Trends in Fenton and photo-Fenton processes for degradation of antineoplastic agents in water matrices: current knowledge and future challenges evaluation using a bibliometric and systematic analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Antineoplastic agents present potential hazards to human health and the environment. For this reason, these compounds have attracted a great deal of...     

Trajectories for Energy Transition in EU-28 Countries over the Period 2000–2019: a Multidimensional Approach

Environmental Modeling & Assessment - Environmental issues have become a major concern for policymakers faced with the threat of global warming. The European Climate Energy Package is an...     

Macro- and mesoherbivores prefer native seaweeds over the invasive brown seaweed <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sargassum muticum</Emphasis>: a potential regulating role on invasions

Herbivory has a strong impact on algal distribution, abundance and community structure and may influence the establishment and spread of introduced seaweed species. In this study, we assess the potential regulating role of herbivory on one of the most invasive brown seaweeds: Sargassum muticum. Multiple choice feeding experiments were conducted with 13 native seaweeds, S. muticum and 5 herbivore species from the Northwest, Southwest and South of Portugal. S. muticum was always the least or among the least preferred seaweeds and attained one of the highest growth rates of the tested seaweeds, with and without herbivores. The addition of herbivores increased the number of cases by 40% in which the invader had higher growth rates. Our results suggest that low grazing pressure on S. muticum by the recipient herbivore community may give the invader a competitive advantage over at least part of the native seaweed community, thereby contributing to the invasiveness of S. muticum along the Portuguese coast.     

Evaluation of the ADAPT model for simulating nitrogen dynamics in a tile-drained agricultural watershed in central Illinois

Assessing the accuracy of agronomic and water quality simulation models in different soils, land-use systems, and environments provides a basis for using and improving these models. We evaluated the performance of the ADAPT model for simulating riverine nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) export from a 1500-km2 watershed in central Illinois, where approximately 85% of the land is used for maize-soybean production and tile drainage is common. Soil chemical properties, crop nitrogen (N) uptake coefficient, dry matter ratio, and a denitrification reduction coefficient were used as calibration parameters to optimize the fit between measured and simulated NO3-N load from the watershed for the 1989 to 1993 period. The applicability of the calibrated parameter values was tested by using these values for simulating the 1994 to 1997 period on the same watershed. Willmott's index of agreement ranged from 0.91 to 0.97 for daily, weekly, monthly, and annual comparisons of riverine nitrate N loads. Simulation accuracy generally decreased as the time interval decreased. Willmott's index for simulated crop yields ranged from 0.91 to 0.99; however, observed crop yields were used as input to the model. The partial N budget results suggested that 52 to 72 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) accumulated in the soil, but simulated biological N fixation associated with soybeans was considerably greater than literature values for the region. Improvement of the N fixation algorithms and incorporation of mechanisms that describe soybean yield in response to environmental conditions appear to be needed to improve the performance of the model.     

Effect of manure application timing, crop, and soil type on nitrate leaching

Timing of manure application affects N leaching. This 3-yr study quantified N losses from liquid manure application on two soils, a Muskellunge clay loam and a Stafford loamy sand, as affected by cropping system and timing of application. Dairy manure was applied at an annual rate of 93 800 L ha(-1) on replicated drained plots under continuous maize (Zea mays L.) in early fall, late fall, early spring, and as a split application in early and late spring. Variable rates of supplemental sidedress N fertilizer were applied as needed. Manure was applied on orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) in split applications in early fall and late spring, and early and late spring, with supplemental N fertilizer topdressed as NH4NO3 in early spring at 75 kg N ha(-1). Drain water was sampled at least weekly when lines were flowing. Three-year FWM (flow-weighted mean) NO3-N concentrations on loamy sand soil averaged 2.5 times higher (12.7 mg L(-1)) than those on clay loam plots (5.2 mg L(-1)), and those for fall applications on maize-cropped land averaged >10 mg L(-1) on the clay loam and >20 mg L(-1) on the loamy sand. Nitrate-N concentrations among application seasons followed the pattern early fall > late fall > early spring = early + late spring. For grass, average NO3-N concentrations from manure application remained well below 10 mg L(-1). Fall manure applications on maize show high NO3-N leaching risks, especially on sandy soils, and manure applications on grass pose minimal leaching concern.     

