The transformation of outdoor ammonium nitrate aerosols in the indoor environment

Recent studies associate particulate air pollution with adverse health effects; however, the exposure to indoor particles of outdoor origin is not well characterized, particularly for individual chemical species. We conducted a field study in an unoccupied, single-story residence in Clovis, California to provide data and analyses to address issues important for assessing exposure. We used real-time particle monitors both outdoors and indoors to quantify nitrate, sulfate, and carbon particulate matter of particle size 2.5 μm or less in diameter (PM-2.5). The results show that measured indoor ammonium nitrate concentrations were significantly lower than would be expected based solely on penetration and deposition losses. The additional reduction can be attributed to the transformation indoors of ammonium nitrate into ammonia and nitric acid gases, which are subsequently lost by deposition and sorption to indoor surfaces. A mass balance model that accounts for the kinetics of ammonium nitrate evaporation was able to reproduce measured indoor ammonium nitrate and nitric acid concentrations, resulting in a fitted value of the deposition velocity for nitric acid of 0.56 cm s⁻¹. The results indicate that indoor exposure to outdoor ammonium nitrate in Central Valley of California are small, and suggest that exposure assessments based on total particle mass measured outdoors may obscure the actual causal relationships for indoor exposure to particles of outdoor origin.     

Effects of bio-organic fertilizers on pineapple heart rot and bacterial community structure北大核心CSCD

Heart rot is a common soil-borne disease in the pineapple industry, but the situation can be alleviated by the application of bio-fertilizers with beneficial microbiomes. Clarifying the controlling mechanism of bio-organic fertilizer on the high incidence of heart rot is critical in monocultural pineapple cropping patterns. In our study, the soil of continuous cropping pineapple orchards was collected. Three types of carriers (rapeseed cake, peat soil, and coconut bran), biocontrol strains (Bacillus subtilis HL2 and Streptomyces strain HL3), and organic fertilizer (YJ) were composted into different bio-fertilizers (KC, KN, KY, LC, LN, and LY), which were used in pot experiments. The controlling effect of the bio-fertilizer was determined based on the response of pineapple heart rot and bacterial communities to different fertilizing methods. Our results revealed that the incidence of heart rot in bio-fertilizer KC was the lowest, which decreased by 20% and 13.3%, respectively, compared to HF (chemical fertilizer, 16-16-16) and YJ (organic fertilizer). The richness and diversity of soil bacterial communities in all biofertilized treatments (KC, KN, KY, LC, LN, and LY) were significantly higher than those in HF. However, the α-diversity indices of the bio-fertilizers (KC, KN, and KY) were higher than those of LC, LN, and LY, and the bacterial community composition was significantly different. The bacteria GP4, GP6, Bacillus, and Azohydromonas were enriched in KC, KN, and KY, while the relative abundance of Streptomyces increased significantly in LC, LN, and LY. Furthermore, Spearman correlation analysis showed that the relative abundance of these bacterial groups was significantly negatively correlated with the incidence of pineapple heart rot. In summary, the application of bio-organic fertilizers can decrease the incidence of pineapple heart rot by altering the soil bacterial community structure and stimulating beneficial soil microorganisms, which is important for reconstructing the ecological balance in continuous pineapple orchards. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Nitrogen- vs. phosphorus-based dairy manure applications to field crops: nitrate and phosphorus leaching and soil phosphorus accumulation

Management of animal manures to provide nutrients for crop growth has generally been based on crop N needs. However, because manures have a lower N/P ratio than most harvested crops, N-based manure management often oversupplies the crop-soil system with P, which can be lost into the environment and contribute to eutrophication of water bodies. We examined the effects of N- vs. P-based manure applications on N and P uptake by alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), corn (Zea mays L.) for silage, and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), leaching below the root zone, and accumulation of P in soil. Treatments included N- and P-based manure rates, with no nutrient input controls and inorganically fertilized plots for comparison. Nitrate concentrations in leachate from inorganic fertilizer or manure treatments averaged 14 mg NO(3)-N L(-1), and did not differ by nutrient treatment. Average annual total P losses in leachate did not exceed 1 kg ha(-1). In the top 5 cm of soil in plots receiving the N-based manure treatment, soil test P increased by 47%, from 85 to 125 mg kg(-1). Nitrogen- and P-based manure applications did not differ in ability to supply nutrients for crop growth, or in losses of nitrate and total P in leachate. However, the N-based manure led to significantly greater accumulation of soil test P in the surface 5 cm of soil. Surface soil P accumulation has implications for increased risk of off-field P movement.     

