Effects of root-derived organic acids on sorption of pharmaceutically active compounds in sandy topsoil.

The presence and fate of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in agricultural fields are rarely investigated. The present study highlights that root-derived low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) affect the mobility of PhACs in cultivated humic Arenosol. Sorption experiments are conducted using three PhACs characterised by different physicochemical properties: carbamazepine (CBZ), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), and diclofenac-sodium (DFC). The results suggest that the adsorption of EE2 is more intense than the other two PhACs, whereas DFC and CBZ are primarily dominated by desorption. LMWOAs mainly provide additional low-energy adsorption sites for the PhACs, and slight pH changes do not significantly affect the sorption mechanism. During competitive adsorption, the high-energy sites of the adsorbents are initially occupied by EE2 owing to its high adsorption energy (∼15 kJ/mol). The new low-energy binding sites enhance the adsorption of DFC (from 8.5 % to 72.0 %) and CBZ (from 31.0 % to 70.0 %) during multicomponent adsorption. LMWOAs not only affect adsorption by modifying the pH but also provide additional binding sites that allow the PhACs to remain in the root environment for a longer period. As the concentration of LMWOAs temporarily changes, so does the availability of PhACs in the root zone. Environmental changes in the humic horizon enhance the mobility of the adsorbed PhACs, which renders them continuously available for uptake by plants, thus increasing the possibility of PhACs entering the human food chain.

Distribution and impacts of contamination by natural and artificial radionuclides in attic dust and urban soil samples from a former industrial Hungarian city: A case study from Salgótarján.

Primordial radionuclides can be found in all environmental compartments. Since coal-fired power plants (CFPP) can be a source of additional radionuclide contamination because coal contains natural radioactive isotopes such as 238U (226Ra) and 232Th. This study investigated the impact of such possible radionuclide contamination from former heavy industrial activities, namely a former local coal-fired power plant, in urban soils and attic dust in Salgótarján, Hungary. Even today, industrial by-products, e.g., coal ash, in this city represent significant threat to its residents. A total of 36 attic dust samples (family houses, kindergartens, churches and blockhouses) were collected and 19 urban soil samples (playgrounds, kindergartens, parks and others) were selected no further than 500 m from the corresponding attic dust sampling sites. Additionally, a coal ash and a brown forest soil sample were also collected to differentiate between the anthropogenic and geogenic sources in the residential area. The sampled houses, built between 1890 and 1990, are considered to be representative sampling sites for long-term accumulations of attic dust. The mean values of the total U, Th and Cs (mg kg-1) concentrations as well as those of K (m/m %) in attic dust and urban soil samples are 2.4, 3.6, 1.7 and 0.6 and 1.1, 4.4, 1.2 and 0.3, respectively, measured using ICP-MS. The mean activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in attic dust and urban soil samples are 43.3, 34.0, 534.4 and 88.5 and 25.1, 32.8, 386.4 and 5.6 Bq kg-1, respectively, by using a low-background iron chamber with a well-type HPGe and a n-type coaxial HPGe detector. The elemental compositions (U, Th) and activity concentrations (226Ra, 232Th) along with their abundances in coal ash from the CFPP increase in both studied media as the distance of the sampling sites from the CFPP decreases. Two outlier attic dust samples in particular show significantly high activity concentrations of 226Ra: 145 and 143, of 232Th: 83 and 94 Bq kg-1, which can be considered as a proxy of unweathered coal ash. The calculated total absorbed gamma dose rate (D) and annual effective dose (E) received from urban soils indicate that the presence of the CFPP, coal ash cone and slag dumps does not cause an increase in the level of background radiation in Salgótarján. However, the concentrations of the studied radionuclides are much higher (except for 232Th) and exhibit higher degree of variability in the samples of attic dustthan in those of urban soils. The study suggests that attic dust preserves the undisturbed 'fingerprints' of long-term atmospheric deposition thanks to its chemical and physical properties unlike urban soil.

Cellulose in Foliage and Changes during Seasonal Leaf Development of Broadleaf and Conifer Species.

Stable isotope approaches are widely applied in plant science and many improvements made in the field focus on the analysis of specific components of plant tissues. Although technical developments have been very beneficial, sample collection and preparation are still very time and labor-consuming. The main objective of this study was to create a qualitative dataset of alpha-cellulose content of leaf tissues of arboreal species. We extracted alpha-cellulose from twelve species: Abies alba Mill., Acer pseudoplatanus L., Fagus sylvatica L., Larix decidua Mill., Picea abies (L.) Karst., Pinus sylvestris L., Quercus cerris L., Quercus petrea (Matt.) Liebl., Quercus pubescens Wild., Quercus robur L., Tilia platyphyllos Scop. and Ulmus glabra Huds. While these species show an increase in cellulose yield from bud break to full leaf development, the rates of increase in cellulose content and the duration of the juvenile phase vary greatly. Moreover, the veins display significantly higher alpha-cellulose content (4 to 11%) compared to blade tissues, which reflects their different structural and biochemical functions. A guide for the mass of sample material required to yield sufficient alpha-cellulose for a standard stable isotope analysis is presented. The additional benefits of the assessment of the mass of required sample material are reduced sample preparation time and its usefulness in preparing samples of limited availability (e.g., herbarium material, fossil samples).

