Hydrothermal carbonization of biomass and waste: A review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The replacement of traditional and non-renewable resources by shifting towards renewable-based strategies is a strategy implemented by the European Union...     

Effectiveness of potassium ferrate (VI) as a green agent in the treatment and disinfection of carwash wastewater

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Carwash wastewater treatment with potassium ferrate (VI) (K2FeO4) was optimized by response surface methodology. The optimum conditions for chemical...     

Essential and non-essential trace element concentrations in muscle and liver of a pregnant Munk’s pygmy devil ray (Mobula munkiana) and its embryo

During gestation, essential and non-essential trace elements are transferred from the pregnant females to embryos. This study aimed to determine and compare the concentrations of seven essential trace elements (Fe, Zn, Se, Cu, Mn, Cr, Co) and six non-essential trace elements (As, Cd, V, U, Tl, Ag) in the muscle and the liver of a Munk’s pygmy devil ray pregnant female, Mobula munkiana, and its embryo. Transfer evidence of essential and non-essential trace elements was detected in M. munkiana tissues. Arsenic was found in elevated concentrations in the pregnant female and the embryo tissues. Elevated levels of Cd, V, U, and Ag were found in the pregnant female liver, but were minimal in the embryo tissue. This is the first study to investigate maternal transfer of essential and non-essential trace elements in these species and their reproductive strategy.

     

Decadal changes in a NW Mediterranean Sea food web in relation to fishing exploitation

We analysed changes in the ecological roles of species, trophic structure and ecosystem functioning using four standardized mass-balance models of the South Catalan Sea (North-western Mediterranean). Models represented the ecosystem during the late 1970s, mid 1990s, early 2000s, and a simulated no-fishing scenario. The underlying hypothesis was that ecosystem models should quantitatively capture the increasing exploitation in the ecosystem from the 1970s to 2000s, as well as differences between the exploited and non-exploited scenarios. Biomass showed a general decrease, while there was an increase in biomass at lower trophic levels (TL) from the 1970s to 2000s. The efficiency of energy transfer (TE) from lower to higher TLs significantly increased with time. The ecosystem during the 1990s showed higher biomass and flows than during the 1970s and 2000s due to an increase in small pelagic fish biomass (especially sardines). Exploited food webs also showed similarities in terms of general structure and functioning due to high intensity of fishing already in the 1970s. This intensity was highlighted with low trophic levels in the catch, high consumption of production by fisheries, medium to high primary production required to sustain the catches and high losses in secondary production due to fishing. Significant differences on ecosystem structure and functioning were highlighted between the exploited and no-fishing scenarios. Biomass of higher TLs increased under the no-fishing scenario and the mean trophic level of the community and the fish/invertebrate biomass ratios were substantially lower in exploited food webs. The efficiency of energy transfer (TE) from lower to higher TLs was lower under the no-fishing scenario, and it showed a continuous decrease with increasing TL. Marine mammals, large hake, anglerfish and large pelagic fish were identified as keystone species of the ecosystem when there was no fishing, while their ecological importance notably decreased under the exploited periods. On the contrary, the importance of small-sized organisms such as benthic invertebrates and small pelagic fish was higher in exploited food webs.     

Organochlorine contaminants in the Vistula Lagoon sedimentation zone as possible source of lagoon recontamination

The presented results include decade of monitoring of the Vistula Lagoon waters and have been supplemented by the determination of chlorinated compounds, as well as on concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in the sedimentation zone. Monitoring of river waters entering the Polish part of the lagoon and the lagoon waters confirmed the presence of plant protection chemical; the largest contributors has lindane (34%) and DDT_total (21%); the same as for sediments were dominate lindane (19%) and DDT_total (14%) within pp-DDT isomer dominate (13%). In the lagoon water, PCDD/Fs were determined within a range of 1.5–5.6 ng dm^?3, leading to average toxicity of 0.18?±?0.13 ng TEQ·dm^?3. In sediments, their concentrations fell within a range of 22.7–405.7 ng kg^?1 dw and the average toxicity of the lagoon sediments was set at 5.00?±?1.98 ng TEQ·kg^?1 dw. Both in water and sediments, the greatest share among PCDD/Fs has octa-chlorodibenzodioxin. Due to the hydromorphological conditions of the lagoon, the waters are mixed to the bottom causing the surface layer of sediment to become remobilized—this is suggested as the key factor when it comes to water recontamination and increased access of POPs to marine organisms.     

