The behaviour of linear alkyl benzene sulphonate under direct discharge conditions in Vientiane, Lao PDR.

Direct discharge of untreated sewage to surface waters is a common practice in many parts of the world. However, relatively little is known about the behaviour of synthetic organic pollutants under these conditions. This paper describes a sampling campaign designed to track changes in water quality in a surface water system in Vientiane (Lao PDR) receiving significant quantities of untreated waste water. The study was based on following in-channel transport using a fluorescent tracer injected as a pulse, with a focus on the anionic surfactant linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS) and ammonia. Water samples were collected at a number of stations with sampling times estimated to coincide with solute time-of-travel. The reduction in LAS concentration with flow-time could be approximated by first-order kinetics with a half life of about 7 h. Free ammonia concentrations decreased more slowly than LAS and remained above the level believed to be toxic for sensitive aquatic species along the entire channel. Changes in the ratios of LAS alkyl chain homologues to total LAS concentrations suggest a preferential removal of longer chain lengths. The role of biodegradation in the removal of LAS was confirmed by the presence of LAS metabolites (sulphophenylcarboxylates, SPCs) which increased systematically (as a fraction of LAS remaining) with flow-time.

A risk management initiative implemented in Canada.

This paper describes recent initiatives in Canada that lead to a new regulation on environmental emergencies under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act of 1999. The regulation includes a list of hazardous substances with threshold quantities. It has requirements for prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. The regulation is based on voluntary guidelines developed by industry, public authorities, municipalities and representatives of the public. The guidelines are a reference for industry and municipalities to help them manage risk related to major industrial accidents. The guidelines released in July 2002 are innovative in the sense that municipalities are strongly involved in the risk management process through the creation of Local Emergency Planning Committees (Joint Committees) with representatives from industry, municipalities and public. This work appears as a relevant approach to involve the public in the decision-making process and makes people aware of the hazards and the measures taken to control risk.

Anomalies on capture nets of Hydropsyche slossonae larvae (Trichoptera; Hydropsychidae) following a sublethal chronic exposure to cadmium.

A laboratory study on the sublethal effects of cadmium (Cd) on the net-spinning process of the larvae of Hydropsyche slossonae was conducted in order to assess the potential of net anomalies as an indicator of chronic exposure to Cd. Two major anomalies with different frequency levels were identified after chronic exposure to 0.37, 1.2, 11.6, 21.4 and 43.3 microg l(-1) of Cd. The first was a distortion of the midline meshes where the diamond-shape structure is disrupted and the meshes are separated by extra strands (called 'midline' anomaly). The second aberration consisted of a distortion of the rectilinear structure of net opening by strands being fused or added over the meshes (called 'crossover' anomaly). The midline distortion may be linked to a physiological stress caused by Cd, which can affect the control of the net-spinning process. It was not possible to relate the crossover aberrations to a specific toxic action of Cd, but data indicated that both anomalies are independent from each other and that two modes of action could be implicated. Protein analyses of capture nets have revealed silk polypeptide modifications at the highest Cd concentration tested, indicating a possible effect of Cd interaction with silk proteins. However, neither a gradient-concentration nor a time-dependent response could be established with both aberration frequencies. Silk protein modifications would rather play a secondary role in the appearance of both net anomalies, and mostly at a high concentration level. Finally, the toxicity curves (EC(50)) show that the sensitivity threshold for both types of aberration ranged from 1 to 5 microg l(-1) which is highly sensitive compared with other sublethal effects of Cd on other macroinvertebrate species. Hence, the use of capture-net anomalies of hydropsychid larvae would represent a valuable indicator of sublethal toxicity induced by Cd and possibly by other metals in running waters.

Use of the continuity principle to evaluate water processing rate of suspension-feeding mosquito larvae.

Water processing rates of active suspension-feeding larvae of Culiseta morsitans and Culex quinquefasciatus 2nd and 4th instars were estimated through video image analysis of the conical jet flow driving the large recirculation patterns surrounding the organisms. In accordance with the principle of continuity, individual processing rates (PRs) were assessed by averaging a series of consecutive flow rates (Qx) defined as the product of the water velocity (Ux) and the associated cross-sectional area (Ax) along a transect passing through the center of the delineated jet flow. Results clearly show very tight adherence to the principle of continuity. They also demonstrate that, although extreme care must be taken when streamtube delineation is performed, the methodology used can generate reliable assessment of individual processing rates regardless of the instars or species studied. The small coefficient of variation observed in assessing PR at the larval level further underlines the consistency of the method. Significant differences in water processing rates were observed for different species and instars. These could partially be related to body size, head width, and the length of the lateral palatal brushes (LPBs), which are the structures involved in the production of the water jet. Assessment of the jet velocity at the feeding groove level suggests the key role of LPB beating frequency in the jet intensity, and consequently the magnitude of the processing rate. Analysis of data further indicates that obligate suspension feeders such as Cs. morsitans must sustain a larger flow pattern around the larvae to ensure sufficient particle entrapment than facultative suspension feeders (or even brushers) such as Cx. quinquefasciatus.

Spectroscopic Techniques using Synchrotron Radiation and Free-Electron and Conventional Lasers.

Considerable progress in the investigation of the electronic and vibrational properties of atoms, molecules, materials, surfaces and interfaces has been achieved by combining different photon sources of complementary characteristics. In this paper some experimental results obtained recently at LURE by using two synchronized sources, such as the IR free-electron laser (FEL) CLIO, the VUV storage ring FEL, synchrotron radiation and table lasers, are presented. Using CLIO synchronized with a YAG laser allows the investigation of the vibrational properties of adsorbed species by the non-linear optical technique of visible-IR sum (difference) frequency generation, as shown for the adsorption of hydrogen on platinum in the electrochemical environment. The second result reported here relates to the study of the intersubband stimulated emission in GaAs/GaAlAs quantum wells by pump-probe experiments using the two-colour configuration of CLIO. The combination of a mode-locked Ar(+) laser and synchrotron radiation has been used for investigations in a pump-probe arrangement of the ionization of Xe atoms via the resonant state Xe* 5p(5)5d [3/2](1). The final example is a time-resolved core-level spectroscopy study of photoexcited Si(111) 2 x 1 surfaces by using a combination of the naturally synchronized UV storage ring laser and synchrotron radiation.

Laboratory study of the influence of water temperature and pH on Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis efficacy against black fly larvae (Diptera: Simuliidae).

An experimental formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis was used in the laboratory to assess the influence of water temperature and pH on the relationship between concentration, duration of exposure, and mortality of the northern black fly species Simulium decorum and Prosimulium mixtum/fuscum group. Mortality increases in both species with increases in duration of exposure, concentration, temperature and pH. Onset of death is shortened by increase in concentration and temperature. As temperature rises, the concentration of B.t.i. required to induce mortality decreases; the sharpest decline occurring between 12 and 18 degrees C for S. decorum, and between 4 and 8 degrees C for P. mixtum/fuscum larvae. Lower pH induces a loss of efficacy of the B.t.i. formulation on S. decorum larvae at 4 and 12 degrees C. Dialysis of the B.t.i. formulation at pH 11 for 2 h increases its potency against S. decorum larvae, suggesting an effect of an extralarval alkaline hydrolysis on the B.t.i. efficacy. An alkaline prehydrolysis of the paracrystalline bodies could therefore be used in cold and acidic environments to compensate for loss of efficacy.