Risk assessment of pesticide runoff from turf

The TurfPQ model was used to simulate the runoff of 15 pesticides commonly applied to creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) fairways and greens on golf courses in the northeastern USA. Simulations produced 100-yr daily records of water runoff, pesticide runoff, and pesticide concentration in runoff for three locations: Boston, MA, Philadelphia, PA, and Rochester, NY. Results were summarized as annual and monthly means and annual maximum daily loads (AMDLs) corresponding to 10- and 20-yr return periods. Mean annual pesticide runoff loads did not exceed 3% of annual applications for any pesticide or site, and most losses were substantially less than 1% of application. However, annual or monthly mean concentrations of chlorothalonil, iprodione, and PCNB in fairway runoff often exceeded concentrations that result in 50% mortality of the affected species (LC50) for aquatic organisms. Concentrations of azoxystrobin, bensulide, cyfluthrin, and trichlorfon in extreme (1 in 10 yr or 1 in 20 yr) events often approached or exceeded LC50 levels. Concentrations of halofenozide, mancozeb, MCPP, oxadiazon, propiconazole, thiophanate-methyl, triadimefon, and trinexapac-ethyl were well below LC50 levels, and turf runoff of these chemicals does not appear to be hazardous to aquatic life in surface waters.     

The Roles of Introduced Rats and Commercial Fishing in the Decline of Ancient Murrelets on Langara Island, British Columbia

I examined the decline of Ancient Murrelets ( Synthliboramphus antiquus ), a small, burrow-nesting seabird, at Langara Island. The island's seabird colony was historically one of the largest colonies of Ancient Murrelets in British Columbia—perhaps in the world—with an estimated 200,000 nesting pairs. I reviewed historical information and compared the results of surveys from 1981 and 1988 that employed the same census protocol. The extent of the colony, a potential index of population size, declined from 101 ha in 1981 to 48 ha in 1988. Burrow density increased during the same period, however, suggesting that the colony bad consolidated. In 1988, the population estimate was 24,200 ± 4000 (S.E.) breeding pairs compared to 22,000 ± 3700 in 1981. in 1988, 29% of the burrows that were completely searched contained bones of Ancient Murrelets. Bones were most common in burrows located in abandoned areas of the colony and were least common where burrow occupancy was high. The discovery of adult Ancient Murrelets killed in their burrows by introduced rats, combined with the high proportion of burrows with bones, suggests that rats ( Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus ) have contributed significantly to the decline of the population. In addition, the presence and activities of a salmon-fishing fleet in the 1950s and 1960s may also be linked to the decline of the Langara Ancient Murrelet population during that period because these fisheries are known to have caused heavy mortality through fatal light attraction and drowning in gill nets. The combined effects of ongoing predation by introduced rats and—to a lesser extent—previous, episodic fishery-induced mortality are probable causes for the population decline.     

Water Resources Research Prioritization and Management-Problems and Perspectives1

ABSTRACT: At a time when productive water resources research is essential to protecting the quality of and wisely using our limited water resources, pervasive trends toward consumerism, fiscal restraint, centralized management, and using research for other social objectives threaten research productivity. The research prioritization and management structure that these trends have created was examined in the microcosm of its application at the Utah Water Research Laboratory. The result indicated that ephemeral prioritization and the failure of research users to target researchers to their own particular needs is diluting productivity. Incremental research prioritization and greater use of advisory councils in facilitating user-researcher interaction are suggested as corrective approaches, but the only firm conclusion at this point in time must be that empirical studies of the performance of alternatives in research management structure are solely needed.     

Skin lipids of the striped plateau lizard (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sceloporus virgatus</Emphasis>) correlate with female receptivity and reproductive quality alongside visual ornaments

Sex pheromones can perform a variety of functions ranging from revealing the location of suitable mates to being honest signals of mate quality, and they are used in the mate selection process by many species of reptile. In this study, we determined whether the skin lipids of female striped plateau lizards (Sceloporus virgatus) can predict the reproductive quality of females, thereby having the potential to serve as pheromones. Using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, we identified 17 compounds present in skin lipids of female lizards. Using principal component analysis to compare the skin lipid profile of receptive and non-receptive females, we determined that an uncharacterized compound may allow for chemical identification of receptive mates. We also compared extracted principal components to measures of female fitness and reproductive qualities and found that the level of two 18 carbon fatty acids present in a female’s skin lipids may indicate her clutch size. Finally, we compared the information content of the skin lipids to that of female-specific color ornaments to assess whether chemical and visual cues transmit different information or not. We found that the chroma of a female’s orange throat patch is also related to her clutch size, suggesting that chemical signals may reinforce the information communicated by visual ornamentation in this species which would support the “backup signals” hypothesis for multiple signals.     

