Determination of ochratoxin a with a DNA aptamer

This work describes the identification of an aptamer that binds with high affinity and specificity to ochratoxin A (OTA), a mycotoxin that occurs in wheat and other foodstuffs, and a quantitative detection method for OTA based on the use of this aptamer. Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides selected in vitro to bind to molecular targets. The aptamer selected in this work exhibited a dissociation constant in the nanomolar range and did not bind compounds with structures similar to OTA such as N-acetylphenylalanine or warfarin. The aptamer bound with a 100-fold less affinity to ochratoxin B. The selected aptamers could be used for the determination of ppb quantities of OTA in naturally contaminated wheat samples. Further work is ongoing to broaden the application demonstrated here with the development of sensors, affinity columns, and other analytical systems for field and laboratory determination of this toxin in food and agricultural products.     

Structural characteristics of clay-dominated soils of a marsh and a palaeosol in a crossed diagram

Although the shrink‐swell phenomenon of clays has been thoroughly studied, the in situ relation of the shrinkage curve to the structure profile is rarely presented from the shrinkage limit to the liquid limit. We studied the consolidated structure of clay‐dominated (<2 μm) soils formed on ‘pseudo‐liquid’ marsh sediments in the ‘Marais de l’Ouest’ (France). The profiles were studied in a grassland field and in a sunflower field from unsaturated surface soils down to deeper, saturated, levels characterized by a very large water content (100% by weight). The consolidation states were quantified recording cone resistance (Qd) profiles using a dynamic penetrometer in successive seasons. These Qd profiles were compared with the associated wet density and gravimetric water‐content profiles. Two consolidation depths were evident, the surface soil and a 130‐cm deep palaeosol. The seasonal Qd profiles demonstrate the partial irreversibility of the consolidation peaks associated with the surface soil and with the palaeosol. The shrinkage properties were established through drying curves of undisturbed test samples. In the void ratio (e)‐water content (W) and water content (W)‐saturation index (Sr) diagrams, the profiles as a whole exhibit only one clay soil behaviour from their pseudo‐liquid to plastic to solid states. Each Qd profile is represented by a hyperbolic curve in the e/Qd diagram. Represented in a (e – W – Qd —Sr) crossed diagram, the vertical evolution of the successive profiles shows the soil structure behaviour from the initial pseudo‐liquid sediment to the consolidated soil. A simple cone resistance recording associated with gravimetric water‐content profiles, characterizes the evolution of structural layers of soils for the seasonal drying‐wetting cycles, for the over‐consolidation associated with the palaeosol, and also for the effect of ploughing.     

Use of a 6-steps microcosm for studying a wastewater discharge in a freshwater ecosystem: a multidisciplinary study

An experimental microcosm has been designed for simulating and studying impacts of a wastewater treatment plant (WTP) discharge on a freshwater/sediment ecosystem. The study was focused on the changes in biodiversity of benthic populations, especially bacteria and oligochaetes. Effluents were discharged in the Saône river, near Lyon (France) from a small treatment plant which treated domestic raw water by an activated sludge process. Freshwater and sediments were sampled in the Saône river upstream of the discharge point and placed in microcosms. Following the WTP discharge, physicochemical parameters of the overlying water column and sediments exhibited only a slight change, as compared to a reference. Characterization of the sediment bacterial populations was conducted with the Biolog and API systems. Strain identification and interpretation of data was difficult using thesetwo systems. Bacterial taxa in the sediments increased slightly below the WTP discharge. Gram negative strains dominated in the effluents, but G+ and G- bacteria were balanced in the sediments. Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus sp., were the dominant strains. Invertebrate populations indicated an effect of the WTP discharge, with increasing of pollution resistant strains (Tubificidae) and disappearance of pollution intolerant strains such as Limnodrilus udekemianus and Quistadrilus multicoetosus. Taken as a whole, biological parameters indicated an environmental changes despite only slight changes in the physicochemistry of water. This experimental microcosm has proven to be a useful tool for studying impact of wastewater discharge on benthic populations.     

