Organochlorine pesticides in feathers of three raptor species in southern Brazil

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, we determined the presence of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in back feathers from three raptor species, Phalcoboenus chimango,...     

Sugar–alcohol industry: quality of its biotreated washing water for reuse in fertigation

All processes in agro-industries consume water and generate large volumes of nutrient-rich effluents. To recycle effluents from a sugar–alcohol industry in the Northeastern Brazil (Coruripe, Alagoas), the effect of a daily application of a microbial formulation (containing five indigenous bacteria and two fungi), at the entrance of the two first facultative ponds (D, E) of its treatment plant formed by seven ponds (A–G), was evaluated in the sugarcane harvests of 2014/2015 and 2015/2016. Fortnightly, the values of 11 physicochemical parameters were checked and statistically compared (one and two-way ANOVA) in untreated (sedimentation pond A) and post-treated effluent (last facultative pond G), during both harvests. The treated effluent presented statistically significant improvements (p > 0.05), even between harvests, with averages of removal of organic matter of ca. 79.21% and 90.62%, and increases of the dissolved oxygen (DO) of ca. 72% and 74%, as well as the average increase of pH was ca. 42% and 50%. This better quality residue generally satisfied the class III level of the Brazilian Resolution 357/2005 (National Council for the Environment (CONAMA)), for water reuse in sugarcane irrigation on the yellow clay latosol soil, since it still is a light source of organic matter, nitrites and phosphorus, reducing the need of fertilizers for maintaining the productivity with low risk of salinization. According to Pearson’s bivariate correlation coefficient, while the DO and pH have positive correlation, they both have general inverse relation with the other physicochemical parameters evaluated and vice versa.     

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,...     

Fractional factorial experiments using a test atmosphere to assess the accuracy and precision of a new passive sampler for the determination of formaldehyde in the atmosphere

A new analytical method was developed for the determination of formaldehyde in ambient air based on the use of a modified configuration of the Analyst^® passive sampler. It consists of a polyethylene cylinder filled with appropriate reactive adsorbent and a special anti-turbulence net which works as an ozone scrubber.The performance of a diffusive sampler depends critically on the selection and use of a suitable adsorbent and on environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity and the interference of oxidant species. In this study two adsorbent types were investigated: 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (2,4-DNPH) coated silica gel and Florisil^® particles. Interference of ozone was removed by using a silver net upstream as an anti-turbulence device. The performance of this net was then compared with that of stainless steel. Furthermore, the aim of the work was the optimization of the adsorbent type and the study of the interference of ozone with particular attention placed on the effect of relative humidity and temperature.A dynamic system for generating a known concentration of the test gas (formaldehyde) in an appropriate exposure chamber was used to evaluate the performance of the passive sampler and to allow the calibration of the methodology. Inter-comparisons with a reference method, active sampling using 2,4-DNPH-silica gel coated cartridges, were also carried out. Results were in accordance with each other.Tests were planned using a statistical method based on Design of Experiment methodology. The operating conditions were chosen in order to obtain the best configuration of the passive device by evaluating the statistical significance of the different factors and their interactions by analysis of variance.Results showed that the best configuration was achieved using 2,4-DNPH Florisil^® coated particles as an adsorbent and a silver anti-turbulence net as an ozone scrubber.With the aim of achieving further results in realistic conditions, some field experiments were also carried out.     

Charging for Nature: Marine Park Fees and Management from a User Perspective

User fees can contribute to the financial sustainability of marine protected areas (MPAs), yet they must be acceptable to users. We explore changes in the fee system and management of Bonaire National Marine Park (BNMP) from the perspective of users. Responses from 393 tourists indicated that 90% were satisfied with park conditions and considered current user fees reasonable. However, only 47% of divers and 40% of non-divers were prepared to pay more. Diver willingness-to-pay (WTP) appears to have decreased since 1991, but this difference could be due in part to methodological differences between studies. Although current fees are close to diver maximum stated WTP, revenues could potentially be increased by improving the current fee system in ways that users deem acceptable. This potential surplus highlights the value of understanding user perceptions toward MPA fees and management.     

