A novel aspect of the 8th International PCB Workshop at Woods Hole, MA, was the interaction between scientists and activists. While earlier workshops in this series had mentioned policy making, this Workshop focused on the problem of PCBs in schools. Focus on a problem brought an activist to give a plenary talk and facilitated a 1-day registration for other non-scientists to attend. The workshop was cohosted by the Superfund Research Programs at University of Iowa and Boston University and included active participation of each Program’s Research Translation and Community Engagement Cores. A mandate of each National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS)-funded Superfund Research Program is bidirectional communication between scientists and community groups. The authors describe the events leading up to community involvement in the Workshop and the substance of the community engagement aspects of the workshop, in particular the participation by a parent-teacher group, Malibu Unites. The authors also discuss the value of such communication in terms of making important research accessible to those who are most affected by the results and poised to use it and the value of making scientists aware of the important role they play in society in addressing difficult questions that originate in community settings.

This study evaluated the use of sugarcane filter cake and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) fertilization in the bioremediation of a soil contaminated with diesel fuel using a completely randomized design. Five treatments (uncontaminated soil, T1; soil contaminated with diesel, T2; soil contaminated with diesel and treated with 15 % (wt) filter cake, T3; soil contaminated with diesel and treated with NPK fertilizer, T4; and soil contaminated with diesel and treated with 15 % (wt) filter cake and NPK fertilizer, T5) and four evaluation periods (1, 60, 120, and 180 days after the beginning of the experiment) were used according to a 4 × 5 factorial design to analyze CO₂ release. The variables total organic carbon (TOC) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) remaining in the soil were analyzed using a 5 × 2 factorial design, with the same treatments described above and two evaluation periods (1 and 180 days after the beginning of the experiment). In T3 and T5, CO₂ release was significantly higher, compared with the other treatments. Significant TPH removal was observed on day 180, when percent removal values were 61.9, 70.1, 68.2, and 75.9 in treatments T2, T3, T4, and T5, respectively, compared with the initial value (T1).

Anthropic activities generate contaminants, as pesticides and other pollutants, in the aquatic environment which present a real threat to ecosystems and human health. Thus, monitoring tools become essential for water managers to detect these chemicals before the occurrence of adverse effects. In this aim, algal cell biosensors, based on photosystem II activity measurement, have been designed for several years in previous studies. In this work, we study a new immobilization technique of algal cells in the aim of improving the performance of these biosensors. Immobilization was here achieved by encapsulation in a hybrid alginate/silica translucid hydrogel. The feasibility of this process was here assessed, and the biosensor designed was tested on the detection of chemicals in urban rainwaters.

One technique applied to restore degraded or contaminated soils is to use amendments made of different types of waste materials, which in turn may contain metals such as Cu, Pb and Zn. For this reason, it is important to determine the capacity of the soil to retain these materials, and to compare the sorption capacity between an amended soil and another unamended soil. The aim of this study was to determine the mobility and availability of these metals in the soil after applying the amendment, and how it affected the soil’s sorption capacity. Sorption isotherms were compared with the empirical models of Langmuir and Freundlich to estimate the sorption capacity. The overall capacity of the soils to sorb Cu, Pb or Zn was evaluated as the slope Kr. The amendments used in this study were a mixture made of compost and biochar in different proportions (20, 40, 60, 100 %), which were applied to the mine tailing from a settling pond from a copper mine. The mine tailing that were amended with the mixture of compost and biochar had a higher sorption capacity than the mine tailing from the unamended pond, and their sorption isotherms had a greater affinity towards Cu, Pb and Zn than the mine tailing that was studied. Therefore, the results obtained show that adding a mixture of compost and biochar favours the retention of Cu, Pb and Zn in mine tailing.

The photodegradation of diethyl phthalate (DEP) by UV/H₂O₂ and UV/TiO₂ is studied. The DEP degradation kinetics and multiple crucial factors effecting the clearance of DEP are investigated, including initial DEP concentration ([DEP]₀), initial pH values (pH₀), UV light intensity, anions (Cl⁻, NO³⁻, SO₄ ²⁻, HCO₃ ⁻, and CO₃ ²⁻), cations (Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Fe³⁺), and humic acid (HA). Total organic carbon (TOC) removal is tested by two treatments. And, cytotoxicity evolution of DEP degradation intermediates is detected. The relationship between molar ratio ([H₂O₂]/[DEP] or [TiO₂]/[DEP]) and degradation kinetic constant (K) is also studied. And, the cytotoxicity tests of DEP and its degradation intermediates in UV/H₂O₂ and UV/TiO₂ treatments are researched. The DEP removal efficiency of UV/H₂O₂ treatment is higher than UV/TiO₂ treatment. The DEP degradation fitted a pseudo-first-order kinetic pattern under experimental conditions. The K linearly related with molar ratio in UV/H₂O₂ treatment while nature exponential relationship is observed in the case of UV/TiO₂. However, K fitted corresponding trends better in H₂O₂ treatment than in TiO₂ treatment. The Cl⁻ is in favor of the DEP degradation in UV/H₂O₂ treatment; in contrast, it is disadvantageous to the DEP degradation in UV/TiO₂ treatment. Other anions are all disadvantageous to the DEP degradation in two treatments. Fe³⁺ promotes the degradation rates significantly. And, all other cations in question inhibit the degradation of DEP. HA hinders DEP degradation in two treatments. The intermediates of DEP degradation in UV/TiO₂ treatment are less toxic to biological cell than that in UV/H₂O₂ treatment.

In the course of searching for hepatoprotective agents from natural sources, the protective effect of chemical constituents of the marine red alga Alsidium corallinum (A. corallinum) against potassium bromate (KBrO₃)-induced liver damage in adult mice was investigated. The in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial properties of A. corallinum were firstly investigated. Then, A. corallinum was tested in vivo for its potential protective effects against damage caused by KBrO₃ in mice models divided into four groups: controls, KBrO₃, KBrO₃ + A. corallinum, and A. corallinum. Our results demonstrated the rich composition of A. corallinum in antioxidant compounds like phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, polysaccharides, chlorophyll and carotenoids. Its antioxidant activity was also confirmed using β-carotene bleaching by linoleic acid assay, reducing sugar test and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity. The ethanolic extract of A. corallinum also showed good inhibition of the tested bacteria. The coadministration of the red alga associated to the KBrO₃ alleviated hepatotoxicity as monitored by the improvement of hepatic oxidative stress biomarkers and plasma biochemical parameters, when compared to the KBrO₃-treated mice. These results were confirmed by the improvement of histological and molecular changes. Treatment with A. corallinum prevented liver damage induced by KBrO₃, thus protecting the body against free radicals and reducing inflammation and hypercholesterolemia risks.

Potential detrimental impacts of neonicotinoids on non-target organisms, especially bees, have been subject to a wide debate and the subsequent ban of three neonicotinoids by the EU. While recent research has fortified concerns regarding the effects of neonicotinoids on ecosystem service (ES) providers, potential impacts have been considered negligible in systems with a relatively small proportion of arable land and thus lower the use of these pesticides. In this paper we argue that there is not sufficient information to assess magnitude and extent of neonicotinoid application, as well as potential non-target impacts on ES providers in grass-dominated systems with frequent land-use change. Using Ireland as an example, we show that the highly dynamic agricultural landscape, in conjunction with estimated persistence times of neonicotinoids in soils, may lead to a much larger area (18.6 ± 0.6 % of the Irish agricultural area) exposed to these pesticides than initially assumed. Furthermore we present a number of important gaps in current research regarding the impacts of neonicotinoids on ES providers in such systems.