Levels of Organochlorine Pesticides and Heavy Metals in Surface Waters of Konya Closed Basin, Turkey

The concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), including α-, β-, γ-, and δ-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, dieldrin, aldrin, endrin, endrin aldehyde, endrin ketone, endosulfan I, endosulfan II, endosulfan sulfate, p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD, p,p′-DDT, methoxychlor, chlordane I, chlordane II, and heavy metals, such as As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Ni in surface water samples from the Konya closed basin were determined to evaluate the level of contamination. Among all HCH isomers, β-HCH is the main isomer with a concentration range of 0.015–0.065 μg/L. DDE, DDD, and DDT were almost determined in all samples, in which DDE isomer had the highest concentration ranged from not detected to 0.037 μg/L. In all studied OCPs, aldrin showed the highest concentration at 0.220 μg/L. The concentrations of heavy metals in water samples were observed with order: Mn < Cu < Ni < As < Cr < Fe. In some samples, As, Fe, and Cr concentrations exceeded the drinking water quality recommended by EU, US EPA, WHO, and Turkish Regulation, while Cu, Ni, and Mn concentrations are below the guideline values. The levels of both OCPs and heavy metals were also compared with other previously published data

Analysis of diclofenac in water samples using in situ derivatization-vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A novel micro-extraction technique for a rapid and sensitive analysis of diclofenac (DCF) in water samples has been developed. DCF was derivatized and extracted simultaneously using vortex-assisted liquid-liquid micro-extraction (VALLME) prior to gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection. The effects of extraction solvent volume, extraction and derivatization time and ionic strength of the sample were studied using 23 factorial experimental design. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: 200 µL of chloroform, 25 µL of N-methyl-N-trimethylsilyl-trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA) derivatization reagent, vortex extraction and derivatization time 5 min at 3000 rpm. The extraction recovery for different fortification levels was 98 %. Also, the proposed micro-extraction method exhibited results comparable with the solid phase extraction of real water samples. The proposed one-step VALLME and derivatization method is simpler and faster than the conventional extraction and derivatization methods used for the determination of DCF in real water samples

Insured privately? Wealth stratification of job loss in the UK

Job loss is a significant income shock that can lead to declines in living standards and satisfaction. Wealth can provide a key resource in stratifying the risk and the consequences of such an event. In this article, I examine the extent to which wealth stratified the experience of job loss in the UK from 1991 to 2008. I distinguish between different wealth groups using information on homeownership and home value of primary residency, and then study whether these groups face different risks and/or consequences of job loss. The results show that renters were a significantly disadvantaged group compared to homeowners during the observation period. Not only did they faced a significantly higher risk of job loss, they also experienced greater declines in earnings, household income, and life satisfaction, and larger increases in income poverty in the year of job loss. Among homeowners, the risk and consequences of job loss were similar. In a country like the UK with minimal public insurance for unemployment, homeownership appears to provide a significant source of stratification for job loss

What explains intergenerational associations in home ownership and value in the UK? Investigating the transmission mechanisms

Evidence shows strong associations in wealth across generations, yet the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Some studies attribute these associations to direct financial transfers between generations, while others suggest more indirect mechanisms such as the impact of parental wealth on children’s earnings, family formation, or saving and investment behaviour. Factors such as residential homophily and house value appreciation may also play a role. This study examines the extent to which these mechanisms explain intergenerational associations in home ownership and home value in the UK. Using 30 years of high-quality panel survey data, we link 1341 parent-child pairs, track children’s sources of wealth accumulation in early adulthood, and assess their home ownership and value outcomes at mid-life (around age 35). We employ mediation analysis to determine the relative importance of different transmission mechanisms. Our findings reveal significant age-adjusted correlations in home ownership (0.27) and home value (0.40) between parents and their adult children. These correlations are mainly explained by children’s accumulated earnings, savings and investment income, while parental financial transfers and children’s family lives play limited roles. A substantial part of the correlations in home values are also explained by parental characteristics other than their housing wealth, particularly their place of residence. Future research should pay more attention to the role of place and the influence that parental housing wealth has on the earnings and financial behaviour of young adults

Synthesis and extraction properties of 1,2-bis(amidoxime) derivatives

Four 1,2-bis(amidoxime)s bearing benzoate groups were synthesized. Their complexing properties were studied by the liquid-liquid extraction of selected alkali (Na+ and K+) and transition metals (Hg2+, Cu2+, Pb2+ and Ni2+). It has been observed that all ligands show a high affinity to Cu2+ and Hg2+ ions, whereas almost no affinity to alkali metals