The recurrence of reports citing water quality impairments in watersheds is evidence that tools are needed to identify pollution sources and facilitate restoration efforts such as implementing total maximum daily limits (TMDLs) or best management practices (BMPs). Fecal bacteria in surface waters are one of the most commonly cited impairments to water quality. This study evaluated microbial source tracking (MST), specifically multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) analysis, as a management tool to differentiate nonpoint source pollution into source groups. A library containing Escherichia coli (E. coli, EC) and fecal streptococci (FS) isolates from poultry (EC n = 282, FS n = 650), human (EC n = 152, FS n = 240), wildlife (EC n = 17, FS n = 43), horse (EC n = 79, FS n = 82), dairy cattle (EC n = 38, FS n = 42), and beef cattle (EC n = 49, FS n = 46) sources was created. The MAR analysis was conducted on the isolates using a profile of seven antibiotics. The antibiotic signatures of unknown source isolates from Elkhorn and Hickman Creek watersheds were evaluated against the library to determine the contributions of potential fecal inputs from the respective sources. Correct classification was >60% when analyzed at the human and non-human-level of classification. On a watershed basis, both watersheds produced similar results; inputs from non-human sources were the greatest contributors to nonpoint source pollution. The results from the multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) analysis revealed that the information produced, coupled with knowledge of the watershed and its associated land uses, would be helpful in allocating resources to remediate impaired water quality in such watersheds.

The delafossite CuCrO₂ is a promising candidate for the visible light driven catalysis. The NO₂ ⁻ removal by photoelectrochemical process is studied under mild conditions, close to that encountered in the natural environment. CuCrO₂ exhibits a long term chemical stability with a corrosion rate of 0.34 μmol m⁻² year⁻¹ in KCl (0.5 M). A forbidden band of 1.3 eV has been evaluated from the diffuse reflectance spectrum. The flat band potential (-0.07 V SCE) determined from the Mott-Schottky plot is close to the photocurrent onset potential (0 V SCE). Hence, the conduction band is positioned at -1.08 V SCE and thus lies below the NO₂ ⁻ level leading to a feasible reduction upon visible illumination. The conversion occurs in less than ~5 h with a quantum efficiency of ~0.5%. The possibility of identifying the reaction products via the intensity-potential characteristics was explored by using standard solutions. The decrease of the conversion rate over time is attributed to the competitive water reduction. In absence of catalyst, NO₂ ⁻ is oxidized to NO₃ ⁻ in air equilibrated solution and the reaction follows a first order kinetic with a half life of 21 h, NO₃ ⁻ has been identified by iodometry through copper titration.

As part of the Rain In Cumulus over the Ocean Experiment (RICO) and the Puerto Rico Aerosol and Cloud Study (PRACS), cloud water was collected at East Peak (EP) in Puerto Rico. The main objective of this study was to determine the concentrations of water-soluble species (Cl⁻, NO₃ ⁻, SO₄ ²⁻, NH₄ ⁺, Ca²⁺, H⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, and Na⁺) in water samples taken from clouds influenced by tropical trade winds. The most abundant inorganic species were Na⁺ (average 465 μeq l⁻¹) and Cl⁻ (434 μeq l⁻¹), followed by Mg²⁺ (105 μeq l⁻¹), SO₄ ²⁻ (61 μeq l⁻¹), and NO₃ ⁻ (25 μeq l⁻¹). High concentrations of nss-SO₄ ² (28 μeq l⁻¹), NO₃ ⁻ (86 μeq l⁻¹), and H⁺ (14.5 μeq l⁻¹) were measured with a shift in air masses origin from the North Atlantic to North American continent, which reflected a strong anthropogenic influence on cloud chemistry at EP. Long-range transport of particles and acid gases seems to be the factor responsible for fluctuations in concentrations and pH of cloud water at East Peak. When under trade wind influences the liquid phase concentrations of all inorganic substances were similar to those found in clouds in other clean maritime environments.

Risk assessment of trace-metal contamination in soils requires predictive models that take into account the interaction of metal ions with other cations (e.g., H⁺ and Ca²⁺) that can change the speciation of trace metals in solution and compete for binding sites on plant roots thus affecting metal uptake and toxicity. Acid-base titrations were used to estimate the types and quantity of cation-binding sites on fresh pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Lincoln) roots and their binding strength with protons. The roots were found to have three types of cation-binding sites with site densities of 190, 382, and 347 μmolc g⁻¹ (dry weight), respectively. The binding strength with H⁺ was indicated by the equilibrium formation constants (K HLj ). The logK HLj values under different ionic strengths were determined. At zero ionic strength, the logK HLj values are estimated to be 2.5, 5.5, and 8.3, respectively. Complementary experiments were used to validate the titration results. These included an ion exchange experiment, an experiment with HCl extractions, and a KOH neutralization method. Estimates from all four methods were consistent under the experimental conditions. The quantification of the binding capacity and the characteristics of these binding sites will assist in the development of more appropriate solution speciation models that incorporate biotic ligands. The derived parameters will provide the basis on which further development of a biotic ligand model is dependent.

