COVID-19: unbalanced management of occupational risks—case of the analysis of the chemical risk related to the use of disinfectants in the dairy industry in Morocco

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Moroccan employers have a strong responsibility for the safety and health of their employees in the workplace and for protecting them from the risk of...     

Estimation of the exchange of sulphur pollution over the Balkan region in 1995–2000

The Bulgarian dispersion model 'Eulerian Model for Air Pollution' (EMAP) is used to estimate the sulphur pollution over the Balkan region for the period 1995–2000. A subdomain of the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) grid is chosen containing 12 countries. The computational grid in this domain has a space step of 25 km, twice as fine as the EMEP grid. The former operational DWD 'Europa-Model' is used as meteorological driver. The source input is the official EMEP emission data. Monthly calculations are made having the last moment fields from the previous month as initial conditions for the next one. The boundary conditions are set to zero, so the influence of other European sources is not accounted for in this study. According to the EMEP methodology, multiple runs are made setting every time the sources of various countries to zero. The impact of every country in the pollution of all others is estimated.     

The assessment of the soil–plant-animal transport of the risk elements at the locations affected by brown coal mining

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The North Bohemian Brown Coal Basin (Czech Republic) is suggested as a source of significant pollution in the surrounding environment with various...     

Can we take the pulse of environmental governance the way we take the pulse of nature? Applying the Freshwater Health Index in Latin America

Quantitative assessments have long been used to evaluate the condition of the natural environment, providing information for standard setting, adaptive management, and monitoring. Similar approaches have been developed to measure environmental governance, however, the end result (e.g., numeric indicators) belies the subjective and normative judgments that are involved in evaluating governance. We demonstrate a framework that makes this information transparent, through an application of the Freshwater Health Index in three different river basins in Latin America. Water Governance is measured on a 0–100 scale, using data derived from perception-based surveys administered to stakeholders. Results suggest that water governance is a primary area of concern in all three places, with low overall scores (Guandu-26, Alto Mayo-38, Bogotá-43). We conclude that this approach to measuring governance at the river basin scale provides valuable information to support monitoring and decision making, and we offer suggestions on how it can be improved.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01407-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

FT-IR product study on the photo-oxidation of dimethyl sulphide in the presence of NOx—temperature dependence

The products of the OH radical-initiated oxidation of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) have been investigated as a function of temperature (284, 295, and 306 K) and different initial NO_x (NO+NO₂) concentrations: initial NO was varied between 434 and 2821 ppb and NO₂ between 135 and 739 ppb. The experiments were performed at 1000 mbar total pressure in synthetic air using the photolysis of H₂O₂ as the OH-radical source and FT-IR spectroscopy to monitor reactants and products. The major sulphur-containing products identified were SO₂, dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), dimethyl sulphone (DMSO₂), methane sulphonic acid (MSA), methane sulphonyl peroxynitrate (MSPN) and OCS. The variation of the product yields with temperature and NO_x concentration are consistent with the occurrence of both addition and abstraction channels in OH radical-initiated oxidation of DMS. Distinct trends in the yields of the various products have been observed as a function of temperature, initial NO_x conditions and also reaction time as NO is consumed in the system. Increasing the initial NO concentration was found to depress the DMSO, SO₂ and OCS formation yields and enhance those of DMSO₂, MSA and MSPN. The yield–time behaviour of DMSO₂ is supportive of a formation mechanism involving addition of O₂ to a (CH₃)₂SOH adduct, formed via the addition channel, followed by sequential reactions with NO and O₂. The mechanisms controlling the concentration–time profiles of the individual products under the present experimental conditions are discussed in detail and consideration is given to possible implications for the photo-oxidation of DMS under ambient conditions.     

Difficulties inherent to the use of analytic solution of the condensation–evaporation equation for multicomponent aerosols

We present the analytic solution to the problem of multicomponent aerosol evolution due to condensation and/or evaporation of its components. We pose the general equation that governs the evolution of the particle size distributions of each species, and then solve it through the method of characteristic curves. The obtained solution is of interest because it permits an approximate analysis of cases of practical importance without numerical methods. Furthermore, the analytic solutions can be used to validate the numerical methods which, up to now, are only compared with mono-component cases. When all components condense, the obtained solution is valid for all time values. When some of the components evaporate the problem is more complex, due to the fact that no component exists in a negative amount. This suggests the formation of shock waves (high peaks in particle size distribution) and rare-faction waves, which are difficult to handle. Finally, we apply the method to several interesting cases.     

