Mean Bioconcentration Factors Research Articles

Honey Bee Products as Bio Indicator of Heavy Metals Pollution and Health Risk Assessment Through the Consumption of Multifloral Honey Collected in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.

The study assessed the health risks associated with heavy metal ingestion and explored the use of honey bee products as a bio-indicator for heavy metal pollution. All honey bee products tested showed heavy metals, but some honey samples had concentrations exceeding permissible limits for Cd, Pb, Ni, and Cr. The mean concentrations of heavy metals (mg/kg) in the honey, propolis, bee wax, and bee pollen were Fe (1.32) > Zn (1.31) > Pb (0.46) > Ni (0.18) > Cr (0.16) > Cu (0.14) > Co (0.12) > Mn (0.05) > Cd (0.03), Fe (8) > Zn (1.13) > Mn (0.59) > Pb (0.13) > Ni (0.07) > Cu (0.06) > Co (0.05) > Cr (0.03) > Cd (0.02), Fe (1.31) > Pb (0.41) > Ni (0.407) > Zn(0.25) > Mn (0.12) > Co(0.10) > Cu (0.07) > Cr (0.05) > Cd (0.002), and Fe (2.2) > Zn (0.75) > Ni (0.25) > Pb (0.16) > Cu (0.05) > Mn (0.045) > Co (0.04) > Cr (0.01) > Cd(0.002), respectively. Similarly, the mean concentration of heavy metals (mg/kg) in the soil, flowers and pine pollen was Fe (539.08) > Zn (89.53) > Mn (66.91) > Ni (58.5) > Co (19.2) > Cr (11.42) > Pb (6.58) > Cu (5.71) > Cd (0.19), Fe (3.12) > Zn (0.95) > Mn (0.72) > Ni (0.29) > Cu (0.16) > Cr (0.14) > Pb (0.059) > Co (0.057) > Cd (0.003) and Fe (2.59) > Zn (1.75) > Mn (0.43) > Pb (0.34) > Co (0.1) > Cr (0.07) > Cu (0.06) > Cd (0.039) > Ni (0.03), respectively. The atomic absorption spectrophotometry procedure was validated through a recovery study and achieved accuracy through the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ). The mean Bio concentration factor (BCF) indicated that the transfer from soil to honey was higher than from soil to flower. The metal pollution index (MPI) of the selected indicators was in descending order: soil > honey > flowers > propolis > pine pollen > beeswax > bee pollen. The hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) were below one, showing no chronic health risk. The carcinogenic risk (CR) of Cd, Cr, and Ni in honey for children, male and female adults for the consumers exceeds the acceptable level, making Cd, Cr, and Ni the most concerning heavy metals in honey. The study suggests that regular monitoring of heavy metal pollution is essential.

Bioconcentration of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Precursors in Fathead Minnow Tissues Environmentally Exposed to Aqueous Film-Forming Foam-Contaminated Waters.

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been associated with toxicity in wildlife and negative health effects in humans. Decades of fire training activity at Joint Base Cape Cod (MA, USA) incorporated the use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which resulted in long-term PFAS contamination of sediments, groundwater, and hydrologically connected surface waters. To explore the bioconcentration potential of PFAS in complex environmental mixtures, a mobile laboratory was established to evaluate the bioconcentration of PFAS from AFFF-impacted groundwater by flow-through design. Fathead minnows (n = 24) were exposed to PFAS in groundwater over a 21-day period and tissue-specific PFAS burdens in liver, kidney, and gonad were derived at three different time points. The ∑PFAS concentrations in groundwater increased from approximately 10,000 ng/L at day 1 to 36,000 ng/L at day 21. The relative abundance of PFAS in liver, kidney, and gonad shifted temporally from majority perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides (FASAs) to perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs). By day 21, mean ∑PFAS concentrations in tissues displayed a predominance in the order of liver > kidney > gonad. Generally, bioconcentration factors (BCFs) for FASAs, perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs), and fluorotelomer sulfonates (FTS) increased with degree of fluorinated carbon chain length, but this was not evident for PFSAs. Perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA) displayed the highest mean BCF (8700 L/kg) in day 21 kidney. Suspect screening results revealed the presence of several perfluoroalkyl sulfinate and FASA compounds present in groundwater and in liver for which pseudo-bioconcentration factors are also reported. The bioconcentration observed for precursor compounds and PFSA derivatives detected suggests alternative pathways for terminal PFAS exposure in aquatic wildlife and humans. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:1795-1806. © 2024 The Author(s). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in agricultural soils and bioconcentration in rice grains from Faridkot District, India

