Do laboratory salinity tolerances of freshwater animals correspond with their field salinity?

The degree to which laboratory derived measures of salinity tolerance reflect the field distributions of freshwater biota is uncertain. In this paper we compare laboratory-derived acute salinity tolerance (LC(50) values) of freshwater macroinvertebrates (range 5.5-76 mS/cm) and fish (range 2.7-82 mS/cm) from southeastern Australia with the salinity from which they have been collected in the field. Only 4% of the macroinvertebrates were collected at salinity levels substantially higher than their 72-h LC(50) obtained from directly transferring animals from low salinity water to the water they were tested (direct transfer LC(50)). This LC(50) value was correlated with the maximum salinity at which a species had been collected. For common macroinvertebrates, the maximum field salinity was approximated by the direct transfer 72-h LC(50). For adult freshwater fish, 21% of species were collected at salinities substantially greater than their acute direct transfer LC(50) and there was a weak relationship between these two variables. Although there was a weak correlation between the direct transfer LC(50) of early life stages of freshwater fish and the maximum field salinity, 58% of the field distribution were in higher than their LC(50) values. In contrast, LC(50) determined from experiments that acclimated adult fish to higher salinity (slow acclimation) provided a better indication of the field distribution: with only one fish species (7%) being in conflict with their maximum field salinity and a strong positive relationship between these variables. This study shows that laboratory measures of acute salinity tolerance can reflect the maximum salinity that macroinvertebrate and fish species inhabit and are consistent with some anecdotal observations from other studies.     

Do credit constraints affect the technical efficiency of Boro rice growers? Evidence from the District Pabna in Bangladesh

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study analyzes the effects of credit constraints on technical efficiency of Boro rice growers in the district of Pabna in Bangladesh. Using a...     

Do transport taxes reduce air pollution in the top 10 countries with the highest transport tax revenues? A country-specific panel data analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Recently, policymakers have been developing some policies to improve environmental quality. Environmental taxes are the most important of these...     

Do tailings from the Mariana,MG (Brazil), disaster affect the initial development of millet,maize, and sorghum?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The collapse of the Fundão dam in Mariana, MG, in 2015 resulted in the overflow of more than 50 million m3 of mud containing mine tailings,...     

What Do the Occurrences of Migratory Fishes in the Upper Mekong Mean?

This paper examines the recent appearance of four migratory species in the Upper Mekong: Dasyatis laosensis, Anguilla bicolor, Anguilla marmorata, and Chitala ornata. Since 2006 these species have been continually sampled in an area below Jinghong Dam in Xishuangbanna, China. This region is far beyond their historical upstream distribution, and the reasons for these appearances and their subsequent impact on river ecosystem are considered.     

Do higher education research and development expenditures affect environmental sustainability? New evidence from Chinese provinces

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Even though higher education R&D expenditures (HEEXP) are important determinants of economic growth that facilitate science, technology, new...     

Is the freshwater gammarid, Dikerogammarus villosus, a suitable sentinel species for the implementation of histochemical biomarkers?

In order to enlarge the range of potential sentinel species for the implementation of a multiple biomarker approach, spatial and monthly morphological variations of four cellular compartments and contents were assessed during two years in the hepatopancreatic caeca of the freshwater gammarid, Dikerogammarus villosus (Crustacea, Amphipoda), using histochemistry coupled to image analysis. Among the three study sites, the second one, located in a reservoir receiving the overheated and copper-contaminated waters of a nuclear power plant, was the most anthropised. During this passive biomonitoring survey, unsaturated neutral lipids were more abundant, the surface densities of the lysosomal and peroxisomal systems were, respectively less and more important, and lipofuscin granules tended to accumulate in the amphipods from the second site compared to both others. Nonetheless, in this context, the present cellular biomarker suite, analysed through an integrative approach, was not powerful enough to highlight spatial heterogeneity significantly. This may partly result from particularities in the patterns of metal accumulation and copper physiological requirements of amphipods (haemocyanin synthesis). Nevertheless, we think that the use of this Ponto-Caspian non-indigenous species in biomonitoring surveys deserves further investigation, owing to its current position in freshwater and brackish European ecosystems, considering both biomass and functioning. Cellular responses could be studied in parallel with endpoints at other levels of the biological organization to compose a more powerful biomarker suite. Furthermore, comparing biological responses to environmental stress in this invasive species and less competitive autochthonous gammarids could be of great interest.     