How to improve the problem of hotel manpower shortage in the COVID-19 epidemic environment? Exploring the effectiveness of the hotel practice training system

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study aimed to examine the role of effective employee training in the sustainable growth and corporate social responsibility of hotels during the...     

Assessment of aquatic plants in the reservoirs of AES-tietê and development of an integrated control model for the most important species

The general objective of this work was to develop a monitoring and management model for aquatic plants that could be used in reservoir cascades in Brazil, using the reservoirs of AES-Tietê as a study case. The investigations were carried out at the reservoirs of Barra-Bonita, Bariri, Ibitinga, Promiss?o, and Nova-Avanhandava, located in the Tietê River Basin; Agua Vermelha, located in the Grande River Basin; Caconde, Limoeiro, and Euclides da Cunha, which are part of the Pardo River Basin; and the Mogi-Gua?u reservoir, which belongs to the Mogi-Gua?u River basin. The main products of this work were: development of techniques using satellite-generated images for monitoring and planning aquatic plant control; planning and construction of a boat to move coating plant masses and an airboat equipped with a DGPS navigation and application flow control system. Results allowed to conclude that the occurrence of all types of aquatic plants is directly associated with sedimentation process and, consequently, with nutrient and light availability. Reservoirs placed at the beginning of cascades are more subject to sedimentation and occurrence of marginal, floating and emerged plants, and are the priority when it comes to controlling these plants, since they provide a supply of weeds for the other reservoirs. Reservoirs placed downstream show smaller amounts of water-suspended solids, with greater transmission of light and occurrence of submerged plants.     

A study of the particulate matter PM10 composition in the atmosphere of Chillán, Chile

Inhalable particulate matter (PM10) concentrations were measured over 24-h intervals at six different urban sites in the city of Chillán from September 2001 to April 2003. Sampling locations were selected to represent central city, commercial, residential, and industrial portions of the city. Chemical composition of PM10 was performed to samples of 47 mm diameter Teflon membranes within the city of Chillán. The spatial and temporal variability of the chemical composition of PM10 was evaluated taking into account additional data from meteorology and further air pollutants. The majority of PM mass was comprised of carbon, nitrate, sulfate, ammonium, and crustal components but in different proportion on different days and at different sites. The chemical analyses showed that carbonaceous substances and crustal material were the most abundant component of PM10 during the winter and summer, respectively. The concentrations of PM10 were higher during the cold season than during the warm season. The PM10 concentrations were higher in the downtown area of the city of Chillán, where also the chemical composition was more variable due to urban traffic and other anthropogenic sources.     

Institutional frameworks for sustainability? A comparative analysis of the forest sectors of Russia and the Baltic States

After the break-up of the Soviet system, the divergence in forest management among Soviet republics became obvious. While the forest sectors of the Baltic States have been fundamentally changed, Russia has not been able to develop an institutional framework that would fit the prerequisites for social-ecological resilience. It is argued that sustainable development requires institutional frameworks that have the capacity to adapt and learn, and thus to treat policies as experiments that are constantly assessed and readjusted. This, however, requires a participatory approach and in this respect the Baltic States are believed to be on a more promising track. Finally, it is concluded that only to the extent that suitable institutional frameworks will be developed will social-ecological resilience be a significant feature of the natural resources management in the former communist countries.     

Modelling biodegradation of hydrocarbons in aquifers: when is the use of the instantaneous reaction approximation justified?

