Valuation of National Park System Visitation: The Efficient Use of Count Data Models, Meta-Analysis, and Secondary Visitor Survey Data

The National Park Service (NPS) currently manages a large and diverse system of park units nationwide which received an estimated 279 million recreational visits in 2011. This article uses park visitor data collected by the NPS Visitor Services Project to estimate a consistent set of count data travel cost models of park visitor willingness to pay (WTP). Models were estimated using 58 different park unit survey datasets. WTP estimates for these 58 park surveys were used within a meta-regression analysis model to predict average and total WTP for NPS recreational visitation system-wide. Estimated WTP per NPS visit in 2011 averaged $102 system-wide, and ranged across park units from $67 to $288. Total 2011 visitor WTP for the NPS system is estimated at $28.5 billion with a 95% confidence interval of $19.7–$43.1 billion. The estimation of a meta-regression model using consistently collected data and identical specification of visitor WTP models greatly reduces problems common to meta-regression models, including sample selection bias, primary data heterogeneity, and heteroskedasticity, as well as some aspects of panel effects. The article provides the first estimate of total annual NPS visitor WTP within the literature directly based on NPS visitor survey data.     

玉米赤霉烯酮暴露对秀丽线虫生殖系统的损伤作用

环境雌激素玉米赤霉烯酮(ZEN)的生态安全性近年来受到越来越多的关注。以秀丽隐杆线虫(Caenorhabdites elegans)为模式生物研究ZEN对线虫的生殖损伤作用。在DIC显微镜下观察,48 h暴露后与对照组相比,暴露组线虫性腺臂明显萎缩,卵母细胞数目和大小均受到显著影响(P0.01),并且可见部分暴露组线虫产卵器严重畸形。这均表明ZEN暴露对秀丽隐杆线虫生殖系统的发育和功能可产生损害作用。     

联合基于野外的代谢组学和化学分析手段筛选优先关注新兴污染物：在五大湖流域的案例研究

由于毒性评估项目很难与日渐增长的需要测试的污染物保持同步,所以较难将关注点集中在影响水生生态系统的最为生物相关的污染物上。由于评估潜在毒性污染物所造成的生物影响已被证明是有效的,内生性代谢物的研究（代谢组学）对于剔除那些较低可能造成生物影响的污染物或许有一定帮助,从而找出生物重要性最高的污染物。本研究在北美五大湖流域的18个地点针对置于笼中的黑头软口鲦（Pimephales promelas）进行实验。我们测定了水体温度和水样中的污染物浓度（目标污染物132种,检出86种）,并使用1H-NMR谱测量了肝极性提取物中的内生性代谢物。利用偏最小二乘法回归来比对内生性代谢物的相对丰度与污染物浓度和环境温度。结果表明内生性极性代谢物的指标与最多49种污染物存在共同变化。因此我们认为至多52%的检出污染物与内生性代谢物变化的共同变化不显著,表明这些污染物很可能不会在这些地点造成可以检测到的影响。这是通过缩短对于实验地点有着潜在影响的污染物列表从而扫描出检出污染物生物相关性的第一步。类似的信息有助于风险评估者区分不同污染物的重要性并将重点毒性测试放在最为生物相关的污染物上。
精选自Nicol Janecko, Lucie Pokludova, Jana Blahova, Zdenka Svobodova, Ivan Literak. Linking field-based metabolomics and chemical analyses to prioritize contaminants of emerging concern in the Great Lakes basin. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: Volume 35, Issue 10, pages 2493–2502, October 2016. DOI: 10.1002/etc.3409
详情请见http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.3409/full
     

Speciation and the bioavailability of actinide elements

A good understanding of the quantitative uptake of actinide elements from foodstuffs, across the mucosal cell membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, into man is of great importance in setting intake limits and in assessing radiation doses to critical organs.

In the past, such knowledge has been gained from the extrapolation of animal models to man. Whilst this strategy has proved useful in a number of cases, it is, unfortunately, phenomenological and the results prone to perturbation from factors such as the fasting state of the animal and the initial chemical form of the actinide.

The application of computer simulation models which can calculate the chemical speciation of an element in a variety of foodstuffs under conditions pertinent to the gastrointestinal tract offers a non‐invasive and general method for predicting the uptake of exogenous elements, like the actinides.

