Fabrication of glutathione functionalized self-assembled magnetite nanochains for effective removal of crystal violet and phenol red dye from aqueous matrix

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A novel fabrication of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanochains, surface functionalized with glutathione (GSH), has been attempted through a basic wet reduction...     

Next-generation sequencing in the biodiversity conservation of endangered medicinal plants

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Medicinal plants have been used as traditional herbal medicines in the treatment of various types of diseases. However, the increased demand for these...     

Nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria stimulates production in Baltic food webs

Filamentous, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria form extensive summer blooms in the Baltic Sea. Their ability to fix dissolved N₂ allows cyanobacteria to circumvent the general summer nitrogen limitation, while also generating a supply of novel bioavailable nitrogen for the food web. However, the fate of the nitrogen fixed by cyanobacteria remains unresolved, as does its importance for secondary production in the Baltic Sea. Here, we synthesize recent experimental and field studies providing strong empirical evidence that cyanobacterial nitrogen is efficiently assimilated and transferred in Baltic food webs via two major pathways: directly by grazing on fresh or decaying cyanobacteria and indirectly through the uptake by other phytoplankton and microbes of bioavailable nitrogen exuded from cyanobacterial cells. This information is an essential step toward guiding nutrient management to minimize noxious blooms without overly reducing secondary production, and ultimately most probably fish production in the Baltic Sea.     

Inorganic Acid Emission Factors of Semiconductor Manufacturing Processes

Abstract

A huge amount of inorganic acids can be produced and emitted with waste gases from integrated circuit manufacturing processes such as cleaning and etching. Emission of inorganic acids from selected semiconductor factories was measured in this study. The sampling of the inorganic acids was based on the porous metal denuders, and samples were then analyzed by ion chromatography. The amount of chemical usage was adopted from the data that were reported to the Environmental Protection Bureau in Hsin-chu County according to the Taiwan Environmental Protection Agency regulation. The emission factor is defined as the emission rate (kg/month) divided by the amount of chemical usage (L/month). Emission factors of three inorganic acids (i.e., hydrofluoric acid [HF], hydrochloric acid [HQ], and sulfuric acid [H₂SO₄]) were estimated by the same method. The emission factors of HF and HCl were determined to be 0.0075 kg/L (coefficient of variation [CV] = 60.7%, n = 80) and 0.0096 kg/L (CV = 68.2%, n = 91), respectively. Linear regression equations are proposed to fit the data with correlation coefficient square (R²) = 0.82 and 0.9, respectively. The emission factor of H₂SO₄, which is in the droplet form, was determined to be 0.0016 kg/L (CV = 99.2%, n = 107), and its R² was 0.84. The emission profiles of gaseous inorganic acids show that HF is the dominant chemical in most of the fabricators.     

Simultaneous Sampling of Gas- and Aerosol-Phase TDI with a Triple Filter System

Abstract

A new triple filter system sampler/model is proposed for the precise and accurate simultaneous sampling and determination of gas- and aerosol-phase 2,4-toluene diisocyanate (TDI). The system consists of two front Teflon filters for sampling aerosol-phase TDI and a final coated glass fiber filter to collect gas-phase TDI. The aerosol-phase TDI is collected on the first Teflon filter, while the second Teflon filter is used to estimate gaseous TDI adsorbed by the first. According to the gas adsorption test of two Teflon filters in series, the TDI gas adsorption fraction of the two filters is almost the same. Results of the evaporation test using pure TDI aerosols collected on the Teflon filter show that significant evaporation of the compound does not occur during sampling. These two findings allow the use of a model to estimate accurate gasand aerosol-phase TDI concentrations. The comparison test with an annular denuder shows that the triple filter system can minimize the TDI sampling bias between the dual filter and the annular denuder systems.     

Mapping adaptation opportunities and activities in an interactive atlas

The need for transparency is taking more prominence in international climate negotiations as developed countries pledge large sums of money to foster adaptation efforts in developing countries. Tools that provide accurate and up-to-date spatial information that can be easily used and vetted by local practitioners may provide effective and affordable ways to improve transparency. The Global Adaptation Atlas is such a tool, combining vetted, publicly available climate impact data with timely maps of on the ground adaptation projects to highlight confluences of effects of climate change with actions taken to address those effects. Here, we describe the structure and general functions of the Global Adaptation Atlas and explain how it may be utilized to track short-term investments in adaptation. Over longer time scales, it may also help gauge the effectiveness of specific adaptation investments as well as reveal how different climate impacts affect long-term investment in differing regions.     

