Search results for "POLLUTION"
showing 10 items of 2765 documents
Effect of 3,4-dichloroaniline on the early life stages of the zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio): results of a comparative laboratory study.
1991
An early life-stage (ELS) test was conducted with the zebrafish and 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA) in eight laboratories. Based on the results from all eight laboratories, an LOEC of 200 micrograms 3,4-dichloroaniline/liter applies for the early life stages of the zebrafish. Effects observed were reduction of the survival rate and malformations. If the 100 micrograms/liter concentration additionally tested by one laboratory is included in the assessment, an LOEC of 100 micrograms 3,4-DCA/liter is obtained for the survival rate and increase in length. The NOEC is 20 micrograms/liter. The present results of a comparative laboratory study with the zebrafish show that a 42-day ELS test can be co…
Reply to Castellano and David: Long-term fate of nitrate fertilizer and nitrate from agricultural catchments
2014
We thank Castellano and David for their insightful comments (1) on our paper (2), in which they point out that short-term changes in land use and agricultural management can lead to rapid reductions in nitrate leaching from agricultural systems. We fully agree with Castellano and David that in diversified cropping systems, this N distribution may be different, potentially resulting in reduced nitrate leaching.
Detecting crop water requirement indicators in irrigated agroecosystems from soil water content profiles: An application for a citrus orchard.
2022
Abstract Most perennial crops sensitive to water scarcity, such as citrus, can benefit from efficient water management, which allows for reduced water consumption while increasing crop production on a long-term basis. However, when implementing water-saving strategies, it is necessary to monitor soil and/or plant water status in order to determine crop water demand. A plethora of devices providing indirect measurements of volumetric soil water content, such as the “drill and drop” multi-sensors probes (Sentek, Inc., Stepney, Australia), have been developed over the last decade. The objective of the paper was to analyse time-series of soil water content profiles and meteorological data colle…
Soil structural stability and erosion rates influenced by agricultural management practices in a semi-arid Mediterranean agro-ecosystem
2012
Unsuitable agricultural practices can cause loss in soil quality and erodibility to thus increase or trigger desertification under Mediterranean conditions. A field experiment was performed at the El Teularet-Sierra de Enguera Experimental Station (eastern Spain) to assess the influence during a 5-yr period of different agricultural practices on physical and chemical indicators of soil quality (total and water-soluble carbohydrates, glomalin-related soil proteins (GRSP), total organic carbon, aggregate stability (AS), vegetation cover and soil erosion). The management practices included residual herbicide use, ploughing, ploughing + oats, addition of oat straw mulch and a control (land aban…
International Legal Approaches to Waste Water Discharges
2002
Este capítulo se dedica al estudio de los distintos enfoques jurídicos seguidos en el Derecho Internacional del Medio Ambiente sobre las descargas de aguas residuales. Comienza analizando los enfoques jurídicos fragmentarios iniciales sobre las descargas de aguas residuales, principalmente en la Antártida y el Océano Austral, en algunos mares regionales (especialmente, el Mediterráneo) y el caso particular de las descargas de basuras procedentes de buques. No obstante, dedico la parte principal de este capítulo al enfoque global que sobre esta cuestión clave de la contaminación marina se inició en 1995, así como a su aplicación jurídica global, regional y nacional. This chapter is devoted t…
Enantioselective transformation of fluoxetine in water and its ecotoxicological relevance
2017
European legislation focusing on water quality is expected to broaden to encompass several pharmaceuticals as priority hazardous substances. This manuscript aims to challenge current regulatory approaches that do not recognize stereochemistry of chiral pharmaceuticals by testing the hypothesis that environmental transformation and effects of chiral pharmaceuticals are stereoselective. Our experiments revealed that, while degradation of chiral fluoxetine (FL) in river water occurs via non-enantioselective photochemical and mildly-enantioselective microbial processes favoring the (R)-enantiomer, a pronounced enantioselectivity favoring (S)-FL (leading to the formation of (S)-NFL (norfluoxetin…
[Legionella spp. contamination in indoor air: preliminary results of an Italian multicenter study].
2014
Obiettivo. Rilevare la presenza di Legionella spp. nell’aria attraverso un protocollo standardizzato, a fianco dei tradizionali metodi impiegati per la rete idrica. Disegno. In dieci strutture sanitarie è stato selezionato un bagno, la cui acqua presentava una contaminazione da Legionella >1.000 unità formanti colonie (ufc)/litro. La contaminazione dell’aria è stata valutata tramite campionamento attivo (Surface Air System, SAS) e passivo, impiegando piastre di sedimentazione per la valutazione dell’Indice Microbico Aria (Index of Microbial Air, IMA). I campionamenti sono stati effettuati per 8 ore consecutive, a circa 1 m dal pavimento e a 50 cm dal rubinetto. Con il campionamento attivo, …
Sampling and analysis of pesticides in ambient air.
2008
Developments in the sampling and determination of pesticides in ambient air have been discussed and data on the occurrence of pesticides in atmosphere have been presented. Developments in active sampling methods were reviewed and the different materials used for trapping pesticides from gas and particulate phases were discussed. Likewise, the use and developments of passive air samplers were reviewed. This article pays special attention to the analysis of pesticides trapped from ambient air, and recapitulate the procedures for extraction, clean-up and determination of these substances. Improvements in sampling procedures, analytical methods and monitoring activities are necessary to advance…
Temperature dependent properties of environmentally important synthetic musks.
2002
Environmental fate determining physical properties including their temperature dependence for five nitro musks and for seven polycyclic musks were estimated. The properties evaluated were vapor pressure in a solid and liquid state (PS and PL), solubility in water (S), Henry's law coefficient (H = PL/S) and log octanol-water partition coefficient (log KOW). Gas chromatography for starting values of vapor pressure estimation and HPLC experiments at 5-20 degrees C for comparison of the theoretical versus experimental solubilities in water were performed. The values of temperature (T) dependence coefficients (Ai and Bi) in equations: log (Property)i = Ai - Bi/T were determined. Values of proper…
Energy efficiency in Spanish wastewater treatment plants: a non-radial DEA approach.
2011
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are energy-intensive facilities. Thus, reducing their carbon footprint is particularly important, both economically and environmentally. Knowing the real operating energy efficiency of WWTPs is the starting point for any energy-saving initiative. In this article, we applied a non-radial Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology to calculate energy efficiency indices for sampling of WWTPs located in Spain. In a second stage analysis, we examined the operating variables contributing to differences in energy efficiency among plants. It is verified that energy efficiencies of the analyzed WWTPs were quite low, with only 10% of them being efficient. We found…