Coastal flooding in the Northeastern United States due to climate change

With dense population and development along its coastline, the northeastern United States is, at present, highly vulnerable to coastal flooding. At five sea level stations in the United States, from Massachusetts to New Jersey, sea level rise (SLR) trends and tidal effects were removed from the hourly sea level time series and then frequency analysis was performed on the positive remaining anomalies that represent storm surge heights. Then using eustatic SLR estimates for lower and higher greenhouse gas emissions scenarios and assumed trends in local sea level rise, new recurrence intervals were determined for future storm surges. Under the higher emissions scenario, by 2050, the elevation of the 2005 100-year event may be equaled or exceeded at least every 30 years at all sites. In more exposed US cities such as Boston, Massachusetts and Atlantic City, New Jersey, this could occur at the considerably higher frequency of every 8 years or less. Under the lower emissions scenario, by 2050, the elevation of the 2005 100-year event may be equaled or exceeded at least every 70 years at all sites. In Boston and Atlantic City, this could occur every 30 years or less.     

Investigation of biomass waste biochar production to act as matrix for urea

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - In this work, the synthesis of biochar from several biomass wastes to act as matrix for urea was investigated. The objective was to select the most...     

Copper and lead ion removal from wastewater using fava d’anta fodder (Dimorphandra gardneriana Tulasne)

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - The contamination of bodies of water by potentially hazardous elements has in recent decades become an environmental problem that poses serious risks to...     

气相色谱法观测本底大气中的甲烷和二氧化碳

根据世界气象组织全球大气监测（ＷＭＯ／ＧＡＷ）开展全球温室气体监测的要求，建立了气相色谱（ＧＣ）法甲烷和二氧化碳（ＣＨ４／ＣＯ２）连续观测系统，概述了该系统厍拿大大气环境局（ＡＥＳ）５个月的组装调试，以及在中国大气本底基准台（ＣＧＡＷＢＯ＿一年多时间里的业务运行和标定情况，且装调试和运动标定，与红餐吸收（ＮＤＩＲ）法，气瓶采样－实验室分析（ＦＬＡＳＫ）法数据，以及与上其它台站观测资料的对比结果表明     

Food contamination as a pathway for lead exposure in children during the 2010–2013 lead poisoning epidemic in Zamfara, Nigeria

In 2010, an estimated 400 to 500 children died of acute lead poisoning associated with artisanal gold mining in Zamfara, Nigeria. Processing of gold ores containing up to 10% lead within residential compounds put residents, especially children, at the highest risk. Principal routes of exposure were incidental ingestion and inhalation of contaminated soil and dusts. Several Nigerian and international health organizations collaborated to reduce lead exposures through environmental remediation and medical treatment. The contribution of contaminated food to total lead exposure was assessed during the environmental health response. Objectives of this investigation were to assess the influence of cultural/dietary habits on lead exposure pathways and estimate the contribution of contaminated food to children's blood lead levels(BLLs). A survey of village dietary practices and staple food lead content was conducted to determine dietary composition, caloric intakes, and lead intake. Potential blood lead increments were estimated using bio-kinetic modeling techniques. Most dietary lead exposure was associated with contamination of staple cereal grains and legumes during post-harvest processing and preparation in contaminated homes. Average post-harvest and processed cereal grain lead levels were 0.32 mg/kg and 0.85 mg/kg dry weight, respectively. Age-specific food lead intake ranged from 7 to 78 μg/day. Lead ingestion and absorption were likely aggravated by the dusty environment, fasting between meals, and nutritional deficiencies. Contamination of staple cereal grains by highly bioavailable pulverized ores could account for as much as 11%–34% of children's BLLs during the epidemic, and were a continuing source after residential soil remediation until stored grain inventories were exhausted.