Author Archive

Earthworms show potential for enhancing DDT degradation in soil

Although the use of the pesticide DDT has been banned in many countries since the 1970’s, the infamous organochlorine molecule is stubbornly persistent and can remain in soil for up to 30 years.  Earthworms have shown potential in removing organic pollutants from soil, and this study investigates the possibility of earthworms degrading DDT.

Fang-bai Li and colleagues from South China Agricultural University and Guangdong Institute of Eco-Environmental and Soil Sciences found two earthworm species, E. foetida and A. robustus E. Perrier, significantly enhanced the degradation of DDT to its metabolites DDD, DDE and DDMU and explored the mechanism of bioremediation.

Enhancement effect of two ecological earthworm species (Eisenia foetida and Amynthas robustus E. Perrier) on removal and degradation processes of soil DDT
Zhong Lin, Xiao-min Li, Yong-tao Li, De-yin Huang, Jun Dong and Fang-bai Li
DOI: 10.1039/C2EM30160A

This HOT article is free to access for the next four weeks following a simple registration for individual users.

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By-products from wastewater disinfection and passive sampling of antibiotics on the cover of Issue 6

Disinfection by-product formation potentialsOn the cover this month we have two hot articles on water-related issues.  The first is from Yuefeng F. Xie and colleagues at Penn State, who have studied the levels of disinfection by-product (DBP) precursors and their removal efficiencies from wastewater for the first time.  Although there are regulations governing disinfectants and disinfection by-products in wastewater, precursor removal is not regulated.  DBP precursors can react during the chlorination step of water disinfection to form potential harmful by-products.

Disinfection by-product formation potentials in wastewater effluents and their reductions in a wastewater treatment plant
Hao L. Tang, Yen-Chih Chen, John M. Regan and Yuefeng F. Xie
DOI: 10.1039/C2EM00015F

Passive water sampling for antibioticsThe other article on our cover is from Kevin C. Jones and colleagues who have applied the principle of diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) to sample organic species, modelled with the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole.  DGT sampling has previously only been applied to inorganic species and this new application designated ‘o-DGT’ may be useful for the passive sampling of pharmaceuticals in both fresh and seawater the future.

A novel passive water sampler for in situ sampling of antibiotics
Chang-Er Chen, Hao Zhang and Kevin C. Jones
DOI: 10.1039/C2EM30091E

The issue also contains our monthly round-up of environmental news, which this month includes fracking legislation, bisphenol-A and the recent consult on nanosilver.

View the issue

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Have you seen our Environmental Digest? A monthly roundup of the most important environmental research and legislation

At Journal of Environmental Monitoring we are committed to advancing understanding of the issues affecting our environment, and we know that your research is dependent on being up to date on all the developments in this complex field.

So did you know that with every issue we publish a news article written by consultant Mike Sharpe which summarises everything you need to know about the latest environmental legislation, quality control and health issues, research activities and chemical hazards? And, best of all, these articles are FREE to access!*

Here’s a sample of the great content in the latest articles:

Pesticides linked to decline of bees

Pesticides linked to decline of bees

Researchers have raised concern over the affect of low-dose pesticides on bees. Systemic insecticides, a common way to protect crops, can seriously damage the bees’ ability to navigate, scientists say. The new research strongly links the pesticides to the serious decline in honey bee numbers in the US and UK – a drop of around 50% in the last 25 years. The significance of the new work, published in Science, is that it is the first carried out in realistic, open-air conditions. Read more

Nuclear fall predicted as climate warnings growNuclear fall predicted as climate warnings grow

The Fukushima disaster could lead to a 15% fall in world nuclear power generation by 2035, while over the same period power demand could rise by 3.1% a year, according to the International Energy Agency’s 2011 World Energy Outlook. It is the latest of a series of dour predictions on the future of nuclear energy and came amid warnings that global climate indicators continue to move in the wrong direction. Read more

Stroke risk from air pollution ‘rises in hours’Stroke risk from air pollution ‘rises in hours’

Air pollution, even at levels generally considered safe by federal regulations, increases the risk of stroke by 34%, US researchers have found.

Researchers studied more than 1700 stroke patients in the Boston area over a 10-year period. They found exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5), generally from vehicle traffic, was associated with a significantly higher risk of ischaemic strokes on days when the EPA’s air quality index for particulate matter was yellow instead of green. Read more

The road to Rio + 20The road to Rio + 20

The countdown to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) has begun in earnest with the publication of the first draft of the negotiating text to be discussed by governments. The conference, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June will aim to set a framework for global environmental governance and comes twenty years after the first such conference held in the city in 1992 (hence, the moniker ‘Rio + 20’). Although focusing heavily on the green economy concept, the draft stresses this is merely a means to achieve sustainable development, “which must remain our overarching goal”. Read more

Sign up for our e-alerts to receive an email when issues and news articles are published, you can also keep up with us through the blog RSS and Twitter.

* Articles are free to access through a simple registration process for an RSC Publishing Personal Account.

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Fukushima fallout on this month’s cover

The article on the cover this month is from R. Nelson and colleagues, who have looked at trace levels of radioactivity in air, water, and milk samples in the United States over several weeks following the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March last year.

