Consumer attitudes on the use of plastic and cloth bags

This paper examines consumer attitudes and behavior on the use of plastic and cloth bags in Eski?ehir, Turkey. To this end, a structural equation model is proposed. Environmental consciousness regarding the use of plastic bags, social pressure, support for the banning of plastic bags, the intention to use cloth bags and behavior to reduce plastic bag use are employed as latent variables in the model. The intention to use cloth bags and the behavior to reduce the use of plastic bags are defined as endogenous latent variables in the structural model. In the conclusion of the study, it is identified that consumers who are environmentally conscious and feel under social pressure, tend to reduce the use of plastic bags and switch to using cloth bags.     

Effects of environmental illiteracy and environmental awareness among middle school students on environmental behavior

This study proposes and employs a structural model to examine the effects of environmental literacy, environmental awareness, environmental attitudes, and environmental behavior among middle school students in Eski?ehir on their purchase of environmentally friendly products. In the proposed structural model, environmental illiteracy and environmental awareness were the exogenous latent variables, while pro-environmental attitude, pro-environmental behavior, and the purchase of environmentally friendly products were the endogenous latent variables. The latent variable of environmental illiteracy did not have a statistically significant effect on environmental attitudes and purchase of environmentally friendly products, whereas environmental awareness had a positive effect on pro-environmental attitudes and the purchase of environmentally friendly products. These findings indicate that students with environmental awareness also develop positive attitudes toward the environment, and the presence of a positive attitude toward the environment leads them to display pro-environmental behaviors and adopt a positive attitude toward environmentally friendly products.     

Effect of diurnal changes in VOC source strengths on performances of receptor models

Introduction

The effect of diurnal changes in strengths of volatile organic compound (VOC) sources on the performances of positive matrix factorization (PMF) and principal component analysis (PCA) was investigated using ambient measurement results that were taken during daytime and nighttime hours between March 24 and May 14, 2011, within Davutpasa Campus of Yildiz Technical University (Istanbul, Turkey).

Methods

Forty-five VOC species, ranging from C₅ to C₁₁ in volatility, were measured in the samples, 40 of which are included in the analyses. Ambient samples were grouped as daytime, nighttime, and all day datasets, and both PMF and PCA were applied to each dataset. A total of six source groups were extracted from each dataset: solvent use, general industrial paint use, gasoline and diesel vehicle exhausts, and biogenic as well as evaporative emissions. Estimated source contributions showed great diurnal variations.

Results

The results suggested that extraction of possible sources by PCA depends greatly on the number of samples and the strength of the sources, while PMF produced stable results regardless of number of samples and source strengths.

Conclusion

Although PMF was unable to resolve gasoline vehicle and evaporative emissions, it was found to be successful in explaining diurnal fluctuations in source strengths, while the performance of PCA depends on the strength of emission source.     

Current and Future Strategies for Water and Wastewater Management of Istanbul City

Istanbul has experienced rapid increases in population to more than 12 million people, which has created infrastructure problems of water supply and wastewater treatment and disposal. In this article, the achievements and approaches of the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (ISKI) to solve the water shortage problem and to improve services are summarized. Istanbul had a very severe water shortage problem in 1994 because of ignorance of the implementation of the needed projects. After reviewing the reasons and causes of the problem, new priority criteria adopted after 1994 are given. Following the implementation of the projects determined according to the aforementioned criteria, water supplied has exceeded the water demand. The added capacity is equal to one to three times of the capacity built up to 1994 for water treatment, service reservoirs, pumping stations, transmission lines, and the water distribution network; water quality has been improved the meet local and international potable water standards. Unaccounted for water has been reduced from 60% to 27%. The percentage of treated wastewater has been increased from 10% to 90% in 8 years, resulting in drastic improvements and rehabilitation of the Golden Horn and coastal water quality. Through improved customer services, complaints were reduced from 33% in 1994 to 0.3%. Some of the main criteria and the approaches behind this success are summarized. Published online     

Airborne Alternaria and Cladosporium species and relationship with meteorological conditions in Eskisehir City, Turkey

Alternaria and Cladosporium, known as the most allergenic spores were first collected by means of Durham gravimetric sampler from Eskisehir atmosphere from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2001. The daily, monthly and annual variations in spores/cm(2) of Cladosporium and Alternaria were recorded. During this period, a total of 10.231 spores belonging to Cladosporium and Alternaria genera were recorded. Of these spores, 5,103 were identified in 2000 and 5,128 in 2001. While 63.09% of the total spores were those of Cladosporium, 36.91% were of Alternaria. Relationships between airborne fungal spore presence and meteorological conditions were statistically investigated. A Shapiro-Wilk test revealed that the airborne Cladosporium and Alternaria spores differed from a normal distribution. Thus, a Friedmann test was performed followed by a Pearson Correlation Analysis. The effects of rainfall, temperature and wind speed on Cladosporium and Alternaria numbers were non-significant according to the sites and months (p > 0.05), but the effects of relative humidity on Cladosporium and Alternaria numbers were significant (p < 0.01). Spore concentrations reached to their highest levels in May 2001.     

