The Paraíba do Sul river is located in one of the most developed part of Brazil and receives many organic and industrial effluents directly affecting the ichthyofauna. Concentration of four heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Zn and Pb) were determined in two tissues (muscle and gonads) of three abundant fish species from different trophic levels (Oligosarcus hepsetus--carnivore, Geophagus brasiliensis--omnivore and Hypostomus luetkeni--detritivore) between November 2002 and April 2003. The aim was to test the hypothesis that the trophic level and the proximity from impacted areas influence levels of contamination and to assess if these species are indicators of large-scale habitat quality. Levels of heavy metals were detected by Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence with Synchrotron Radiation (SR-TXRF) at the Brazilian National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (LNLS). Generally, gonads showed higher metal concentration than muscles, except for Cr. All examined metals, but Cu, exceeded the maximum permitted concentration (mpc) by the Brazilian legislation for human consumption in at least one tissue. O. hepsetus (carnivore) showed the highest contamination levels, followed by G. brasiliensis (omnivore) and H. luetkeni (detritivore). The middle-upper segment, which encompasses large urban areas, showed the highest levels of metal contamination in most cases. O. hepsetus showed the highest levels of contamination in muscles for Pb in the middle-upper river segment (7.98 ± 3.73; mpc = 2.0 μg g-¹) and for Cr in the upper (5.53 ± 0.05; mpc = 0.10 μg g-¹) and middle-upper (4.20 ± 0.85; mpc = 0.10 μg g-¹) segments, which indicates that human population should avoid to consume these fishes species from these segments of the Paraíba do Sul river.

A lysimeter study was performed to monitor effects of elevated ozone on juvenile trees of Fagus sylvatica L. as well as on the plant-soil system. During a fumigation period over almost three growing seasons, parameters related to plant growth, phenological development and physiology as well as soil functions were studied. The data analyses identified elevated ozone to delay leaf phenology at early and to accelerate it at late developmental stages, to reduce growth, some leaf nutrients (Ca, K) as well as some soluble phenolics (hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, total flavonol glycosides). No or very weak ozone effects were found in mobile carbon pools of leaves (starch, sucrose), and other phenolic compounds (flavans). Altered gene expression related to stress and carbon cycling corresponded well with findings from leaf phenology and chemical composition analyses indicating earlier senescence and oxidative stress in leaves under elevated ozone. Conversely in the soil system, no effects of ozone were detected on soil enzyme activities, rates of litter degradation and lysimeter water balances. Despite the fact that the three reported years 2003-2005 were climatically very contrasting including a hot and dry as well as an extremely wet summer, and also mild as well as cold winters, the influence of ozone on a number of plant parameters is remarkably consistent, further underlining the phytotoxic potential of elevated tropospheric ozone levels.

Xenobiotic compounds are widely used in several industries; hence they frequently appear in industrial wastewaters. It is a well-known fact that even the discharge of conventionally treated wastewater may have adverse effects on the receiving water environment. Turkey, a developing EU applicant country, has many industrial sectors producing large amounts of xenobiotic-containing wastewaters. The problem is only enlarged by the lack of monitoring of these substances due to the deficiencies associated with their analysis and detection. Thus, studies in Turkey are based on the use of some collective parameters as a substitute for the xenobiotic itself. Biological, physicochemical, and integrated treatment technologies have been investigated for the removal and/or minimization of the possible adverse effects of xenobiotics in industrial wastewaters. In this respect, this paper provides an overview of the studies conducted on xenobiotic-containing wastewaters from specific industries in Turkey. Although the studies add invaluable information to the scientific background on the subject, new research on the exact biochemical mechanisms of xenobiotic biodegradation will further extend our understanding for improving treatment.

To assess possible adverse effects of residual chlorines from hypochlorite-treated seawater to non-target marine organisms, bioassays were carried out on marine amphipod Hyale barbicornis and estuarine fish Oryzias javanicus. Acute toxicity tests were first conducted using various concentrations of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) followed by a long-term exposure to residual chlorines from a test water treated with 1 mg L⁻¹ NaOCl. Results showed that NaOCl was acutely toxic to both organisms. However, long-term exposure to residual chlorines from NaOCl-treated waters caused no major adverse effects to both organisms under laboratory conditions since free chlorines in the treated water was reduced to about 10% by 23-h holding and 1-h aeration. No H. barbicornis died but residual chlorine-exposed juveniles had significantly shorter body lengths at the end of exposure. Residual chlorine-exposed O. javanicus also showed no significant differences to that of the control in all measured endpoints except for hatching time. The results suggest that using 1 mg L⁻¹ NaOCl for disinfection of ballast waters will produce residual chlorines that is far below the LC50 and EC50 of H. barbicornis and O. javanicus even on a long-term basis.

Predicting the environmental effects of de-icing salt requires knowledge of the pathways taken by salt from on-road application through spread to the surroundings to deposition and fate in the roadside environment. This study described differences in chloride deposition and distribution in soil with increasing distance from the road by means of field observations and modelling. The dynamic modelling approach successfully represented the spread of de-icing salt from road to surroundings, deposition in the roadside environment and the subsequent infiltration into roadside soil. The general decrease in soil chloride content with distance from the road was described by differences in salt deposition, soil physical properties, vegetation properties and snow characteristics. The uncertainty in model predictions was highest in areas close to the road due to a complex combination of high salt deposition, snow-ploughed masses and road runoff. The exponential decline in salt deposition with distance from the road could not be justified close to the road. Different types of field investigations were applied in a calibration procedure to establish reasonable ranges for the most influential model parameters. Measured electrical resistivity reflected well the changes in simulated chloride content in soil during winter and spring when chloride concentrations were high. However, during summer or periods with low chloride concentrations the measured resistivity was substantially lower than simulated values, as it reflected the total contamination level in soil.

