Improved multiple regression adsorption models (IMRAMs) was developed to estimate the adsorption capacity of the components [Fe oxides (Fe), Mn oxides (Mn), organic materials (OMs), residuals] in surficial sediments for multi-heavy metal Zn and Cu. IMRAM is an improved version over MRAM, which introduces a computer program in the model developing process. As MRAM, Zn(Cu) IMRAM, and Cu(Zn) IMRAM again confirmed that there is significant interaction effects that control the adsorption of compounded Zn and Cu, which was neglected by additional adsorption model. The verification experiment shows that the relative deviation of the IMRAMs is less than 13 %. It is revealed by the IMRAMs that Mn, which has the greatest adsorption capability for compounded Zn and Cu (54.889 and 161.180 mg/l, respectively), follows by interference adsorption capacity of Fe/Mn (−1.072 and −24.591 mg/l respectively). Zn and Cu influence each other through different mechanisms. When Zn is the adsorbate, compounded Cu mainly affects the adsorption capacities of Fe/Mn and Fe/Mn/OMs; while when Cu is the adsorbate, compounded Zn mainly exerts its effect on Mn, Fe/Mn, and Mn/OMs. It also shows that the compounded Zn or Cu weakened the interference adsorption of Fe/Mn, and meanwhile, strengthened the interference adsorption of Mn/OMs.

The present study aimed to establish the seasonal variations in the redox potential ranges of young Tibouchina pulchra plants growing in the Cubatão region (SE Brazil) under varying levels of oxidative stress caused by air pollutants. The plants were exposed to filtered air (FA) and non-filtered air (NFA) in open-top chambers installed next to an oil refinery in Cubatão during six exposure periods of 90 days each, which included the winter and summer seasons. After exposure, several analyses were performed, including the foliar concentrations of ascorbic acid and glutathione in its reduced (AsA and GSH), total (totAA and totG) and oxidized forms (DHA and GSSG); their ratios (AsA/totAA and GSH/totG); the enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR); and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA). The range of antioxidant responses in T. pulchra plants varied seasonally and was stimulated by high or low air pollutant concentrations and/or air temperatures. Glutathione and APX were primarily responsible for increasing plant tolerance to oxidative stress originating from air pollution in the region. The high or low air temperatures mainly affected enzymatic activity. The content of MDA increased in response to increasing ozone concentration, thus indicating that the pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance may not have been reached.

In this study, we investigated whether ammonia emissions from industrial composting of organic waste may influence the surrounding environment, using lichens as bioindicators. To this purpose, samples of N-tolerant and N-sensitive lichens, namely Xanthoria parietina and Evernia prunastri, were transplanted for 1–3 months along transects at increasing distance (0–400 m) from a composting facility in Tuscany, Italy. Atmospheric concentrations of ammonia were measured using passive samplers. The physiological response of lichen transplants was investigated by means of the photosynthetic efficiency (measured as chlorophyll a fluorescence emission), the integrity of cell membranes (measured as electrolyte leakage), and sample viability (measured as enzymatic activity of dehydrogenase). Epiphytic lichen communities were investigated using biodiversity indices. The results showed decreasing concentrations of ammonia, from 48.7 μg/m³at the composting facility to 2.7 μg/m³at 400 m. The N-tolerant X. parietina was not affected and some physiological parameters even showed a higher performance, while the N-sensitive E. prunastri showed a reduced performance with increasing atmospheric concentrations approaching the source. A shift from lichen communities composed by meso-acidophilous species (actual condition) to more nitrophilous communities in the near future, approaching the composting facility is suggested. It is concluded that lichens can provide useful data for decision-makers to establish correct science-based environmentally sustainable waste management policies.

Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) inhabiting the Atlantic Wood Superfund site on the Elizabeth River (Portsmouth, VA, USA) are exposed to a complex mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from former creosote operations, but are resistant to the acute toxicity and cardiac teratogenesis caused by PAHs. The resistance is associated with a dramatic recalcitrance to induction of cytochrome P450 (CYP1) metabolism enzymes following exposure to aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) agonists, along with an elevated antioxidant response and increased expression of several other xenobiotic metabolism and excretion enzymes. However, the heritability of the resistance in the absence of chemical stressors has been inconsistently demonstrated. Understanding the heritability of this resistance will help clarify the nature of population-level responses to chronic exposure to PAH mixtures and aid in identifying the important mechanistic components of resistance to aryl hydrocarbons. We compared the response of Atlantic Wood F1 and F2 embryos to benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB-126), and a mixture of BkF and fluoranthene (Fl) to that of F1 embryos of reference site killifish. Resistance to cardiac teratogenesis and induction of CYP mRNA expression and CYP activity was determined. We found that both Atlantic Wood F1 and F2 embryos were highly resistance to cardiac teratogenesis. However, the resistance by Atlantic Wood F2 embryos to induction of CYP mRNA expression and enzyme activity was intermediate between that of Atlantic Wood F1 embryos and reference embryos. These results suggest that resistance to cardiac teratogenesis in Atlantic Wood fish is conferred by multiple factors, not all of which appear to be fully genetically heritable.

Organobromines of natural and artificial origin are omnipresent in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Although it is well established that exposure to high concentrations of organobromines are harmful to vertebrates, few studies have investigated the effect of environmentally realistic concentrations on invertebrates. Here, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was challenged with two organobromines, namely dibromoacetic acid (DBAA) and tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBP), and monitored for changes in different life trait variables and global gene expression patterns. Fifty micromolar DBAA stimulated the growth and lifespan of the nematodes; however, the onset of reproduction was delayed. In contrast, TBBP changed the lifespan in a hormetic fashion, namely it was stimulated at 0.1 μM but impaired at 50 μM. The reproductive performance was even impaired at 2 μM TBBP. Moreover, DBAA could not reduce the toxic effect of TBBP when applied as a mixture. A whole-genome DNA microarray revealed that both organobromines curtailed signalling and neurological processes. Furthermore on the transcription level, 50 μM TBBP induced proteolysis and DBAA up-regulated biosynthesis and metabolism. To conclude, even naturally occurring concentrations of organobromines can influence the biomolecular responses and life cycle traits in C. elegans. The life extension is accompanied by negative changes in the reproductive behaviour, which is crucial for the stability of populations. Thus, this paper highlights that the effects of exposure to moderate, environmentally realistic concentrations of organobromines should not be ignored.

Inhibition of nitrification by four typical pollutants (acrylonitrile, acrylic acid, acetonitrile and cyanide) in acrylonitrile wastewater was investigated. The inhibitory effect of cyanide on nitrification was strongest, with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 0.218 mg·gVSS⁻¹ being observed in a municipal activated sludge system. However, the performance of nitrification was recovered when cyanide was completely degraded. The nitrification, which had been inhibited by 4.17 mg·gVSS⁻¹ of free cyanide for 24 h, was recovered to greater than 95% of that without cyanide after 10 days of recovery. To overcome cyanide inhibition, cyanide-degrading bacteria were cultivated in a batch reactor by increasing the influent cyanide concentration in a stepwise manner, which resulted in an increase in the average cyanide degradation rate from 0.14 to 1.01 mg CN⁻·gVSS⁻¹·h⁻¹ over 20 days. The cultured cyanide-degrading bacteria were shaped like short rods, and the dominant cyanide-degrading bacteria strain was identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens NCIMB by PCR.

The paper describes the fieldwork at the Italian test site of the abandoned mine of sphalerite and galena in Ingurtosu (Sardinia), with the aim to assess the applicability of a “toolbox” to establish the optimized techniques for remediation of soils contaminated by mining activities. A preliminary characterization—including (hydro)geochemistry, heavy metal concentration and their mobility in soil, bioprospecting for microbiology and botany—provided a data set for the development of a toolbox to deliver a microbially assisted phytoremediation process. Euphorbia pithyusa was selected as an endemic pioneer plant to be associated with a bacterial consortium, established with ten selected native strains, including metal-tolerant bacteria and producers of plant growth factors. The toolbox was firstly assessed in a greenhouse pot experiment. A positive effect of bacterial inoculum on E. pithyusa germination and total plant survival was observed. E. pithyusa showed to be a well-performing metallophyte species, and only inoculated soil retained a microbial activity with a high functional diversity, expanding metabolic affinity also towards root exudates. These results supported the decision to proceed with a field trial, investigating different treatments used singly or in combination: bioaugmentation with bacterial consortia, mycorrhizal fungi and a commercial mineral amendment. Microbial activity in soil, plant physiological parameters and heavy metal content in plants and in soil were monitored. Five months after the beginning, an early assessment of the toolbox under field conditions was carried out. Despite the cold season (October–March), results suggested the following: (1) the field setup as well as the experimental design proved to be effective; (2) plant survival was satisfactory; (3) soil quality was increased and bioaugmentation improved microbial activity, expanding the metabolic competences towards plant interaction (root exudates); and (4) multivariate analysis supported the data provided that the proposed toolbox can be established and the field trial can be carried forward.

