Discrete event simulation to aid decision-making and mitigation in solid waste management

This article aims to evaluate municipal solid waste (MSW) management schemes in order to promote sustainability and eco-efficiency, core elements in global mitigation strategies in both public and private policies. A discrete event simulation (DES) approach was used to integrate the economic, environmental, and social aspects related to aseptic carton packages (ACP) in Itajuba, Brazil. The simulated scenarios consider three alternatives for disposing ACP: landfills, recycling, and incineration with energy recovery. According to our findings, incineration alternatives are preferred from an eco-efficiency perspective, given the potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions and due to the possibility of energy recover, which reinforces the contribution of this technology to promote sustainability as largely found in the international literature. Given the context of MSW management in Brazil, this represents a significant opportunity to increase the effectiveness of mitigation strategies adopted in the country. Taking into account that this is by far the least applied technology, the authors strongly advocate that global strategies for mitigation consider different approaches to integrate carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission reductions related to the entire MSW management system and its alternatives, thus advancing from a waste disposal-oriented system to a life cycle–oriented system.

     

Challenges and Opportunities for Creating Intelligent Hazard Alerts: The “FloodHippo” Prototype

Disasters evolving from hazards are a persistent and deadly occurrence in the United States. Despite this, hazard alerts have remained spatially vague, temporally imprecise, and lack actionable information. These deficiencies indicate a divide between the status quo and what is possible given modern environmental models, geographic information systems (GIS), and smartphone capabilities. This work describes an alternative, prototype system, “FloodHippo,” which integrates operational model outputs, cloud‐based GIS, and expanded communication channels to provide personal and interactive disaster alerts for floods. The precepts and methods underpinning FloodHippo apply equally to other disasters that evolve over space and time, presenting the opportunity for a more intelligent disaster response system. The development of such a system would not only minimize current shortcomings in disaster alerts but also improve resilience through individual action, along with community, academic, and federal cooperation.     

Extension of the EUROS Integrated Air Quality Model to Fine Particulate Matter by Coupling to CACM/MADRID 2

The European Operational Smog (EUROS) integrated air quality modelling system has been extended to model fine particulate matter (PM). From an extended literature study, the Caltech Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism and the Model of Aerosol Dynamics, Reaction, Ionisation and Dissolution were selected and recently coupled to EUROS. Currently, modelling of mass and chemical composition of aerosols in two size fractions (PM_2.5 and PM_10–2.5) is possible. The chemical composition is expressed in terms of seven components: ammonium, nitrate, sulphate, elementary carbon, primary inorganic compounds, primary organic compounds and secondary organic compounds. Calculated PM₁₀ concentrations and chemical composition are presented for two summer months of the year 2003 (1 July to 31 August).     

Morphological responses and tolerance of a tree native to the Brazilian Cerrado Astronium fraxinifolium Schott to boron toxicity

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The indiscriminate use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides can lead to boron contamination of the soil. Decontamination in general is expensive and...     

Collembola gut passage shapes microbial communities in faecal pellets but not viability of dietary algal cells

Microarthropods are known as vectors for soil microorganisms, predominantly fungi. This laboratory study uses the widespread unicellular green algae Chlorella vulgaris as model to assess the role of Collembola in algal dispersal and to determine the effects of gut passage on propagation. Living algal cells were observed in 70 % of the faecal pellets of Folsomia candida, Heteromurus nitidus and Protaphorura fimata. Moreover, marker fatty acids for green algae, i.e. 16:2ω6,9 and 16:3ω3,6,9, were consistently detected in the pellets. Compared to the algal diet, the high content of methyl-branched total lipid fatty acid (TLFA) with hydroxyl substitution indicated microbial colonisation during gut passage. The TLFA profile of faeces revealed no species-specific differences but similar changes in microbial communities over the duration of feeding, indicating comparable indigenous bacteria and colonisation mechanisms during gut passage. In sum, faecal pellets of soil microarthropods such as Collembola can act as a vector for both dietary algae and specific gut-associated microorganisms, with the latter likely involved in resource degradation inside and outside the gut habitat.     

