European scale application of atmospheric reactive nitrogen measurements in a low-cost approach to infer dry deposition fluxes

A European scale network was established in 2006 as part of the NitroEurope Integrated Project to infer reactive nitrogen (Nr) dry deposition fluxes, based on low-cost sampling of gaseous and aerosol species and inferential modelling. The network provides monthly measurements of NH₃, NH₄⁺, HNO₃ and NO₃⁻, as well as SO₂, SO₄²⁻, HCl, Cl⁻ and base cations at 58 sites. Measurements are made with an established low-cost denuder methodology (DELTA) as a basis to: (1) examine temporal trends and spatial patterns across Europe, (2) improve and calibrate inferential modelling techniques to estimate exchange of Nr species, (3) provide best estimates of atmospheric dry N deposition, and (4) permit an analysis of net GHG exchange in relation to atmospheric and agricultural N inputs at the European scale. Responsibility for measurements is shared among seven European laboratories. An inter-comparison of the DELTA implementation by 6 laboratories at 4 test sites (Montelibretti, Italy; Braunschweig, Germany; Paterna, Spain and Auchencorth, UK) from July to October 2006 provided training for the laboratories and showed that good agreement was achieved in different climatic conditions (87% of laboratory site-means within 20% of the inter-laboratory median). Results obtained from the first year of measurements show substantial spatial variability in atmospheric Nr concentrations, illustrating the major local (NH₃) and regional (HNO₃, NO₃⁻, and NH₄⁺) differences in Nr concentrations. These results provide the basis to develop future estimates of site-based Nr dry deposition fluxes across Europe, and highlight the role of NH₃, largely of agricultural origin, which was the largest single constituent and will dominate dry Nr fluxes at most sites.     

Tradeoffs,synergies and traps among ecosystem services in the Lake Victoria basin of East Africa

Lake Victoria is a crucial ecosystem for over 25 million people in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi who live in the basin, and for the greater Nile river system downstream of the lake. Ecosystem management in the Lake Victoria basin has been highly extractive for most of the last 60 years, with the 1990s a period of marked decline in food production, economic contraction, rising poverty, increased burden of human disease, and more frequent floods. Lake Victoria itself is becoming eutrophic, with related problems of species extinctions and invasive species. There is evidence of poverty–environment traps: some households and areas appear to be caught in vicious cycles of low income, low investment in soil management, declines in soil fertility, and soil loss, while other households and areas are able to achieve higher incomes and investments, maintain soil fertility, and conserve soil on their farms.Concepts and approaches from the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) were applied in a study of ecosystem service tradeoffs, synergies and traps in two of the river basins that flow into Lake Victoria from Kenya (Yala and Nyando). Hydrologic units are the main geographic unit used in the analysis, with predictions of sediment yield serving as the main measure of regulating services. Provisioning services are evaluated through a spatially disaggregated analysis of agricultural production, yield and area that combines spatial data from aerial photographs with division-level price and yield estimates.The results illustrate considerable year-to-year variation in land use, agricultural production and sediment yield in the two basins. While overall production appears to be relatively stable at the basin level, there have been shifts in the geographic locus of production toward the upper parts of both basins. A spatial overlay of production and sediment yield indicates that different parts of the basins exhibit tradeoffs, synergies and traps. Results from this study have multiple uses in rural planning, agricultural investment, and watershed management. The results also suggest that the poverty traps conceptual framework may help to enrich the interpretative content of the MA approach.     

Wheat volatile emissions modified by top-soil chemical characteristics and herbivory alter the performance of neighbouring wheat plants

Plant emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has a significant impact on arthropods and plants and alters important functions in the agroecosystems. Three field source–sink microcosm experiments evaluated variation in wheat plants volatile emissions and its impact on neighbouring wheat plants’ performance caused by genotype, aphid herbivory and soil nutrient availability due to different cropping histories. An electronic nose detected qualitative differences in volatile emissions. Two of the experiments established the source–sink relationships forcing the volatiles through pipes. In these experiments wheat genotype was introduced as a variable of the source plants. In the third experiment, the emissions of volatiles dispersed naturally affecting the neighbourhood only by proximity and wheat genotype was a controlled factor. Plant genotype, aphid attack and soil chemical changes caused by different cropping histories affected wheat volatile emissions despite independent variations in plant biomass or resource allocation. This is the first report of changes in distant plant biomass according to neighbouring plant genotype and agricultural history. Wheat VOCs emissions were associated with changes in soil organic C, Ca, Mg, total nitrogen and cation exchange capacity caused by the different cropping histories of the soils tested. Variability in total biomass and resource allocation increased due to changes in VOCs emissions promoted by longer cropping history or aphid feeding in two genotypes. When volatiles were naturally dispersed into the neighbourhood, tiller weight in the sink individuals depended on plant genotype and cropping history of its neighbours (i.e. VOCs source). These findings highlight that ecological and environmental consequences of agricultural practices are more complex than normally thought.     

