Pesticides from wastewater treatment plant effluents affect invertebrate communities.

We quantified pesticide contamination and its ecological impact up- and downstream of seven wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in rural and suburban areas of central Germany. During two sampling campaigns, time-weighted average pesticide concentrations (c) were obtained using Chemcatcher® passive samplers; pesticide peak concentrations were quantified with event-driven samplers. At downstream sites, receiving waters were additionally grab sampled for five selected pharmaceuticals.

Thiol activation of a model O2-aryl diazeniumdiolate prodrug in phospholipid vesicle media.

Thiolysis of the model diazeniumdiolate prodrug, O2-(2,4-dinitrophenyl) 1-(N,N-diethylamino)diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (DNP-DEA/NO), by glutathione (GSH), cysteine (CYSH) and 1-heptanethiol (heptylmercaptan, HM) has been examined in anionic (DOPG), neutral (DPPC, DOPE) and cationic (DOTAP) vesicle media and in glycine buffered aqueous solutions. DOTAP vesicles accelerate the bimolecular reaction with glutathione, cysteine and 1-heptanethiol by factors of 81, 8.2 and 4630, respectively, while reaction is inhibited 5- to 10-fold in the presence of neutral and anionic vesicles.

The fate, distribution, and toxicity of lindane in tests with Chironomus riparius: effects of bioturbation and sediment organic matter content.

In this laboratory study, we address the effect of Chironomus bioturbation (0, 2,000, 6,000, and 18,000 ind/m2) and sediment organic matter content (10, 20, and 40%) on the fate, distribution, and bioavailability of 14C-lindane under standardized conditions in toxicity tests with artificial sediment. The results show that both Chironomus burrowing activity and sediment organic matter strongly modify test conditions. Larval mortality and development were inversely related with Chironomus densities and lindane concentration.