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soil pose significant risks to both ecology and human health. Therefore, to understand the effect of PTEs in agricultural soils of Faridkot District, Punjab, India, 36 soil samples were analyzed for physicochemical properties, contents of PTEs (aluminum, arsenic, nickel, boron, uranium, barium, chromium, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, cobalt, manganese, selenium, and zinc), possible ecological and human health risks and bioconcentration in rice grains. Soils showed high mean contents (mg/kg) of potassium (906.65), sodium (760.78), and chlorides (247.13) with cadmium, copper, zinc, arsenic, and selenium contents (mg/kg) in 55.56%, 33.33%, 25.00%, 16.67%, and 13.89% of samples exceeding their safe limits (0.06, 20.00, 50.00, 20.00, and 0.20, respectively). Individual and multi-element indices suggested extremely high-soil enrichment of arsenic, cadmium, and selenium and low to moderate ecological risk. Multivariate analyses revealed the contribution of both geogenic and anthropogenic activities to soil contamination. Mean bioconcentration factors of chromium (4.48), boron (1.24), and copper (2.69) were >1.00 in rice. Residents had higher cancer risk (TCR) due to arsenic (3.64E-05) and chromium (4.04E-06) in soil, mainly through ingestion and dermal contact. This work could serve as baseline database for further research and designing the strategy to alleviate soil contamination.

Enrichment Characteristics of Heavy Metals and Health Risk in Different Vegetables

The health risk caused by heavy metal accumulation in vegetables is of great concern. In this study, a database of heavy metal content in a vegetable-soil system in China was constructed through literature review and field sample collection. A systematic analysis of seven heavy metal contents in edible parts of vegetables and their bioaccumulation capacity among different vegetables was also performed. Additionally, the non-carcinogenic health risks of four types vegetables were assessed by using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). The mean values of Cd, As, Pb, Cr, Hg, Cu, and Zn in the edible parts of the vegetables were 0.093, 0.024, 0.137, 0.118, 0.007, 0.622, and 3.272 mg·kg-1, and the exceedance rates of the five toxic elements were:Pb (18.5%)>Cd (12.9%)>Hg (11.5%)>Cr (4.03%)>As (0.21%). Leafy vegetables showed high Cd enrichment, and root vegetables showed high Pb enrichment, with mean bioconcentration factors of 0.264 and 0.262, respectively. Generally, legumes vegetables and solanaceous vegetables showed lower bioaccumulation for heavy metals. The health risk results indicated that the non-carcinogenic risk for single elements of vegetable intake was within the acceptable range, with the health risk for children being higher than that for adults. The mean non-carcinogenic risk for single elements were:Pb>Hg>Cd>As>Cr. The multi-element combined non-carcinogenic risks of four types vegetables were:leafy vegetables>root vegetables>legume vegetables>solanaceous vegetables. Planting lower-heavy metal bioaccumulation vegetables in heavy metal-contaminated farmland is an effective method to minimize the health risk.

Evaluation of heavy metal accumulation in sediment, surface water and some plants in the Karasu Riparian Zone

ABSTRACT. This study aims to determine and compare the heavy metal concentrations in the water, sediment, and plants of the Karasu river in Erzurum, Türkiye. In this context, aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and barium (Ba) concentrations were measured for this study. Salix excelsa (willow), Rosa canina L., Pyrus elaeagnifolia (wild pear), Malus sylvestris (wild apple), and Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn) plants were used as samples. Heavy metal concentrations follow the order of Al3+ > Fe2+ > Mn2+ > Ba2+ > Ni2+ > Zn2+ in the sediment. Heavy metal concentrations follow the order of Al3+ > Fe2+ > Ba2+ > Mn2+ > Zn2+ > Ni2+ in water. The leaf part of Salix excelsa has the highest bioconcentration factor (BCF) for Mn among plant parts. Mean BCF values were as follows: Zn2+ > Mn2+ > Ba2+ > Ni2+ > Al3+ ≈ Fe2+. In addition, the highest plant translocation factor (PTF) values were determined in Salix excelsa for Al and Fe; in Rosa canina L. for Ni and Zn; in Hippophae rhamnoides L. for Mn and in Malus sylvestris for Ba.
 
