Controls on the spatial distribution of iodine in groundwater in the Hebei Plain,China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the Hebei Plain of North China, 70% of the inhabitants depend on groundwater for drinking water. Little is known regarding high-iodine...     

Temporal patterns of foliar ozone symptoms on tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata L.) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Incidence and severity of ozone-induced foliar symptoms on tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata L.) along selected trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) were determined by two surveys/season conducted from 1992 through 1996. Overall incidence was 73%, and was 84%, 44%, 90%, 58%, and 82% for 1992-1996, respectively for the same clusters. Average incidence was 61% and 84% for the 1st and 2nd surveys, respectively. Seasonal comparisons showed two distinct injury groupings regarding incidence and severity of injury: 1992, 1994 and 1996 (high injury); 1993 and 1995 (low injury). No discernible patterns were observed between symptomatic and asymptomatic plants regarding height, herbivory or flowering. Regression analyses indicated no differentiation in foliar symptoms regarding topographic position, aspect, slope or elevation over the 5-year study period. Our findings indicate other micro-site or genetic factors may control ozone sensitivity of tall milkweed in GRSM.     

Pb-induced changes in roots of two cultivated rice cultivars grown in lead-contaminated soil mediated by smoke

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nowadays, public concerns regarding deleterious effect of lead (Pb) is on rise due to its abundance and toxic effect on plants and other living...     

Evaluating transient storage and associated nutrient retention in a nutrient-rich headwater stream: a case study in Lake Chaohu Basin,China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Transient storage has been studied intensively in small streams, but some processes and mechanisms are not yet entirely understood regarding this...     

Coexistence of antibiotic resistance genes,fecal bacteria,and potential pathogens in anthropogenically impacted water

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Microbial indicators are often used to monitor microbial safety of aquatic environments. However, information regarding the correlation between...     

Comparison of gamma-ray dosimeters in a field study in the Chernobyl exclusion zone

ABSTRACT

Five different models of dosimeters were compared in the Chernobyl Inner Exclusion Zone by measuring gamma radiation in 12 locations. We used an instrument made by Mirion Technologies, Inc., as the reference, since that instrument had an NIST-traceable calibration. Two models of dosimeters gave radiation values similar to the Mirion at all levels of radiation encountered. Two other models gave similar values to the Mirion instrument at low radiation levels but not at higher radiation levels encountered. These results offer a caution regarding the accuracy of inexpensive commercially available radiation instruments.

Implications: Comparison of gamma ray dosimeters in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone showed varying agreement with an NIST-calibrated instrument, as well as varying linearity of response to ambient radiation. These results suggest caution regarding accuracy of inexpensive dosimeters. However, dosimeters used that were manufactured in Ukraine exhibited good agreement with the reference instrument.     

Reinvestigating the pollution haven hypothesis: the nexus between foreign direct investments and environmental quality in G-20 countries

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - One of the most commonly debated concerns regarding foreign direct investment inflows is the associated environmental adversities that accompany the...     

Dietary intake assessment of pyrethroid residues from okra and eggplant grown in peri-urban areas of Punjab,Pakistan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study was designed to assess the gradual increase in the use of insecticides on vegetables and to familiarize the consumers regarding the...     

The risk of cross-border pollution and the influence of regional climate on the rainwater chemistry in the Southern Carpathians,Romania

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of this study is the assessment of rainwater composition, regarding the various sources of major ions and heavy metals, taking into account...     

A screening study of the treatability of dioxins and furans in bleach plant filtrates and mill wastewaters

Findings are presented of a study to provide the pulp and paper industry with basic data regarding the feasibility for treatment of bleach plant filtrates or combined treated mill effluents for 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,3,7,8-TCDF reduction.     

Air Quality Control Equipment Guarantees

The purpose of this paper is to discuss considerations regarding guarantees of air quality control equipment. Topics include specification design parameters to cover ranges of expected operating conditions, negotiation of performance guarantees, design changes during construction, reliability, performance testing and comparison of test conditions to the worst expected conditions for which the guarantees apply. Comments are also offered regarding corrective actions in event the guarantees are not complied with.     

Evaluation of compliance with national legislation on emissions in Portugal

More than 13 years after publication of the first air quality laws in Portugal and more than 10 years after the publication of the respective emission limits, it seems appropriate to analyze the degree of compliance by the Portuguese manufacturing industry. Using the data from emission measurements made regularly by the Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade, the only officially accredited laboratory according to standard ISO 17025, I analyzed a set of approximately 400 sources in terms of compliance with the emission limits regarding total suspended particulates, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds. I evaluated compliance through a nondimensional parameter and plotted it versus the emission flow rate to derive conclusions: the results indicate that emission limits are generally met regarding sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides but not for the other pollutants considered in this study. However, noncompliance occurs mainly for very low emission flow rates, which suggests some alterations in the emission limits, which are being revised at the moment. These alterations will include the exemption of measurements in minor sources.     

