Journal of Environmental Monitoring : JEM

The River Kennet in southern England has exhibited excessive benthic algal growth and associated ecological problems, such as loss of macrophytes and invertebrates, since the 1980s. These ecological problems were attributed to regular peaks in phosphorus concentration, which were widely attributed to intermittent failures of the Marlborough sewage treatment works (STW). This study deployed high-frequency phosphorus auto-analysers to monitor the total reactive phosphorus (TRP) concentrations of Marlborough STW final effluent and the downstream River Kennet at hourly and 30 minute resolution respectively, between 2008 and 2009...

Optimization of a water quality network through a change in sampling frequency is the only way to increase cost-efficiency without any reduction in the robustness of the data. Existing techniques define optimal sampling frequency based on analysis of historical data from the monitoring network under investigation. Their application to a large network comprised of many sites and many monitored parameters is both technical and challenging. This paper presents a simple non-parametric method for reviewing sampling frequency that is consistent with highly censored environmental data and oriented towards reduction of sampling frequency as a cost-saving measure...

The assessment of the adequacy of sampling locations is an important aspect in the validation of an effective and efficient water quality monitoring network. Two geostatistical approaches (e.g., kriging and Moran's I) are presented to assess multiple sampling locations. A flexible and comprehensive framework was developed for the selection of multiple sampling locations of multiple variables which was accomplished by coupling geostatistical approaches with principal component analysis (PCA) and fuzzy optimal model (FOM)...

Xiamen is one of China's most rapidly developing metropolises. The objectives of the present study were: (1) to establish the levels and spatial distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil across the Xiamen metropolis, (2) to evaluate the extent to which PAH concentrations were elevated in the high urbanization area (HUA) of the island and how these compared with those in the low urbanization area (LUA) of the mainland, and (3) to evaluate the PAH hazard based upon their Carcinogenic Potential (CP), defined as toxicity equivalence of ∑PAHs...

Particles sampled from the main and auxiliary ship diesel engine exhausts during a measurement campaign aboard a cargo ship are studied by SEM and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis. Cluster analysis (CA) is applied to characterize the particles by separating them into distinct groups of similar morphology and chemical composition, representative of the particle types in the exhaust from the main and auxiliary engines. Raman microspectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and ion chromatography provide the criteria for the clustering of a large data set of individual particles...

Contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of historic wastewater-irrigated agricultural topsoil (0-5 cm) and the contribution of groundwater irrigation and atmospheric deposition to soil PAHs were studied in a typical agricultural region, i.e. Hunpu region, Liaoning, China. Concentrations of total PAHs ranged from 0.43 to 2.64 mg kg⁻¹ in topsoil, being lower than those found in other wastewater-irrigated areas. The levels of PAHs in soil declined as the distance from a water source increased...

As an important nutrient reservoir, the mires in the Sanjiang Plain of Northeast China have been suffering from large-scale agriculture reclamation since the 1960s. The effects of the long-term reclamation on the dynamics of the dissolved nutrients in fluvial systems are revealed through surveying the export concentrations of dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus in the natural mire, degraded mire and drainage ditches during the growing seasons in 2009 and 2010. The results show that the mean concentrations of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN, 2...

This study focused on the identification of the hydrodynamics of a horizontal subsurface constructed wetland (HSSF-CW) located in Beijing wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center, Beijing. The effects of plant growth of iris tectorum on the hydrodynamic behaviours were studied and the distribution of the hydraulic residence time was simulated by several mathematical models in order to understand the fluctuations and mixing processes of pollutants in the HSSF-CW. Treatment performance of the HSSF-CW was evaluated by comparing the area-based removal rates of different pollutants...

Human pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are routinely found in biosolids from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Once land applied, the PPCPs in biosolids are potentially available for plant uptake and bioaccumulation. This study used a greenhouse model to investigate uptake of PPCPs commonly detected in biosolids by the agricultural plant Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris). Two series of greenhouse experiments were conducted as part of this project. In the first set of experiments, four pharmaceuticals were added to an organic matter-rich soil in environmentally relevant concentrations based on typical biosolids application rates, resulting in final soil concentrations of 2...

Exposure to pesticides places pregnant women and the developing foetus at the highest risk. The objective of this study is to obtain an exposure assessment by investigating levels of pesticides in blood plasma of delivering women. We report on the concentrations of α, β, γ HCH, endosulfan, HCB and the pyrethroids: cis-permethrin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin and deltamethrin found in the maternal blood plasma of delivering women (n = 241) in three coastal sites of KwaZulu Natal. γ-HCH and endosulfan 1 and 2 were the most dominant pesticides in all three sites...