 KEY WORDS: Heavy metals accumulation, Sediment, Water, Plant, Riparian Zone
 Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2023, 37(1), 35-45. 
 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v37i1.4

Optimization of the elimination of antibiotics by Lemna gibba and Azolla filiculoides using response surface methodology (RSM)

Antibiotic residues have been found in environmental samples, such as water, soil, and even food, and usually come from wastewater, presenting environmental and human health risks. This study aimed to improve the elimination of the antibiotics tetracycline (Tet) and chloramphenicol (Chlor) by modifying three factors: contact time (3–7 days), plant biomass (10–14 g), and antibiotic concentration (5–15 mg/L Tet and 10–20 mg/L Chlor). An approach that optimizes time and resources, response surface methodology (RSM), was applied with a Box–Behnken design (BBD) to two plant species (L. gibba and A. filiculoides), i.e., one experimental design was used for each species. Antibiotic residues in water and plant samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography. The optimal conditions for Tet removal were 6.04 d, 11.4 g, and 13.4 mg/L with Lemna and 6.3 d, 11.9 g, and 14.7 mg/L with Azolla; the optimal conditions for Chlor removal were 7.8 d, 13.6 g, and 10.2 mg/L with Lemna and 4.6 d, 12.3 g, and 8.7 mg/L with Azolla. The results showed that the removal efficiency of antibiotics increased depending on the species used, reaching a maximum of up to 100%. Tet was better removed than Chlor, reaching maximum removal values of 100% and 84% with Azolla and Lemna, respectively. Chlor removal reached 70% and 64% with Azolla and Lemna, respectively. The mean bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of Tet were 2.9% in Lemna and 4.9% in Azolla, and the BCFs for Chlor were 38.1% in Lemna and 37.8% in Azolla. Thus, in general, better results were obtained with Azolla. In summary, the results demonstrate that this design and the selected plants contribute to the removal of antibiotics, presenting a sustainable and recommended alternative for the treatment of wastewater contaminated with antibiotic residues.

Environmental pollution, ecological and human health risk assessment of heavy metals in rice farming system near the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh

ABSTRACT The current study focused on quantifying hazardous heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, and Zn) in soil-rice systems near the Buriganga River in Bangladesh to assess their impact on human health and the environment. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Zn in soil exceeded FAO/WHO acceptable limits, and the metal pollution index (MPI) indicated that all soil samples collected from the rice fields were severely polluted (MPI˃30) than water and rice grain samples. According to the sum of pollution index (SPI) by studied metals, rice grains collected from Kamrangirchor (29.36), Dhakauddan (28.75), and Bosila (18.08) were severely polluted. Mean Bio-concentration factors (BCFs) and Transfer factors (TFgrain/soil) in rice grains were in the following order: Cd (6.034) > Zn (1.752) > Pb (0.697) ˃ Ni (0.666) > Cr (0.135) > As (0.037), and Cd (1.150) > Zn (0.421) > Ni (0.112) ˃ Pb (0.072) > Cr (0.015) > As (0.034) respectively indicating higher accumulation of Cd in rice grain than others toxic heavy metal. The potential ecological risk index (RI) showed that except for water in Kamrangirchar and Keraniganj rice fields, all other rice fields soil and water samples did not pose severe ecological pollution (RI˂110) by different toxic heavy metals. Health risk assessment showed that rice grains are unsafe for human consumption as the carcinogenic health risk (CHR˃10-3) and non-carcinogenic health risk (HI ˃1) quotients seem more than the safe level in all samples collected from rice fields surrounding the Buriganga River. Findings show that heavy metal concentrations are high in rice fields near the Buriganga River, endangering the environment and consumer health.