Sun light degradation of 4-chloroaniline in waters and its effect on toxicity. A high performance liquid chromatography - Diode array - Tandem mass spectrometry study

This paper studies the degradation reactions that 4-chloroaniline can naturally undergo in waters for the action of sun light. 10.00 mg L⁻¹ 4-chloroaniline aqueous solution, without any addition of organic solvent, are undergone to photoirradiation under conditions that simulate sun light. The degradation pathway, followed by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS methods, is complex since the pollutant gives rise to many photoproducts: the predominant species are characterized by m/z values of 217 (P5) and 218 (P6) and are compatible with dimeric structures of 4-chloroaniline. Vibrio fischeri tests indicate that the photoproducts of 4-chloroaniline are characterized by a toxicity level significantly greater than the precursor.     

Bioaccumulation of the pharmaceutical 17α-ethinylestradiol in shorthead redhorse suckers (Moxostoma macrolepidotum) from the St. Clair River, Canada

17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), a synthetic estrogen prescribed as a contraceptive, was measured in Shorthead Redhorse Suckers (ShRHSs) (Moxostoma macrolepidotum) collected near a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the St. Clair River (Ontario, Canada). We detected EE2 in 50% of the fish samples caught near the WWTP (Stag Island), which averaged 1.6 ± 0.6 ng/g (wet weight) in males and 1.43 ± 0.96 ng/g in females. No EE2 was detected in the samples from the reference site (Port Lambton) which was 26 km further downstream of the Stag Island site. Only males from Stag Island had VTG induction, suggesting the Corunna WWTP effluent as a likely source of environmental estrogen. EE2 concentrations were correlated with total body lipid content (R² = 0.512, p < 0.01, n = 10). Lipid normalized EE2 concentrations were correlated with δ¹⁵N (R² = 0.436, p < 0.05, n = 10), suggesting higher EE2 exposures in carnivores. Our data support the hypothesis of EE2 bioaccumulation in wild fish.     

Green procurement in the Asian public sector and the Hong Kong private sector

Since the 1980s, green purchasing/green procurement has increasingly been recognised as an effective means of addressing and reducing negative environmental impacts related to product production and consumption around the world. This paper reviews the procurement practices and policies of five Asian countries and Hong Kong, in the context of an international overview of green purchasing and practices. The extent of government involvement in green procurement is found to directly determine its overall effectiveness, and up-to-date information resources clearly enhance delivery and performance. A case study in Hong Kong demonstrates how public leadership on green procurement has advanced green procurement in the private sector.     

Relationships Between Major Ownerships, Forest Aboveground Biomass Distributions, and Landscape Dynamics in the New England Region of USA

This study utilizes remote sensing derived forest aboveground biomass (AGB) estimates and ownership information obtained from the Protected Areas Database (PAD), combining landscape analyses and GIS techniques to demonstrate how different ownerships (public, regulated private, and other private) relate to the spatial distribution of AGB in New England states of the USA. “Regulated private” lands were dominated by lands in Maine covered by a Land Use Regulatory Commission. The AGB means between all pairs of the identified ownership categories were significantly different (P < 0.05). Mean AGB observed in public lands (156 Mg/ha) was 43% higher than that in regulated private lands (109 Mg/ha), or 30% higher than that of private lands as a whole. Seventy-seven percent of the regional forests (or about 9,300 km²) with AGB >200 Mg/ha were located outside the area designated in the PAD and concentrated in western MA, southern VT, southwestern NH, and northwestern CT. While relatively unfragmented and high-AGB forests (>200 Mg/ha) accounted for about 8% of total forested land, they were unevenly proportioned among the three major ownership groups across the region: 19.6% of the public land, 0.8% of the regulated private land, and 11.0% of the other private land. Mean disturbance rates (in absolute value) between 1992 and 2001 were 16, 66, and 19 percent, respectively, on public, regulated private, and other private land. This indicates that management practices from different ownerships have a strong impact on dynamic changes of landscape structures and AGB distributions. Our results may provide insight information for policy makers on issues regarding forest carbon management, conservation biology, and biodiversity studies at regional level.     

Planning process influences on sustainability in Ohio township plans

This study examines planning process influences on plan sustainability scores for 46 township plans in Central Ohio, in the Midwestern Region of the United States. Townships face many similar development challenges as exurban communities along with cultures and economies which straddle urban and rural perspectives. The empirical analysis shows that participation breadth is positively related to sustainability scores, while the use of the sustainability concept in the planning process is negatively related to sustainability scores. Based on the findings, we suggest that communities preparing a comprehensive plan should encourage participation by a variety of groups in the planning process. Future research should examine the manner in which the sustainability concept is incorporated into the planning process to better assess its influence.