Ivermectin is a broad‐spectrum antiparasitic drug, routinely administered to livestock worldwide, and concerns have been raised about its impacts on non‐target dung fauna and pasture systems. This study reports the effect of sward structure (long sward, short sward, or bare ground) on ivermectin persistence and cowpat colonisation by invertebrates, during an on‐farm experiment in the United Kingdom. The levels of ivermectin in cowpats were high [21 899 μg kg−1 (dry weight) 1 day after treatment with a pour‐on formulation] and remained detectable throughout the 47‐day trial. Residue breakdown occurred, but levels persisted above those lethal to some invertebrates. Sward structure had no significant effect on ivermectin levels. Ivermectin residues affected cowpat colonisation. Diptera were present in significantly lower numbers in treated cowpats. Coprophagous Coleoptera were less affected by ivermectin residues, although some species were present in significantly higher numbers in treated cowpats in the long sward environments. The non‐target effects of pesticides are currently of concern to policy makers. The results of this research add further weight to these concerns, particularly with regard to the duration for which ivermectin persists in situ in UK pasture, and because of the preferential attraction to treated cowpats exhibited by coprophagous Coleoptera.

This study presents a new 3600-year record of past metal contamination from a bog located close to the Leadhills and Wanlockhead orefield of south west Scotland. A peat core, collected from Toddle Moss, was radiocarbon (14 C) dated and analysed for 2 trace metal concentrations (by EMMA) and lead isotopes (by ICP-MS) to reconstruct the atmospheric deposition history of trace metal contamination, in particular lead. The results show good agreement with documented historical and archaeological records of mining and metallurgy in the region: the peak in metal mining during the eighteenth century, the decline of lead mining during the Anglo-Scottish war and lead smelting during the early medieval period. There may also have been earlier workings during the late Bronze and Iron Ages indicated by slight increases in lead concentrations, the Pb/Ti ratio and a shift in 206/207 Pb ratios, which compare favourably to the signatures of a galena ore from Leadhills and Wanlockhead. In contrast to other records across Europe, no sizeable lead enrichment was recorded during the Roman Iron Age, suggesting that the orefield was not a significant part of the Roman lead extraction industry in Britain. These findings add to the various strands of archaeological evidence that hint at an early lead extraction and metallurgical industry based in southern Scotland. The results also provide further evidence for specific regional variations in the evolution of mining and metallurgy and an associated contamination signal during prehistoric and Roman times across Europe.

This study investigated the sorption behaviour of two endocrine disrupting chemicals; 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17β-ethinylestradiol and their thermodynamic properties in an activated sludge biomass. The partition coefficient values measured for E2 and EE2 at varying temperatures range from 245 -604 L/kg ( log K d 2.39 -2.78) and 267 -631 L/kg (Log K d 2.43 -2.80), respectively. The K d values were inversely related to temperature. The average percentages of E2 and EE2 adsorbed to the solid phase at 4.3 % dry solid were 87.2 % and 92.5 %, respectively. Sorption of E2 and EE2 to the activated sludge biomass was found to be spontaneous and entropy retarded with ∆G values in the range of -13 to -16 KJ/mol and ∆S value of -105.2J/mol/K and 96.7 J/mol/k for E2 and EE2, respectively. The enthalpy changes for E2 and EE2 were -45.7KJ/mol and -43.4KJ/mol respectively, demonstrating that the sorption process is exothermic. The values of the enthalpy changes also show that the mechanism of sorption is physisorption with some element of chemisorption.

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The article reports an experimental study of the metal uptake properties of poly(1-methylpyrrol-2-ylsquaraine) particles, in the context of 51 elemental metal complexes. Vagaries of the experimental results meant that the final analysis took place for 43 of these metals. After an initial descriptive analysis, an Analysis of Variance model was fitted. This revealed that several factors, some intrinsic to the metals themselves, others relating to the experimental conditions, have an important influence on the adsorption characteristics of the poly(1-methylpyrrol-2-ylsquaraine) particles. Of these, the most important is the ratio of the number of moles of the metal to the number of moles of the adsorbent particles. X-ray mapping of the poly(1-methylpyrrol-2-ylsquaraine) particles treated with contrast agent revealed that, although adsorption was all throughout the particles, the majority of the agent was adsorbed within 10-15% (diameter distance) of the surface of the particles.