Source to sink tracking of selected human pharmaceuticals from two Oslo city hospitals and a wastewater treatment works

The occurrence of twenty pharmaceutical compounds was quantitatively determined in effluents from two major Oslo city hospitals, Rikshospitalet and Ullev?l, along with influent, sludge and final effluent from the city's VEAS wastewater treatment works (WTW). Composite hospital effluents were collected over a twelve week period and were showed to contain paracetamol, metoprolol, diclofenac, ibuprofen, 17beta-Estradiol, estriol, estrone, oxytetracycline, tetracycline, doxycycline, chlorotetracycline, demeclocycline, trimethoprim, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide. Three pharmaceuticals were not detected above the limit of detection; cefuroxime, 17alpha-ethinylestradiol and meclocycline. Composite influent, sludge and effluent samples were collected from VEAS WTW over a seven week period. The influent into VEAS WTW contained all of the same selected substances detected in the hospital effluents, except for oxytetracycline, chlorotetracycline, demeclocycline, cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide. The percentage of pharmaceuticals entering the works from the hospitals was <10% for all of the selected compounds. VEAS sludge samples contained a different profile of substances reflecting their physico-chemical properties. Hydrophobic antibiotics, such as oxytetracycline, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin, were detected in all of the collected sludge samples. Their absence in the collected influent samples suggests that they enter the works bound to effluent particles, with the dissolved fraction observed in the hospital effluents partitioning onto particulate matter within the sewerage network. The final effluent from VEAS WTW contained reduced concentrations of many pharmaceuticals, including paracetamol, ibuprofen and sulfamethoxazole. For other compounds, such as metoprolol, diclofenac and trimethoprim, there were often higher concentrations in the effluent than the influent. These effluent concentrations represent median inputs varying from low g day(-1) (e.g. paracetamol and ibuprofen) to nearly 200 g day(-1) (e.g. metoprolol and trimethoprim) into Oslofjord. A simple risk assessment showed that the antibiotic ciprofloxacin may at times pose an acute risk to the Oslofjord aquatic environment.     

Developing a Criterion for Delisting the Southern Sea Otter under the U.S. Endangered Species Act

Recent surveys of recovery plans indicate that criteria, such as population sizes, for delisting species from the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) are often unrealistically low by scientific standards. We describe the delisting criterion for the threatened southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) developed by the Southern Sea Otter Recovery Team. A major oil spill is the most serious threat to this sea otter population. After extensive modeling of oil spills, the recovery team concluded that it was not scientifically defensible to develop a delisting criterion in terms of a single probability of extinction over a specified time period. Instead, the team decided to define a size at which it would consider the population endangered and to consider the population threatened as long as a major oil spill might reduce it to that size. The effective population size (N_e) for endangered status was set at 500, estimated to be about 1850 otters. Using a spill the size of the Exxon Valdez spill (250,000 bbl), the oil spill model was iterated to generate a frequency distribution of the number of sea otters contacted by oil, from which the team estimated that less than 800 otters would be killed by 90% of the simulated spills. Thus, the delisting criterion was set at 1850 + 800 = 2650 individuals. There have been several proposals to improve the Endangered Species Act by providing quantitative guidance, in the form of specific probabilities of extinction within some time frame or specific criteria like those used by the World Conservation Union as to the levels of extinction risk represented by the terms "threatened" and "endangered." Experiences of the Sea Otter Recovery Team indicate that guidelines should not be overly rigid and should allow flexibility for dealing with specific situations. The most important consideration is to appoint a recovery team that is both technically well qualified and unconstrained by pressures from management agencies.     

Passenger distractions among adolescent drivers

PROBLEM: Adolescents who drive with peers are known to have a higher risk of crashes. While passengers may distract drivers, little is known about the circumstances of these distractions among teen drivers. METHOD: This study used survey data on driving among 2,144 California high school seniors to examine distractions caused by passengers. RESULTS: Overall, 38.4% of youths who drove reported having been distracted by a passenger. Distractions were more commonly reported among girls and students attending moderate- to high-income schools. Talking or yelling was the most commonly reported type of distraction. About 7.5% of distractions reported were deliberate, such as hitting or tickling the driver or attempting to use the vehicle's controls. Driving after alcohol use and having had a crash as a driver were both significant predictors of reporting passenger-related distraction. CONCLUSION: Adolescents often experience distractions related to passengers, and in some cases these distractions are intentional. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: These results provide information about teenage drivers who are distracted by passenger behaviors. In some cases, passengers attempted to use vehicle controls; however, it seems unlikely that this behavior is common enough to warrant redesign of controls to make them less accessible to passengers.     

