Characteristics, distribution and sources of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in coastal sediments from the heavily industrialized area of Asalouyeh, Iran

2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (12) ◽  
pp. 3340-3350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Arfaeinia ◽  
Zahra Asadgol ◽  
Ehsan Ahmadi ◽  
Morteza Seifi ◽  
Masoud Moradi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polychlorinated Biphenyls ◽  
Persian Gulf ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Coastal Sediments ◽  
World Health ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Contamination Levels ◽  
Toxic Equivalents ◽  
The Persian Gulf ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract In this research, the levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were investigated in the marine sediments of Asaluyeh harbor, in the Persian Gulf. The samples were taken from industrial, semi-industrial and urban regions. The mean concentration levels of total (Σ) 18 detected PCBs were 514.32, 144.67 and 31.6 pg/g dw for the industrial, semi-industrial and urban sampling stations, respectively. Based on a multivariate statistical analysis, it was found that high contamination levels of PCBs in sediments collected along the Persian Gulf were associated with releases from local industries. Total organic carbon (TOC) content was significantly and positively correlated with the concentrations of PCB congeners. World Health Organization toxic equivalents (TEQs) for PCBs ranged from 0.04 to 2.66 pg TEQ/g dry weight (dw) in the coastal sediments. The TEQ values in this study were higher than many reported worldwide in the literature for sediments. This suggests that there are high levels of contamination in the area due to industrial and other human activities.

Physico-chemical and Biological Properties of Groundwater Quality in Rural Settlement, Nadi, Fiji

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Roselyn Naidu ◽  
Lionel Joseph ◽  
Syed Sauban Ghani
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Drinking Water Quality ◽  
World Health ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Drinking Water Contamination ◽  
Contamination Levels ◽  
Health Organization

The current study investigated drinking water quality of samples taken from Arolevu village, a locality situated in Nadi, Fiji. The groundwater samples were collected and subjected to a comprehensive physicochemical and biological analysis. The analysis for the drinking water sample was conducted seasonally, six times a year, that is, three for the dry season and three for the wet season. The results retrieved from the analysis were compared to its maximum contamination levels (MCLs) based on the health-based guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO standards were used as an attribute to determine the sources of contaminants likely to be present at the study site. A degradation trend in drinking water quality in the context of climate change may lead to potential health impacts. Hence, it is important to understand seasonal variations in drinking water quality. A proper understanding of the drinking water quality through seasonal water analysis for nitrate, nitrite, potassium, calcium, magnesium and chlorine content as well as its microbiological presence to reduce preventable risks such as using calculated amounts of fertilisers and upgrading the sewerage system to alleviate drinking water contamination is devised through this study.

The bacterial quality of salad crops drip and furrow irrigated with waste stabilization pond effluent: an evaluation of the who guidelines

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (12) ◽  
pp. 425-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. X. Bastos ◽  
D. D. Mara
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
World Health ◽  
Stabilization Pond ◽  
Waste Stabilization Pond ◽  
Waste Stabilization ◽  
Contamination Levels ◽  
Health Organization

Field- and glasshouse-grown lettuces and radishes were drip- and furrow-irrigated with waste stabilization pond effluent and with trickling filter effluent diluted with clean water. Crop contamination levels varied considerably. Under dry weather conditions they were at worst of the orders of 103 and 104E. coli per 100 g (fresh weight) for radishes and lettuces, respectively; salmonellae were always absent. The bacterial quality of experimental lettuces was similar to those of lettuces on sale in local markets. When rainfall occurred E. coli numbers increased and salmonellae were isolated from lettuce surfaces. These results are interpreted as partially, substantiating the current World Health Organization bacteriological guideline for unrestricted wastewater reuse, but suggest the need for further assessment on the variation in crop contamination caused by climatic conditions.

scholarly journals Development of a laboratory analytical method beneficial to the policies of the Canada-wide standards for dioxins and furans

