Elimination of pharmaceutical pollutants by solar photoelectro-Fenton process in a pilot plant

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, the simultaneous degradation of antibiotics (ampicillin, sulfamethazine, and tetracycline; and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories...     

Acute exposition to Roundup Transorb® induces systemic oxidative stress and alterations in the expression of newly sequenced genes in silverside fish (Odontesthes humensis)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Roundup Transorb® (RDT) is a glyphosate-based herbicide commonly used in agricultural practices worldwide. This herbicide exerts negative effects...     

Western Land Managers will Need all Available Tools for Adapting to Climate Change,Including Grazing: A Critique of Beschta et al.

In a previous article, Beschta et al. (Environ Manag 51(2):474–491, 2013) argue that grazing by large ungulates (both native and domestic) should be eliminated or greatly reduced on western public lands to reduce potential climate change impacts. The authors did not present a balanced synthesis of the scientific literature, and their publication is more of an opinion article. Their conclusions do not reflect the complexities associated with herbivore grazing. Because grazing is a complex ecological process, synthesis of the scientific literature can be a challenge. Legacy effects of uncontrolled grazing during the homestead era further complicate analysis of current grazing impacts. Interactions of climate change and grazing will depend on the specific situation. For example, increasing atmospheric CO₂ and temperatures may increase accumulation of fine fuels (primarily grasses) and thus increase wildfire risk. Prescribed grazing by livestock is one of the few management tools available for reducing fine fuel accumulation. While there are certainly points on the landscape where herbivore impacts can be identified, there are also vast grazed areas where impacts are minimal. Broad scale reduction of domestic and wild herbivores to help native plant communities cope with climate change will be unnecessary because over the past 20–50 years land managers have actively sought to bring populations of native and domestic herbivores in balance with the potential of vegetation and soils. To cope with a changing climate, land managers will need access to all available vegetation management tools, including grazing.     

Effect of unfavorable trophic scenarios on amylase and protease activity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nephrops norvegicus</Emphasis> (L.) larvae during their first vertical migration: a laboratory approach

In Portuguese waters, Nephrops norvegicus larvae hatch at 400–800 m depth and need to perform a vertical migration to food-rich shallower waters to find suitable prey. The effect of suboptimal feeding on digestive enzymes activity of N. norvegicus larvae during this early period of their larval life remains unknown. Protease and amylase activities were investigated ex situ using flurometry in laboratory-hatched larvae exposed to different feeding and/or starving scenarios in the 24 h following hatching, the period during which they typically accomplish their upward vertical migration. Amylase activity was very low in comparison with protease activity, indicating that carbohydrates are not a primary energy reserve. Larvae starved for 12 h and subsequently fed displayed no increase in amylase activity, which suggests that feeding may be required before 12 h post-hatch to trigger amylase activity. Protease activity was high under all feeding conditions, and the increase in protease activity under sustained starvation indicated the catabolism of protein reserves. The ability of first-stage N. norvegicus larvae to metabolize protein reserves may play a decisive role for their survival during their first vertical migration, as it enables them to overcome the deleterious effects of short-term starvation and/or suboptimal feeding.     

A coffee agroecosystem model: I. Growth and development of the coffee plant

This paper is the first of three on the coffee production system consisting of (1) the coffee plant, (2) coffee berry borer (CBB) and (3) the role of CBB parasitoids. A previous simulation model of the coffee plant was developed using data from Brazil where coffee phenology is characterized by distinct seasonal flowering (Gutierrez et al., 1998). In contrast, flowering in Colombia is continuous with low seasonality. To capture the differences in coffee phenology and growth in the two climatic regions, the Gutierrez et al. (1998) model was modified using new data from Colombia.The modifications to the model include:

(1)

The effect of solar radiation on floral buds initiation;

(2)

An age structure population model to track the daily input and development of the floral buds;

(3)

The effect of leaf water potential on breaking dormancy in flower buds, and hence on the timing and intensity of flowering;

(4)

The incorporation of both the vegetative and the reproductive demands to predict the photosynthetic rate.

(5)

The effect of low temperature on photosynthesis and defoliation.

Other aspects of the model were re-interpreted and refinements made to generalize its structure for use across coffee varieties and geographic areas. The model, without modification, realistically simulates field data from Brazil and two Colombian locations having different varieties, patterns of rainfall and hence flowering phenology.The model will be used as the base trophic level for incorporating CBB and high tropic levels effects, and for the analysis of management options in the coffee production system.     

Mass balance in the monitoring of pollutants in tidal rivers of the Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This study addressed the identification and monitoring of pollution sources of terrestrial origin in rivers (domestic sewage and industrial effluents) and critical fluvial segments in highly polluted environments under tidal influence (mixing marine and continental sources) from Guanabara Bay Basin, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The mass balance of contaminants was determined in conditions of continuous flow (low tide) during dry season (lower dilution capability). The results allowed the evaluation of the potential of contaminant mass generation by the different river segments and the estimation of their natural and anthropogenic components. The water quality of Igua?ú and Sarapuí Rivers were evaluated for metals and biochemical oxygen demand. The method gave an excellent response, including the possibility of sources identification and contaminated river segments ranking. The approach also offers fast execution and data interpretation, being highly efficient.     

