Influence of Motivations for Seeking ISO 14001 Certification on Perceptions of EMS Effectiveness in China

This study examines the motivations of mainland Chinese facilities in seeking ISO 14001 certification and examines the linkages between these motivations and self-reports of the effectiveness of major environmental management system (EMS) components. In a sample of 128 facilities in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, the main drivers for certification were reported to be to ensure regulatory compliance, to enhance the firms reputation, and to improve environmental performance, in that order. Although motivation to achieve cost reductions were least emphasized, a broad range of motivations appears to be considered in the decision to seek certification to ISO 14001. Regression models linking these motivations to the EMS components suggests that internal motivations have an influence on most EMS components. One interesting exception to this, however, is that no significant relationship was observed between internal motivations and the promulgation of environmental objectives and targets. The relationships associated with external motivations for certification (i.e., those in response to customer and other stakeholder pressures) and EMS components, on the other hand, are weaker and tend to occur earlier in the process cycle. No significant relationships were found between motivations to reduce costs and perceptions of the effectiveness of EMS components. Overall, these findings suggest that ISO 14001, as currently being implemented in mainland China, may have a modestly useful role when used in combination with other policy mechanisms to move the Chinese economy toward more sustainable practices. It is asserted that the ISO standard could provide even greater benefits if Chinese registrars were more proactive in developing EMS in conjunction with even more rigorous third-party audits.Published online     

Plumage coloration and nutritional condition in the great tit<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Parus major</Emphasis>: the roles of carotenoids and melanins differ

The size and coloration of some body characters seem to influence mate choice in many species. Most animal colours are either structural or based on melanin or carotenoid pigments. It has recently been suggested that carotenoid-based or structural coloration may be a condition-dependent trait, whereas melanin-based coloration is not; a difference that may be highly relevant when studying the evolution of multiple mating preferences. We tested this hypothesis in the great tit (Parus major). The size of the melanin breast band was not correlated to nutritional condition as estimated by the rate of tail growth (ptilochronology), controlling for locality, age, sex, year and season effects. However, the correlation was significant for the hue of yellow breast (carotenoid-based coloration), and the slopes of the regressions of the two pigments to growth bars differed significantly. These results suggest that the expression of the two traits may be regulated by different mechanisms.     

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for screening contamination by chlorophenols in environmental waters

The development of an immunoassay for screening contamination by chlorophenols is presented. Two haptens were synthesized and conjugated to immunizing proteins to raise rabbit polyclonal antibodies. The antibody-coated format (direct) gave better sensitivity than the conjugate-coated format (indirect) if 2,4,6-trichlorophenol is used as target analyte. The measurement range was 86.4 microg l(-1) to 0.7 microg l(-1), with an average I50 of 7.8 microg l(-1) and a detection limit of 0.2 microg l(-1). The assay detects the presence of trichloropyridinol and other chlorophenols such as di-, tetra- and pentachlorophenols constituting thus a suitable tool for the early warning of the presence of such family contaminants. The optimized method permits the detection of the most important chlorophenols in a fast and reproducible way using no more than one antibody and a single assay. The results achieved with water samples spiked with different chlorophenols fit with a multiple linear regression model when expressing the total concentration of chlorophenols as equivalent of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (P < 0.01), demonstrating the usefulness of the assay as a screening tool to detect contamination by chlorophenols.     