Beyond ‘trees are good’: Disservices,management costs,and tradeoffs in urban forestry

The provision of ecosystem services is a prominent rationale for urban greening, and there is a prevailing mantra that ‘trees are good’. However, understanding how urban trees contribute to sustainability must also consider disservices. In this perspective article, we discuss recent research on ecosystem disservices of urban trees, including infrastructure conflicts, health and safety impacts, aesthetic issues, and environmentally detrimental consequences, as well as management costs related to ecological disturbances and risk management. We also discuss tradeoffs regarding species selection and local conservation concerns, as well as the central role of human perception in the interpretation of ecosystem services and disservices, particularly the uncritical assertion that ‘everybody loves trees’. Urban forestry decision-making that fails to account for disservices can have unintended negative consequences for communities. Further research is needed regarding life cycle assessments, stakeholder decision-making, return-on-investment, and framings of services and disservices in urban forestry.     

PAH dissipation in spiked soil: impacts of bioavailability, microbial activity, and trees

While trees have demonstrated potential in phytoremediation of several organic contaminants, little is known regarding their ability to impact the common soil contaminant PAHs. Several species of native North American trees were planted in soil artificially contaminated with three PAHs. Plant biomass, PAH dissipation, and microbial mineralization were monitored over the course of one year and environmental conditions were allowed to follow typical seasonal patterns. PAH dissipation and mineralization were not affected by planting. Extensive and rapid loss of PAHs was observed and attributed to high bioavailability and microbial activity in all treatments. The rate of this loss may have masked any significant planting effects. Anthracene was found to be more recalcitrant than pyrene or phenanthrene. Parallel soil aging studies indicated that sequestration to soil components was minimal. Contrary to common inferences in literature, amendment with decaying fine roots inhibited PAH degradation by the soil microbial community. Seasonal variation in environmental factors and rhizosphere dynamics may have also reduced or negated the effect of planting and should be taken into account in future phytoremediation trials. The unique root traits of trees may pose a challenge to traditional thought regarding PAH dissipation in the rhizosphere of plants.     

Leaching of chromated copper arsenate wood preservatives: a review

Recent studies have generated conflicting data regarding the bioaccumulation and toxicity of leachates from preservative-treated wood. Due to the scale of the wood preserving industry, timber treated with the most common preservative, chromated copper arsenate (CCA), may form a significant source of metals in the aquatic environment. The existing literature on leaching of CCA is reviewed, and the numerous factors affecting leaching rates, including pH, salinity, treatment and leaching test protocols are discussed. It is concluded from the literature that insufficient data exists regarding these effects to allow accurate quantification of leaching rates, and also highlights the need for standardised leaching protocols.     

Efficiency of Tinospora crispa against Culex quinquefasciatus larva

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Tinospora crispa stem aqueous extractions for various time durations were determined regarding their total phenolic content and their larvicidal...     

Emission utilization permission based on environmental efficiency analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Emission utilization permission is an interesting but complex issue regarding the environmental effect of pollution. This paper proposes a...     

Organic pollutants in paper-recycling process water discharge areas: first detection and emission in aquatic environment

In this study, eight compounds have been identified and quantified from the samples collected from paper-recycling process water discharge areas. In particular, five aryl hydrocarbons, including a novel chlorinated aryl ether, were identified for the first time as environmental pollutants. In the effluent stream, concentration levels of up to 1600 microg L(-1) and 190 microg g(-1) were detected in the surface water and surface sediment, respectively. The results of this study have raised concerns regarding the organic chemicals used in thermal paper and the environmental consequences of their release.     

Social actors’ perceptions of wildlife: Insights for the conservation of species in Mediterranean protected areas

AbstractIn the current Anthropocene Era, with numerous escalating challenges for biodiversity conservation, the inclusion of the social dimension into management decisions regarding wildlife and protected areas is critical to their success. By conducting 354 questionnaires in a Mediterranean protected area (the Biosphere Reserve of Bardenas Reales, Northern Spain), we aim to determine sociodemographic factors influencing knowledge levels and perceptions of species and functional groups as, emblematic and threatened. We found that hunters and animal husbandry workers knew more species than other social actors. Additionally, the perception of functional groups as threatened or emblematic differed between social actor groups, with statistically significant associations between perceptions and the characteristics of respondents. Interestingly, we found that although elusive steppe species are globally considered as endangered, these species were the least known by all social actor groups and rarely perceived as emblematic. This research is a novel approach and provides a better understanding of how perceptions can facilitate conservation decisions, particularly regarding endangered speciesGraphic abstract Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01546-6.     

Research progress of the POP fugacity model: a bibliometrics-based analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - With the emergence of environmental issues regarding persistent organic pollutants (POPs), fugacity models have been widely used in the concentration...