Soil organic carbon and nitrogen accumulation in plots of rhizoma perennial peanut and bahiagrass grown in elevated carbon dioxide and temperature

Carbon sequestration in soils might mitigate the increase of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Two contrasting subtropical perennial forage species, bahiagrass (BG; Paspalum notatum Flügge; C4), and rhizoma perennial peanut (PP; Arachis glabrata Benth.; C3 legume), were grown at Gainesville, Florida, in field soil plots in four temperature zones of four temperature-gradient greenhouses, two each at CO2 concentrations of 360 and 700 micromol mol(-1). The site had been cultivated with annual crops for more than 20 yr. Herbage was harvested three to four times each year. Soil samples from the top 20 cm were collected in February 1995, before plant establishment, and in December 2000 at the end of the project. Overall mean soil organic carbon (SOC) gains across 6 yr were 1.396 and 0.746 g kg(-1) in BG and PP, respectively, indicating that BG plots accumulated more SOC than PP. Mean SOC gains in BG plots at 700 and 360 micromol mol(-1) CO2 were 1.450 and 1.343 g kg(-1), respectively (not statistically different). Mean SOC gains in PP plots at 700 and 360 micromol mol(-1) CO2 were 0.949 and 0.544 g kg(-1), respectively, an increase caused by elevated CO2. Relative SON accumulations were similar to SOC increases. Overall mean annual SOC accumulation, pooled for forages and CO2 treatments, was 540 kg ha(-1) yr(-1). Eliminating elevated CO2 effects, overall mean SOC accumulation was 475 kg ha(-1) yr(-1). Conversion from cropland to forages was a greater factor in SOC accumulation than the CO2 fertilization effect.     

Understanding interactions between urban development policies and GHG emissions: A case study in Stockholm Region

Human-induced urban growth and sprawl have implications for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that may not be included in conventional GHG accounting methods. Improved understanding of this issue requires use of interactive, spatial-explicit social–ecological systems modeling. This paper develops a comprehensive approach to modeling GHG emissions from urban developments, considering Stockholm County, Sweden as a case study. GHG projections to 2040 with a social–ecological system model yield overall greater emissions than simple extrapolations in official climate action planning. The most pronounced difference in emissions (39% higher) from energy use single-residence buildings resulting from urban sprawl. And this difference is not accounted for in the simple extrapolations. Scenario results indicate that a zoning policy, restricting urban development in certain areas, can mitigate 72% of the total emission effects of the model-projected urban sprawl. The study outcomes include a decision support interface for communicating results and policy implications with policymakers.

     

Targeted Sustainable Development: 15 Years of Government and Community Intervention on the St. Lawrence River

From 1988 to 2003, the St. Lawrence Action Plan, a Canada – Quebec cooperation agreement on the St. Lawrence River, helped to mobilize a still-growing number of stakeholders in the conservation and protection of this great river and generated tangible results in a number of areas of intervention. The successes enjoyed in the area of industrial, agricultural and urban clean-up, in protecting plant and animal species and their habitats, and in acquiring new knowledge on the state and trends of the ecosystem reflect the sustained efforts of government and non-government partners over the course of those 15 years. The committed involvement of local communities provides assurance of the sustainable development of this vast ecosystem.The Canadian Crown reserves the right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty free licence in and to any copyright.     

The distribution and composition of hydrocarbons in sediments from the Fladen Ground, North Sea, an area of oil production

The distribution and composition of hydrocarbons in sediment from the Fladen Ground oilfield in the northern North Sea have been investigated. The total PAH concentrations (2- to 6-ring parent and alkylated PAHs, including the 16 US EPA PAHs) in sediments were relatively low (<100 microg kg(-1) dry weight). The PAH, the Forties crude and diesel oil equivalent concentrations were generally higher in sediment of fine grain size and higher organic carbon concentration. PAH distributions and concentration ratios indicated a predominantly pyrolytic input, being dominated by the heavier, more persistent, 5- and 6-ring compounds, and with a high proportion of parent PAHs. The n-alkane profiles of a number of the sediments contained small, high boiling point, UCMs, indicative of weathered oil arising from a limited petrogenic input. The geochemical biomarker profiles of the sediments that contained UCMs showed a small bisnorhopane peak and a high proportion of norhopane relative to hopane, indicating that there was contamination from both Middle Eastern and North Sea oils. Therefore contamination was not directly as a result of oil exploration activity in the area. The most likely source of petrogenic contamination was from general shipping activity.