The potential use of Octolasmis spp. parasites in mud crabs Scylla spp. as a bioindicator for mercury pollution

Abstract. Nur I, Aris EA, Yusnaini Y, Beavis S. 2021. The potential use of Octolasmis spp. parasites in mud crabs Scylla spp. as a bioindicator for mercury pollution. Biodiversitas 22: 3764-3772. Artisanal small-scale gold mining and the use of mercury is widespread across Indonesia, often characterized by relatively short-lived gold rushes. In the late and post-mining phases, mercury stored in mine tailings and river beds was transported down catchment, posing risks to ecosystems and human health over much longer time scales. These risks can be under-rated when mercury concentrations in water, sediments, and aquatic species are low enough to meet relevant guideline thresholds. In this study in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, we have investigated the Costraca barnacle, Octolasmis, as a bioindicator of mercury contamination. The presence of Octolasmis parasites in mud crabs, Scylla spp., and the accumulation of mercury (Hg) in the hosts, parasites, and the ambient environment, were analyzed across both dry and wet seasons. Severe infestation of Octolasmis was assessed using prevalence, abundance, and intensity. Hg concentrations were significantly higher in the Octolasmis parasites than in the host tissues, water and sediments. The mean bioconcentration factor (BCF) of Hg equaled 7938.21 from water to parasites, and 28.91 from the host’s gill tissue to the parasites. The results suggest that Octolasmis spp. can be used effectively as a bioindicator in coastal catchments impacted by mercury contamination, even when concentrations of mercury are low in water and river sediments. The study provides the first report of Octolasmis spp. parasitized to mud crabs as a reliable bioindicator of Hg contamination and pollution.

Accumulation of 13C-labelled phenanthrene in phytoplankton and transfer to corals resolved using cavity ring-down spectroscopy.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread pollutants in marine ecosystems including threatened and potentially sensitive coral reefs. Lower organisms such as phytoplankton, known to bioconcentrate PAHs, could serve as potential entry points for these chemicals into higher trophic levels. Here, we present a novel method using a 13C-labelled PAH and cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) to investigate accumulation, uptake rates and trophic transfer of PAHs in corals, which are key organisms to sustain biodiversity in tropical seas. We quantified the accumulation of 13C-phenanthrene in the marine microalga Dunaliella salina, and in the coral Acropora millepora after diffusive uptake from seawater or dietary uptake via labelled D. salina. Additionally, we monitored the photophysiological health of D. salina and A. millepora during phenanthrene exposure by pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM) fluorometry. Dose-dependent accumulation of 13C-phenanthrene in the microalga showed a mean bioconcentration factor (BCF) of 2590±787Lkg-1 dry weight. Corals accumulated phenanthrene from both exposure routes. While uptake of 13C-phenanthrene in corals was faster through aqueous exposure than dietary exposure, passive diffusion showed larger variability between individuals and both routes resulted in accumulation of similar concentrations of phenanthrene. The 13C-PAH labelling and analysis by CRDS proved to be a highly sensitive method. The use of stable isotopic label eliminated additional toxicity and risks by radioactive isotopic-labelling, and CRDS reduced the analytical complexity of PAH (less biomass, no extraction, fast analysis). The simultaneous, precise quantification of both carbon content and 13C/12C ratio (δ13C) enabled accurate determination of 13C-phenanthrene accumulation and uptake rate. This is the first study to provide empirical evidence for accumulation of phenanthrene in a phytoplankton-coral food chain.

Potential for phytoremediation of nonylphenol from sewage sludge.

Nonylphenol (NP) is considered a major contaminant that must be removed to enable safe and environmentally friendly land application of sewage sludge. Phytoremediation is a technology in which plants are used to remove and/or stabilize organic and inorganic contaminants present in the soil, municipal wastewater, and sewage sludge. In this study, a 391-d large pot experiment was conducted to remove NP from sewage sludge by phytoremediation using Zea mays L. 'Yunshi-5', Lolium perenne L., and co-cropping of the two plants. The fate of NP in the soil under the sewage sludge was assessed at the same time. At the end of the experiment, the NP levels in sludge from the various treatments were as follows: control (38.60%)>L. perenne (31.27%)>Z. mays (16.25%)>co-cropping (15.28%). Degradation followed an availability-adjusted first-order kinetics with a decreasing order of half-lives as follows: control (88.2 d)>L. perenne (87.3 d)>co-cropping (66.2 d)>Z. mays (59.1 d). The results indicated that Z. mays and co-cropping could both degrade NP. The concentrations of NP in tissues of different plants differed significantly. The mean bioconcentration factors for Z. mays and L. perenne were 0.16 and 3.69, respectively. Direct removal of NP from sewage sludge by plant uptake was negligible, as was downward movement of NP in the system. Moreover, NP was not detected in soils in any treatments at harvest.

