Compliance with ivory trade regulations in the United Kingdom among traders

Global demand for elephant ivory is contributing to illegal poaching and significant decline of African elephant (Loxondonta africana) populations. To help mitigate decline, countries with legal domestic ivory markets were recommended by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to close domestic markets for commercial trade. However, implementing stricter regulations on wildlife trade does not necessarily mean compliance with rules will follow. Using an online questionnaire, we examined the relationship between self-reported compliance with ivory trade regulations among 115 ivory traders in the United Kingdom and 4 dimensions (control, deterrence, legitimacy, and social norms) hypothesized to influence compliance with conservation regulations. Although most traders supported regulations, a large number did not always check that they comply with them when trading objects containing ivory. The main factors influencing compliance with ivory trade regulations were traders’ ability to comply and their perceptions of the regulations and punishments to deter illegal trade. These findings demonstrate the utility of conservation criminology to improve wildlife trade regulations and identify opportunities to reduce illegal ivory entering the market in the United Kingdom. Compliance could be improved by clearer regulations that facilitate easier detection of illegal ivory products and stronger prosecution of violations.     

Fenvalerate concentrations in a mineral and an organic soil receiving multiple applications during the growing season

Abstract

Fenvalerate EC at 140 g AI/ha was applied 7 times at 2 wk intervals to duplicate plots of Plainfield sand and an organic soil contained in 2.2 x 0.9 m field microplots with and without an onion crop present in 1980 and 1981 respectively. Soil samples were taken immediately before and after each application and at 2, 4, and 6 wk after the last application in 1980. Additional samples were taken at 22 and 34 wk for the 1981 treatment. Concentrations of fenvalerate were determined by glc. In the crop‐free mineral soil, fenvalerate levels declined from. 0.07–0.11 ppm immediately after spraying to 0.01–0.03 ppm after 2 wk; in the organic soil the rate of addition of fenvalerate exceeded the rate of disappearance and the concentration in the soil gradually increased over the 14 wk treatment period to the 0.9–1.0 ppm range. This concentration decreased slowly over the next 10 wk to 0.7–0.8 ppm and was still 0.5–0.7 ppm the following spring. Results were similar for cropped soils. Concentrations in the top third of the 15 cm cores were 6x and 15x those in the middle third for sand and organic soil, respectively. Concentrations, in the onions at harvest were <0.01 ppm.     

The chemical stability of formulations of some hydrolyzable insecticides in aqueous mixtures with hydrolysis catalysts

Abstract

The active ingredients in commercial formulations of malathion, oxamyl, carbaryl, diazinon, and chlorpyrifos diluted to “spray tank”; concentrations with buffered distilled or natural water of pH 4–9 were stable for at least 24 hr. Formulations of trichlorfon were not stable at pH 7 or above but disappearance rates were slower than for the pure chemical in homogeneous solution. Cupric ion was observed to be an effective catalyst for the hydrolysis of a variety of pure organophosphorus insecticides but did not catalyze hydrolysis of the active ingredients of the formulations examined. Increasing the dilution of the formulation increased the susceptibility of malathion, oxamyl, and carbaryl to hydrolysis.     

The persistence of insecticidal chemicals in soils treated with granular formulations of aldicarb and their uptake by potato plants

Abstract

Potatoes were grown in Plainfield sand and muck treated, in furrow, with aldicarb (Temik 15G, 3.36 kg Al/ha). .Soils were contained in 2 m^z field plots and had not been treated previously with pesticides. Soil, seed pieces, foliage and tubers were analyzed for the insecticide and its sulfoxide and sulfone metabolites during the 12 wk following planting. The disappearance of aldicarb from the soil was accompanied by partial conversion to the sulfoxide and sulfone. After increasing rapidly during the first 2 wk, the aldicarb concentration in the seed piece declined and a similar concentration of aldicarb sulfoxide accumulated which subsequently slowly disappeared. Aldicarb sulfoxide was the major insecticidal material in the new foliage. High initial concentrations, observed at 3–4 wk, declined by about 90% after 6 wk. Aldicarb sulfoxide residues of 2–4 ppm in the first new tubers at 6 wk declined by 90% by 12 wk. Potatoes were also grown under greenhouse conditions in Plainfield sand treated with Temik 10G at rates equivalent to 1.68, 3.36 and 6.72 kg Al/ha. Maximum aldicarb sulfoxide concentrations in soil, seed piece and foliage increased with application rate. The sulfoxide was much more persistent in the soil and foliage than in the field experiment indicating the importance of environmental factors to its behaviour in both soil and potato plants.     

The Indigenous Fisherman Divers of Thailand: Diving Practices

Diving practices of a group of indigenous people living on Thailand’s west coast were investigated. Village chiefs were first interviewed using a questionnaire. Three hundred and forty-two active divers were then interviewed by health care workers using a second questionnaire. Field observation was used to further develop information and confirm diving practices. Divers in 6 villages, whose basic means of making a living is from diving for marine products such as fish and shellfish, have diving patterns that put them at substantial risk of decompression illness. Breathing air from a primitive compressor through approximately 100 m of air hose, these divers have long bottom times coupled with short surface intervals. Forty-six point two percent of the divers indicated that they would not make a stop during ascent from a long deep dive (40 m for 30 min). When comparing their previous day of diving to the U.S. Navy Standard Air Decompression Table (U.S. Navy, 1993), 72.1% exceeded the no-decompression limits set by the tables. Diving patterns point to a need for more in-depth research into the diving patterns of this indigenous group. Future research should include the use of dive logging devices to record depths and times. There is also a need to provide divers with information and training to reinforce positive practices and strengthen knowledge of the risks associated with their current diving practices.     