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Paul Buan
Keyword(s):  
Correction Factor ◽  
Operating Cost ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
World Health ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Equivalency Factors ◽  
Soils And Sediments ◽  
Toxic Equivalency Factors ◽  
Toxic Equivalents ◽  
Health Organization

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was tested for its ability to screen for PCDD/F in soils and sediments at 50, 1000 and 10,000 picograms toxic equivalents per gram of soil pgTEQ g-₁ (n=48, r²=0.994, slope=0.94). These results relied on two concepts developed in this thesis. The first, a congener correction factor, corrects ELISA results for differences in how ELISA and GC-HRMS calculate the dioxin content of a sample. The congener correction factor increased the correlation between ELISA and GC-HRMS TEQ values calculated using World Health Organization (WHO) toxic equivalency factors (TEF) from 83% to 94%. The correlation between ELISA and GC-HRMS TEQ values calculated using North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) TEF remained strong when the correction factor was applied, falling from 102% to 94%. The second concept, a sample algorithm allows ELIAS to efficiently measure unknown PCDD/F concentrations between 30 and 10,5000 pgTEQ g-¹. The algorithm successfully placed 24 of 28 samples into their correct concentration ranges in a maximum of two ELISA each. A cost analysis of using the algorithm predicted that ELISA can screen samples three times faster than GC-HRMS while at a 60% reduction in operating cost. The success of ELISA in conjunction with its time and cost savings indicate that it can replace GC-HRMS in situations where the high precision of GC-HRMS is not required.

The Best Desalination Technology for the Persian Gulf

2013 ◽  
pp. 326-334
Author(s):  
Akbar Adibfar
Keyword(s):  
Persian Gulf ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Primary Response ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
The World ◽  
Desalination Technology ◽  
The Persian Gulf ◽  
Total Dissolved Solid ◽  
Health Organization

One in six people worldwide do not have access to safe freshwater. The world has been divided into 3 areas: Scarce, Stressed and Sufficiently available potable water by World Health Organization (WHO). The countries around Persian Gulf in the Middle East are in Scarcity area. Desalination solution has been proved as the primary response to water scarcity. This region ranks among the world’s top ten desalinating countries, namely, in descending order: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar. There are some key parameters in selecting different technologies for desalination, including temperature. The temperature can be quite low in some countries such as Australia, while it is rather high in Persian Gulf. Total dissolved Solid (TDS) which is representative of salinity is a critical factor, similar to temperature, in selecting the desalination technology. The value encountered in Persian Gulf is extremely high as compared to the normal range of sea water salinity. The three principal desalination technologies used all over the world are multi-stage flash (MSF), reverse osmosis (RO), and multi-effect distillation (MED). This study looks at the different aspects of development such as costs, capabilities and state-of-the-art technologies. A comparative analysis of these technologies is presented and the best technology from financial and technical point of view is introduced and discussed.

Reproduction, growth and production of Amiantis umbonella (Bivalvia: Veneridae) on northern coast of the Persian Gulf, Bandar Abbas, Iran

2009 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 711-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanieh Saeedi ◽  
Aria A. Ardalan ◽  
Ehsan Kamrani ◽  
Bahram H. Kiabi
Keyword(s):  
Persian Gulf ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Stage Iv ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Northern Coast ◽  
Active Stage ◽  
Sea Temperature ◽  
Amiantis Umbonella ◽  
Bandar Abbas ◽  
The Persian Gulf

Amiantis umbonella is distributed throughout the coast of the northern Persian Gulf. This study of 893 clams provides data on reproduction, growth and production for the period April 2007 to March 2008 from two transects along the Bandar Abbas coast. Histological preparations showed six stages of gametogenic development: resting stage (Stage 0), early active (Stage I), late active (Stage II), ripe (Stage III), partially spawned (Stage IV) and spent (Stage V). The specimens were gonochoric and showed synchronized spawning. The reproductive cycle commenced in September and finished in March with one major spawning event in January which correlated with lower sea temperature. Von Bertalanffy growth parameters for the sample were asymptotic length (L∞) = 58–62 mm, growth constant (k) = 0.28–0.29 yr−1 and length zero (t0) = –0.48 –0.47. The mean annual clam abundance, mean biomass and production were 10 individuals. m−2, 5.7 g shell free dry weight (SFDW) m−2 and 0.495 g SFDW m−2 yr−1, respectively.

