Indicators for Chemicals: Sources,impacts and policy performance (5 pp)

Background Different types of indicators have been developed to describe the impact of chemicals on society and environment. Due to the high number of substances and their different types of use, most of these indicators are directed to specific areas of interest – regarding workplace safety, environmental health or consumer health. They address a specific subset of chemicals and can be used for monitoring enterprise-specific, national or international management measures. Main Features A survey of existing indicators for chemicals has shown that indicators already exist for a remarkable number of problem fields. As soon as the release and the environmental fate of chemicals are taken into account, the complexity of the approaches increases considerably. The distinction between indicators for drivers, pressures, state, impacts and responses, as proposed by the European Environmental Agency, supports the identification of proper indicators for a specific type of problem. Discussion and Conclusions. No single indicator exists which is able to cover the whole range of chemicals and their applications. Several indicator approaches cover at least a subset of the most relevant substances. If they are intended to be used for European monitoring, robust data must be provided by EU Member States. Chemicals in enterprises (ancillary inputs as well as process chemicals) are an important element of in-plant material flow management – in terms of occupational safety and health as well as environmental protection. Existing indicators for hazardous chemicals can be a valuable tool for process and product refinement regarding hazardous chemicals, especially for enterprises. Outlook Indicators for production and impact of chemicals, as well as policy performance indicators, are essential elements in order to monitor the management of chemicals. They have to be established for the national and for the EU level.     

DNA barcoding of Pacific Canada’s fishes

DNA barcoding—sequencing a standard region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene (COI)—promises a rapid, accurate means of identifying animals to a species level. This study establishes that sequence variability in the barcode region permits discrimination of 98% of 201 fish species from the Canadian Pacific. The average sequence variation within species was 0.25%, while the average distance separating species within genera was 3.75%. The latter value was considerably lower than values reported in other studies, reflecting the dominance of the Canadian fauna by members of the young and highly diverse genus Sebastes. Although most sebastids possessed distinctive COI sequences, four species did not. As a partial offset to these cases, the barcode records indicated the presence of a new, broadly distributed species of Paraliparis and the possibility that Paraliparis pectoralis is actually a species pair. The present study shows that most fish species in Pacific Canadian waters correspond to a single, tightly cohesive array of barcode sequences that are distinct from those of any other species, but also highlights some taxonomic issues that need further investigation.     

Heavy metals in seaducks and mussels from misty fjords national monument in Southeast Alaska

Quartz Hill, in Misty Fjords National Monument near Ketchikan, Alaska, is the site of a proposed molybdenum-producing mine. To provide baseline data for use in post-development comparisons, we analyzed tissues of Barrow's goldeneyes (Bucephala islandica), common mergansers (Mergus merganser), and blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) for seven heavy metals that could potentially be released into the environment as a result of mining operations. Specimens were collected in 1980, 1981, and 1982 from two fjords likely to be used for discharge of tailings from the proposed mine and from two control fjords. Concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, chromium, molybdenum, lead, and zinc were measured in soft tissues of mussels and in kidney, liver, and muscle of birds. The highest mean concentrations of metals found in bird tissues were 55.7 ppm dry weight cadmium in kidneys and 154 ppm dry weight zinc in livers of Barrow's goldeneyes. Concentrations of several metals in blue mussels differed among seasons and locations, but the most significant finding in mussels was a maximum mean cadmium concentration of 9.6 ppm dry weight, a level higher than normally found in undisturbed areas. With the exception of 104 ppm dry weight cadmium in the kidney of one common merganser and 12.7 ppm dry weight lead in the kidney of another, concentrations of other metals in seaduck and mussel tissues were low, consistent with what would be expected for a pre-development environment. Molybdenum was found in low concentrations (<10 ppm dry weight) in all avian kidney samples and most liver samples, but was not detected in blue mussels.THE U.S. GOVERNMENT RIGHT TO RETAIN A NON-EXCLUSIVE, ROYALTY FREE LICENCE IN AND TO ANY COPYRIGHT IS ACKNOWLEDGED.     

Characterizing emissions from open burning of military food waste and ration packaging compositions

Emissions from open burning of military food waste and ration packaging compositions were characterized in response to health concerns from open burning disposal of waste, such as at military forward operating bases. Emissions from current and prototype Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MREs), and material options for their associated fiberboard packaging were quantified to assess contributions of the individual components. MREs account for 67–100% of the particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and -furans (PCDDs/PCDFs) emissions when burned in unison with the current fiberboard container and liner. The majority of the particles emitted from these burns are of median diameter 2.5 µm (PM_2.5). Metal emission factors were similar regardless of waste composition. Measurements of VOCs and PAHs indicate that targeted replacement of MRE components may be more effective in reducing emissions than variation of fiberboard-packaging types. Despite MRE composition variation, equivalent emission factors for PM, PAH, VOC, and PCDD/PCDF were seen. Similarly, for fiberboard packaging, composition variations exhibited essentially equivalent PM, PAH, VOC, and PCDD/PCDF emission factors amongst themselves. This study demonstrated a composition-specific analysis of waste burn emissions, assessing the impact of waste component substitution using military rations.     

