Characterization and recycling of polymeric components present in cell phones

The cell phone market is developing at a rapid speed. Today there are more than 1.6 billion consumers in the world, and the lifetime of a cell phone is less than 2 years. As a consequence, there is an increase in the waste associated to this product, and many alternatives to the disposal of the cell phones are being studied, such as recycling which shows to be the most important. It is crucial to know what materials constitute the cell phone in order to carry out recycling and determine environmental and economical issues. This work presents an evaluation of the cell phone components, characterizing the raw materials and some properties of the recycled materials.     

A Three-Dimensional Water Quality Model of Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS)

As outfalls from various water reclamation plants, pumping stations, and combined sewer overflow outfalls discharge into the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS), an enhanced understanding of the final fate of crucial water quality state variables is of utmost importance. This paper reports the development and application of a 3D water quality model for a modified CAWS combined with the hydrodynamic kernel of Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC). The modified CAWS is used to demonstrate the usefulness of the model while eliminating complications beyond the scope of this initial effort. The water quality model developed and presented in this research is a simplistic dissolved oxygen (DO)—biochemical oxygen demand model with the facility to account for the interaction between the water column and the bed. The aforementioned model is applied for the month of May 2009. The results from the hydrodynamic (EFDC) and water quality model is validated with the help of the observed data obtained from United States Geological Survey gaging stations and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago monitoring stations present inside the modeled domain. The 3D modeling captured the hydrodynamic and water-quality processes in CAWS in a satisfactory manner. Furthermore, modeling results showed and proved the interdependence of water quality characteristics in Bubbly Creek and CAWS with the effluent concentration from Racine Avenue Pumping Station situated at the head of Bubbly Creek, South Fork of South Branch of Chicago River.     

Interaction effects of organic load and cycle time in an AsBr applied to a personal care industry wastewater treatment

A mechanically stirred anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) containing granular biomass was applied to the treatment of a wastewater simulating the effluent from a personal care industry. The ASBR was operated with cycle lengths (t_C) of 8, 12 and 24 h and applied volumetric organic loads (AVOL) of 0.75, 0.50 and 0.25 gCOD/L.d, treating 2.0 L liquid medium per cycle. Stirring frequency was 150 rpm and the reactor was kept in an isothermal chamber at 30 °C. Increase in t_C resulted in efficiency increase at constant AVOL, reaching 77% at t_C of 24 h versus 69% at t_C of 8 h. However, efficiency decreased when AVOL decreased as a function of increasing t_C, due to the lack of substrate in the reaction medium. Moreover, replacing part of the wastewater by a chemically balanced synthetic one did not yield the expected effect and system efficiency dropped.     

Higher soybean production using honeybee and wild pollinators, a sustainable alternative to pesticides and autopollination

This is the first report showing that using honeybee (Apis mellifera) and wild pollinators complementary pollination can enhance soybean productivity (Glycine max). Current industrial production of soybean involves autopollination and high loads of pesticides. Therefore, growers have neglected possible biotic pollination despite suggestions that soybean benefit from insect pollinators. Reports advocating possible biotic pollination are based on experiments where bees are caged with flowering plants and the absence of pesticides, thus not in field conditions. Therefore, here we compared in field conditions soybean yield produced (1) independently of biotic pollinators, (2) with wild pollinators and (3) with honeybee colonies. Results showed an increase of +6.34 % of soybean yield in areas where wild pollinators had free access to flowers. The introduction of honeybee colonies further raised the yield of +18.09 %. Our findings therefore show that, though soybean is autogamous, allowing pollination by wild pollinators leads to higher yields. Moreover, adding honeybee mitigates pollination deficits and improves yield compared to current practices.     

Mosaics of Exotic Forest Plantations and Native Forests as Habitat of Pumas

There is a general lack of information on the impact of forest plantations and the presence of urban settlements on populations of resource-demanding species such as large felids. To partially address this problem, a project study was conducted to find out whether mosaics of forest plantations and native vegetation can function as an adequate habitat for pumas (Puma concolor) in southern Brazil. The study was conducted within a 1255-km² area, managed for planted stands of Pinus spp. and Eucalyptus spp. Individual identification of pumas was carried out using a combination of track-matching analysis (discriminant analysis) and camera-trapping. Both techniques recorded closely similar numbers of individual pumas, either total (9–10 individuals) or resident (5–6 individuals). A new approach, developed during this study, was used to individualize pumas by their markings around the muzzle. The estimated density varied from 6.2 to 6.9 individuals/100 km², ranking among the highest across the entire puma range and indicating a potential total population of up to 87 individuals in the study site. In spite of the availability of extensive areas without human disturbance, a radio-tracked female used a core home range that included forest plantations, an urbanized village, and a two-lane paved road with regular vehicular traffic. The high density of pumas and the species’ intensive use of modified landscapes are interpreted here as deriving from conditions rarely found near human settlements: mutual tolerance by pumas and humans and an adequate habitat (regardless of plantations) largely due to the inhibition of invasions and hunting and maintenance of sizable extents of native forest patches. More widely, it suggests the potential of careful management in forestry operations to provide habitat conditions for resource-demanding species such as the puma. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of curbing invasions and hunting, in this case provided by the presence of company employees, for the maintenance of wildlife populations.     

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital Chagas' disease (American trypanosomiasis)

The prenatal diagnosis of congenital transmission of Chagas' disease in a pregnant woman with the indeterminate form of the disease is reported. Sonography revealed fetal hydrops at 31 weeks' gestation. Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi IgM and IgG antibodies were negative in the fetal blood sampled by cordocentesis, but T. cruzi trypomastigotes were found in its buffy coat. Owing to anemia, in utero exchange transfusion was undertaken, but fetal demise ensued. Labor was induced and a stillborn infant weighing 2030 g was delivered. The pathological examination revealed placentitis and meningoencephalitis, myocarditis and splenitis in the stillborn fetus. Amastigotes were found in the myocardium, brain and placenta. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.