Human milk contamination by nine organochlorine pesticide residues (OCPs)

Abstract

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are widely used around the world as insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, nematicides, and rodenticides. Despite banned in Brazil, the usage remains occurring in many countries. The persistence and extreme mobility of OCPs contribute to the contamination of the environment and the human body. The OCPs bioaccumulation in adipose tissue triggers the excretion into human milk during breastfeeding. Hence, the present study determined eighteen OCPs residues in the breast milk of mothers from the Western Region of Bahia State, Brazil. Nine different residue species were found, including beta-Hexachlorocyclohexane (9.24?±?0.00?ng g^?1 fat), delta- Hexachlorocyclohexane (22.15?±?10.48?ng g^?1 fat), Heptachlor (58.08?±?74.13?ng g^?1 fat), Aldrin (142.65?±?50.65?ng g^?1 fat), Dieldrin (774.62?±?472.68?ng g^?1 fat), Endosulfan I (408.44?±?245.51?ng g^?1 fat), Dichloro-diphenyl-dichloro-ethylene (29.17?±?22.42?ng g^?1 fat), Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane (28.87?±?0.00?ng g^?1 fat) and Methoxychlor (1699.67?±?797.43?ng g^?1 fat). The Methoxychlor presence in all samples may reveal a recent exposure, while Dieldrin and Endosulfan I analyses can point to distant past exposure.     

Potential Negative Ecological Effects of Corridors

Despite many studies showing that landscape corridors increase dispersal and species richness for disparate taxa, concerns persist that corridors can have unintended negative effects. In particular, some of the same mechanisms that underlie positive effects of corridors on species of conservation interest may also increase the spread and impact of antagonistic species (e.g., predators and pathogens), foster negative effects of edges, increase invasion by exotic species, increase the spread of unwanted disturbances such as fire, or increase population synchrony and thus reduce persistence. We conducted a literature review and meta‐analysis to evaluate the prevalence of each of these negative effects. We found no evidence that corridors increase unwanted disturbance or non‐native species invasion; however, these have not been well‐studied concerns (1 and 6 studies, respectively). Other effects of corridors were more often studied and yielded inconsistent results; mean effect sizes were indistinguishable from zero. The effect of edges on abundances of target species was as likely to be positive as negative. Corridors were as likely to have no effect on antagonists or population synchrony as they were to increase those negative effects. We found 3 deficiencies in the literature. First, despite studies on how corridors affect predators, there are few studies of related consequences for prey population size and persistence. Second, properly designed studies of negative corridor effects are needed in natural corridors at scales larger than those achievable in experimental systems. Third, studies are needed to test more targeted hypotheses about when corridor‐mediated effects on invasive species or disturbance may be negative for species of management concern. Overall, we found no overarching support for concerns that construction and maintenance of habitat corridors may result in unintended negative consequences. Negative edge effects may be mitigated by widening corridors or softening edges between corridors and the matrix. Other negative effects are relatively small and manageable compared with the large positive effects of facilitating dispersal and increasing diversity of native species. Efectos Negativos Potenciales de los Corredores     

Defining the Impact of Non‐Native Species

Non‐native species cause changes in the ecosystems to which they are introduced. These changes, or some of them, are usually termed impacts; they can be manifold and potentially damaging to ecosystems and biodiversity. However, the impacts of most non‐native species are poorly understood, and a synthesis of available information is being hindered because authors often do not clearly define impact. We argue that explicitly defining the impact of non‐native species will promote progress toward a better understanding of the implications of changes to biodiversity and ecosystems caused by non‐native species; help disentangle which aspects of scientific debates about non‐native species are due to disparate definitions and which represent true scientific discord; and improve communication between scientists from different research disciplines and between scientists, managers, and policy makers. For these reasons and based on examples from the literature, we devised seven key questions that fall into 4 categories: directionality, classification and measurement, ecological or socio‐economic changes, and scale. These questions should help in formulating clear and practical definitions of impact to suit specific scientific, stakeholder, or legislative contexts. Definiendo el Impacto de las Especies No‐Nativas     

Plant blindness and the implications for plant conservation

Plant conservation initiatives lag behind and receive considerably less funding than animal conservation projects. We explored a potential reason for this bias: a tendency among humans to neither notice nor value plants in the environment. Experimental research and surveys have demonstrated higher preference for, superior recall of, and better visual detection of animals compared with plants. This bias has been attributed to perceptual factors such as lack of motion by plants and the tendency of plants to visually blend together but also to cultural factors such as a greater focus on animals in formal biological education. In contrast, ethnographic research reveals that many social groups have strong bonds with plants, including nonhierarchical kinship relationships. We argue that plant blindness is common, but not inevitable. If immersed in a plant‐affiliated culture, the individual will experience language and practices that enhance capacity to detect, recall, and value plants, something less likely to occur in zoocentric societies. Therefore, conservation programs can contribute to reducing this bias. We considered strategies that might reduce this bias and encourage plant conservation behavior. Psychological research demonstrates that people are more likely to support conservation of species that have human‐like characteristics and that support for conservation can be increased by encouraging people to practice empathy and anthropomorphism of nonhuman species. We argue that support for plant conservation may be garnered through strategies that promote identification and empathy with plants.     