Assessment of the rangelands of southwestern Santiago del Estero, Argentina, for grazing management and research

Native rangelands of the southwest part of the province of Santiago del Estero, Argentina, are a key source of forage for cow-calf operations. The objectives of this study were to delineate the ecosystem units of the area, to describe the associated plant communities and to interpret the role that physical factors and disturbances such as fire and grazing have had in the changes of the structure of these plant communities. This information is needed for developing recommendations for grazing management, for prescribing appropriate improvement practices (e.g. shrub control, prescribed fire) and as guidelines for future research. The ecosystem was divided into smaller units using a hierarchical method, the categories of practical importance being 'range unit' and 'range site'. They represent the catchment and hillslope scale of the water runoff-runon phenomenon, respectively. Vegetation was sampled using a block and cluster sampling design, registering tree, shrub, forb and grass species frequency, and the standing aerial biomass of the herbaceous layer in a sampling unit=1 ha. Environmental data (topographic position, fire frequency, current and past use, and tree and shrub cover) were also registered for each sampling unit. Indirect ordination of sampling units classified according to range units and range sites, and correlation with environmental variables were performed using multidimensional scaling (MDS) as well as the vector fitting technique. Standing forage and stocking rate were estimated from biomass data. Results indicate that 'range site' is the ecosystem unit that should be considered for management purposes since it correlates well with plant communities: tall, hardwood forests are located on upland sites, woodlands are located on midland sites and savannas are located on lowland sites. Dense shrub thickets dominate in areas rated in poor condition, irrespective of range site. Disturbances such as fire and current and past use have a significant positive and negative correlation with range condition, respectively, suggesting that a state and transition model would explain vegetation dynamics better than the succession model. The estimated stocking rate in lowland sites in good condition was 2 ha UG(-1), while in upland sites in poor condition the stocking rate was 90 ha UG(-1). Active (fire, mechanical treatments) rather than passive (grazing management) methods should be used for range improvement in order to achieve the full potential of the ecosystem.     

Global variability of food waste chemical composition and its consequences on the production of biofuels and chemical compounds

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The use of food waste (FW) for the production of biofuels and value-added compounds is growing worldwide. However, the significant chemical...     

Relationship between neuropsychological tests and driver's license renewal tests in Parkinson's disease

Objective: To determine whether the standard Spanish driving test (ASDE test) was able to identify patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) at risk of unsafe driving and to examine the relationship between the ASDE test and the Useful Field of View (UFOV) as well as with a battery of neuropsychological tests in drivers with PD.

Methods: Thirty-seven patients with PD and 33 controls matched by age and education level were included in an observational study. All participants were active drivers and patients with PD underwent study procedures after taking the medication in the “on” period. Subjects with a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≤ 24 were excluded. Neuropsychological tests (Repeatable Battery for Neuropsychological Status [RBANS], Trail Making Test [TMT-A and -B], and Block Design test), driving performance tests (ASDE Driver Test and UFOV), and daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) were assessed.

Results: The PD group performed significantly worse than healthy controls in the ASDE Motor Coordination tests. No significant differences were observed in anticipation speed, multiple reaction time, concentrated attention, and resistance to monotony. All participants successfully completed the UFOV tests. Statistically significant differences between patients with PD and controls were found in processing speed (UFOV1; P =.03) and more patients with PD were found in the categories of higher driving risk levels (P =.03). In addition, patients with PD showed worse scores than healthy controls in visuospatial capacities (Line Orientation), psychomotor speed (Coding and TMT-A), memory (List Recognition, Story Recall), and executive function (TMT-B). The driving tests (ASDE and UFOV) showed a low sensitivity and a high specificity but a higher percentage of patients in the PD group failed in multiple reaction time, concentrated attention, and resistance to monotony. In addition, 18.9% of patients with PD showed a cutoff of 4 for UFOV risk. In the discriminant analysis, Line Orientation (visuospatial/constructive domain) and Figure Recall (delayed memory) were found to be statistically significant with a rate of correct classification of unsafe drivers with PD of 78.2%. In addition, normal results on the Line Orientation item were associated with a 1.5 times higher probability of non-risky driving in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusions: At early stages of the disease, about 19% of patients with PD showed difficulties that may affect their driving capabilities. Line Orientation and Figure Recall are useful to alert clinicians to the risk of unsafe driving. For this reason, patients with PD should be evaluated for driving abilities more regularly to determine the extent of deficits that may influence driving performance.     