Impact of a ski basin on a mountain watershed

The input of heavy metals by automobile exhaust pollution associated with the ski basin activities is the primary concern of this paper. Stream, snowpack and lichen samples were collected and analyzed for Pb, Zn, and Cu. Some lichen samples were also analyzed for Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe, and Mn, as well as Pb, Zn, and Cu. Snowpack samples from roadside areas demonstrated increased levels of Pb and Cu in comparison to areas up to 180 m from the road, but heavy metal levels at more remote areas were comparable to roadside levels. In all snow samples the heavy metals associated with the particulate matter was the major form of all inputs. Heavy metals in streams were also highly correlated with the particulate matter content. Heavy metal inputs to the watershed were greater than stream export, indicating an accumulation of heavy metals by the system. The forest canopy appears to be the major factor in the accumulation of heavy metals, probably due to better interception and impaction of the particulate matter by the canopy.     

Application of a Molecular Method for the Identification of a Gigaspora margarita Isolate Released in a Field

A molecular technique for the identification of the Gigaspora margarita isolate CK based on the detection of a DNA sequence of 235 bp as its diagnostic marker was evaluated to investigate the survival and establishment of introduced arbuscular mycorrizal fungi (AMF) in a field ecosystem. In March 2001, roots and rhizosphere soil of Eragrostis curvula and Miscanthus sinensis were collected from the Mizunashi River at Mt. Fugendake (Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan), where plant seeds and AMF including G. margarita CK had been introduced for reforestation after the occurrence of repeated pyroclastic flows. We detected the marker sequence from DNA preparations of E. curvula roots and Gigaspora spores in the rhizosphere. This clearly showed that the isolate occurred at both hyphal and sporal stages. It was shown that the isolate survived and developed a life cycle in the revegetation area for 4 years. It was confirmed that the method was effective for tracing the isolate in samples collected from field ecosystems.     

Evaluation of a Quasi-steady-state Respiration Test in a Full-scale Biopile

A quasi steady state respiration test based on Fick’s law with a correction term for advective flux, for estimating petroleum hydrocarbon degradation rates, was evaluated in a full-scale (3,000 m³) biopile study. A contaminated clayey sand soil with an average TPH content of 1,421?±?260 mg kg^?1 soil was treated in a biopile with a fixed venting and heating system. Temperature in the biopile ranged from 12.1 to 36.6°C and soil water content from 15.2 to 35.8 m³ H₂O m^?3 soil. Oxygen concentrations in the biopile showed a rapid decrease with depth, before venting and reached constant atmospheric concentration during venting. Measured oxygen consumption in the biopile ranged from ?0.04 to ?0.68 mol O₂ m^?3 soil day^?1. Average oxygen consumption rates calculated with the quasi-steady-state method were significantly (P?<?0.05) lower then the oxygen consumption rates calculated with the transient method. It was suggested that the oxygen diffusion was underestimated by the diffusivity models used and that further research is needed to determine relative effective diffusion coefficients in biopiles. Although both respiration testing and petroleum hydrocarbon concentration showed a decrease of oxygen consumption in time, the estimated degradation rate was low compared to the actual decrease in petroleum hydrocarbon concentration. Additional work will have to be done to acquire a more precise knowledge of the relationship between respirometrically determined degradation rates and the actual change in petroleum hydrocarbon concentration in the soil.     

Remediation of a long-term copper-contaminated soil using a polyacrylate polymer

Abstract. We investigated whether a polyacrylate polymer could be used to remediate a soil which had been contaminated with copper for many years. Perennial ryegrass was grown in a loamy sand containing 230 mg ammonium-acetate-EDTA extractable Cu kg⁻¹ and amended with 0, 0.1 and 0.2% of polymer. Growth of perennial ryegrass was stimulated in the polymer-amended soil, especially in the soil with 0.1% of polymer. After plant growth for 177 days, the amount of water extractable copper present in the unamended soil was 17 times that of the original soil. In the soil amended with 0.1% of polymer the level of copper after plant growth was only 0.11 times the amount present in the unamended soil. When the soil was incubated with polymer in the absence of plants, the level of water extractable copper was not reduced. The polymer seems to compete with plants for copper, and to prevent the increase of copper in soil solution brought about by root exudates.     

