The present paper aims at planning the treated municipal wastewater reuse in fragile ecosystems of Messolonghion lagoon and Acheloos estuary, which are protected as a Natura wetland under the Ramsar Treaty. The need for environmental protection of the wetlands became necessary due to the continuing anthropogenic intervention, as well as to the climate changes that have been occurring in recent years. Relevant studies have shown that the lagoon of Messolonghion and Acheloos estuary are ecosystems that have been burdened by anthropogenic activities (pesticides, fertilizers, overexploitation of underground aquifers, intrusion and land use change), as well as by climatic changes (temperature, precipitation, sea level), which altogether have adversely affected the hydrodynamic and ecological balance of the entire ecosystem. The Messolonghion lagoon and Acheloos estuary are also the recipients of the wastewater processing plant effluents, operating locally, which have over-enriched the waters with macronutrients N, P and K, favouring eutrophication. The municipal wastewater reuse for crop irrigation grown in the protected area appears to be an environmentally acceptable solution for alleviating the natural water shortage, since it could save significant amounts of irrigation water as well as it could reduce the adverse effects of the treated effluents discharge into the aquatic ecosystem. This study describes the planning of the treated wastewater reuse in this ecologically sensitive area, on the basis of the geomorphologic and geotechnical characteristics, climatic factors, and crop irrigation water requirements grown in the area.

As a new approach, urban air pollution was characterised by the variation of columnar content of the pollutants. Columnar content (CC) was estimated as the product of the pollutant’s mixing ratio and the mixing height. Mixing ratio data of the Metropolitan Air Quality Monitoring Network of Budapest were used, whilst mixing height was calculated by the meteorological AERMET model code. Time variation of CC refers to the real pollution exchange in the atmosphere that allows direct investigation of the emissions as well as post-emission modifications of the pollutants (such as chemical degradation or production). The diurnal urban CO cycle was found to be determined by two or three main influx peaks according to the traffic pattern of the site. The diurnal variation of NOx level was found to be driven by traffic emission as well. Variant ratios of NOx to CO influxes obtained for the different locations of the city range from 0.12 to 0.23, probably according to the vehicle composition of the traffic. The daily balance of photochemical production, chemical degradation and deposition of ozone yielded negative or positive depending on the location. Negative balances imply that the polluted urban atmosphere is a net ozone neutraliser source. Entrainment from the free troposphere yielded the major contributor to the diurnal ozone level at each site. The diurnal urban PM10 cycle was found to be determined by traffic emission during the morning and evening rush hours whilst secondary aerosol formation around noon. In the evening, high PM10 level rise was observed due to direct traffic emission as well as rapid conversion of the fine aerosol fraction to the coarse fraction.

Stabilisation/solidification (S/S) of heavy metals and a parallel biodegradation of an organic contaminant using magnesium phosphate cements (MPC) was investigated under laboratory conditions. The study was aimed at improving the robustness of S/S technology by encouraging biodegradation in order to bring about some form of contaminant attenuation over time. A silty sand soil, amended with compost was spiked with an organic contaminant, 2-chlorobenzoic acid (2CBA), and two heavy metal compounds, lead nitrate and zinc chloride. Two formulations of the MPC grouts based on different proportions of the cement constituents, with paste pH of approximately 6.5 and 10, were utilised for S/S treatment. The study involved treating the organic contaminant present in the soil with and without the heavy metals by employing the low and high pH MPC grout mixes, and using 10% and 25% compost content. Microbial activity was monitored using dehydrogenase assay, whilst the tests pertaining to the performance criteria such as contaminant concentration, unconfined compressive strength, elastic stiffness, permeability and batch leaching tests were evaluated at set periods. Contaminant recovery analysis after 140 days indicated a similar reduction in 2CBA concentration to approximately 56% in the different grout mixes. The cement constituents exhibited stimulatory and inhibitory effects on soil dehydrogenase activity. Heavy metal leachability as well as the engineering behaviour of the treated soils conformed to acceptable standards. The results of the investigations show considerable promise for the application of MPC in contaminated land remediation.

Aquatic risk assessments for fungicides are carried out without information on their toxicity to non-target aquatic fungi. This might cause an underestimation of the toxic effects to the aquatic fungal community. This study focuses on the question whether recently derived concentrations limits for fungicides considered to protect populations of primary producers and (in)vertebrates also do protect the aquatic fungi. A panel of fungal species and Oomycetes was isolated and identified from unpolluted surface waters in the Netherlands. Toxicity tests were used to determine effects of seven fungicides with different modes of actions. For the triazoles epoxiconazole and tebuconazole, the chronic lowest observable effect concentration was lower than the regulatory acceptable concentration based on acute HC5 values.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relationships between the quantity, toxicity, and compositional profile of dioxin/furan compounds (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in estuarine sediment and in the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). Sediment and blue crab samples were collected in three small urban estuaries that are in relatively close proximity to each other. Results show that differences between PCDD/F and DL-PCB mass concentrations and total toxic equivalents (TEQ) toxicity in sediments of the three estuaries are reflected in those of the blue crab. TEQs are higher in the hepatopancreas of the crabs than in the sediment, but the concentration factor is inversely proportional to the TEQ in the sediments. Congener profiles in the crabs are systematically different from those in the sediments, and the difference is more pronounced for PCDD/Fs than for DL-PCBs, possibly due to differences in metabolization rates. Compared with sediment profiles, more lesser-chlorinated PCDD/Fs that have higher TEFs accumulate in crab hepatopancreas. This selective bioaccumulation of PCDD/Fs results in a TEQ augmentation in crab hepatopancreas compared with sediments. The bioaccumulation in the blue crab is also selective for PCDD/Fs over DL-PCBs.

