<Emphasis Type="Bold">Tracing lead contamination in foods in the city of Kolkata,India</Emphasis>

Lead isotopic ratios (LIR) of eight common food items, street dust, coal, diesel, sediments, lead ore and rainwater from India have been reported for the first time in this paper. This study characterized the source and extent of lead pollution in the different foodstuff consumed in Kolkata, a major metropolis of eastern India. The atmospheric lead input to the food items, sold openly in busy roadside markets of the city, has been quantified. The mean 207/206 and 208/206 LIRs of the eight food items ranged from 0.8847 to 0.8924 and 2.145 to 2.167, respectively. Diesel had the highest mean 207/206 and 208/206 values of 0.9015 and 2.1869, respectively, apart from the lead ore. The food items had a mean lead concentration between 3.78 and 43.35 mg kg^?1. The two ratio scatter plots of all the different environmental matrices were spread linearly between the uncontaminated Ichapur sediment and diesel. The 207/206 LIRs of the coal with a mean of 0.8777 did not fall in the linear trend, while the street dust and food samples overlapped strongly. The rainwater sample had a 207/206 LIR of 0.9007. Contaminated sediments in Dhapa, the repository of the city’s municipal garbage, had a mean 207/206 LIR of 0.8658. The corresponding value obtained from the sewage-fed vegetable grown there was 0.8058. The present study indicated that diesel was one of the main contributor to Pb pollution. The atmospheric lead contribution to the food items was in the range of 68.48–86.66 %.     

Re-politicising water governance: exploring water re-allocations in terms of justice

Contemporary socio-economic transformations in South Asia are creating increasingly serious water problems (scarcity, flooding, pollution) and conflicts. Conflicts over water distribution, water-derived benefits, and risks often play out along axes of social differentiation like caste, wealth, and gender. Those with least power, rights, and voice suffer lack of access, exclusion, dispossession, and further marginalisation, resulting in livelihood insecurity or increased vulnerability to risks. In this paper we propose analysing these problems as problems of justice – problems of distribution, recognition, and political participation. Drawing on wider environmental justice approaches, a specific water justice focus needs to include both the specific characteristics of water as a resource and the access, rights, and equity dimensions of its control. We argue that recognising water problems as problems of justice requires a re-politicisation of water, as mainstream approaches to water resources, water governance, and legislation tend to normalise or naturalise their – basically political – distributional assumptions and implications. An interdisciplinary approach that sees water as simultaneously natural (material) and social is important here. We illustrate these conceptual and theoretical suggestions with evidence from India.     

The Definition of Brownfield

This paper discusses the need for a more robust definition of the term 'brownfield' from a multidisciplinary perspective. It examines the issues involved in constructing an agreed and accepted definition and its importance with regard to UK government policy. Current usage of the term 'brownfield' and related terminology is reviewed. The paper proposes that: a brownfield site is any land or premises which has previously been used or developed and is not currently fully in use, although it may be partially occupied or utilized. It may also be vacant, derelict or contaminated. Therefore a brownfield site is not necessarily available for immediate use without intervention. Interpretation of the terminology incorporated with the definition is presented herein. The definition is subsequently evaluated with respect to the views of different stakeholder groups involved in the redevelopment of brownfield sites.     

How changing fire management policies affect fire seasonality and livelihoods

There is a long history of fire management in African savannas, but knowledge of historical and current use of fire is scarce in savanna-woodland biomes. This study explores past and present fire management practices and perceptions of the Khwe (former hunter-gatherers) and Mbukushu (agropastoralists) communities as well as government and non-government stakeholders in Bwabwata National Park in north-east Namibia. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were used in combination with satellite data (from 2000 to 2015), to investigate historical and current fire management dynamics. Results show that political dynamics in the region disrupted traditional fire practices, specifically a policy of fire suppression was initiated by colonial governments in 1888 and maintained during independence until 2005. Both the Khwe and Mbukushu communities use early season (i.e. between April and July) fires for diverse interrelated historical and current livelihood activities, and park management for managing late season fires. The Mbukushu community also use late season burns to prepare land for crops. In this study, we use a pyrogeographic framework to understand the human dimension of fires. This study reveals how today’s fire management practices and policies, specifically the resurgence of early season burning are entrenched in the past. Understanding and acknowledging the social and cultural dynamics of fire, alongside participatory stakeholder engagement is critical for managing fires in the future.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01351-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for single gene disorders: experience with five single gene disorders

