Application of Zoning and “Limits of Acceptable Change” to Manage Snorkelling Tourism

Zoning and applying Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) are two promising strategies for managing tourism in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Typically, these management strategies require the collection and integration of ecological and socioeconomic data. This problem is illustrated by a case study of Koh Chang National Marine Park, Thailand. Biophysical surveys assessed coral communities in the MPA to derive indices of reef diversity and vulnerability. Social surveys assessed visitor perceptions and satisfaction with conditions encountered on snorkelling tours. Notably, increased coral mortality caused a significant decrease in visitor satisfaction. The two studies were integrated to prescribe zoning and “Limits of Acceptable Change” (LAC). As a biophysical indicator, the data suggest a LAC value of 0.35 for the coral mortality index. As a social indicator, the data suggest that a significant fraction of visitors would find a LAC value of under 30 snorkellers per site as acceptable. The draft zoning plan prescribed four different types of zones: (I) a Conservation Zone with no access apart from monitoring or research; (II) Tourism Zones with high tourism intensities at less vulnerable reefs; (III) Ecotourism zones with a social LAC standard of <30 snorkellers per site, and (IV) General Use Zones to meet local artisanal fishery needs. This study illustrates how ecological and socioeconomic field studies in MPAs can be integrated to craft zoning plans addressing multiple objectives.     

Science with Society in the Anthropocene

Interdisciplinary scientific knowledge is necessary but not sufficient when it comes to addressing sustainable transformations, as science increasingly has to deal with normative and value-related issues. A systems perspective on coupled human–environmental systems (HES) helps to address the inherent complexities. Additionally, a thorough interaction between science and society (i.e., transdisciplinarity = TD) is necessary, as sustainable transitions are sometimes contested and can cause conflicts. In order to navigate complexities regarding the delicate interaction of scientific research with societal decisions these processes must proceed in a structured and functional way. We thus propose HES-based TD processes to provide a basis for reorganizing science in coming decades.     

Use of hematological and plasma biochemical parameters to assess the chronic effects of a fungicide propiconazole on a freshwater teleost

Blood is an indicator of physiological condition of an animal. Therefore, the chronic effects of propiconazole, a triazole fungicide present in aquatic environment, on hematology of rainbow trout were investigated in this study. Fish were exposed at various concentrations of PCZ (0.2, 50 and 500 μg L(-1)) for 7, 20 and 30 d. Multiple biomarkers were measured, including hematological indices (hemoglobin concentration, red blood cells count, hematocrit, leukocyte count, mean erythrocyte hemoglobin, mean erythrocyte volume and mean color concentration) and plasma biochemical parameters (ammonia, glucose, total proteins, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase). Through principal component analysis and integrated biomarker response assessment, influence extent induced by PCZ-stress of each test group was distinguished. Additional, all parameters measured in this study displayed different dependent patterns to PCZ concentrations and exposure time by two-way ANOVA. The results of this study indicate that chronic exposure of PCZ has altered multiple physiological indices in fish hematology and CK activity may be an early biomarker of PCZ toxicity; however, before these parameters are used as special biomarkers for monitoring residual PCZ in aquatic environment, more detailed experiments in laboratory need to be performed in the future.     

Characterisation and fingerprinting of PCBs in flue gas and ash from waste incineration and in technical mixtures

Congener patterns of mono- to deca-chlorinated biphenyls (PC1-10B) were evaluated in (a) waste incineration flue gases collected in the post-combustion zone of a laboratory-scale fluidized-bed reactor, (b) ashes from two different MSW incineration plants, and (c) published data of eight Aroclor formulations. The congener patterns of the flue gases, ashes, and Aroclor mixtures clearly differed from each other, likely reflecting differences in formation pathways. The flue gas congener patterns were largely dominated by the least chlorinated congeners, whereas the ashes displayed more evenly distributed patterns. The most abundant congeners indicated a preference for 3,3',4,4'-oriented substitution, which may be related to de novo-type formation involving perylene. Principal component analysis confirmed that congener patterns differed among the three matrices and also distinguished flue gases collected at 200 °C from those collected at 300 °C and 450 °C. This distinction could be partly explained by the degree of chlorination, although the substitution status of the ortho-position, and substitution in the 3,3',4,4'-positions also seemed to be influential. Injecting biphenyl into the post-combustion zone of the reactor did not alter the patterns, indicating that availability of the backbone structure is not a limiting factor for PCB formation.     

Environmental and socioeconomic assessment of impacts by mining activities—a case study in the Certej River catchment,Western Carpathians,Romania

Background, aim and scope

In the region of the Apuseni Mountains, part of the Western Carpathians in Romania, metal mining activities have a long-standing tradition. These mining industries created a clearly beneficial economic development in the region. But their activities also caused impairments to the environment, such as acid mine drainage (AMD) resulting in long-lasting heavy metal pollution of waters and sediments. The study, established in the context of the ESTROM programme, investigated the impact of metal mining activities both from environmental and socioeconomic perspectives and tried to incorporate the results of the two approaches into an integrated proposition for mitigation of mining-related issues.

Study site

The small Certej catchment, situated in the Southern Apuseni Mountains, covers an area of 78 km². About 4,500 inhabitants are living in the basin, in which metal mining was the main economic sector. An open pit and several abandoned underground mines are producing heavy metal-loaded acidic water that is discharged untreated into the main river. The solid wastes of mineral processing plants were deposited in several dumps and tailings impoundment embodying the acidic water-producing mineral pyrite.

