Trace Metal Distribution and Enrichment in Benthic, Estuarine Sediments: Southport Broadwater, Australia

The distribution and enrichment of selected trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn, Zn) in benthic sediments of the Southport Broadwater, a semi-enclosed coastal body of water adjacent to the Gold Coast city, south-eastern Queensland, Australia, was studied with the objective of assessing the extent and degree of sediment contamination. Sediment samples from the 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm depth intervals of 32 sites within the Southport Broadwater and surrounding residential canals were analysed for particle size distribution, pH, organic C and ‘near-total’ major (Al, Ca, Fe, Mn) and trace (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn, Zn) metal contents. Sediment contamination for each trace metal was assessed by (1) comparison with Australian sediment quality guidelines, (2) calculation of the index of geoaccumulation based on regional background values, and (3) geochemical normalisation against Al (i.e. the abundance of alumino-silicate clay minerals). Based on this approach, the results indicate that submerged sediments in the study area are not presently enriched with Cd, Cr or Ni, with the spatial distribution of these metals being very well explained by the abundance of alumino-silicate clay minerals. However, several sites were strongly enriched with Cu, Pb, Sn and Zn, arising from sources related to either urban runoff or vessel maintenance activities. The study indicates that several varying approaches are needed for a satisfactory assessment of contaminant enrichment in estuarine sediments.     

Adaptation Options Strategies for Hazards and Vulnerability Mitigation: An International Perspective

The broad objective of this special issue of Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change is to address some of the gaps in our knowledge and understanding of the policies, programs, and measures that might be applied to natural hazards and their impacts in an era of climate change. Given the global impacts of climate change and world-wide pattern of increasing losses from natural hazards we necessarily adopt an international perspective. The specific goals of the special issue are to: (a) encompass experiential aspects, emphasizing current practice of mitigation and its associated measures, and their results; and (b) explore primary or root causes of alarming shifts in human and economic costs of environmental extremes. Special emphasis is placed on how human activities are playing a key role in enhancing vulnerability to NTEE (nature-triggered environmental extremes), quite independently from the anthropogenic causes of climate change. The goals are also (c) to examine costs, risks, and benefits (of all kinds including social, political, ecological) of mitigation, and adjustment and adaptation measures; and (d) analyze policy implications of alternative measures. These components are expected to make significant contributions to policy considerations – formulation, implementation and evaluation. There is much uncertainty about the rate of climate change; however, the fact of increase of the atmospheric temperature in the last century is no longer a subject of scientific or policy debate. Due to such changes in the geophysical parameters, certain types of nature-triggered environmental extreme events are likely to continue to increase. How global warming will affect regional climates and pertinent variables is not well known, limiting our ability to predict consequential effects. This factor poses serious constraints against any straightforward policy decisions. Research findings of the work of this volume reaffirm that human dimensions, specifically our awareness and decision-making behavior, are powerful explanatory factors of increasing disaster losses. Disaster mitigation through addressing human, social, and physical vulnerability is one of the best means for contributing to ‘climate change adaptation plans’, and sustainable development goals. Recent lessons from various countries have depicted that the formulation of mitigation strategies cannot be exclusively top-down as it requires social, political, and cultural acceptance and sense of ownership. An interactive, participatory process, involving local communities, produces best expected outcomes concerning mitigation, preparedness, and recovery. An emerging consensus is that there is a need to move towards the ‘mission’ of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction which aims at building disaster resilient communities by promoting increased awareness of the importance of disaster reduction as an integral component of sustainable development, with the goal of reducing human, social, economic and environmental losses due to natural hazards and related technological and environmental disasters. Sharing of best practices and lessons globally is certain to produce more efficiency and understanding in policy and decision making.     

The global re-cycling of persistent organic pollutants is strongly retarded by soils

'Persistent organic pollutants' (POPs) are semi-volatile, mobile in the environment and bioaccumulate. Their toxicity and propensity for long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT) has led to international bans/restrictions on their use/release. LRAT of POPs may occur by a 'single hop' or repeated temperature-driven air-surface exchange. It has been hypothesised that this will result in global fractionation and distillation-with condensation and accumulation in polar regions. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)--industrial chemicals banned/restricted in the 1970s--provide a classic illustration of POP behaviour. A latitudinally-segmented global PCB inventory has been produced, which shows that approximately 86% of the 1.3 x 10(6) tonnes produced was used in the temperate industrial zone of the northern hemisphere. A global survey of background surface soils gives evidence for 'fractionation' of PCBs. More significantly, however, very little of the total inventory has 'made the journey' via primary emission and/or air-surface exchange and LRAT out of the heavily populated source regions, in the 70 years since PCBs were first produced. Soils generally occlude PCBs, especially soils with dynamic turnover of C/bioturbation/burial mechanisms. This limits the fraction of PCBs available for repeated air-soil exchange. The forested soils of the northern hemisphere, and other C-rich soils, appear to be playing an important role in 'protecting' the Arctic from the advective supply of POPs. Whilst investigations on POPs in remote environments are important, it is imperative that researchers also seek to better understand their release from sources, persistence in source regions, and the significant loss mechanisms/global sinks of these compounds, if they wish to predict future trends.     