Grazing as a cause of lime precipitation in a natraqualf

Abstract

The movement of water from the watertable to the atmosphere is one of the most common causes for CaCO₃ accumulation on top of the soil. In the Flooding Pampa, the increase in water evaporation due mainly to the reduction of soil cover as a result of grazing has given place to pulses of topsoil salinization. We investigated the influence of this process on lime precipitation in the upper horizon. Data from continuous grazed and ungrazed areas were considered. The relative ion concentrations in the upper horizon of the ungrazed area and in the phreatic water were very similar. Under grazing, absolute ion concentration was larger than in the water table. The anionic constituents did not increase directly and linearly. Chlorides and sulfates showed increments. The carbonate proportion did not change, but bicarbonates showed a relative decrease. This latter reduction could be related to the precipitation of CaCOs in the uppper horizon of the soil. In agreement, the Ion Activity Product (IAP) of the calcite of the soil solution indicated conditions for saturation of CaCO₃ in the grazed area. Conversely, the IAP showed CaCO₃ undersaturation in the ungrazed area. In spite of the evidence for the ocurrence of lime precipitation, the top horizon did not show measurable lime under grazing. This fact could be explained by considering both the usual time taken by CaCO₃ precipitation, and the recent and episodic process of top soil salinization in this region after the introduction of livestock.     

Dynamics of a black bear population within a desert metapopulation

Understanding metapopulation dynamics in large carnivores with naturally fragmented populations is difficult because of the large temporal and spatial context of such dynamics. We coupled a long-term database of visitor sighting records with an intensive 3-year telemetry study to describe population dynamics of recolonization by black bears (Ursus americanus) of Big Bend National Park in Texas during 1988-2002. This population, which occurs within a metapopulation in western Texas and northern Mexico, increased from a single pair of known breeding-age animals in 1988 to 29 bears (including 6 females of breeding age) in March 2000 (λ = 1.25/year). A migration and dispersal event in August-December 2000 reduced the population to 2 adult females and as few as 5-7 individuals. One-way movement distances from the study area during this event averaged 76 km for females (n = 7) and 92 km for males (n = 4), and 3 animals conducted migrations of at least 154, 178, and 214 km, respectively. Our observations exemplify the importance of stochastic events on demographics of small populations and highlight the potential scale of bear movement among montane islands of southwestern North America. They also provide insight into the use of dispersal data in parameterizing metapopulation models for large carnivores.     

Cyanides in a soil of a former coking plant site

Soils of former coking plant sites are frequently contaminated with cyanide, which mainly occurs as the pigment Berlin blue, Fe^III4 [Fe^IICN)₆]₃, and soluble iron cyanide complexes, Fe(CN)₆^3-/4?. Berlin blue is only slightly soluble under acidic conditions. The cyanide mobility in a strongly acid soil (pH about 3) of such a site was studied by assessing the distribution of cyanides in the soil and sediment and by conducting batch experiments at different pH levels. The soil is based on a disposal layer (0–32 cm) overlying sandy loess (32–145 cm) overlying glaciofluvial sand (145–250 cm) overlying marlstone (250–500 cm). Highest cyanide concentrations were found in the disposal layer (62–2865 mg CN^? kg^?1), medium concentrations in the sandy loess (16–29 mg CN^? kg^?1), concentrations of about 100 mg CN^? kg^?1 in the glaciofluvial sand and lowest concentrations in the marlstone (0.22–0.49 mg CN^?1 kg^?1). The surfaces of macropores, which occur in the sandy loess and finish in the glaciofluvial sand, are dark-blue dyed and have much higher cyanide concentrations than the surrounding bulk soil. Thus, the accumulation of cyanides in the sand layer may partly be the result of macropore flow. Batch experiments show a strong pH dependence of the solubility of cyanide in the soil as well as of Berlin blue which was found by Mössbauer spectroscopy to be the dominating or sole iron cyanide. The time necessary to transport the cyanides solely as hexacyanoferrate into the undisturbed horizons is estimated to 1000 yr. However, because Berlin blue is known to form colloids, we discuss the possibility of cyanide transport as colloid not requiring dissolution and reprecipitation. We postulate that colloidal Berlin blue transported by macropore flow is responsible for the high mobility of cyanides in this acid soil.     