A Methodology for Assessing Blast Protection in Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bomb Suits

To reduce human casualties associated with explosive ordnance disposal, a wide range of protective wear has been designed to shield against the blast effects of improvised explosive devices and munitions. In this study, 4 commercially available bomb suits, representing a range of materials and armor masses, were evaluated against 0.227 and 0.567 kg of spherical C-4 explosives to determine the level of protection offered to the head, neck, and thorax.

A Hybrid III dummy, an instrumented human surrogate [1], was tested with and without protection from the 4 commercially available bomb suits. 20 tests with the dummy torso mounted to simulate a kneeling position were performed to confirm repeatability and robustness of the dummies, as well as to evaluate the 4 suits. Correlations between injury risk assessments based on past human or animal injury model data and various parameters such as bomb suit mass, projected area, and dummy coverage area were drawn.     

Stationary sources of airborne lead: a comparison of emissions data for southern California

Estimates for the air releases of lead from stationary point sources are considered for the South Coast Air Basin of California. We have examined four databases published by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Air Resources Board, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Our analysis indicates that none of the databases includes every emitting facility in the South Coast Air Basin of California and that other discrepancies among the databases exist. Additionally, the data have been analyzed for temporal variation, and some of the California Air Resources Board data are not current. The South Coast Air Quality Management District inventory covers 12 times more facilities in 2001 than in 1996. From this analysis, we conclude that all four of the databases would benefit by sharing data, increasing transparency, analyzing uncertainty, and standardizing emission estimation methods.     

Applications of Turbidity Monitoring to Forest Management in California

Many California streams have been adversely affected by sedimentation caused by historic and current land uses, including timber harvesting. The impacts of timber harvesting and logging transportation systems on erosion and sediment delivery can be directly measured, modeled, or inferred from water quality measurements. California regulatory agencies, researchers, and land owners have adopted turbidity monitoring to determine effects of forest management practices on suspended sediment loads and water quality at watershed, project, and site scales. Watershed-scale trends in sediment discharge and responses to current forest practices may be estimated from data collected at automated sampling stations that measure turbidity, stream flow, suspended sediment concentrations, and other water quality parameters. Future results from these studies will provide a basis for assessing the effectiveness of modern forest practice regulations in protecting water quality. At the project scale, manual sampling of water column turbidity during high stream flow events within and downstream from active timber harvest plans can identify emerging sediment sources. Remedial actions can then be taken by managers to prevent or mitigate water quality impacts. At the site scale, manual turbidity sampling during storms or high stream flow events at sites located upstream and downstream from new, upgraded, or decommissioned stream crossings has proven to be a valuable way to determine whether measures taken to prevent post-construction erosion and sediment production are effective. Turbidity monitoring at the project and site scales is therefore an important tool for adaptive management. Uncertainty regarding the effects of current forest practices must be resolved through watershed-scale experiments. In the short term, this uncertainty will stimulate increased use of project and site-scale monitoring.     

Groundwater Denitrification Capacity of Riparian Zones in Suburban and Agricultural Watersheds1

Watson, Tara K., Dorothy Q. Kellogg, Kelly Addy, Arthur J. Gold, Mark H. Stolt, Sean W. Donohue, and Peter M. Groffman, 2010. Groundwater Denitrification Capacity of Riparian Zones in Suburban and Agricultural Watersheds. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(2):237-245. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00418.x Abstract: We evaluated the relationship of dominant watershed land use to the structure and nitrogen (N) sink function of riparian zones. We focused on groundwater denitrification capacity, water table dynamics, and the presence and pattern of organically enriched deposits. We used the push-pull method (measurement of ¹⁵N-enriched denitrification gases derived from an introduced groundwater plume of ¹⁵N-enriched nitrate) to evaluate groundwater denitrification capacity on nine forested wetland riparian sites developed in alluvial or outwash parent materials in southern New England. Three replicate sites were located in each of the three watershed types, those with substantial (1) irrigated agriculture, (2) suburban development, and (3) forest. Soil morphology and water table dynamics were assessed at each site. We found significantly lower mean annual water tables at sites within watersheds with substantial irrigated agriculture or suburban development than forested watersheds. Water table dynamics were more variable at sites within suburban watersheds, especially during the summer. Groundwater denitrification capacity was significantly greater at sites within forested watersheds than in watersheds with substantial irrigated agriculture. Because of the high degree of variability observed in riparian sites within suburban watersheds, groundwater denitrification capacity was not significantly different from either forested or agricultural watersheds. The highly variable patterns of organically enriched deposits and water tables at sites within suburban watersheds suggests that depositional events are irregular, limiting the predictability of groundwater N dynamics in these riparian zones. The variability of riparian N removal in watersheds with extensive suburbia or irrigated agriculture argues for N management strategies emphasizing effective N source controls in these settings.     

Ripples in a pond: an open system model of the evolution of safety culture.

The development of an effective safety culture is essential to promote safe operations. Previous studies have either identified the characteristics of effective safety culture analytically, inferring them from signs and symbols derived from working practices, or have restricted the study of the development of safety culture to workers within an organisation. This paper describes a large-scale survey-based study in which the factors influencing the evolution of safety culture are identified empirically and, drawing upon open systems theory, are also extended beyond the bounds of the organisation. Three major determinants of safety culture are identified: safety concerns, influences and actions. Sub-components within each of these categories are also identified and the relationship between them is hypothesised.