Degradation features of pesticides: a review on (metallo)porphyrin-mediated catalytic processes

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Pesticides have been used to kill pests such as insects, fungi, rodents, and unwanted plants. Since these compounds are potentially toxic to the...     

Accessibility and trust: the two dimensions of consumers’ perception on sustainable purchase intention

The aim of this article is to shed new light on which dimensions compose sustainable purchase intention (SPI) with the purpose of understanding what moves consumers to a potentially more sustainable behaviour. Even though several studies have researched which factors influence consumer’s intention to buy in a more sustainable way, no comparable research in consumer behaviour was found studying these dimensions in a triple bottom line perspective (profit, people, and planet) that could also provide future corporate and academic applications. Therefore, this article proposes a new construct – Consumers’ Perception on SPI, defined using the C-OAR-SE procedure and measured using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis using two different samples. In-depth interviews and online survey to actual consumers of sustainable products were undertaken in partnership with a sustainable project using its database, guaranteeing that real consumers’ perceptions were gathered for this study. The construct is proposed with two dimensions (measured by nine items): Accessibility (including facets such as product lower pricing, availability in stores, and being sold within a convenient proximity to home) and Trust (including consumers needs such as: to get to know and trust products through understanding the labels; to have had good experiences in the past or simply to have new trial opportunities). Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are also discussed.     

An approach to simulate wind fields around an urban environment for wind energy application

This work proposes an approach to simulate wind flow fields around an urban environment with the aim of evaluating the potential impact of buildings on the general wind patterns and power production using the current generation of commercial wind turbines. The simulation process was performed with the aid of accessible computational tools that can potentially render the proposed procedure applicable in other cases of interest. The roughness of the urban environment was defined as the association of roughness map, topography, and an alternative process for obtaining the volumetry of buildings. A case study was conducted in a region located at the district of Boa Viagem (Recife-PE) for assessing the applicability of the approach. Scenarios were designed in order to simulate wind flow patterns and pre-identify sites that have suitable wind energy potential for electric power production by investigating the combination of wind speed magnitude and turbulence intensity. From the results obtained, it was possible to identify zones of potential wind sources that are not detected in classical wind atlas probably due to the influence of the built environment on local wind flow patterns.     

Preparation of CuO/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and photocatalytic activity by degradation of methylene blue

A photocatalyst based on CuO/SiO₂ was prepared, and evaluated for the degradation of methylene blue in aqueous medium. The photocatalyst was obtained by calcination method of copper salt, in the presence of silica. The characterization by XRD, FTIR, and TPR techniques confirmed the formation of CuO as active phase. SEM studies showed CuO deposited on the surface of SiO₂. By ESI-MS, it was demonstrated that the degradation of methylene blue occurs through successive hydroxylations. Photodegradation assays showed that CuO/SiO₂ was efficient for degradation, and that the material worked better in the presence of UV light.     

Sub-tropical urban environment affecting content and composition of non-structural carbohydrates of Lolium multiflorum ssp. italicum cv. Lema

This study analyzed the relationship between environmental factors, especially air pollution and climatic conditions, and non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) in plants of Lolium multiflorum exposed during 10 consecutive periods of 28 days at a polluted site (Congonhas) and at a reference site in São Paulo city (Brazil). After exposure, NSC composition and leaf concentrations of Al, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd were measured. The seasonal pattern of NSC accumulation was quite similar in both sites, but plants at Congonhas showed higher concentrations of these compounds, especially fructans of low and medium degree of polymerization. Regression analysis showed that NSC in plants growing at the polluted site were explained by variations on temperature and leaf concentration of Fe (positive effect), as well as relative humidity and particulate material (negative effect). NSC in the standardized grass culture, in addition to heavy metal accumulation, may indicate stressing conditions in a sub-tropical polluted environment.     

Five lessons to guide more effective biodiversity conservation message framing

Communication and advocacy approaches that influence attitudes and behaviors are key to addressing conservation problems, and the way an issue is framed can affect how people view, judge, and respond to an issue. Responses to conservation interventions can also be influenced by subtle wording changes in statements that may appeal to different values, activate social norms, influence a person's affect or mood, or trigger certain biases, each of which can differently influence the resulting engagement, attitudes, and behavior. We contend that by strategically considering how conservation communications are framed, they can be made more effective with little or no additional cost. Key framing considerations include, emphasizing things that matter to the audience, evoking helpful social norms, reducing psychological distance, leveraging useful biases, and, where practicable, testing messages. These lessons will help communicators think strategically about how to frame messages for greater effect.     

Air pollution inhalation during acute exercise is dependent of the body mass index and ventilation of young men

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Obesity and physical inactivity threaten human health, and both could be solved with exercise. However, a higher amount of pollutants is inhaled...     

Evaluation of copper-induced DNA damage in Vitis vinifera L. using Comet-FISH

The contamination of soils and water with copper (Cu) can compromise the crops production and quality. Fungicides containing Cu are widely and intensively used in viticulture contributing to environmental contamination and genotoxicity in Vitis vinifera L. Despite the difficulty in reproducing field conditions in the laboratory, hydroponic solutions enriched with Cu (1, 10, 25 and 50 μM) were used in forced V. vinifera cuttings to evaluate the DNA damage in leaves of four wine-producing varieties (‘Tinta Barroca’, ‘Tinto Cão’, ‘Malvasia Fina’ and ‘Viosinho’). Alkaline comet assay followed by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (Comet-FISH) was performed with the 45S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and telomeric [(TTTAGGG)_n] sequences as probes. This study aimed to evaluate the tolerance of the four varieties to different concentrations of Cu and to determine which genomic regions were more prone to DNA damage. The comet assay revealed comets of categories 0 to 4 in all varieties. The DNA damage increased significantly (p < 0.001) with the Cu concentration. ‘Tinto Cão’ appeared to be the most sensitive variety because it had the highest DNA damage increase in 50 μM Cu relative to the control. Comet-FISH was only performed on slides of the control and 50 μM Cu treatments. Comets of all varieties treated with 50 μM Cu showed rDNA hybridisation on the head, ‘halo’ and tail (category III), and their frequency was significantly higher than that of control. The frequency of category III comets hybridised with the telomeric probe was only significantly different from the control in ‘Malvasia Fina’ and ‘Tinta Barroca’. Comet-FISH revealed partial damage on rDNA and telomeric DNA in response to Cu but also in control, confirming the high sensitivity of these genomic regions to DNA fragmentation.

     

Interrelationships of pollution load index, transfer factor, and concentration factor under the effect of sludge

A greenhouse experiment was conducted during 2010–2011. A complete randomized blocks design was used including seven treatment levels of sludge(tons per hectare), i.e., 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and “30+ treated wastewater”, in four replications. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L var longifolia) was chosen as a test plant. The purpose of the experiment was to study the relationships between soil Pollution Load Index, heavy metal transfer factor, and concentration factor and to determine optimum concentration factor values. The following were found: several mathematical relationships were established between the above parameters that could be used for the study of heavy metal accumulation in soils and plants under the effect of the applied sludge. They can be also used for the calculation of one of the above parameters as a function of the others. Based on the experimental data, the optimum concentration factor for several heavy metals were determined by multiple linear regression analysis, expressing the concentration factor as a function of the maximum dry lettuce matter yield, and of optimum/minimum heavy metal content of plant dry matter. The mean value of the calculated concentration factor obtained for each separate metal was: Zn, 2.93; Cd, 0.39; Co, 1.47; and Ni, 0.52.