The article found that while levels of certain cadmium, technetium and iodide radionucleotides were elevated, these levels were still ‘well below any level of public and environmental concern’. As with all our cover articles, this one is free to access* for 6 weeks:

Radioactive fallout in the United States due to the Fukushima nuclear plant accident
P. Thakur, S. Ballard and R. Nelson
J. Environ. Monit., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2EM11011C

Also in this issue is our regular news feature from Mike Sharpe, who this month has news on the direction of the EU’s future environmental policy, new additions to the US EPA National Priorities List of Superfund sites, continued discussions from the nuclear industry, and much, much more.

View the rest of the issue here

*Following a simple registration for individual users

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Latest hot articles on understanding Cr(VI) generation in drinking water and the effect of organic matter on nanoparticle stabilisation

Dana Lindsay and colleagues at Manhattan College, USA, have conducted a study to better understand the rate and extent of carcinogenic CrVI generation following the disinfection of drinking water with chlorine.  Trace amounts of CrIII may be present in water supplies, but the extent to which this is oxidised to CrVI is poorly understood.  Lindsay and colleagues found that oxidation occurred within a matter of hours, and therefore could occur during water treatment plants, but plateaued at less than 100% conversion, even with relatively high doses of chlorine.

Oxidation of CrIII to CrVI during chlorination of drinking water
Dana R. Lindsay ,  Kevin J. Farley and Richard F. Carbonaro
J. Environ. Monit., 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2EM00012A

Understanding the fate and transport of engineered nanoparticles in the environment is a key issue, this paper Jeffery Nason et al. have investigated the effect of natural organic matter on the stabilisation of nanoparticles in aquatic environments.  Their findings indicate that both the type and concentration of the organic matter, along with the ionic strength of the aquatic system are important factors in determining colloidal nanoparticle stability.

Effects of natural organic matter type and concentration on the aggregation of citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles
Jeffrey A. Nason ,  Shannon A. McDowell and Ty W. Callahan
J. Environ. Monit., 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2EM00005A

Both these papers are free to access for 4 weeks following a simple registration for individual users.

Dana R. Lindsay
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JEM article on the radioactive fallout from Fukushima featured in the press

An article recently published in the journal has featured in the press this week.  The paper, which looks at trace levels of radioactivity in air, water, and milk samples in the United States over several weeks following the disaster, has been mentioned in an article in the International Business Times.

The article found that while levels of certain cadmium, technetium and iodide radionucleotides were elevated, these levels were still ‘well below any level of public and environmental concern’.

Read the full discussion of the results here:

Radioactive fallout in the United States due to the Fukushima nuclear plant accident
P. Thakur, S. Ballard and R. Nelson
J. Environ. Monit., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2EM11011C

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GE-RSC International Symposium on Water Re-use

The GE CTC-RSC International Symposium on Water Reuse to be held at the GE China Technology Center in Shanghai on 19-20 April 2012 will feature a selection of lectures covering water reuse, including water treatment technology and materials, water reuse and water reclamation.

This meeting is free to attend and will feature leading international scientists including Dr John Barber (GE), Prof. Guang-Hao Chen (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), Prof. Jiahui Shao (Shanghai Jiaotong University) and Prof. David Stuckey (Imperial College, UK), plus a poster session.

Deadlines:

  • Poster abstract submission is Monday 9 April, 2012
  • Registration is Monday 16 April, 2012

More information and details of how to register can be found on the website.

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The fate of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in soil on the cover of Issue 4

J. Environ. Monit. Cover Issue 4A hot article from Michael F. Hochella and colleagues Virginia Tech and Duke University is on the cover of our latest issue, describing their work to better understand the fate of TiO2 nanomaterials in soil, and their most likely route of entry into the environment.

Characterization and environmental implications of nano- and larger TiO2 particles in sewage sludge, and soils amended with sewage sludge
Bojeong Kim, Mitsuhiro Murayama, Benjamin P. Colman and Michael F. Hochella
J. Environ. Monit., 2012, 14, 1128-1136
DOI: 10.1039/C2EM10809G

Nanoparticles your thing? Have you seen the themed issue we published on Environmental Nanotechnology?

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Latest environmental news

Stroke risk from air pollution ‘rises in hours’Mike Sharpe discusses the latest environmental issues, including the conclusions of a study which links air pollution and an increased stoke risks.  Other public health issues discussed include air emissions of dioxins and the division between EU regulators and scientific experts on the adoption of the thresholds of toxicological concern (TTC) approach for chemical risk assessment.

Read the whole article which has much more news on recent environmental legislation and research.

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Latest environmental news

Just published is our latest Environmental Digest, where Mike Sharpe looks ahead to the aims of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development which is being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June.  Other legislation discussed includes WEEE2 (waste electrical and electronic equipment) and the recent EU review of shale gas laws.

Water news includes the unveiling of water quality standards from the EU and a new tool from the EPA which provides information about pollutants released into local waterways.

Read more for information on new EU biocide rules, atmospheric trifluoroacetic acid levels and the illegal pesticide trade.

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