Search results for "environmental pollutants"
showing 10 items of 170 documents
Dendrochemical assessment of mercury releases from a pond and dredged-sediment landfill impacted by a chlor-alkali plant.
2016
International audience; Although current Hg emissions from industrial activities may be accurately monitored, evidence of past releases to the atmosphere must rely on one or more environmental proxies. We used Hg concentrations in tree cores collected from poplars and willows to investigate the historical changes of Hg emissions from a dredged sediment landfill and compared them to a nearby control location. Our results demonstrated the potential value of using dendrochemistry to record historical Hg emissions from past industrial activities.
Ecotoxicity assessment of natural attenuation effects at a historical dumping site in the western Baltic Sea.
2005
During the late 1950s and early 1960s of the past century, industrial waste material highly enriched in various contaminants (heavy metals, PAHs) was dumped in the inner Mecklenburg Bay, western Baltic Sea. Large-scale shifts in the spatial distribution of heavy metals in surface sediments were mapped by geochemical monitoring in the mid-1980s and 12 years later in 1997. A further study in 2001 was designed to investigate the small-scale spatial distribution of contaminants inside, on top of, and around the historical dumping ground and to examine possible effects to benthic organisms (Arctica islandica, microbiological toxicity tests). The site is located within an area characterized by a …
Comparison of the Phytotoxkit microbiotest and chemical variables for toxicity evaluation of sediments
2006
The main objective of the research was to evaluate the suitability of the Phytotoxkit microbiotest as a tool for hazard assessment of sediments. The concentrations of oil derivatives, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined in sediment samples collected from the urban canal in Opole (Poland), in order to obtain a general insight of the level of sediment contamination. Phytotoxicity of sediments was estimated on the basis of seed germination and root elongation measurements, combined into an overall germination index (Gl). The results revealed spatial and vertical differentiation in sediment contamination. A good correlation …
Inhibition of Gill Na+,K+-ATPase Activity in the Eel,Anguilla anguilla,by Fenitrothion
1998
European eels (Anguilla anguilla) were exposed to sublethal fenitrothion concentrations (0.02 and 0.04 mg/liter) in a continuous flow-through system for 4 days. Gill Mg2+- and Na+,K+-ATPase activities were evaluated after 2, 8, 12, 24, 32, 48, 56, 72, and 96 h of pesticide exposure. Results indicated that ATPase activity in gill tissue decreased as concentration of fenitrothion increased. Pesticide induced significant inhibitory effects on the Na+, K+-ATPase activity of A. anguilla, ranging from >56% inhibition at a sublethal concentration of 0.02 ppm to >73% inhibition at a sublethal concentration of 0.04 ppm. Eels were exposed to both fenitrothion concentrations for 96 h and then allowed …
Brominated flame retardants and organochlorines in the European environment using great tit eggs as a biomonitoring tool
2009
Large-scale studies are essential to assess the emission patterns and spatial distribution of organohalogenated pollutants (OHPs) in the environment. Bird eggs have several advantages compared to other environmental media which have previously been used to map the distribution of OHPs. In this study, large-scale geographical variation in the occurrence of OHPs, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), was investigated throughout Europe using eggs of a terrestrial residential passerine species, the great tit (Parus major). Great tit eggs from 22 sampling sites, involving urban, rural and remote areas, in 14 Europea…
Application of accelerated solvent extraction followed by gel performance chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography for the determina…
2005
Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) has been evaluated as a fast alternative to methanolic saponification for the extraction of 12 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from mussel tissue. Several solvent systems and different operating conditions were investigated. The mixture dichloromethane-acetone (1:1, v/v) gave the best recoveries at 125 degrees C and 1500 psi, in a total time of 10 min. No yield difference was found between freeze-drying (Fd) or drying the wet mussel with diatomaceous earth (Ded) prior to extraction. The ASE method was validated using the standard reference material SRM 2977, a freeze-dried mussel tissue with naturally present organic contaminants. The performance…
Chemical Aspects of Human and Environmental Overload with Fluorine
2021
Over the last 100-120 years, due to the ever-increasing importance of fluorine-containing compounds in modern technology and daily life, the explosive development of the fluorochemical industry led to an enormous increase of emission of fluoride ions into the biosphere. This made it more and more important to understand the biological activities, metabolism, degradation, and possible environmental hazards of such substances. This comprehensive and critical review focuses on the effects of fluoride ions and organofluorine compounds (mainly pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals) on human health and the environment. To give a better overview, various connected topics are also discussed: reasons an…
Detection of DNA effects in human cells with the comet assay and their relevance for mutagenesis
1996
The single cell gel test (SCG-test or comet assay) is a rapid and sensitive method for measuring DNA damage and repair in individual cells. A wide variety of mutagens have been shown to cause DNA alterations detectable with the comet assay, but it is not yet clear whether a relationship exists between the DNA effects and the induction of mutations. We are therefore investigating in a cell culture system with human cells (MRC5CV1) the induction of DNA damage by environmental mutagens and the formation of mutations at the HPRT gene. In the present study we investigated benzo[a]pyrene (BP), an environmental mutagenic and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, and its reactive metabolite…
Multi‐residue extraction to determine organic pollutants in mussel hemolymph
2021
This study assesses the extraction of eleven pharmaceuticals, five pesticides, five perfluoroalkyl substances, and two illicit drugs in hemolymph from (Mytilus Galloprovincialis). Four extraction procedures using Phree™ Phospholipid Removal cartridges were tested using different volumes of methanol (400 and 600 μL) and acetonitrile (300 and 450 μL). The pollutants were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The use of methanol gave several problems during the extraction procedure, such as longer times and sample loss. Three methods (acetonitrile 300 and 450 μL; and methanol 600 μL) were validated. Recoveries at three concentration levels (5, 50, and 1…
Heavy metal pollution disturbs immune response in wild ant populations
2005
Concern about the effects of environmental contaminants on immune function in both humans and wildlife is growing and practically nothing is known about this impact on terrestrial invertebrates, even though they are known to easily accumulate pollutants. We studied the effect of industrial heavy metal contamination on immune defense of a free-living wood ant (Formica aquilonia). To find out whether ants show an adapted immune function in a polluted environment, we compared encapsulation responses between local and translocated colonies. Local colonies showed higher heavy metal levels than the translocated ones but the encapsulation response was similar between the two groups, indicating tha…