Lead exposure and its association with neurological damage: systematic review and meta-analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Lead (Pb) is one of the most toxic and abundant elements in the earth’s crust, which is pointed out that the intoxication caused by it...     

Phragmites sp. physiological changes in a constructed wetland treating an effluent contaminated with a diazo dye (DR81)

The role of Phragmites sp. in phytoremediation of wastewaters containing azo dyes is still, in many ways, at its initial stage of investigation. This plant response to the long-term exposure to a highly conjugated di-azo dye (Direct Red 81, DR81) was assessed using a vertical flow constructed wetland, at pilot scale. A reed bed fed with water was used as control. Changes in photosynthetic pigment content in response to the plant contact with synthetic DR81 effluent highlight Phragmites plasticity. Phragmites leaf enzymatic system responded rapidly to the stress imposed; in general, within 1 day, the up-regulation of foliar reactive oxygen species-scavenging enzymes (especially superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and peroxidase) was noticed as plants entered in contact with synthetic DR81 effluent. This prompt activation decreased the endogenous levels of H₂O₂ and the malonyldialdehyde content beyond reference values. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity intensification was not enough to cope with stress imposed by DR81. GPX activity was pivotal for the detoxification pathways after a 24-h exposure. Carotenoid pool was depleted during this shock. After the imposed DR81 stress, plants were harvested. In the next vegetative cycle, Phragmites had already recovered from the chemical stress. Principal component analysis (PCA) highlights the role of GPX, GST, APX, and carotenoids along catalase (CAT) in the detoxification process.     

Catalytic wet air oxidation of bisphenol A solution in a batch-recycle trickle-bed reactor over titanate nanotube-based catalysts

Catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) is classified as an advanced oxidation process, which proved to be highly efficient for the removal of emerging organic pollutant bisphenol A (BPA) from water. In this study, BPA was successfully removed in a batch-recycle trickle-bed reactor over bare titanate nanotube-based catalysts at very short space time of 0.6 min g_CAT?g^?1. The as-prepared titanate nanotubes, which underwent heat treatment at 600 °C, showed high activity for the removal of aqueous BPA. Liquid-phase recycling (5- or 10-fold recycle) enabled complete BPA conversion already at 200 °C, together with high conversion of total organic carbon (TOC), i.e., 73 and 98 %, respectively. The catalyst was chemically stable in the given range of operating conditions for 189 h on stream.     

Networks and spatial segregation in the production of urban poverty in São Paulo

This article discusses the importance of social networks as survival strategies, testing the impact of segregation on the structure and organisation of personal networks of low-income individuals. It presents preliminary results of an ongoing study on personal networks of individuals living in situations of poverty in São Paulo. We analyse the characteristics of 89 personal networks of poor individuals living in three urban locations, characterised by different social contents and different contexts of segregation. The results indicate a considerable heterogeneity of networks (in terms of size, diversity of sociability spheres, among other dimensions) and a strong localism, which is commonly found in the three different urban contexts. At the same time, the analysis suggests a low impact of segregation and a more complex relationship between networks and space than previously described by the international literature.     

Interrogating Social Sustainability in the Biofuels Sector in Latin America: Tensions Between Global Standards and Local Experiences in Mexico,Brazil, and Colombia

Across the Americas, biofuels production systems are diverse due to geographic conditions, historical patterns of land tenure, different land use patterns, government policy frameworks, and relations between the national state and civil society, all of which shape the role that biofuels play in individual nations. Although many national governments throughout the Americas continue to incentivize growth of the biofuels industry, one key challenge for biofuels sustainability has been concern about its social impacts. In this article, we discuss some of the key social issues and tensions related to the recent expansion of biofuels production in Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil. We argue that a process of “simplification” of ecological and cultural diversity has aided the expansion of the biofuels frontier in these countries, but is also undermining their viability. We consider the ability of governments and non-state actors in multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSI) to address social and environmental concerns that affect rural livelihoods as a result of biofuels expansion. We analyze the tensions between global sustainability standards, national level policies for biofuels development, and local level impacts and visions of sustainability. We find that both government and MSI efforts to address sustainability concerns have limited impact, and recommend greater incorporation of local needs and expertise to improve governance.     