Bioavailability, Translocation, and Accumulation Characteristic of Heavy Metals in a Soil-Crop System from a Typical Carbonate Rock Area in Guangxi, China

This study uses 68 sets of paddy soil and rice grain samples collected from an area of carbonate rocks in Guangxi Province, China, to explore the ecological risks of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Ni, and Zn) in soils from a high background area. We analyzed the concentrations of these heavy metals in soil and grain samples, and their chemical speciation in soil, and use these data to assess the associated ecological risks by means of statistics, a geo-accumulation index, bioconcentration factors (BCF), and correlation analysis. The arithmetic mean values of heavy metals concentrations in soil samples from the study area were (75.8±50.1), (1.91±1.02), (467.0±253.1), (48.5±9.8), (0.21±0.08), (76.2±28.1), (84.2±25.0), and (258.0±122.6) mg·kg-1 for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn, respectively, which were remarkably higher than of those from other regions within Guangxi Province and China. In comparison to China's soil environmental quality standard risk screening values (GB 15618-2018), the over-standard rates of Cd, As, and Cr were 95.6%, 86.8%, and 69.1%, respectively. In comparison to risk intervention values, the over-standard rates of Cd, As, and Cr were 27.9%, 17.6%, and 5.9%, respectively. Speciation analysis on heavy metals indicated that As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were mainly found in a residual form, and accounted for>80% of the total concentrations, and had a low bioavailability. The bioactive components (F1+F2+F3) of Cd accounted for 21%, and the bioactivity of Cd was higher than other elements. The potential bioavailable components (F4+F5+F6) of Hg accounted for 44%, with low total concentrations, which are understood to have little potential ecological harm for crops. However, the over-standard rates of Pb, Cd, and Cr in rice grains were only 23.5%, 8.8%, and 2.9%, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that there was no significant correlation between the concentrations of heavy metals in soils and the corresponding rice grains. The mean BCFs of each heavy metal were <0.1, and the BCFs of Hg, Pb, As, Cr, and Ni were <0.05. Overall, we found relatively high concentrations, low activity, and low ecological risks for heavy metals in the study area. For high geological background materials such as carbonate rocks, factors such as metal speciation, biological activity, and crop over-standard rates should be taken into account along with the traditional use of the total amount of heavy metals in a soil as the evaluation standard when formulating pollution control policies.

Biomonitoring of airborne Cu, Pb, and Zn in an urban area employing a broad leaved and a conifer tree species

Air pollution in cities is one of the major problems throughout the world both in developing and in developed countries. Trees as ecological indicators have been mostly used for biological monitoring of urban air quality. Thus, tree organs as leaf and bark have been applied as accumulative biomonitors of toxic metal contamination and have achieved noticeable ecological importance. Leaves and barks of common broad leaved (Ash: Fraxinus excelsior) and conifer (Tehran Pine: Pinus eldarica) trees and corresponding soil samples from three districts within the urban areas of Bojnourd (Iran) were collected. Comparison of the three districts obviously exhibited the effects of anthropogenic activities on the metal concentrations in the studied surface soils. Our results indicated that the level of toxic metals in corresponding soil of Pinus eldarica was higher than the Fraxinus excelsior. The tree barks accumulated a greater load of Pb than the tree leaves and higher concentration of Cu and Zn was observed in leaves compared to bark. For Ash and Pine the bioconcentration factor (BCF) of Pb in barks was higher than the BCF in leaves. Conversely, BCF for Cu and Zn in leaves was higher than in barks. The mean BCF for Pb and Cu in leaves of Ash was much higher than that of Pine, while it was vice versa for Zn. In the present study washing the leaves removed of toxic metals about 20% - 46% that indicated considerable content of toxic metals was on the leaves surface as dry deposition. Higher BCF values of Pb than those of Cu and Zn affirmed these two tree species could be considered as Pb accumulators. Both broad leaved and conifer tree are good biomonitors of urban air pollution. The outcomes of this research demonstrated Fraxinus excelsior as more suitable than Pinus eldarica for biomonitoring Pb atmospheric pollution in the urban areas, while Pinus eldarica more appropriate for Zn biomonitoring. Also the tree leaves is relatively more suitable than tree bark for biomonitoring.

