Pb,Cd, Zn and cu intakes of Taiwanese subjects ‐ a duplicate portion study

Thirty diet samples from three different social groups were collected both in summer and in winter seasons using duplicate portion technique with three collection days. Toxic element concentrations, including Pb, Cd, as well as some essential elements were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The average dietary intakes of Taiwanese were estimated as follows (means ± S.D., n = 30): Mg, 175 ± 77 mg/day; Zn, 9.5 ± 11.4 mg/day; Mn, 2.8 ± 1.3 mg/day; Cu, 1.6±1.7mg/day; Ni, 0.13 ± 0.14 mg/day; Cd, 58 ± 62 μg/day, and Pb, 31 ±26 μg/day. The obtained elemental concentrations were scattered due to different dietary habits and cooking methods. In addition, a strong correlation arose between the trace element concentrations in agricultural products and in the diet of regional areas of Taiwan. Analysis results indicated that average intakes are consistently below current US Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) for Mg and Zn, within the recommended safe and adequate RDA for Mn, and below the FAO/WHO Provisional Tolerable Daily Intakes (PTDIs) for Pb. The average daily intakes of Cd by regional area of Taiwan markedly exceeded those of other countries and the PTI value during the summer.     

Study of worker’s exposure to Tantalum-bearing particles in a mining and metallurgical plant

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - The objective of this study was to assess worker exposure to mineral dust particles, and a metabolic model, based on the model adopted by ICRP, was applied...     

Accomplishments of the NATO/CCMS pilot study on international information exchange on dioxins and related compounds∗

A project promoting the international exchange of information on chlorinated dibenzo‐p‐dioxins and dibenzofurans (CDDs and CDFs) was conducted under the auspices of the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS) of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Initiated in 1985, the Pilot Study on International Information Exchange on Dioxins and Related Compounds was a three‐year effort to improve the state of the art of dioxin research, regulation, and technology by encouraging collaboration among interested countries and organizations. Participating nations included Canada, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Numerous activities were accomplished to promote information exchange so that better informed decisions can be made concerning future research activities and resource allocations. Three major areas were addressed: Exposure and Hazard Assessment, Technology Assessment, and Management of Accidents. A total of 15 CCMS reports were published which summarize the achievements of the Pilot Study.     

Urinary 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine concentrations after frying of bacon,a pilot study

Cooking fumes contain compounds that may give rise to oxidative stress and mutations when inhaled. The aim of this study was to evaluate if cooking fumes from frying of bacon induce oxidative stress by measurement of urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2 deoxyguanosine, a marker of oxidatively damaged DNA. Three non-smoking women fried bacon for 3 h. Urine samples were taken as early morning void at the same time on four days; the morning before frying, the morning after first frying, the morning after three days of frying and one week after first urine sample. 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydro-2 deoxyguanosine, 1-hydroxypyrene and 2-hydroxyphenanthrene, metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydro-2 deoxyguanosine correlated weakly with concentrations of 1-hydroxypyrene (r = 0.31, p = 0.042), but it did not correlate with 2-hydroxyphenanthrene (r = ?0.074; p = 0.64). Average urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2 deoxyguanosine concentrations increased from the day before frying (16.3 ± 4.2 nmol/L) to the third day of frying (26.2 ± 10.2 nmol/L), although not statistically significantly. Our pilot study shows that frying of bacon may result in increased oxidative stress which further emphasises the possible carcinogenic potential of cooking fumes.     

Migration of aluminum from food contact materials to food—a health risk for consumers? Part I of III: exposure to aluminum,release of aluminum,tolerable weekly intake (TWI), toxicological effects of aluminum,study design,and methods

Background

In spite of the prevalence of aluminum in nature, no organism has been found to date which requires this element for its biological functions. The possible health risks to human beings resulting from uptake of aluminum include detrimental effects to the hemopoietic system, the nervous system and bones. Aluminum is used in many fields and occurs in numerous foodstuffs. Food contact materials containing aluminum represent an anthropogenic source of dietary aluminum.

Results

As a result of their frequent use in private households a study was undertaken to detect migration of this metal to foodstuffs from drink containers, coffee pots, grill pans, and camping cookware made of aluminum.

Conclusions

An estimate of the health risk to consumers is calculated, based on the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) specified by the European Food Safety Authority of 1 mg/kg body weight for all groups of people. In some instances the TWI is significantly exceeded, dependent upon the food contact material and the food itself.