scholarly journals Hazard of Contamination with Heavy Metals in Thymus serpyllum L. Herbs from Rural Areas

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 375
Author(s):  
Anna Figas ◽  
Magdalena Tomaszewska-Sowa ◽  
Mirosław Kobierski ◽  
Anna Katarzyna Sawilska ◽  
Katarzyna Klimkowska
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
World Health ◽  
Plant Tissues ◽  
Geochemical Background ◽  
Soil Environment ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Zn Content ◽  
Thymus Serpyllum ◽  
Health Organization

The aim of the research has been to assay the contents of Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, and Pb in soil and in the organs of wild Thymus serpyllum L. acquired from three natural habitats from the Kuyavia-Pomerania Province (Poland) not exposed to contamination with metals. As compared with the contents of the geochemical background of the soils in the region and the value of enrichment factor (EF), there was noted a considerable content of Pb in the soil from two locations. The Pb content in plant tissues in one of the three locations was higher than the admissible content specified by the World Health Organization WHO (above 10 mg kg−1 d.w.). As for the Zn content, only the plants from the locations with the relatively youngest phytocenosis met the conditions for herbs to be used for phytotherapy. The Zn content in the dry weight of the plants collected from the other two locations exceeded 50 mg kg−1. The risk of an elevated content of Zn and Pb in the plants makes it necessary to monitor the soil environment and to limit the collection of the plants from natural habitats, as well as to encourage the collection from controlled habitats.

scholarly journals Temporal and spatial variability of cyanobacterial toxins microcystins in three interconnected freshwater reservoirs

2010 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 1303-1312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luděk Bláha ◽  
Lucie Bláhová ◽  
Jiří Kohoutek ◽  
Ondřej Adamovský ◽  
Pavel Babica ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dry Weight ◽  
Cyanobacterial Blooms ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cyanobacterial Toxins ◽  
Toxic Cyanobacteria ◽  
Guideline Value ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Natural Dynamics

In spite of substantial research on health and the ecological risks associated with cyanobacterial toxins in the past decades, the understanding of the natural dynamics and variability of toxic cyanobacterial blooms is still limited. Herein, the results of long term monitoring 1998-1999 / 2001-2008 of three reservoirs (V?r, Brno and Nov? Ml?ny), where toxic blooms develop annually, are reported. These three reservoirs provide a unique model because they are interconnected by the Svratka River, which allows possible transfer of phytoplankton as well as toxins from one reservoir to another. The frequency of the occurrence and dominance of the major cyanobacterial taxa Microcystis aeruginosa did not change during the investigated period but substantial variability was observed in the composition of other phytoplankton. Although absolute concentrations of the studied toxins (microcystins) differed among the reservoirs, there were apparent parallel trends. For example, during certain years, the microcystin concentrations were systematically elevated in all three studied reservoirs. Furthermore, the concentration profiles in the three sites were also correlated (parallel trends) within individual seasons based on monthly sampling. Microcystin-LR, a variant for which the World Health Organization has recommended a guideline value, formed only about 30-50% of the total microcystins. This is of importance, especially in the V?r reservoir that serves as a drinking water supply. Maxima in the cell-bound microcystins (intracellular; expressed per dry weight biomass) generally preceded the maxima of total microcystins (expressed per volume of water sample). Overall, the maximum concentration in the biomass (all three reservoirs, period 1993-2005) was 6.1 mg g-1 dry weight and the median values were in the range 0.065-2.3 mg g-1 dry weight. These are generally high concentrations in comparison with both Czech Republic and worldwide reported data. The present data revealed substantial variability of both toxic cyanobacteria and their peptide toxins that should be reflected by detailed monitoring programs.

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