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Almost all over the world, the production of sewage sludge rises due to increased population, industrialization and urbanization. Treatment and disposal of sewage sludge is an expensive and environmentally challenging task, problems arising mainly from lack of social acceptability, high treatment costs, human and environmental health risks associated with treatment and lack of sustainable disposal options. Currently the most widely available and recommended option is land application of sewage sludge. It is also a growing problem worldwide since there is a special concern about organic contaminants and the discussion about potential standards. The aim of this paper is to assess the challenges to planners and policy makers with regard to sludge management. Constantly increasing environmental concerns require to identify the occurrence, type and concentration of pollutant, assess treatment efficiencies of different treatment methods as provided in literature and to evaluate the existing sludge disposal options and propose a sustainable and safe option. Different groups and levels of inorganic (heavy metals) and organic substances and the problems of pathogens in sludge are pointed out. The mere concentration of a potential health hazards does not give any information on the connected risk. The outcomes of different risk assessments for metals and organic contaminants are listed. As it will never be possible with single substance analyses to have sufficient information an alternative approach for effect monitoring is described. Recycling and use of wastes are the preferred options for sustainable development, rather than incineration or land filling, but with sewage sludge this is not straight forward because of perceptions over inorganic and organic contaminants, pathogens and its fecal origin, particularly by the food retailers. For the assurance of public and environmental health, a quality system and standards for the treatment and the produce are recommended, which need to be accepted by all stakeholders as farmers, food retailers and public requirements. The paper demonstrates that treated sewage sludge, which fulfils the quality requirements for heavy metals, organic compounds and pathogens, can be beneficially reused providing a land application of restricted amounts as a long-term sustainable waste management solution for sludge from municipal waste water treatment plants. In the future sludge management needs to be based on sustainability and beneficial reuse, and the treatment technology has to be effective and affordable. The treatment options have to be adapted to local situations to fit the socio-cultural framework, available technology and affordability as well as local climatic conditions. Therefore, it is recommended to include environmental, social, economic and technical analysis in the search for the most sustainable alternative for sludge disposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mining District of Cartagena-La Unión (SE Spain), mined since the Roman period, exhibits high levels of metal contamination and this poses a great risk to the surrounding environment. This chapter presents the results of the application of geophysical, geochemical and hydrological techniques in two mine ponds located in this area. Its aim is to determine their degree of contamination by heavy metal, to evaluate risks of mobility and dispersion of heavy metals, to study the erosive capacity of the runoff, and to discuss geotechnical stability of the ponds. Metal contents found in the ponds show that although the Descargador pond is more vulnerable to oxidation and leaching processes than Encontrada, they both could be considered polluted due to their high metal concentrations. When materials from the Descargador pond are exposed to adverse weather conditions they can be eroded, while in the Encontrada pond most of the surface is covered by a natural soil layer and vegetation which protects it against erosion. In the former, it is recommended to apply some conservation measures, including the addition of alkaline materials, natural soil and organic matter. In the latter, it is recommended to improve the present conditions in order to control acidification and to minimize risks of landslides and transport of highly contaminated materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seeds and young seedlings of wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) under exposure to Copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn) were studied by employing a hydroponic experiment. Addition of Cu or Pb or Zn to the solution inhibited seed germination, plumule and radicle elongation. The toxic of metals to seed germination parameters can be arranged in the rank order of inhibition as follows: Cu > Pb >> Zn. This study showed the contents of chlorophyll and soluble protein in young seedlings of wheat were decreased after 4 d of all heavy metal treatments. Among the tested metals, the toxic of metal to young seedlings was found similar to seeds. All heavy metal concentrations in seedlings increase with their increase in the medium and the duration of treatments. On the other hand, the results demonstrated that the excess accumulation of Cu in leaf and roots could reduce accumulations of zinc (Zn); the excess accumulation of Pb decreased the levels of Cu or Zn in leaf and roots; the excess accumulation of Zn had no influence on Cu accumulations in leaf and roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine pollution refers to direct or indirect contamination of the marine environment (including estuaries) by humans. Such marine pollution may result from substances or from energy and may produce harm to living organisms, hazards to human health, hindrances to marine activities such as fishing, impairment of seawater quality, and reduction of amenities. Contaminants are transported from land to sea by streams and rivers, direct runoff, or point discharges. Contaminants are partly retained in the water and in the sediments of estuaries, bays, beaches, or open coastal waters and are partly transported through these boundary areas to the open ocean. Moreover, coastal waters are not only more polluted than is the open ocean but also offer a significantly higher probability of exposure to the world΄s most important fisheries and recreational areas (Magos 1990). