This paper examines the problem of estimating indoor radon concentrations for radon-induced lung cancer risk assessment. Previous authors have identified various problems and possible corrections for the use of generally available radon screening measurements. Bias evident in data collected from volunteers is described; regional databases developed from voluntary data generally exhibit higher mean values than those obtained from random samples. Tools are developed to better characterize the differences in voluntary and random concentration distributions. Application is demonstrated using voluntary and random radon survey data for the state of North Dakota.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals that is widely used in common consumer products. The aim of this study was to report the total urinary BPA concentrations (free plus conjugated) in 200 urine samples (children: 57; male: 74; female: 69) obtained from residents of a Mediterranean city, Mersin. Analyses were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and for assessing environmental exposure to free BPA and its major metabolite bisphenol A glucuronide (BPAG) in human urine were determinated. Our results indicated that the free BPA and BPAG concentrations were in the range of 0.06-0.99 μg/g creatinine and 0.24-615 μg/g creatinine, respectively. No statistically significant difference obtained in BPA concentrations between genders (male and female) or domicile of residence (rural and urban) (p > 0.05). In our study, the mean level of detected free BPA was 0.46 μg/g creatinine in the urban area and 0.37 μg/g creatinine in the rural area. The average amount of BPAG was 60.56 μg/g creatinine in the urban area and 30.28 μg/g creatinine in the rural area. The data demonstrate that determined amount of total BPA in the present study is lower than the results of similar studies conducted in developed countries. There is no data about the levels of BPA in humans and environment in Turkey. Because of this reason, present study is very important since it is the first study in Turkey which determined the concentrations of free BPA and total BPA in human.

We evaluated the efficiency of an air purifier using the single-chamber method for the effective removal of airborne Staphylococcus epidermidis, a nosocomial infection–causing bacterium. In this experiment, the bacterial strain S. epidermidis was injected using a nebulizer into the test chamber, which was similar to a consumer living space (60 m³). The microbial sampling was conducted via the air sampler method, and the reduction in S. epidermidis growth was monitored by performing three consecutive tests. Initially, a blank test was conducted to determine the natural decay rate and calibrate the experimental setup. After injecting the bacterial strain from 1240 to 11180 CFU per unit volume (m³), the natural decay rate showed a maximum deviation of 3.1% with a sampling error of 1.1% p at a confidence level of 95%. In addition, the particle size distribution in the test chamber was found to range from 0.3 to 5.0 μm, and a subsequent decrease in large-sized particles was observed with the operation of the air purifier, which is the size similar to that of suspended airborne bacteria. This can be used to assess the performance of the air purifier by calibrating the natural reduction value to the reduced operation value. Thus, the single-chamber technique is a promising approach for analyzing the removal efficacy of airborne bacteria from indoor air.

We describe a study designed to evaluate the performance ofwetland condition indicators of the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR)of the north central United States. Basin and landscape scaleindicators were tested in 1992 and 1993 to determine theirability to discriminate between the influences of grasslanddominated and cropland dominated landscapes in the PPR. Pairedplots were selected from each of the major regions of the PPR.Among the landscape scale indicators tested, those most capableof distinguishing between the two landscapes were: 1) frequencyof drained wetland basins, 2) total length of drainage ditch perplot, 3) amount of exposed soil in the upland subject to erosion,4) indices of change in area of wetland covered by water, and5) number of breeding duck pairs. Basin scale indicators includingsoil phosphorus concentrations and invertebrate taxa richnessshowed some promise; however, plant species richness was the onlystatistically significant basin scale indicator distinguishinggrassland dominated from cropland dominated landscapes. Althoughour study found a number of promising candidate indicators, oneof our conclusions is that basin scale indicators present anumber of implementation problems, including: skill levelrequirements, site access denials, and recession of site accessby landowners. Alternatively, we suggest that the use oflandscape indicators based on remote sensing can be an effectivemeans of assessing wetland integrity.

The environment is witnessing a downgrade caused by the amelioration of the industrial and agricultural sectors, namely, soil and sediment compartments. For those reasons, a comparative study was done between soil cores and sediments taken from two locations in the Qaraaoun reservoir, Lebanon. The soil cores were partitioned into several layers. Each layer was analyzed for several physicochemical parameters, such as functional groups, particle size distribution, ζ-potential, texture, pH, electric conductivity, total dissolved solids, organic matter, cation exchange capacity, active and total calcareous, available sodium and potassium, and metal content (cadmium, copper, and lead). The metal content of each site was linked to soil composition and characteristics. The two sites showed distinguishable characteristics for features such as organic matter, pH, mineral fraction, calcareous, and metal content. The samples taken toward the south site (Q1), though contain lower organic matter than the other but are more calcareous, showed higher metal content in comparison to the other site (Q2) (average metal content of Q1 > Q2; for Cd 3.8 > 1.8 mg/kg, Cu 28.6 > 21.9 mg/kg, Pb 26.7 > 19 mg/kg). However, the metal content in this study did not correlate as much to the organic matter; rather, it was influenced by the location of the samples with respect to the dam, the reservoir’s hydrodynamics, the calcareous nature of the soil, and the variation of the industrial and agricultural influence on each site.

A survey of 120 coffee farmers in the Portland watershed revealed that they lacked training in pesticide application, and had no concept of the transport of residues in the environment and their impact on non-target organisms.