Methods

The natural science team collected samples from surface waters, drinking water from dug wells and from groundwater. Filtered and total heavy metals, both after enrichment, and major cations were analysed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Major anions in waters, measured by ion chromatography, alkalinity and acidity were determined by titration. Solid samples were taken from river sediments and from the largest tailings dam. The latter were characterised by X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction. Heavy metals in sediments were analysed after digestion. Simultaneously, the socioeconomic team performed a household survey to evaluate the perception of people related to the river and drinking water pollution by way of a logistic regression analysis.

Results and discussion

The inputs of acid mine waters drastically increased filtered heavy metal concentrations in the Certej River, e.g. Zn up to 130 mg L⁻¹, Fe 100 mg L⁻¹, Cu 2.9 mg L⁻¹, Cd 1.4 mgL⁻¹ as well as those of SO₄ up to 2.2 g L⁻¹. In addition, river water became acidic with pH values of pH 3. Concentrations of pollutant decreased slightly downstream due to dilution by waters from tributaries. Metal concentrations measured at headwater stations reflect background values. They fell in the range of the environmental quality standards proposed in the EU Water Framework Directive for dissolved heavy metals. The outflow of the large tailing impoundment and the groundwater downstream from two tailings dams exhibited the first sign of AMD, but they still had alkalinity.

Most dug wells analysed delivered a drinking water that exhibited no sign of AMD pollution, although these wells were a distance of 7 to 25 m from the contaminated river. It seems that the Certej River does not infiltrate significantly into the groundwater.

Pyrite was identified as the main sulphide mineral in the tailings dam that produces acidity and with calcite representing the AMD-neutralising mineral. The acid–base accounting proved that the potential acid-neutralising capacity in the solid phases would not be sufficient to prevent the production of acidic water in the future. Therefore, the open pits and mine waste deposits have to be seen as the sources for AMD at the present time, with a high long-term potential to produce even more AMD in the future.

The socioeconomic study showed that mining provided the major source of income. Over 45% of the households were partly or completely reliant on financial compensations as a result of mine closure. Unemployment was considered by the majority of the interviewed persons as the main cause of social problems in the area. The estimation of the explanatory factors by the logistic regression analysis revealed that education, household income, pollution conditions during the last years and familiarity with environmental problems were the main predictors influencing peoples’ opinion concerning whether the main river is strongly polluted. This model enabled one to predict correctly 77% of the observations reported. For the drinking water quality model, three predictors were relevant and they explained 66% of the observations.

Conclusions

Coupling the findings from the natural science and socioeconomic approaches, we may conclude that the impact of mining on the Certej River water is high, while drinking water in wells is not significantly affected. The perceptions of the respondents to pollution were to a large extent consistent with the measured results.

Recommendations and perspectives

The results of the study can be used by various stakeholders, mainly the mining company and local municipalities, in order to integrate them in their post-mining measures, thereby making them aware of the potential long-term impact of mining on the environment and on human health as well as on the local economy.

     

The impact of the tunnel exhausts in terms of heavy metals to the surrounding ecosystem

Samples of soil, plants, and lichens were analysed for heavy metal content (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in relation to different distances from the tunnel ventilation systems in order to evaluate the environmental pollution caused by car exhausts pollution from the Tauerntunnel and the Katschbergtunnel (Austria). Results show that the extent of heavy metal pollution is related to the type of tunnel ventilation system. The vertical ventilation system which ends in an exhaust air tower in the alpine pasture of Mosermandl 1,900 m above sea level contaminates soils and plants up to a distance of 750 m from the exhaust source. The dispersion of metals in front of the horizontal ventilation systems, which are located next to the tunnel portals, exhibits a rapid decrease with distance. Lichen transplants placed in front of the horizontal ventilation systems show very high metal accumulation, which gradually declines with the distance from the emitter source, therefore the lichen species Pseudevernia furfuracea can be used as a very efficient biomonitor for monitoring heavy metal pollution caused by tunnel exhausts over time. Data from former years (1986, 1988, 1990 and 1992) and from this present research suggest that the contamination of heavy metals at Mosermandl has decreased slightly in soil samples, except for Cu, but increased in plant samples, whereas a significant increase of Pb was observed.     

Utilization of Waste Lignin and Hydrolysate From Chromium Tanned Waste in Blends of Hot-Melt Extruded PVA-Starch

The demand for biodegradable plastic material is increasing worldwide. However, the cost remains high in comparison with common forms of plastic. Requirements comprise low cost, good UV-stability and mechanical properties, as well as solubility and water uptake lead to the preparation of multi-component polymer blends based on polyvinyl alcohol and starch in combination with waste products that are hard to utilize—waste lignin and hydrolysate extracted from chromium tanned waste. Surprisingly the addition of such waste products into PVA gives rise to blends with better biodegradability than commercial PVA in an aquatic aerobic environment with non-adapted activated sludge. These blends also exhibited greater solubility in the water and UV stability than commercial PVA. Tests on the processing properties of the blends (melt flow index, tensile strength and elongation at break of the films) as well as their mechanical properties showed that materials based on these blends might be applied in agriculture (for example as the systems for controlled-release pesticide or fertilizer) and, somewhat, in the packaging sector.