Mercury species in the nests and bodies of soil-feeding termites, Silvestritermes spp. (Termitidae, Syntermitinae), in French Guiana

Mercury pollution is currently a major public health concern, given the adverse effects of mercury on wildlife and humans. Soil plays an essential role in speciation of mercury and its global cycling, while being a habitat for a wide range of terrestrial fauna. Soil fauna, primarily soil-feeding taxa that are in intimate contact with soil pollutants are key contributors in the cycling of soil mercury and might provide relevant indications about soil pollution. We studied the enrichment of various mercury species in the nests and bodies of soil-feeding termites Silvestritermes spp. in French Guiana. Soil-feeding termites are the only social insects using soil as both shelter and food and are major decomposers of organic matter in neotropical forests. Nests of S. minutus were depleted in total and mobile mercury compared to nearby soil. In contrast, they were enriched 17 times in methylmercury. The highest concentrations of methylmercury were found in body of both studied termite species, with mean bioconcentration factors of 58 for S. minutus and 179 for S. holmgreni relative to the soil. The assessment of the body distribution of methylmercury in S. minutus showed concentrations of 221 ng g−1 for the guts and even higher for the gut-free carcasses (683 ng g−1), suggesting that methylmercury is not confined to the gut where it was likely produced, but rather stored in various tissues. This enrichment in the most toxic form of Hg in termites may be of concern on termite predators and the higher levels in the food chain that may be endangered through prey-to-predator transfers and bioaccumulation. Soil-feeding termites appear to be promising candidates as bio-indicators of mercury pollution in soils of neotropical rainforest ecosystems.

Endocrine disrupting pesticides in soil and their health risk through ingestion of vegetables grown in Pakistan.

A comprehensive study was conducted to appraise the concentrations of 30 endocrine disrupting pesticides (EDPs) in soil and vegetable samples collected from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The sum of 30 EDPs (Σ30EDPs) ranged from 192 to 2148μgkg-1 in the collected soils. The selected EDP concentrations exceeded their respective limits in most of the tested soils and showed great variation from site to site. Similarly, high variations in Σ30EDP concentrations were also observed in vegetables with the highest mean concentration in lettuce (28.9μgkg-1), followed by radish (26.6μgkg-1), spinach (25.7μgkg-1), onion (16.2μgkg-1), turnip (15.6μgkg-1), and garlic (14.7μgkg-1). However, EDP levels in all studied vegetables were within FAO/WHO limits. The mean bioconcentration factor values wereobserved < 1 for all the studied vegetables. The health risk assessment revealed that the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) of Σ30EDPs associated with vegetable ingestion was below the acceptable risk level (1 × 10-6), showing no cancer risk to local inhabitants. However, exposure to endocrine disruptor and probable carcinogen heptachlor epoxide poses a potential non-cancer risk (hazard quotient (HQ > 1)) to children through vegetable consumption. The presence of banned EDPs in soils and vegetables of the study area indicates the stability of these legacy chemicals in the environment from over usage in the past or illegal current application for agricultural purposes. Graphical abstract.

Estimation of arsenic, manganese and iron in mustard seeds, maize grains, groundwater and associated human health risks in Ropar wetland, Punjab, India, and its adjoining areas.

Present study was conducted to estimate the bioconcentration of total arsenic (t-As), manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) in mustard seeds and maize grains cultivated in agricultural fields of Ropar wetland and its surroundings. Possible health risks posed to residents of study area via daily dietary intake of inorganic arsenic (i-As), manganese and iron via consumption of mustard seeds, maize grains and groundwater were also assessed. i-As content was determined form t-As using relevant conversion factor (i-As = t-As in groundwater and i-As = 70% t-As in food crops). Mustard seeds acted as accumulator of arsenic as mean bioconcentration factor (BCF) was > 1 for 66.67% of the samples. BCFs of t-As, Mn and Fe for mustard seeds and maize grains varied logarithmically with their respective concentrations in soil samples, except BCF for Mn in mustard seeds, which followed a linear model. Hazard quotient and hazard index values of i-As, Mn and Fe were found to be > 1 for mustard seeds and groundwater samples. Possible cancer risk was determined for i-As in mustard seeds, maize grains and groundwater samples > 1.00E-06. These results indicated that daily dietary intake of mustard seeds, maize grains and groundwater contaminated with i-As, Mn and Fe is highly unsafe as it may cause a high possibility of appearance of cancerous and non-cancerous health problems in human population of study area.