Biosorption of cadmium and copper contaminated water by Scenedesmus abundans

Experiments were conducted comparing the individual removals of cadmium and copper from water via biosorption using Scenedesmus abundans, a common green algae, to removal in a multi-component system to determine competitive effects, if any, between the metals. The goal was to characterize the biological treatment of water contaminated with heavy metals using live aquatic species. In addition, experiments were performed to measure cell viability as a function of metal concentration and also to compare metal removal using living species to that using nonliving ones. It was shown that, while both living and nonliving S. abundans removed cadmium and copper from water, living algae significantly outperformed nonliving algae. Further, in characterizing biosorption by three concentrations of live S. abundans, capacity curves were created comparing the metal biosorbed per mass algae to the initial metal concentration in solution. The algae concentration was not a factor in the biosorption of either metal individually, such that the capacity of the algae for the metal increased with decreasing algae concentration. At the lowest algae concentration considered, competitive effects were observed at copper and cadmium concentrations above 4 mg/l each. At the highest algae concentration considered, no competitive effects were observed in the range of cadmium and copper concentrations studied (1-7 mg/l). It was concluded that biological treatment of heavy metal contaminated water is possible and that at adequately high algae concentrations, multi-component metal systems can be remediated to the same level as individual metals.     

Serious road injuries in The Netherlands dissected

Objective: This article discusses the characteristics and injury patterns of serious road injuries (Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale [MAIS] 2+ inpatients) in The Netherlands.

Methods: In The Netherlands, the actual number of serious injuries is estimated by linking police data to hospital data. The distribution of serious road injuries over (1) travel mode and gender and (2) crash type and age are compared for the years 2000 and 2011. Moreover, the distribution of the injuries over the body regions is illustrated using colored injury body profiles.

Results: The number of serious injuries is higher for men than for women and increased from 16,500 in 2000 to 19,700 in 2011. In 2011, about half (51%) of the serious road injuries were due to a bicycle crash not involving a motor vehicle. The share of casualties aged 60 years and older is relatively high (43% in 2011) in these crashes. The injury body profiles show that head injuries (31%) and injuries to the lower extremities (37%) are most prevalent. Compared to other travel modes, pedestrians and riders of powered 2-wheelers relatively often sustain lower-leg injuries compared to other travel modes. Head injuries are most prevalent in cyclists who are injured in a crash with a motorized vehicle. Cyclists who are injured in a crash not involving a motor vehicle and casualties of 60 years and older relatively often include hip or upper-leg injuries.

Conclusion: The characteristics of serious road injuries differ from those of fatalities and the distribution of injuries over the body differs by travel mode, gender, and age.     

High male reproductive success in a low-density Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) breeding colony

Understanding how population density influences mating systems may lead to important insights into the plasticity of breeding behavior, but few natural systems allow for such studies. Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) provide an interesting model system because they breed in colonies of varying densities. Previous studies have largely focused on a high-density site at Bird Island, South Georgia. Here, 13 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci were used to conduct a genetic analysis of a low-density breeding colony of this species at Livingston Island, approximately 1,600 km south of South Georgia. The majority of adults seen ashore (n?=?54) were sampled together with every pup born (n?=?97) over four consecutive years. Paternities were confidently assigned for 34 out of the 97 pups. Two out of 23 sampled males accounted for the paternity of 28 % of all pups sampled during the study and 82 % of the pups with an assigned father. Moreover, a full likelihood pedigree inference method assigned a further eight paternities to a single unsampled male seal that is inferred to have held a territory during the season before the study began. The most successful males in our study easily surpassed the previous record for the total number of pups sired per male seal for the species. Furthermore, we identified two triads of full siblings implying that their parents remated in three consecutive years. These findings suggest that territorial male fur seals may achieve greater success in monopolizing access to breeding females when population density is relatively low.     

The growing role of web‐based geospatial technology in disaster response and support

This paper examines changes in disaster response and relief efforts and recent web‐based geospatial technological developments through an evaluation of the experiences of the Center for Geographic Analysis, Harvard University, of the Sichuan (2008) and Haiti (2010) earthquake responses. This paper outlines how conventional GIS (geographic information systems) disaster responses by governmental agencies and relief response organisations and the means for geospatial data‐sharing have been transformed into a more dynamic, more transparent, and decentralised form with a wide participation. It begins by reviewing briefly at historical changes in the employment of geospatial technologies in major devastating disasters, including the Sichuan and Haiti earthquakes (case studies for our geospatial portal project). It goes on to assess changes in the available dataset type and in geospatial disaster responders, as well as the impact of geospatial technological changes on disaster relief effort. Finally, the paper discusses lessons learned from recent responses and offers some thoughts for future development.     

Effects of flow regimes altered by dams on survival, population declines, and range-wide losses of California river-breeding frogs

Widespread alteration of natural hydrologic patterns by large dams combined with peak demands for power and water delivery during summer months have resulted in frequent aseasonal flow pulses in rivers of western North America. Native species in these ecosystems have evolved with predictable annual flood-drought cycles; thus, their likelihood of persistence may decrease in response to disruption of the seasonal synchrony between stable low-flow conditions and reproduction. We evaluated whether altered flow regimes affected 2 native frogs in California and Oregon (U.S.A.) at 4 spatial and temporal extents. We examined changes in species distribution over approximately 50 years, current population density in 11 regulated and 16 unregulated rivers, temporal trends in abundance among populations occupying rivers with different hydrologic histories, and within-year patterns of survival relative to seasonal hydrology. The foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii), which breeds only in flowing water, is more likely to be absent downstream of large dams than in free-flowing rivers, and breeding populations are on average 5 times smaller in regulated rivers than in unregulated rivers. Time series data (range = 8 - 19 years) from 5 populations of yellow-legged frogs and 2 populations of California red-legged frogs (R. draytonii) across a gradient of natural to highly artificial timing and magnitude of flooding indicate that variability of flows in spring and summer is strongly correlated with high mortality of early life stages and subsequent decreases in densities of adult females. Flow management that better mimics natural flow timing is likely to promote persistence of these species and others with similar phenology.