In-situ bio-remediation is a viable cleanup alternative for aquifers contaminated by hydrocarbons such as BTEX. Transport models of varying complexity and capabilities are used to quantify their degradation. A model that has gained wide acceptance in applications is BIOPLUME II, which assumes that oxygen-limited biodegradation takes place as an instantaneous reaction. In this work we have employed theoretical analysis, using non-dimensional variables, and numerical modelling to establish a quantitative criterion demarcating the range of validity of the instantaneous reaction approximation against biodegradation kinetics. Oxygen was the limiting species and sorption was ignored. This criterion relates (o), the Dahmk?hler number at oxygen depletion, to O(o)*, the ratio of initial to input oxygen concentration, (o) > or = 0.7(O(o)*)(2) + 0.1O(o)* + 1.8. The derived (o) reflects the intrinsic characteristics of the physical transport and of the biochemical reaction, including the effect of biomass density. Relative availability of oxygen and hydrocarbons exerts a small influence on results. Theory, verified and refined via numerical simulations, showed that significant deviations of instantaneous reactions from kinetics are to be expected in the space-time region s相似文献   

Sediment quality in littoral regions of the Gulf of Cádiz: a triad approach to address the influence of mining activities

To evaluate sediment quality in different areas in the Gulf of Cádiz affected by mining activities, an integrative approach to assessment was used: the Sediment Quality Triad (SQT). Sediment samples were collected at six stations and subjected to replicated sediment acute and chronic toxicity tests, and comprehensive sediment chemistry analyses. Organisms collected synoptically at the same stations were analyzed for histopathological lesions and chemical concentrations in their tissues to determine 'in situ' alteration and bioavailability, in place of benthic community structure. The results obtained for each component were linked to the SQT using different methodologies of interpretation and expression of the integrated approach: (a) multivariate analysis, (b) significant statistical differences compared to the reference stations, (c) ANOVA-based pie charts, and (d) classical methods using triangles and the SQT index of pollution. SQT results indicated that the highest pollution was mainly associated with metals from mining activities and polyaromatic hydrocarbons in the Ría of Huelva. The use of histopathological measures and bioaccumulation of metals, improved the characterization of 'gray areas' of pollution and in the determination of the bioavailability of metals.     

Exploring the role of resource endowment and environmental regulations towards the efficiency of China’s sports industry ecosystem

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This article uses the super-efficiency DEA method to measure the efficiency of the sports industry ecosystem and uses Tobit model to study its...     

Geological characterization and environmental implications of the placement of the Morelia Dump, Michoacán, Central Mexico

The landfill of Morelia, the capital city of the state of Michoacán in central-western Mexico, is located 12 km west of the city and has operated since 1997 without a structure engineered and designed to control the generation in situ of biogas and leachates. A geological evaluation of the landfill site is presented in this paper. The results indicate that the site lacks ideal impermeable subsurface strata. The subsurface strata consist of highly fractured basaltic lava flows (east-west fault and fracture system trend) and sand-size cineritic material with high permeability and porosity. Geochemical analysis of groundwater from Morelia's municipal aquifer shows a high concentration of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, As) exceeding the Mexican environmental regulations, along with the presence of some organic pollutants (phenols). Analyses of samples of the landfill's permanent leachate ponds show very high concentrations of the same contaminants. Samples were taken from the leachate pond and from nearby water-wells during the rainy season (summer 1997) and the dry season (spring 1997, 1998, and 1999). In all cases, the concentration of contaminants registered exceeded the standards for drinking water of the World Health Organization (American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association, and Water Pollution Control Federation, 2000). Some metal contaminants could be leaching directly from the landfill.     

Arsenic levels in the soils and macrophytes of the 'Entremuros' after the Aznalcóllar mine spill

In April 1998, a holding lagoon containing pyrite ore processing waste rich in arsenic, failed and released 5-6 million m(3) of highly polluting sludge and acidic water. Over 2700 ha of the internationally important Do?ana National and Natural Parks were contaminated. The area of Natural Park to sustain the greatest impact was known as the Entremuros. This paper presents 0-5 cm soil monitoring data from the Entremuros, from sampling campaigns 6 and 18 months after the disaster; as well as macrophyte root, rhizome and stem data from samples taken 18 months after the spill. Results show a clear, decreasing, north-south arsenic soil pollution trend, both 6 and 18 months after the spill, and suggest a small reduction in total soil arsenic levels occurred over time; although a significant increase in extractable arsenic is also noted. The two macrophytes (Typha dominguensis and Scirpus maritimus) studied herein are not accumulating arsenic in stem parts, however, accumulation of arsenic on iron plaque on the roots of these plants may be occurring. Further work is recommended in order to determine the ecotoxicological significance of this process in relation to the avian food-chains of Do?ana, and elsewhere.     