     

May a comprehensive mineralogical study of a jackstone calculus and some other human bladder stones unveil health and environmental implications?

This paper represents the first result of an active collaboration between the University of Sannio and the San Pio Hospital (Benevento, Italy), started in the 2018, that aims to a detailed mineralogical investigation of urinary stones of patients from Campania region. Herein, selected human bladder stones have been deeply characterized for clinical purposes and environmental biomonitoring, focusing on the importance to evaluate the concentration and distribution of undesired trace elements by means of microscopic techniques in the place of conventional wet chemical analyses. A rare bladder stone with a sea-urchin appearance, known as jackstone calculus, were also investigated (along with bladder stones made of uric acid and brushite) by means a comprehensive analytical approach, including Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction and Simultaneous Thermal Analyses. Main clinical assumptions were inferred according to the morpho-constitutional classification of bladder stones and information about patient’s medical history and lifestyle. In most of the analyzed uroliths, undesired trace elements such as copper, cadmium, lead, chromium, mercury and arsenic have been detected and generally attributable to environmental pollution or contaminated food. Simultaneous occurrence of selenium and mercury should denote a methylmercury detoxification process, probably leading to the formation of a very rare HgSe compound known as tiemannite.

     

What are the strengths and limitations of direct and indirect assessment of dispersal? Insights from a long-term field study in a group-living bird species

Molecular methods of assessing dispersal have become increasingly powerful and have superseded direct methods of studying dispersal. Although now less popular, direct methods of studying dispersal remain important tools for understanding the evolution of dispersal. Here, we use data from Siberian jays Perisoreus infaustus, a group-living bird species, to compare natal dispersal distances and rates using visual mark–recapture, radio-tracking and microsatellite data. Siberian jays have bimodal natal dispersal timing; socially dominant offspring remain with their parents for up to 5 years (delayed dispersers), while they force their subordinate brood mates to leave the parental territory at independence (early dispersers). Early dispersers moved about 9,000 m (visual mark–recapture, radio-tracking) before settling in a group as a non-breeder. In contrast, delayed dispersers moved about 1,250 m (visual mark–recapture only) and mainly moved to a breeding opening. Dispersal distances were greater in managed habitat compared to natural habitat for both early and delayed dispersers. Molecular estimates based on 23 microsatellite loci and geographical locations supported distance estimates from the direct methods. Our study shows that molecular methods are at least 22 times cheaper than direct methods and match estimates of dispersal distance from direct methods. However, molecular estimates do not give insight into the behavioural mechanisms behind dispersal decisions. Thus, to understand the evolution of dispersal, it is important to combine direct and indirect methods, which will give insights into the behavioural processes affecting dispersal decisions, allowing proximate dispersal decisions to be linked to the ultimate consequences thereof.     

What are we protecting? Fisher behavior and the unintended consequences of spatial closures as a fishery management tool

Spatial closures like marine protected areas (MPAs) are prominent tools for ecosystem-based management in fisheries. However, the adaptive behavior of fishermen, the apex predator in the ecosystem, to MPAs may upset the balance of fishing impacts across species. While ecosystem-based management (EBM) emphasizes the protection of all species in the environment, the weakest stock often dominates management attention. We use data before and after the implementation of large spatial closures in a North Pacific trawl fishery to show how closures designed for red king crab protection spurred dramatic increases in Pacific halibut bycatch due to both direct displacement effects and indirect effects from adaptations in fishermen's targeting behavior. We identify aspects of the ecological and economic context of the fishery that contributed to these surprising behaviors, noting that many multispecies fisheries are likely to share these features. Our results highlight the need either to anticipate the behavioral adaptations of fishermen across multiple species in reserve design, a form of implementation error, or to design management systems that are robust to these adaptations. Failure to do so may yield patterns of fishing effort and mortality that undermine the broader objectives of multispecies management and potentially alter ecosystems in profound ways.     

Public space networks as a guide to sustainable urban development and social life: A case study of Muğla,Turkey

This study examines the possibility of designating and implementing a citywide public space network, constituted of randomly dispersed and not interrelated public spaces and greenways across the city of Mu?la. Although Mu?la is a major coastal province, with worldwide tourism districts, the city centre falls behind other settlements in terms of quality of social life, physical layout, economic investment and tourism revenue. In 2001, the local government commissioned the Department of Landscape Architecture of Ege University to prepare a comprehensive master plan towards achieving a corporate public space network, as well as development strategies to ameliorate the previous failures. The master plan developed a blueprint for the citywide network and addressed each existing or potential public space and greenway as integrated components of the network. The process involved short-, medium- and long-term action from the local government to achieve the physical layout and efficiently implement phases of the network. As a guide for other small or medium urban settlements in Turkey, a model proposal was derived from the study to address formulation, implementation, and management of the network in order to create a sustainable urban development.     