Activity concentration of 137Cs in undisturbed attic dust collected from Salgótarján and Ózd (northern Hungary).

Due to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, contaminated air masses, containing 137Cs, were widely propagated across all of Europe. Cesium-137 is easily adsorbed on aerosol particles as it returns to the lithosphere/pedosphere/via wet and dry deposition in the form of a radioactive fallout component. Following the nuclear accident, primary attention was paid to agricultural areas and less to urban environments. Our 137Cs activity study using undisturbed attic dust samples has been carried out from two residential areas (city of Salgótarján and Ózd) in northern Hungary, approx. 1000 km away from Chernobyl. A total of 61 attic dust samples were collected in 2016 and 2018 from houses (>30 years) functioning as family house, kindergarten, blockhouse and church. Activity concentration of 137Cs was determined for 1-2 g homogenized (<125 µm) attic dust samples in a low background iron chamber with a well-type HPGe detector. The mean 137Cs activity concentrations in attic dust samples are 88.5 ± 5.1 Bq kg-1 and 87.8 ± 4.5 Bq kg-1 in Salgótarján and Ózd, respectively. The dependence between 137Cs activities and the age of the houses was found to be significant (p=0.02), which could be explained by Chernobyl nuclear accident-causing elevated activity concentrations in location built prior to the accident. Three outliers in Ózd (>223 Bq kg-1), are probably related to the first rainfall event after the Chernobyl accident. Isotopic landscapes (isoscapes) of 137Cs were derived for both cities by means of kriging interpolation. In Salgótarján the 137Cs activity concentrations were higher than in Ózd which might have been due to redistribution loadings and local topographical features. We concluded that components of attic dust are highly useful indicators of home exposure to pollution events and remain detectable after several decades.

Pharmaceuticals in water and sediment of small streams under the pressure of urbanization: Concentrations, interactions, and risks.

Small streams are crucial but vulnerable elements of ecological networks. To better understand the occurrence of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in streams, this study focused on the occurrence, distribution, and environmental risk of 111 PhACs and 7 trace elements based on a total of 141 water and sediment samples from small streams located in the urbanizing region of Budapest, Hungary. Eighty-one PhACs were detected in the aqueous phase, whereas sixty-two compounds were detected in the sediment. Carbamazepine (CBZ) was the most frequently identified PhAC in water, and was found in 91.5% of all samples. However, the highest concentrations were measured for lamotrigine (344.8 µg·L-1) and caffeine (221.4 µg·L-1). Lidocaine was the most frequently occurring PhAC in sediment (73.8%), but the maximum concentrations were detected for CBZ (395.9 ng·g-1) and tiapride (187.7 ng·g-1). In both water and sediment, more PhACs were found downstream of the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) than in the samples not affected by treated wastewater, even though no relationship was observed between the total amount of treated wastewater and the number of detected PhACs. The PhAC concentrations were also independent of the distance from the WWTP effluents. PhAC-polluted samples were detected upstream of the WWTPs, thereby suggesting the relevance of diffuse emissions in addition to WWTP outlets. The most frequently detected PhACs in the sediment were usually also present in the water samples collected at the same place and time. The varying concentrations of PhACs and the fluctuating water-sediment properties resulted in a lack of correlation between the general chemical properties and the concentrations of PhACs, which makes it difficult to predict PhAC contamination and risks in urbanized small streams. The environmental risk assessment indicated that diclofenac had the highest risk in the sampling area.

Geostatistical evaluation of the design of the precipitation stable isotope monitoring network for Slovenia and Hungary.

A detailed knowledge of the stable isotope signature of precipitation is the basis of investigations in a variety of scientific fields and applications. To obtain robust and reliable results, the representativity of the currently operating (at least, as of 2018) precipitation stable isotope monitoring stations across Slovenia (n = 8) and Hungary (n = 9) was evaluated on the basis of amount-weighted annual averages with the aim of revealing any redundantly (i.e. over-) represented or un(der)represented areas. In the case of the latter, optimal locations for additional sites were suggested in Slovenia and Hungary. The networks of both countries are design-based systems that need to be fine-tuned for long-term optimized operation. The evaluation of the monitoring network was performed taking into consideration the stations operating in Slovenia and Hungary, as well as closely situated ones operating in neighboring countries. The evaluation was carried out in nine different combinations, using spatial simulated annealing, with regression kriging variance as a quality measure. The results showed that (i) there are over- and un(der)represented areas in the network, an issue requiring remedial action, (ii) the mutual information exchange of the precipitation stable isotope monitoring networks of Slovenia and Hungary increases the precision of precipitation δ18O estimation by ~0.3‰ in a 15-30 km wide zone near the borders, and (iii) by an even greater degree in the neighboring countries' stations. The current research may be termed pioneering in the matter of the detailed geostatistical assessment of spatial representativity of a precipitation stable isotope monitoring network, and as such, can serve as an example for future studies aiming for the spatial optimization of other regional precipitation stable isotope monitoring networks.