Background Modern societies depend on environmental sustainability and on new generations of individuals well-trained by environmental research and teaching institutions. In the past, significant contributions to the identification, assessment, and management of chemical stressors with legal consequences have been made. Main Features Within this article, we intend to elucidate the merits and the emerging challenges of chemicals-related environmental sciences. The manuscript is supported by more than 70 professors and university academics of leading institutions in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and other countries in Europe, but addresses topics of global concern. Results and Discussion Many environmental problems of pollutants remain to be addresses, since new chemical compounds or classes of new compounds are continuously developed and brought to the market and sooner or later “emerge” in the environment. Further issues are the inclusion of transformation products and chemical mixtures in environmental risk assessment, the long-term presence of xenobiotics bound to soils and sediments, as well as an understanding of the ecological relevance of ecotoxicological end points. Conclusion and Perspectives We point out the need for a strong academic research and education system in chemicals-related environmental sciences to ministries, politicians, and research funding institutions and we propose to create specific units in the national funding bodies that address basic and interdisciplinary research in this field.

Background, aim, and scope Ten years of public health interventions on industrial emissions to clean air were monitored for the Mediterranean city of Cartagena. During the 1960s, a number of large chemical and non-ferrous metallurgical factories were established that significantly deteriorated the city's air quality. By the 1970s, the average annual air concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) ranged from 200 to 300 μg/m³ (standard conditions units). In 1979, the Spanish government implemented an industrial intervention plan to improve the performance of factories and industrial air pollution surveillance. Unplanned urban development led to residential housing being located adjacent to three major factories. Factory A produced lead, factory B processed zinc from ore concentrates, and factory C produced sulfuric acid and phosphates. This, in combination with the particular abrupt topography and frequent atmospheric thermal inversions, resulted in the worsening of air quality and heightening concern for public health. In 1990, the City Council authorized the immediate intervention at these factories to reduce or shut down production if ambient levels of SO₂ or total suspended particles (TSP) exceeded a time-emission threshold in pre-established meteorological contexts. The aim of this research was to assess the appropriateness and effectiveness of the intervention plan implemented from 1992 to 2001 to abate industrial air pollution. Materials and methods The maximum daily 1-h ambient air level of SO₂, NO₂, and TSP pollutants was selected from one of the three urban automatic stations, designed to monitor ambient air quality around industrial emissions sources. The day on which an intervention took place to reduce and/or interrupt industrial production by factory and pollutant was defined as a control day, and the day after an intervention as a post-control day. To assess the short-term intervention effect on air quality, an ecological time series design was applied, using regression analysis in generalized additive models, focusing on day-to-day variations of ambient air pollutants levels. Two indicators were estimated: (a) appropriateness, the ratio between mean levels of the pollutant for control days versus the other days, and (b) effectiveness, the ratio between mean levels of the pollutant for post-control days versus the other days. Ratios in regression analyses were adjusted for trend, seasonality, temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure, calendar day, and special events as well as the other pollutants. Results A total of 702 control days were made on the factories' industrial production during the 10-year period. Fifteen reductions and five shutdown control days took place at factory A for ambient air SO₂. At factory B, more controls were carried out for the SO₂ pollutant in the years 1992-1993 and 1997. At factory C, the control days for SO₂ decreased from 59 reductions and 14 shutdowns to a minimum from 1995 onwards, whereas the controls on TSP were more frequent, reaching a maximum of 99 reductions and 47 shutdowns in the last year. SO₂ ambient air mean levels ranged from 456 to 699 μg/m³ among factories on reduction control days and between 624 and 1,010 μg/m³ on shutdown days. The TSP ambient air mean levels were 428 and 506 μg/m³ on reduction and shutdown days, respectively. For all types of control days and factories, a mean ratio of 104% (95% confidence interval [CI] 88 to 121) in SO₂ levels was obtained and a mean ratio of 67% (95% CI 59 to 75) in TSP levels. Post-control days at all factories showed a mean ratio of -16% (95% CI -7 to -24) in SO₂ levels and a mean ratio of -13% (95% CI -7 to -19) in TSP levels. Discussion Interventions on industrial production based on the urban SO₂ and TSP ambient air levels were justified by the high concentrations detected. The best assessment of the interventions' effectiveness would have been to utilize the ambient air pollutant concentration readings from the entire time of the production shutdowns or reductions; however, the daily hourly maximum turned out to be a useful indicator because of meteorological factors influencing the diurnal concentration profile. A substantial number of interventions were carried out from 1 to 3 am, when vehicular traffic was minimum. On the other hand, atmospheric stability undergoes diurnal cycling in the autumn-winter period due to thermal inversion, which reaches maximum levels around daybreak. Therefore, this increases the ambient air levels and justified the interventions carried out at daybreak in spite of the traffic influence. Conclusions All the interventions for SO₂ and TSP were carried out when the measured ambient air levels of pollutants were exceeded, which shows the appropriateness of the intervention program. This excess was greater when intervening on SO₂ than on the TSP levels. For both ambient air levels of SO₂ and TSP, significant drops in air pollution were achieved from all three factories following activity reductions. The production shutdown controls were very effective, because they returned excess levels, higher than in the reduction controls, to everyday mean values. Recommendations and perspectives The Cartagena City observational system of intermittent control has proven to effectively reduce industrial emissions' impact on ambient air quality. This experienced model approach could serve well in highly polluted industrial settings. From a public health perspective, studies are needed to assess that the industrial interventions to control air pollution were related to healthier human populations. Legislation was needed to allow the public administration to take direct actions upon the polluting industries.

