No abstract available

[en] The present study evaluates the distribution of metals over the last 100 years in the Oualidia lagoon by examining their concentrations in the sediment cores. The samples were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Activities of 210Pb, 226Ra, and 137Cs were determined by gamma-ray spectrometry for establishing the age-depth relationships throughout the sediment cores by applying conventional models. The results indicated that the study area is contaminated by As and Cd revealing a detectable anthropogenic input of occurring metals as a consequence of the continuous development of human activities around the lagoon since 1950. The enrichment factor calculated for each layer of the three cores revealed that the studied sediments present no enrichment by Pb, K, and Mn; minor enrichment by Zn, Cr, Co, Cu, V, and Ni; and a moderately to severe enrichment by As and Cd. The pollution load index values increase from the bottom to the top of cores, and ranged from 0.9 to 2.8, which indicates levels of pollutants ranging from background to relatively high concentrations in the investigated sediments. (author)

[en] The original publication of this paper contain typographical mistakes.

[en] In the framework of a National Environmental Radiation Survey Program, a total of 950 samples were collected and analyzed over 7 years. The program covers different compartment of Lebanese environment, rivers, wells, marine samples, soil, and foodstuff. Air was monitored continuously through a radiation early warning network system. Data collected from 2009 to 2015 are presented in this work. Gross alpha/gross beta values in well samples were below the guidance levels stated by the WHO. Cesium-137 was detected in milk samples, whey, and jam. However, its content was much lower than the national permissible level, while its activity concentration in marine samples was lower than the values reported in studies carried out in the Mediterranean Sea. The activity concentration of "4"0K in food samples was comparable to studies carried out in neighboring countries and higher than the content determined in non Mediterranean countries. Concerning marine environment, the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides "2"3"8U, "2"3"2Th, and "4"0K were comparable to those reported in other studies carried out in different countries. As well as their content in rivers and sediments was lower than those reported in neighboring region. Potassium-40 in food and "2"1"0Po in fish were the main contributors to the internal dose. The average annual effective dose due to external exposure and internal, excluding radon gas which constitutes around 43%of the total dose, was found to be lower than the total worldwide value, 2.4 mSv year"-"1. Iodine-131 was detected in grass samples, collected in 2011 during Fukushima accident; its content ranged from 0.40 ± 0.06 to 0.9 ± 0.1 Bq kg"-"1, as well as "1"3"7Cs was detected in some seafood samples imported from Japan and neighboring countries. Its activity concentration varied between 0.15 ± 0.04 and 0.40 ± 0.02 Bq kg"-"1. (auhtor)

[en] The article Temporal trends of contaminants in Arctic human populations, written by Khaled Abass, Anastasia Emelyanova and Arja Rautio, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on 25 August 2018 without open access.

[en] The article Occurrence and risk assessment of trace metals and metalloids in sediments and benthic invertebrates from Dianshan Lake, China, written by Yan Wu, Yihui Zhou, Yanling Qiu, Da Chen, Zhiliang Zhu, Jianfu Zhao and Åke Bergman

[en] The article Cellular distribution of cadmium in two amaranth (Amaranthus mangostanus L.) cultivars differing in cadmium accumulation, written by Keyu Chi, Rong Zou, Li Wang, Wenmin Huo and Hongli Fan, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal (currently SpringerLink)

[en] On page 6156, “Regeneration of the MNPs for Cu(II) and Cr(VI) adsorption was conducted by using 0.1 mol/L HCl solution and NaOH solution as eluents, respectively” should read “Regeneration of the MNPs for Cu(II) and Cr(VI) adsorption was conducted by using 1.0 mol/L HCl solution and NaOH solution as eluents, respectively”.

No abstract available

[en] A comprehensive approach has been developed to the assessment of composition and properties of atmospherically deposited dust in the area affected by a copper smelter. The approach is based on the analysis of initial dust samples, dynamic leaching of water soluble fractions in a rotating coiled column (RCC) followed by the determination of recovered elements and characterization of size, morphology and elemental composition of nano-, submicron, and micron par ticles of dust separated using field-flow fractionation in a RCC. Three separated size fractions of dust (<0.2, 0.2–2, and >2 μm) were characterized by static light scattering and scanning electron microscopy, whereupon the fractions were analyzed by ICP-AES and ICP-MS (after digestion). It has been evaluated that toxic elements, which are characteristics for copper smelter emissions (As, Cu, Zn), are accumulated in fraction >2 μm. At the same time, up to 2.4, 3.1, 8.2, 6.7 g/kg of As, Cu, Zn, Pb, correspondently, were found in nanoparticles (<0.2 μm). It has been also shown that some trace elements (Sn, Sb, Ag, Bi, and Tl) are accumulated in fraction <0.2, and their content in this fraction may be one order of magnitude higher than that in the fraction >2 μm, or the bulk sample. It may be assumed that Sn, Sb, Ag, Bi, Tl compounds are adsorbed onto the finest dust particles as compared to As, Cu, Zn compounds, which are directly emitted from the copper smelter as microparticles.