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Abstract: The increasing competition for good-quality waters is forcing to use saline waters for irrigation in many areas around the world. Maize (Zea mays L.) is considered a moderately sensitive crop to soil salinity, but its response to saline sprinkling irrigations and the potential benefits of irrigating at night to minimize leaf Na+ and Cl− uptake are not established. Our objective was to appraise plant ion concentrations and yields of maize subject to diurnal and nocturnal saline sprinkling irrigations. The work was performed in the Middle Ebro River Basin (NE Spain) during 3 years using a triple line source sprinkler system that diverts waters with an electrical conductivity gradient in-between 0.5 and 5dSm−1. Na+ and Cl− concentrations in different plant tissues increased linearly with applied water ECaw. Plant Cl− was much higher than plant Na+ at low ECaw, but leaf ion uptake with increasing ECaw was higher for Na+ than for Cl−, and yields were more sensitive to plant Na+ than to plant Cl− accumulation. Grain yields were slightly affected by saline sprinkling irrigations in the first year, when soil salinity (ECe<3dSm−1) and irrigation water Na+ (12mequiv.L−1) and Cl− (26mequiv.L−1) concentrations were relatively low. Yields decreased drastically in the third year, due to increasing soil salinity (maximum ECe about 4.5dSm−1) and irrigation water Na+ and Cl− concentrations (about 34mequiv.L−1). Yields in the diurnal and nocturnal sprinkler irrigations were similar, except in the second year where yield decline was somewhat lower in the nocturnal treatment. Plant Cl− was similar and plant Na+ was higher in diurnal than in nocturnal saline sprinkler irrigations, but no significant differences (P >0.05) were found in general among the two irrigation treatments. Even though water evaporation rate was about 10 times lower at night than at daytime, irrigating at night was not beneficial in maize in terms of reduced leaf Na+ and Cl− accumulation and increased yield. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to explore the applicability of Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) estimations to inform on seafood hazards through metal contamination. The food recall data set was collated by the Laboratory of the Government Chemist (LGC, UK) over the period from January to November 2007. Pearson chi-square goodness of fit test, nonparametric correlation (Kendall tau) and Kruskal–Wallis test were used. Descriptive statistics and statistical analyses were computed by using Excel and SPSS 15.0. The vast majority of food alerts/recalls owing to metal contamination occur in seafood and during the summer months. Only swordfish and shark containing produce received over 10 recalls which were mainly for mercury contamination. Seafood produce originating from only 3 countries had over 10 recalls owing to metal contamination (Spain 50; France 11 and Indonesia 11). Based upon the food alert/recall system, the application of THQ estimations of risk in cases of metal contamination of seafood is questionable as THQ implies frequent if not daily exposure over a lifetime. Infrequent recalls owing to metal contamination and the absence of patterns make it highly unlikely that an individual would be subject to multiple exposures to significant levels of metal ions in seafood. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The chemical evolution of brines resulting from an inactive phosphogypsum pond derived of fertilizer industry located in Huelva (Spain, SW Europe) has been studied based on a weekly sampling from 2014 to 2017. Long-range time variation of metals and ions concentrations in brines are expected to depend on environmental parameters such as rainfall and evaporation. The results show that brines are enriched in F− (1.7–2.0 g/l), Cl− (13–24 g/l), SO 4 2− (7.2–9.3 g/l), V (70–128 mg/l) and U (55–98 mg/l). A great variation of chemical concentrations has been found, due to dilution, recharge and evaporation processes. Most of the elements show peak concentrations in summer, coinciding with the lowest pH values (<1), high conductivity (>133 mS/cm), and high evaporation rates as expected. Nonetheless, F− shows an opposite behaviour, varying its concentrations between 0.9 g/l in summer and 3.7 g/l in the rainy season. According to the results, a future restoration plan for PG ponds should include the removal of brines and layered salts during summer in order to avoid the annual generation of brines and their impact on the environment. Image 1 • Geochemical variations of brines depend on dilution and evaporation. • The recharge with brines generated in the PG stack produces dilution. • Highest concentrations are shown in summer, except for F−. • The removal of layered salts and brines in summer should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the present work, we have compared the behaviour of some commonly used markers for the immunohistochemical diagnosis of cardiac suffering (myoglobin, myosin, troponin I), with the modifications of the ionic quotients (K+/Na+, Ca2+/Mg2+ and Ca2+/Zn2+) that are observed in the interventricular partition in different causes of death. Materials and method: we have studied a total of 50 hearts coming from autopsies carried out in the Legal Medicine Institute of Murcia (Spain) deceased 21 by natural cardiac deaths, 9 by mechanical asphyxias, 5 by politraumatism, 5 cardiac ruptures and 10 by craneoencephalic trauma. For the biochemical analysis, samples were taken from weave of 0.5g of the interventricular partition, the corresponding dilutions were made in bidistilled water for flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry with a hollow cathode multielement lamp. For the immunohistochemical study, samples were taken from the same locations, kept in tamponed formol, dyed with hematoxylin–eosin and later 3μm-sections were practised, antigenic recovery by heat, in pressure cooker. Our results show the existence of a statistically significant relation between the modifications of the K+/Na+ quotient and the found values of troponin, which confirms its utility for the precocious diagnosis of the cardiac ischemia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]