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the monitoring results of decentralized water supply in Chernivtsi City, pollution maps of city΄s area have been drawn. Tendencies of change of the most important pollutants have been analyzed. The analysis of death rate, cardiovascular disease, oncological, bronchial asthma frequencies have been studied, along with the ratio of birth defects in relation to potable water quality. A mathematical model of qualitative and quantitative composition of potable water influence on population death rate and oncological disease instances is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protection of the rivers΄ waters, which get to the territories of other states, has recently become one of the most important and crucial issues and decisions to be make on those issues depending on the governments and scientists of the boundary countries. The plenty of the rivers runs into the Black See. Besides, it also runs on the territory of Ukraine where mining regions and many industrial and processing facilities are located. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EU strategy of renewable energy development assumes an increase of energy from renewable sources, up to 7.5% in 2010 and to 14% in 2020. In terms of that project production and usage of woody and herbaceous energy crops for power and heat generation on contaminated sites is said to be a pro20 position for wide spectrum of brownfields. Persistent soil pollutants, like heavy metals, are source of soil degradation and create the most complicated problems, as the phenomenon of natural attenuation, which is functioning in case of many other pollutants, is not applicable here. For environmental friendly combustion process (Nussbaumer, 2003) plants used as energy crop, should be free from harmful compounds. There is a luck of easily available information related to the physiological properties of plants concerning heavy metals uptake. Heavy metal concentration in plants is related to the plant species and cultivars. Possibilities of using the list of plants with the low level of heavy metal shoot concentration should help to grow environmentally safe energetic crop. For production of biomass with low level of heavy metals different chemo31 stabilization scenarios for various areas are expected. First contaminated soils should be remediated before energy crop production. Chemicals introduced to the soil bind metals and diminish metal uptake by plants. Appropriate soil pH also could stabilize metal migration in the soil compartment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals can be emitted into environment by both natural and anthropogenic sources, mainly mining and industrial activity. Human exposure occurs through all environmental media. Infants are more susceptible to the adverse effects of exposure. Recently more attention is paid to the mental development of children exposed to heavy metals. The purpose of the Advanced Research Workshop was to evaluate the existing knowledge in this field, to recommend a strategy for countries and regions in risk to protect today΄s children and future generations from exposure to heavy metals, and to propose the necessary coordinated studies. This paper is a draft of the findings, conclusions and recommendations, formulated as a result of the presentations of the key-speakers; of the work of two round-table discussions: one on the need for studies of the health effects of environmental pollution on children΄s mental development and the second on prevention strategies; and of the finalizing working groups to summarize the output scientific value of the ARW meeting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of heavy metals in environment has been a subject of great concern due to their non-biodegradable nature. It is therefore important to continuously carry out environmental impact assessment and audit in order to evaluate the effects of these metals on the environment and meanwhile to design balanced and sustainable schemes of local industry development. The paper presents overview of heavy metal pollution in Armenia, especially in the regions, where mining industry recently is developed and where indices of heavy metal pollution are very high. Mining industry is the main source of heavy metal pollution in Armenia. Is developed a strategy of modeling of socio18 economical and ecological balance of heavy metal impact and a concept of integrated model is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric heavy metals pollution is one of the most serious problems facing humanity and other life forms on our planet today. Industrial pollution, soil erosion, deforestation, rapid industrialization, urbanization, and land degradation are all worsening problems. The release of toxins from plants and industrial institutions is very high for the per capita allowance. In some Mediterranean countries, the combustion