Honeybees (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis mellifera</Emphasis>) as a biological barrier for contamination of honey by environmental toxic metals

The aim of the study was to investigate the transfer of toxic metals from honeybee workers (Apis mellifera L.) to bee honey in relation to the ecological state of the environment. The materials of the study consisted of samples of honeybee bodies and varietal honeys taken from the same apiary located in three areas: R1—urbanized (16), R2—ecologically clean (16) and R3—industrialized (15) of south-eastern Poland. The contents of 14 elements in all tested samples, including toxic metals (Cd, Pb, Hg, Al, Ni, Tl) as well as bioelements (K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Se), were analysed by the ICP-OES method with prior microwave mineralization. The concentrations of the majority of the studied elements, excluding aluminum and lead, were significantly higher in bee bodies than in honey samples (P?<?0.05). The pollution of bee bodies by toxic metals was dependent on the environmental cleanliness, and the most pollution was observed in the industrialized area. The bee body was the most effective barrier for Cd and Tl transfer to the honey, while the level of Ni was similar in both tested materials. The Al concentration was significantly higher in honey than bee bodies (14.81?±?24.69 and 6.51?±?5.83 mg kg^?1, respectively), which suggests the possibility of secondary contamination of honey. The greatest sensitivity to heavy metal pollution was observed in honeydew honey compared to nectar honeys (P?<?0.05). It was proved for the first time that bees work as biofilters for toxic metals and prevent honey contamination.     

The Impact of Succession Stage on Share and Traits of Clonal Plants in Abandoned <Emphasis Type="Italic">Molinion caeruleae</Emphasis> Meadows

The impact of succession stage on the share of clonal plants in the plant cover, seed rain and seedling pool has been studied in the years 2014 and 2015. The investigations were carried out in abandoned Molinion caeruleae meadows dominated by small-statured species (Patch I), tall growing large-tussock grasses (Patch II) and shrub-willows (Patch III). Although the clonal taxa dominated in the plant cover, seed rain and seedling pool, their share in subsequent study sites was quite different. The spectra of life-history traits relevant to clonality in the plant cover and seed rain were similar and did not vary significantly among subsequent locations, while they mostly differed as observed in the seedling pool. The various spectra observed in seedling pool in subsequent study sites might be due to fact that the seed germination and recruitment of offspring are strongly influenced by habitat conditions which varied remarkably in the successive Patches.     

Life cycle assessment tool of electricity generation in Portugal

This paper investigates multi-stakeholder arrangements initiated by businesses and NGOs from the North that aim to enhance a more sustainable agricultural production at specific localities in Southern countries. We aim to better understand the search for concerted action in multi-actor arrangements. Therefore, this paper presents a diagnostic framework with three strategic challenges the partnership projects are facing: linking global economic objectives to local needs, values and interests; bridging public and private interests and responsibilities; and seeking trade-offs between social, environmental and economic values. Starting from the partnerships’ Theory of Change, this diagnostic framework is applied to comparative case studies of partnership projects in the cocoa sector in Indonesia, which are part of a Northern-based public–private partnership to improve farmers’ prospective. It is concluded that the economic reality faced by the farmers differs from that of the Northern actors; collaboration with governments is difficult because of different organizational cultures; and the partnership projects underestimate the strength of vested social relations the smallholders are part of. Overall, the initiators of the partnerships seem to work with a too restricted economic interpretation of the local reality.     

Trees on the move: using decision theory to compensate for climate change at the regional scale in forest social-ecological systems

Regional Environmental Change - The adaptation of social-ecological systems such as managed forests depends largely on decisions taken by forest managers who must choose among a wide range of...     

The impact of pesticides on oxidative stress level in human organism and their activity as an endocrine disruptor

Pesticides cause serious environmental and health problems both to humans and animals. The aim of this review is to discuss selected herbicides and fungicides regarding their mode of action and their influence on basic oxidative stress parameters and endocrine disruption properties tested in selected cell cultures in vitro. Because of numerous difficulties which animal studies are subject to, cell cultures are an excellent experimental model reflecting human exposure to different pesticides through all relevant routes. This experimental model can be used to monitor aggregate and cumulative pesticide exposures.