Pesticide residues in artichokes: Effect of different head shape

Abstract

Residues of three pesticides (dimethoate, parathion, and pyrazophos) in two artichoke cultivars, Masedu and Spinoso sardo, were investigated. The amount of pesticides in artichokes was greatly affected by the head shape. In the case of the calix‐shaped Masedu artichoke, the residues in whole heads at commercial ripening were on average about twice higher than those of the pagoda‐shaped Spinoso sardo artichoke. In the heart this ratio was 4 to 42 times greater. Residue decay rates were very fast, mainly owing to the dilution effect due to head growth.     

Turbulent structures of buoyant jet in cross-flow studied through large-eddy simulation

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - In the present paper we study buoyant (plume) and non-buoyant (jet) fluid injection in a neutrally stratified uniform cross-flow. Both cases are of practical...     

Sensitive Parameters In Predicting Exposure Contaminants Concentration In A Risk Assessment Process

A sensitivity analysis (SA) was conducted on the analytical models considered in the risk-based corrective-action (RBCA) methodology of risk analysis, as developed by the American Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM), to predict a contaminant‘s concentration in the affected medium at the point of human exposure. These models are of interest because evaluations regarding the best approach to contaminated site remediation are shifting toward increased use of risk-based decision, and the ASTM RBCA methodology represents the most effective and internationally widely used standardized guide for risk assessment process. This paper identifies key physical and chemical parameters that need additional precision and accuracy consideration in order to reduce uncertainty in models prediction, thereby saving time, money and engineering effort in the data collection process. SA was performed applying a variance-based method to organic contaminants migration models with reference to soil-to-groundwater leaching ingestion exposure scenario. Results indicate that model output strongly depends on the organic-carbon partition coefficient, organic-carbon content, net infiltration, Darcy velocity, source-receptor distance, and first-order decay constant.     

Assessment of the state of agroecosystem sustainability using landscape indicators: a comparative study of three rural areas in Greece

The research was based on a comparative study of three representative rural areas (Dovras, Larissa, and Messapia) in Greece. Remote sensing data were collected (maps, aerial photographs) for the landscape analysis and elaborated using GIS linked with economic and social parameters regarding land use. By using a selected core set of landscape indicators, this research aims at providing a useful tool for assessing agroecosystem management at territorial level and hopefully assist decision-making for the promotion of sustainability. The selected tool showed that the study area of Messapia presented the highest level of environmental sustainability, while the area of Dovras showed the best combination of agricultural productivity and landscape management. Results showed that the ecoregions of Dovras, Larissa, and Messapia presented a landscape composed of important ecological function areas in the percentages of 40%, 15%, and 70%, respectively, and of cultivated areas in the percentages of 55%, 71.19%, and 19.75%, respectively.     

Floater mortality within settlement areas can explain the Allee effect in breeding populations

The Allee effect (the positive relationship between population growth rate and population size) is a constraint of some animal populations at low numbers, which increases their likelihood of extinction because of a decrease in reproduction and/or survival. We were able to demonstrate that the Allee effect can be the result of a mortality increase affecting floaters (i.e. dispersing individuals able to enter as breeders in the reproductive population when a breeding territory or a potential mate – owner of a suitable breeding territory – becomes available). Previously, potential mechanisms underlying Allee effects were always related to the breeding portion of a population only. In contrast, our understanding of or solutions to population declines due to the Allee effects can reside elsewhere, away from breeding territories.     

Can a marine pest reduce the nutritional value of Mediterranean fish flesh?

Biological invasions are deemed as one of the most severe threats to biodiversity and can result in huge economic impacts on natural resources. Many studies have assessed structural changes caused by the introduction of nonindigenous species, but urgent questions remain to be answered about the complex indirect effects of invasive pests on marine biodiversity at the species and ecosystem level. Previous investigations focusing on the biological invasion by Caulerpa racemosa in the Mediterranean indicated that the lipophilic algal metabolite caulerpin accumulates in the tissues of the native edible white sea bream Diplodus sargus feeding on the exotic alga. The level of caulerpin in D. sargus has been thus used as an indicator of the trophic exposure of the fish to the seaweed and related with adverse effects on the fish health. In the present study, we show that the C. racemosa-based diet can also alter muscle fatty acids composition in the white sea bream by reducing the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 and n-6 series, such as eicosapentaenoic (C20:5), docosahexaenoic (C22:6) and arachidonic acids (C20:4). This represents both a real threat to the health of fish unable to biosynthesize these essential fatty acids and an impoverishment of an important source of essential fatty acids for human nutrition, which helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hepatic steatosis, cancer and neurological disorders. On the whole, this work sheds light on an unexplored and critical aspect of biological invasions with implication on the health of both humans and the environment.     

Zooming on light packaging waste differences by scanning electron microscopy

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the present paper, different types of pure and commercial plastic waste from different EU countries (UK, France, Italy, and Romania) were...     

PCDD/Fs in ambient air in north-east Italy: The role of a MSWI inside an industrial area

The stack gases of a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI), and ambient air were sampled in four locations around the plant for the analysis of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs). The sampling area was close to an industrial area near Trieste, in north-east Italy. The purpose of the study was to estimate the impact of the MSWI emissions and to distinguish the contribution of these emissions from other potential emission sources in the industrial area.PCDD/F atmospheric concentrations were similar to those generally detected in urban–rural areas with one location about 2–3 times more contaminated than the others. Since the most contaminated location was inside the industrial area but upwind of the MSWI, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to establish whether other sources were the cause. This analysis clearly showed that a local steel plant’s emission was the main source of PCDDs/Fs in ambient air. This study highlights the usefulness of multivariate data analysis such as PCA to identify, among different potential emission sources, the one really responsible for the contamination.