Potentiometric studies of mixed complexes of cobalt(II) and copper(II) with l‐Asparagine and adenine

A potentiometric titration technique has been used to determine the stability constants for the various complexes of Co(II) and Cu(II) with L‐asparagine and from DNA base, e.g. adenine. Stability constants of ternary systems have been evaluated by the method suggested by Irwing‐Rossotti. In addition, the conditional constants were calculated as a function of pH. The maximum values of the conditional formation constants were found to be in accordance with the mixed‐ligand complex formation constants in a determined pH region. Furthermore, the molar fractions of different species from mixed complexes were calculated by means of formation constants. The values of stability constants of mixed‐ligand complexes at 25°C are as follows: log K= 5.25 for Co(II)‐L‐asparagine‐adenine; log K= 9.30 for Cu(II)‐L‐asparagine‐adenine. The ionic strength was kept constant at I = 0.20 with NaClO₄.     

Impacts of repeated timber skidding on the chemical properties of topsoil, herbaceous cover and forest floor in an eastern beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) stand

In this study, long-term timber skidding effects on herbaceous understory forest floor and soil were investigated on a skid road in a stand of the eastern beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky). For this purpose, herbaceous understory forest floor and soil samples were collected from the skid road and from an undisturbed area used as a control plot. The mass (kg ha(-1)) of herbaceous and forest floor samples was determined, and soil characteristics were examined at two depths (0-5 cm and 5-10 cm). We quantified sand, silt and clay content, as well as bulk density compaction, pH, and organic carbon content in soil samples. The quantities of N, K, P, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu were determined in all herbaceous cover forest floor and soil samples. The quantities of Na, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn in herbaceous understory samples from the skid road were considerably higher than those in the undisturbed area, while the quantity of Mg was considerably lower. These differences could have been caused by decreased herbaceous cover in addition to variations in the properties of the forest floor and soil after skidding. A lower amount of forest floor on the skid road was the result of skidding and harvesting activities. Mg and Zn contents in forest floor samples were found to be considerably lower for the skid road than for the undisturbed area. No significant differences were found in soil chemical properties (quantities of N, P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn) at the 0-5 cm soil depth. Important differences exist between soil quantities of Mg at a 5-10 cm depth on the skid road and in undisturbed areas. Both 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm soil depths, the average penetrometer resistance values for the skid road was higher than for the undisturbed area. This result shows that the compaction caused by skidding is maintained to depth of 10 cm. Skid road soil showed higher bulk density values than undisturbed areas because of compaction.     

Workplace violence: a study of Turkish workers

This research was conducted to address the experience of workplace violence of Turkish workers from different sectors and to investigate the impact of the exposed violence on their psychological well-being. Data were collected anonymously with printed questionnaires from the volunteer participants and depended on self-reporting. The response rate was 79.0% (1708/2161). The prevalence of workplace violence was found to be 44.8%. The most common type was verbal violence together with mobbing (bullying). Victims of physical violence were mostly males, whereas females were found to be victims of verbal, psychological and sexual violence. Most cases did not result in legal action and the victims remained silent. Psychological well-being of exposed workers in terms of depression, anxiety and stress seemed to deteriorate. Workplace violence remains a silent epidemic in Turkey. Preventive measures against workplace violence and social support for violated workers do not exist.     

Solidification/stabilization of landfill leachate concentrate using different aggregate materials

The application of reverse osmosis for the treatment of landfill leachate is becoming widespread in Turkey as well as in Europe. A major drawback of this process is the production of concentrate, which could be as much as 30% of the feed stream, and high concentrations of salts and contaminants. The reverse osmosis concentrate is disposed of by using several methods including re-infiltration, drying, incineration and solidification/stabilization. In this study, solidification/stabilization (S/S) technology was studied for the treatment of reverse osmosis concentrate produced from landfill leachate. In order to benefit from its capability to absorb heavy metals, ammonia and some other pollutants, zeolite and different aggregate materials were used in solidification experiments. Main pollutants in the leachate concentrate, TOC, DOC, TDS and ammonia were successfully solidified and approximately 1% of TOC, DOC, TDS and ammonia remained in the eluate water. The results indicated that the landfill disposal limits could be attained by solidification/stabilization process.     

Inhibition effects of some pesticides and heavy metals on carbonic anhydrase enzyme activity purified from horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) gill tissues

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The gill tissue is the main site of metabolic enzymes or compensation, with the kidney tissue playing a supporting role. At the gill tissue, carbonic...