of wood or agricultural waste is another major source. Present information concerning the sources, emission, limits and inputs of heavy metals is rather limited in the developing countries. The situation in developing countries (North African and Middle East) is mixed. In these countries, however, and in some economies in transition (including Eastern Europe) traffic is becoming the problem. This is a challenge to city planning in these countries, where the long repressed wishes for private automobiles are difficult to reconcile with environmental protection. These countries are seeking to expand their economic activities; consideration for environmental conservation often receives a low priority. In addition, approaches used in industrialized countries often cannot be applied directly in developing ones. For any industry, the fate of the air quality is far down the list beyond their ability to make a profit. Exposure assessment studies in the developing world are important. Differences among measuring methods and a lack of strict quality control in carrying out exposure assessment make it difficult to generalize and compare findings between studies. Toxic chemicals can be transported with differing levels of efficiency to the target host depending upon the transport pathways. Exposure may occur directly by ingestion, inhalation, or dermal contact. The relative contribution of different pathways must be assessed by examining the nature of human activities which may be expected in particular exposure settings. This chapter summarizes some of the basic principles and uses of environmental risk assessment. Exposure assessment requires the integration of environmental quality data with an estimate of the rate of human contact with contaminated media. This aspect of risk assessment should rely heavily on local data, since it allows an assessment of how particular local conditions and cultural practices affect risk potential. A number of site-specific factors must first be evaluated, including (1) the characteristics and quantification of industrial pollutants, (2) the potential for release to the environment, (3) the sensitivity of the particular environment, (4) the proximity of these chemicals to humans, and (5) its potential effect on human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study was meta-analysis of the soil pollution with heavy metals and related adverse health effects on exposed population in the Balkan΄s region. Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements, and are present in varying concentrations in all ecosystems. There are a huge number of heavy metals. They are found in elemental form and in a variety of other chemical compounds The main anthropogenic sources of heavy metals are various industrial processes, mining, foundries, smelters, combustion of fossil fuel and gasoline, and waste incinerators. The major heavy metals of concern to WHO and EMEP are Hg, Cd and Pb, because they are the most toxic and have known serious effects on e.g. human health. Soil contamination is a problem discussed as a degraded process which importance exceeds agricultural area. In 2007 CERCLA Priority List of Hazardous Substances-ATSDR has been ranked several heavy metals by their toxicity. In the paper were presented some results from Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several assessments of the potential biomass supply in Europe show that the best means of biomass production are growing energy crops on agricultural land. Cultivation of energy crops on agricultural areas might lead to accumulation of heavy metals in plant tissues and reemission of contaminants into the atmosphere during combustion. The goal of the present study was to assess how soil contamination influences heavy metals accumulation in energy plant tissues. The current paper presents the results of screening of selected plants (Spartina pectinata, Miscanthus sp., Helianthus tuberosus, Elymus elongatus) conducted in uncontaminated region of Poland (North-Eastern part of the country) aimed at finding natural abilities to uptake small amounts of heavy metals and accumulate is in the plant tissue. Based on this screening, Miscanthus sp. was tested on heavy metal contaminated arable soil in Southern Poland. This species accumulates high amounts of metals what may cause high emission of contaminants during biomass combustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presented are results of applicability tests of a miniature and portable time-of-flight laser mass-analyzer with water solutions. Discussed are the analytical possibilities of the laser time-of-flight mass spectrometry to produce express and stable elemental and isotopic mass spectra of environmental aqueous samples directly in-situ of the places of sample collection and several related problems as sample preparation, multielement chemical analysis and reliability of analytical results. A description of a simple methodic for preparation of laser targets from water solutions with different concentrations of the metals Na, Mg, Fe, Ni, Cd and Hg is presented. In a descending row from 1,000 to 62.5 ppb and in quantities of a 0.25 ml each, the solutions were carefully evaporated on glass holders and the produced sedimentation residues were investigated with the laser mass analyzer. The data presented below showed a deviation within 16% from the expected values, which is a proof of quite satisfactory sample homogeneity. The possible areas and cases of the proposed methodic for express target preparation are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification and measurement of heavy metals in samples of environmental origin as