Chemical and mineralogical transformations caused by weathering in anti-tank DU penetrators ("the silver bullets") discharged during the Kosovo war

A depleted-uranium penetrator, shot in 1999 at Djakovica, Western Kosovo, and there collected in June 2001, shows evident alteration processes, perceivable as black and yellow coatings. XRD indicates that the black coating mostly consists of uraninite, UO2, with possible presence of other more oxidized uranium forms, such as U3O8. The yellow material is mostly amorphous, with variable weak diffraction lines, due to minor embedded uraninite grains, or possibly to schoepite, UO3 x 2H2O. SEM-EDS reveals only uranium. Whereas uraninite does not show any crystal shape, the yellow material recrystallizes to flattened pseudo-hexagonal prisms, approximately 2-10 microm wide and 1-4 microm long. Raman spectra of the yellow material have peaks at 3474 and 3222 cm(-1), indicative for OH groups, plus at 812 and 744 cm(-1), indicative for UO2(2+) uranyl ions. Based on the different data, the yellow material covering the depleted-uranium dart is an oxidized corrosion product, containing uranyl ions and hydroxyls and/or water molecules, akin to schoepite. Therefore, the Djakovica dart shows evident oxidation and leaching processes, progressively releasing mobile uranium forms. As uranium will be progressively dispersed far from the impact sites, at a rate controlled by the presence of effective fixing mechanisms, we feel necessary to maintain long term geochemical control of water pollution within the battlefield surroundings.     

Aerosol particle number concentration measurements in five European cities using TSI-3022 condensation particle counter over a three-year period during health effects of air pollution on susceptible subpopulations

In this study, long-term aerosol particle total number concentration measurements in five metropolitan areas across Europe are presented. The measurements have been carried out in Augsburg, Barcelona, Helsinki, Rome, and Stockholm using the same instrument, a condensation particle counter (TSI model 3022). The results show that in all of the studied cities, the winter concentrations are higher than the summer concentrations. In Helsinki and in Stockholm, winter concentrations are higher by a factor of two and in Augsburg almost by a factor of three compared with summer months. The winter maximum of the monthly average concentrations in these cities is between 10,000 cm(-3) and 20,000 cm(-3), whereas the summer min is approximately 5000-6000 cm(-3). In Rome and in Barcelona, the winters are more polluted compared with summers by as much as a factor of 4-10. The winter maximum in both Rome and Barcelona is close to 100,000 cm(-3), whereas the summer minimum is > 10,000 cm(-3). During the weekdays the maximum of the hourly average concentrations in all of the cities is detected during the morning hours between 7 and 10 a.m. The evening maxima were present in Barcelona, Rome, and Augsburg, but these were not as pronounced as the morning ones. The daily maxima in Helsinki and Stockholm are close or even lower than the daily minima in the more polluted cities. The concentrations between these two groups of cities are different with a factor of about five during the whole day. The study pointed out the influence of the selection of the measurement site and the configuration of the sampling line on the observed concentrations.     

Competition for the home and aggressive behaviour in the chiton Acanthopleura gemmata (Blainville) (Mollusca: Polyplacophora)

Summary Computerized screening of all the positions recorded during a synodic month on 120 individually marked chitons (Acanthopleura gemmata) pinpointed their preferential resting points. Unlike the majority of intertidal chitons so far studied, A. gemmata rests in well-defined homes actively dug in the rock. Homes proved to be not strictly individual and periodically interchangeable. A complex aggressive behaviour was recorded in the field when two animals came in contact at home. When competing for ownership of a resting site rival chitons may suppress their nocturnal feeding activity. Despite its strong home-related territoriality A. gemmata showed no mutual exclusion on the feeding area. The highly specialized resting habits clearly protects A. gemmata from its most important predator, the toad fish Arothron immaculatus. The behaviour of A. gemmata is compared to that of other chitons and gastropods, and the current hypotheses concerning the adaptive value of the homing behaviour in littoral molluscs are discussed.     

Seasonal changes of locomotor activity patterns in ruin lizards Podarcis sicula

Seasonal differences in the locomotor activity pattern of Podarcis sicula held in constant conditions in the laboratory were found to be associated with systematic differences in both the freerunning period of locomotor rhythms () and the circadian activity time (). In order to establish whether the pineal played a role in the control of seasonal changes in circadian parameters, we examined the effects of pinealectomy in constant conditions on the locomotor behavior of lizards displaying the bimodal activity pattern typical of summer. In most lizards pinealectomy lengthened , shortened and abolished the bimodal activity pattern. Pinealectomy induced a sudden transition from the typical locomotor behavior of summer, characterized by a marked bimodal pattern, short and long , to the typical locomotor behavior of autumn, characterized by a unimodal pattern, a long and short . These results demonstrate that the pineal plays a central role in the seasonal reorganization of the circadian system that occurs in P. sicula.     

Heavy Metals in Liver and Muscle of Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) Caught in the Straits of Messina (Sicily, Italy)

The present investigation was carried out on the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) collected during the month of April 2003 from the Straits of Messina. The aim of this study is to determine heavy metal levels (Cd, Cu, Hg, Mn, Pb and Zn) in liver and muscle tissues of 14 Thunnus thynnus of different age and sex and to investigate the relationships between fish sex and size (length and weight and metal concentrations in the tissues. The concentrations of the various metals were determined by a Varian atomic absorption spectroscopy instrument. The results showsignificant variations (p < 0.01) for Hg and Zn concentrations in muscle than in liver samples. Concentrations of Cd and Pb are below the instrumental detection limits in almost all muscle samples. Levels of Hg (3.03 + 0.55 μg/g) are above the MRLs only in muscle (1μg/g) establishing toxicological risks for the consumer. Regression analysis shows a negative correlation between mercury level and weight and length in samples from both female and male. No significant difference between mean heavy metals concentrations and male or female tuna is seen. For greater food safety, it would be advisable to reduce the mercury intake by selecting safer fish, species and size and by the avoidance of tuna fish consumption by pregnant women, young children and old people, who are more sensitive to mercury exposure.     