Removal of phosphate from wastewater using alkaline residue

Alkaline residue(AR) was found to be an efficient adsorbent for phosphate removal from wastewater. The kinetic and equilibrium of phosphate removal were investigated to evaluate the performance of modified alkaline residue. After treatment by NaOH(AR-NaOH), removal performance was significantly improved, while removal performance was almost completely lost after treatment by HCl(AR-HCl). The kinetics of the removal process by all adsorbents was well characterized by the pseudo second-order model. The Langmuir model exhibited the best correlation for AR-HCl, while AR was effectively described by Freundlich model. Both models were well fitted to AR-NaOH. The maximum adsorption capacities calculated from Langmuir equation were in following manner: AR-NaOH AR AR-HCl. Phosphate removal by alkaline residue was pH dependent process. Mechanisms for phosphate removal mainly involved adsorption and precipitation, varied with equilibrium pH of solution. For AR-HCl, the acid equilibrium pH( 6.0) was unfavorable for the formation of Ca-P precipitate, with adsorption as the key mechanism for phosphate removal. In contrast, for AR and ARNaOH, precipitation was the dominant mechanism for phosphate removal, due to the incrase on pH( 8.0) after phosphate removal. The results of both XRD and SEM analysis confirmed CaHPO4·2H2O formation after phosphate removal by AR and AR-NaOH.     

Effect of light supply on CO2 capture from atmosphere by Chlorella vulgaris and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is one of the primary greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Consequently, emission reduction technologies will be needed to reduce CO₂ atmospheric concentration. Microalgae may have an important role in this context. They are photosynthetic microorganisms that are able to fix atmospheric CO₂ using solar energy with efficiency ten times higher than terrestrial plants. The objectives of this study were: (i) to analyse the effect of light supply on the growth of Chlorella vulgaris and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata; (ii) to assess the atmospheric CO₂ capture by these microalgae; and (iii) to determine the parameters of the Monod model that describe the influence of irradiance on the growth of the selected microalgae. Both microalgae presented higher growth rates with high irradiance values and discontinuous light supply. The continuous supply of light at the highest irradiance value was not beneficial for C. vulgaris due to photooxidation. Additionally, C. vulgaris achieved the highest CO₂ fixation rate with the value of 0.305 g-CO₂ L^?1 d^?1. The parameters of the Monod model demonstrated that C. vulgaris can achieve higher specific growth rates (and higher CO₂ fixation rates) if cultivated under higher irradiances than the studied values. The presented results showed that microalgal culture is a promising strategy for CO₂ capture from atmosphere.     

Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Hepatitis A Virus in Wastewaters in Tunisia

Hepatitis A causes substantial morbidity in both industrialized and non-industrialized countries and represents an important health problem in several southern Mediterranean countries. The objectives of the study were as follows: (a) to assess the occurrence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in Tunisia through the monitoring of urban wastewaters collected at wastewater treatment plants (WTPs); (b) to characterize environmental strains; and (c) to estimate the viral load in raw and treated sewages, in order to evaluate the potential impact on superficial waters receiving discharges. A total of 150 raw and treated wastewaters were collected from three WTPs and analyzed by both qualitative (RT-PCR/nested) and quantitative (qRT-PCR) methods. Of these, 100 (66 %) were found to be positive for HAV by the qualitative assay: 68.3 % in influents and 64.7 % in effluents. The vast majority of HAV sequences belonged to sub-genotype IA, with 11 different strains detected found to be identical to clinical strains isolated from Tunisian patients with acute hepatitis. Five unique variants were also detected, not previously reported in clinical cases. Only two IB strains were found, confirming the rarity of this sub-genotype in this country. The results of the present study indicate a wide circulation of the pathogen in the population, most probably in the form of asymptomatic infections, a finding consistent with the classification of the country as having intermediate/high endemicity. Quantitative data showed high viral loads in influents (3.5E+05 genome copies/liter, mean value) as well as effluents (2.5E+05 genome copies/liter, mean value), suggesting that contaminated water could be a critical element in transmission.     

Leaf and fruit necroses associated with vanadium-rich ash emitted from a power plant burning fossil fuel

Necrotic brown lesions developing on leaves and fruits of lemon, and other plants, near fossil-fuel-burning power plants emitting vanadium-rich ash, were reproduced experimentally by inoculating leaves with this type of ash, which is strongly acidic. Comparable lesions were formed when drops of vanadium oxide, dissolved in NaOH, were put on leaves and fruits. Neutralizing, or adding excess H₂SO₄ (to pH 3), did not alter lesion formation. The histology of these lesions was similar to that of lesions attributed to vanadium-rich ash.