soil, water, ambient air or from biological objects, is performed at present by different analytical methods and techniques normally in special laboratory conditions. In cases when an express in-field chemical analysis and interpretation of the results is needed, the usual procedures, which assure the quality control of measurement and data collection, are time limited and simplified. The aim is to develop and introduce in general practice reliable methods and techniques for express elemental and isotopic analysis of the envi ronmental media pollution, which would fulfill the measurements at acceptable quality level and would not sacrifice the quality objectives of the analysis because of compromises reasons. A presentation is made here of a small and portable laser mass-spectrometer, whose analytical capabilities are believed to fulfill the requirements for in-field chemical analysis of environmental pollution with heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals are present as elementary compounds or mineral deposits in nature, from which they are extracted and processed for different purposes. During these processes, heavy metals are released in the environment and reach the atmosphere, waters, soils, and biota (plants and animals). Heavy metals release into the environment is of great concern, due to their ability to concentrate and accumulate, in different stable forms and in different media. Quantitative determination methods and techniques are developed in order to provide valid results about the heavy metals content in different matrixes. This study presents the main analytical techniques available for heavy metals determination in environmental and biological samples, as well as an example of method validation and uncertainty estimation for Cu2+ determination in waste water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals concentrations in biological materials are necessary to be known when investigations in environmental or health risk assessment are done. The paper aims to review the modern aspects of the first step of the analytical process, sampling and sample preparation which involve some of the following operations: sample collection (sampling), washing, storage, preservation, followed by sample transformation to the most appropriate form for measurement. New separation techniques, applied for specific analytes extraction or preconcentration from biological matrices and metal speciation are also briefly described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different natural and artificial sources of pollution (manufacturing, metallurgy, mining, constructions, and incinerators) can contaminate the environ ment with heavy metals. If natural sources contribute to environmental pollution only to a little extent, artificial ones, which result from different human activities, contribute decisively to the pollution of the environment. Recently, interest in heavy metals (Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, Ni, Cr, Mn, Se, As) has increased as they contaminate the environment and severely affect human and animal health. This paper presents some theoretical toxicity aspects of three elements (cadmium, lead, arsenic) and possible additive or synergistic action in human bodies, especially in children. Evaluating these actions is essential for risk assessment and management of heavy metals as single or mixture environment pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anthropogenic sources for heavy metals include mining, industrial productions, untreated sewage sludge and combustion by-products produced by coal burning power plants. Atmospheric emissions are probably the most preoccupant to human health and to the environment due to either the great quantity involved, or their widespread dispersion. Mercury, lead and cadmium represent a great issue, mostly due to their ability to travel long distances in the atmosphere before deposition. Exposure assessment to emissions of heavy metals implies to identify and quantify the sources, how heavy metals may be dispersed in the environment and which adverse effects they might cause on human health and on the ecosystem. Heavy metals emissions and releases into the environment are available at the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR, 2010). In this data base main sources from 27 European countries are identified. Data concerning Cd, Hg and Pb were extracted for the year of 2007. This work focuses on the review and analysis of the principal sources of heavy metals emissions into the environment and their role in critical receptors΄ environmental exposure. The review of the principal sources may give a clearer picture of the situation: the potential regions at risk and the extension of the contamination, essential to the exposure assessment by critical receptors. On the other hand, exposure assessments studies and consequent research allow a better knowledge of heavy metals sources, emissions, pathways and fate in the environment. Therefore both a complete exposure assessment and a consequent risk assessment are needed to establish the identification and implementation of measures to eliminate or to reduce the exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental pollution is a product of urbanization and technology, and other attendant factors of population density, industrialization and mechanization that serve to provide the necessities of the population. For example, in cities of developing countries, the rural-urban migration activated by the search for increased incomes has resulted in the concentration of large populations in relatively small areas under poor conditions of