Uptake rate constants and partition coefficients for vapor phase organic chemicals using semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs)

To fully utilize semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) as passive samplers in air monitoring, data are required to accurately estimate airborne concentrations of environmental contaminants. Limited uptake rate constants (k_ua) and no SPMD air partitioning coefficient (K_sa) existed for vapor-phase contaminants. This research was conducted to expand the existing body of kinetic data for SPMD air sampling by determining k_ua and K_sa for a number of airborne contaminants including the chemical classes: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organochlorine pesticides, brominated diphenyl ethers, phthalate esters, synthetic pyrethroids, and organophosphate/organosulfur pesticides. The k_uas were obtained for 48 of 50 chemicals investigated and ranged from 0.03 to 3.07 m³ g^?1 d^?1. In cases where uptake was approaching equilibrium, K_sas were approximated. K_sa values (no units) were determined or estimated for 48 of the chemicals investigated and ranging from 3.84E+5 to 7.34E+7. This research utilized a test system (United States Patent 6,877,724 B1) which afforded the capability to generate and maintain constant concentrations of vapor-phase chemical mixtures. The test system and experimental design employed gave reproducible results during experimental runs spanning more than two years. This reproducibility was shown by obtaining mean k_ua values (n = 3) of anthracene and p,p′-DDE at 0.96 and 1.57 m³ g^?1 d^?1 with relative standard deviations of 8.4% and 8.6% respectively.     

Applying Satellite Imagery to Triage Assessment of Ecosystem Health

Considerable evidence documents that certain changes in vegetation and soils result in irreversibly degraded rangeland ecosystems. We used Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery to develop calibration patterns of change in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) over the growing season for selected sites for which we had ground data and historical data characterizing these sites as irreversibly degraded. We used the NDVI curves for these training sites to classify and map the irreversibly degraded rangelands in southern New Mexico. We composited images into four year blocks: 1988–1991, 1989–1992, and 1990–1993. The overlap in pixels classified as irreversibly degraded ranged from 42.6% to 84.3% in year block comparisons. Quantitative data on vegetation composition and cover were collected at 13 sites within a small portion of the study area. Wide coverage reconnaissance of boundaries between vegetation types was also conducted for comparisons with year block maps. The year block 1988–1991 provided the most accurate delineation of degraded areas. The rangelands of southern New Mexico experienced above average precipitation from 1990–1993. The above average precipitation resulted in spatially variable productivity of ephemeral weedy plants on the training sites and degraded rangelands which resulted in much smaller areas classified as irreversibly degraded. We selected imagery for a single year, 1989, which was characterized by the absence of spring annual plant production in order to eliminate the confounding effect of reflectance from annual weeds. That image analysis classified more than 20% of the rangelands as irreversibly degraded because areas with shrub-grass mosaic were included in the degraded classification. The single year image included more than double the area classified as irreversibly degraded by the year blocks. AVHRR imagery can be used to make triage assessments of irreversibly degraded rangeland but such assessment requires understanding productivity patterns and variability across the landscapes of the region and careful selection of the years from which imagery is chosen.     

Evaluating Change in Rangeland Condition using Multitemporal AVHRR Data and Geographic Information System Analysis

Coarse-scale, multitemporal satellite image data were evaluated as a tool for detecting variation in vegetation productivity, as a potential indicator of change in rangeland condition in the western U.S. The conterminous U.S. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) biweekly composite data set was employed using the six-year time series 1989–1994. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) image bands for the state of New Mexico were imported into a Geographic Information System (GIS) for analysis with other spatial data sets. Averaged NDVI was calculated for each year, and a series of regression analyses were performed using one year as the baseline. Residuals from the regression line indicated 14 significant areas of NDVI change: two with lower NDVI, and 11 with higher NDVI. Rangeland management changes, cross-country military training activities, and increases in irrigated cropland were among the identified causes of change.     

Statistical Issues for Monitoring Ecological and Natural Resources in the United States

The United States funds a number of national monitoring programs to measure the status and trends of ecological and natural resources. Each of these programs has a unique focus; the scientific objectives are different as are the sample designs. However, individuals and committees, all well aware of the cost of ecological monitoring, have called for more effective monitoring programs. The objective of this paper is to summarize existing programs' statistical designs and discuss potential alternatives for improvement in national monitoring. Can we improve the current situation by providing an overall framework for the design or analysis of data from these disparate surveys? First, the paper summarizes the objectives of these surveys, compares and contrasts their survey designs as currently implemented, and determines what variables they collect. Through this process we identify commonalities and issues that impact our ability to combine information across one or more of the surveys. Three potential alternatives are presented, leading to comprehensive monitoring in the United States.     

Bioconcentration of zinc and cadmium in ectomycorrhizal fungi and associated aspen trees as affected by level of pollution

Concentrations of Zn and Cd were measured in fruitbodies of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi and leaves of co-occurring accumulator aspen. Samples were taken on three metal-polluted sites and one control site. Fungal bioconcentration factors (BCF = fruitbody concentration: soil concentration) were calculated on the basis of total metal concentrations in surface soil horizons (BCF_tot) and NH₄NO₃-extractable metal concentrations in mineral soil (BCF_lab). When plotted on log-log scale, values of BCF decreased linearly with increasing soil metal concentrations. BCF_lab for both Zn and Cd described the data more closely than BCF_tot. Fungal genera differed in ZnBCF but not in CdBCF. The information on differences between fungi with respect to their predominant occurrence in different soil horizons did not improve relations of BCF with soil metal concentrations. Aspen trees accumulated Zn and Cd to similar concentrations as the ECM fungi. Apparently, the fungi did not act as an effective barrier against aspen metal uptake by retaining the metals.     