Educational,psychosocial, and protection outcomes of child‐ and youth‐focused programming with Somali refugees in Dollo Ado,Ethiopia

Child‐ and youth‐friendly spaces have become a common feature of emergency humanitarian provision. This study reports on the outcomes of child and youth learning centres (CYLCs) in Ethiopia's Buramino Camp established for those fleeing conflict in Somalia. Eighty‐five youths completed baseline assessments shortly after arrival and follow‐up assessments three to six months later. Caregivers of 106 younger children completed similar appraisals. 693 children attending the CYLCs completed pre‐ and post‐educational assessments, which indicated major gains—significant at p<0.0001—in both literacy (younger children, t=9.06; youth, t=13.87) and numeracy (younger children, t=13.94; youths, t=17.10). Children's CYLC attendance increased reports of met needs among caregivers (t=2.53, p<0.05) and youths (t=2.57, p<0.05), and, among caregivers but not youths, significantly moderated protection concerns (t=2.39, p<0.05, and t=?1.90, p=0.06, respectively). There was general improvement in psychosocial well‐being over time for all children; CYLC attendance predicted greater reductions in reported difficulties only among younger children (t=2.51, p<0.05).     

Priority effects and species sorting in a long paleoecological record of repeated community assembly through time

We studied the relative roles of environmental species sorting and priority effects in the assembly of ecological communities on long time scales, by analyzing community turnover of water fleas (Daphnia) in response to strong and recurrent environmental change in a fluctuating tropical lake. During the past 1800 years, Lake Naivasha (Kenya) repeatedly fluctuated between a small saline pond habitat during lowstands and a large freshwater lake habitat during highstands. Starting from a paleoecological reconstruction, we estimated the role of priority effects in Daphnia community assembly across 16 of these habitat turnovers and compared this with the response of the community to reconstructed changes in three environmental variables important for species sorting. Our results indicate that the best predictor of Daphnia community composition during highstands was the community composition just prior to the transition from lowstands to highstands. This reflects a long-lasting priority effect of late lowstand communities on highstand communities, arising when remnant lowstand populations fill newly available ecological space in the rapidly expanding lake habitat. Species sorting and priority effects had a comparable but relatively small influence on community composition during the lowstands. Moreover, these priority effects decayed rapidly with time as Daphnia communities responded to environmental change, in contrast with the highstand communities where priority effects lasted for several decades.     

The importance of heterozygosity in a frog’s life

High genetic variability may increase metabolic efficiency and thus allows responding to environmental challenges as limits to adaptation are approached. Therefore, it has been suggested that high genetic variability contributes strongly to the fitness of an individual. Survival to high age may thus depend on high genetic variability, and genetically variable individuals may have a higher survival rate to high ages in comparison to less variable sympatric conspecifics. Such a heterozygosity × age relationship might be more readily detectable in stressful as compared to benign environments. For testing the relationship between age and heterozygosity, we genetically analyzed 71 individuals of the frog species Rana perezi from a total of seven populations at 13 allozyme loci. The age of the individuals was determined by skeletochronology. We found effects on age of both environment and allozyme heterozygosity, especially in populations with high stress regimes. A significant heterozygosity × age relationship has so far rarely been shown in natural populations. The result of our analysis suggests that more heterozygous individuals have a higher longevity and may be an important source of genetic variability of a population, likely contributing to a stabilization of the effective population size.     

Comparison of the flower scent of the sexually deceptive orchid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ophrys iricolor</Emphasis> and the female sex pheromone of its pollinator <Emphasis Type="Italic">Andrena morio</Emphasis>

Summary. Ophrys flowers mimic the female produced sex pheromone of their pollinator species to attract males for pollination. The males try to copulate with the putative female and thereby pollinate the flower. Using electrophysiological and chemical analyses, floral volatiles released by O. iricolor as well as the female sex pheromone of its pollinator species, Andrena morio are investigated. Overall, 38 peaks comprising 41 chemical compounds, were found to release reactions in the antennae of male A. morio bees. Analyses using coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed the presence of alkanes and alkenes with 20 to 29 carbon atoms, aldehydes (C9 to C24) and two esters. Almost all of those compounds were found in similar proportions in both, the floral extracts of O. iricolor and cuticle surface extracts of A. morio females. The pattern of biologically active volatiles described here is very similar to that used by other Ophrys species pollinated by Andrena males.