We report our experience of 14 preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) cycles in eight couples carrying five different single gene disorders, during the last 18 months. Diagnoses were performed for myotonic dystrophy (DM), cystic fibrosis (CF) [ΔF508 and exon 4 (621+1 G>T)], fragile X and CF simultaneously, and two disorders for which PGD had not been previously attempted, namely neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) and Crouzon syndrome. Diagnoses for single gene disorders were carried out on ideally two blastomeres biopsied from Day 3 embryos. A highly polymorphic marker was included in each diagnosis to control against contamination. For the dominant disorders, where possible, linked polymorphisms provided an additional means of determining the genotype of the embryo hence reducing the risk of misdiagnosis due to allele dropout (ADO). Multiplex fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (F-PCR) was used in all cases, followed by fragment analysis and/or single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) for genotyping. Embryo transfer was performed in 13 cycles resulting in one biochemical pregnancy for CF, three normal deliveries (a twin and a singleton) and one early miscarriage for DM and a singleton for Crouzon syndrome. In each case the untransferred embryos were used to confirm the diagnoses performed on the biopsied cells. The results were concordant in all cases. The inclusion of a polymorphic marker allowed the detection of extraneous DNA contamination in two cells from one case. Knowing the genotype of the contaminating DNA allowed its origin to be traced. All five pregnancies were obtained from embryos in which two blastomeres were biopsied for the diagnosis. Our data demonstrate the successful strategy of using multiplex PCR to simultaneously amplify the mutation site and a polymorphic locus, fluorescent PCR technology to achieve greater sensitivity, and two-cell biopsy to increase the efficiency and success of diagnoses. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conversion of chicken feather waste via hydrothermal carbonization: process optimization and the effect of hydrochar on seed germination of Acacia auriculiformis

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Using statistical response surface methodology this paper primarily investigates the role of process parameters at different levels (temperature,...     

The 2001 National Household Travel Survey: a look into the travel patterns of older Americans

INTRODUCTION: The main objective of this paper is to highlight travel patterns of older adults living in the United States as depicted in the 2001 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). The NHTS is a national data collection program sponsored by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and the Federal Highway Administration. It is the first national comprehensive household survey of both daily and long-distance travel, allowing for analysis of the full continuum of personal travel by Americans. To better understand the transportation needs of older Americans, it is useful to examine how travel patterns differ across age groups. The intent is to present basic travel characteristics of older adults (age 65+) and allow for comparisons with younger adults (ages 19-64). Travel-related characteristics of older adults in the United States: Results of the 2001 survey showed that older Americans travel extensively and rely on personal vehicles as heavily as their younger counterparts. Older Americans conduct 89% of their travel in personal vehicles. CHARACTERISTICS OF DAILY TRIPS TAKEN BY OLDER ADULTS: Older adults tend to be less mobile in that they take fewer trips, travel shorter distances, and have shorter travel times. This pattern is even more pronounced among older women. They are also more likely to suffer from self-reported medical conditions that further limit their travel. Characteristics of long-distance travel by older adults: Older men and women take long-distance trips at about the same rates and show a strong preference for using personal vehicles. And, while men and women take an equal percentage of their trips by air, older women show a strong preference for bus travel. CONCLUSIONS: Although older Americans travel extensively, they are less mobile than their younger counterparts. This pattern is more pronounced among older women and among those with self-reported medical conditions that affect their ability to travel outside their home. Older women consistently take the least number of trips per day, have the lowest driving rates, travel the shortest distances, and are more likely to report medical conditions that limit their travel. For men and women who have to give up driving, alternative means of transportation becomes a necessity. Yet, use of alternative transportation is relatively low; excluding personal vehicle and walking, all other means of transportation account for about 2% of daily travel. Further, of those with medical conditions that affect their travel, only about 12% use special transportation services such as dial-a-ride.