Photolysis of diclobutrazol in methanol

The fungicide diclobutrazol (2RS,3RS)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)pentan-3-ol was irradiated by ultra-violet light in methanol solution using (1) borosilicate glass apparatus and (2) quartz apparatus. The major differences observed were that photodegradation occurred more rapidly in (2) than (1) and more breakdown products were found in the former. Using g.c.-m.s. ten compounds were detected in (1) of which five were identified. In (2) twelve of the eighteen compounds observed were identified and the major component was 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)pentan-3-one. The compounds reported were formed by oxidation, loss of chlorine or by cyclisation. This previously unreported cyclisation gave the s-triazolo-(5,1a)isoquinoline ring system.     

It takes more than a village: the challenges of co-management in Uganda's fishery and forestry sectors

Decentralisation policies in least developed countries have emerged in response to failed centralised natural resource governance programmes because high-value natural resources are distributed unequally, with central governments often reaping more than local-level users. Current natural resource governance institutions have been created to remedy the problems that central governments formerly posed. Here, we argue that Uganda's forestry and fishery resources are biologically diverse and thus amenable to current decentralised management programmes, provided that there is compromise between market values and local cultural and subsistence values and uses. We observe, however, Uganda's current institutional arrangement favours the former over the latter and determine that successful natural resource decentralisation requires strengthening local-level natural resource institutions with increased fiscal flow, enforcement, monitoring and judicial powers. A strong and reliable partnership between local-level resource users and the central government is necessary for this to occur.     

Enrichment and exposure assessment of As,Cr and Pb of the soils in the vicinity of Stawell,Victoria, Australia

Stawell Gold Mine in NW Victoria, Australia, mines ores that contain large concentrations of As and significant quantities of the metals Pb and Cr. The aim of this research was to understand the dispersion, enrichment and probable exposure of these potentially hazardous elements around the mine site. Fifty-five surface soil samples were collected near the mine (<15 km) and analysed by ICP-MS/OES following bioavailable and four-acid extractions. Soils near the mine show greater concentrations of As, Cr and Pb than those near a regionally determined background. This is attributed to the combination of a natural geochemical halo around mineralization and anthropogenic dispersion due to mining and urbanization. Total As concentrations were between 16 and 946 mg kg⁻¹ near the mine in a regional background of 1–16 mg kg⁻¹. Total Cr concentrations were between 18 and 740 mg kg⁻¹ near the mine in a regional background of 26–143 mg kg⁻¹. Total Pb concentrations were between 12 and 430 mg kg⁻¹ near the mine in a regional background of 9–23 mg kg⁻¹. Dispersion of contaminant elements from the present ore processing is <500 m. The most enriched soils occur close to the town and are unrelated to present mining practices. The bioavailable As, Cr and Pb, soil ingestion rates and Risk Reference Doses were used to estimate health risks. An average toddler (12 kg) would need to consume at least 1.5 g, and most likely 12 g, of soil per day to show some symptoms of As toxicity. The maximum measured bioavailable As would pose a risk at average ingestion rates of 200 mg per day. Individuals with soil-eating disorders would exceed the safe daily consumption limits for As, and potentially Cr and Pb. Small children are not typically exposed to soil everyday, very few have soil eating disorders, and, therefore, the health risk from the soils around the mine is minimal.     

Photolysis of vinclozolin

Following photolysis of vinclozolin in methanol five products were detected and identified: 3,5-dichlorophenylisocyanate, 3,5-dichloroaniline, methyl 3,5-dichlorophenylcarbamate, 3-(3-chlorophenyl)-5-methyl-5-vinyl-oxazolidine-2,4-dione and methyl (3,5-dichlorophenyl) (2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-oxo-buten-3-yl) carbamate. The major component identified from photolysis in benzene solution, 3-(3-chlorobiphenyl)-5-methyl-5-vinyl-oxazolidine-2,4-dione, was produced by replacement of one chlorine atom by a solvent molecule.     

是消除水资源享有的鸿沟的时候了

让我们直言不讳吧!本文的读者都不曾有过一天伊始就跋涉两英里去小溪旁取回全家一天用水的经历.我们中间没有人遭受过不得不把田边地角、马路旁或者一只塑料袋当作厕所的屈辱.我们的孩子也不致因为缺乏一杯洁净的水和某些基本的卫生设施而丧命.     

A comparison of different biogeographical classifications of Europe,Great Britain and Spain

Various biogeographical and bioclimatic classifications of a number of regions, countries and continents have been created to meet different objectives. A policy maker might ask the question 'why is there no single accepted classification and how do the different classifications compare with one another?' In order to answer these two questions three classifications created by different methods for Great Britain and two for Spain are compared using the Kappa statistic. All of the classifications were created from data on cellular grids with a set window size. Further non-statistical comparisons are made with other classifications. The biogeographic classifications studied in this paper produced three different types of zone: those that were always identified whatever the method; those that were broadly similar but where the boundaries differed; and those that were unique to a particular classification. These different types of zone are likely to exist for any comparison between classifications of a particular region. The extent of the geographic window from which data were obtained had a major effect on the classification of grid cells at the edges of the window. For example, the few grid cells in the south of England, with characteristics of continental Europe, are not detected if data from Great Britain alone are used for the classification. We conclude that the data window should always be larger than the area for which the classification is being made. The objective Kappa statistic, although useful, was not capable of discerning similarities and dissimilarities that appear obvious to the subjective human eye. Although the details of the classifications differed there were broad similarities between the classifications and these differences reflect important divisions along major environmental axes that have been inferred by earlier biogeographers. As the divisions are real there is a sound basis for their use in future land use or environmental policy.     

