Bibliometric analysis of Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment research

The first step in planning the actions for climate change adaptation involves performing Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment (CCVA) to vulnerable populations and ecological systems. The study aims to perform a bibliometric analysis on the CCVA research field to identify how it was structured in terms of the mostly occurring research terms and their citation impact. A set of scientific papers related to CCVA (n?=?8941) were retrieved via Elsevier’s Scopus database over the period 1996–2016 using specific keywords. The search was carried out in February 2017. The number of yearly papers published in CCVA research field increased after 2006, increasing more than six times in 2016. Our co-occurrences term analysis grouped four clusters related to (i) exposure, sensitivity, and quantitative methods for assessing CCVA, (ii) adaptive capacity and qualitative approaches, (iii) CCVA integrated approaches by combining participatory methods to quantitative ones, and (iv) collaboration and participation issues related to global change. The co-citation analysis showed that highly cited research terms were related to adaptation, exposure factors, and related changes and global change. This bibliometric analysis has provided an overall picture on the CCVA research field, particularly highlighting its utility for climate change adaptation.     

Reduction of Cr(VI) by caffeic acid

In the soil-plant system, the Cr(VI) toxicity can be moderated through redox reactions involving phenolic substances. In such a context, we report the reducing activity of caffeic acid (CAF) towards Cr(VI) in aqueous phase. The redox reaction between Cr(VI) and CAF was studied as a function of both time and pH at different initial metal concentrations. The reaction was particularly effective at pH 2.5. The kinetic data indicate that the reaction proceeds through two steps: the first is faster and involves four electrons, the latter, which is slower, five electrons. The chromatograms evidence the formation of oxidation products (OP) with a different redox activity towards Cr(VI). A yield of Cr(III) equal to that obtained at pH 2.5 and pH 3.1 in about 7 and 25 h, respectively, was reached at pH 4.2 only after a much longer reaction time (50h). At pH>4.2 the reaction occurred even more slowly, and its kinetic trend was more and more difficult to study at pH values higher than 5.0 due to the formation of precipitates. Other phenolics investigated (o-, m-, p-coumaric acids) showed a reducing activity negligible compared to that of CAF: about 30% of p-coumaric acid was oxidized at pH 2.5 only after two months of reaction.     

From landfill to water,land and life: The creation of the Centre for stone materials aimed at secondary processing

This paper focuses on the creation of a Centre for the recycling of stone materials. The Centre will be able to offer a range of activities amongst which is the improvement of the production chain of the Orosei Marble district in Sardinia, Italy. Several companies operate within the marble producing area, specializing in both quarrying and stone processing. They have formed a Consortium in order to rehabilitate an area of more than 17 ha. The restoration will be carried out through an environmentally sustainable procedure. The area was previously used as a landfill for waste deriving from marble quarrying and processing. At that time unshaped blocks of various sizes (which are unsuitable to block-cutter sawing), waste deriving from both block sawing and slab/strip cutting (such as broken slabs, strips, tiles) and microfine dust from filter presses of water treatment plants were representing an environmental problem. The local administration was struggling to find new areas which could be used for landfills, resulting in an additional cost for the landfill, ultimately affecting the variable production costs. The project involves the building of a venue to be used for temporary storage, treatment of wastes produced by both quarrying and primary processing, in order to make them suitable as secondary raw materials. The project also deals with the catch basin hydrology of the area involved in the project, the building of a multifunctional centre, the landscaping and other environmental features such as vehicle traffic and slopes greening.     

The effects of subchronic exposure to NeemAzal T/S on zebrafish (Danio rerio)

The objective of the study was to investigate the subchronic effects of the insecticidal preparation NeemAzal T/S at concentrations of 3, 10 and 30?mg/L on the mortality, growth and histopathology of juvenile zebrafish (Danio rerio), as well as its related effects on selected indices of oxidative stress during a 28-day toxicity test. The juvenile growth toxicity test was performed according to OECD Guidelines 215 (Fish, Juvenile Growth Test). The results of this study indicate that these tested concentrations of NeemAzal T/S (containing 1% of the active ingredient azadirachtin A) affect fish growth and have a negative influence on the indices of oxidative stress in the juvenile stage of zebrafish, as well as cause mild histopathological changes in liver tissue.     

Impact of source segregation intensity of solid waste on fuel consumption and collection costs

Fuel consumption and collection costs of solid waste were evaluated by the aid of a simulation model for a given collection area of a medium-sized Italian city. Using the model it is possible to calculate time, collected waste and fuel consumption for a given waste collection route. Starting from the data for the current waste collection scenario with a Source Segregated (SS) intensity of 25%, all the main model error evaluated was ?1.2. SS intensity scenarios of 25%, 30%, 35% and 52% were simulated. Results showed an increase in the average fuel consumed by the collection vehicles that went from about 3.3 L/tonne for 25% SS intensity to about 3.8 L/tonne for a SS intensity of 52%. Direct collection costs, including crews and vehicle purchase, ranged from about 40 €/tonne to about 70 €/tonne, respectively, for 25% and 52% SS intensity. The increase in fuel consumption and collection costs depends on the density of the waste collected, on the collection vehicle compaction ratio and on the waste collection vehicle utilization factor (WCVUF). In particular a reduction of about 50% of the WCVUF can lead to an average increase of about 80% in fuel consumption and 100% in collection costs.