Strategies for competitiveness and sustainability: Adaptation of a Brazilian subsidiary of a Swedish multinational corporation

The competitiveness, in terms of macro and micro levels of an enterprise, is often dictated by its capacity to innovate, ability to respond to the needs of the market, and resilience to challenges from competition. This paper reviews the literature on the adaptation of research and development (R&D) units in subsidiaries of multinational corporations. It focuses mainly on the impact of the technological dynamic on sustainability performance of the Brazilian subsidiary of the Swedish multinational Ericsson. Through a conceptual framework, it explores information and communication technologies (ICT) towards a transversal and comprehensive vision of levels of innovation and sustainability.     

Diamondback terrapins as indicator species of persistent organic pollutants: Using Barnegat Bay, New Jersey as a case study

The diamondback terrapin’s (Malaclemys terrapin) wide geographic distribution, long life span, occurrence in a variety of habitats within the saltmarsh ecosystem, predatory foraging behavior, and high site fidelity make it a useful indicator species for contaminant monitoring in estuarine ecosystems. In this study fat biopsies and plasma samples were collected from males and females from two sites within Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, as well as tissues from a gravid female and blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), which are terrapin prey. Samples were analyzed for persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), chlorinated pesticides, and methyl-triclosan. Terrapins from the northern site, Spizzle Creek, closest to influences from industrial areas, had higher POP concentrations for both tissues than terrapins from the less impacted Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Sex differences were observed with males having higher contaminant concentrations in fat and females in plasma. PCB patterns in terrapin fat and plasma were comparable to other wildlife. An atypical PBDE pattern was observed, dominated by PBDEs 153 and 100 instead of PBDEs 47 and 99, which has been documented in only a few other turtle species. The typical PBDE patterns measured in mussels, terrapin prey, suggests that the terrapin may efficiently biotransform or eliminate PBDE 47 and possibly PBDE 99. Plasma contaminant concentrations significantly and positively correlated with those in fat. This study addresses several aspects of using the terrapin as an indicator species for POP monitoring: site and sex differences, tissue sampling choices, maternal transfer, and biomagnification.     

Hydroxylated polychlorobornanes--synthesis and characterization of new potential toxaphene metabolites

For decades, toxaphene had been used as a major chloropesticide. Degradation of the multicomponent mixture in the environment was mainly reported to be due to anaerobic dechlorination and hydrodechlorination. Little was known about oxidative transformation processes and the potential hydroxylated metabolites were not available as standard compounds. For this reason we synthesized hydroxylated polychlorobornanes by the UV-induced photochlorination of 2-endo-bornyl acetate with sulfuryl chloride followed by hydrolysis of the acetate moiety. The released polychlorinated 2-endo-hydroxybornanes were slightly higher chlorinated the longer the reaction was maintained. After 8 h, the main products were pentachlorinated hydroxybornanes followed by hexa- and heptachlorinated homologues. Traces of octachlorinated hydroxybornanes were also observed. The GC/ECNI-MS spectra of the products were characterized by the molecular ions and the [M-Cl]⁻ fragment ions. The molecular ions of the polychlorinated hydroxybornanes are isobaric with those of polychlorinated biphenyls. E.g. hexachlorohydroxybornanes (C₁₀H₁₂Cl₆O) and hexachlorobiphenyls (C₁₂H₄Cl₆) show the molecular ion at m/z 358. Based on fractionation experiments on silica with the synthesis products it might be possible that OH-CTTs if present in samples will elute into a more polar fraction usually discarded or not collected. Both problems might explain why these compounds have not been more frequently described in the scientific literature.     

River habitat monitoring and assessment in Germany

Whereas assessing the biological and chemical quality of water is a standard environmental procedure in many countries, the use of habitat survey methods that assess the ecomorphological quality of rivers is relatively new. In Europe, the EC Water Framework Directive requires such assessment from all EU Member States. In Germany, the first river habitat assessments were introduced in the late 1990 s. Each federal state develops its own river habitat map using the 'On-site Survey' and/or the 'Overview Survey'. The assessment describes the difference of the actual condition from a previously defined reference condition. In practice, a defined 'potential for restoration', a more realistic condition, makes restoration activities much easier and more successful. In Germany, the first River Habitat Map 2001 was published in 2002. The survey covered 33,000 km of river length, which equates to 10% of all rivers. A wide range from 'Undisturbed' (class 1) to 'Totally Disturbed' (class 7) river units exists; 77% of them are 'Clearly Disturbed' (class 4) or in worse condition. These result reflects extensive anthropogenic impact on the environment in general, but also past intense technical river 'improvements' that focused on the protection of settlements and traffic routes from flooding, better shipping conditions, the use of water power, and drainage of floodplains for agriculture and urban development. For comparability of survey results between EU Member States, a harmonization of national survey methods is in progress. A crucial point here is the definition of the reference condition for each river (near-natural conditions), since it influences the survey results.