Upward movement of tritium from contaminated groundwaters: a numerical analysis

This paper describes a research-oriented modelling exercise that addresses the problem of assessing the movement of tritium from a contaminated perched aquifer to the land surface. Participants were provided with information on water table depth, soil characteristics, hourly meteorological and evapotranspiration data. They were asked to predict the upward migration of tritium through the unsaturated soil into the atmosphere. Eight different numerical models were used to calculate the movement of tritium. The modelling results agree within a factor of two, if very small time and space increments are used. The agreement is not so good when the near-surface soil becomes dry. The modelling of the alternate upward and downward transport of tritium close to the ground surface generally requires rather complex models and detailed input because tritium concentration varies sharply over short distances and is very sensitive to many interactive factors including rainfall amount, evapotranspiration rate, rooting depth and water table position.     

Measurements and analysis of criteria pollutants in New Delhi, India

Ambient concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and total suspended particulates (TSP) were measured from January 1997 to November 1998 in the center of downtown [the Income Tax Office (ITO) located on B.S.G. Marg] New Delhi, India. The data consist of 24-h averages of SO2, NOx, and TSP as well as 8 and 24-h averages of CO. The measurements were made in an effort to characterize air pollution in the urban environment of New Delhi and assist in the development of an air quality index. The yearly average CO, NOx, SO2, and TSP concentrations for 1997 and 1998 were found to be 4810+/-2287 and 5772+/-2116 microg/m3, 83+/-35 and 64+/-22 microg/m3, 20+/-8 and 23+/-7 microg/m3, and 409+/-110 and 365+/-100 microg/m3, respectively. In general, the maximum CO, SO2, NOx, and TSP values occurred during the winter with minimum values occurring during the summer, which can be attributed to a combination of meteorological conditions and photochemical activity in the region. The ratio of CO/NOx (approximately 50) indicates that mobile sources are the predominant contributors for these two compounds in the urban air pollution problem in New Delhi. The ratio of SO2/NOx (approximately 0.6) indicates that point sources are contributing to SO2 pollution in the city. The averaged background CO concentrations in New Delhi were also calculated (approximately 1939 microg/m3) which exceed those for Eastern USA (approximately 500 microg/m3). Further, all measured concentrations exceeded the US National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) except for SO2. TSP was identified as exceeding the standard on the most frequent basis.     

Humanitarian information systems and emergencies in the Greater Horn of Africa: logical components and logical linkages

Natural and man-made emergencies are regular occurrences in the Greater Horn of Africa region. The underlying impoverishment of whole populations is increasing, making it more difficult to distinguish between humanitarian crises triggered by shocks and those resulting from chronic poverty. Shocks and hazards can no longer be seen as one-off events that trigger a one-time response. In countries that are both poor and exposed to frequent episodes of debilitating drought or chronic conflict, information needs tend to be different from the straightforward early warning/commodity accounting models of information systems that have proven reliable in past emergencies. This paper describes the interdependent components of a humanitarian information system appropriate for this kind of complex environment, noting the analytical links between the components and operational links to programme and policy. By examining a series of case studies from the Greater Horn region, the paper demonstrates that systems lacking one or more of these components will fail to provide adequate information--and thus incur humanitarian costs. While information always comes with a cost, the price of poor information--or none--is higher. And in situations of chronic vulnerability, in which development interventions are likely to be interspersed with both safety nets and emergency interventions on a recurrent basis, investment in improved information is a good investment from both a humanitarian and a financial viewpoint.     

NMOC,ozone, and organic aerosol in the southeastern United States, 1999–2007: 1. Spatial and temporal variations of NMOC concentrations and composition in Atlanta,Georgia

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted from anthropogenic and natural (biogenic) sources into the atmosphere. Characterizing their ambient mixing ratios or concentrations is a challenge because VOCs comprise hundreds of species, and accurate measurements are difficult. Long-term hourly and daily-resolution data have been collected in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia, a major city dominated by motor vehicle emissions. A series of observations of daily, speciated C₂–C₁₀ non-methane organic compounds (NMOC) and oxygenated hydrocarbons (OVOC) in mid-town Atlanta (Jefferson Street, JST) are compared with data from three urban-suburban sites and a nearby non-urban site. Annual-average mixing ratios of NMOC and OVOC at JST declined from 1999 through 2007. Downward trends in NMOC, CO, and NO_y corroborate expected emission changes as reflected in emission inventories for Atlanta’s Fulton County. Comparison of the JST NMOC composition with data from roadside and tunnel sampling reveals similarities to motor vehicle dominated samples. The JST annual average VOC-OH reactivities from 1999 to 2007 were relatively constant compared with the decline in annual-average NMOC mixing ratios. Mean reactivity at JST, in terms of concentration*k_OH, was approximately 40% alkenes, 22% aromatics, 16% isoprene and 6% other biogenics, 13% C₇–C₁₀ alkanes and 3% C₂-C₆ alkanes, indicating that biogenic NMOCs are important but not dominant contributors to the urban reactive NMOC mix. In contrast, isoprene constituted ～50% of the VOC-OH reactivities at two non-urban sites. Ratios of 24-hour average CO/benzene, CO/isopentane, and CO/acetylene concentrations indicate that such species are relatively conserved, consistent with their low reactivity. Ratios of more-reactive to less-reactive species show diurnal variability largely consistent with expected emission patterns, transport and mixing of air, and chemical processing.