Preliminary study on health risk from mercury exposure to residents of Wujiazhan town on the Di’er Songhua river, Northeast China

Mercury concentrations in hair are typically used as a biomarker to assess exposure to mercury. A total of 108 hair samples were collected from residents (age range 5–73 years) of Wujiazhan town, northeast China, to determine total mercury concentrations. Hair mercury concentrations ranged from 0.16 to 199 mg kg^–1 with an average value of 3.41 mg kg⁻¹. The relationships between mercury concentration and gender and between hair mercury concentration and age were not significant. Overall, 16.7% of all samples were above the RfD value published by the United States Environmental Protection agency. The results indicate that there may be some been health risk from mercury exposure to the residents in the study area.     

People’s dependency on forest resources and contributions of forests to the livelihoods: a case study in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh

The study was conducted to investigate people’s forest dependency and contributions of forests to the livelihoods in the three hill districts of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh. The study revealed that forest resources contribute significantly to rural community’s livelihoods and economic well-being. Using generalized logistic regressions, this study has also investigated the socioeconomic factors that affect people’s dependency on forest resources of CHT. The study revealed that people’s income from forest and forest-related occupation was positively aligned with their forest dependency. However, their education level significantly reduced their dependency on forest resources. Thus, educating the forest-dependent people and supporting alternative income generation activities should be appreciated for effective forest management in CHT. This study will be helpful to forest and environmental policy makers for CHT.     

Evaluation and remediation of organics,nutrients and heavy metals in landfill leachate – a case study in Beijing

Leachate pollution in landfill sites is a major source of environmental concern. This study evaluates organics, nutrients and heavy metals in a landfill site in Beijing, and introduces a method combining coagulation–flocculation with filtration for the advanced treatment of leachate. The results confirm that COD_Cr, TN, NH₄⁺ ? N, TP, Mn and As in leachate treated by an anaeobic–oxic biological method are unable to meet discharge or surface water quality standards. When treated with coagulation–flocculation combined with filtration under optimal conditions (cationic polyacrylamide dosage of 8.0 mg/L; polyaluminium chloride dosage of 350 mg/L; 0.4–0.6 mm ceramsite media in the filtration process), the residual NH₄⁺? N, TN, Mn and As in the leachate meet the maximum allowed values for landfill leachate discharge or surface water quality standards in China; the exceptions are chemical oxygen demand and total phosphorus. Leachate treatment processes could be further strengthened or improved.     

Components of lifetime reproductive success in communally and solitarily nursing house mice — a laboratory study

Under laboratory conditions, communal nursing among familiar and closely related female house mice (Mus domesticus) improved lifetime reproductive success compared to females rearing litters alone or females living with a previously unfamiliar, unrelated partner (reproductive success was measured within an experimental lifespan of 6 months, standardized as 120 days after mating at the age of about 2 months). An analysis of the contribution of three multiplicatively combined components to variation in reproductive success among breeding females revealed that, in all three social groups, survival of young until weaning contributed most to differences in lifetime reproduction (46–64% of the total variance). Females living with a sister had a significantly higher probability of reproducing successfully than females in the other groups, and also reared significantly more litters communally than females sharing nests with an unrelated partner. Weaning probabilities of young were highest in litters cared for by sisters and lowest in nests of unrelated females. Young were found dead either directly after birth (within the first 2 days of lactation) or after they had been cared for and nursed for at least 1 day. The loss of an entire litter typically occurred directly after birth. In monogamous females rearing litters alone the death of almost all young coincided with such early entire-litter mortality. In polygynous groups, however, offspring died at an older age and more litters suffered the loss of some young. Still, rearing young with a sister improved survival directly after birth and fewer litters were lost entirely in comparison with females in the other groups. In polygynous groups, pregnant females were observed to kill some of their partner's dependent young shortly before they gave birth themselves. As a consequence, individual young had reduced survival when they were firstborn in a communal nest (another litter was born within 16 days). Analyzed over a lifetime, communal care among familiar and closely related female house mice seems to be an adaptation to maximize the survival of offspring until weaning.     