Does anthracene affect microbial activities and organic matter decomposition? A comparative study in Pinus halepensis litters from Mediterranean coastal and inland areas

The widespread concern about pollution caused by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) raises the question of how they affect soil microbial communities which are potentially involved in the transformation of these pollutants. Using microcosms, we describe the effect of anthracene, a model PAH, on microbial communities inhabiting a Pinus halepensis litter from both coastal (COS) and inland (INL) Mediterranean sites. The microcosms were incubated over 3 months (25 °C, 60% WHC) and the effects of anthracene on microbial activities of both litters were monitored. Different enzyme activities (laccase, cellulase, β-glucosidase and acid phosphatase) and microbial respiration were measured and variations in litter chemical composition over incubation were determined using ¹³C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) from both sites. Our results show that lignocellulolytic enzymes increased markedly after a 3-month incubation in COS microcosms, especially in the presence of anthracene, whereas INL microcosms were not similarly affected. These results show that anthracene not only has no toxic effect on the microbial activities tested but actually enhances the lignocellulolytic activities of the fungal communities from coastal litters, demonstrating the detoxification potential and resistance of stressed Mediterranean coastal ecosystems.     

What Do the Hydrocarbons from Trees Contribute to Air Pollution?

Plant species release appreciable quantities of volatile organic substances to the atmosphere. The major compounds emitted are monoterpenes (C₁₀) like α-pinene, β-pinene, and limonene and the hemiterpene (C5) isoprene. The rate of emission of isoprene is light dependent and ranges between 0.04 to 2.4 ppb/cm²/min/l for oak, cottonwood, and eucalyptus foliage. The rate of emission of a- and/3-pinene and limonene is dependent on the rate of transpiration, structural integrity of the oil cells and resin glands, and temperature of the foliage. Rates of emission for conifer foliage range from 0.4 to 3.5 ppb/g/min/l. An inventory of North American forest regions for the frequency of occurrence of these chemicals released by different tree species showed that 15% was the lowest value for a specific forest-type that emitted terpenes to the atmosphere. More commonly 100% of the trees of a given forest-type emitted terpenes to the atmosphere. An average of 70% is typical of the United States forested regions as a whole. The annual contribution of forest hydrocarbon emissions to the air pollution problem on a global basis is reflected in the 175 × 10⁶ tons of reactive hydrocarbons from tree foliage sources compared to the 27 × 10⁶ tons from man’s activities; in other words, there is a 6.2-fold greater emission level from natural sources than from man made sources. The fate of these gaseous olefins in the atmosphere is undetermined.     

Are there differences in the forces driving the conversion of different non-urban lands into urban use? A case study of Beijing

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Examining the heterogeneous factors behind the conversion of various types of non-urban land into urban use is of great significance for controlling...     

Is the diversity of epiphytic lichens a reliable indicator of air pollution? A case study from Italy

This work provided additional information for a better interpretation of lichen diversity values in biomonitoring studies of air pollution. The effects of 12 predictive variables were estimated for the Genova province (NW Italy) by means of a non-parametric model. The diversity of epiphytic lichens was strictly correlated with mean annual rainfall and mean annual temperature. Different variables were found to affect the lichen diversity in urban vs. forested areas. In urban areas, air pollutants, mainly SO2, are still the main limiting factor, even if under ameliorating conditions this relationship becomes less significant. In forested areas, harvesting and forest fires showed a predominant effect, suggesting the need to develop a more defined sampling protocol to estimate atmospheric pollution in such ecosystems.     

Would environmental pollution affect home prices? An empirical study based on China’s key cities

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - With the development of China’s economy, the problem of environmental pollution has become increasingly more serious, affecting the sustained...     

