A review of the distribution of particulate trace elements in urban terrestrial environments and its application to considerations of risk

We review the evolution, state of the art and future lines of research on the sources, transport pathways, and sinks of particulate trace elements in urban terrestrial environments to include the atmosphere, soils, and street and indoor dusts. Such studies reveal reductions in the emissions of some elements of historical concern such as Pb, with interest consequently focusing on other toxic trace elements such as As, Cd, Hg, Zn, and Cu. While establishment of levels of these elements is important in assessing the potential impacts of human society on the urban environment, it is also necessary to apply this knowledge in conjunction with information on the toxicity of those trace elements and the degree of exposure of human receptors to an assessment of whether such contamination represents a real risk to the city’s inhabitants and therefore how this risk can be addressed

Occurrence of priority pollutants in WWTP effluents and Mediterranean coastal waters of Spain

A comprehensive study aimed at evaluating the occurrence, significance of concentrations and spatial distribution of priority pollutants (PPs) along the Comunidad Valenciana coastal waters (Spain) was carried out in order to fulfil the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). Additionally, PP concentrations were also analysed in the effluent of 28 WWTPs distributed along the studied area. In coastal waters 36 organic pollutants of the 71 analysed, including 26 PPs were detected although many of them with low frequency of occurrence. Only 13 compounds, which belong to four different classes (VOCs, organochlorinated pesticides, phthalates and tributyltin compounds (TBT)) showed a frequency of occurrence above 20% in coastal waters. In the results obtained until now, octylphenol, pentachlorobenzene, DEHP and TBT exceeded the annual average concentration (EQS-AAC), and only TBT surpassed the maximum allowable concentration (EQS-MAC). The most frequent contaminants determined in coastal waters were also present in WWTP effluents. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Financial support from Conselleria de Medio Ambiente, Agua, Urbanismo y Vivienda de la Generalitat Valenciana (Application of Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC on endocrine disruptors and priority substances in coastal areas in the Comunidad Valenciana) is gratefully acknowledged.Martí Ortega, N.; Aguado García, D.; Segovia Martínez, L.; Bouzas Blanco, A.; Seco Torrecillas, A. (2011). Occurrence of priority pollutants in WWTP effluents and Mediterranean coastal waters of Spain. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 62(3):615-625. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.01.010S61562562

Phenolic and steroid endocrine disrupting compounds in Thermaikos gulf

The thesis deals with the presence of endocrine disrupting compounds in Thermaikos gulf at Thessaloniki, Northern Greece. In order to locate some of the sources of the studied compounds in the marine environment water samples were also collected from rivers, streams/canals and wastewaters that enter the gulf. The examined compounds include and steroid compounds.Αντικείμενο της διδακτορικής διατριβής είναι η μελέτη της παρουσίας ενδοκρινικών διαταρακτών στην ευρύτερη περιοχή του Θερμαϊκού κόλπου καθώς και σε ποτάμια, ρέματα και απόβλητα που καταλήγουν σ' αυτόν. Στους εξεταζόμενους ενδοκρινικούς διαταράκτες συμπεριλαμβάνονται φαινολικές ενώσεις και στεροειδείς ορμόνες

Polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) uptake rates for 17 polar pesticides and degradation products: laboratory calibration

International audiencePolar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) are useful for monitoring a wide range of chemicals, including polar pesticides, in water bodies. However, few calibration data are available, which limits the use of these samplers for time-weighted average concentration measurements in an aquatic medium. This work deals with the laboratory calibration of the pharmaceutical configuration of a polar organic chemical integrative sampler (pharm-POCIS) for calculating the sampling rates of 17 polar pesticides (1.15 ≤ logK ow ≤ 3.71) commonly found in water. The experiment, conducted for 21 days in a continuous water flow-through exposure system, showed an integrative accumulation of all studied pesticides for 15 days. Three compounds (metalaxyl, azoxystrobine, and terbuthylazine) remained integrative for the 21-day experiment. The sampling rates measured ranged from 67.9 to 279 mL day−1 and increased with the hydrophobicity of the pesticides until reaching a plateau where no significant variation in sampling rate is observed when increasing the hydrophobicity