Showing papers in "Environment International in 2010"

TL;DR: In a long term study, a total of 84 samples from seven WWTP located in the main cities along the Ebro river Basin as well as receiving river waters were analyzed to assess the occurrence of 73 pharmaceuticals covering several medicinal classes, results indicated that pharmaceuticals are widespread pollutants in the aquatic environmental.

TL;DR: The paper discusses the possibilities which offer research on pollutants-biomass interactions, pointing out that the key to elaborate an efficient method working for the nature would be to understand the mechanisms governing the processes, parameters which influence both equilibrium and kinetics, through the observation of naturally occurring phenomena.

TL;DR: The environmental and toxicological hazards associated with the extensive use of fungicides should be performed carefully according to the physico-chemical properties of the soils and climatic and hydrogeological characteristics of the vine-growing regions.

TL;DR: An Environmental Risk Assessment in the lower part of the Llobregat River basin (NE Spain) found that the abnormal correlation behaviour found in one point located in the Anoia River is explained by the presence of other previously reported pollutants of industrial origin, generated by the nearby existing industry.

TL;DR: Although the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of action of lead remain still unclear, there are some studies that point out indirect mechanisms of genotoxicity such as inhibition of DNA repair or production of free radicals.

TL;DR: Results from these case studies suggest that spatially variable patterns of snow or summer precipitation associated with regional climate change across NE Asia will have significant impacts on watershed biogeochemical processes and surface water quality, in interactions with local topography, land use change, or acid deposition.

TL;DR: Overall, total levels of the studied illicit drugs and metabolites observed in surface water were one and two orders of magnitude lower than those determined in effluent and influent sewage water (microg/L range), respectively.

TL;DR: Results show that consumption of fish and shellfish is a major determinant of serum PFC concentrations, and significant relationships between estimated dietary intakes and serum concentrations have been demonstrated for the first time.

TL;DR: It is shown that MICs incorporation per se can be the first event that triggers glutathione depletion and the consequent increase in ROS concentration, and literature data suggest that hyperphosphorylated cellular environment induced by MICs exposure can modulate antioxidant enzymes, contributing to the generation of oxidative damage.

TL;DR: The concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were determined in various foodstuffs randomly purchased in Catalonia (Spain) during November and December of 2008, and the current PAH concentrations were comparatively lower.

TL;DR: Polar bears seem to be susceptible to contaminant induced stress that may have an overall sub-clinical impact on their health and population status via impacts on their immune and reproductive systems.

TL;DR: This review summarizes most available PBDE data in birds and emphasizes several specific aspects, i.e., inter-regional differences in PBDE contamination, the extent of BDE-209 contamination, differences in congener composition patterns between piscivorous and terrestrial-feeding birds, trophic biomagnification and temporal changes inPBDE contamination.

TL;DR: Evaluating the consequence of changing and using agricultural soils to other purposes in Hong Kong with respect to risk to human health established concentrations of the following priority elements: As, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb and Zn in terms of total burden and metal bioaccessibility.

TL;DR: Exposure to the three compounds from drinking water is unlikely to pose a health risk, according to this study.

TL;DR: In assessing sleep disturbances, the domain might benefit from additional longitudinal studies on deleterious effects of noise on mental health and general well-being, as well as methodological aspects in the study of noise and sleep.

TL;DR: It is concluded that the origin of pharmaceutical pollution in the rivers of Madrid is mainly the discharge of sewage treatment plants in Madrid's metropolitan area and a comprehensive monitoring program should be implemented.

TL;DR: This paper presents a review about mercury contamination and human exposure in the Tapajós River basin (Brazil), one of the major tributaries of the Amazon impacted by traditional gold mining from the mid 1980s.

TL;DR: Methodologically, the paper focuses on how differing calculation methods influence noise prediction results as well as the value of the EU noise indicator L(den) and its associated implications for comparability of noise data across EU states.

TL;DR: Despite the potentially low deleterious risk of PBDE exposure via house dust as suggested by the hazard quotients, this exposure pathway should be of great concern because of the higher BFR exposures for children and the presence of other BFRs (such as DBDPE) which have not yet been fully investigated.

TL;DR: Under realistic high-end scenarios of occupational exposure to BDE-99, workers in the facilities were exposed above a recently-published Health Based Limit Value for this congener, and estimated exposures to Bde-209 were below the USEPA's reference dose for this Congener.

TL;DR: The results show that sources other than the diet are important for the variability seen in breast milk BFR concentrations and that exposure from the indoor atmosphere should be emphasized in future studies.

TL;DR: It was found that prenatal exposure to phthalate esters or PAHs did not affect birth outcomes at the exposure level of the present subjects.

TL;DR: Results of the present work have demonstrated the existence of low level but detectable PFCs pollution in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in China.

TL;DR: Neither experimental nor epidemiological studies point to major differences in susceptibility to FA among children, elderly, and asthmatics.

TL;DR: The high potency of Triclosan as an inhibitor of estrogen sulfotransferase activity raises concern about its possible effects on the ability of the placenta to supply estrogen to the fetus, and in turn on fetal growth and development.

TL;DR: It was found that ingestion rates of PFOS and PFOA, with exception of one breast milk sample did not exceed the tolerable daily intake (TDI) recommended by the EFSA, however, more research is needed in order to assess possible risk associated to PFCs contamination during early stages of life.

TL;DR: In this study, pharmaceuticals were frequently monitored in the Rhine delta between the year 2002 and 2008 and annual loads were rather similar, illustrating the potential of using sales data for the prediction of concentrations in the aqueous environment.

TL;DR: A review of the soil quality definition evaluated its development, with a formal scientific approach to assessment beginning in the 1970s followed by a period of discussion and refinement, demonstrating the need for a method that is not function dependent, but uses a number of cross-functional indicators instead.

TL;DR: Low-dose background exposure to OC pesticides was strongly associated with prevalent type 2 diabetes in Koreans even though absolute concentrations of OC pesticides were no higher than in other populations.

TL;DR: The widespread distribution of BFRs found in offices in both new and old buildings suggests the significance of workplace exposures, the need for controls to minimize human exposure, intra-building migration, and environmental releases of these chemicals, and theneed for monitoring in new buildings to confirm the effectiveness of the PBDE phase-out.