Measurement of metal bioaccessibility in vegetables to improve human exposure assessments: field study of soil–plant–atmosphere transfers in urban areas,South China

The quality of cultivated consumed vegetables in relation to environmental pollution is a crucial issue for urban and peri-urban areas, which host the majority of people at the global scale. In order to evaluate the fate of metals in urban soil–plant–atmosphere systems and their consequences on human exposure, a field study was conducted at two different sites near a waste incinerator (site A) and a highway (site B). Metal concentrations were measured in the soil, settled atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and vegetables. A risk assessment was performed using both total and bioaccessible metal concentrations in vegetables. Total metal concentrations in PM were (mg kg^?1): (site A) 417 Cr, 354 Cu, 931 Zn, 6.3 Cd and 168 Pb; (site B) 145 Cr, 444 Cu, 3289 Zn, 2.9 Cd and 396 Pb. Several total soil Cd and Pb concentrations exceeded China’s Environmental Quality Standards. At both sites, there was significant metal enrichment from the atmosphere to the leafy vegetables (correlation between Pb concentrations in PM and leaves: r = 0.52, p < 0.05) which depended on the plant species. Total Cr, Cd and Pb concentrations in vegetables were therefore above or just under the maximum limit levels for foodstuffs according to Chinese and European Commission regulations. High metal bioaccessibility in the vegetables (60–79 %, with maximum value for Cd) was also observed. The bioaccessible hazard index was only above 1 for site B, due to moderate Pb and Cd pollution from the highway. In contrast, site A was considered as relatively safe for urban agriculture.     

Immobilising of Cd,Pb, and Zn contaminated arable soils close to a former Pb/Zn smelter: a field study in Austria over 5 years

Numerous smelter sites are surrounded by rural land. The entrance of non-essential metals such as lead or cadmium into the food chain is very likely as well as phytotoxicity effects of zinc. Finding a realistic solution for these large-scale contaminations was one aim of this study. Previous results from pot experiments showed a high potential for the reduction of metals entering the food chain via crops grown on smelter-contaminated soils from Arnoldstein, Austria, by the use of amendments for immobilisation. A further aim was to optimise a field experiment for overcoming the gap between pot and field experiments and to look for long-term efficiency of the treatments [lime (CA), red mud (RM), gravel sludge + red mud (GS + RM)]. Field experiment results were obtained for 5 years. Besides soil and soil pore water samples, the following harvests were yielded: spring barley (Hordeum distichon ssp. L.) (2004–2005), narrowleaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) (2006–2007) and velvet grass (Holcus lanatus L.) (2007–2008). The long-term efficiency of GS + RM led us to conclude that their application seems to be a realistic and practical measure for extensively contaminated land, best in combination with metal excluding cultivars.     

Field tests to study the dynamics of weed inhibition of allelopathic rice and microbial physiological traits of rice rhizospheric soils北大核心CSCD

The weed inhibition of allelopathic rice PI312777 and nonallelopathic rice Lemont, allelopathic potential of rice rhizospheric soils, as well as the microbial physiological traits of rice rhizospheric soils, were studied by field tests after weedremoving and weed treatments. The results showed that the inhibitory rate of PI312777 at the 7-leaf stage on paddy weeds was 85.82%. Results of the Soil-Agar Sandwich method revealed that the allelopathic potential of PI312777 rhizospheric soils on the inhibitory rate of plant dry weight of barnyard grass was significantly higher at the 5-leaf stage than that at the 3-leaf stage, and increased by 20.16% from the 3-leaf stage to the 5-leaf stage after weed treatment. When at the same leaf stage, the soil microbe biomass carbon and soil respiration, the number of soil bacteria, and activity of soil enzymes (urease, protease, and sucrase) were significantly higher in PI312777 rhizospheric soils than in Lemont rhizospheric soils; they were also higher after the weed-removing treatment than after weed treatment. The largest increase of soil allelopathic potentials and soil microbial physiological indexes in PI312777 rhizospheric soils appeared from the 3-leaf stage to the 5-leaf stage. In case of weed treatment, the allelopathic potential of PI312777 rhizospheric soils on the soil microbe biomass carbon, soil respiration, the number of soil bacteria, activity of urease, activity of protease, and activity of sucrase increased by 53.11%, 51.56%, 38.97%, 44.83%, 60.00%, and 41.92%, respectively, from the 3-leaf stage to the 5-leaf stage. These results indicated that rice allelopathy had a close relationship with the activity of rhizospheric soils. Rice allelochemicals lead to the change of soil microbes; rice allelopathy is a process based on plant-soil interaction. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Landsenses pattern design to mitigate gale conditions in the coastal city – a case study of Pingtan,China

