An investigation of approaches and analytical tools to disentangle point and diffuse sources of nitrate contamination

Environmental forensics studies for nitrate source determination (NSD) have seen increased interest in recent years. However, the numerous approaches that have been suggested do not differentiate sewage and manure sources in surface waters. This differentiation is especially important as human-health risks are higher from human, than animal, faecal contamination. Therefore, human and veterinary pharmaceuticals were exploited as co-occurring sewage and manure markers. Through an understanding of pharmaceutical use, occurrence and fate, further source characterisation can also be achieved. Pharmaceutical analysis in environmental waters has traditionally been carried out using SPE LC-MS/MS. A single method was developed and validated for six sewage and four manure markers at detection limits of up to 50 pg/L. Results from a one-year monitoring programme in Irish waters confirmed the selected suite's suitability for differentiating and characterising point and diffuse sources of sewage and manure. However, LC-MS/MS is costly, time-intensive and requires large sample volumes. Therefore, the novel application of NMR and immunoassays, was explored. The use of immunoassay techniques has shown great promise in this regard. The potential for pharmaceutical entry into surface waters through alternative pathways than sewage and manure was also assessed. Data on medication use and disposal was collated following a survey of 1449 individuals. Results show that few participants dispose of unused pharmaceuticals in the sewer. Therefore, the potential for incorrect source attribution as a result of unused medication disposal is low, confirming the suitability of pharmaceuticals as chemical markers. However, available data on NSD is highly fragmented and approach-dependent.Therefore, a decision-support tool that incorporates the considerations of interest was developed using IDEF0 modelling. This tool enables decision-makers to identify the most suitable NSD approach in a specific scenario. This tool was validated through interviews with key stakeholders, through which it was confirmed that there is, indeed, currently a need for such a decision tool

Environmental chemistry: A twenty year perspective: Air quality management

Anniversary article in ECG Bulleti

Ensiling for anaerobic digestion (AD): a review of key considerations to maximise methane yields

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Growth in anaerobic digestion (AD) has expanded the use of silage to preserve crops intended for renewable energy generation. Preservation of seasonal crops and their residues is critical in a process that needs continuous feeding. Whilst the impact of different crops and harvesting times on methane formation is relatively well understood, to date the specific considerations for maximising methane yields through management practice have been largely ignored. The present paper reviews the current state of knowledge on silage practice for biogas production and specifically on the factors affecting methane yields of ensiled crops, as well as their influence on the silage quality, and provides suggestions for further research in the field. Data shows that ensiling is able to conserves 93% of crops gross energy when good practices are followed. Shorter chop length (7-10 mm), lower DM feedstock (20-35%) and lower compaction values (less than 250 kg/m3) are used to achieve higher biogas yields. Increase biogas production can also be obtained by managing the organic acids production with the preferential formation of acetic acid and ethanol instead of lactic acid via enzymatic or microbial additives. The review outcomes show that more research is required to provide a clear-cut distinction between the requirements for ensiling crops for AD versus crops for animal feed

An assessment of different extraction and quantification methods of penta- and hexa-chlorobenzene from SRF fly-ash

Highly chlorinated benzenes, produced in the presence of organic matter and chlorine, are considered PCDD/Fs precursors, and are used as cost and time convenient substitute indicators for the indirect measurement of the latter. In this study penta- and hexa-chlorobenzene are quantified for the determination of the organochloride load of fly ash from solid recovered fuel incineration. Some of the chlorobenzenes are formed under ‘de novo’ conditions, through heterogeneous (ash particles/flue gases) reactions and are therefore deeply incorporated within fly ash. Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE), along with the equivalent clean-up methods suggested by literature were compared to traditional Soxhlet. The extraction efficiencies achieved were 83 ± 7.5% for Soxhlet, 111 ± 19% for PFE, and 67 ± 17% for ultrasonication. Soxhlet extraction and clean-up through a multilayer silica gel column gave more precise results compared to the other sample preparation methods. Furthermore, performance comparison of gas chromatography fitted with either a mass spectrometer operated in single ion monitoring mode (GC-MS-SIM), or electron capture detector (GC- ECD) highlighted that ECD can be used for measuring chlorobenzenes traces down to 0.21 ng g−1, when the equivalent LOQ for MS-SIM was 3.26 ng g−1. The results further suggest that ECD can provide better peak integration than MS-SIM in the detection of chlorobenzenes in fly ash extracts, due to the detector's sensitivity to halogenated compounds

An increased micronucleus frequency in peripheral blood lymphocytes predicts the risk of cancer in humans

none24noneS. BONASSI; A. ZNAOR; M. CEPPI; C. LANDO; W.P. CHANG; N. HOLLAND; M. KIRSCH-VOLDERS; E. ZEIGER; S. BAN; R. BARALE; M.P. BIGATTI; C. BOLOGNESI; A. CEBULSKA-WASILEWSKA; E. FABIANOVA; A. FUCIC; L. HAGMAR; G. JOKSIC; A. MARTELLI; L. MIGLIORE; E. MIRKOVA; M.R. SCARFI; A. ZIJNO; H. NORPPA; M. FENECHS., Bonassi; A., Znaor; M., Ceppi; C., Lando; W. P., Chang; N., Holland; M., KIRSCH VOLDERS; E., Zeiger; S., Ban; R., Barale; M. P., Bigatti; C., Bolognesi; A., CEBULSKA WASILEWSKA; E., Fabianova; A., Fucic; L., Hagmar; G., Joksic; Martelli, ANTONIETTA MARIA; L., Migliore; E., Mirkova; M. R., Scarfi; A., Zijno; H., Norppa; M., Fenec

HUman MicroNucleus Project: International Database

stituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Molecular Toxicology Laboratory, Third Military Medical University, Chong Qing, China Laboratorio Dosimetria Biologica, Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear, Buenos Aires, Argentina Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, Auckland, New Zealand Institute for Medical Research end Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia Centro de Proteccion e Higiene de las Radiaciones, Havana, Cuba Department of Pharmacology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy Cell Biology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai, India Department of Radiation Oncology, Leo Jenkins Cancer Center, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, North Carolina Institute of Genetics and Cytology, Belarus Academy of Sciences, Minsk, Belarus Nacional Center of Hygiene, Medical Ecology and Nutrition, Sofia, Bulgaria Dipartimento di Agrobiologia e Agrochimica, Universita della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy Institute fur Medizinische Strahlenbiologie,