航空不安全事件人为因素分析R-S-TER模型的构建与应用研究

借鉴传统人为因素分析Reason模型和SHEL模型,结合TER模型的特点构建航空不安全事件人为因素分析的R-S-TER模型。分别采用Dijkstra算法和坐标轴方法应用R-S-TER模型对单个和多个航空不安全事件进行研究,找出各个不安全事件的主要事故链。运用C语言程序计算出了预防航空不安全事件的最优方案。应用R-S-TER模型可以有效地达到预防航空不安全人为因素的目的。     

30MHz-1000MHz显示器辐射骚扰测试及其不确定度评定

本文以显示器辐射骚扰测试为例对10米半电波暗室的辐射骚扰试验进行不确定度评定。并与相应标准进行比较，确认该辐射测试系统的测量结果是可信的。     

城市分散式粪便颗粒化有机肥用作叶菜肥的肥力及环境影响

城市分散式粪便的处理已经成为现代化城市管理的一个难题.本研究在将城市分散式粪便经收集、除渣、絮凝脱水后制成颗粒肥;通过盆栽小青菜试验,评价了不同施肥量对小青菜的增产效果以及对土壤、淋溶水性质的影响,探讨了颗粒肥用于叶菜施肥的可行性.结果表明,施用颗粒肥可显著提高小青菜产量,试验条件下未对小青菜叶片造成大肠杆菌、大肠菌群等病原菌污染;在适当比例的施肥水平下,颗粒肥施用后淋溶水中的病原菌浓度低于对照组.施用颗粒肥能显著提高土壤氮、磷、钾、有机质等营养物质含量,提高土壤孔隙度水平,降低土壤容重,改善土壤理化性质;同时颗粒肥施用不会对土壤和淋溶水造成重金属离子污染,且能有效降低土壤氮、钾的淋溶.     

人为干扰对小兴安岭森林湿地土壤碳组分和酶活性的影响

以小兴安岭落叶林沼泽湿地为研究对象,对比研究皆伐地、火烧地和落叶松湿地土壤碳组分和酶活性.结果表明:(1)3种湿地类型土壤SOC含量表现为对照地显著高于皆伐地和火烧地(p0.05),在0~10 cm土层中皆伐地与对照地相比降低了58.38%,火烧地与对照地相比降低了61.96%.皆伐地与火烧地在不同土层的土壤中SOC含量差异不显著(p0.05);DOC含量对照地显著高于皆伐地和火烧地(p0.05).在0~10cm土层中火烧地DOC含量是皆伐地的1.99倍,两者差异不显著(p0.05);不同干扰方式对土壤MBC含量影响的差异主要表现在0~10 cm的土层土壤,对照地分别比皆伐地和火烧地高23.13%和95.79%(p0.05).在不同的土层中皆伐地MBC含量均大于火烧地,与SOC含量的变化趋势一致.(2)与对照地相比,皆伐地与火烧地0~10 cm土层的土壤蔗糖酶活性分别降低了45.59%和36.76%,脲酶活性显著降低了18.22%和55.69%(p0.05),蛋白酶活性降低了19.65%和17.34%,淀粉酶活性降低了6.29%和10.69%.土壤碳组分和酶活性在垂直方向上均表现为随着土层深度增加而减小.皆伐和火烧造成森林湿地土壤碳组分和酶活性降低.     

太湖梅梁湾和月亮湾春夏两季沉积物扰动下BAPP的转化规律

采用室内模拟试验研究了沉积物扰动下上覆水中可被生物利用颗粒态磷(BAPP)的变化规律,并分析了BAPP与悬浮物中内源磷间的内在联系.试验用沉积物分别于春季和夏季采自太湖梅梁湾和月亮湾.结果表明,沉积物扰动降低了上覆水中生物有效磷(BAP)含量,降至初始状态的40%左右.BAPP也明显降低,其占BAP的百分比稳定在50%左右,梅梁湾春季除外.扰动状态下颗粒态磷(PP)生物有效性显著降低,第12h时,BAPP占PP的百分比仅为10%左右;这与悬浮物中NH₄Cl-P和Fe/Al-P的降低明显相关,但其与 (AAP+NH₄Cl-P)占Tot-P的百分比相关性更好[r=0.565(n=48)].这暗示,沉积物扰动可能延缓了水体富营养化发展进程.     

中国大气中重金属钒的排放特征

化石燃料原油和原煤的燃烧、含钒矿石的开采和冶炼是大气中重金属钒的主要来源。文章利用重金属钒的排放系数分析了中国1978-2010年人为过程释放到大气中重金属钒的总量和行业重金属钒的排放,预测了2020年和2030年中国大气中重金属钒的排放量。结果表明,自1978年以来,中国钒的排放量增加了4倍,中国2010年人类活动向大气排放的重金属钒总量达3.18万吨,约占世界总量的12%。原油燃烧释放到大气中的钒约占总量的85%,煤炭燃烧的排放量占10.5%,其中工业耗油向大气中释放重金属钒的比例从1980的71%下降到2008年的42%,总量从3 721 t增加至9 361 t;交通运输行业从10%上升到36%,总量从547 t增加至7 967 t;其它行业(农林牧渔水利业、批发零售业和住宿餐饮业、生活消费)基本维持在20%左右,总量从986 t增加至5 052 t。因此,应加强大气中钒的监测和管理,预防大气钒污染事件的发生。