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.     

Why Won’t They Come? Stakeholder Perspectives on Collaborative National Forest Planning by Participation Level

Collaboration has taken root in national forest planning, providing expanded opportunities for stakeholder participation in decision-making, but are these processes considered meaningful by key stakeholders? Do the processes result in increased participation by key stakeholders? We present results of a study of stakeholder perspectives of a collaborative planning process on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests in Western Colorado, U.S.A. The stakeholders were stratified by participation levels in order to explore a possible relationship between participation and perceptions of the collaborative process. We used a Q-methodology approach to compare and contrast perspectives across participant levels in the North Fork Valley Landscape Working Group process. The results demonstrate four distinct perspectives on the collaborative process: 1) The collaborative process is valued by the Forest Service and will directly influence planning decisions; 2) The Forest Service, the collaborative process, and other stakeholders are not to be trusted; 3) The collaborative process is most effective when emphasizing place-specific dialogue that primarily involves stakeholders educating the Forest Service about issues; and 4) Forest planning involves issues requiring the application of scientific knowledge and expertise rather than collaboration. These perspectives were not strongly associated with participation levels, with time constraint being the primary mediating factor affecting participation. There are several possible actions policymakers and planners can take to enhance participation and overcome high rates of nonparticipation.     

The social contexts of some very low frequency calls of African elephants

Summary Several types of low frequency calls made by African elephants, Loxodonta africana, and the contexts in which they occurred are described. These calls had fundamental frequencies ranging from 14–35 Hz and sound pressure levels as high as 103±3dB (re 20 Pa) at 5 m from the source. Very low frequency sounds are subject to very little environmental attenuation, suggesting that sounds at the frequencies and sound pressure levels measured from elephants may be audible to conspecifics several km away. Long-term records on the behavior of elephants and on the contexts of specific call types suggest that elephants make use of infrasound in the spatial coordination of groups and as they search for mates.     

Connecticut statewide sTEP wave evaluation

INTRODUCTION: Selective Traffic Enforcement Programs (sTEPs) are a proven method to change motorists' behavior. Since 1997, the Connecticut DOT's Division of Highway Safety has organized a statewide seat belt enforcement program, with sTEP waves every three or four months. To date, 28 waves have been implemented. METHOD: Pre-wave and post-wave seat belt observation surveys are conducted by both state and municipal police across the state. Survey results, as well as a summary of all enforcement activity during the wave, are submitted for evaluation. RESULTS: Connecticut seat belt use has continued to rise from one wave to the next in a predictable "saw blade" pattern. CONCLUSIONS: The data clearly demonstrate that agencies that have participated in a greater number of waves have experienced the greatest increase in belt use. Belt use has not yet plateaued and additional sTEP enforcement seems indicated. However, evidence from other states suggests that a plateau may occur somewhere in the mid 80% range. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Should this occur, Connecticut will work toward strengthening the round the clock model, emphasizing the importance of aggressive primary enforcement.     

Sublethal,sex-specific,osmotic, and metabolic impairments in embryonic and adult round stingrays from a location exposed to environmental contamination in southern California,USA

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Organic contaminants are known to affect a suite of physiological processes across vertebrate clades. However, despite their ancient lineage and...     

Effects of urban greenspace configuration and native vegetation on bee and wasp reproduction

Pollinator welfare is a recognized research and policy target, and urban greenspaces have been identified as important habitats. Yet, landscape-scale habitat fragmentation and greenspace management practices may limit a city's conservation potential. We examined how landscape configuration, composition, and local patch quality influenced insect nesting success across inner-city Cleveland, Ohio (U.S.A.), a postindustrial legacy city containing a high abundance of vacant land (over 1600 ha). Here, 40 vacant lots were assigned 1 of 5 habitat treatments (T1, vacant lot; T2, grass lawn; T3, flowering lawn; T4, grass prairie; and T5, flowering prairie), and we evaluated how seeded vegetation, greenspace size, and landscape connectivity influenced cavity-nesting bee and wasp reproduction. Native bee and wasp larvae were more abundant in landscapes that contained a large patch (i.e., >6 ha) of contiguous greenspace, in habitats with low plant biomass, and in vacant lots seeded with a native wildflower seed mix or with fine-fescue grass, suggesting that fitness was influenced by urban landscape features and habitat management. Our results can guide urban planning by demonstrating that actions that maintain large contiguous greenspace in the landscape and establish native plants would support the conservation of bees and wasps. Moreover, our study highlights that the world's estimated 350 legacy cities are promising urban conservation targets due to their high abundance of vacant greenspace that could accommodate taxa's habitat needs in urban areas.