Phytoplankton communities in aquaculture system (integration of shrimp and seaweed)

ABSTRACT

Knowledge about phytoplankton communities is important for aquaculture due to their influence on environmental variables. The goal of the study was to evaluate the ecological effect of seaweed Gracilaria birdiae at three different densities: 2.5 (LG2.5); 5.0 (LG5.0) and 7.5?kg m^?3 (LG7.5), on water quality variables and the phytoplankton communities in integrated aquaculture systems (shrimp and seaweed) with a control (without seaweed) (LB) using biofloc technology. Settleable and total suspended solids were significantly correlated with the phytoplankton groups. In addition, orthophosphate was the main variable controlling phytoplankton growth and gross primary production. No significant differences were identified among the treatments in terms of the phytoplankton assemblages (p?>?0.05) but differences were found between the communities (ANOSIM, R global?=?0.873) in relation to the days of the experiment. However, the LG2.5 treatment had higher diversity and lower species dominance, as well as higher productivity and final shrimp weight. The results indicate that seaweed inhibit phytoplankton growth, mainly of toxic species. They suggest that phytoplankton composition in integrated aquaculture systems in the presence of seaweed at a density of 2.5?kg m^?3 is more diversified and provides better water quality and shrimp performance by inhibiting the abundance of harmful species.     

Biological activities of the essential oil from the leaves of Lantana montevidensis (Spreng) Briq. in mice

Environment, Development and Sustainability - This work aimed to analyze the chemical composition and evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of the essential oil obtained...     

Photocatalytic degradation of imazethapyr herbicide at TiO2/H2O interface

The photocatalytic degradation of imazethapyr, a herbicide of the imidazolinone family, was investigated in an aqueous suspension of titanium dioxide used as a catalyst. A pseudo-first order kinetic model was employed to discuss the results. The effect of catalyst loading, initial concentration of imazethapyr, hydrogen peroxide, pH value, and temperature were investigated. Imazethapyr disappearance as a function of irradiation time was analyzed by HPLC. The ammonium ion formation was determined spectrophotometrically at 694 nm. The degradation was observed to proceed more favorably at natural pH (ca. 4.4) when the pH was varied in the range from 2 to 11. The addition of hydrogen peroxide to the TiO2 suspension enhanced the degradation rate constant up to 5.0x10(-3) mol l-1, but decreased it at higher concentrations. The degradation rate constants decreased by 19% with a temperature increase from 20 to 40 degrees C in the TiO2 suspension, whereas a 16% increase in imazethapyr direct photolysis was observed for the same temperature range. This behavior indicates the occurrence of physisorption between TiO2 and imazethapyr molecules.     

Subfossil markers of climate change during the Roman Warm Period of the late Holocene

Abundant bog oak trunks occur in alluvial deposits of the Raba River in the village of Targowisko (southern Poland). Several of them contain galleries of the great capricorn beetle (Cerambyx cerdo L.). A well-preserved subfossil larva and pupa, as well as adults of this species, are concealed in some of the galleries. These galleries co-occur with boring galleries of other insects such as ship-timber beetles (Lymexylidae) and metallic wood borers (Buprestidae). A dry larva of a stag beetle (Lucanidae) and a mite (Acari) have been found in the C. cerdo galleries. Selected samples of the trunks and a sample of the C. cerdo larva were dated, using radiocarbon and dendrochronological methods, to the period from 45 bc to ad 554; one sample was dated to the period from 799 to 700 bc. Accumulation of the channel alluvia containing the bog oak trunks is synchronous with the Roman Warm Period (late antiquity/Early Mediaeval times). The most recent part of this period correlates with massive accumulations of fallen oak trunks noted from various river valleys in the Carpathian region and dated to ad 450–570. The results indicate that C. cerdo was more abundant within the study area during the Roman Warm Period than it is today.