The application of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (mri) to the examination of plant tissues and water barriers.

The aim of the present study is to extend the applicability of MRI measurements similar to those used in human diagnostics to the examination of water barriers in living plants, thus broadening their use in natural sciences. The cucumber, Cucumis sativus, and Phillyrea angustifolia, or false olive, were chosen as test plants. The MRI measurements were carried out on three samples of each plant in the same position vis-a-vis the MRI apparatus using a Siemens Avanto MRI scanner. Two different relaxation times were employed, T1, capable of histological mapping, and T2, used for the examination of water content. In the course of the analysis, it was found that certain histological formations and branching cause modifications to the intensity detected with relaxation time T2. Furthermore, these positions can also be found in T1 measurements. A monotonic correlation (cucumber: ρ = 0.829; false olive: ρ = -0.84) was observed between the T1 and T2 measurements. In the course of the statistical analysis of the signal intensities of the xylems it was concluded that they cannot be regarded as independent in a statistical sense; these changes rather depend on the anatomic structure of the plant, as the intensity profile is modified by nodes, leaves and branches. This serves as a demonstration of the applicability of MRI to the measurement of well know plant physiological processes. The special parametrization required for this equipment, which is usually used in human diagnostics, is also documented in the present study.

Optimization of the monitoring network on the River Tisza (Central Europe, Hungary) using combined cluster and discriminant analysis, taking seasonality into account.

The most essential requirement for water management is efficient and informative monitoring. Operating water quality monitoring networks is a challenge from both the scientific and economic points of view, especially in the case of river sections ranging over hundreds of kilometers. Therefore, spatio-temporal optimization is vital. In the present study, the optimization of the monitoring system of the River Tisza, the second largest river in Central Europe, is presented using a generally applicable and novel method, combined cluster and discriminant analysis (CCDA). This area for the study was chosen because, spatial inhomogeneity of a river's monitoring network can more easily be studied in a mostly natural watershed - as in the case of the River Tisza - since the effects of man-made obstacles: e.g water barrage systems, hydroelectric power plants, artificial lakes, etc. are more pronounced. Furthermore, since the temporal sampling frequency was bi-weekly, the opportunity of optimizing the monitoring system on a temporal (monthly) scale arose. In the research, 15 water quality parameters measured at 14 sampling sites in the Hungarian section of the River Tisza were assessed for the time period 1975-2005. First, four within-year sections ("hydrochemical seasons") were determined, characterized with unequal lengths, namely 2, 4, 2, and 4 months long starting with spring. Homogeneous groups of sampling sites were determined in space for every season, with the main separating factors being the tributaries and man-made obstacles. Similarly, an overall pattern of homogeneity was determined. As an overall result, the 14 sampling sites could be grouped into 11 homogeneous groups leading to the possibility of reducing the number of sampling locations and thus making the monitoring system more cost-efficient.

Delimiting sub-areas in water bodies using multivariate data analysis on the example of Lake Balaton (W Hungary).

The main aim of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000) is to commit European Union Member states to the achievement of good qualitative and quantitative status for all water bodies by 2015. To achieve this, a reference state has to be determined and appropriate monitoring has to be carried out. Based on the fact that the WFD classifies Lake Balaton, the largest shallow freshwater lake in Central Europe, as one water body, and due to the lack of funds, the number of sampling locations on the lake was decreased. The aim of this study was to determine how many sub-areas with different WFD-related attributes (in this case, parameters) can be delimited in the so-called one water body of Lake Balaton, so that a number of representative sampling locations might be retained. To determine Lake Balaton's different water quality areas (i.e. sub-areas of water body) 23 parameters (inorganic compounds) were examined from 10 sampling locations for the time interval 1985-2004 using cluster- and discriminant analysis, and Wilks' lambda distribution. With cluster analysis we were able to determine two time intervals (1985-1997 and 1998-2004) with three patterns of sub-areas, two from the first and one from the latter interval. These patterns pointed to the fact that for the whole investigated time interval (1985-2004) a total of five sub-areas were present, changing in number and alignment. Then the results were verified using discriminant analysis, and the parameters which influenced the sub-areas the most were determined using Wilks' lambda distribution. The conclusion was that to be able to follow the changes in alignment of the sub-areas and to get a comprehensive picture of Lake Balaton, a minimum of five sampling locations should be retained, one in each sub-area. Based on this study the Water Authorities chose to keep five out of ten sampling locations so that the sub-areas could be described. We consider this a great success and the methodology as an example for setting up sub-areas in a water body.