Does the wood-borer Sphaeroma terebrans (Crustacea) shape the distribution of the mangrove Rhizophora mucronata?

Field surveys were conducted to evaluate the occurrence of the isopod borer Sphaeroma terebrans (Crustacea) in aerial roots (prop roots) of the red mangrove Rhizophora mucronata on several different spatial scales (m to 100 km) in East Africa. In 6 out of 17 sites studied in Kenya and on Zanzibar Island, Tanzania, no signs of the isopods were found. When the isopods were present the frequency of infestation was high. Trees in muddy substrates in the lower intertidal, in particular at fringing channels or the open sea, showed high prevalence and intensity of infestation, with large part of their roots damaged or dead. Trees at the upper range of Rhizophora, in sandy and muddy areas, showed no signs of isopod infestation. This pattern recurred in mangrove forests on large spatial scales and there was no indication that island forests differed from the mainland forests. This indicates that sediment characteristics, vertical height in the tidal zone, and direct exposure to incoming water are the major factors controlling the abundance of S. terebrans. The isopod may play an important role in determining the lower intertidal limits of R. mucronata. Trees with numerous dead or nongrowing roots, as result of Sphaeroma attack, are likely to tumble due to a lack of root support and this is most likely to occur along channels at the lower, muddy intertidal. Tumbled trees were frequently observed along channels in the lower, muddy intertidal, but rarely in the mid or high intertidal. Implications for management of mangrove forests are discussed.     

In situ monitoring of the mutagenic effects of the gaseous emissions of a solid waste incinerator in metropolitan São Paulo, Brazil, using the Tradescantia stamen-hair assay

The present work was designed to determine the potential genotoxicity at the vicinity of a solid waste incinerator in the metropolitan area of S?o Paulo, using the Tradescantia stamen-hair bioassay. Experiments were carried out between December 1998 and April 1999 in four regions (40 pots of plants per site) selected on the basis of their pollution levels predicted by theoretical modeling of the dispersion of the incinerator's plume. The exposure sites were defined as follows: highest level (incinerator); a high level (museum) located 1.5 km from the emission point; a moderate level (school, at a distance of 3.5 km from the incinerator); and a control (at Jaguariúna countryside). The difference in genotoxicity among the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The frequency of mutations observed in the countryside was significantly lower [2.25 +/- 1.55, mean +/- SD (standard deviation)] than that of the sites close to the incinerator. The frequency of mutations measured at the school (3.70 +/- 1.36) was significantly lower than that measured at both the museum (4.89 +/- 1.12) and the incinerator (5.69 +/- 1.34). In conclusion, we found a positive correlation between the spatial distribution of the emissions of the incinerator located in an urban area and the mutagenic events measured by the Tradescantia stamen-hair assay. The in situ approach employed in this study was simple, efficient, and of low cost. No air or chemical extraction of pollutants was necessary for genotoxicity testing as required by other assays.     

Spatio-temporal geostatistical modelling of sulphate concentration in the area of the Reocín Mine (Spain) as an indicator of water quality

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Water stored in open-pit lakes can be a water resource when the mine is closed. This study aimed to develop a reliable model to evaluate the water...     

Application of the k–ε turbulence model to the high Reynolds number skimming flow field of an urban street canyon

A two-dimensional, steady, k–ε turbulence model was used to investigate the high Reynolds number skimming flow field of an urban street canyon. We describe the critical canyon width-to-height ratios that distinguish a cascade of vortex patterns that form in an urban street canyon. Details of the flow field are reported that includes the structure of the mean flow field, turbulent kinetic energy, turbulent length scale, turbulent eddy viscosity, and Reynolds stress for three typical different aspect ratios, W/H, of a street canyon. The consequences of vortex layering on vertical transport are explored.