This paper reviews the current state of chemical speciation analysis with respect to bioavailability highlighting areas requiring further consideration, presenting results amplifying the issues raised and showing that computer simulation has a rôle to play in predicting quantitative uptake of the actinides.     

The Belgian Coastal Atlas: moving from the classic static atlas to an interactive data-driven atlas

The Belgian Coastal Atlas was first published in hardback in 2004, with no intention to move towards a web version. The many requests for maps encouraged the developers to launch a web-based atlas in 2005. The interactive-nature of the maps was kept simple and the look of the maps was considered more important than the possibilities that GIS applications offered. Three years on, the Coordination Centre on ICZM would like to move from the more or less static web atlas to an interactive data-driven atlas, where sustainability indicators for the coast play a prominent role. The final product will be a policy supporting tool that will back the ICZM process for a wide range of coastal actors, planners and managers.     

Female foraging and male vigilance in white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucurus): opportunism or behavioural coordination?

For several species of birds, high rates of male vigilance are correlated with high rates of female foraging. This relationship is thought to ultimately result in higher reproductive success for females paired with highly vigilant males. However, previous research has not examined the behavioural mechanism that produces the correlation between male vigilance and rates of female foraging. Foraging females may take advantage of vigilance that males are using for other purposes. Alternatively, the purpose of male vigilance may be to increase females' ability to forage. We examined these alternatives by testing whether vigilance preceded or followed bouts of female foraging more often than would occur by chance alone, using simultaneous behaviour observations of pre-incubation pairs of white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucurus). Our results indicate that each member of a pair may influence the behaviour of the other. Females were more likely to initiate foraging bouts after males became vigilant than if their mate remained non-vigilant. Moreover, non-vigilant males were more likely to become vigilant if their mate was foraging than if she was engaged in some other activity. Despite the possibility that a sexual conflict exists as each member of a pair attempts to maximize its fitness, both sexes behave as though a major role of male vigilance is to enhance female foraging opportunities. Received: 3 May 1999 / Received in revised form: 14 June 1999 / Accepted: 16 June 1999     

Toxicological Evaluation for the Hazard Assessment of Tire Crumb for Use in Public Playgrounds

Abstract

Disposal of used tires has been a major problem in solid waste management. New uses will have to be found to consume recycled tire products. One such proposed use is as ground cover in playgrounds. However, concern has been expressed regarding exposure of children to hazardous chemicals and the environmental impact of such chemicals. We designed a comprehensive hazard assessment to evaluate and address potential human health and environmental concerns associated with the use of tire crumb in playgrounds. Human health concerns were addressed using conventional hazard analyses, mutagenicity assays, and aquatic toxicity tests of extracted tire crumb. Hazard to children appears to be minimal. Toxicity to all aquatic organisms (bacteria, invertebrates, fish, and green algae) was observed; however, this activity disappeared with aging of the tire crumb for three months in place in the playground. We conclude that the use of tire crumb in playgrounds results in minimal hazard to children and the receiving environment.     

Ambient measurements of 2,2,4-trimethyl, 1,3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate in Southern California

2,2,4-trimethyl, 1,3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate (TPM) is a widely used solvent found in water-based coatings. Ambient measurements of TPM are reported here for the first time. Although this compound has been previously measured in indoor air, this study illustrates successful detection and quantification of TPM in ambient air at three locations in Southern California: Pico Rivera, Azusa, and Riverside. TPM was detected in every sample collected, with concentrations ranging from 0.7 to 49.5 parts per trillion (ppt). Collections took place during summer 2009, fall 2009, winter 2009/2010, and spring 2010, for 5–7 days during each season. The highest mean concentrations were observed during the summer months for each city, when coating activities are typically at their highest.

Implications 2,2,4-Trimethyl, 1,3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate (TPM) is a widely used solvent found in water-based coatings. Ambient measurements of TPM are reported here for the first time. The highest mean concentrations were observed during the summer months for each city, when coating activities are typically at their highest. Unreacted TPM constitutes approximately 0.01% of the total nonmethane hydrocarbon (NMHC) concentrations in the Los Angeles air basin and given its slow reactivity rate in forming ozone, this would be an approximate upper limit for the fraction of ozone that it is responsible for forming.