Possible chemical causes of skeletal deformities in grey heron nestlings (Ardea cinerea) in North Nottinghamshire, UK

Dead and deformed grey heron (Ardea cinerea) chicks were reported at a large heronry in North Nottinghamshire, UK between 1996 (when systematic visits to the heronry started) and 2002. Many of the birds died for no obvious reason but deformities in others included multiple fractures of the tarsus and tibia and metacarpal bones (angel wings). This study aimed to investigate possible chemical causes of these deformities. Analysis of eggs and nestling tissue for a range of metals showed no levels of concern and no significant differences between unaffected and deformed birds. However, the levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) detected in affected heron nestlings in 2002 and in eggs taken from nests in 2003 were sufficiently high to suggest that this may be the underlying cause of the deformities, possibly due to effects on deposition of calcium in bone. Further work is underway to identify where the parent birds of the affected nestlings are feeding and identify the possible source of the pollution.     

Role of multidecadal climate variability in a range extension of pinyon pine

Evidence from woodrat middens and tree rings at Dutch John Mountain (DJM) in northeastern Utah reveal spatiotemporal patterns of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis Engelm.) colonization and expansion in the past millennium. The DJM population, a northern outpost of pinyon, was established by long-distance dispersal (approximately 40 km). Growth of this isolate was markedly episodic and tracked multidecadal variability in precipitation. Initial colonization occurred by AD 1246, but expansion was forestalled by catastrophic drought (1250-1288), which we speculate produced extensive mortality of Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma (Torr.) Little), the dominant tree at DJM for the previous approximately 8700 years. Pinyon then quickly replaced juniper across DJM during a few wet decades (1330-1339 and 1368-1377). Such alternating decadal-scale droughts and pluvial events play a key role in structuring plant communities at the landscape to regional level. These decadal-length precipitation anomalies tend to be regionally coherent and can synchronize physical and biological processes across large areas. Vegetation forecast models must incorporate these temporal and geographic aspects of climate variability to accurately predict the effects of future climate change.     

A comparative assessment of heavy metal accumulation in soft parts and byssus of mussels from subarctic, temperate, subtropical and tropical marine environments

Existing data on metal concentrations in mussels from subarctic, temperate, subtropical and tropical waters were analyzed using multivariate statistics in order to assess regional variations in metal contamination. Potential errors were reduced by only analyzing data from surveys that employed the same protocols, analytical methodologies and analysts. Factor analysis demonstrated that mussels inhabiting extremely contaminated areas (e.g. from Japanese and Swedish metallurgy sources) could be separated from mussels from other contaminated areas, and that metals such as Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn could be used to identify heavily contaminated samples while Co, Fe, Cr and Ni concentrations were good markers for exposure to inputs from different industrial sources. Furthermore byssus, like soft tissue, selectively and sensitively reflects variations of certain metal concentrations in ambient waters and thus serves as a reliable biomonitor for these contaminants in a variety of coastal and estuarine areas.     

Analysis of Cleaner Production Practices in a Printing Company in Brazil

This article presents an analysis of the application of a cleaner production program within a Brazilian printing company and describes its specific characteristics to propose a benchmark for similar efforts at other companies. As a result, a very number of improvement opportunities (136) were identified, indicating that the printing industry needs to make reasonable, collective efforts to ensure that companies' environmental systems reach international marks.     

Report: New guidelines for characterization of municipal solid waste: the Portuguese case

This report proposes a new set of guidelines for the characterization of municipal solid waste. It is based on an analysis of reference methodologies, used internationally, and a case study of Valorsul (a company that handles recovery and treatment of solid waste in the North Lisbon Metropolitan Area). In particular, the suggested guidelines present a new definition of the waste to be analysed, change the sampling unit and establish statistical standards for the results obtained. In these new guidelines, the sampling level is the waste collection vehicle and contamination and moisture are taken into consideration. Finally, focus is on the quality of the resulting data, which is essential for comparability of data between countries. These new guidelines may also be applicable outside Portugal because the methodology includes, besides municipal mixed waste, separately collected fractions of municipal waste. They are a response to the need for information concerning Portugal (e.g. Eurostat or OECD inquiries) and follow European Union municipal solid waste management policies (e.g. packaging waste recovery and recycling targets and the reduction of biodegradable waste going to landfill).     

Evaluation of the geotechnical properties of MSW in two Brazilian landfills

The characteristics of municipal solid waste (MSW) play a key role in many aspects of waste disposal facilities and landfills. Because most of a landfill is made up of MSW, the overall stability of the landfill slopes are governed by the strength parameters and physical properties of the MSW. These parameters are also important in interactions involving the waste body and the landfill structures: cover liner, leachate and gas collection systems. On the other hand, the composition of the waste, which affects the geotechnical behavior of the MSW, is dependent on a variety of factors such as climate, disposal technology, the culture and habits of the local community. It is therefore essential that the design and stability evaluations of landfills in each region be performed based on the local conditions and the geotechnical characteristic of the MSW. The Bandeirantes Landfill, BL, in São Paulo and the Metropolitan Center Landfill, MCL, in Salvador, are among the biggest landfills in Brazil. These two disposal facilities have been used for the development of research involving waste mechanics in recent years. Considerable work has been made in the laboratory and in the field to evaluate parameters such as water and organic contents, composition, permeability, and shear strength. This paper shows and analyzes the results of tests performed on these two landfills. The authors believe that these results could be a good reference for certain aspects and geotechnical properties of MSW materials in countries with similar conditions.     

Kinetics of biological methane oxidation in the presence of non-methane organic compounds in landfill bio-covers

In this experimental program, the effects of non-methane organic compounds (NMOCs) on the biological methane (CH₄) oxidation process were examined. The investigation was performed on compost experiments incubated with CH₄ and selected NMOCs under different environmental conditions. The selected NMOCs had different concentrations and their effects were tested as single compounds and mixtures of compounds. The results from all experimental sets showed a decrease in CH₄ oxidation capacity of the landfill bio-cover with the increase in NMOCs concentrations. For example, in the experiment using compost with 100% moisture content at 35 °C without any NMOCs the V_max value was 35.0 μg ${\text{CH}}_4{\text{h}}^{-1}{\text{g}}_{\text{wet wt}}^{-1}$. This value was reduced to 19.1 μg ${\text{CH}}_4{\text{h}}^{-1}{\text{g}}_{\text{wet wt}}^{-1}$ when mixed NMOCs were present in the batch reactors under the same environmental conditions. The experimental oxidation rates of CH₄ in the presence of single and mixed NMOCs were modeled using the uncompetitive inhibition model and kinetic parameters, including the dissociation constants, were obtained. Additionally, the degradation rates of the NMOCs and co-metabolic abilities of methanotrophic bacteria were estimated.     

Analysis of the exterior colour of agroindustrial buildings: a computer aided approach to landscape integration

The visual and aesthetic aspects of any object are defined by its colour, form, line and texture, to which might be added compositional reference elements such as scale and, in the case of three dimensional scenes, spatial character. This paper investigates one of these colour and proposes a method for predicting the value of a building's integration into the landscape. Based on psychological aspects, the method uses computers to analyse and measure the pertinent attributes. The designer can analyse visual elements in terms of the properties that define them. For example, colour, the subject of this paper, is defined by its hue, saturation and lightness. Tables are proposed to study the relationship between buildings and their background using computers. This paper offers a tool, based on the digital examination of scenes and on people's integration preferences with respect to agroindustrial buildings, which it is hoped will help project designers select appropriate colour schemes.