Fungal flora in indoor and outdoor air of different residential houses in Tekirdag City (Turkey): Seasonal distribution and relationship with climatic factors

This study was investigated the density and monthly distribution of indoor and outdoor microfungi in six different residential houses in Tekirdag City through the exposure of Petri dishes containing Rose-Bengal Streptomycin Agar media. Samples were collected in 1-month intervals over a period of 12 months between March, 2001, and February, 2002. We used 432 Petri dishes and counted a total of 4,205 microfungi colonies, 1,790 from indoor air and 2,415 from outdoor air. As a result, 42 species belonging to 12 genera were identified. The most frequent fungal genera were Penicillium (28.61%), Cladosporium (16.08%) and Alternaria (15.98%). While Penicillium (40.61%) and Cladosporium (15.92%) were the dominant genera of indoor air, Alternaria (20.62%) and Penicillium (19.71%) were isolated most frequently from outdoor air (Table 3). Alternaria citri (10.15%) and Penicillium brevicompactum (10.15%) were found to be the most frequent among the 42 identified species. While P. brevicompactum (19.55%) and Aspergillus niger (6.37%) were the most frequent indoor species, A. citri (13.37%) and Cladosporium cladosporioides (8.20%) were the most frequent outdoor species. Linear Regression Analysis was applied to determine whether or not there was a relationship between the number of colonies of isolated fungal genera and meteorological factors during the research period. Correlations between the presence of Aspergillus and temperature, relative humidity, duration of sunny periods and agents of air pollution such as SO(2) and PM were statistically significant. No significant correlations, however, were found between other fungal genera and environmental variables.     

Assessing the perceived impact of exploration and production of hydrocarbons on households perspective of environmental regulation in Ghana

This paper seeks to critically study the perceived impacts of the exploration of hydrocarbons in selected coastal communities in the Western region, the oil and gas industry benefits to local communities, and to determine whether hydrocarbon development is a means for sustainable development. The study uses both quantitative and qualitative approaches using a questionnaire survey, key informant interview, and focus group discussion tools to understand the impact of oil and gas exploration and production in selected affected communities along the coast of Ghana. The activities of oil production and exploration impact negatively on communities; it also leads to a sharp increase in food prices thereby increasing their costs of living. The activity has also caused a decline in fish catch levels which happens to be the main economic activity as a result of exclusion zones created by oil companies which limited the extent fishermen can go fishing. In terms of infrastructure, the three communities are lacking, 77% of respondents from Princess Town hold the view that there is no motorable road linking their community in the next town and 60% from Aketakyi also hold the same view. Infrastructure such as roads, schools, water provision, and clinics are woefully provided in these communities.

     

Noncombustion technologies for remediation of persistent organic pollutants in stockpiles and soil

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a set of chemicals that are toxic, persist in the environment for long periods of time, and biomagnify as they move up through the food chain. Combustion technologies have been the principal technology used to destroy POPs. However, combustion technologies can create polychlorinated dibenzo‐p‐dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzo‐p‐furans, which are human carcinogens. Two organizations, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International HCH and Pesticides Association (IHPA) have developed detailed reports and fact sheets about noncombustion technologies for POP treatment. This article is intended to update and summarize these reports in a concise reader's guide, with links to sources of further information. The updated information was obtained by reviewing various Web sites and documents, and by contacting technology vendors and experts in the field. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Land degradation assessment by geo-spatially modeling different soil erodibility equations in a semi-arid catchment

Land degradation by soil erosion is one of the most serious problems and environmental issues in many ecosystems of arid and semi-arid regions. Especially, the disturbed areas have greater soil detachability and transportability capacity. Evaluation of land degradation in terms of soil erodibility, by using geostatistical modeling, is vital to protect and reclaim susceptible areas. Soil erodibility, described as the ability of soils to resist erosion, can be measured either directly under natural or simulated rainfall conditions, or indirectly estimated by empirical regression models. This study compares three empirical equations used to determine the soil erodibility factor of revised universal soil loss equation prediction technology based on their geospatial performances in the semi-arid catchment of the Saraykoy II Irrigation Dam located in Cankiri, Turkey. A total of 311 geo-referenced soil samples were collected with irregular intervals from the top soil layer (0-10?cm). Geostatistical analysis was performed with the point values of each equation to determine its spatial pattern. Results showed that equations that used soil organic matter in combination with the soil particle size better agreed with the variations in land use and topography of the catchment than the one using only the particle size distribution. It is recommended that the equations which dynamically integrate soil intrinsic properties with land use, topography, and its influences on the local microclimates, could be successfully used to geospatially determine sites highly susceptible to water erosion, and therefore, to select the agricultural and bio-engineering control measures needed.     