Can an aquatic macrophyte bioaccumulate glyphosate? Development of a new method of glyphosate extraction in Ludwigia peploides and watershed scale validation

Glyphosate is intensively used in agricultural fields and it is frequently detected in non-target wetland ecosystems. The floating hydrophyte Ludwigia peploides is widely distributed in American streams and it is an abundant species. Therefore, our objectives were (1) to establish and validate an extraction and quantification methodology for glyphosate in L. peploides and (2) to evaluate the role of this species as a potential glyphosate biomonitor in an agricultural watershed. We developed a new method of glyphosate extraction from leaves of L. peploides. The method recovery was 117± 20% and the matrix effect 20%. To validate the method using environmental samples, plants of L. peploides were collected in March 2016 from eight monitoring sites of El Crespo stream. Surface water and sediment samples were collected at the same time to measure glyphosate and to calculate bioconcentration factors (BCFs) and biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs). Glyphosate was detected in 94.11% in leaves, the concentrations ranging between 4 and 108 μg/kg. Glyphosate was detected in surface water and sediments at 75% and 100% of the samples, at concentrations that varied between 0 and 1.7 μg/L and 5–10.50 μg/kg dry weight, respectively. The mean BCFs and BSAFs were 88.10 L/Kg and 7.61, respectively. These results indicate that L. peploides bioaccumulates glyphosate mainly bioavailable in the surface water. In this sense, L. peploides could be used as a biomonitor organism to evaluate glyphosate levels in freshwater aquatic ecosystems because, in addition to its capacity to bioconcentrate glyphosate, it is easy to sample and it has a restricted mobility.

Response of spontaneous plants from an ex-mining site of Elba island (Tuscany, Italy) to metal(loid) contamination.

The release of large amounts of toxic metals in the neighboring sites of abandoned mine areas represents an important environmental risk for the ecosystem, because it adversely affects soil, water, and plant growth. The aim of the present study was to investigate the metal(loid) (As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) contents of native Mediterranean plants grown on the ex-mining area of Elba island (Italy), with the prospective of its recovery by further phytoremediation technology. Soil samples were collected and characterized for metal(loid) content in total and potentially available (EDTA-extractable) fractions. Arsenic was particularly high, being 338 and 2.1mgkg-1 as total and available fractions, respectively. Predominant native species, namely Dittrichia viscosa L. Greuter, Cistus salviifolius L., Lavandula stoechas L., and Bituminaria bituminosa L., were analyzed for metal content in the different plant organs. D. viscosa exhibited the highest metal(loid) content in the leaves and the singular behavior of translocating arsenic to the leaves (transfer factor about 2.06 and mean bioconcentration factor about 12.48). To assess the healthy status of D. viscosa plants, the leaves were investigated further. The activities of the main antioxidant enzymes and the levels of secondary metabolites linked to oxidative stress in plants from the ex-mining area were not significantly different from those of control plants, except for a lower content of carotenoids, indicating that native plants were adapted to grow in these polluted soils. These results indicate that D. viscosa can be suitable for the revegetation of highly metal-contaminated areas.

Biogeochemistry of uranium in the soil-plant and water-plant systems in an old uranium mine

The present study highlights the uranium (U) concentrations in water–soil–plant matrices and the efficiency considering a heterogeneous assemblage of terrestrial and aquatic native plant species to act as the biomonitor and phytoremediator for environmental U-contamination in the Sevilha mine (uraniferous region of Beiras, Central Portugal). A total of 53 plant species belonging to 22 families was collected from 24 study sites along with ambient soil and/or water samples. The concentration of U showed wide range of variations in the ambient medium: 7.5 to 557mgkg−1 for soil and 0.4 to 113μgL−1 for water. The maximum potential of U accumulation was recorded in roots of the following terrestrial plants: Juncus squarrosus (450mgkg−1 DW), Carlina corymbosa (181mgkg−1 DW) and Juncus bufonius (39.9mgkg−1 DW), followed by the aquatic macrophytes, namely Callitriche stagnalis (55.6mgkg−1 DW) Lemna minor (53.0mgkg−1 DW) and Riccia fluitans (50.6mgkg−1 DW). Accumulation of U in plant tissues exhibited the following decreasing trend: root>leaves>stem>flowers/fruits and this confirms the unique efficiency of roots in accumulating this radionuclide from host soil/sediment (phytostabilization). Overall, the accumulation pattern in the studied aquatic plants (L. minor, R. fluitans, C. stagnalis and Lythrum portula) dominated over most of the terrestrial counterpart. Among terrestrial plants, the higher mean bioconcentration factor (≈1 in roots/rhizomes of C. corymbosa and J. squarrosus) and translocation factor (31 in Andryala integrifolia) were encountered in the representing families Asteraceae and Juncaceae. Hence, these terrestrial plants can be treated as the promising candidates for the development of the phytostabilization or phytoextraction methodologies based on the accumulation, abundance and biomass production.

