Environmental fate of chlordecone in coastal habitats: recent studies conducted in Guadeloupe and Martinique (Lesser Antilles)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The organochlorine pollution by chlordecone, an insecticide spread in the past in banana plantations, is now recognized as a major ecological,...     

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), a collaborative activity of clinical genetic departments and IVF centres

An Erratum has been published for this article in Prenatal Diagnosis 22 (5) 2002, 451. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) requires the combined efforts of geneticists and workers in the field of reproductive medicine. This was studied on the basis of a questionnaire, sent to 35 members of the PGD Consortium of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). A reply was obtained from 20 centres. They represent the majority of activities in the field of PGD in the world. It is obvious that many of the activities (in vitro fertilisation, embryo culture and biopsy) take place in IVF units while others (counselling and diagnosis) are the responsibility of genetic diagnostic centres. The distances between both units vary considerably. In all but one centre sex determination is offered. Aneuploidy screening is offered in 13 out of 20 centres. PGD of translocations and other structural chromosome abnormalities is offered in all but one centre. The number of monogenic diseases offered varies considerably. In comparison to prenatal diagnosis PGD is more expensive. The majority of these costs are due to the IVF or ICSI procedure. The charges for PGD vary between about € 600 and € 4000. In 16 out of 20 centres the parents to be must sign an informed consent form. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Plastic pollution threat in Africa: current status and implications for aquatic ecosystem health

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Rapid population growth and poor waste management practice are among the main drivers of plastic pollution in modern times, thus making Africa a...     

Industrial ecosystems as technological niches

In this paper we consider industrial ecology as a novel and distinct state in the evolution of production systems trajectory. More specifically, adopting an evolutionary institutionalist's perspective at the socio-technical system level of analysis, we discuss the transition towards an industrial ecology-inspired industrial production system through the governance approach of strategic niche management (SNM). Towards this end, the paper first develops industrial ecology as a novel state of the industrial production socio-technical system paying particular attention at its technological component, then it discusses in detail the transition of this system through SNM, and examines whether existing implementations of the industrial ecology (industrial ecosystems and eco-industrial parks) are efforts embracing this philosophy and transition procedures. We conclude by stressing the importance of adopting the technology policy and strategic niche management perspectives in eco-industrial projects and we provide insights for accomplishing it in a more effective manner.     

Gender roles and economics of exploitation,processing and marketing of bivalves and impacts on forest resources in the Sanaga Delta region of Douala-Edea Wildlife Reserve,Cameroon

Socio-economic surveys were carried out in the Malimba and Mouanko communities in the Sanaga delta region of the Douala-Edea Wildlife Reserve, Cameroon, on the exploitation, processing and marketing of bivalves, with emphasis on gender aspects and impacts on the surrounding forest resources. Sixty people from 16 villages were sampled using a structured questionnaire with field observations documented during the peak fishing period (November 2000–June 2001). Results indicated a strong gender differentiation in the activity, with males dominating bivalve harvesting and shell processing and women dominating the processing for meat. Monthly bivalve meat production of 32.9 tons (197.4 tons per year) generated revenues of 65.4 million FCFA (74.9 million per year). Monthly shell production was put at 1380 tons (8040 tons per year) generating a monthly revenue of 74 million FCFA (444 million per year). Problems faced during exploitation, processing and marketing stages include physical, health and socio-economic: use of very depreciable rudimentary tools, shell injuries, fire and hot water burns, insect pests; blindness, deafness; inadequate storage facilities, transport and remoteness of the area. Bivalve processing activities using wood contributed to a total annual harvest of 50 986 m³ from the surrounding forest. Sustainable conservation measures geared towards poverty alleviation are proposed.     

Population dynamics,rural livelihoods and forest protection projects in Sub-Saharan Africa: experiences from Santa,Cameroon

The study examines mainstream efforts to rehabilitate and conserve forests in Cameroon, and concludes that technocratic blueprints will always flounder when they come face-to-face with the real world of complex human relations in poverty-stricken societies. These result from the failure to integrate concerns relating to rights, needs and priorities of rural communities, who are the local natural resource users. The paper argues that when rural livelihoods are affected negatively, the adjacent forest communities often respond in ways involving conflict, illegal exploitation of resources and apathy, which makes the realisation of conservation goals very remote. There is, therefore, need for a broader perspective that links environmental protection with human welfare. Consequently, the study advocates that Social Impact Assessment (SIA) be an integral part of such conservation projects if success is to be achieved.     

Respective influence of habitat conditions and management regimes on prealpine calcareous grasslands

The calcareous grasslands of the south-western French Alps have been poorly studied, although they provide suitable habitat for rare plant species and communities. The separate and combined effects on calcareous grassland communities of habitat conditions (lithology, soil moisture) and management regimes (grazing intensity, cutting regime) were studied using constrained ordination techniques (canonical correspondence analysis with variance partitioning). Among the explanatory variables considered, the most important factor determining floristic composition was lithology, which explained 11.9% of floristic variability, followed by grazing intensity (6.0%). Additive effects of management and lithology explained 23.9% of floristic variability. Species niche amplitude was measured by conditional variances of samples along main ordination axes, in order to define adequate conservation management for the rarest short-lived species with narrow niche breadth on both habitat and management gradients.     

Post-project analysis: The use of a network diagram for environmental evaluation of the Barekese Dam, Kumasi, Ghana

The paper presents an evaluation of post-project impacts of the Barekese Dam on three riparian communities downstream about 30 years after its construction. A network diagram, which incorporated a mathematical model, was used for impact identification and analysis. The expected environmental impacts, expressed as quantitative weighted impact scores, showed that the dam appeared to have exerted adverse impacts on the environmental quality of the communities. The impacts in the communities, however, increased with relative distances away from the dam and the river suggestive of cumulative impacts transmitted downstream. Strategic measures for improving environmental quality of the communities have been given.