Brown algae Sargassum sinicola and Sargassum lapazeanum were tested as cadmium biosorbents in coastal environments close to natural and enriched areas of phosphorite ore. Differences in the concentration of cadmium in these brown algae were found, reflecting the bioavailability of the metal ion in seawater at several sites. In the laboratory, maximum biosorption capacity (q max) of cadmium by these nonliving algae was determined according to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm as 62.42 ± 0.44 mg g−1 with the affinity constant (b) of 0.09 and 71.20 ± 0.80 with b of 0.03 for S. sinicola and S. lapazeanum, respectively. Alginate yield was 19.16 ± 1.52% and 12.7 ± 1.31%, respectively. Although S. sinicola had far lower biosorption capacity than S. lapazeanum, the affinity for cadmium for S. sinicola makes this alga more suitable as a biosorbent because of its high q max and large biomass on the eastern coast of the Baja California Peninsula. Sargassum biomass was estimated at 180,000 t, with S. sinicola contributing to over 70%.

The adsorption of lead onto date palm fibers (palm fibers) and leaf base of palm (petiole) has been examined in aqueous solution by considering the influence of various parameters such as contact time, solution pH, adsorbent dosage, particle sizes, ionic strength, and temperature. The adsorption of Pb(II) increased with an increase of contact time. The optimal range of pH for Pb(II) adsorption is 3.0-4.5. The linear Langmuir and Freundlich models were applied to describe the equilibrium isotherms, and both models fitted well. The monolayer adsorption capacity of Pb(II) on palm fibers and petiole was found as 18.622 and 20.040 mg/g, respectively, at pH 4.5 and 25°C. Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm model was also applied to equilibrium data. The mean free energy of adsorption (2.397 and 4.082 kJ/mol) onto palm fibers and petiole, respectively, may be carried out via physisorption mechanism. Pseudo-first-order rate equation and pseudo-second-order rate equation were applied to study the adsorption kinetics. In comparison to first-order kinetic model, pseudo-second-order model described well the adsorption kinetics of Pb(II) onto palm fibers and petiole from aqueous solution. From the results of the thermodynamic analysis, Gibbs free energy ΔG, enthalpy change ΔH, and entropy ΔS were determined. The positive value of ΔH suggests that interaction of Pb(II) adsorbed by palm fibers is endothermic. In contrast, the negative value of ΔH indicates that interaction of Pb(II) ions by petiole is exothermic. The negative value of ΔG indicates that the adsorption of Pb(II) ions on both palm fibers and petiole is a spontaneous process.

Antimony (Sb) pollution in the downstream farmland soil of the Sb mine area has been of a great environmental concern to the local residents. However, effects of Sb on the growth and physiology of crops are still not well known. In the present study, Sb uptake and its effect on growth, antioxidant defense system, and photosynthesis of maize (Zea mays) were investigated. Our results demonstrated that accumulation of Sb in the maize increased with increasing Sb level in the soil. Sb could be easily translocated from root to shoot with a translocation coefficient over 2.05. Plant growth and biomass were reduced due to Sb pollution. Under Sb stress, the activities of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutases (SOD), and catalase (CAT) responded differently. The activities of POD and SOD were inhibited when the soil Sb concentration was higher than 50 mg kg−1. CAT activity showed an increasing trend with increasing soil Sb concentration. Chlorophyll synthesis and the maximum photochemical efficiency (F V/F M) were also inhibited significantly under stress of high-level Sb in soil.

Limited data on microbial partitioning between the freely suspended and particulate attached phases during transport along overland flow pathways have resulted in high uncertainty in bacterial fate and transport models and the application of these models to watershed management plans. The objectives of this study were to examine differences in attachment between E. coli and enterococci in runoff from plots with highly and sparsely vegetated grassland; investigate relations between flow regime, total suspended solids, and E. coli and enterococci attachment; and identify the particle size categories to which the attached cells were associated. Two rainfall simulations were conducted on large field plots 3 m wide by 18.3 m long with highly and both highly and sparsely vegetated covers and treated with standard cowpats. Results from the first experiment representing pasture with highly vegetated cover indicate that the majority of E. coli and enterococci are transported from the fresh manure source in the unattached state with only 4.8% of E. coli and 13% of enterococci associated with particles. The second experiment which compared partitioning in runoff from both highly and sparsely vegetated covers found lower bacterial attachment rates: the average E. coli percent attached was 0.06% from plots with highly vegetated cover and 2.8% from plots with sparsely vegetated cover while the corresponding values for enterococci were 0.98% and 1.23%, respectively. The findings from this study provide the first set of data on bacterial partitioning in overland flow from large field plots, and results may be helpful for parameterizing water quality models and designing conservation practices.

The historical Japanese city of Kyoto boasts a great many old Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, many of which are surrounded by sizable forests that have long been preserved as sacred forests. However, acidic deposition has been fallen on the forests in Kyoto for many years. For this study, we conducted soil surveys and investigated the extent of decline of the trees in two Shinto shrines as historic monuments of ancient Kyoto. Our study revealed clear decline in two key tree species (Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) and Chamaecyparis obtusa (Japanese cypress)) in both shrines, with some trees showing signs of mortality. The soil was acidic, with an average pH of 4.35. Nutrient salt content too was only about one tenth the national average, with exchangeable Ca (0.52 cequiv./kg) and Mg (0.23 cequiv./kg) for 0-20 cm surface soil. The (Ca+Mg+K)/Al molar ratios were also very low, with 80% of all soil samples having a ratio of 10 or below. Such soil conditions are thought to hamper the sound growth of both Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress, and soil acidification is one of the most likely causes of the decline of temple and shrine forests in Kyoto.