V-doped TiO2 photocatalysts and their application to pollutant degradation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - V-doped TiO2 materials (0.01, 0.05, 0.10, and 1.00 nominal atomic %) were synthesized by the sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction,...     

Effects of pollution on dormant-stage banks of cladocerans and rotifers in a large tropical reservoir

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Here, we describe the abundance and composition of the dormant-stage banks of cladocerans and rotifers at two locations in a tropical reservoir...     

Maritime ports and beach management as sources of coastal macro-, meso-, and microplastic pollution

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Plastic pollution is a major environmental issue that affects coasts all around the world. Many studies point out the importance of a better...     

Functional interactions among tortoise beetle larval defenses reveal trait suites and escalation

Whereas the “escape-and-radiate” plant-herbivore scenario predicts that reciprocating cycles of defense-counter defense foster the evolution of traits with increasing efficacy that accumulate during clade diversification, coevolutionary models of herbivore responses to their enemies remain unexplored. Quantitative information is scarce about how defensive traits perform, interact and become functionally integrated. Moreover, there are few studies that have combined performance and phylogenetic information to detect patterns of trait assembly and trends in defense efficacy. Using field demonstrations of effectiveness and phylogenetic reconstructions, we evaluated patterns of trait precedence and suite assembly by comparing the larval defenses of two beetles, Acromis sparsa and Chelymorpha alternans, which both feed on the leaf surfaces of the same plant, have shields containing host-derived deterrent chemicals and form aggregations. Additionally, female A. sparsa guard their larvae. Using an ecologically relevant bioassay, we quantified the extent to which: (1) gregariousness, size, maternal care and shields affected survival; (2) defenses interacted, and; (3) derived traits and suites outperformed ancestral ones. Regression models ranked traits revealing synergistic interactions. Shields interacted with gregariousness to form the strongest suite. Maternal care contributed to overall higher survival in A. sparsa, an advantage lost after female removal. Phylogenetic reconstruction revealed a sequence of trait accumulation and suite formation. The combined performance-phylogenetic approach revealed: (1) multi-trait interactions amplified effectiveness; (2) a sequence of novel trait origins was followed by suite assembly, and; (3) an incremental trend in defense efficacy congruent with escalation. Multi-trait interactions fostered suite assembly that likely conferred the advantage of enhanced survival in the precarious leaf surface adaptive zone.     

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.     

Occupational Risk Identification Using Hand-Held or Laptop Computers

This paper describes the Work Environment Profile (WEP) program and its use in risk identification by computer. It is installed into a hand-held computer or a laptop to be used in risk identification during work site visits. A 5-category system is used to describe the identified risks in 7 groups, i.e., accidents, biological and physical hazards, ergonomic and psychosocial load, chemicals, and information technology hazards. Each group contains several qualifying factors. These 5 categories are colour-coded at this stage to aid with visualization. Risk identification produces visual summary images the interpretation of which is facilitated by colours. The WEP program is a tool for risk assessment which is easy to learn and to use both by experts and nonprofessionals. It is especially well adapted to be used both in small and in larger enterprises. Considerable time is saved as no paper notes are needed.     

Fish Assemblage Responses to Water Withdrawals and Water Supply Reservoirs in Piedmont Streams

Understanding effects of flow alteration on stream biota is essential to developing ecologically sustainable water supply strategies. We evaluated effects of altering flows via surface water withdrawals and instream reservoirs on stream fish assemblages, and compared effects with other hypothesized drivers of species richness and assemblage composition. We sampled fishes during three years in 28 streams used for municipal water supply in the Piedmont region of Georgia, U.S.A. Study sites had permitted average withdrawal rates that ranged from < 0.05 to > 13 times the stream’s seven-day, ten-year recurrence low flow (7Q10), and were located directly downstream either from a water supply reservoir or from a withdrawal taken from an unimpounded stream. Ordination analysis of catch data showed a shift in assemblage composition at reservoir sites corresponding to dominance by habitat generalist species. Richness of fluvial specialists averaged about 3 fewer species downstream from reservoirs, and also declined as permitted withdrawal rate increased above about 0.5 to one 7Q10-equivalent of water. Reservoir presence and withdrawal rate, along with drainage area, accounted for 70% of the among-site variance in fluvial specialist richness and were better predictor variables than percent of the catchment in urban land use or average streambed sediment size. Increasing withdrawal rate also increased the odds that a site’s Index of Biotic Integrity score fell below a regulatory threshold indicating biological impairment. Estimates of reservoir and withdrawal effects on stream biota could be used in predictive landscape models to support adaptive water supply planning intended to meet societal needs while conserving biological resources.     

Do top-down or bottom-up forces determine Stephanitis pyrioides abundance in urban landscapes?

This study examined the influence of habitat structural complexity on the collective effects of top-down and bottom-up forces on herbivore abundance in urban landscapes. The persistence and varying complexity of urban landscapes set them apart from ephemeral agroecosystems and natural habitats where the majority of studies have been conducted. Using surveys and manipulative experiments. We explicitly tested the effect of natural enemies (enemies hypothesis), host plant quality, and herbivore movement on the abundance of the specialist insect herbivore, Stephanitis pyrioides, in landscapes of varying structural complexity. This herbivore was extremely abundant in simple landscapes and rare in complex ones. Natural enemies were the major force influencing abundance of S. pyrioides across habitat types. Generalist predators, particularly the spider Anyphaena celer, were more abundant in complex landscapes. Predator abundance was related to greater abundance of alternative prey in those landscapes. Stephanitis pyrioides survival was lower in complex habitats when exposed to endemic natural enemy populations. Laboratory feeding trials confirmed the more abundant predators consumed S. pyrioides. Host plant quality was not a strong force influencing patterns of S. pyrioides abundance. When predators were excluded, adult S. pyrioides survival was greater on azaleas grown in complex habitats, in opposition to the observed pattern of abundance. Similarly, complexity did not affect S. pyrioides immigration and emigration rates. The complexity of urban landscapes affects the strength of top-down forces on herbivorous insect populations by influencing alternative prey and generalist predator abundance. It is possible that habitats can be manipulated to promote the suppressive effects of generalist predators.     

Public policy as a part of transforming energy systems: framing bioenergy in Finnish energy policy

Government interventions have been identified as important for energy systems change, because they can either facilitate or hinder transitions toward more sustainable energy systems. This article analyses how bioenergy options have been framed in Finnish policy strategies and how the framing has changed over time. The empirical material includes the content of 15 government programmes and nine national energy/climate strategies. On the basis of this assessment, both the link between bioenergy framings in strategies and the actual transformation of Finnish bioenergy systems are explored.On the basis of bioenergy framings, the development of energy policy can be divided into three phases: support for domestic energy sources in 1979-1991, support for wood- and industry-based bioenergy in 1992-1998, and diversified bioenergy in the context of climate change in 1999-2010. For two decades, primarily wood-based bioenergy was supported despite alternative technological developments occurring elsewhere. After the turn of the millennium, the importance of climate policy increased and alternative bioenergy sources were raised on the government policy agenda, also resulting in some new policy instruments. Rather than adopting a visionary outlook to guide system transformation, climate and energy policy has strengthened those technological options that have been selected elsewhere. If public policies are to enhance the shift toward low-carbon, sustainable energy systems, they would need to be more comprehensive, be more consistent over time, and emphasise energy use more.     

Oral bioavailability reveals an overestimation of the toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric particulate matter

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in atmospheric particulate matter have adverse effects on human health, yet total PAH concentrations...