sanitation. Traffic jams and the legendary `go-slow΄ of automobiles are everyday occurrences in these cities. The impact of pollution in the vicinity of overcrowded cities and from industrial effluents and automobile exhausts has reached a disturbing magnitude and is arousing public awareness. At present, no enough data are available on the extent of environmental pollution because there are no agencies charged with the routine monitoring and protection of the environment. This chapter therefore focuses on the critical issues of heavy metals (HMs) pollution in rapidly developing nations. Once emitted from their sources, they have the property of accumulating in the environment for many years. They enter the human body through inhalation, ingestion, and dermal. They also can accumulate in the bodies of animals and humans before they even cause damage. However; HMs such as Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As), Manganese (Mn) Nickel (Ni), Chromium (Cr) and Mercury (Hg), are also metabolized in the body in a similar way to nutrient metals. Environmental exposure to HMs can occur through air, soil, drinking water and food stuff. The neurotoxic effects of exposure HMs in the environment, though insufficiently recognized, remains a topic of sub stantial current concern and interest as it could be considered an early endpoint for health effects induced by exposure to heavy metals.In addition, they can adversely affect the quality of life, and have broad health, social and economic implications. Special concern is directed to children as they are the most sensitive population exposed to environmental pollution in general and heavy metals in specific. Finally, the magnitude and potential severity of neurotoxicity problems make it imperative to direct researches towards preventive intervention, and focus on the development of new biomarkers for neurotoxicity at the individual and population levels with emphasis on health education about HMs exposure and their potential for neurotoxicity. The establishment of comprehensive monitoring systems and information gathering should be given priority by governments of the developing countries in the sub-region with support and encouragement from international agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most sub-Saharan countries are influenced by either drought or heavy rainfall, as well as poor soil quality and anthropogenic and industrial factors. South Africa is one of the countries in the region where the greatest impact of mining on the environment is observed. These environmental impacts are obvious and need to be addressed during each phase of environmental planning, especially in rural development and improving agriculture sectors. The environmental impacts of mining in South Africa are, in general, increased concentrations of heavy metals and changes of pH in both impacted soils and in water. Mining processes coupled with weather conditions affect the agricultural and forestry sector by impacting water and soil quality. Therefore, there is need to decontaminate mining soils and to improve soil fertility for better agricultural and environmental services. In this regards the addition of different organic fertilizers to improve soil fertility, and as soil ameliorant in contaminated platinum and gold tailings, allowed the indigenous tree species–Searsia lancea to grow despite the high levels of contamination. In a laboratory trial with both types of tailings the combination of different fertilizers and cultivation techniques reduced up to 50% heavy metal contamination and increased ~140% microbiological activities. These experiments show a sustainable use of trees combined with fertilizers to decontaminate mine soil while producing a resource (wood) and lowering carbon dioxide, which have impacts on preventing contamination of surrounding areas by Aeolian transport (sandstorms, etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The common filamentous fungi can sorb heavy metals from aqueous solutions. Fungal biosorption largely depends on parameters such as pH, metal ion and biomass concentration, physical or chemical pretreatment of biomass, presence of various ligands in solution, and to a limited extent on temperature. The cell-wall fraction of biomass plays an important role in the sorption of heavy metals. The fungal biosorbents widely used for heavy metal removal are reviewed in this chapter, mainly focusing on their performance, pretreatment, regeneration/reuse, modeling of biosorption, their potential application and future. The potential of fungal biomass as sorbents has been established by the available data, and more research and development of the fungal biosorption technology is recommended. The mismatch between strong scientific progress in the field of biosorption and lack of commercialization of research is evident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal removal from inorganic effluent can be achieved by conventional treatment such as chemical precipitation, ion exchane or flotation, however each treatment has its limitation. Recently, sorption, namely biosorption has become one of the alternative treatments. Basically, sorption is a mass transfer process by which a substance is transferred from the liquid phase to the surface of a solid, and substance becomes bound by physical and/or chemical interactions. Due to large surface area, high sorption capacity and surface reactivity of sorbents, sorption can be utilized as low-cost alternative to conventional processes. For example, materials locally available in large quantities such as natural materials, living or dead biomass, agricultural waste or