Phylogeography and evolution of the triplefin <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tripterygion delaisi</Emphasis> (Pisces,Blennioidei)

The genus Tripterygion (Risso 1826) is restricted to the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and comprises only three species. T. melanuros and T. tripteronotus are essentially endemic to the Mediterranean, while Tripterygion delaisi occurs in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean. Two subspecies of T. delaisi have been described (T. d. xanthosoma in the Mediterranean and T. d. delaisi in the Atlantic). Several scenarios have been proposed for the evolution of T. delaisi subspecies, but so far its subspeciation process is not clear. In this study we present a population survey of T. delaisi including specimens from the two recognized subspecies. We combined a phylogeographic approach with estimates of the direction of migration (between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean) and of the coalescence time of the two subspecies, using polymorphic mitochondrial and nuclear genes. The results of this study clearly support the existence of two Tripterygion delaisi clades, one in the eastern Atlantic islands and another in the Atlantic coasts of Europe and in the Mediterranean. Historical migration between the islands and Western Europe plus Mediterranean was restricted, and showed a westbound trend, with a higher number of migrants going from the Western Europe plus Mediterranean into the islands. We estimated the time of coalescence of both groups of T. delaisi to be more recent than the onset of Pleistocene glaciations (1.7 Mya). Our results are consistent with previous hypothesis that consider successive dispersal events of a Tripterygion ancestor from the western African coast colonizing the Atlantic islands and the Mediterranean, promoting the evolutionary divergence between these areas.     

Thorium accumulation in the sedimentary environment of the Vigo Ria (NW Iberian Peninsula)

Thorium levels and their association with Fe, Sc, Ca, and Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) were researched in sediments of the Vigo Ria in order to assess the influence of radioactive gneisses from the neighbouring continental Gali?eiro Complex. Sediment of 50 surface samples and 1 core was analysed by ICP-MS and the results were validated with certificate reference material from marine sediment. It was found that Th accumulates in the middle Ria zone (9-15 mg kg(-1)) as a result of the terrestrial source. The thorium concentration in the Ria (average: 9.4+/-5.1 mg kg(-1)) is not anthropogenically impacted in accordance with its own regional background level (11.4+/-3.5 mg kg(-1)), which is two times higher than the content in earth's crust. Throughout the relationship Th/Fe, Th may be associated with the iron cycle in the Ria, probably through iron oxy-hydroxide scavenging.     

Effects of maternal diet and host quality on oviposition patterns and offspring performance in a seed beetle (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

In seed beetles, oviposition decisions may influence the offspring phenotype because eggs constitute the initial resources available for larval development. We tested the effects of host quality variations (small vs. large seeds of the host plant Calystegia sepium, Convolvulaceae) on oviposition patterns and offspring performance of the seed beetle Megacerus eulophus. We also manipulated the maternal diet: high diet quality vs. low diet quality to evaluate possible interactive effects of the maternal nutritional environment and host quality on oviposition patterns. We further assessed the consequences of egg size variation in offspring size. Female M. eulophus fed with high-quality diet (H-diet) laid more eggs and lived longer than females fed with low-quality diet (P-diet). Fecundity decreased under a low-quality host for both maternal diets. The occurrence of maternal environmental effects on egg size plasticity was detected. Under conditions of low-quality host, mothers fed with the high-quality diet produced bigger eggs in comparison with a high-quality host, whereas females fed with the low-quality diet produced smaller ones. Regardless of these differences observed in egg size depending on the maternal diet, progeny emerging from small seeds (low-quality host) showed a similar performance at emergence. Offspring traits were only significantly affected by host quality. Beetles emerging from large seeds had greater body weight and length than those reared on small seeds. Variations in oviposition patterns in response to host quality are discussed.     

Comparative sediment quality assessment in different littoral ecosystems from Spain (Gulf of Cadiz) and Brazil (Santos and São Vicente estuarine system)

The goal of this work was to establish comparisons among environmental degradation in different areas from Southern Spain (Gulf of Cádiz) and Brazil (Santos and S?o Vicente estuary), by using principal component analyses (PCA) to integrate sediment toxicity (amphipods mortality) and chemical-physical data (Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, Co, V, PCBs, PAHs concentrations, OC and fines contents). The results of PCA extraction of Spanish data showed that Bay of Cádiz, CA-1 did not present contamination or degradation; CA-2 exhibited contamination by PCBs, however it was not related to the amphipods mortality. Ría of Huelva was the most impacted site, showing contamination caused principally by hydrocarbons, in HV-1 and HV-2, but heavy metals were also important contaminants at HV-1, HV-2 and HV-3. Algeciras Bay was considered as not degraded in GR-3 and -4, but in GR-3' high contamination by PAHs was found. In the Brazilian area, the most degraded sediments were found in the stations situated at the inner parts of the estuary (SSV-2, SSV-3, and SSV-4), followed by SSV-6, which is close to the Submarine Sewage Outfall of Santos - SSOS. Sediments from SSV-1 and SSV-5 did not present chemical contamination, organic contamination or significant amphipod mortality. The results of this investigation showed that both countries present environmental degradation related to PAHs: in Spain, at Ría of Huelva and Gudarranque river's estuary areas; and in Brasil, in the internal portion of the Santos and S?o Vicente estuary. The same situation is found for heavy metals, since all of the identified metals are related to toxicity in the studied areas, with few exceptions (V for both Brazil and Spain, and Cd and Co for Brazilian areas). The contamination by PCBs is more serious for Santos and S?o Vicente estuary than for the investigated areas in Gulf of Cádiz, where such compound did not relate to the toxicity.