Pilot Study of Environmental Monitoring of Konya Region near Abandoned Mercury Mine in Turkey

Abandoned mines are an important global concern and continue to pose potential threats to human health including environmental damage/s. There is not any specific regulation for mining wastes in Turkey and this situation puts the mining wastes into the dangerous category. Therefore, this study focuses on the environmental effects of the abandoned mercury mines. To demonstrate environmental mercury contamination, fish samples were collected from two different regions which were contaminated and uncontaminated region. As a biomarker of environmental exposure the levels of Hg in fish samples were measured by Cold Vapor-Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (CVAAS). In fish samples, the levels of Hg were 0.504 ± 0.475 (mg/kg) (Mean ± SD) in Group 1 and 0.04 ± 0.054 (mg/kg) (Mean ± SD) in Group 2. Our data suggested that although mercury mine was closed long time ago, mining waste is still a problem and continues to contaminate the environment.     

Environmental Geochemistry of Anthropogenic Lead in Estuarine Sediments of the Jamapa River,Mexico

The combustion of alkyl-lead gasolines was the primary anthropogenic source of Pb in the second half of the twentieth century. Previously deposited Pb-aerosols enriched the organic matter and Fe-oxi-hydroxides phases of soils, which long after continue being transported downstream to be an important source of Pb into the ocean. Geochemical partition of Pb was determined in estuarine sediments of the Jamapa River, southern Gulf of Mexico, by the Tessier’s sequential extraction protocol. The residual fraction, conformed by siliciclastic particles, contain the highest proportion of Pb (8.6 μg/g = 70%), been the main source into the ocean. However, as the organic carbon and Fe,MnO(OH) fractions, together summed the 26% of total Pb in samples, so, it is assumed that previously deposited anthropogenic Pb, from alkyl-lead gasolines, still is an important source of this element, that is transported by the Jamapa River, enriching the coastal area.

     

Flow Cytometric Analysis of DNA Damage in Cotton Rats, Sigmodon hispidus, Inhabiting an Abandoned Colliery Strip Mine

No abstract available.     

Speciation and Bioavailability of Metals in Sediments from a Stream Impacted by Abandoned Mines in Maoshi Town,Southwest of China

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology - The speciation of metals in surface sediments, as well as metal concentrations in muscle and liver of sharpbelly Hemiculter leucisculus from...     

Isolation and Identification of Naegleria Species from Environmental Water in Changchun,Northeastern China

Background

Naegleria is a free-living amoeba, and pathogenic Naegleria may pose a health risk to people exposed to recreational water. Our objective in this study was to determine if there are pathogenic amoebae in environmental water samples from Changchun, Northeastern China.

Methods

During July to September 2012, a total of 70 water samples were collected from Changchun, Northeastern China, and Naegleria was enriched by in vitro culture and detected by PCR using Naegleria genus-specific primers. Resulting PCR products were sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed to identify Naegleria species.

Results

Naegleria was detected in 65 (92.9%) of 70 water samples. DNA sequence and phylogenetic analyses based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences revealed four Naegleria species, including N. pagei (n = 24) and N. Australiensis (n = 18), N. clarki (n = 13) and N. gruberi (n = 10), in which N. australiensis is pathogenic to mice. But the pathogenic species N. fowleri was not detected.

Conclusion

This is the first report on Naegleria species in Northeastern China, showing that almost all environmental water samples were contaminated with Naegleria, including N. pagei, N. Australiensis, N. clarki and N. gruberi, which should be considered a potential public health threat.     

Occurrences,Potential Sources and Health Impacts of Organochlorine Pesticides in Soil from Wuhan,Central China

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology - This study was designed to determine the occurrence, potential sources, human and ecological risks of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in...     

我国某河流域肿瘤高发地区消化道肿瘤死亡率环境影响因素流行病学研究

目的通过对研究地区进行人群生活方式、环境污染状况等因素分别进行调查和比较,了解消化道肿瘤死亡率的环境影响因素。方法选择我国中部某河流域肿瘤高发地区为研究对象,在消化道肿瘤死亡率的高聚集区和低聚集区,选取767个村的3 475户家庭,采用家庭户问卷调查方法对饮用水情况、食品卫生与饮食习惯、居住环境、农药化肥使用情况等方面进行调查。通过多因素Logistic回归分析评估环境影响因素与消化道肿瘤高发聚集的关系。结果高、低聚集区调查户生活饮用水、户厕位置与类型、生活污水排放方式、农药使用量等方面的构成在统计学上具有差异。结论饮水不经处理直接饮用、使用非卫生厕所、随意排放生活污水以及逐渐增大的农药使用量是调查区域消化道肿瘤高聚集的影响因素。     

Environmental covariates of Anopheles arabiensis in a rice agroecosystem in Mwea, Central Kenya