industrial byproducta can be used as biosorbents with quite little processing. This chapter discusses the significance of the heavy metal removal from waste streams and provides brief oveview of the potential of biosorbents and biosorption technology. Considered are various aspects of utilization of microbial and plant derived biomass in connection with biosorption and the possibility of exploiting such material for heavy metal removal form solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this chapter, the combined effects of eutrophication and of heavy metal contamination on the zooplankton community of a freshwater ecosystem are analyzed. Through biomonitoring, it was possible to study zooplanktonic attributes as indicators of environmental stress: species richness, species diversity, equity, and biomass. These attributes allowed the detection of structural and functional changes. There was an inverse relationship between stress situations and zooplankton body size with a proliferation of r-strategist species (rotifers) and opportunistic species (nauplii larvae), a dominance of tolerant species, and a decrease in the most sensitive ones, such as larger size crustaceans (copepods and cladocerans). The results of this study showed that zooplankton responds as a good descriptor of water quality, constituting an efficient tool to assess eutrophication and heavy metal contamination. A general diagram integrating possible effects of eutrophication and heavy metal contamination on the trophic webs of freshwater ecosystems is also included. Emphasis in biological control is suggested as a relevant control measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Untreated textile wastewater is a typical source of heavy metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, the use of algae and duckweed ponds (AP and DP) as post-treatment for textile wastewater has been evaluated under the hypothesis that differing conditions such as pH, redox potential and dissolved oxygen would lead to different heavy metal removal efficiencies. Two lab-scale systems, each consisting of three ponds in series and seeded with algae and duckweed respectively, have been operated at a total hydraulic retention time of 7 days and under two different metal loading rates. Cr was removed at 94–98%, indifferent to the loading rate but slightly better in AP compared to DP. Zn removal proceeded well (~70%) under low loading rates, but dropped to below 40% at the higher loading rate. No effect of pond type could be demonstrated. Pb, Cd and Cu all show relatively similar patterns with removal efficiencies varying between 17 and 36%, which indicates that neither system is very suitable, or under-designed as a polishing step for removing these heavy metals. AP seems to be better suited for removing Cr whereas the DP seem to be better in removing Cd and Pb. In absolute terms however, differences between AP and DP were fairly small. A further analysis is needed to unravel whether or not the differences between both pond types are due to differences in pH, dissolved oxygen and redox potential or rather due to sorption mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first description of the inflammatory process appeared as early as the first century AD. Among the first things learned about inflammation is that vascular permeability is increased and leukocyte extravasation occurs. It is now realized that the central nervous system (CNS) is not as devoid of immune cell entrance as once believed and that neuroinflammation can occur. Even in the CNS absence of peripheral immune cells, cytokines from the periphery can influence glial activation in response to endogenous or exogenous stresses. Activated glial cells will secrete proinflammatory cytokines among other factors. The presence of relatively high concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α, in the brain produces sickness behavior. Neuroinflammation is not only caused by viral or bacterial infection, but can also be the result of physical injury or neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer΄s disease, Parkinson΄s disease, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy. This chronic neuroinflammation is associated with a number of common factors; most notable among these is the increased concentration of proinflammatory cytokines. In addition to the ones listed above, others have been detected including, IL-18, IL-33, and HMGB1. Although TGF-β1 functions most often as an anti-inflammatory cytokine, under certain circumstances it, too, can have proinflammatory activity. Other common features of neuroinflammation include increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), which function to increase apoptosis and promote neuronal damage. Activation of astrocytes is detected by elevated GFAP expression. Activated astrocytes promote chemokine expression causing permeability of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), thus allowing leukocytes to enter the brain tissue. The heavy metal Pb accumulates in glial cells and in doing so can potentiate cytokine and glutamate-mediated increases in the BBB permeability, as well as cause chronic glial cell activation. Pb΄s ability to promote gliosis and deficiencies in chaperone protein function has prompted a comparison of Pb toxicity to certain neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer΄s and Parkinson΄s diseases. Toxicity of other metals, such as, Al, Cu, Cd, Zn, and Hg was also found to share common features with Alzheimer΄s disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial diversity is an important component of the overall global biological diversity. Recent