Effect of citric acid and EDTA on chromium and nickel uptake and translocation by Datura innoxia

EDTA and citric acid were tested to solubilize metals and enhance their uptake by Datura innoxia, chosen because of its ability to accumulate and tolerate metals. Two application modes were used on an industrial soil contaminated mainly by Cr and Ni. The results showed that citric acid was the most effective at increasing the uptake of Cr and EDTA for Ni. These results are consistent with the effectiveness of both chelants in solubilizing metals from the soil. The translocation factor (TF) of Ni was 1.6- and 6.7-fold higher than the control, respectively, for one and two applications of 1mmolkg(-1) EDTA. After two applications of 5 and 10mmolkg(-1) citric acid, the TF of Cr increased 2- and 3.5-fold relative to the control. Whatever the concentration, the application of EDTA modified the plant physiology significantly. For citric acid this was only observed with the highest dose (10mmolkg(-1)).     

Batch and continuous adsorption of Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions from aqueous solution on bi-functionalized sugarcane-based biosorbent

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A new one-pot synthesis method optimized by a 23 experimental design was developed to prepare a biosorbent, sugarcane bagasse cellulose succinate...     

Tolerance and phytoremediation potential of Calopogonium mucunoides to boron

Soil contamination by trace elements (TEs) is a problem of great concern since the industrial revolution. However, not all TEs are essentially toxic, and several micronutrients such as boron (B) play essential roles during plant development and, in this case, B acts in plants as a structural element. Soil B levels above 3.0 mg dm^–3 may be toxic to many plants and the greatest input of B to the environment occurs through the anthropic way. An environmentally promising alternative is phytoremediation, in which contaminant‐tolerant plants are used to remove or stabilize TEs in soils. Therefore, this work has been carried out to aim C. mucunoides’ tolerance to increasing B concentrations and its potential as a phytoremediator. We found out that C. mucunoides tolerates B doses up to 480 mg dm^?3, the B uptaken is transported at a 1:1 ratio between root and shoot, suggesting that C. mucunoides can be used as a phytostabilizer and phytoextractor due to its potential to be used in phytoremediation techniques because it can tolerate toxic concentrations of B.     

Rapid ethnobotanical diagnosis of the Fulni-? Indigenous lands (NE Brazil): floristic survey and local conservation priorities for medicinal plants

This study was developed as part of the project ??Studies for Environmental and Cultural Sustainability of the Fulni-ô Medical System: Office on handling medicinal plants??. The Fulni-ô people are located in Pernambuco State, Northeastern Brazil. One of the components of this project was an ethnobotanical diagnosis of the indigenous land, where a phytosociological survey was performed in an area of Caatinga vegetation, located at Ouricuri settlement. Based on these ethnobotanical data, we calculated a conservation priority index aiming to rank species that should receive immediate attention from the Fulni-ô people. We identified 44 woody plants, 50% of which have a medicinal use. Among these, six plants were considered highly vulnerable and in need of immediate conservationist attention, in order to ensure the perpetuation of these species and the sustainability of traditional therapeutic practices of the Fulni-ô: Anadenanthera colubrina, Myracrodruon urundeuva, Lippia sp., Spondias tuberosa, Maytenus rigida, and Sideroxylon obtusifolium. We recommend the direct involvement of the Fulni-ô people in the conservation and the management of local resources by implementing a management plan and monitoring strategies for the populations of plants considered most important by the indigenous group.     

Effect of chromium species on phytochemical and physiological parameters in Datura innoxia

In soil, chromium can be found in two main valence states: hexavalent Cr(VI) and trivalent Cr(III). In this study, we investigated the impact of Cr on photosynthetic gas exchange, photosystem II (PSII) activity, Cr translocation and accumulation, proline content and alkaloids production, i.e. scopolamine and hyoscyamine, in Datura innoxia. Cr uptake was influenced by its oxidation state and its concentration in growth medium. The plant roots were determined as being the main organ of Cr accumulation. Cr(VI) was more toxic than Cr(III) as indicated by reduction in plant biomass and net photosynthesis. The stomatal conductance showed a similar trend to that of photosynthetic capacity. Cr(III) and Cr(VI) had a different impact on substomatal CO(2) concentration then Cr toxicity was related to its oxidation states. In plants stressed with a Cr(VI) excess, a down regulation of PSII activity was observed with an impairment of photochemical activity. Indeed, the maximum quantum yield of PSII (F(v)/F(m)), the quantum yield of PSII (PhiPSII) and the efficiency of excitation capture by open centers (F'(v)/F'(m)) decreased. Cr(III) had little effects on PSII primary photochemistry, whatever its form induces an increase of scopolamine content without changes in hyoscyamine content in leaves of D. innoxia. These results provide that chromium contamination can change the secondary metabolites composition of leaves, thereby, impacting the quality, safety and efficacy of natural plant products synthesized by D. innoxia plants.