Composting projects under the Clean Development Mechanism: sustainable contribution to mitigate climate change

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries and at the same time to assist these countries in sustainable development. While composting as a suitable mitigation option in the waste sector can clearly contribute to the former goal there are indications that high rents can also be achieved regarding the latter. In this article composting is compared with other CDM project types inside and outside the waste sector with regards to both project numbers and contribution to sustainable development. It is found that, despite the high number of waste projects, composting is underrepresented and a major reason for this fact is identified. Based on a multi-criteria analysis it is shown that composting has a higher potential for contribution to sustainable development than most other best in class projects. As these contributions can only be assured if certain requirements are followed, eight key obligations are presented.     

Migration of pollutants in groundwater: I. reduction of numerical dispersion by conformal mapping

The partial differential equations governing the migration of adsorbable pollutants undergoing 2-dimensional flow in saturated aquifers are presented. The analytical solution of these equations is rarely possible, and the use of mesh or grid techniques for numerical integration leads to so-called numerical dispersion, excessive dispersion which is an artifact associated with the numerical method. We discuss here the use of conformal mapping techniques to develop coordinate systems in which numerical dispersion transverse to the direction of flow is eliminated. Some simple illustrations are presented.     

Aflatoxin decomposition in various soils

The persistence of aflatoxin in the soil environment could potentially result in a number of adverse environmental consequences. To determine the persistence of aflatoxin in soil, 14C-labeled aflatoxin B1, was added to silt loam, sandy loam, and silty clay loam soils and the subsequent release of 14CO2 was determined. After 120 days of incubation, 8.1% of the original aflatoxin added to the silt loam soil was released as CO2. Aflatoxin decomposition in the sandy loam soil proceeded more quickly than the other two soils for the first 20 days of incubation. After this time, the decomposition rate declined and by the end of the study, 4.9% of the aflatoxin was released as CO2. Aflatoxin decomposition proceeded most slowly in the silty clay loam soil. Only 1.4% of aflatoxin added to the soil was released as CO2 after 120 days incubation. To determine whether aflatoxin was bound to the silty clay loam soil, aflatoxin B1 was added to this soil and incubated for 20 days. The soil was periodically extracted and the aflatoxin species present were determined using thin layer chromatographic (TLC) procedures. After one day of incubation, the degradation products, aflatoxins B2 and G2, were observed. It was also found that much of the aflatoxin extracted from the soil was not mobile with the TLC solvent system used. This indicated that a conjugate may have formed and thus may be responsible for the lack of aflatoxin decomposition.     

SIMULATING FLOW IN REGIONAL WETLANDS WITH THE MODFLOW WETLANDS PACKAGE1

ABSTRACT: As part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), various water supply projects have been proposed in a region located between the Miami metropolitan area and the extensive regional wetland systems that are part of the Everglades or remnant Everglades. A ground water flow model of the surficial aquifer within northern Miami‐Dade County was constructed using MODFLOW to evaluate the effects of these projects on water levels in the wetlands and the underlying surficial aquifer. The new Wetlands package was used to conjunctively simulate overland flow through these wetlands and the shallow ground water system. Comparisons of simulated to measured ground water levels and wetland stages were very satisfactory, where computed and measured water levels agreed within 0.5 ft over most of the period of record at nearly all of the monitoring sites. Temporal trends in water levels were also replicated. It was concluded that the assumptions and methodologies inherent to the Wetlands package were suitable for simulating regional wetland hydrology within the Everglades area.     

Minimizing Harm in Agricultural Animal Experiments in New Zealand

Intrusive agricultural experimentspublished in New Zealand in the last five yearsare reviewed in terms of the degree of animalsuffering involved, and the necessity for thissuffering in relation to research findings.When measured against animal welfare criteriaof the Ministry of Agriculture, thirty-sixstudies inflicted ``severe' or ``very severe'suffering. Many of these experiments hadquestionable short-term applications, had anapplication restricted to agriculturalproduction or economic growth, or could havebeen modified to prevent or reduce suffering.