ABSTRACT

Due to the special geographic locations and multiple typhoons a year, the frequent strong winds bring great discomfort and danger to the daily lives of the urban residents in southeast coast of China. The strategic design of landsenses pattern on different scales can help reduce gale days in urban areas while delivering diverse additional benefits such as pollution control and biodiversity habitat protection. Although the greatest gale days are observed in cold and damp winters, there is comparatively little information available for land managers to determine an appropriate strategy for landsenses pattern design under these climatic conditions. We present a framework for prioritization and selection of landsenses pattern for gale day reductions. The framework is supported by examining the relationships between urban landsenses pattern evolution and gale day mitigation in the past, with which we used to develop implementation guidelines that maximize reductions of urban surface gale days. We focus particularly on quantifying the benefits of four types of landsenses: land-use patterns, urban road network, architectural patterns, and vertical greening systems (green walls and facades) and demonstrate how to apply the framework with a case study from Pingtan Island, China.     

Integrating GIS and high resolution orthophoto images for the development of a geomorphic shoreline classification and risk assessment—a case study of cliff/bluff erosion along the Bulgarian coast

This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating GIS and modern spatial data for the development of a detailed geomorphic classification of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. This classification is important for the precise measurement of various natural and technogenous (engineered) coastline types and serves as a basis for identification of the areas with high exposure to different coastal hazards. To illustrate potential uses of this simple methodology, a map of the potential coastal erosion/cliff retreat hazard for the Bulgarian coast was produced from this GIS database. Several types of data were used: high resolution orthophoto, topographical maps in 1:5,000 scale and geological maps. Geomorphic classification utilized both geomorphological and engineering criteria. A total of 867 segments were delineated along the coast. Four hundred sixty five were classified as natural landforms (cliffs, beaches, river mouths) with a total length of 362,62 km and 402 were indicated as technogenous segments (port and coast-protection structures, artificial beaches) with a total length of 70 km. Based on the geologic materials present at each segment and cliff height, the cliffed portions of the Bulgarian coast were classified for expected erosion rates, and therefore, hazard vulnerability: low hazard (volcanic type cliff); moderate hazard (limestone type cliff) and high hazard (loess and clayey types cliff). This “predictive model” was then compared to a previously published field study of coastal erosion rates to validate the model. As a result, a new high quality, but qualitative data for Bulgarian coastal bluff/cliff erosion were obtained, incorporated and analyzed in GIS.     

From science to policy—a geostatistical approach to identifying potential areas for cetacean conservation: a case study of bottlenose dolphins in the Pelagos sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea)

Cetaceans are top-level predators that serve as sentinels of the health and status of lower trophic levels in the marine ecosystem. For this reason they attract significant attention in marine conservation planning and often have been used to promote designation of reserve areas in many countries (e.g., Ligurian Sea, Moray Firth, Hawaiian Islands, The Gully, Wadden Sea, Banks Peninsula, and Golfo San José). Many policies are designed to protect cetaceans. For example, the Habitat Directive requires member states to select, designate, and protect sites that support certain natural habitats or species, such as the bottlenose dolphin, as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) that aim to create a network of protected areas across the European Union known as Natura 2000. The boundaries of protected areas for cetacean species must be defined for management purposes. In recent years, many techniques have been developed to define the distribution of cetaceans in relation to habitat preferences. Although these models can provide an understanding of the ecological processes that determine species distribution, their application requires prior knowledge of the variables that should be included in the model, the interactions among these variables, and their effects on species distribution. Thus, the lack of available data in understudied areas precludes the application of these types of models. As an alternative, we describe a geostatistical approach to identifying areas that potentially should be designated as marine protected areas for cetaceans. We illustrate the application of the kriging algorithm to the bottlenose dolphin population that resides in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. The data derived from a 7-year survey were used. The encounter rate is the only variable required for this method, making it very easy to apply. The resulting georeferenced and high resolution map includes areas most visited by bottlenose dolphins, which are called core areas. Core areas are helpful for establishing the boundaries of marine reserves for the protection of the species. The approach described herein is accurate, precise, unbiased, replicable to all highly mobile species and easy to understand by both researchers and policy makers.