Discourses on sustainable forest management and effects of Natura 2000: a case study of Catalonia,NE Spain

This study analyzed discourses influencing the meaning of Sustainable Forest Management in Catalonia (Spain) and the effects of the European Natura 2000 policy on these discourses. It focused on the Montseny area and on the Administration and Practitioner stakeholder groups. Based on literature review and interviews, we found six discourses influencing the meanings of Sustainable Forest Management. Two of these discourses underwent changes due to the effects of Natura 2000 implementation while the others did not, showing the substantial role played by local elements and actors in shaping the discursive framework of Sustainable Forest Management. Based on empirical findings, the study provided conclusions valid at European level: (1) implementing Natura 2000 does not mean revolutionizing local nature conservation systems, but rather adapting them to European requirements; (2) in order to increase local policy impact, the implementation of European environmental policies needs to be backed up by economic compensation of local actors.     

Ambient BTX measurements in Suzhou, China

Within the Sino-Italian environmental protection cooperation framework established in 2002, a comprehensive air quality monitoring network has been developed in urban Suzhou, a medium-sized Chinese city, in compliance with European standards (Directive 96/62/EC). This paper is among the first attempts to present a systematic and scientific analysis of benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) pollution in China. It presents our analysis of BTX space-related and time-related measurement results. Background BTX concentrations were investigated by passive sampler Analyst® in 2003. We depicted the spatial distribution of average BTX concentrations collected from three 15-day campaigns on isoconcentration maps. This is the first time such detailed BTX concentration maps have been developed in China in a city scale. Continuous measurement of BTX by automatic gas chromatography was carried out at two fixed monitoring stations, one in an urban residential zone and one in a heavy traffic zone, from April to December 2005. The results show similar seasonal trends at both sites, the similarities reaching their greatest level in December and their lowest level in August. The average daily profile of BTX shows greater fluctuation in spring and winter with clear morning and evening peaks. Daily average benzene, toluene, and m,p-xylenes concentrations for the study period were 2.64, 11.52, and 3.52 μg m^???3, respectively. The benzene/toluene ratio we found was lower in Suzhou than those published in studies of other worldwide cities, which indicates serious levels of toluene pollution from local stationary sources. The similarities in seasonal trend and spatial distribution in these manual and automatic measurement results were compared with each other, though the concentration values differed.     

Effects of temperature on the acute toxicity of cadmium to Corophium Insidiosum

This study aimed to optimise the methodology for the use of Corophium insidiosum in a bioassay. Taking into account that it would be suitable to execute the bioassay with organisms having a good sensitivity during the year and low mortality in control sediment, the influence of different temperatures (10–15–20 and 25°C) has been examined. C. insidiosum was collected during August, November 2005 and January 2006, in Mar Piccolo basin (Ionian sea). The results obtained show that this species mortality in the negative control sediment, ranged from 2.6 ± 0.6% at 10°C in August to 17 ± 2.2% at 20°C in November, at different temperatures tested. At 20°C there were significant differences in mortality among different months examined. Indeed no relationship among months was found at 15°C. Significant differences between August and November at 25°C, between November and January were not found at 10°C. The 96-h LC50 values found for cadmium at all temperature experimental conditions ranged from 2.11 mg/l (1.57–2.82) to 0.70 mg/l (0.54–0.93). The highest values were found at 10°C in November and January. The results showed that the optimal temperature for the bioassay seems to be between 15°C and 20°C. Even if, at 20°C the mortality differs significantly among organisms sampled.     

Eutrophication and trophic structure in response to the presence of the eelgrass <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zostera noltii</Emphasis>

In estuaries, eelgrass meadows contribute to fundamental ecosystem functions of estuaries, providing food to several predators and buffering the negative effects of eutrophication. We asked whether the presence of the eelgrass Zostera noltii decreased the nitrogen concentration in the overlying water, affected the sources of nitrogen sequestrated by primary producers and changed the benthic and pelagic food web structures. We also studied the importance of these food webs in providing food to fish. We compared bare sediment to sediment covered by a Z. noltii meadow, and examined nutrient concentrations in the water column and δ¹⁵N in primary producers as indicators of anthropogenic inputs of nutrients. We then measured both δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N in the tissues of plants and consumers to establish food web structures. There were no differences in the concentrations and sources of nitrogen between sites. Rather, δ¹⁵N values indicated anthropogenic inputs of N (e.g. sewage discharges, agriculture) in both sites. There were no major differences in the structure of the planktonic food web, which was in part sustained by particulate organic matter and supported most predator fish, and in the structure of the benthic food web. Nonetheless, there were differences in the sources of food for omnivore consumers and for the detritivore Scrobicularia plana. Overall, the benthic food web did not use food derived from the eelgrass or macroalgae deposited on the substratum. Suspension feeders used particulate and sediment organic matter, whereas the δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values of the other consumers indicated a likely contribution of benthic microalgae. Furthermore, in both habitats we found large variability in the isotope signatures of benthic macrofauna consumers, which did not allow distinguishing clearly different trophic groups and indicated a high level of omnivory and a mixed diet opportunistically making use of the availability of food in the surroundings.     