Water quality of aquatic habitats is an important determinant of female mosquito oviposition and successful larval development. This study examined the influence of environmental covariates on Anopheles arabiensis mosquito abundance in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme, Central Province of Kenya, prior to implementation of a malaria vector control program. Experimental rice plots were used to examine the environmental covariates responsible for regulating abundance and diversity of the aquatic stages of malaria vectors. Mosquito larval sampling and water quality analysis were done weekly from the flooding stage to the rice maturation stage. Sampling for mosquito larvae was conducted using standard dipping technique. During each larval collection, environmental covariates such as pH, temperature, conductivity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, water depth, and rice stage were measured. Anopheles arabiensis larval density was highest between 1 wk before transplanting and 4 wk after transplanting with peaks at weeks 0, 3, and 8. The fluctuation in values of the various environmental covariates showed characteristic patterns in different rice growth phases depending on the changes taking place due to the agronomic practices. Using a backward linear regression model, the factors that were found to be associated with abundance of An. arabiensis larvae at any of the rice growing phases included the following: dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, water depth, rice height, number of rice tillers, salinity, conductivity, and temperature. The environmental covariates associated with abundance of An. arabiensis were associated with early vegetative stage of the rice growth. For effective control of developmental stages of mosquito larvae, the application of larvicides should be done at the vegetative stage and the larvicides should persist until the beginning of the reproductive stage of the rice.     

Liver Histopathology in Brown Trout (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmo trutta</Emphasis> f. fario) from the Tinhela River,Subjected to Mine Drainage from the Abandoned Jales Mine (Portugal)

The objective of this study was to compare the occurrence of toxicopathic liver lesions in brown trout (Salmo trutta fario) from Tinhela River near the Jales Mine, both before implementation (2002) and after completion of the governmental mitigation program (2006). Fish were caught in April 2002 and May 2006, using an electrofishing system at four sites: S0, reference station; S1, S2 and S3 as contaminated stations. In 2002, the hepatosomatic index (HSI) was significantly higher for trout captured at the contaminated sites S2 and S3 than in S0. After the rehabilitation program, the HSI of fish sampled at the contaminated sites did not differ from the reference group. The liver of trout caught at S0 exhibited the normal parenchymal and stromal architecture described for the species and there were no pathological abnormalities. In contrast, fish sampled at S3 and S2 sites had diverse toxicopathic alterations. Specifically, livers from the two contaminated sites showed bile duct hyperplasia, often with mild epithelial dysplasia and fibrotic adventitial sleeve, foci of smaller and more basophilic hepatocytes and foci of hepatocellular necrosis; the latter conditions were frequently associated. Compared with the reference animals, increased hepatocellular vacuolization was found in livers from the polluted sites. Histopathological examination revealed differences among sampling sites in the severity and diversity of hepatic lesions clearly related to the proximity of the tailings. No pathological alterations were observed in the livers of brown trout caught in the same four areas of the Tinhela River after the mitigation program in 2006. In conclusion, our results supported that drainage from the abandoned Jales Mine had deleterious toxicological effects in brown trout. Our data suggested that the governmental mitigation program may have reduced the impact of Jales tailings.     

中国环境污染现状、特征及环境面临的问题

在世纪之初，我们来讨论有关健康的环境问题。人类在征服自然的进程中，以空前的速度建立了现代的物质文明，同时也造成了对自然环境的破坏。人类现在的许多疾病可以认为是人类对迅速改变的环境适应性的失调。过去人类为了生存所获得的适应性，正日益受到环境污染的挑战。环境质量不仅关系当代人的健康，还影响到子孙后代，必须予以关注。     

Chromium Geochemistry and Bioaccumulation in Sediments from the Lower Hackensack River, New Jersey

Total and hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] were measured in sediment and sediment porewater in the lower Hackensack River (NJ) to assess the relationship between sediment geochemistry and chromium speciation, which in turn controls the mobility, bioavailability, and toxicity of chromium. Between 2003 and 2005, >100 surface (0 to 15 cm) sediment samples were tested for total chromium and Cr(VI), acid-volatile sulfides (AVS), ferrous iron (Fe(II)), divalent manganese (Mn(II)), ammonia, and organic carbon. Sediment porewater samples were collected by centrifugation or using in situ samplers colocated with the collection of sediments. In whole sediments, total chromium and Cr(VI) concentrations ranged from 5 to 9190 mg/kg dry weight (dw) and from <0.47 to 31 mg/kg dw, respectively. Sediment porewater concentrations ranged from <10 to 83 μg/l for total chromium; Cr(VI) was not detected in sediment porewater (n = 78). Concentrations of AVS (ranging between <10.6 to 4178 mg/kg) and other geochemistry measurements indicated anoxic, reducing conditions in the majority of sediment samples. In polychaetes (Nereis virens) and clams (Macoma nasuta) exposed in the laboratory for 28 days to sediments contained between 135 and 1780 mg/kg dw total chromium, concentrations in whole tissues after 24-hour depuration ranged between 1.2 and 14.8 mg/kg wet weight (ww; median 1.6 mg/kg ww) total chromium. In whole tissues of indigenous polychaetes collected from the sediment, tissue concentrations of total chromium ranged between 1.0 and 37.5 mg/kg ww (median = 2.1 mg/kg ww). Chromium concentrations in whole tissues of animals exposed in the field or in the laboratory showed no relationship with total chromium or Cr(VI) concentrations in the sediment. There were no statistical differences among animals exposed to sediments from site and reference locations. The results of this study are consistent with sediment studies conducted elsewhere indicating low chromium bioavailability in sediment under reducing conditions. This study also highlights the importance of sediment geochemistry and in situ porewater measurements to understand the ecological significance of chromium in sediment and the potential for human health and ecological exposures.