Residues of organochlorine (OC) and organophosphorous compounds (OP) were monitored monthly for over a year in plantation soil, and water, sediment and fauna of three rivers and coastal waters of Portland watershed by gas chromatography. OP residues were not detected in any sample while OC residues were below detection levels in Rio Grande. The mean concentration ± standard error of residues detected in water (μg L^_1), sediment (ng g^_1) and fauna (ng g^_1 in wet weight) were: α-endosulfan 2.7 ± 1.29, 3.8 ± 0.15 and 15.9 ± 1.61, respectively, in Spanish River, 1.56 ± 0.43, 24.3 ± 16.44 and 9.0 ± 1.86, respectively, in Swift River; 0.40 ± 0.02, 1.77 ± 0.68 ± 12.63, respectively, in sea coast; β-endosulfan, 1.2 ± 0.48, 0 and 8.1 ± 1.99, respectively, in Spanish River, 1.9 ± 0.49, 0.75 ± 0.32 and 11. ± 4.32, respectively, in Swift River; 0, 5.1 ± 0.30 and 30.9 ± 15.96, respectively, in sea coast; endosulfan sulphate, 0.12 ± 0.12, 4.8 ± 1.62 and 10.0 ± 2.02, respectively, in Spanish River, 3.6 ± 0.95, 3.1 ± 0.56 and 7.9 ± 1.29, respectively, in Swift River and 0, 3.9 ± 2.17 and 24.0 ± 14.67, respectively, in sea coast.

Dieldrin residues were detected only once in water (0.2 ± 0.03) and sediment (0.02 ± 0.003) of Spanish River, water (0.76 ± 0.09) of Swift River and sediment (0.1 ± 0.005) of sea coast; pp′ DDE was found twice in water (3.1 ± 1.53) and sediment (0.1 ± 0.007) of Swift River and water (0.8 ± 0.22) and sediment (6.14 ± 0.41) of sea coast. Arochlor was detected only twice (0.011 and 0.153) in water of Spanish River.

National forest inventories (NFIs) have traditionally been designed to assess the production value of forests as well as forest biodiversity. However, in this study, the aim is to show a new application of NFIs, namely the estimation of the landscape metric contagion. This metric is commonly calculated on raster-based land cover/use maps. In this study, a sample-based dataset from the Swedish NFI was used. The estimated contagion metric is based on a distance-dependent function so that the value of the metric is small for longer distances, whereas the corresponding estimated variance is large for longer distances. With this procedure, comparisons can be made for different landscapes at a given time and or to compare any given landscape over time. The main advantages are that the approach can be applied where raster-based land cover/use maps of the landscape are not available and that the data obtained from NFIs (e.g., land cover type) typically are of high quality in comparison with remotely sensed data due to being based on direct observation in the field survey. The procedure applied here accommodates both the patch-mosaic and the gradient-based model approach to landscape structure.

The main purpose of this research was to evaluate the geochemical properties of rocks for a single indicator of acid-forming potential. The indicators, such as net acid generation (NAG), NAG pH and total S, were applied to 312 rock samples of various geological characteristics. Additional indicators, such as a Modified NAG pH, paste pH and available acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), were applied to 22 selected samples. Among them, NAG pH was considered the most plausible single indicator in evaluating acid-forming potential, as it is simple to measure, widely applicable to various samples and can be used to estimate the NAG value. The acid-forming potential of 287 samples (92% of samples examined in this research) was classified as either non-acid forming (NAF) or potentially acid forming (PAF) by NAG pH, with an NAF criteria of <3.21 and PAF of >4.52. The NAG pH was also a good estimate of the risk of short-term acid release when combined with paste pH information. However, application of NAG pH to coal mine wastes, with high organic carbon contents, produced erroneous results due to the generation of organic acid during the NAG test. In this research, a Modified NAG pH was assessed as an alternative to NAG pH in such situations.

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) accounts for 5%of the total enhanced greenhouse effect and responsiblefor the destruction of the stratospheric ozone. The rice-wheat cropping system occupying 26 million ha ofproductive land in Asia could be a major source ofN₂O as most of the fertilizer N in this region isconsumed by this system. Emission of N₂O asinfluenced by application of urea, urea plus farm yardmanure (FYM), and urea plus dicyandiamide (DCD), anitrification inhibitor, was studied in rice-wheatsystems of Indo-Gangetic plains of India. Total emissionof N₂O-N from the rice-wheat systems varied between654 g ha^-1 in unfertilized plots and 1570 g ha^-1 in urea fertilized plots. Application of FYM and DCDreduced emission of N₂O-N in rice. The magnitude ofreduction was higher with DCD. In wheat also N₂O-Nemission was reduced by DCD. FYM applied in rice had noresidual effect on N₂O-N emission in wheat. In riceintermittent wetting and drying condition of soilresulted in higher N₂O-N emission than that ofsaturated soil condition. Treatments with 5 irrigationsgave higher emissions in wheat than those with 3irrigations. In rice-wheat system, typical of a farmer'sfield in Indo-Gangetic plains, where 240 kg N isgenerally applied through urea, N₂O-N emission is1570 g ha^-1 (0.38% of applied N) and application ofFYM and DCD reduced it to 1415 and 1096 g ha^-1,respectively.

In this study, it was aimed to determine organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in three types of milk (cow’s, buffalo’s, and sheep’s milk) produced in Afyonkarahisar province of Turkey. The results indicated that these milk specimens were found to be contaminated by 21 different pesticides. Sixteen OCP residues were detected in sheep’s milk and it was followed with 14 pesticides in buffalo’s milk and 11 pesticides in cow’s milk. Dominant pesticides in all samples examined were beta-HCH in buffalo’s, cow’s, and sheep’s milk in the concentrations of 63.36, 91.32, and 122.98 ng/ml, respectively. Total OCP levels were found to be 243.81 ng/ml in sheep’s milk, 151.02 ng/ml in cow’s milk, and 133.38 ng/ml in buffalo’s milk. Some of the pesticides detected were found to be in the excess amount of the acceptable level regarding the EU regulations.