Influence of GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes and confounding factors on the frequency of sister chromatid exchange and micronucleus among road construction workers

In the present study, we have investigated the influence of polymorphism of GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes and confounding factors such as age, sex, exposure duration and consumption habits on cytogenetic biomarkers. Frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), high frequency cell (HFC) and cytokinesis blocked micronuclei (CBMN) were evaluated in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 115 occupationally exposed road construction workers and 105 unexposed individuals. The distribution of null and positive genotypes of glutathione-S transferase gene was evaluated by multiplex PCR among control and exposed subjects. An increased frequency of CBMN (7.03 ± 2.08); SCE (6.95 ± 1.76) and HFC (6.28 ± 1.69) were found in exposed subjects when compared to referent (CBMN - 3.35 ± 1.10; SCE - 4.13 ± 1.30 and HFC - 3.98 ± 1.56). These results were found statistically significant at p < 0.05. When the effect of confounding factors on the frequency of studied biomarkers was evaluated, a strong positive interaction was found. The individuals having GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes had higher frequency of CBMN, SCE and HFC. The association between GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes and studied biomarkers was found statistically significant at p < 0.05. Our findings suggest that individuals having null type of GST are more susceptible to cytogenetic damage by occupational exposure regardless of confounding factors. There is a significant effect of polymorphism of these genes on cytogenetic biomarkers which are considered as early effects of genotoxic carcinogens.     

Adsorptive amputation of hazardous azo dye Congo red from wastewater: a critical review

Increasing amount of dyes in an ecosystem has propelled the search of various methods for dye removal. Amongst all the methods, adsorption occupies a prominent place in dye removal. Keeping this in mind, many adsorbents used for the removal of hazardous anionic azo dye Congo red (CR) from aqueous medium were reviewed by the authors. The main objectives behind this review article are to assemble the information on scattered adsorbents and enlighten the wide range of potentially effective adsorbents for CR removal. Thus, CR sorption by various adsorbents such as activated carbon, non-conventional low-cost materials, nanomaterials, composites and nanocomposites are surveyed and critically reviewed as well as their sorption capacities are also compared. This review also explores the grey areas of the adsorption performance of various adsorbents with reference to the effects of pH, contact time, initial dye concentration and adsorbent dosage. The equilibrium adsorption isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic data of different adsorbents used for CR removal were also analysed. It is evident from a literature survey of more than 290 published papers that nanoparticle and nanocomposite adsorbents have demonstrated outstanding adsorption capabilities for CR.

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Cognitive and institutional influences on farmers’ adaptive capacity: insights into barriers and opportunities for transformative change in central Arizona

The prospect of unprecedented environmental change, combined with increasing demand on limited resources, demands adaptive responses at multiple levels. In this article, we analyze different attributes of farm-level capacity in central Arizona, USA, in relation to farmers’ responses to recent dynamism in commodity and land markets, and the institutional and social contexts of farmers’ water and production portfolios. Irrigated agriculture is at the heart of the history and identity of the American Southwest, although the future of agriculture is now threatened by the prospect of “mega-droughts,” urbanization and associated inter-sector and inter-state competition over water in an era of climatic change. We use farm-level survey data, supplemented by in-depth interviews, to explore the cross-level dimensions of capacity in the agriculture–urban nexus of central Arizona. The surveyed farmers demonstrate an interest in learning, capacity for adaptive management and risk-taking attitudes consistent with emerging theory of capacity for land use and livelihood transformation. However, many respondents perceive their self-efficacy in the face of future climatic and hydrological change as uncertain. Our study suggests that the components of transformational capacity will necessarily need to go beyond the objective resources and cognitive capacities of individuals to incorporate “linking” capacities: the political and social attributes necessary for collective strategy formation to shape choice and opportunity in the future.     

Carbonaceous and inorganic composition in long-range transported aerosols over northern Japan: Implication for aging of water-soluble organic fraction

To better understand the influence of sources and atmospheric processing on aerosol chemical composition, we collected atmospheric particles in Sapporo, northern Japan during spring and early summer 2005 under the air mass transport conditions from Siberia, China and surrounding seas. The aerosols were analyzed for inorganic ions, organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and the major water-soluble organic compound classes (i.e., dicarboxylic acids and sugars). SO₄^2? is the most abundant inorganic constituent (average 44% of the identified inorganic ion mass) followed by NH₄⁺ (21%) and NO₃^? (13%). Concentrations of OC, EC, and WSOC ranged from 2.0–16, 0.24–2.9, and 0.80–7.9 μg m^?3 with a mean of 7.4, 1.0, and 3.1 μg m^?3, respectively. High OC/EC ratios (range: 3.6–19, mean: 8.7) were obtained, however WSOC/OC ratios (0.23–0.69, 0.44) do not show any significant diurnal changes. These results suggest that the Sapporo aerosols were already aged, but were not seriously affected by local photochemical processes. Identified water-soluble organic compounds (diacids + sugars) account for <10% of WSOC. Based on some marker species and air mass back trajectory analyses, and using stable carbon isotopic compositions of shorter-chain diacids (i.e., C₂–C₄) as photochemical aging factor of organic aerosols, the present study suggests that a fraction of WSOC in OC is most likely influenced by aerosol aging, although the OC loading in aerosols may be more influenced by their sources and source regions.