A climate-change vulnerability and adaptation assessment for Brazil's protected areas

Brazil hosts the largest expanse of tropical ecosystems within protected areas (PAs), which shelter biodiversity and support traditional human populations. We assessed the vulnerability to climate change of 993 terrestrial and coastal-marine Brazilian PAs by combining indicators of climatic-change hazard with indicators of PA resilience (size, native vegetation cover, and probability of climate-driven vegetation transition). This combination of indicators allows the identification of broad climate-change adaptation pathways. Seventeen PAs (20,611 km²) were highly vulnerable and located mainly in the Atlantic Forest (7 PAs), Cerrado (6), and the Amazon (4). Two hundred fifty-eight PAs (756,569 km²), located primarily in Amazonia, had a medium vulnerability. In the Amazon and western Cerrado, the projected severe climatic change and probability of climate-driven vegetation transition drove vulnerability up, despite the generally good conservation status of PAs. Over 80% of PAs of high or moderate vulnerability are managed by indigenous populations. Hence, besides the potential risks to biodiversity, the traditional knowledge and livelihoods of the people inhabiting these PAs may be threatened. In at least 870 PAs, primarily in the Atlantic Forest and Amazon, adaptation could happen with little or no intervention due to low climate-change hazard, high resilience status, or both. At least 20 PAs in the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Amazonia should be targeted for stronger interventions (e.g., improvement of ecological connectivity), given their low resilience status. Despite being a first attempt to link vulnerability and adaptation in Brazilian PAs, we suggest that some of the PAs identified as highly or moderately vulnerable should be prioritized for testing potential adaptation strategies in the near future.     

Mixing hazard evaluation of organic peroxides with other chemicals

Organic peroxides (POs) have been widely used in chemical industries as initiators of polymerization, hardening or bridge formation agents, and they are known for its self-reactive and also mixing hazard characteristics when mixed with other chemicals such as acids and alkalis. It is the purpose of this investigation to propose a simple but useful evaluation flow of mixing hazards of POs with other chemicals using conventional experimental techniques such as a glass test tube test, Dewar vessel test and DSC is proposed. 7 kinds of POs (DEPD, THP, TBEH, TBTC, MEKPO, DTBP, THHP) were mixed with sulfuric acids with various concentration, sodium hydroxide solutions, -iron(III) oxide and acrylonitrile (AN).

Based on the proposed evaluation flow the testing results were classified into 4 ranks due to the hazard criteria. Futhermore DEPD/acrylonitrile mixtures were investigated in more detail and the influences of the mixing ratio and the stirring speed were discussed.     

Analytical survey of arsenic in geothermal waters from sites in Kyushu,Japan, and a method for removing arsenic using magnetite

The objective of this study was to survey the cation and anion contents of geothermal waters to gather fundamental information on geographical variations. Sixteen sites in hot spring areas on the island of Kyushu in Japan were studied. The study focused on the arsenic content of the samples. Very high arsenic concentrations (more than 0.1 mg/l) were detected in most of the geothermal waters sampled. High contents of boron and fluoride (more than 1.0 mg/l) were also detected in some samples. Arsenic removal was performed on a laboratory scale using columns packed with a magnetite-type adsorbent. The reduction of arsenic contamination to a concentration of less than 0.01 mg/l could be achieved in the early stages of adsorption (bed volume = 200).     

Modeling of power plant impacts on fish populations

A simulation model was developed for assessing the effects of power plant impacts on fish populations. The model was based on biomass changes in a fish population that divided into 4 life stages: eggs, larvae, juveniles, and adults. Metabolism of fish was included in the model as assimilation and respiration with the effects of temperature push-pull regulation. A cohort technique was used for life stage transfers in the young stages. Compensation was included in terms of density-dependent mortality of the young fish. Power plant impacts on a fish population included entrainment (eggs and larvae) and impingement (juveniles and adults).The model was applied to the gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) population in Pool 14 of the Mississippi River in Illinois and lowa. The nearby nuclear power plant, the Quad-Cities Station, is located on the Illinois side. The simulation of the model with the 1976 field data estimates of the power plant entrainment and impingement predicted a 10 percent potential reduction of the population over 30 years. The simulated reduction of the population with the effects of different river flows showed that the result with the 1976 river flow data gave 1.5 times higher reduction than the results with data of other plant operation years, 1972 through 1975. Because the 1976 data recorded low river flow, the 10 percent reduction quoted above may be high.     