Development of a fluorescent latex immunoassay for detection of a spectinomycin antibiotic

There is a need to develop a rapid and sensitive method to detect spectinomycin residues in animal tissues. A latex fluorescent immunoassay was designed using reagents developed for this assay. The spectinomycin antibody was produced in sheep, and the immunoglobulin (IgG) was purified through a Protein G affinity column and was immobilized onto latex particles. Spectinomycin was labeled with 5-([4,6-dichlorotriazin-2-yl]amino)fluorescein (DTAF). The optimum assay conditions consisted of preincubating the latex-IgG with spectinomycin in buffer solutions or in bovine kidney extracts. DTAF-spectinomycin was added and was further incubated. The bound spectinomycin-DTAF/IgG-latex complex was separated by centrifugation at 4000 g for 10 min. The fluorescence signals of the unbound spectinomycin-DTAF in the supernatant were measured at 485/535 nm excitation/emission. The measured signals were directly proportional to the concentration of spectinomycin in the samples, and spectinomycin was detected at 0-100 ppb with minimum detectability of 5 ppb. The mean regression correlation of four trials in buffer was 0.936 when the % bound complex vs spectinomycin concentration was plotted. Analysis of the kidney extract spiked with 0-100 ppb spectinomycin had a regression correlation of 0.959. This assay provides a rapid screening method for low ppb detection of spectinomycin.     

Photosynthesis of a scots pine shoot: Test of a shoot photosynthesis model in a direct radiation field

The photosynthetic light curves of eight Scots pine (Pinussylvestris L.) shoots, each with a different structure, were measured in a direct radiation field at different positions relative to the radiation beam. Using a model of shoot geometry, the irradiance distributions on the needle surface area of the same shoots were simulated in each position. Using measurements of shoot photosynthesis, the photosynthetic light curve for a needle surface area element (a small area on the needle surface) was estimated indirectly for each shoot. Shoot photosynthesis was then calculated from the estimated photosynthetic light response curve of a needle surface area element and the irradiance distribution on the surface area of needles. Calculated rates for shoot photosynthesis agreed well with the measured rates. The mean irradiance on the needle surface area was the major component causing variation in the light response of a shoot irradiated from different directions, but the shape of the irradiance distribution on the needle surface area had a considerably smaller effect.     

Macrokinetic grounds for a model of microbial growth on a substrate with a single major component

The dependency of experimental microbial growth data on the concentration of a major substrate component in phase space follows the law of a deformed bell curve and, until now, has not had a widely accepted rational. In the present work, a theoretical equation of this dependency at a fixed time was derived from the equation of the dependency of growth on time for a single concentration of a major component, which was previously obtained using a non-stationary non-equilibrium approach. The validity of the equation was established by comparison to experimental data from an independent source. The equation allows one to find intervals in the phase space of the dependency of growth on the initial concentration of the major component of the substrate that qualitatively vary by sign (plus or minus) and direction (increasing or decreasing) of the change of: a) growth, b) rates, and c) acceleration of its change in response to the change in the concentration of a major component of the substrate.     

Metabolism of metamitron in goat following a single oral administration of a nontoxic dose level: a continued study

Disposition kinetic behavior and metabolism studies of metamitron and its metabolite in terms of the parent compound were carried out in black Bengal goats after a single oral administration of a nontoxic oral dose at 30 mg kg(-1) of body weight. Metamitron was detected in the blood sample at 5 min (2.23 +/- 0.04 microg mL(-1)), maximum at 1 h (3.43 +/- 0.02 microg mL(-1)) and minimum at 12 h (0.41 +/- 0.01 microg mL(-1)), after a single oral administration. Metabolite [3-methyl-6-phenyl-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one] in terms of the parent compound was detected in the blood sample at 5 min (0.47 +/- 0.006 microg mL(-1)), maximum at 6 h (5.12 +/- 0.02 microg mL(-1)) and minimum at 96 h (1.06 +/- 0.016 microg mL(-1)), after a single oral administration. The t(1/2 K) and Cl(B) values of metamitron were 3.63 +/- 0.05 h and 1.36 +/- 0.016 L kg(-1) h(-1), respectively, whereas the t(1/2K)(m) and Cl(B)(m) values of the metabolite were 38.15 +/- 0.37 h and 0.091 +/- 0.001 L kg(-1) h(-1), respectively, which suggested long persistence of the metabolite in blood and tissues of goat. Metamitron was excreted through feces and urine for up to 48 and 72 h, whereas the metabolite was excreted for up to 168 and 144 h, respectively. Metabolite alone contributed to 96 and 67% of combined recovery percentage of metamitron and metabolite against the administered dose in feces and urine of goat, respectively. All of the goat tissues except lung, adrenal gland, ovary, testis, and mammary gland retained the metabolite residue for up to 6 days after administration.     

