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Issue 5 now online – themed issue on environmental nanotechnology

06 May 2011

Our latest issue is a collection of articles on the theme of environmental nanotechnology, guest edited by JEM Editorial Board member, Wunmi Sadik.

On the outside front cover we have a HOT article from Rai Kookana on the sorption properties of fullerenes in soil – showing that they may form colloidal nanoparticles which affects the way they partition:

Sorption of nano-C60 clusters in soil: hydrophilic or hydrophobic interactions?
Mohsen Forouzangohar and Rai S. Kookana
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 1190-1194
DOI: 10.1039/C0EM00689K

The inside front cover highlights work from Paul Westerhoff on the removal of TiO₂nanomaterials from waste water:

Occurrence and removal of titanium at full scale wastewater treatment plants: implications for TiO2 nanomaterials
Paul Westerhoff, Guixue Song, Kiril Hristovski and Mehlika A. Kiser
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 1195-1203
DOI: 10.1039/C1EM10017C

Other HOT articles in this issue also include:

Effects of silver and cerium dioxide micro- and nano-sized particles on Daphnia magna
Birgit K. Gaiser, Anamika Biswas, Philipp Rosenkranz, Mark A. Jepson, Jamie R. Lead, Vicki Stone, Charles R. Tyler and Teresa F. Fernandes
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 1227-1235
DOI: 10.1039/C1EM10060B

Challenges for physical characterization of silver nanoparticles under pristine and environmentally relevant conditions
Robert I. MacCuspie, Kim Rogers, Manomita Patra, Zhiyong Suo, Andrew J. Allen, Matthew N. Martin and Vincent A. Hackley
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 1212-1226
DOI: 10.1039/C1EM10024F

View the issue online here

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HOT: sorption of nano-fullerene clusters in soil – hydrophillic or hydrophobic?

06 May 2011

C₆₀ molecules are well as hydrophobic compounds with a high K_OC value. But what happens when fullerene molecules are released into the environment?

Mohsen Forouzangohar and Rai Kookana from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation have expanded on previous work that considered environmental C₆₀sorption on a purely molecular basis and assumed phase partitioning into soil organic matter is the main mechanism for the sorption of the hydrophobic C₆₀ molecules. They have shown that they may actually exist in the form of nano-C₆₀ clusters in the environment – rather than as C₆₀ molecules – and that hydrophobic interactions of this compound with soil organic matter are not likely to be the dominant mechanism governing its mobility in the environment. Instead, net surface charge and hydrophilic interactions are expected to play a much more significant role, which could lead to much higher aqueous concentrations of the fullerenes in the environment than previously anticipated.

This interesting article is the cover article from our themed issue on Environmental Nanotechnology and it’s free to access for 6 weeks:

Sorption of nano-C60 clusters in soil: hydrophilic or hydrophobic interactions?
Mohsen Forouzangohar and Rai S. Kookana
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 1190-1194
DOI: 10.1039/C0EM00689K

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HOT article: assessing aquatic titanium dioxide nanomaterial exposure

28 Apr 2011

As the use of nanoparticles in consumer and commercial products continues to rise, information on their effect on the environment is crucial. Numerous studies have been conducted on nanoparticle toxicity but exposure studies have received, well, less exposure.

This paper offers a method for collecting and analysing titanium dioxide nanomaterials from municipal wastewater treatment plants – a major entry point of nanoparticles into aquatic environments. Paul Westerhoff (Arizona State University) and colleagues show that there is a clear possibility of TiO₂ nanoparticles being released into the environment when conventional separation and filtration methods are used. Microfiltration appears to reduce the levels of nanoparticles in the discharged effluent however.

Interestingly, the study also found that silica nanoparticles were present in much higher concentrations than TiO₂, quantification of which were beyond the scope of this study, but are the subject of ongoing research.

This HOT article is part of our forthcoming themed issue on Environmental Nanotechnology and is free to access for 4 weeks.

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HOT article: studying silver and cerium dioxide nanoparticle toxicity in Daphnia magna

22 Apr 2011

This HOT article from Birgit Gaiser (Edinburgh Napier University) and colleagues presents a detailed study into the effect of silver and cerium dioxide nanoparticles on the common freshwater test organism Daphnia magna.