Measurement of photosynthetic production of a marine phytoplankton population using a stable 13C isotope

The use of stable isotope of carbon, ¹³C, for the determination of the photosynthetic rate of a marine phytoplankton population was examined. Particular concern was paid to the effects of non-phytoplanktonic organic carbon and the enrichment of inorganic carbon on the estimation of the photosynthetic rate. Photosynthetic rates determined by the ¹³C method showed a remarkable agreement with those determined by the ¹⁴C method. Insitu determinations of photosynthetic rate were made in three different water types: open ocean, coastal and neritic waters, which included oligo- and mesotrophic waters, by using the ¹³C method established.     

Reductive dechlorination of non-ortho substituted polychlorinated biphenyls by ultraviolet irradiation in alkaline 2-propanol

The photodechlorination pathways of 3,3′,4,5,5′-pentachlorobiphenyl (3,3′,4,5,5′-PentaCB) and the related lower polychlorinated biphenyl congeners irradiated at 254 nm in alkaline 2-propanol were elucidated. Steric effect is the most important factor for controlling the dechlorination pattern of these substrates. Electronic effect also influences the photoreactivity of chlorine substituents.     

Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by Ozonated Glycerol

We evaluated the SARS-CoV-2-inactivation activity of ozonated glycerol (OG). When a viral solution with 1% fetal bovine serum (FBS) was mixed with test solutions at a ratio of 1:19 and incubated for 20 s, OG with ozone concentrations of over 1000 ppm inactivated ≥ 94.38% of the virus. Extension of the reaction time to 1 h led to the inactivation of ≥ 99.82% of the virus (the viral titer was below the detection limit). Extension to 24 h resulted in concentrations over 200 ppm OG inactivating ≥ 99.87% of the virus (the viral titers were below the detection limit). Next, viral solutions with 1, 20, and 40% FBS were mixed with test solutions at a ratio of 1:19 and incubated for 5 min. Whereas the virucidal activity of 500 ppm OG was very limited in the presence of 1% FBS (79.47% inactivation), it increased in the presence of 20 and 40% FBS (95.13 and 97.95% inactivation, respectively; the viral titers were not below the detection limit). Meanwhile, over 1000 ppm OG inactivated ≥ 99.44% of the virus regardless of the FBS concentration (the viral titers were below the detection limit). Extension of the reaction time to 1 h led to 500 ppm OG inactivating ≥ 99.91 and ≥ 99.95% of the virus with 20 and 40% FBS, respectively (the viral titers were below the detection limit). These results suggested that OG might be useful as a virucidal agent against SARS-CoV-2.

     

Influence of physical properties of ammonium nitrate on the detonation behaviour of ANFO

In order to obtain a better understanding of the non-ideal detonation behaviour of ammonium nitrate based explosives, detonation velocities of ANFO (ammonium nitrate and fuel oil) prepared with different kinds of ammonium nitrate (AN) were measured in steel tubes. In this series of test six kinds of AN were used and the influence of the pore diameter, the pore volume and the particle diameter of the AN particle on the detonation velocity of ANFO was investigated.

It was found that the pore diameter and the pore volume had a strong influence on the detonation velocities of ANFO. In the case of ANFO samples which were prepared with AN that had the same pore diameter and the pore volume, when tested the highest detonation velocity (3.85 km/s) was observed when the smallest particle diameter (<0.85 mm) was used. This value corresponded to 75% of the ideal detonation velocity, which was theoretically predicted by the CHEETAH code with the JCZ3-EOS.

The 12 months aging showed the change of the detonation velocities of ANFO and the reaction of ANFO was influenced both by the physical and the chemical properties of AN particles and oil during the storage period.