Background, aim, and scope The possibility of gene transfer from genetically modified oilseed rape (OSR) to its cultivated or wild relatives is of concern since its commercial cultivation, because of its potential weediness and impact on the environment. Introgression of modified genes can affect conservation of agricultural crops, because there are many cultivars and wild Brassicaceae that may cross with genetically modified OSR (Brassica napus) in Japan. Japan imports more than 2 million tons of OSR a year from Canada and other countries. Since volunteers of GM OSR were found around harbors in 2004, a lot of feral GM OSR was discovered in Japan. To consider the way how to keep domestic Brassicaceae from GM contamination, we surveyed and analyzed the dispersal and persistence of GM OSR around Japanese harbors. We present the cause and abundance of GM OSR in Japan by this paper. Materials and methods Survey of the feral OSR was performed several times a year at different seasons when domestic OSR either grows or does not around port areas. Detection of herbicide tolerance in feral B. napus was done by test papers that cross react with the modified gene product. Two kinds of herbicide tolerance (glyphosate and glufosinate) were tested. Results The feral B. napus were discovered around all 13 harbors that import rapeseeds from foreign countries. Genetically modified, herbicide-tolerant OSR were frequently found in the surveyed populations. Two kinds of herbicide-tolerant OSR (glyphosate- and glufosinate-tolerant) were discovered in a natural condition 40 km from port to an oil factory where 60,000 tons of OSR seed are processed a year. The cause of voluntary growth of OSR is seed spillage during transportation by trucks from harbors to oil factories and other processing facilities. Some of the feral OSR growing along the roadsides of transport paths exhibited perennial growth spilling their seeds around the places. Alteration of the generation of feral GM OSR was discovered for the first time in Japan as a result of this study. We studied the yearly change of feral OSR abundances focusing on Yokkaichi port over the 4 years since 2004. The rate of GM OSR increases year to year, and reaches nearly 90% in 2008. Discussion The possibility and consequences of gene transfer from the genetically modified OSR to domestic species (B. rapa and B. juncea) were discussed in relation to impact on domestic agriculture and on environments. Evolutional meaning of the gene transfer was also discussed with respect to the gene construct of GM OSR. This study shows the importance of another pathway of modified gene transfer to non-GM relative species by seed transportation in addition to pollen transfer from commercial cultivation of genetically modified OSR. Conclusions and recommendations We identified unintended dispersal and persistence of GM OSR around Japanese harbors that import OSR from Canada and other countries. Both glyphosate- and glufosinate-tolerant feral B. napus were discovered. The cause of volunteer OSR is spillage of the seeds during transportation by truck to oil factory. The feral GM OSR sometimes showed perennial growth in Japanese phonological conditions which are not observed for domestic Brassicaceae. In addition, we confirmed an alteration of generations by feral GM OSR in Japan. The possibility of cross pollination and GM gene introgression to domestic varieties can occur in these environments. To improve the situation, each responsible organization, company, administration, or government should establish measures how to stop the dispersal and persistence of GM OSR in nature. Also, the GM plant developers are responsible for revising this situation.

