Effects of copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al) on the adsorption of sulfathiazole (STZ) and tylosin (T) to peat and soil were investigated using a batch equilibration method. Results show that Cu suppressed STZ adsorption onto peat and soil at pH < 5.0 because of the electrostatic competition, while increased STZ adsorption at pH > 5.0 due to the formation of STZ–Cu complexes and/or Cu bridge. In contrast, Al only decreased STZ adsorption at pH < 6.0, and exerted slight effect on STZ adsorption at >6.0. As for T, both Cu and Al suppressed its adsorption over the entire pH range owing to three reasons: 1) electrostatic competition between Cu/Al and T+; 2) Cu/Al adsorption made the soil and peat surface less negatively charged, which was unfavorable for T+ adsorption; 3) the shrunken pore size of peat and soil retarded the diffusion of large-sized T into these pores.

Increasing urbanization and industrialization over the world has caused many social and environmental problems, one of which drawing particular concern is the soil pollution and its ecological degradation. In this study, the efficiency of magnetic methods for detecting and discriminating contaminates in the arid and semi-arid regions of northwestern China was investigated. Topsoil samples from six typical cities (i.e. Karamay, Urumqi, Lanzhou, Yinchuan, Shizuishan and Wuhai) were collected and a systematic analysis of their magnetic properties was conducted. Results indicate that the topsoil samples from the six cities were all dominated by coarse low-coercivity magnetite. In addition, the average magnetite contents in the soils from Urumqi and Lanzhou were shown to be much higher than those from Karamay, Yinchuan, Shizuishan and Wuhai, and they also have relatively higher χlf and χfd% when compared with cities in eastern China. Moreover, specific and distinctive soil pollution signals were identified at each sampling site using the combined various magnetic data, reflecting distinct sources. Industrial and traffic-derived pollution was dominant in Urumqi and Lanzhou, in Yinchuan industrial progress was observed to be important with some places affected by vehicle emission, while Karamay, Shizuishan and Wuhai were relatively clean. The magnetic properties of these latter three cities are significantly affected by both anthropogenic pollution and local parent materials from the nearby Gobi desert. The differences in magnetic properties of topsoil samples affected by mixed industrial and simplex traffic emissions are not obvious, but significant differences exist in samples affected by simplex industrial/vehicle emissions and domestic pollution. The combined magnetic analyses thus provide a sensitive and powerful tool for classifying samples according to likely sources, and may even provide a valuable diagnostic tool for discriminating among different cities.

A cadmium/zinc hyperaccumulator extracted metals from four contaminated soils over three years in a glasshouse experiment. Changes in plant metal uptake and soil total (aqua regia-extractable) and available metals were investigated. Plant Cd concentrations in a high-Cd acid soil and plant Zn concentrations in two acid soils decreased during repeated phytoextraction and were predicted by soil available metal concentrations. However, on repeated phytoextraction, plant Cd concentrations remained constant in lightly Cd-polluted acid soils, as did plant Cd and Zn in alkaline soils, although soil available metal concentrations decreased markedly. After phytoextraction acid soils showed much higher total metal removal efficiencies, indicating possible suitability of phytoextraction for acid soils. However, DGT-testing, which takes soil metal re-supply into consideration, showed substantial removal of available metal and distinct decreases in metal supply capacity in alkaline soils after phytoextraction, suggesting that a strategy based on lowering the bioavailable contaminant might be feasible.

Exposure to residential volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is ubiquitous in homes, and may influence respiratory health with important public health implications. To investigate the association between VOCs measured in residential indoor air and lung function in the Canadian population Cycle 2 of the Canadian Health Measures Survey – a population based cross-sectional survey designed to be representative of the Canadian population – was carried out between 2009 and 2011. Of the 84 VOCs measured, 47 were detectable in at least 50% of homes and ten were negatively associated with lung function: decanal, 2-furancarboxaldehyde, hexanal, nonanal, octanal, benzene, styrene, α-pinene, 2-methyl-1,2-butadiene and naphthalene. Differences were observed between males and females, as well as by age, and significant associations were most frequent in those under 17 years. These results provide evidence that some VOCs measured indoors are negatively associated with lung function in the Canadian population.

