Extractable iron and organic matter in the suspended insoluble material of fog droplets

In this work the formation and composition of aggregates between metals and organic material is studied in real fog samples. In a preliminary experiment it has been found that concentrated cloud samples form a yellow-brown precipitate in the presence of Fe(III). Standards of humic acids and fulvic acids co-precipitate with Fe(III), forming similar aggregates i.e. iron-humates (Fe-HA) and iron-fulvates (Fe-FA). By comparing the solubility properties of aggregates by extracting organic carbon (OC) in different pH conditions, it has been observed that fog droplet particulate samples are characterised by solubility properties more similar to those of Fe-HA than Fe-FA. Dilute alkaline solutions can also easily extract organic refractory substances that form aggregates with metals. The recoveries of the total extractable organic matter (accounting for 12% of total insoluble carbon and 15% of particulate mass) are similar to those of humic-like substances (HULIS) from particulate samples. The chromatographic behaviour and functional group characteristics measured in the alkali-extract fraction of precipitated aggregates with iron and in the insoluble particulate of fog samples, are those of humic-like material. Thus, soluble HULIS are able to interact with iron to form particulate, but the composition of a large fraction of insoluble organic carbon is still unknown. These findings have implications on the solubility and surface tension properties of fog droplets and can therefore potentially influence droplet formation, as well as cloud chemical and photochemical processes.     

The current status of major tick borne diseases in Zambia

Tick-borne diseases occurring in Zambia are assuming more importance as they continue to be a major economic problem not only in Zambia, but in many parts of Eastern, Southern and Central Africa. The current control methods, which include the use of toxic acaricides to kill ticks, and the virulent sporozoite infection and treatment method have limitations. Recombinant vaccines, currently in their experimental stages, offer hope for the future. The use of acaricides is hampered by the development of acaricide resistance and live vaccines are dependent on cold chain facilities, which are a formidable obstacle in the poorly developed infrastructure in parts of Zambia where the vaccine is most needed. Amidst these drawbacks are the results of the recent research on parasites and vector recombinant vaccines which promise to circumvent these problems. The history, current status and attitudes regarding the control of these diseases, taking into account their complexity, are reviewed. The establishment of the well-designed Central Veterinary Research Institute (CVRI) and Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) sponsored veterinary school, both have a potential for high quality research, with access to a wealth of specimens a veritable goldmine of research material. It is thus hoped that this review will stimulate the desire to maximize the value of the tick and tick-borne disease research in both Zambia and the international research community.     

Evaluation of the Pollutant Content in Road Runoff First Flush Waters

Road runoff waters are able to convey a number of organic and inorganic pollutants originated by different non-point sources and by the road surface itself. Such pollutants can enter aquatic systems, thus contributing to water and soil contamination. This study was aimed at evaluating the pollutant content in first flush runoff waters from a highway located in Central Italy. A water sampling apparatus was devised able to collect only the first 10 L of runoff water. Water samples were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy, ion chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in order to determine metals, ions, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, respectively. Soil samples were collected as well for metal and hydrocarbon determination. Results obtained in a field experiment carried out in two different seasons and in two different sites along the highway are reported. The study was extended to water samples collected in a strip of the same road not yet in use. Results obtained showed a temporal and a spatial variability due to the different period rainfall and to sites features, respectively. Within such a variability, a substantial agreement, in terms of order of magnitude, with other studies carried out in European sites was observed.     

Fate of enrofloxacin in swine sewage

The fate of enrofloxacin present in raw sewage at a swine-breeding facility was investigated by liquid-liquid extraction and reversed-phase liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. Samples were collected in the storage pits of each pigsty and in a nonaerated lagoon used to stock the sewage. In the pigsties, the sewage was mixed with 10% olive oil groundwater, following a certified procedure (cod. Cer 020301) which reduces the bad odors and produces a better manure. This sewage treatment for 8 months in the lagoon dramatically reduced the amount of enrofloxacin to levels under the detection limit of 0.6 microg.L(-)(1). The results stress the importance of correct sludge management in limiting the impact of enrofloxacin in the environment.