Both species of nanoparticles (NPs) are currently used extensively – silver in consumer products for their antibacterial properties, and cerium dioxide in slurries for silicon wafer planarization – and usage is only expected to increase. It is therefore essential to to assess their potentially damaging effects on the environment due to factors such as particle size, material, and concentration. This study investigated acute and chronic toxicity of well characterised nano- and micron- sized particles in Daphnia magna, confirming the “nano-hypothesis” – that nano-sized particles were more toxic than equal concentrations of micron-sized particles (for Ag NPs). Confirming previous studies, CeO₂ NPs were only toxic at concentrations significantly above environmentally relevant levels. The study also uncovered sub-lethal effects of silver nanoparticles, such as moulting and impaired growth of D. magna, which the authors hope will improve our understanding of the mechanism that causes toxic effects.

This HOT article is part of our forthcoming themed issue on Environmental Nanotechnology and is free to access for 4 weeks. The careful characterisation of the nanoparticles makes this study particularly valuable – why not read Robert MacCuspie’s article on the challenges for physical characterization of silver nanoparticles which is also part of this themed issue.

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Deadlines approaching for Challenges in Renewable Energy (ISACS4)

18 Apr 2011

Challenges in Renewable Energy (ISACS4)

5 – 8 July 2011

MIT, Boston, USA

Call for posters – deadline 6 May 2011
Early bird registration – deadline 6 May 2011
Registration – deadline 3 June 2011

www.rsc.org/isacs4

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HOT article: the silver standard – challenges in characterising the environmental impact of silver nanomaterials

14 Apr 2011

This HOT article reports a collaborative effort between the US Environmental Protection Agency and National Institute of Standards and Technology to facilitate intercomparison of sometimes conflicting environmental risk experiment results for silver nanoparticles.

Silver nanoparticles have become the most widely used of all nanoparticles reported in consumer products due to their well known antibacterial and antifungal properties, but with increased use comes increased concern – do they pose a health and safety or environmental risk? There is a huge amount of literature data available on silver nanoparticles, but as there is no standard procedure for their manufacture, stabilization, or initial characterization it can be difficult for regulatory authorities to make comparisons between different datasets and thus draw meaningful conclusions.

Here, Robert MacCuspie and Kim Rogers et al. have analysed a range of silver nanoparticle materials with different analytical methods and initial dispersion conditions to demonstrate how measurement methods, agglomeration state and dispersion conditions influence the reported size distributions of said materials. They also present an approach to developing routine screening for the nanomaterials.

This HOT article is part of our forthcoming themed issue on Environmental Nanotechnology and is free to access for 4 weeks.

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JEM issue 4 now online – focussing on Asia/Pacific environmental science

07 Apr 2011

The latest issue of JEM includes a collection of papers that resulted from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Asia/Pacific (SETAC A/P) 2010 meeting held in Guangzhou, China on June 4–7, 2010. The theme of this meeting was ‘‘Balance between economic growth and environmental protection: sustainability through better science’’, a subject close to the interests of JEM. Take a look at the editorial from Eddy Y. Zeng, Jing You and Hefa Cheng which emphasizes the importance of sustaining healthy economic growth in the Asia/Pacific region, particularly in China,while directing substantial efforts toward environmental protection.

Featured on the outside front cover we have an article from Jing You (Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences) et al., on the problems associated with (often illegal) electronic waste disposal, specifically the short-range transport of contaminants released from unprotected recycling sites in China.

Short-range transport of contaminants released from e-waste recycling site in South China
Huizhen Li, Jinmei Bai, Yetian Li, Hefa Cheng, Eddy Y. Zeng and Jing You
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 836-843

On the inside front cover we have an article from Jes Jessen Rasmussen and colleagues at Aarhus University discussing how pesticides impact stream ecosystems by applying a novel approach of grouping streams according to predicted pesticide runoff contamination.

Local physical habitat quality cloud the effect of predicted pesticide runoff from agricultural land in Danish streams
Jes Jessen Rasmussen, Annette Baattrup-Pedersen, Søren Erik Larsen and Brian Kronvang
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 943-950

HOT articles in this issue:

The distribution of triclosan and methyl-triclosan in marine sediments of Barker Inlet, South Australia
Milena Fernandes, Ali Shareef, Rai Kookana, Sam Gaylard, Sonja Hoare and Tim Kildea
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 801-806

Geochemical characteristics of inorganic sulfur in Shijing River, South China
Yanqing Sheng, Guangyi Fu, Fanzhong Chen and Jing Chen
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 807-812

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the riverine and marine sediments of the Laizhou Bay area, North China
Xiaohui Pan, Jianhui Tang, Jun Li, Guangcai Zhong, Yingjun Chen and Gan Zhang
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 886-893

Application of a battery of biomarkers in mussel digestive gland to assess long-term effects of the Prestige oil spill in Galicia and the Bay of Biscay: Lysosomal responses
Larraitz Garmendia, Urtzi Izagirre, Miren P. Cajaraville and Ionan Marigómez
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 901-914

