Simulating the meteorology and PM10 concentrations in Arizona dust storms using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (Wrf-Chem)

Nine dust storms in south-central Arizona were simulated with the Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry model (WRF-Chem) at 2 km resolution. The windblown dust emission algorithm was the Air Force Weather Agency model. In comparison with ground-based PM₁₀ observations, the model unevenly reproduces the dust-storm events. The model adequately estimates the location and timing of the events, but it is unable to precisely replicate the magnitude and timing of the elevated hourly concentrations of particles 10 µm and smaller ([PM₁₀]).Furthermore, the model underestimated [PM₁₀] in highly agricultural Pinal County because it underestimated surface wind speeds and because the model’s erodible fractions of the land surface data were too coarse to effectively resolve the active and abandoned agricultural lands. In contrast, the model overestimated [PM₁₀] in western Arizona along the Colorado River because it generated daytime sea breezes (from the nearby Gulf of California) for which the surface-layer speeds were too strong. In Phoenix, AZ, the model’s performance depended on the event, with both under- and overestimations partly due to incorrect representation of urban features. Sensitivity tests indicate that [PM₁₀] highly relies on meteorological forcing. Increasing the fraction of erodible surfaces in the Pinal County agricultural areas improved the simulation of [PM₁₀] in that region. Both 24-hr and 1-hr measured [PM₁₀] were, for the most part, and especially in Pinal County, extremely elevated, with the former exceeding the health standard by as much as 10-fold and the latter exceeding health-based guidelines by as much as 70-fold. Monsoonal thunderstorms not only produce elevated [PM₁₀], but also cause urban flash floods and disrupt water resource deliveries. Given the severity and frequency of these dust storms, and conceding that the modeling system applied in this work did not produce the desired agreement between simulations and observations, additional research in both the windblown dust emissions model and the weather research/physicochemical model is called for.

Implications: While many dust storms can be considered to be natural, in semi-arid climates such storms often have an anthropogenic component in their sources of dust. Applying the natural, exceptional events policy to these storms with strong signatures of anthropogenic sources would appear not only to be misguided but also to stifle genuine regulatory efforts at remediation. Those dust storms that have resulted, in part, from passage over abandoned farm land should no longer be considered “natural”; policymakers and lawmakers need to compel the owners of such land to reduce its potential for windblown dust.     

核或辐射应急中的废物安全管理及对我国的启示

核辐射事故以及随后的应急响应和恢复行动都会产生大量的废物,对这些废物的安全管理至关重要,有必要对核或辐射应急过程中产生的废物管理可能遇到的困难和挑战进行分析,提出在应急准备中需要注意的问题,对我国目前相关的法律条文进行梳理并提出建议。     

Conservation of indigenous plants to support community livelihoods: the MGU – Useful Plants Project

Through the MGU – Useful Plants Project (2007–2015) led by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, high-quality seed collections and research information have been gathered on useful indigenous plants selected by communities in Botswana, Kenya, Mali, South Africa, and Mexico. Local communities were trained in seed conservation, plant propagation, and planting activities, while revenue generation was promoted directly through the sustainable use of plants and plant products and indirectly through wider environmental and cultural services. The success of this project was determined by its participative approach, involving local communities in plant conservation activities and using plant research to support it. However, the promotion of sustainable use and income generation highlighted issues that confirmed the importance of using a ‘holistic approach’ to address the objective of poverty reduction and contribute to improved livelihoods in the communities.     

Pesticide residue removal in classic domestic processing of tomato and its effects on product quality

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of several household practices (washing with water or acidic, alkaline, and oxidizing solutions, and peeling) in minimizing pesticide residue contamination of tomatoes, as well as the impact on the quality of the treated fruit. Tests were performed using two systemic fungicides (azoxystrobin and difenoconazole) and one contact fungicide (chlorothalonil). Solid-liquid extraction with low temperature partition (SLE/LTP) and liquid-liquid extraction with low temperature partition (LLE/LTP) were used to prepare the samples for pesticides determination by gas chromatography. Washing the tomatoes with water removed approximately 44% of chlorothalonil, 26% of difenoconazole, and 17% of azoxystrobin. Sodium bicarbonate (5%) and acetic acid (5%) solutions were more efficient, removing between 32 and 83% of the residues, while peeling removed from 68 to 88% of the pesticides. The washing solutions altered some fruit quality parameters, including acidity and chroma, and also caused weight loss. Acetic acid (0.15 and 5%) and hypochlorite (1%) solutions had the greatest effect on these parameters.     

Investigation of low-level <Superscript>242</Superscript>Pu contamination on nutrition disturbance and oxidative stress in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum tuberosum</Emphasis> L.

Plutonium associated with higher molecular weight molecules is presumed to be poorly mobile and hardly plant available. In our present study, we investigate the uptake and effects of Pu treatments on Solanum tuberosum plants in amended Hoagland medium at concentrations of [²⁴²Pu] = 100 and 500 nm, respectively. We found a direct proof of oxidative stress in the plants caused by these rather low concentrations. For the confirmation of oxidative stress, we explored the production of nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) by epifluorescence microscopy. Oxidative stress markers like lipid peroxidation and superoxide radicals (O₂ ^??) are monitored through histochemical analysis. The biochemical parameters i.e. chlorophyll and carotenoids are measured as an indicator of cellular damage in the tested plants including the enzymatic parameters such as catalase and glutathione reductase. From our work, we conclude that Pu in low concentration has no significant effects on the uptake of many trace and macroelements. In contrast, the content of O₂ ^?? , malondialdehyde (MDA), and H₂O₂ increases with increasing Pu concentration in the solution, while the opposite effects was found for NO, catalase, and glutathione reductase. These findings prove that even low concentration of Pu regulates ROS production and generate oxidative stress in S. tuberosum L.     

Renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sectors of European Union member states: a panel data analysis

In the last two decades, there has been a rich debate about the environmental degradation that results from exposure to solid urban waste. Growing public concern with environmental issues has led to the implementation of various strategic plans for waste management in several developed countries, especially in the European Union. In this paper, the relationships were assessed between economic growth, renewable energy extraction and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the waste sector. The Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis was analysed for the member states of the European Union, in the presence of electricity generation, landfill and GHG emissions for the period 1995 to 2012. The results revealed that there is no inverted-U-shaped relationship between income and GHG emissions in European Union countries. The renewable fuel extracted from waste contributes to a reduction in GHG, and although the electricity produced also increases emissions somewhat, they would be far greater if the waste-based generation of renewable energy did not take place. The waste sector needs to strengthen its political, economic, institutional and social communication instruments to meet its aims for mitigating the levels of pollutants generated by European economies. To achieve the objectives of the Horizon 2020 programme, currently in force in the countries of the European Union, it will be necessary to increase the share of renewable energy in the energy mix.     

Prevalence of chromosomal aberrations in Argentinean agricultural workers

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Little is known about biosecurity measures and toxic effects during pesticide application in the province of Jujuy, Argentina, particularly concerning...     

Effectiveness of Africa's tropical protected areas for maintaining forest cover

The effectiveness of parks for forest conservation is widely debated in Africa, where increasing human pressure, insufficient funding, and lack of management capacity frequently place significant demands on forests. Tropical forests house a substantial portion of the world's remaining biodiversity and are heavily affected by anthropogenic activity. We analyzed park effectiveness at the individual (224 parks) and national (23 countries) level across Africa by comparing the extent of forest loss (as a proxy for deforestation) inside parks to matched unprotected control sites. Although significant geographical variation existed among parks, the majority of African parks had significantly less forest loss within their boundaries (e.g., Mahale Park had 34 times less forest loss within its boundary) than control sites. Accessibility was a significant driver of forest loss. Relatively inaccessible areas had a higher probability (odds ratio >1, p < 0.001) of forest loss but only in ineffective parks, and relatively accessible areas had a higher probability of forest loss but only in effective parks. Smaller parks less effectively prevented forest loss inside park boundaries than larger parks (T = ?2.32, p < 0.05), and older parks less effectively prevented forest loss inside park boundaries than younger parks (F_2,154 = ?4.11, p < 0.001). Our analyses, the first individual and national assessment of park effectiveness across Africa, demonstrated the complexity of factors (such as geographical variation, accessibility, and park size and age) influencing the ability of a park to curb forest loss within its boundaries.     

Novel mesoporous microspheres of Al and Ni doped LMO spinels and their performance as cathodes in secondary lithium ion batteries

A facile, scalable, and solution-based technique is used to fabricate Al and Ni-doped (LiAl_0.1Mn_1.9O₄ and LiAl_0.1Ni_0.1Mn_1.8O₄) microspheres of lithium manganese oxide (LMO) spinels for use as reversible cathode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). The spheres of the two samples exhibit different porosities. Cells with these LMO-based cathodes are then cycled between 4.5 V and 2 V to study their stabilities while simultaneously being subjected to the undesirable Jahn-Teller distortion that occurs around the ~3 V regime. The LiAl_0.1Mn_1.9O₄ (LAMO) and the LiAl_0.1Ni_0.1Mn_1.8O₄ (LANMO) cells exhibit comparable open circuit voltages (OCV) of 2.94 V and 2.97 V, respectively. During cell cycling, the LAMO cell exhibits a maximum specific capacity of 122.51 mAh g^?1 with a capacity fade of 65.35% after 75 cycles. The LiAl_0.1Ni_0.1Mn_1.8O₄ (LAMO) sample fares better and exhibits a maximum of 140.49 mAh g^?1 and a capacity drop of 52.59%. Detailed structural studies indicate that Ni doping and the greater degree of porosity of the LANMO sample to be a stabilizing factor. This is further confirmed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and AC impedance spectra analysis.     

春季香溪河库湾CODMn时空分布及其影响因子初探

于2012年春季在香溪河库湾合理布置断面观测,分析水体高锰酸盐指数(CODMn)的时空分布特征,并对CODMn与水体中叶绿素a、溶解氧(DO)、水体垂向稳定系数、总氮(TN)和溶解性硅酸盐(D Si)进行相关分析,以期为香溪河流域有机污染的治理提供支持和指导。结果表明：春季香溪河库湾CODMn浓度变化范围为1.40～5.36 mg/L,4月CODMn均值明显高于3月和5月,为366 mg/L,整个春季CODMn浓度从下游至上游呈现明显增大的趋势。相关分析发现,春季水华暴发期间,CODMn与叶绿素a显著正相关(分别为072和074),而在未暴发水华的3月二者的相关性不显著。浮游植物和水体稳定系数是影响CODMn变化的主要因素。倒灌异重流使得高含氮、低CODMn浓度的长江干流水体进入库湾下游并稀释CODMn浓度。CODMn与DO在3月和5月的弱相关关系为香溪河CODMn特殊的分布特征提供了其它合理的解释,其分布特征受多种因素的共同影响。春季库湾上游有机污染趋于恶化,限制支流特别是上游污染物的排放是改善有机污染现状的有效途径