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA): A controversial environmental pollutant

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is one of the most widely used brominated flame retardants and is extensively used in electronic equipment, furniture, plastics, and textiles. It is frequently detected in water, soil, air, and organisms, including humans, and has raised concerns in the scientific community regarding its potential adverse health effects. Human exposure to TBBPA is mainly via diet, respiration, and skin contact. Various in vivo and in vitro studies based on animal and cell models have demonstrated that TBBPA can induce multifaceted effects in cells and animals, and potentially exert hepatic, renal, neural, cardiac, and reproductive toxicities. Nevertheless, other reports have claimed that TBBPA might be a safe chemical. In this review, we re-evaluated most of the published TBBPA toxicological assessments with the goal of reaching a conclusion about its potential toxicity. We concluded that, although low TBBPA exposure levels and rapid metabolism in humans may signify that TBBPA is a safe chemical for the general population, particular attention should be paid to the potential effects of TBBPA on early developmental stages.     

A human embryonic stem cell-based in vitro model revealed that ultrafine carbon particles may cause skin inflammation and psoriasis

Air pollution has been linked to many health issues,including skin conditions,especially in children.Among all the atmospheric pollutants,ultrafine particles have been deemed very dangerous since they can readily penetrate the lungs and skin,and be absorbed into the bloodstream.Here,we employed a human embryonic stem cell(h ESC)-based differentiation system towards keratinocytes,to test the effects of ultrafine carbon particles,which mimic ambient ultrafine particles,at environment related concentrations.We found that10 ng/mL to 10 μg/mL ultrafine carbon particles down-regulated the expression of the pluripotency marker SOX2 in h ESCs.Moreover,1 μg/mL to 10 μg/mL carbon particle treatments disrupted the keratinocyte differentiation,and up-regulated inflammationand psoriasis-related genes,such as IL-1β,IL-6,CXCL1,CXCL2,CXCL3,CCL20,CXCL8,and S100 A7 and S100 A9,respectively.Overall,our results provide a new insight into the potential developmental toxicity of atmospheric ultrafine particles.     

Using Fallout Lead-210 Measurements to Estimate Soil Erosion in Three Small Catchments in Southern Italy

Soil erosion and associated off-site environmental impacts have attracted increasing attention in recent decades, and there is a growing need for reliable information on rates of soil loss. The potential for using ¹³⁷Cs fallout to quantify rates and patterns of soil redistribution over medium-term timescales (ca. 45 years) has been successfully demonstrated in a wide range of environments around the world. The similar behaviour of fallout ²¹⁰Pb in soils offers potential for its use as an alternative to ¹³⁷Cs, in areas where ¹³⁷Cs inventories are low or are complicated by additional fallout from the Chernobyl accident. There have, however, to date been few attempts to validate the use of fallout ²¹⁰Pb measurements for assessing erosion rates. This paper reports an attempt to explore the use of fallout ²¹⁰Pb to estimate rates of water-induced soil erosion on uncultivated land. It focuses on three small forest/rangeland catchments located in Calabria, southern Italy, for which measurements of sediment output are available. Comparison of the estimates of net soil loss from the catchments derived from ²¹⁰Pb measurements with the measured sediment output, confirmed the validity of the ²¹⁰Pb approach. The soil redistribution rates estimated using ²¹⁰Pb measurements were also consistent with equivalent estimates obtained for the same study catchments using ¹³⁷Cs measurements.     

Reducing the risks posed by natural hazards and climate change: the need for a participatory dialogue between the scientific community and policy makers

In the last two decades we witnessed a progressive shift in the approach towards the reduction of the impact of natural hazards. From a general reactive approach, focusing on strengthening disaster response mechanisms, we have moved to proactive approaches. There has been recognition that each element of society, from public institutions to private sector, from community-based organizations to every single individual, can make a difference by acting before disasters strike to reduce the associated risks of human and economic losses. This proactive approach can be summarized in three words: Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).Today, DRR is an approach used in several sectors and research areas. In the Development sphere, DRR is considered a key feature for sustainability of economic and development gains – especially for developing countries. Significantly, the United Nations Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (2009) is titled “Risk and poverty in a changing climate” highlighting the importance of DRR in reducing poverty while being a means to address the challenges posed by adaptation to climate change.This paper, which serves as an introduction to the special issue of Environment Science & Policy on climate change impact on water-related disasters, intends to provide readers with an overview of the main policy frameworks addressing DRR internationally and in Europe. Further, it aims to offer some “food for thought” on the underlying opportunities we have to enhance the resilience of our communities towards the risks posed by weather-related hazards. It stresses the importance of governance of risks, which starts from an effective dialogue between the scientific community and the policy makers: those who have the responsibility to decide on the most cost-effective interventions to address climate change adaptation and risk reduction.     

Investigating corporate social responsibility in supply chains: a SME perspective

This paper analyzes the practices adopted and difficulties experienced by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to transfer socially responsible behaviors to suppliers that operate in developing countries. In particular, a multiple case study was conducted on five Italian socially responsible SMEs. It was found that companies use different strategies as well as diverse management systems and tools to address Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) issues along their supply chains (SCs). The paper is innovative mainly since few are the existing studies that investigate the CSR practices adopted by SMEs in the SC. Furthermore, it is argued that our research can be helpful to SME managers willing to deal with CSR issues along their SCs, especially when developing countries are involved.