二氯喹啉酸·苄嘧磺隆复合污染降解菌的特性研究

A bacterial strain, designated as LS, was isolated from a contaminated soil and was found to be capable of utilizing quinclorac, bensulfuronmethyl, and a mixture of the two as carbon and energy sources for growth. Strain LS was identified as Ochrobactrum sp. based on its physiological-biochemical properties, 16S rDNA sequences, and phylogenetic analysis. The extent of degradation of quinclorac and bensulfuronmethyl at initial concentrations of 1.5 and 0.1 g L^-1 was 90% and 67%, respectively, as measured by high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）. When a herbicide mixture of 0.34 g L^-1 quinclorac and 0.02 g L^-1 bensulfuronmethyl was applied as carbon sources, quinclorac and bensulfuronmethyl were degraded at 95.7% and 67.5%, respectively. It appears that quinclorac is utilized more easily in a mixture than in a single state. The optimal temperature for growth of strain LS was 37 ℃. Strain LS grew well at pH 6 to 9 and had the highest degradation level for quinclorac and bensulfuronmethyl at an initial pH of 7 and 8, respectively. Addition of 0.25 g L^-1 yeast extract could promote the growth and extent of degradation of quinclorac and bensulfuronmethyl by strain LS. Strain LS also showed the capability to degrade other aromatic compounds such as catechol, propisochlor, 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid sodium （MCPA-Na） and imazethapy. The isolate LS shows a huge potential to be used in bioremediation for treating complex herbicide residues.     

Physiological interpretation of a hyperspectral time series in a citrus orchard

Hyperspectral remote sensing for monitoring horticultural production systems requires the understanding of how plant physiology, canopy structure, management and solar elevation affect the retrieved canopy reflectance during different stages of the phenological cycle. Hence, the objective of this study was to set up and to interpret a hyperspectral time series for a mature and healthy citrus orchard in the Western Cape province of South Africa considering these effects. Based on the remotely sensed data, biophysical parameters at the canopy level were derived and related to known observed physiological and phenological changes at the leaf level and to orchard management. Fractions of mature fruit, flowers, and sunburnt leaves were considered, and indices related to canopy structure chlorophyll content and canopy water status were calculated.Results revealed small cover fractions of mature fruit, flowers and sunburnt leaves of respectively 2.1%, 3.1% and 7.0%, but the high spectral contrast between flowers and leaves allowed a successful classification of flowering intensity. Furthermore, it was shown that canopy level time series of vegetation indices were sensitive to changes in solar elevation and soil reflectance which could be reduced by applying an empirical soil line correction for the most affected indices. Most trends in vegetation indices at the canopy level could be explained by a combination of changes at the leaf level (chlorophyll, carotenoids, dry matter), changes in canopy structure (leaf area index and leaf angle distribution) and changes in cover fractions of vegetative flushes, flowers and sunburnt leaves. The transformed chlorophyll absorption ratio index over the optimised soil adjusted vegetation index (MCARI/OSAVI) was best related to leaf level trends in chlorophyll content. Seasonal changes in the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) were linked to inverse changes in the carotenoid-to-chlorophyll ratio. Canopy structure indices (the modified triangular vegetation index or MTVI2 and the standardized leaf area index determining index or sLAIDI) were sensitive to changes in leaf area index, average leaf angle as well to management interactions (pruning and harvest). Canopy water status was highly impacted during the spring flush due to expanding leaves that concealed trends in the underlying mature leaves. Seasonal trends in soil and weeds reflectance were related to changes in volumetric soil water content and to the earlier and reduced growth period of non-irrigated weeds.     