Incidence of organochlorine pesticides in soils of Shenzhen, China
Hong-Gang Ni, Shan-Ping Cao, Ling-Yun Ji and Hui Zeng
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 951-956

Protein adducts as biomarkers of exposure to aromatic diisocyanates in workers manufacturing polyurethane (PUR) foam
Kirsi Säkkinen, Jarkko Tornaeus, Antti Hesso, Ari Hirvonen, Harri Vainio, Hannu Norppa and Christina Rosenberg
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 957-965

Correlation of six anthropogenic markers in wastewater, surface water, bank filtrate, and soil aquifer treatment
Marco Scheurer, Florian Rüdiger Storck, Carola Graf, Heinz-Jürgen Brauch, Wolfgang Ruck, Ovadia Lev and Frank Thomas Lange
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 966-973

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the riverine and marine sediments of the Laizhou Bay area, North China

Xiaohui Pan, Jianhui Tang, Jun Li, Guangcai Zhong, Yingjun Chen and Gan Zhang

J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 886-893
DOI: 10.1039/C1EM10169B

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HOT article: hot spot or not? Polybrominated diphenyl ether contamination in Laizhou Bay examined

07 Apr 2011

As part of our themed issue focussing on environmental science in Asia and the Pacific, this HOT article from Jianhui Tang , Gan Zhang and co-workers from Chinese Academy of Sciences laboratories looks at the impact of
polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). PBDEs are a class of brominated fire retardants (BFRs) that have attracted significant attention due to environmental and health concerns.

Despite the fact that some PBDEs (namely penta- and octa-BDEs) have been listed under the Stockholm Convention and banned in several countries, in China both production and consumption of some PBDE-containing brominated fire retardants have risen rapidly in recent years. This study focuses on the Laizhou Bay area, which is home to the biggest manufacturing base for BFRs in China. By sampling river and coastal sediment in the area they looked at the source and fate of PBDE contaminants in the area, discovering that BDE 209 is the predominant PBDE congener present. Interestingly, however, overall PBDE concentrations were lower than other literature data from European and US ‘hot spots’.

Read more of this thoughtful and thorough study – which comes highly recommended by the referees – it’s currently free to access for four weeks.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the riverine and marine sediments of the Laizhou Bay area, North China
Xiaohui Pan, Jianhui Tang, Jun Li, Guangcai Zhong, Yingjun Chen and Gan Zhang
J. Environ. Monit., 2011, 13, 886-893
DOI: 10.1039/C1EM10169B

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ACS Anaheim highlights from JEM Deputy Editor Michael Smith

30 Mar 2011

JEM Deputy Editor Michael Smith shares some of the environmental highlights from the talks at ACS Anaheim:

Richard Luthy

“The vital need to tackle the water supply shortage in California was highlighted by Richard Luthy (Stanford University). As the opening speaker in the session on Environmental and Geochemical Aspects of Sustainable Water Reuse, Professor Luthy described a current project in which he is working with colleagues in economics and the social sciences to help identify the drivers and hindrances in implementing water re-use policies. Although he stressed that costs are a key element to be factored in, he considered that this area was as much a sociological challenge as an environmental engineering one.

The day ended with a panel discussion during which Chris Impellitteri (from the EPA in Cincinnati) pointed out that much could be learned from expertise gained in Singapore and Australia and he stressed the need for wider collaboration with other agencies to maximize successful water reuse programmes.”

Chris Impellitteri has previously published research on speciation of organotins in PVC pipes – why not take a look:

Speciation of organotins in polyvinyl chloride pipe via X-ray absorption spectroscopy and in leachates using GC-PFPD after derivatisation
Christopher A. Impellitteri, Otis Evans and Bruce Ravel
J. Environ. Monit., 2007, 9, 358-365
DOI: 10.1039/B617711E

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Off to Anaheim? Meet Deputy Editor Michael Smith there

25 Mar 2011

We are excited to be off to the ACS Spring 2011 meeting in Anaheim next week – especially as Molecular BioSystems Editorial Board member Dr Madan Babu will be giving the Molecular BioSystems Award Lecture on Wednesday morning, at 8.30 am in the Marquis Northeast Ballroom of the Anaheim Marriott .

Deputy Editor Michael Smith will be at the meeting on behalf of Molecular BioSystems, Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Integrative Biology and would be delighted to meet you, so do come and say hello!

RSC Publishing will also be at Booth 903, find out more about what we’ll be doing here.

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