Arsenic and subclinical vascular damage in a sample of Italian young adults: a cross-sectional analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Exposure to arsenic (As) increases cardiovascular risk. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between As and intima-media...     

Serum concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the inhabitants of a Sicilian city

Background

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides are common environmental contaminants that have been associated with human health problems.

Objectives

To assess serum concentrations of several organochlorine contaminants in general population living in a city with an ancient agricultural tradition and to identify possible exposure sources in Sicily.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 101 individuals. Each participant answered a face-to-face questionnaire submitted by well-trained personnel and provided a serum sample which was analyzed for the concentrations of PCBs, HCB, HCHs and DDTs by using gas-chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.

Results

HCB, p,p′-DDE, PCB 138, PCB 153 and PCB 180 were detected in more than 80% of the study participants. The ng g⁻¹ lipid median concentrations were: 18.6 for HCB; 175.1 for p,p′-DDE; 22. for PCB 138; 32.5 for PCB 153 and 23.0 for PCB 180. PCB 153 and PCB 138, PCB 138 and PCB 180, PCB 153 and PCB 180, and p,p′-DDE and HCB showed a high correlation each other (p < 0.05). HCB and p,p′-DDE concentrations were significantly higher in subjects >49 years old (adj-p = 0.03 in 50-69 years old and adj-p < 0.001 in >69 years old, respectively) whereas PCB 138, PCB 153 and PCB 180 concentrations were higher in males (adj-p = 0.03), in subjects >69 years old (adj-p = 0.04) and in current smokers (adj-p = 0.04).

Conclusions

The present study shows that serum concentrations of organochlorine compounds detected in subjects living in a small Sicilian city with ancient agricultural tradition are similar to those found in subjects living in urban areas of other countries. However, further investigations are needed to compare data from rural/urban areas in the same country, assessing correlations between serum concentrations of several chemical compounds and potential health effects in general population.     

Biochemical modifications in Pinus pinaster Ait. as a result of environmental pollution

Exposure to chemical pollution can cause significant damage to plants by imposing conditions of oxidative stress. Plants combat oxidative stress by inducing antioxidant metabolites, enzymatic scavengers of activated oxygen and heat shock proteins. The accumulation of these proteins, in particular heat shock protein 70 and heme oxygenase, is correlated with the acquisition of thermal and chemical adaptations and protection against oxidative stress. In this study, we used Pinus pinaster Ait. collected in the areas of Priolo and Aci Castello representing sites with elevated pollution and reference conditions, respectively. The presence of heavy metals and the levels of markers of oxidative stress (lipid hydroperoxide levels, thiol groups, superoxide dismutase activity and expression of heat shock protein 70, heme oxygenase and superoxide dismutase) were evaluated, and we measured in field-collected needles the response to environmental pollution. P. pinaster Ait. collected from a site characterized by industrial pollution including heavy metals had elevated stress response as indicated by significantly elevated lipid hydroperoxide levels and decreased thiol groups. In particular, we observed that following a chronic chemical exposure, P. pinaster Ait. showed significantly increased expression of heat shock protein 70, heme oxygenase and superoxide dismutase. This increased expression may have protective effects against oxidative stress and represents an adaptative cellular defence mechanism. These results suggest that evaluation of heme oxygenase, heat shock protein 70 and superoxide dismutase expression in P. pinaster Ait. could represent a useful tool for monitoring environmental contamination of a region and to better understand mechanisms involved in plant defence and stress tolerance.     

Marine macrophytes as effective lead biosorbents

Several species of seagrass and marine macrophytes were investigated for their biosorption performance in the removal of lead from aqueous solution. The effect of pH on the equilibrium of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa as a biosorbent also was studied. It was found that increasing pH increased lead biosorption, with a maximum uptake of approximately 140 mg/g in the range pH 3.3 to 5. Equilibrium data at different pH levels were successfully fitted to competitive equilibrium models. In addition, the seaweeds belonging to different phyla (i.e., Chlorophyta, Heterokontophyta, and Rhodophyta) were studied for the effect of their structure on equilibrium at a constant pH 5. The brown algae (Heterokontophyta) showed the highest potential for lead sorption, with a maximum uptake of 220 mg/g for C. compressa and 140 mg/g for S. lomentaria. The green algae (Chlorophyta) showed lead uptake in the range 40 to 90 mg/g, and the red algae (Rhodophyta) was least effective, with uptake in the range 10 to 40 mg/g.     

Pictorial intervention in a pediatric hospital environment: Effects on parental affective perception of the unit

In recent decades, research on health care design and planning has highlighted the strong relationship between environmental characteristics and human health. According to a patient-centered model, the focus on the hospital environment is important in reducing the negative effects of hospitalization on the patient, especially in the case of children.