This article reports on a field modelling study to investigate the processes controlling the plume evolution of para-toluenesulfonamide (p-TSA) in anoxic groundwater in Berlin, Germany. The organic contaminant p-TSA originates from the industrial production process of plasticisers, pesticides, antiseptics and drugs and is of general environmental concern for urban water management. Previous laboratory studies revealed that p-TSA is degradable under oxic conditions, whereas it appears to behave conservatively in the absence of oxygen (O₂). p-TSA is ubiquitous in the aquatic environment of Berlin and present in high concentrations (up to 38 μg L⁻¹) in an anoxic aquifer downgradient of a former sewage farm, where groundwater is partly used for drinking water production. To obtain refined knowledge of p-TSA transport and degradation in an aquifer at field scale, measurements of p-TSA were carried out at 11 locations (at different depths) between 2005 and 2010. Comparison of chloride (Cl⁻) and p-TSA field data showed that p-TSA has been retarded in the same manner as Cl⁻. To verify the transport behaviour under field conditions, a two-dimensional transport model was setup, applying the dual-domain mass transfer approach in the model sector corresponding to an area of high aquifer heterogeneity. The distribution of Cl⁻and p-TSA concentrations from the site was reproduced well, confirming that both compounds behave conservatively and are subjected to retardation due to back diffusion from water stagnant zones. Predictive simulations showed that without any remediation measures, the groundwater quality near the drinking water well galleries will be affected by high p-TSA loads for about a hundred years.

Lead (Pb) has been highlighted as a major pollutant of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, causing negative impacts to these environments. The concentration of Pb in plants has increased in recent decades, mainly due to anthropogenic activities. This study has as a hypothesis that the species Oxycaryum cubense (Poep. & Kunth) Palla, abundant in aquatic environments, has the potential to be used a phytoremediator. The plants were grown in a hydroponic system with Pb in increasing concentrations (0, 4, 8, 16 and 32 mg l⁻¹) for 15 days. Inductively coupled mass spectrometer (ICP OES) was used to determine the concentration of mineral nutrients and lead. Optical and transmission electron microscopy were used for the analysis of cellular damage induced by lead in roots and leaves. Ultrastructural alterations were observed as disorganization of thylakoids in the chloroplast and disruption of mitochondrial membranes in cells of leaf tissues of plants subjected to increasing Pb concentrations. There was accumulation of Pb, especially in the root system, affecting the absorption and translocation of some mineral nutrients analysed. In roots, there was reduction in the thickness of the epidermis in plants treated with Pb. This species was shown to be tolerant to the Pb concentrations evaluated, compartmentalizing and accumulating Pb mainly in roots. Due to these results, it may be considered a species with phytoremediation capacity for Pb, with potential rizofiltration of this metallic element in contaminated watersheds.

Air quality—or its converse, air pollution—is a significant risk factor for human health. Recent studies have reported association between air pollution and human health. There are numerous diseases that may be caused by air pollution such as respiratory infection, lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma. In this study, the relationship between air quality and quality of life was examined by using canonical correlation analysis. Data of this study was collected from 27 countries. WHO statistics were used as the main source of quality of life data set (Y variables set). European Environment Agency statistics and (for outdoor air-PM10) WHO statistics were used as the main source of air quality data set (X variables set). It is found that there are significant positive correlation between air quality and quality of life.