A coagulation treatment study was conducted using both natural (sago and potato flour) and commercial (poly aluminum chloride and aluminum sulfate) coagulants in semiconductor wastewater. The effects for settling time and dosage of the coagulants as well as their interactions on the reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity were investigated using a three level factorial design, Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Sago concentration showed more influence on the COD and turbidity reduction than settling time, with concentrations lower than 1.5 g L⁻¹ giving the better reduction. The interaction of settling time and concentration on the COD and turbidity were observed when using potato starch. Concentrations higher than 1.5 g L⁻¹ potato starch reduced the COD and turbidity better. The polyaluminium chloride and ammonium sulphate revealed that lower concentrations (0.02-1.0 g L⁻¹) and longer settling time (30-60 min) gave the greatest reduction in COD and turbidity.

The partial phase transformation of nanometer TiO₂ powder from anatase phase to rutile phase was realized by heat-treatment and a new TiO₂ photocatalyst which could be excited by visible light was obtained. The heat-treated TiO₂ powder at different stage of transition crystal was characterized and monitored by XRD, TEM, FT-IR and UV-vis DRS methods. The test of photocatalytic activity of the heat-treated TiO₂ powder was carried out by the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B and acid orange II dyes, respectively, in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The results indicate that the nanometer TiO₂ photocatalyst heat-treated at 500°C for 60 min shows the highest photocatalytic activity, that is, it can effectively degrade the rhodamine B and acid orange II under visible light irradiation. The remarkable improvement of photocatalytic activity of heat-treated TiO₂ powder at 500°C for 60 min was mainly illustrated by the formation of special interphase between rutile and anatase phases, which not only restrains the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes, but also reduces the adsorbability of nanometer anatase TiO₂ powder properly for various dyes. Additionally, the effects of dye-assisting chemicals such as Na₂CO₃ and NaCl on the photocatalytic degradation were also studied.

The applicability of magnetic susceptibility measurements was tested for the detection of industrial pollution by fly ash in topsoil in a beech stand in the vicinity of a steel factory at Široka near Oravskyỳ Podzámok (Slovakia). The first trial measurements already showed that there is at least one spot near the trunk of each tree in which the susceptibility is significantly higher than anywhere else beneath the crown of the same tree. Detailed measurements showed that the susceptibility anomaly is associated with stemflow, and extends to some distance on the slope side of the trunk. Elsewhere beneath the crowns, at spots unaffected by stemflow, the variation of susceptibility is moderate. Samples were collected systematically from the topsoil around five trees in the beech stand, and another one elsewhere exposed to direct flow of fly ash from Široka. The results of measurements of low and high frequency susceptibility allow to conclude that in the beech stand where the ground is effectively shielded by the canopy from direct precipitation of pollution particles, all susceptibility values unaffected by stemflow are dominated by fine-grained magnetic particulates having formed by biogenic processes during pedogenesis, while those pertaining to the stemflow zone are dominated by larger multidomain particles conveyed to the ground in the stemflow. So, in this particular environment, it is the stemflow and its effect that makes magnetic pollution detectable by using susceptibility parameters. The case of the site exposed to direct precipitation of pollution particles is different in that that every susceptibility value irrespective of being small or large is dominated by large multidomain pollution particles. The heavy metal concentration of the soils investigated is elevated with respect to background levels of the Geochemical atlas of Slovakia, and have strong positive relationship, basically established by the effect of stemflow, with magnetic susceptibility. Without the stemflow effect the variation either in susceptibility or heavy metal concentration would not be sufficient to recognise existing relationships between them in the topsoil of the beech stand selected for the present study.

The US fleet of coal-fired power plants, with generating capacity of just over 300 GW, is known to be a major source of domestic mercury (Hg) emissions. To address this, in March 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) to reduce emissions of mercury from these plants. It is generally believed that most of the initial (Phase I) mercury reductions will come as a co-benefit of existing controls used to remove particulate matter (PM), SO₂, and NO X . Deeper reductions in emissions (as required in Phase II of CAMR) may require the installation of mercury-specific control technology. Duct injection of activated carbon sorbents is the mercury-specific control technology that has been most widely studied and has been demonstrated over a wide range of coal types and combustion conditions. The effectiveness of the mercury control options (both “co-benefit control” and “mercury-specific control”) is significantly impacted by site-specific characteristics such as the combustion conditions, the configuration of existing air pollution controls, and the type of coal burned. This paper identifies the role of coal properties and combustion conditions in the capture of mercury by fly ash and injected sorbents.

During the seasons 2003/04, 2004/05 and 2005/06, a study was made of the evolution of runoff as well as soil and available P and K losses in the sediment carried away in a conventional till system--that most used at the present time--and in a no till system with added pruning remains in an olive grove of the picual variety located in Torredonjimeno (Jaén, Spain). A group of microplots for sediment collection in a randomized complete block design was established. The samples were collected in the field after each storm. In the study period, a total of 21 storms were recorded, with a precipitation of 450 mm in 2003/04, 179 mm in 2004/05 and 388 mm in 2005/06. The erosivity of the rainfall was characterized and the cover percentage in the plots throughout the time was determined. The establishment of pruning remains reduced soil loss with respect to conventional tillage (CT) in the 3 years (72%). Likewise, the available P loss greatly declined in the study (46.4%) under conservation agriculture. The reduction in available K loss (72.4%) was much greater than that of available P. The close relationship between both variables and sediment production also stands out. Runoff was the parameter on which the pruning remains had the least influence with only an 11% average reduction.