Floods are an important factor determining riverine pollution loads, including toxic mercury (Hg). The impact of the Vistula River flood in 2010, which was the biggest one recorded in 160 years and its influence on marine environment was studied. Mercury concentration was analyzed in river and sea water, suspended matter, phytoplankton and sea surface sediment. Flood and gulf water contained several times higher concentration of Hg (exceeded reference values safe for aquatic organisms) than before or after the flood. In 2010 the Vistula introduced into the Baltic ca. 1576 kg of Hg, of which 75% can be attributed to the flood water. Increase of water temperature, decrease of oxygen content contended increasing of dissolved mercury concentration, which was transported far into the Baltic. This phenomenon led to an increase of Hg concentration in phytoplankton and during many months in surface sediments. It is a potential threat to marine organisms.

Sediment and polyethylene sampler-based estimates of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) concentrations in Newark Bay, New Jersey (USA) benthic biota were compared. Biota concentrations based on sediment were estimated using an organic carbon (OC)-water partitioning model and an OC and black carbon (BC)-water dual model. Biota concentrations based on polyethylene were estimated from samplers deployed in the Newark Bay water column and samplers immersed in a sediment/porewater slurry in the laboratory. Porewater samplers provided the best estimates of biota concentrations (within 3.1×), with best results achieved for deposit-feeders (within 1.6×). Polyethylene deployed in deep water also provided good estimates of biota concentrations (within 4×). By contrast, OC-water partitioning overestimated biota concentrations by up to 7×, while OC and BC combined underestimated biota concentrations by up to 13×. We recommend passive samplers such as polyethylene for estimating concentrations of hydrophobic organic contaminants in field biota given its simplicity and relatively lower uncertainty compared to sediment equilibrium partitioning.

In order to provide more conclusive evidence of monsoon-driven transport of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and assess the potential influence of forests on the fate of these pollutants, passive air samplers were consecutively deployed during 2008–2011 on Sygera Mountain (3800 m–4400 m). Higher DDTs levels were observed in the monsoon season (20.5–57.4 pg m−3) than the non-monsoon season (9.2–27.4 pg m−3), which confirmed that the Indian monsoon plays a key role in driving the atmospheric transport of DDTs to the TP. The similar DDT isomer ratios to the South Asia further suggested that Sygera Mountain is likely a receptor region of Indian subcontinent. By comparing the difference in concentrations between forest and clearing sites, it was found that the forest canopy can reduce airborne DDTs by a factor of 2, indicating strong absorption of DDTs by the Tibetan forest.

A large variety of anthropogenic chemicals present in the aquatic environment have been shown to be able to alter the endocrine system of exposed organisms, potentially impacting their reproductive function. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of environmental pollution on the reproductive system of wild female roach (Rutilus rutilus) from the Seine River (Normandy, France). A suite of biomarkers of endocrine disruption including gonado-somatic index, plasmatic vitellogenin, gonadal aromatase activity and histological parameters (oocyte diameter and gonad maturation) were studied. Female fish from the polluted sites showed a number of reproductive alterations, including inhibited gonad maturation, reduced oocyte growth, reduced levels of plasmatic vitellogenin and 3-fold lower gonadal aromatase activity than females collected in the reference site. Overall, these results highlight the presence of endocrine disruption in female roach from the Seine River.

Concerns about the environmental risks of engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are growing, however, currently very little is known about their concentrations in the environment. Here, we calculate the concentrations of five ENM (nano-TiO2, nano-ZnO, nano-Ag, CNT and fullerenes) in environmental and technical compartments using probabilistic material-flow modelling. We apply the newest data on ENM production volumes, their allocation to and subsequent release from different product categories, and their flows into and within those compartments. Further, we compare newly predicted ENM concentrations to estimates from 2009 and to corresponding measured concentrations of their conventional materials, e.g. TiO2, Zn and Ag. We show that the production volume and the compounds' inertness are crucial factors determining final concentrations. ENM production estimates are generally higher than a few years ago. In most cases, the environmental concentrations of corresponding conventional materials are between one and seven orders of magnitude higher than those for ENM.

Identifying general response patterns to contamination in the environment is critical for reliable assessments of ecosystem health. However, it is not often clear if there are biases in the information used to understand general effects of contamination. To investigate this we conducted a review of 314 studies that experimentally manipulated contaminants and measured the effects on marine invertebrate taxa. The majority of studies investigated the effects of metals (54%) on individual taxa (mainly bivalves, amphipods, copepods). Ecologically relevant responses to contamination were measured in only 22% of the studies. A meta-analysis using studies that measured ecological responses to copper illustrated a general negative effect of copper and highlighted the bias towards field or laboratory experiments that measure community or individual-level responses. There is a need for diversification of studies that investigate the ecological effects of contamination as an important advancement in ecotoxicology and ecological research and environmentally relevant risk assessments.