Semi-closed synthesis of nitrogen and oxygen Co-doped mesoporous carbon for selective aqueous oxidation

Heteroatom-doped meso/micro-porous carbon materials are conventionally produced by harsh carbonization under an inert atmosphere involving specific precursors, hard/soft templates, and heteroatom-containing agents. Herein, we report a facile synthesis of N and O co-doped meso/micro-porous carbon (NOMC) by template-free carbonization of a small-molecule precursor in a semi-closed system. The semi-closed carbonizaiton process yields hydrophilic NOMCs with large surface area in a high yield. The porous structure as well as the elemental composition of NOMCs can be modulated by changing the holding time at a particular temperature. NOMCs as metal-free heterogeneous catalysts can selectively oxidize benzyl alcohol and its derivatives into aldehydes/ketones with>85％conversion in aqueous solution, which is much higher than that of the control sample obtained in tube furnace (21％conversion), mainly due to their high N content, high percentage of pyridinic N, and large surface area. The presence of O-containing moieties also helps to improve the hydrophilicity and dispersion ability of catalysts and thus facilitates the mass transfer process during aqueous oxidation. The NOMC catalysts also dispayed excellent activity for a wide range of substrates with a selectivity of>99％.     

Does economic complexity lead to global carbon emissions convergence?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study examines how economic complexity, along with human capital, total factor productivity, foreign direct investment, and trade openness, leads...     

Multivariate statistics and entropy theory for irrigation water quality and entropy-weighted index development in a subtropical urban river,Bangladesh

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Currently, a well-developed combination of irrigation water quality index (IWQIs) and entropy water quality index (EWQIs) for surface water appraisal...     

Indoor airborne fungal pollution in newborn units in Turkey

Pathogenic and/or opportunistic fungal species are major causes of nosocomial infections, especially in controlled environments where immunocompromised patients are hospitalized. Indoor fungal contamination in hospital air is associated with a wide range of adverse health effects. Regular determination of fungal spore counts in controlled hospital environments may help reduce the risk of fungal infections. Because infants have inchoate immune systems, they are given immunocompromised patient status. The aim of the present study was to evaluate culturable airborne fungi in the air of hospital newborn units in the Thrace, Marmara, Aegean, and Central Anatolia regions of Turkey. A total of 108 air samples were collected seasonally from newborn units in July 2012, October 2012, January 2013, and April 2013 by using an air sampler and dichloran 18% glycerol agar (DG18) as isolation media. We obtained 2593 fungal colonies comprising 370 fungal isolates representing 109 species of 28 genera, which were identified through multi-loci gene sequencing. Penicillium, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Talaromyces, and Alternaria were the most abundant genera identified (35.14, 25.40, 17.57, 2.70, and 6.22% of the total, respectively).     

Assessment of pesticide toxicity on earthworms using multiple biomarkers: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Two million tonnes of pesticides are currently used globally to improve crop production, yet these pesticides induce adverse effects on soil quality and...     

Airborne and soilborne microfungi in the vicinity Hamitabat Thermic Power Plant in Kirklareli City (Turkey), their seasonal distributions and relations with climatological factors

Soil and air samples of seven different localities around Hamitabat Thermic Power Plant, 10 km far away from Luleburgaz/Kirklareli (Turkey), were taken between the years 2003 and 2004 with seasonal intervals. The samples were brought to the laboratory and their microfungal identifications were done. From the air samples, 737 microfungi colonies were isolated comprising 26 species belonging to eight genera. From soil samples, 170.6 × 10⁴ colony-forming unit (CFU)/g was isolated from 33 species belonging to 16 genera. The most isolated genus from air samples was Alternaria (324 CFU, 43.96%), followed by Cladosporium (208 CFU, 25.52%) and Phoma (44 CFU, 5.40%). Penicillium was the most isolated genus from the soil samples with a value of 560,000 CFU/g (32.8%), followed by Fusarium (226,000 CFU/g, 13.12%) and Aspergillus (154,000 CFU/g, 9.03%). Among these species, Alternaria citri and Alternaria alternata are the most abundant species in air with 164 and 107 CFU, respectively, whereas Fusarium graminearum and Penicillium citrinum are the most abundant species in soil with CFU per gram values of 17.8 × 10⁴ and 1.3 × 10⁵. Correlation analysis was applied to determine whether or not there was a relationship between colony number of isolated fungal genera and meteorological factors. Some parameters of soil samples’ incontent during the research period were calculated using a computer analysis program. From the air samples, a positive correlation was found between relative humidity and Alternaria colonial counts and Cladosporium spore counts (r?=?0.912 and r?=?1.000, respectively). Similarly, with the analysis of soil samples, a positive correlation between colonial counts of Alternaria and soil pH and a positive correlation between colonial counts of Aspergillus and Penicillium and salt percentage concentration of soil were found.