Combined effect of coconut shell and sugarcane bagasse ashes on the workability,mechanical properties and embodied carbon of concrete

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This experimental research was conducted to study the combined effect of agricultural by-product wastes on the properties of concrete. The coconut...     

Experimental study and theoretical prediction of mechanical properties of ultra-high-performance concrete incorporated with nanorice husk ash burning at different temperature treatments

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This research aimed to investigate the effect of nanorice husk ash (NRHA) prepared using different thermal treatment methods on ultra-high-performance...     

Spontaneous abortion in women occupationally exposed to inhalational anesthetics: a critical systematic review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Occupational exposure to inhalational anesthetics has been associated with health problems, including reproductive issues. Considering the scarcity...     

The long-term effect of exposure to respirable particulate matter on the incidence of myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Although several studies have investigated the long-term association of respirable particulate matter (PM?≤?10 µm)...     

Measurement of trifluralin volatilization in the field: Relation to soil residue and effect of soil incorporation

Volatilization may represent a major dissipation pathway for pesticides applied to soils or crops. A field experiment (September, 2002), consisted in volatilization fluxes measurements during 6 days, covering the periods before and after soil incorporation carried out 24 h after trifluralin spraying on bare soil. Evolution of concentration in soil was measured during 101 days, together with soil physical and meteorological variables. Volatilization fluxes were very high immediately after application (1900 ng m(-2) s(-1)), decreased down to 100 ng m(-2) s(-1) in the following 24 h. Soil incorporation strongly abated trifluralin concentration in the air. 99% of the total volatilization losses recorded over the 6 days following application occurred before incorporation. Volatilization fluxes evidenced a diurnal cycle driven by environmental conditions. Soil trifluralin residues could still be quantified 101 days after application. Our results highlight the caution required when using soil degradation half-life values in the field for volatile compounds.     

The double-edged sword of humic substances: contrasting their effect on respiratory stress in eastern rainbow fish exposed to low pH

High amounts of humic substances (HS) are commonly found in natural acidic waterways and have been suggested to offer some protection against low pH. This study investigated the ability of HS to decrease respiratory stress in eastern rainbowfish (Melanotaenia splendida splendida) exposed to decreases in pH (range of 7–3.5) in soft and hard water. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant difference in respiration (time taken for ten operculum movements) between pH and HS treatments, with a significant interaction between pH and HS present in 5/6 trials. Respiratory stress was shown to increase with increasing acidity, but significantly decreased in treatments with HS (10 and 20 mg/L) compared to those without. The fish exposed to pH treatments without HS also displayed increased hyperactivity, larger operculum movements and increased mucous production. Increased morbidity was shown in HS treatments at pH 3.5 (soft water) and at pH 4 (hard water) compared to treatment without HS. This indicates that HS is helpful in ameliorating the effects of decreased pH on respiration at sublethal pH levels; however, as pH decreases further, it seems that HS increases the toxicity (morbidity) of the low pH.     

Effect of temperature on the containment properties of argillaceous rocks: The case study of Callovo-Oxfordian claystones

Heat generated by high level radioactive wastes could alter the performance of a clay repository. It was intended to investigate the effect of such a thermal period on the diffusive properties of Callovo-Oxfordian claystones. Thus, through-diffusion experiments with HTO, Cl-36, Na-22 and Cs-137 were performed before, during and after stages of heating at 80°C that lasted for up to one year. A special attention was paid to limit the occurrence of any chemical disturbance. Therefore (i) the temperature was raised to 80°C, then progressively brought back to 21°C, thanks to three intermediate temperature stages, and (ii) specific synthetic solutions were used for each temperature, chemistry of which being close to the equilibrium state, especially with respect to the carbonate and sulphate minerals. It was found that experiments carried out at 80°C showed a clear increase of the effective diffusion coefficient values for the four tracers with respect to those obtained at 21°C (by a factor of 3 for HTO and Cl-36, 5 for Na-22 and 2 for Cs-137). On the other hand, the porosity and rock capacity values did not exhibit any significant discrepancy between 21°C and 80°C, indicating no observable damage of both the pore conducing network and the sorption properties of clay minerals. The Stokes-Einstein relationship, based on the temperature dependency of the viscosity of bulk water, could be used to describe the temperature dependence of the diffusion of HTO and Cl-36 but failed to describe the diffusive evolution of the two sorbing cations, Na-22 and Cs-137. Furthermore, experiments performed after the thermal period led to diffusive properties well matching those obtained before heating. All these results suggest that at the lab scale the heating of rock samples would not alter the claystone containment properties.     