In this study, the dynamic interactions between cyclodextrin (CD), an organic chemical and granular activated carbon (GAC) were investigated using column studies. Breakthrough curves of a chlorinated solvent, trichloroethylene (TCE) were obtained over a range of concentrations of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPCD) (0, 20, and 50 g L(-1)) and flow velocities (1.0, 4.0, and 10.2 mL min(-1)). Important transport parameters (i.e. residence time, dispersion coefficient, retardation factor) were estimated using truncated temporal moment analysis...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are commonly occurring environmental pollutants, 8 of which have been chosen from the list of priority substances in the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). The levels of PAHs in the environment are affected by a number of emission factors including anthropogenic activities, population equivalents, and weather, all of which must be taken into account when monitoring levels of PAHs being released into the environment via waste water treatment plant effluent. Effluent samples have been collected from nine different wastewater treatment plants in 2 areas of Ireland (Dublin and Cork) over a period of 3 years (2009-2011), including several weeks of high intensity sampling...

A total of 200 indoor air samples were collected to measure radon concentration levels and its contribution to the mean effective doses during different seasons of the period 2009-2010 at different sites of the five districts of Hazara division, Pakistan. The major portion of the region is mountainous and is full of thick forests which receives heavy snow fall in winter. The need for conducting the present survey relied on the fact that occupants spend their lives in poorly ventilated indoor environments of the region, especially in the winter season when they use wood fire inside their residences...

Analyses of lead (Pb) isotopes have been performed in terrestrial and fresh water environments to estimate historical uses of leaded fuel, but so far this method has not been employed in studies of world-wide marine surface sediments. We analyzed Pb and its isotopes in 23 surface sediments from four continents collected during the Galathea 3 expedition in 2006-2007. To enhance the anthropogenic signal, a partial digestion using nitric acid was performed. The concentrations of Pb, Th, U and Al were determined with an ICP-Quadrupole MS, and Pb-isotope ratios with an ICP-multi-collector MS...

The reporter gene assay AREc32 is based on the induction of the Nrf2 mediated oxidative stress response pathway in the human breast cancer cell line MCF7, where eight copies of the antioxidant response element (ARE) are linked to a reporter gene encoding for luciferase. The Nrf2-ARE pathway is responsive to many chemicals that cause oxidative stress, among them a large number of pesticides and skin irritants. We adopted and validated the AREc32 bioassay for water quality testing. tert-Butylhydroquinone served as the positive control, phenol as the negative control and other reactive chemicals were assessed for their specificity...

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) proposed the in-stream numeric nutrient criteria as 2 mg TN per L and 0.16 mg TP per L for warm surface waters and 0.40 mg TN per L and 0.11 mg TP per L for cold surface waters. Consequently the department presented the nutrient limits for the municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) as annual averages of 0.7 mg TP per L and 5.7 mg TIN per L and quarterly averages of 1.0 mg TP per L and 9.0 mg TIN per L. Implementing stringent nutrient reduction at point sources is unlikely to result in improvements to the environment without non-point source controls...

Excess phosphorus, particularly in surface waters can lead to severe eutrophication. Identifying source areas, quantifying contributions, and evaluating management practices are required to address current and future water quality concerns. A before-after study was conducted from 2003-2010 on a sub-watershed of Northland Country Club Golf Course in Duluth, MN to demonstrate the impacts of two different phosphorus management approaches (Period 1: traditional application and timing using commercially available synthetic blends; Period 2: reduced rate, low dose applications, and organic formulations)...

Precipitation samples were collected at an urban site in Xi'an, northwest China during March to November in 2009 and were then analyzed to determine the pH and concentrations of water-soluble inorganic ions (Na(+), NH(4)(+), K(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+), SO(4)(2-), NO(3)(-), Cl(-), and F(-)) in precipitation. The pH of precipitation ranged from 4.1 to 7.6 for all of the samples with an annual volume-weighted mean of 6.4. While a large portion of the precipitation events were weakly acidic or alkaline, around 30% of the precipitation events in the autumn were strongly acidic...

It is an emerging concern that a series of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) produced in wastewater effluent have adversely impacted the downstream aquatic system and drinking water resources. The occurrence, fate, and transport of DBPs on receiving waterbodies, however, are currently not well-documented. To fill the knowledge gap, this study simulated the effects of volatilization and adsorption processes on the removals of DBPs (THM, HAA, HAN, HNM, and NA) in different types of watersheds (lake, stream, river, and aquifer)...

Arsenobetaine is one of the major organoarsenic compounds found in aquatic organisms, including seafood and fish meant for human consumption. It has been widely studied over the last 50 years because of its non-toxic properties, and its origin is postulated to be at bottom of the aquatic food chains. The present review focuses on arsenobetaine formation in marine and freshwater plankton, comparing the arsenic compounds found in the different plankton organisms, and the methods used to assess arsenic speciation...