Influence of the current density on the electrochemical treatment of concentrated 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride solutions on diamond electrodes

This paper focuses on the influence of the current density treatment of a concentrated 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMImCl) solution on an electrochemical reactor with a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode. The decrease in the total organic carbon (TOC) and the BMImCl concentration demonstrate the capability of BDD in oxidizing ionic liquids (ILs) and further mineralizing (to CO₂ and NO₃ ^?) more rapidly at higher current densities in spite of the reduced current efficiency of the process. Moreover, the presence of Cl^? led to the formation of oxychlorinated anions (mostly ClO₃ ^? and ClO₄ ^?) and, in combination with the ammonia generated in the cathode from the nitrate reduction, chloramines, more intensely at higher current density. Finally, the analysis of the intermediates formed revealed no apparent influence of the current density on the BMImCl degradation mechanism. The current density presents therefore a complex influence on the IL treatment process that is discussed throughout this paper.     

Eco-friendly polyurethane foams based on castor polyol reinforced with açaí residues for building insulation

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The search for environmental sustainability has stimulated the construction sector to look for natural materials with an ecological footprint, high...     

Combined use of Nassarius reticulatus imposex and statolith age determination for tracking temporal evolution of TBT pollution in the NW Portuguese continental shelf

Spatial and temporal trends of tributyltin (TBT) pollution on the northern continental shelf of Portugal (5-34 m depth) were assessed using Nassarius reticulatus as a bioindicator. Imposex levels were determined in 2006 and 2010, and integrated with age readings from statoliths for a better chronological analysis of the data. Females affected with imposex were detected in 84% of the sites surveyed in 2006, with levels higher than the Ecological Quality Objective (EcoQO) set by the OSPAR Commission for N. reticulatus (VDSI < 0.3) in approximately half of those sites. In 2010, imposex was only detected in 20% of the surveyed sites and, when detected, the VDSI were lower than the EcoQO, except for one location. The comparison between the current results and the levels previously reported for 2004 and 2005 in the same offshore area evidences a clear decline of imposex in 2010 that confirms the efficacy of Regulation (EC) No. 782/2003 and the IMO AFS-Convention (entered into force in 2003 and 2008, respectively). Moreover, the age of the whelks used in the monitoring is estimated in 3-5 years, indicating that actual TBT water contamination in 2010 may in fact be lower than that extrapolated from the imposex levels. We conclude that the legislation was indeed very effective in reducing TBT pollution in the NW Portuguese continental shelf, not only in terms of the magnitude but also in terms of fast field repercussion.     

Iron recovery from the coarse fraction of basic oxygen furnace sludge. Part I: optimization of acid leaching conditions

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, a new reuse process of the coarse fraction of basic oxygen furnace (BOF) sludge based on iron recovery by the ferrous sulfate...     

Climate Change Impacts on Irrigation Water Needs in the jaguaribe River Basin1

Gondim, Rubens S., Marco A.H. de Castro, Aline de H.N. Maia, Sílvio R.M. Evangelista, and Sérgio C. de F. Fuck, Jr., 2012. Climate Change Impacts on Irrigation Water Needs in the Jaguaribe River Basin. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(2): 355‐365. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00620.x Abstract: Climate change is conceptually referred to as a modification to the average of climate variables and their natural variability, due to both natural and anthropogenic driving forces, such as greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change potentially impacts rainfall, temperature, and air humidity, which have relationship with plant evapotranspiration and consequently to irrigation water needs (IWN). The purpose of this research is to assess climate change impacts on irrigation water demand, based on climatic impacts stemming from future greenhouse gas emission scenarios. The study area includes eight municipalities in the Jaguaribe River Basin, located in the Ceará State of semiarid northeast Brazil. The FAO Penman‐Monteith method is used for the calculation of a reference evapotranspiration with limited climatic data. IWN projections are calculated using bias‐corrected climate projections for monthly rainfall and surface temperature derived from the United Kingdom’s Hadley Centre Regional Climate Model simulations. The increase in the average IWN is projected to be 7.9 and 9.1% over the period 2025‐2055 for the A2 and B2 scenarios, respectively with respect to 1961‐1990 baseline.     