A succinct review on the durability of treated recycled concrete aggregates

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Building materials constitute a considerable portion of all the materials we use and about half the waste (in solid form) generated worldwide....     

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus and ambient temperature: a critical review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought unprecedented public health, and social and economic challenges. It remains unclear...     

The effect of elevated UV-B (280-320 nm) radiation levels on Silene vulgaris: a comparison between a highland and a lowland population

Highland (altitude 1600 m above sea level) and lowland (altitude -2 m below sea level) populations of the perennial herb Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke, were tested on their response to elevated levels of UV-B radiation. Highland populations typically receive high natural UV-B fluxes, whereas lowland populations receive a lower natural UV-B dose. Adaptation to high UV-B levels of the highland population is to be expected. Experimental comparison of growth rates, gas exchange rates, transpiration and biochemical parameters using adult plants as well as seedlings did not show a difference in the response to elevated UV-B levels between the two populations. Individuals of both populations were relatively insensitive to elevated UV-B radiation. The response of alpine and lowland populations of Silene vulgaris is discussed in relation to the dispersal of this species after the last ice age.     

BVOC emissions, photosynthetic characteristics and changes in chloroplast ultrastructure of Platanus orientalis L. exposed to elevated CO2 and high temperature

To investigate the interactive effects of increasing [CO₂] and heat wave occurrence on isoprene (IE) and methanol (ME) emissions, Platanus orientalis was grown for one month in ambient (380 μmol mol⁻¹) or elevated (800 μmol mol⁻¹) [CO₂] and exposed to high temperature (HT) (38 °C/4 h). In pre-existing leaves, IE emissions were always higher but ME emissions lower as compared to newly-emerged leaves. They were both stimulated by HT. Elevated [CO₂] significantly reduced IE in both leaf types, whereas it increased ME in newly-emerged leaves only. In newly-emerged leaves, elevated [CO₂] decreased photosynthesis and altered the chloroplast ultrastructure and membrane integrity. These harmful effects were amplified by HT. HT did not cause any unfavorable effects in pre-existing leaves, which were characterized by inherently higher IE rates. We conclude that: (1) these results further prove the isoprene's putative thermo-protective role of membranes; (2) HT may likely outweigh the inhibitory effects of elevated [CO₂] on IE in the future.     

Unconventional tools for the study of the flow properties of concrete equivalent mortar based on recycled concrete aggregates

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The self-compacting concrete (SCC) mix design is much more complex than that of ordinary concrete. Increased testing on fresh concrete and a...     

The effect of the increase in urban temperature on the concentration of photochemical oxidants

An atmospheric dispersion model, where the inputs of meteorological field were calculated using a meteorological model, was used to reproduce the observed air pollution conditions for the typical fine day in summer period, especially the concentration of the photochemical oxidants. As well, the effects of an increase in the urban temperature and VOC emissions on the concentration of photochemical oxidants were also considered. The following conclusions were drawn.The observed air pollution levels were well modeled by the atmospheric dispersion model using in this study, although modeled NO levels were slightly lower than the observed levels. An analysis of the temperature data showed that a 1 °C increase in temperature leads to a maximal photochemical oxidant concentration of 5.3 ppb, which is an increase of 11%. Additionally, the effect on the photochemical oxidant concentration due to an increase in the vegetation-derived VOCs was more than double the effect due to an increase in the photochemical reactions. It was found that the temperature and photochemical oxidant concentration were linearly related up to a temperature increase of 3 °C. When the temperature increases up to 3 °C, the concentration of photochemical oxidants increases by 19 ppb. An analysis of the effect of vegetation-derived VOCs on photochemical oxidant concentrations showed that, the concentration of photochemical oxidants was 30 ppb higher in the afternoon by the effect of vegetation-derived VOCs, so even in metropolitan areas with relatively little vegetation, vegetation-derived VOCs have a strong impact on photochemical oxidant concentrations.     

Correction to: The time of concentration application in studies around the world: a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

Phosphorus removal from wastewater by waste concrete: influence of P concentration and temperature on the product

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study investigated the feature of phosphorus uptake by low-cost waste concrete. Adsorption isotherms, metal dissolution, influence of P...     