Climate change and crop diversity: farmers’ perceptions and adaptation on the Bolivian Altiplano

Crop diversity is central to traditional risk management practices on the Andean Altiplano and may find renewed importance in adapting to climate change. This study explored the role of crop diversity in farmers’ adaptation actions in eight Aymara communities on the northern Bolivian Altiplano. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, including multifactor analysis and a community resilience self-assessment, we investigated how farmers’ use of diversity in adaptation is related to their perceptions of crop and variety tolerances and other environmental, social, and economic factors. Few crops and varieties were perceived as tolerant to increasingly intense and unpredictable drought, frost, hail, and pest and disease outbreaks. Some local crops and varieties were perceived as vulnerable to emerging conditions (e.g. oca, papalisa, isaño), whereas bitter potatoes and wild relatives of quinoa and cañahua were perceived as highly stress tolerant and provide food in harsh periods. A total 19% of households surveyed (N = 193) had introduced new crops or varieties—often disease resistant or early maturing—as an adaptive action. Introduction of commercial crops was a common adaptation action, reflecting farmers’ response to warming temperatures and changing economic opportunities, but greater sensitivity of the introduced crops may cause maladaptation. Despite intensification of cropping systems, households continue to maintain a median four potato varieties with different tolerance traits, yet this risk management practice was not perceived as adaptation. Strengthening resilience will require a combination of actions, including maintaining and expanding crop portfolios and restoring soil and ecosystem health, using both traditional and innovative approaches.     

Ivermectin dissipation and movement from feces to soil under field conditions

The aim of this work was to evaluate the fate of ivermectin (IVM) at two concentrations in cattle feces and its movement to the nearby soil and plants. Feces were spiked with IVM at two levels: 3000 ng g^?1 (high group, HG) and 300 ng g^?1 (low group, LG). Artificial dung pats were prepared and deposited in an experimental field area. Feces and underlying soil were sampled up to 60 days post-deposition (dpd). As an additional analysis, grasses growing around the pats were sampled at 30 and 60 dpd. Ivermectin concentrations in all matrices were determined by HPLC. Mean IVM fecal concentrations were in the range between 3901.9 ng g^?1 and 2419.2 ng g^?1 (high group) and 375.3 ng g^?1 and 177.49 ng g^?1 (low group). Mean times for 50% and 90% dissipation were 88.23 and 293.03 days (HG) and 39.1 and 129.9 days (LG). Soil concentrations ranged from 26.1 ng g^?1 to 71.1 ng g^?1 (HG) and 3.4 to 5.9 ng g^?1 (LG); in plants, concentrations were between 71.4 and 380.8 ng g^?1 and 5.40 and 51.8 ng g^?1 in HG and LG, respectively. These results confirm that IVM moves from feces to the underlying soil as well as to nearby plants. The potential risk of detrimental effects on soil organisms and the impact on herbivorous animals should be further evaluated.     

E‐waste in the world today: An overview of problems and a proposal for improvement in Brazil

Environmental issues have been at the center of society's concerns for a long time. Recently, this kind of concern is growing even more due to the damage caused to the environment by electrical and electronic product waste. Based on this same concern, this work aimed to analyze, through a literature review, the production and treatment of electronic waste in today's world, with an emphasis on Brazil and China. The articles reviewed point to an increase in the production of this type of waste, in both Brazil and China, and reveal that the current processes of treatment of electronic waste mostly aim to obtain profit through the recovery of precious metals such as copper. This paper concluded that although Brazil is one of the major producers of e‐waste, more than 90% of its e‐waste has not had a proper final destination. This deficiency in e‐waste treatment in Brazil is mainly due to financial factors and the lack of a robust educational policy focused on the environment. Thus, this work suggests the implementation of an effective educational policy aimed at environmental conservation, as well as investments in research on recycling methods in Brazil, especially on the use of e‐waste as an aggregate in the manufacture of concrete.