technological advances in exploring microbial diversity have revealed that a large proportion of microorganisms are still undiscovered, and their ecological roles are largely unknown. Careful selection of microbes and intelligent design of test assays are the key steps in developing new technologies for effective utilization of microorganisms for sustainable agriculture, environmental protection, and human and animal health. Several microbial applications are widely known in solving major agricultural (i.e., crop productivity, plant health protection, and soil health maintenance) and environmental issues (i.e., bioremediation of soil and water from organic and inorganic pollutants). Wastewater treatment and recycling of agricultural and industrial wastes are other important uses of microbial technology. It is expected that microbes in combination with developments in electronics, software, digital imaging, and nanotechnology will play a significant role in solving global problems of the twenty-first century, including climate change. These advances are expected to enhance sustainability of agriculture and the environment. This chapter provides an overview of recent trends in microbial exploitation in plant growth promotion and sustainable environment mainly through bioremediation, biodegradation, and biosorption processes. Recent uses and application of microbes such as biosensors, synthesis of nanomaterials, and probiotics are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental contamination by improper disposal of industrial, -mining, agricultural, municipal, and other residues is known worldwide. Various -chemical-, physical-, and biological-based methods are currently being developed for removal of such pollutants from soil and water. Among these techniques, biological -treatment, or remediation using microbes, is one of the most promising techniques, mainly because of its cost-effectiveness and essentially complete destruction of numerous pollutants. The major requirement for this technique is survivability of the degrading microorganisms during the process. Biosurfactants, particularly microbial surfactants, play a vital role in cases where pollutants are not readily bioavailable, by increasing the apparent water solubility of the pollutants, which could be achieved either by ex situ addition or in situ production of biosurfactants by microbes. However, due to wide application potential of microbial surfactants in the environmental sector, it is important to know their mechanisms of action, recent advances in bioremediation processes, and other possible applications. The goal of this chapter is, therefore, to provide an overview of the different types of microbial surfactants and sources, their roles in several bioremediation processes, and recent advances in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Support vector regression (SVR) is a powerful machine learning technique in the framework of the statistical learning theory; while Kriging is a well-established prediction method traditionally used in the spatial statistics field. However, the two techniques share the same background of reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). SVR has recently shown promising performance in different spatial mapping tasks. In the present work, the problem of spatial data mapping is addressed using a multi-scale SVR (MS-SVR) approach. This can be considered as a multi-resolution analysis of the observed process. The multi-scale SVR approach is particularly attractive for its capability to deal, at the same time, with the nonlinear regression of the dependent variable on auxiliary variables and with the spatial interpolation. This capability makes the MS-SVR an optimal choice for automatic mapping system. In the present work MS-SVR was applied to soil heavy metal content mapping, in a study area site in the Italian Alps. The area complex landscape, modelled by both glacial and karsts phenomena, along with an heterogeneous nature of the parent material, makes the mapping of heavy metal content a difficult task to approach with linear regression or mixed geostatistical techniques. The result obtained outlines the Multi-scale SVR as a powerful technique for general inference and automatic mapping, with the only constraint of the requirement of a multi-parameter optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty nine topsoil samples were collected from the Xikuangshan antimony mine and analyzed by ICP-MS, ICP-OES and HG-AFS for the following elements: As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, Ni, Hg, Pb, Sb and Zn. The objective of this study was to assess the level of topsoil contamination of Xikuangshan΄s agricultural land. The concentration ranges (mg·kg−1) of the elements are: As 13∼267, Cd 0.7∼96.8, Cr 81∼315, Cu 23∼261, Ni 29∼86, Pb 27∼423, Sb 10∼2159 and Zn 68∼4217. Average concentrations of As, Cd, Sb and Zn exceeded the limits of agricultural production and human health. The accumulation of Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb in the topsoil of Xikuangshan area were minor than the other four heavy metals; these elements did not exceeded the threshold. Except for the background effect of the soils, anthropogenic factors are the major contributor to the the increased concentrations of heavy metals in soil. Combined with the principal component analysis, it was found that smelters and mining activities were the main sources of soil heavy metals while the lithology background of this area and agricultural practices play important roles in the accumulation of heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil properties after ecological