Organochlorine compounds present in effluents from the pulp and paper industry are regarded as a potent threat to the environment. Total organohalogen concentrations are commonly measured in sediment as extractable organic halogen (EOX). Spacial and vertical levels of EOX were determined in areas likely to be affected by organochlorine pollution in Lake Saimaa, along the Kymi River, and around the Gulf of Finland. High levels of EOX were found in samples from southern Lake Saimaa and the Kymi River. Spacial EOX distribution indicated that there is transport of organochlorines from the Kymi River to the eastern Gulf of Finland, and EOX results from the Kotka area showed that substantial, widespread, organochlorine pollution persists 30 km off the coast. Sediments from Vyborg Bay (Russia) and from Tallinn Bay and Ihasalu Bay (Estonia) contained low amounts of EOX. Results from 73 stations indicated that pollution from chlorine bleaching and municipal water chlorination remains localized. Vertical EOX distributions in sediment samples from the whole Gulf of Finland and results from a sediment trap experiment in the open Gulf suggest that naturally produced halogenated compounds are contributing to surface sediment concentrations and, furthermore, far exceed the anthropogenic contribution.

The "missing time" (i.e., days 45-69) was accidentally included in some calculations and caused a 20% lower value in the per annum rates. The following corrected values were calculated using the true 102 days for collection of material.Page 102 (Natural Organohalogen Production in the Gulf of Finland). The dry matter deposition rate should be 0.51 kg m -2 a -1 . The EOX deposition rate should be 5.6 mg of Cl m -2 a -1 .Page 103 (Total EOX Quantities in the Gulf of Finland). The annual deposition of EOX around the Gulf of Finland would be 56 t in the active sedimentation areas.

No abstract

No abstract

Water purity requires continuous monitoring. PMEU technology (Portable Microbe Enrichment Unit) provides the means for starting the enrichment and analysis immediately after the sampling. The entire procedure can be automated and microbe levels monitored in real-time from the enrichment broth by using IR, optical, UV or volatiles screening. For example, single cells of Escherichia coli have been verified from water samples in less than 10 hours in an official validation project. Also such pathogens as Salmonella, Campylobacter and Yersinia have been detected rapidly from natural, purified and irrigation waters. The PMEU technology has potential in the continuous monitoring within water departments and distribution systems, as well as in environmental studies.Keywords: rapid microbe detection, water hygiene, indicator bacteria, ColilertTM, PMEU, environmental monitoring, pathogens, water distribution BackgroundIn the present manuscript experimental approach and work carried out with the Portable Microbe Enrichment Unit (PMEU) is presented. This device is an ideal tool to investigate micro-organisms life at microscopic and molecular scale. Micro-organisms such as bacteria have a large influence on our lives with impact on economy, various industries, healthcare, agriculture and forestry, as well as in water management. In Finland our team published booklet entitled "Vesien Mikrobiaapinen" (in English: "A Microbiological ABC book of the waters") with the purpose to provide microbiological information to decision makers. As scientists we continuously deal with the public and their representatives: the political decision makers. In order to get funding, we ought to make them understand the importance of environmental protection and conservation of water sources, from the microbiological point of view.One area where micro-organisms have a large influence is the threat and deleterious impact on human and animal health caused by pathogenic micro-organisms. They are potentially distributed via waterways and often disseminated at small concentrations which still pose health hazards. In order to detect these minute concentrations, new tools are needed, also to simulate their biochemical activities. Their detection is not either a single or a simple event but a whole diagnostic process (Figure 1). Focusing on the often neglected step of specimen collection is of crucial importance. Sampling should be carried out considering all the physicochemical parameters, selection of sampling site etc. Usually it is required to transport and store the sample with caution and care. This is the step when most of the microbes present in the sample are often destroyed. They simply cannot survive or do not remain microbiologically viable. In order to avoid these problems, the Portable Microbe Enrichment Unit was developed. Time is saved in the PMEU processing of the samples, since the verification steps could follow sooner compared to traditional microbiology. The basic simple idea is to start the enrichment cultivation right subseq...