A review on the influencing factors of pavement surface temperature

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Pavement surface temperature is of great significance to pavement performance and pavement design, as well as the development of cool pavements. The...     

The effect of temperature on the rate of cyanide metabolism of two woody plants

The response of cyanide metabolism rates of two woody plants to changes in temperature is investigated. Detached leaves (1.0 g fresh weight) from weeping willow (Salix babylonica L.) and Chinese elder (Sambucus chinensis Lindl.) were kept in glass vessels with 100ml of aqueous solution spiked with potassium cyanide for a maximum of 28 h. Ten different temperatures were used ranging from 11 degrees C to 32 degrees C. The disappearance of aqueous cyanide was analyzed spectrophotometrically. The cyanide removal rate of Chinese elder was higher than that of weeping willow at all temperatures. The highest cyanide removal rate for Chinese elder was found at 30 degrees C with a value of 12.6 mg CN kg(-1) h(-1), whereas the highest value of the weeping willow was 9.72 mg CN kg(-1) h(-1) at 32 degrees C. The temperature coefficient values, Q10, which are the ratio of removal rates at a 10 degree difference, were determined for Chinese elder and weeping willow to 1.84 and 2.09, respectively, indicating that the cyanide removal rate of weeping willow was much more susceptible to changes in temperature than that of the Chinese elder. In conclusion, changes in temperature have a substantial influence on the removal rate of cyanide by plants.     

Heavy metal solubility in podzolic soils exposed to the alkalizing effect of air pollutants

The heavy metal content of pine forest soil was studied near the boundary between Russia and Estonia, an area characterized by large amounts of acidic and basic air pollutants, mainly sulfur dioxide and calcium. Alkalization dominates the processes in soil, since sulfur is adsorbed only in small quantities, and calcium is much better adsorbed. In addition to Ca, great amounts of Al, Fe, K, and Mg are accumulated in the humus layer due to air pollution. The heavy metal content has increased. The exchangeable content of heavy metals was in many cases much higher in polluted alkaline soils than in non-polluted acidic soils, even the ratio of exchangeable to total metal content being higher in alkaline plots. To avoid a dangerous increase in soluble heavy metal content, it is important to decrease not only the large sulfur emissions of local pollutant sources, but also the alkaline pollutants. A similar concern must be taken into account when liming of acidic forest soils is planned.     

Growth, respiration and nitrogen content in needles of Scots pine exposed to elevated ozone and carbon dioxide in the field

Single Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees, aged 30 years, were grown in open-top chambers and exposed to two atmospheric concentrations of ozone (O3; ambient and elevation) and carbon dioxide (CO2) as single variables or in combination for 3 years (1994-1996). Needle growth, respiration and nitrogen content were measured simultaneously over the period of needle expansion. Compared to ambient treatment (33 nmol mol(-1) O3 and 350 micromol mol(-1) CO2) doubled ambient O3 (69 nmol mol(-1)) significantly reduced the specific growth rates (SGRs) of the needles in the early stage of needle expansion and needle nitrogen concentration (N1) in the late stage, but increased apparent respiration rates (ARRs) in the late stage. Doubled ambient CO2 (about 650 micromol mol(-1)) significantly increased maximum SGR but reduced ARR and N1 in the late stage of needle expansion. The changes in ARR induced by the different treatments may be associated with treatment-induced changes in needle growth, metabolic activities and turnover of nitrogenous compounds. When ARR was partitioned into its two functional components, growth and maintenance respiration, the results showed that neither doubled ambient O3 nor doubled ambient CO2 influenced the growth respiration coefficients (Rg). However, doubled ambient O3 significantly increased the maintenance respiration coefficients (Rm) regardless of the needle development stage, while doubled ambient CO2 significantly reduced Rm only in the late stage of needle expansion. The increase in Rm under doubled ambient O3 conditions appeared to be related to an increase in metabolic activities, whereas the decrease in Rm under doubled ambient CO2 conditions may be attributed to the reduced N1 and turnover rate of nitrogenous compounds per unit. The combination of elevated O3 and CO2 had very similar effects on growth, respiration and N1 to doubled ambient O3 alone, but the interactive mechanism of the two gases is still not clear.