restoration for 16 months for a chemical landfill in Huainan should be monitored for the purpose of making sure the early restoration work was going on in an effective way. On the basis of field investigation, the related parameters of soil properties were evaluated by various techniques, including AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy), pH analyzer and soil organic matter analysis. The results showed that the physical nature of soil had got certain improvement. The pH value had remarkably decreased from 10.3~10.6 to 7.76~8.28 by pH analyzer and the soil contained highly organic matter and nitrogen, but lack of phosphorus and potassium. The effects of heavy metals such as Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn were also discussed in detail on the basis of ecological risk assessment. The concentration of heavy metals were higher than the background value in different extent, and it was calculated that there are approximately 61.5% of this area in slight ecological risk grade and only Cd was in slight ecological hazard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This chapter describes the development and use of a geographic information system (GIS) in an environmental health investigation of the application of Class B biosolids (sewage sludge) on agricultural fields. The research project is broad-based including field observations and modeling to investigate the presence of microorganisms, metals, and pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in biosolids applied agricultural fields and the associated runoff. These data has been linked with remote sensing imagery and added to GIS layers for Wood, Lucas and Greene Counties in Ohio. Specifically, this project describes the way in which a GIS was developed and utilized with a mailed, epidemiological health survey to investigate the potential impact of biosolids application to agricultural fields in relation to self-reported human health symptoms, acute diseases and chronic diseases among groups of individuals living specified distances from fields where biosolids were permitted and applied. For Wood County, of the 24 symptoms in the survey, six were statistically higher near biosolids permitted fields and of the 29 diseases in the survey, five were statistically higher near biosolids permitted fields. The Lucas and Greene County surveys are still being analyzed. Our future work includes refinement of the spatial analysis and health survey to include the application of biosolids and the constituents of the biosolids to fields, distances to any farm field and to other potential relationships to health effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical sensors selective to Pb2+ and Sn2+ ions were developed on the base of chalcogenide glasses (ChG) from the GeSe2-PbSe-PbTe and GeSe2-Sb2Se3-SnSe systems. All-solid-state sensors of the `coated wire΄ type were designed consisting of inner Ag/AgCl reference electrode uniformly coated with composite mixture of binding polymer and Pb- and Sn- ChG powder. Pb(II)- and Sn(II)-sensors were tested in aqua solutions with respect to their basic analytical characteristics: stability, linearity and slope of the calibration function, working pH-range, limits of detection, response time and selectivity. The proposed sensors guarantee reliable analytical performance for water and waste water control with detection limits of the order of 10−6 mol/L, selectivity and chemical stability in aggressive media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge on the mechanism of microorganisms participation in the elements cycle and their role in the environmental equilibrium establishment that leads to new generation of environmental biotechnologies evolution is significantly growing. Biotechnological methods have wide application area in the remediation of heavy metals from wastewaters. We studied bio-modification of brown coal sorption materials with the aim to enhance its sorption properties. The micromycetes (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus clavatus, Penicillium glabrum and Trichoderma viride) have been selected for biological activation of coal samples. The quantitative maceral composition and specific surface of prepared sorbents has been investigated. The sorption of copper(II) and zinc(II) ions from aqueous solutions by this unconventional sorbents was studied. It was found that, for each sorbent the equilibrium establishing time was about 1 h. The Langmuir adsorption model was applied to describe isotherms and isotherm constants. The isotherms studies revealed that prepared sorbents exhibited relatively high capacity for the metals removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanofiltration (NF) and low-pressure reverse osmosis (RO) for the removal of zinc ions from wastewaters have been studied. Influence of co- and counter-ions concentration in feed water on zinc removal by NF, RO was analyzed and described. The effect of the pH on the Zn removal has shown that RO could not be recommended for acidic cationic wastewater treatment due to high osmotic pressure. The isoelectric point of nanofiltration membrane (pH ≈ 5.4) has been defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seizures caused by ingestion of drugs and toxins do require specific treatment aiming to terminate epileptiform activity and to eliminate the toxin. Withdrawal from regularly ingested drugs can also be accompanied by seizures requiring ICU care. This chapter discusses diagnostic and therapeutic particularities of seizures induced by illicit drugs of abuse, environmental toxins, and heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]