SoilTrEC: a global initiative on critical zone research and integration

Soil is a complex natural resource that is considered non-renewable in policy frameworks, and it plays a key role in maintaining a variety of ecosystem services (ES) and life-sustaining material cycles within the Earth's Critical Zone (CZ). However, currently, the ability of soil to deliver these services is being drastically reduced in many locations, and global loss of soil ecosystem services is estimated to increase each year as a result of many different threats, such as erosion and soil carbon loss. The European Union Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection alerts policy makers of the need to protect soil and proposes measures to mitigate soil degradation. In this context, the European Commission-funded research project on Soil Transformations in European Catchments (SoilTrEC) aims to quantify the processes that deliver soil ecosystem services in the Earth's Critical Zone and to quantify the impacts of environmental change on key soil functions. This is achieved by integrating the research results into decision-support tools and applying methods of economic valuation to soil ecosystem services. In this paper, we provide an overview of the SoilTrEC project, its organization, partnerships and implementation.     

Governance assessment of a protected area: the case of the Alde Feanen National Park

This paper addresses the challenge of appropriate governance of complexity and diversity in the Dutch national park of Alde Feanen. The issue is how to enhance ecosystem resilience. Our focus relates to a navigable waterway within the park that affects the natural values of the area. The governance assessment tool is used to assess the governance context of the waterway and ecosystem resilience in the area. The study shows that a lack of a long-term integrated vision makes the governance context less supportive. Such a vision could maximize the focus on the resilience of the park's nature and motivate actors to work towards a common future for a concerned area. However, institutional complexity, combined with institutional inertia, is revealed as a hindrance to the quality of governance and shapes a weak ability to adapt the current situation to move towards resilience.     

Particleboard panels made with sugarcane bagasse waste—an exploratory study

The reuse of natural fibers, in order to manufacture a new product, is already becoming popular due to the generation of a series of advantages in social areas. Sugarcane bagasse is a set of tangled fibers of cellulose, produced in large quantities due to increased acreage and industrialization of sugarcane resulting from public and private investments in production aimed for the alcohol industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of producing sheet timber manufacture from the sugarcane bagasse, analyzing mechanical strength properties. A form of metal sheet for the molding of 12 specimens based on sugarcane bagasse and industrialized resin was made. Soon after molding, specimens were submitted to a three-point bending test, with the aid of a press. The analysis of the results allowed to conclude that the tensile strength and the modulus of elasticity did not obtain the minimum values recommended by the standard. The tensile strength must be improved to allow panels to be useful for ordinary strength applications.

     

Here comes the sun: multimodal displays are associated with sunlight incidence

Conspicuousness of courtship signals in animals likely evolved to maximize mate attraction while minimizing predator detection. It is assumed, though largely unknown, that environmental and luminosity conditions affect the detectability of ornaments and motor displays and could thus strongly influence behavior. We combined visual models and behavioral observations to test whether the multimodal display of the blue-black grassquit (Volatinia jacarina) is influenced by environmental conditions, predicting that males should display more often in moments with high sunlight incidence upon their bodies. By displaying in such a context-dependent fashion, males would be able to maximize conspicuousness of their iridescent blue-black plumage and avoid displaying continuously, since the latter would involve higher energetic investment. We recorded the rates of both complete displays (leap with singing) as well as incomplete ones (singing while perched) for males during repeated 30-min focal observations in varying environmental situations in the field. We found that when bathed directly in sunlight, males increased their rates of displays, tending to exhibit more complete rather than incomplete displays in this condition and suggesting a potential trade-off between display types. Our results suggest that animals may adjust the timing and precise location of signal activity to improve the efficiency or likelihood of detection of some signal elements.