Evidence of highly dynamic geochemical behaviour of zinc in the Deûle river (northern France)

The monitoring of dissolved zinc in the De?le river was undertaken at three different periods of the years 2008 and 2009. Electrolabile concentrations of Zn were estimated every 2 hours for several weeks by using an ATMS (Automatic Trace metal Monitoring System) based on voltammetric measurements using a solid Ag-Hg rotating disc working electrode. Complementary measurements were carried out with DGT (Diffusive Gradient in Thin films) pistons deployed directly in the river for 24 hours. Water samples filtrated at 0.45 μm were also analysed by HR-ICP-MS to estimate the total dissolved concentrations of zinc and other trace metals. High frequency monitoring of zinc over several weeks in the De?le river indicated that the concentration could change significantly over short time periods. Resuspension of polluted sediment and biological activities are two main factors that control the behaviour of zinc in the De?le river. Furthermore, in May 2009, daily cycles of the electrolabile zinc fraction have been observed at relatively constant total dissolved concentration. It is assumed that this particular behaviour of zinc is based on an exchange between colloids and/or nonelectrolabile forms and free cation and inorganic complexes at a daily time scale.     

Genotoxicity,oxidative stress,and inflammatory response induced by crack-cocaine: relevance to carcinogenesis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Crack-cocaine is a cocaine by-product widely consumed by general population in developing countries. The drug is low cost and is associated with more...     

Evaluation of remediation process with soapberry derived saponin for removal of heavy metals from contaminated soils in Hai-Pu, Taiwan

The use of a biodegradable natural plant-based surfactant extracted from soapberry is proposed for the remediation of Ni, Cr and Mn from industrial soil site in Hai-Pu, Taiwan. Batch experiments were performed under variation of fundamental factors (saponin concentration, pH, and incubation time) for metal remediation. Removal of Ni and Mn were increased with increasing saponin concentration (0.015-0.150 g/L), whereas the removal of Cr was increased upto 0.075 g/L saponin. The Ni, Cr and Mn were removed significantly (p ≤q 0.05) at near to the neutral and slightly acidic (pH 5 to 8) conditions. Removal efficiency of Ni (99%) from the soil was found to be greater than that of Cr (73%) or Mn (25%) in the presence of saponin at a concentration of 0.150 g/L at pH 5. The removal percentage increased with incubation time where the removal of Ni was faster than that of Cr and Mn. The result indicates the feasibility of eco-friendly removal of heavy metal (Ni, Cr and Mn) from industrial soil by soil washing process in presence of plant derived saponin.     

Enhancing older driver safety: A driving survey and evaluation of the CarFit program

Objective

To evaluate CarFit, an educational program designed to promote optimal alignment of driver with vehicle.

Methods

A driving activity survey was sent to 727 randomly selected participants living in retirement communities. Drivers (n = 195) were assigned randomly to CarFit intervention (n = 83, M age = 78.1) or Comparison (n = 112, M age = 79.6) groups. After 6 months, participants completed a post-test of driving activity and CarFit recommendations.

Results

Nonconsenting drivers were older and participated in fewer driving activities. CarFit participation was moderate (71%) with 86% of the participants receiving recommendations. 60% followed the recommendations at the 6-month re-evaluation). The CarFit (67.6%) and Comparison (59.3%) groups reported at least one type of self-regulation of driving activity at baseline. There was no significant change in the driving behaviors at the six-month follow-up.

Conclusion

CarFit was able to detect addressable opportunities that may contribute to the safety of older drivers.

Impact on industry

CarFit recommendations may need stronger reinforcement in order to be enacted by a participant.     

The effectiveness of state of the environment reporting (SoER) at the local government sphere – a developing country's experience

State of the environment reporting (SoER) is a well-established and widely applied environmental management tool in the South African context. Despite a wealth of knowledge about conducting and preparing SoERs, there is a paucity of research on the effect SoER has had on decision-making at the local government sphere. This study investigated the effect of SoER on decision-making for a sample of municipalities in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The methodology relied on interviews with key role players, which include the ‘‘environmental function’' as well as ‘‘other functions’' responsible for infrastructure development and planning within the municipalities. The results show that notwithstanding the extensive time and resources spent on SoER, it appears to have had a limited effect on decision-making, especially beyond the environmental function. Recommendations to improve the influence of SoER on decision-making in developing countries include improved clarity on the purpose and home of SoER within municipalities, adequate budget and capacity, and effective cooperative governance both within the municipalities, and with other spheres of government.     

Safety Level of Acrobatic Work: A Probabilistic Study

Acrobatic work constitutes an activity during which individuals intervene on buildings, cliffs, towers, and so forth, through the use of mountaineering or speleological techniques. The most dangerous situations occur particularly when ascending a rope with ascenders or roping with a descender. Any free fall or false manoeuvre will result in a strong shock on the belaying system that may cause its rupture. The fatal accident rate (FAR) of a given occupation is defined as the average number of fatal accidents per 10⁸ hrs of exposure to a given hazard. In this study it is assumed that the FAR is proportional to the average number of fall-initiating events, η, per worker and per hour of exposure to the fall hazard. η is estimated to be between 10^-3 and 3 × 10^-3. The maximum values of the rupture probability of the securing systems are calculated for the FAR of acrobatic work to be smaller than the FAR of the three most dangerous activity groups of the construction industry in France. These values allow the varying ranges of the parameters that influence this rupture probability to be determined.     

A discourse-analytical perspective on sustainability assessment: interpreting sustainable development in practice

Sustainable development is a ubiquitously used concept in public decision-making: it refers to an ideal vision of global society where human development and environmental quality go hand in hand. Logically, any decision-supporting process aiming at facilitating and steering society toward a sustainable future then seems desirable. Assessing the sustainability of policy decisions is, however, influenced by what sustainable development is believed to entail, as different discourses coexist under the umbrella of the sustainable development meta-discourse. This paper proposes a typology of sustainable development discourses, and, subsequently, applies a discourse-analytical lens on two practical cases of sustainability assessment in different institutional and geographical contexts (in Belgium and in Benin). The results indicate that sustainability assessments tend to be influenced mainly by the consensual ‘sustainable development as integration’ discourse, while also providing a forum for dialogue between different discourses. The results shed light on context-specific discursive and institutional dynamics for the development and application of sustainability assessment. Acknowledging these dynamics as well as sustainable development’s inherent interpretational limits can lead to an improved use of sustainable development as a decision-guiding strategy.     

Soil Vapor Extraction and Chemical Oxidation to Remediate Chlorinated Solvents in Fractured Crystalline Bedrock: Pilot Study Results and Lessons Learned

A pilot study was completed at a fractured crystalline bedrock site using a combination of soil vapor extraction (SVE) and in‐situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) with Fenton's Reagent. This system was designed to destroy 1,1,1‐trichloroethane (TCA) and its daughter products, 1,1‐dichloroethene (DCE) and 1,1‐dichloroethane (DCA). Approximately 150 pounds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were oxidized in‐situ or removed from the aquifer as vapor during the pilot study. Largely as a result of chemical oxidation, TCA concentrations in groundwater located within a local groundwater mound decreased by 69 to 95 percent. No significant rebound in VOC concentration was observed in these wells. Wells located outside of the groundwater mound showed less dramatic decreases in VOC concentration, and the data show that vapor stripping and short‐term groundwater migration following the oxidant injection were the key processes at these wells. Although the porosity of the aquifer at the site is on the order of 2 percent or less, the pilot study showed that SVE could be an effective remedial process in fractured crystalline rock. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.