Background, aim, and scope Bombing and destruction of the industrial and military targets accompanied by complete or incomplete combustion during the war conflict and NATO operation in former Yugoslavia caused the emission of persistent organic pollutants into the atmosphere, water, and soil. A total of 129 ambient air samples from 24 background, urban, and industrial sites, including hot spots, were collected to assess a gas-particle partitioning behavior of various persistent organic pollutants. Materials and methods High volume sampling technique was applied with quartz filters that collect the atmospheric particles and polyurethane foam filters (PUF) that retain the gaseous compounds. Three to ten samples were taken at each site. GFs and PUFs were analyzed separately for their content of polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Results Gas phase and particle phase concentrations of selected persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in all samples were converted into the particle-bound fractions [Greek Phi symbol]. These fractions were found to be highly variable, but generally highest in Bosnia and Herzegovina due to the elevated levels of total suspended material in ambient air. Discussion Experimental values of particle-associated fraction were compared to the Junge-Pankow model. Interestingly, a model for urban/industrial environments provided a better prediction of partitioning behavior than a model for background and rural background sites. That is probably because the total amount of atmospheric particles is higher in the Balkan region than found in the previously published studies. Conclusions Even though it has been stated in previous studies that less than 5% of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are bound to the particles, up to 67% of PCBs were particle associated at several sampling sites in this study. PCB-contaminated soils are probably still one of the strong sources of particles to the atmosphere. Recommendations and perspectives Information on the particle-bound fractions of POPs is important not only for prediction of their fate but also for an estimation of risks they can pose to the environment as well as to humans. When assessing such hazards, it has to be considered that modeled values of the particle-bound fractions can be seriously underestimated at sites with elevated levels of suspended atmospheric matter or at sites with heavily contaminated soils.

Background, aim, and scope It can be learned from the Pistacia spp. germplasm collection (http://www.bgu.ac.il/pistacia) that the growth of Salsola inermis is inhibited in the vicinity of the evergreen Pistacia lentiscus, but not in the surroundings of the deciduous Pistacia atlantica and Pistacia chinensis. Irrigation of trees during the summer months increases soil salinity around the trees. It was therefore hypothesized that inhibition of S. inermis around P. lentiscus is related to depletion of salt in the vicinity of the latter species. Materials and methods A multi-approach experimental scheme was carried out which included soil edaphic characterization and germination tests. To test salt tolerance of P. lentiscus, plants were grown in a hydroponic system for a month in medium containing NaCl, while physiological and growth parameters were measured. Results Conductivity measurements in summer, during the growth season of S. inermis, indicated that soil salinity beneath deciduous Pistacia trees was significantly higher than that below P. lentiscus. Germination of S. inermis seeds on filter paper moistened with P. lentiscus low-conductivity soil filtrate was twice as high as that of the deciduous trees high-conductivity soil filtrates. Nevertheless, fresh and dry weights of mature S. inermis growing next to P. atlantica and P. chinensis were 2.9 to 4.8 times higher than those of plants growing in the vicinity of P. lentiscus. In a hydroponic system, no significant differences were found in growth parameters and stomatal conductance between P. lentiscus growing in control and salt treatments. It was therefore proposed that salt depletion in the vicinity of P. lentiscus inhibits the growth, but not germination, of S. inermis thus confirming the halophylic characteristics of this plant. Discussion The nature of Salsola-Pistacia interactions cannot be explained by allelopathic effects; hence, plausible salt-driven interactions were considered. Our data showed that S. inermis accumulated salt and has halophytic characteristics. Interestingly, germination of S. inermis was inhibited in medium containing salt, but the salt was obligatory for further growth, development, and fast biomass production. These results explained the observation of large biomass accumulation in the more saline soil around the deciduous P. atlantica and P. chinensis and the lack of development in the salt-depleted soil around the salt-tolerant accumulator P. lentiscus. Conclusions Soil salinity around Pistacia trees critically affects the growth of S. inermis. Inhibition of S. inermis growth, but not germination, around the evergreen P. lentiscus, stems from the latter's ability to deplete salt from its surroundings. The results indicated that P. lentiscus is able to tolerate and accumulate salt, which we assume contributes to its wide distribution along the Mediterranean coast in Israel. Recommendations and perspectives While the phytoremediation potential of Salsola spp. has been explored to some extent, this of P. lentiscus has not been tested and proven before. The results suggest that the evergreen perennial salt-tolerant P. lentiscus can be recommended for horticulture purposes and soil stabilization in relatively saline environments.