How does power technology innovation affect carbon productivity? A spatial perspective in China

Power technology innovation has been positioned as an effective way to contribute to China’s carbon productivity. However, limited empirical evidence exists on the impact of power technology innovation on carbon productivity. Thus, based on the annual panel dataset of 30 China’s provinces from 2001 to 2019, this study explored whether and how power technology innovation promotes or impedes the improvement of carbon productivity. First, carbon productivity in the framework of total factor was calculated based on the metafrontier Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index. Second, the effect of power technology innovation on carbon productivity was investigated using the spatial Durbin model. And we also examined whether heterogeneous power technology innovations have a synergistic effect on carbon productivity. Third, influence mechanism of power technology innovation affecting carbon productivity was identified. Results show that (1) there are notable differences in China’s provincial carbon productivity, which is characterized by the spatial correlation. (2) Local power technology innovation has a promotion effect on carbon productivity in both local and neighboring provinces. Moreover, the promotion effect of breakthrough power technology innovation is stronger than that of incremental power technology innovation. (3) Catching-up Effect and Innovation Effect are important transmission channels through which power technology innovation improves carbon productivity. Finally, policy recommendations are provided.

     

Passing the Panda Standard: A TAD Off the Mark?

Tilapia, a tropical freshwater fish native to Africa, is an increasingly important global food commodity. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), a major environmental nongovernmental organization, has established stakeholder dialogues to formulate farm certification standards that promote “responsible” culture practices. As a preface to its “tilapia aquaculture dialogue,” the WWF for Nature commissioned a review of potential certification issues, later published as a peer-reviewed article. This article contends that both the review and the draft certification standards subsequently developed fail to adequately integrate critical factors governing the relative sustainability of tilapia production and thereby miss more significant issues related to resource-use efficiency and the appropriation of ecosystem space and services. This raises a distinct possibility that subsequent certification will promote intensive systems of tilapia production that are far less ecologically benign than existing widely practiced semi-intensive alternatives. Given the likely future significance of this emergent standard, it is contended that a more holistic approach to certification is essential.     

Does small mammal prey guild affect the exposure of predators to anticoagulant rodenticides?

Ireland has a restricted small mammal prey guild but still includes species most likely to consume anticoagulant rodenticide (AR) baits. This may enhance secondary exposure of predators to ARs. We compared liver AR residues in foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Northern Ireland (NI) with those in foxes from Great Britain which has a more diverse prey guild but similar agricultural use of ARs. Liver ARs were detected in 84% of NI foxes, more than in a comparable sample of foxes from Scotland and similar to that of suspected AR poisoned animals from England and Wales. High exposure in NI foxes is probably due to greater predation of commensal rodents and non-target species most likely to take AR baits, and may also partly reflect greater exposure to highly persistent brodifacoum and flocoumafen. High exposure is likely to enhance risk and Ireland may be a sentinel for potential effects on predator populations.     

Do herbicide treatments reduce the sensitivity of mosquito larvae to insecticides?

Invasive mosquitoes are economic and sanitary concerns especially in Europe and America. Most work has emphasized the role of resistance [Berrada, S., Fournier, D., Cuany, A., Nguyen, T.X., 1994. Identification of resistance mechanisms in a selected laboratory strain of Cacopsylla pyri (Homoptera: Psyllidae): altered acetylcholinesterases and detoxifying oxidases. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology 48, 41-47; Hemingway, J., Hawkes, N.J., McCarroll, L., Ranson, H., 2004. The molecular basis of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 34, 653-665] to insecticides. Compounds acting on larval sensitivity to insecticides are not well studied and their action remains poorly understood. Among several residual chemicals in ecosystems, particularly in wetlands, we identified a possible interaction of an herbicide on larval resistance to an insecticide. Our work contributes to the global control of mosquito populations by identifying possible pathways of resistance to insecticides of these vectors. Resistance or tolerance to insecticide treatments might contribute to successful invasion by mosquitoes. Here we report an ecotoxicological approach to test the hypothesis of an indirect effect of atrazine on mortality of an invasive vector. A brief contact (48h) between Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae and atrazine led to a modification of larval sensitivity to an insecticide: using atrazine as an inducer led to a decrease in the mortality of larvae treated with Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti).     

Can the environmental health of urban centers be assessed through pollutants trapped in lakes? A study case in the biggest city of the southern hemisphere

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Air and water quality in urban centers are summited to pollution from different sources, such as industrial activities, traffic, and wastewater...     

Could curcumin ameliorate titanium dioxide nanoparticles effect on the heart? A histopathological,immunohistochemical, and genotoxic study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The evaluation of the toxicological effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) is increasingly important due to their growing occupational...     

Does new-type urbanization curb haze pollution? A case study from China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The rapid urbanization process has led to a high concentration of population and economic activities in urban space, thus leading to severe...