Uranium accumulation in aquatic macrophytes in an uraniferous region: Relevance to natural attenuation

Phytoremediation potential of uranium (U) was investigated by submerged, free-floating and rooted emergent native aquatic macrophytes inhabiting along the streams of Horta da Vilariça, a uraniferous geochemical region of NE Portugal. The work has been undertaken with the following objectives: (i) to relate the U concentrations in water–sediment–plant system; and (ii) to identify the potentialities of aquatic plants to remediate U-contaminated waters based on accumulation pattern. A total of 25 plant species culminating 233 samples was collected from 15 study points along with surface water and contiguous sediments. Concentrations of U showed wide range of variations both in waters (0.61–5.56 μg L−1, mean value 1.98 μg L−1) and sediments (124–23,910 μg kg−1, mean value 3929 μg kg−1) and this is also reflected in plant species examined. The plant species exhibited the ability to accumulate U several orders of magnitude higher than the surrounding water. Maximum U concentrations was recorded in the bryophyte Scorpiurium deflexifolium (49,639 μg kg−1) followed by Fontinalis antipyretica (35,771 μg kg−1), shoots of Rorippa sylvestris (33,837 μg kg−1), roots of Oenanthe crocata (17,807 μg kg−1) as well as in Nasturtium officinale (10,995 μg kg−1). Scorpiurium deflexifolium displayed a high bioconcentration factor (BF) of ∼2.5 × 104 (mean value). The species Fontinalis antipyretica, Nasturtium officinale (roots) and Rorippa sylvestris (shoots) exhibited the mean BFs of 1.7 × 104, 5 × 103 and 4.8 × 103 respectively. Maximum translocation factor (TF) was very much pronounced in the rooted perennial herb Rorippa sylvestris showing extreme ability to transport U for the shoots and seems to be promising candidate to be used as bioindicator species.

Accumulation of 2,4-dinitroanisole in the earthworm Eisenia fetida from chemically spiked and aged natural soils.

An initiative within the US military is targeting the replacement of traditional munitions constituents with insensitive munitions to reduce the risk of accidental detonation. The bioavailability and bioaccumulative potential of the insensitive munitions compound 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN) to Eisenia fetida was assessed in soils with different geochemical characteristics. Prior to exposure, soils were chemically spiked with DNAN and aged for 1 wk or 29 wk. Transformation products 2- and 4-amino-nitroanisole (2A-4NAN and 4A-2NAN) occurred in aged soils and their porewater but never at concentrations higher than the residual DNAN. The sum of DNAN, 2A-4NAN, and 4A-2NAN (sumDNAN) in soil decreased with aging, likely by irreversible binding. Both clay and organic matter contents of the soil appeared to affect the bioavailability of DNAN. The sumDNAN body residues of earthworms approached apparent steady state after 1 d and remained relatively constant through to day 7. Higher concentrations of 2A-4NAN and 4A-2NAN measured in worm tissues relative to those in soil suggest reductive transformation of DNAN in the tissues. Mean bioaccumulation factors (ratio of tissue to soil concentrations) varied from 1.2 to 4.3, whereas mean bioconcentration factors (ratio of tissue to porewater concentrations) ranged from 1.4 to 3.2. Porewater seems to play a significant role in the accumulation of DNAN in earthworms, consistent with equilibrium partitioning theory. The concentration of DNAN in soil porewater could serve as an indicator of bioavailability as well as a predictor of the concentration of that compound in earthworms. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:1835-1842. Publlished 2015 SETAC. This article is a US Government work, and as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.