method. PCBs were measured by gas chromatography with an electron capture detector. Results The levels of astaxanthin can be used to differentiate between farmed, escaped and wild-borne salmons with statistically different concentrations. When comparing the total PCB concentrations for both trout and salmon samples, it can be determined that a separate analysis for farmed, escaped and wild-borne fish more accurately describes the real differences in the concentrations; these differences are hidden when separate analyses are not performed. The congener profiles are similar in both trout and coho salmon, where the tri-, tetra- and penta-CB congeners are the most abundant. Conclusion This study is the first report of PCBs in wild-borne, farmed and escaped salmons for the Southern Hemisphere, considering that Chile is actually one of the principal world producers of salmon.

PURPOSE: Pharmaceuticals are an integral part of a dignified life. However, a lack of degradability and threats to the welfare of living beings cause concern due to their emission into the environment. There is also a lack of knowledge about cause and consequence. Therefore, we intend to contribute to the development of educational programmes which should increasingly include the topic ‘pharmaceuticals in the environment’. METHODS: Considering the current literature, we developed a corresponding series of worksheets (Online Resource) and sample solutions on an introductory level and integrated them into our curriculum. RESULTS: The material compiled for the worksheets was arranged in a logical order and considers several subtopics. The worksheets aim to support the examination of related aspects such as environmental effects, emissions, wastewater treatment plants, degradation, degradation by-products, advanced oxidation processes, hydraulic retention times, half-life times, biosolids, exposition pathways, precautionary principle, classification schemes for pharmaceuticals and, related to the structure–activity relationship, the design for degradability. The students managed to work on the tasks in an appropriate manner and received a good overview of the occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals in the environment. CONCLUSIONS: Tasks that were presented to students regarding the topic ‘pharmaceuticals in the environment’ contributed to a better understanding of the possible risks of medical care on an introductory level. The tasks have been incorporated into a logic series of worksheets (Online Resource) with sample solutions available. Alternatively, the material would be appropriate for the preparation of a corresponding lecture on this topic.

INTRODUCTION: Environmental heterogeneous methods were used for analysing data sets of trophic state with 11 parameters measured at 12 different sites at Chaohu Lake for the period 2004 to 2006. The aim of this research was to determine spatial/temporal variations in water quality, to assess trophic state and to identify pollution sources. Protective measures and schemes were proposed to improve water quality in the lake. DISCUSSION: Hierarchical cluster analysis (CA) grouped the 12 sampling sites into two clusters (Eastern Chaohu Lake and Western Chaohu Lake). Temporal CA classified the 12 months into four periods (March–May; June–August; September–November; January, February and December) with a distinct regular seasonal cycle in Eastern Chaohu Lake and four periods (January–April and December; May, July and November; June, September and October; August) with an irregular seasonal cycle in Western Chaohu Lake. Trophic state index analysis showed that Eastern Chaohu Lake was in mesotrophic levels, while Western Chaohu Lake was in eutrophic and hypereutrophic levels. Based on pollutant source statistics data, the dominant pollution sources were identified as domestic sewage and non-point pollution in Eastern Chaohu Lake. Domestic sewage, industrial and non-point sources were contributed to eutrophication in Western Chaohu Lake.

Introduction The present study was part of a comprehensive weight-of-evidence approach with the goal of identifying potential causes for the declines in fish populations, which have been observed during the past decades in the Upper Danube River. Methods The specific goal was the investigation of the endocrine disrupting potential of sediment extracts from different sites along the Danube River. Parallel to the identification and quantification of target estrogens, two in vitro bioassays were employed to assess the estrogenic potential (yeast estrogen screen, YES) of the sediment samples and to evaluate their effects on the production of testosterone (T) and E2 (H295R Steroidogenesis Assay). Using a potency balance approach, the contribution of the measured compounds (Chem-EEQs) to the total endocrine activity measured by the YES (YES-EEQs) was calculated. Results and discussion Of the nine sediment extracts tested five extracts exhibited significant estrogenic activities in the YES, which suggested the presence of ER agonists in these samples. The xenoestrogens nonylphenol (NP) and bisphenol A (BPA) and the natural estrogen estrone (E1) were detected while concentrations of 17β-estradiol (E2) and ethinylestradiol (EE2) were less than their respective limits of quantification in all sediment extracts. A comparison of the measured YES-EEQs and the calculated Chem-EEQs revealed that as much as 6% of estrogenic activity in extracts of most sediments could be explained by two xeno- and one natural estrogen. Exposure of H295R cells to sediment extracts from four different locations in the Danube River resulted in significantly increased concentrations of E2, but only slight inhibition of T synthesis. Furthermore, application of the H295R Steroidogenesis Assay provided evidence for endocrine disrupting potencies in sediment samples from the Upper Danube River, some of which were not detectable with the YES. In conclusion, differential endocrine activities were associated with several sediments from the Upper Danube River. Further investigations will have to show whether the observed activities are of biological relevance with regard to declines in fish populations in the Upper Danube River.

Background, aim and scope Pollutants always co-exist in the environment. Determining and characterizing the interaction among chemicals is an important issue. Experimental designs (ED) play an important role in evaluating the interactions. The main aim of our study is to provide the test and analysis of the toxicity interaction with a novel ED method. Materials and methods A novel direct equipartition ray design (EquRay) procedure was proposed to effectively and systematically determine the toxicities of binary mixtures on Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.-Q67. Here, one component is ionic liquid, 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium chloride (IL1), 1-butylpyridinium bromide (IL2) or N-hexylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (IL3), and another is dichlorvos (DIC). The toxicity interaction was evaluated by comparing experiment and additive model together with three-dimension deviation response surface (DRS) analysis. Result Selecting CA as a reference model, the binary mixtures exerted less than additive (antagonism). Most of the deviations occurred in the centre portion of the DRS where the dCA (deviation from CA) values are between −15% and −26% for IL1-DIC and IL2-DIC mixtures and −10% and −15% for IL3 and DIC. Selecting IA as a additive model, IL1-DIC and IL2-DIC mixtures exhibited less than additive (antagonism) while IL3-DIC displayed an addition action and the absolute values of dIAs (deviation from IA) were less than 10%. Conclusion A novel EquRay procedure was developed in this study and the EquRay can provide us with the information about the toxicity interaction between binary mixture components (such as DIC and IL) in different concentration regions across different mixture ratios.