Effects of a New-Type Cleaning Agent and a Plant Growth Regulator on Phytoextraction of Cadmium from a Contaminated Soil

In China, great efforts are being made to remediate farmlands polluted by heavy metals. In this study, a soil pot experiment was conducted to examine the effects of a new-type cleaning agent, methylglycinediacetic acid(MGDA), and a plant growth regulator(PGR), diethl aminoethyl hexanoate(DA-6), on plant growth and extraction and detoxification of cadmium(Cd) by ryegrass. The results showed that foliar spray of DA-6 alone improved plant growth, with root length and shoot dry biomass increased by 38.5%–58.6% and 71.1%–89.3%, respectively, whereas addition of MGDA alone decreased root length and shoot dry biomass by 10.3%–18.6%and 9.1%–21.8%, respectively. Diethl aminoethyl hexanoate promoted the binding of Cd to cell walls and thus alleviated the toxicity of Cd and/or MGDA to plants. Applications of DA-6 and/or MGDA resulted in a significant increase in Cd extraction efficiency(P 0.05), and the efficiency decreased in the order of MGDA + DA-6 DA-6 MGDA. The treatment of MGDA + DA-6 achieved 2.2%, 1.7%, and 0.8% Cd extraction efficiency by ryegrass in soils spiked with 25, 50, 100 mg Cd kg~(-1), respectively. Therefore,treatment of MGDA + DA-6 could be an efficient method for enhancing phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil by ryegrass.     

Spatial heterogeneity of a microbial community in a sandy soil ecosystem

A fieldwork was carried out in Caesarea sand dunes, Israel, to determine the influence of fine-scale landscape-patch abiotic-factor heterogeneity on microbial activity in a Mediterranean region. Soil organisms in terrestrial systems are unevenly distributed in time and space, and are often aggregated. Spatio-temporal patchiness in the soil environment is thought to be crucial for the maintenance of soil biodiversity, providing diverse microhabitats that are tightly interwoven with resource partitioning. Determination of a ‘scale unit’ to help understand ecological processes has become one of the important and most debatable problems in recent years. To better understand the distribution of soil microbial communities at multiple spatial scales, a survey was conducted to examine the spatial organization of the community structure in two sandy soil ecosystems. One-hundred forty-four soil samples were collected from two patches 4000 m apart from each other. Basal respiration (CO₂ evolution without the addition of any external substrate), microbial biomass, functional diversity, and community-level physiological profile (CLPP) in soil were measured with a MicroResp? system. Soil abiotic analysis was performed by soil standard analytical methods. The results demonstrated that bacterial distributions can be highly structured, even within a habitat that appears to be relatively homogeneous at the plot and field scale. Different subsets of the microbial community were distributed differently across the plot. This is due to spatial heterogeneity associated with soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. Although spatial variability in the distribution of soil microorganisms is generally regarded as random, this variability often has a predictable spatial structure. This study provided evidence that a spatially explicit approach to soil ecology can enable the identification of factors that drive the spatial heterogeneity of populations and activities of soil organisms, at scales ranging from meters to hundreds of meters. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that spatial soil ecology can yield new insights into the factors that maintain and regulate soil biodiversity, as well as on how the spatial distribution of soil organisms influences plant growth and plant community structure.     

The Control of a Small Dam in Nutrient Inputs to a Hypertrophic Estuary in a Mediterranean Climate

A two-year study was carried out in the lower part of the Palmones River to describe the role of a small dam controlling the nutrient fluxes to the estuary. Results showed an important spatial heterogeneity in the nutrient content and water properties of lowland catchment due to the effects of the small dam and the effluents of a sewage treatment work. Taking into account the values of hydraulic retention time, the dam could be considered as an optimally dimensioned pre-dam. Therefore, it removed on average more than 25% of total phosphorus (TP) while no net removal was obtained for TN during the studied period. Palmones River exported 11.3 TonsP year^?1 of TP and 72.1 TonsN year^?1 of TN to the estuary showing important seasonal differences. Less than 10% from the total amount of nutrient was exported during low flow conditions, while in four months with important flooding events, the percentage of total nitrogen exported exceeded 64%.     

Improvement of a Gravity Oil Separator Using a Designed Experiment

Several authors have pointed out the need to improve the design procedure of conventional oil-water separator. In this work, a batch test and various continuous runs based on a Plackett-Burman statistical plan were performed, in order to optimize a small (10 L/min) gravity oil-water separator technology intended to pre-treat wastewaters from vehicle service facilities. The results from the tracer tests realized did not show a coherent relationship between the performance of the separator (E) and the mixing regime qualified by means of the variable ε (ratio between the actual and nominal mean residence times). The statistical analysis showed that the oil removal efficiency variations (69-82%) were mainly dictated by the way the separator is configured. A two-step design procedure alternative of small gravity separators was suggested.