Application of spatial analysis to investigate contribution of VOCs to photochemical ozone creation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study was concerned with the temporal analysis of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes (BTEXs), and ozone in Rochester, New York, between 2012...     

Job satisfaction among physicians in secondary and tertiary medical care levels

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - To identify level of job satisfaction among physicians at secondary and tertiary care levels. Random sample of 450 secondary and 523 tertiary care...     

Bio-indicators in cadmium toxicity: Role of HSP27 and HSP70

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a family of proteins that are expressed by cells in reply to stressors. The changes in concentration of HSPs could be...     

Evaluating the use of Social Impact Assessment in the context of agricultural development projects in Iran

The utilisation of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) in Iran is analysed in terms of its policy context and its application in practice. Five case studies where SIA was employed in conjunction with Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for agricultural development projects are evaluated. In addition, the performance of the policy context is assessed. This research revealed that there are legal and institutional constraints to the effective functioning of SIA in Iran, and that there are deficiencies in the operating guidelines. There were serious problems associated with the way SIA was undertaken in all five case studies. Recommendations to improve the policy framework for the conduct of SIA are made. The recommendations advocate for a higher profile of SIA within legislation, for social issues to have greater emphasis in official guidelines for the conduct of EIA and SIA, and for a range of measures to increase the professionalism of SIA practice.     

Planning for cooler cities: a plan quality evaluation for Urban Heat Island consideration

ABSTRACT

City strategic plans and enabling policies provide a framework for and inform future development across multiple scales. An exemplar city strategic plan will be one based on evidence, enabled by complementary policy outcomes, and built on the knowledge of the existing landscape. This study evaluated the plan quality of eighteen metropolitan strategic plans for city members in the 100 Resilient Cities initiative. A protocol was developed containing thirty-two indicators to assess plans capacity to act as a strategic planning tool to develop, analyse and implement strategies for the Urban Heat Island (UHI) and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The evaluation indicated that strategies addressing the UHI are rarely included in metropolitan plans. Strategic plans showed a lack of evidence-base to inform the potential actions. Urban warming is often linked to extreme weather events anticipated under climate change, not the UHI as a systemic and increasing phenomenon. We recommend that the pathway to addressing UHI mitigation and adaptation may lie in its nexus to aspects of climate change that concurrently can serve to support liveable and resilient cities.     

Isoproturon degradation as affected by the growth of two algal species at different concentrations and pH values.

Metabolism of [14C-u-phenyl]isoproturon [3-(4-isopropylphenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea] by two soil and freshwater microorganisms, green alga Chlorella kesslerei and cyanobacterium Anabaena inaequalis, was studied as a function of pH, pesticide concentration, and incubation time. Metabolized isoproturon, in the media, ranged from 0% (Chlorella at pH 5.5 after 1 d) to 22% (Anabaena at pH 5.5 after 10 d). Twenty-five percent faster degradation of isoproturon by Anabaena occurred at pH 5.5 versus pH 7.5, when measured over 10 d. Increased 14C incorporation into tissue, with time and at lower pH, was due mainly to bioaccumulation of [14C]isoproturon and/or its metabolites in the cells. Metabolic degradation resulted in four identifiable (by TLC) metabolites. Based on this, a degradation pathway is proposed, involving mono- and di-N-demethylation, hydroxylation of the isopropyl moiety, and hydrolysis to 4-isopropylaniline. Similarity in the metabolites produced suggests that the enzyme systems responsible for metabolizing isoproturon are almost identical in both photosynthetic micro-algae.     

Waste settlement in bioreactor landfill models

Prediction of landfill settlement is one of the important parameters that affects the design and maintenance of bioreactor landfills. Due to the large number of variables involved in the settlement mechanism, accurate prediction of landfill settlement is a real challenge. The operational protocol of a landfill, the presence of municipal sludge from treatment plants, the addition of soybean peroxidase (SBP) enzymes, and the fraction of organic matter in the municipal solid waste (MSW) have to be reflected in the parameters of any model used to predict the settlement of MSW. In this work, a biodegradation-induced settlement model incorporating two parameters (A and B) was developed. The settlement data of two researchers were used to estimate the parameter values with two different approaches; the first considered the overall experiment and results, and the second separated the aerobic phase, if present, from the anaerobic phase. The rate of initial settlement occurring under aerobic conditions has been greater than that under anaerobic conditions. Parameters increased with the increase in the concentration of enzymes and with the presence of sludge in both aerobic and anaerobic stages. Increasing organic content of MSW has resulted in the enhancement of the biodegradation rate and settlement. This has been reflected on the higher values of the parameters compared to their values in the absence of organic waste.