Innovative aspects of environmental chemistry and technology regarding air,water, and soil pollution

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

The sustainable development oxymoron: quantifying and modelling the incompatibility of sustainable development goals

ABSTRACT

In 2015, the UN adopted a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to eradicate poverty, establish socioeconomic inclusion and protect the environment. Critical voices such as the International Council for Science (ICSU), however, have expressed concerns about the potential incompatibility of the SDGs, specifically the incompatibility of socio-economic development and environmental sustainability. In this paper, we test, quantify and model the alleged inconsistency of SDGs. Our analyses show which SDGs are consistent and which are conflicting. We measure the extent of inconsistency and conclude that the SDG agenda will fail as a whole if we continue with business as usual. We further explore the nature of the inconsistencies using dynamical systems models, which reveal that the focus on economic growth and consumption as a means for development underlies the inconsistency. Our models also show that there are factors which can contribute to development (health programmes, government investment) on the one hand and ecological sustainability (renewable energy) on the other, without triggering the conflict between incompatible SDGs.     

Determination of clindamycin and its metabolite clindamycin sulfoxide in diverse sewage samples

In a research project on risk management of harmful substances in water cycles, clindamycin and 12 further antibiotics were determined in different sewage samples. In contrast to other antibiotics, an increase of the clindamycin concentration in the final effluent in comparison to the influent of the sewage treatment plant (STP) was observed. A back transformation from the main metabolite clindamycin sulfoxide to clindamycin during the denitrification process has been discussed. Therefore, the concentration of this metabolite was measured additionally. Clindamycin sulfoxide was stable in the STP and the assumption of back transformation of the metabolite to clindamycin was confuted. To explain the increasing clindamycin concentration in the STP, the ratio of clindamycin sulfoxide to clindamycin was observed. The ratio increased in dry spells with concentrated samples and with long dwell time in the sewer system. A short hydraulic retention in waste water system and diluted samples in periods of extreme rainfall lead to a lower ratio of clindamycin sulfoxide to clindamycin concentration. A plausible explanation of this behavior could be that clindamycin was adsorbed strongly to a component of the sewage during this long residence time and in the STP, clindamycin was released. In the common sample preparation in the lab, clindamycin was not released. Measurements of clindamycin and clindamycin sulfoxide in the influent and effluent of STP is advised for sewage monitoring.     

Monitoring atmospheric pollutants in the biosphere reserve Wienerwald by a combined approach of biomonitoring methods and technical measurements

In this study a combined approach of bioindication results correlated with an extensive set of data on air pollution and climate was used to assess the pollution status of the Man and Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald (Austria). Bryophytes served as impact indicators (via the Index of Atmospheric Purity-method IAP) at 30 sites as well as accumulation monitors for airborne trace elements (Al, Pb, V, S, Zn, Fe, Cu, Cr, Ni, Co, Mo, Cd, As, Sb and 16 EPA-PAHs) at 10 sites within the reserve. The results of these bioindication methods were subsequently correlated with further pollution (NO(2), SO(2) and dust) and climate data (precipitation, temperature and humidity). The findings obtained clearly indicate the following: Bryophyte distribution is solely influenced by the status of air quality, without interference by climatic or site-related factors, which is in contrast to several previous investigations. IAP-values correlated significantly with NO(2) (0.553; P=0.004), SO(2) winter values (0.511; P=0.013) and PM10 (dust) (0.561; P=0.013). The results obtained via chemical analyses revealed a strong correlation with data derived from the IAP methodology. In terms of the overall air quality within the biosphere reserve Wienerwald, the north-eastern part appears to be the most affected one with a most likely pollution contribution emitted by the capital city Vienna, agriculture and neighbouring countries.     

生产体系对肉产品(主要是猪肉)品质的影响

肉产品的技术、营养和感官品质在屠宰前后可能会受到多种交互作用因素的影响.从文献来看,以创造猪肉可持续生产体系为目标的各种变革,通常对肉的最终pH值没有影响或影响较小.一些研究表明,可持续生产体系降低了猪肉的持水能力.与常规饲养体系相比,户外生产被认为更能增加猪肉的剪切力值.肉色的影响因素很多,这些因素可能导致猪肉颜色更暗、色素含量增加,或猪肉颜色更浅淡、结构有所变化.在使用含有多不饱和脂肪酸饲料的生产体系中,肉产品所含类脂的不饱和性更强,肉产品的营养价值更高.一句话,必须考虑各因素间的组合效应如:饲养、生产体系、遗传型、性别和宰前处理等对肉品质量的影响.     

The influence of production systems on meat quality, with emphasis on pork

Technological, nutritional, and sensory meat quality may be influenced by multiple interacting factors before and after slaughter. Reviewing the literature, it can be seen that alterations aimed at creating more sustainable production systems for pig meat generally have either no effect or a lowering effect on the ultimate pH value of the meat. Some studies indicate reduced water-holding capacity in sustainably produced pork. Outdoor production may be expected to increase further the shear force of the meat compared to conventional systems. The color may be affected in different ways, leading to either darker, more pigmented meat or paler, structurally effected meat. The more unsaturated profile of the lipids in meat produced in a system that includes feeds containing polyunsaturated fatty acids is favorable with respect to the nutritional quality of the meat. To conclude, the combinatory effects of, for example, feeding, production systems, genotype, sex, and preslaughter treatments, have to be addressed.     

Environmental concentrations of Roundup in combination with chlorpromazine or heating causes biochemical disturbances in the bivalve mollusc Unio tumidus

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Bivalve molluscs represent the most recognized bioindicators of freshwater pollution. However, their ability to indicate specific xenobiotics in...