Health impact assessment of air pollutants during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Brazilian metropolis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Studies around the world have revealed reduced levels of atmospheric particulate matter in periods of greatest human mobility restriction to contain...     

Native plant restoration combats environmental change: development of carbon and nitrogen sequestration capacity using small cordgrass in European salt marshes

Restoration of salt marshes is critical in the context of climate change and eutrophication of coastal waters because their vegetation and sediments may act as carbon and nitrogen sinks. Our primary objectives were to quantify carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks and sequestration rates in restored marshes dominated by Spartina maritima to provide support for restoration and management strategies that may offset negative aspects of eutrophication and climate change in estuarine ecosystems. Sediment C content was between ca. 13 mg C g^?1and sediment N content was ca. 1.8 mg N g^?1. The highest C content for S. maritima was recorded in leaves and stems (ca. 420 mg C g^?1) and the lowest in roots (361?±?4 mg C g^?1). S. maritima also concentrated more N in its leaves (31?±?1 mg N g^?1) than in other organs. C stock in the restored marshes was 29.6 t C ha^?1; ca. 16 % was stored in S. maritima tissues. N stock was 3.6 t N ha^?1, with 8.3 % stored in S. maritima. Our results showed that the S. maritima restored marshes, 2.5 years after planting, were sequestering atmospheric C and, therefore, provide some mitigation for global warming. Stands are also capturing nitrogen and reducing eutrophication. The concentrations of C and N contents in sediments, and cordgrass relative cover of 62 %, and low below-ground biomass (BGB) suggest restored marshes can sequester more C and N. S. maritima plantations in low marshes replace bare sediments and invasive populations of exotic Spartina densiflora and increase the C and N sequestration capacity of the marsh by increasing biomass production and accumulation.     

Determinants of coverage in Community‐based Therapeutic Care programmes: towards a joint quantitative and qualitative analysis

One of the most important elements behind the success of Community‐based Therapeutic Care (CTC) programmes for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition has been their ability to achieve high levels of coverage. In CTC, coverage is measured using the Centric System Area Sampling (CSAS) method, which provides accurate and reliable estimates of programme coverage as well as information on the primary reasons for non‐attendance. Another important feature of CTC programmes is their use of socio‐cultural assessments to determine potential barriers to access and to develop context‐specific responses. By analysing data on non‐attendance provided by CSAS surveys, in conjunction with data from socio‐cultural assessments, it is possible to identify common factors responsible for failures in programme coverage. This paper focuses on an analysis of data from 12 CTC programmes across five African countries. It pinpoints three common factors (distance to sites, community awareness of the programme, and the way in which rejections are handled at the sites) that, together, account for approximately 75 per cent of non‐attendance.     

Causation of Severe and Fatal Accidents in the Manufacturing Sector

The main purpose of this paper is to identify the most frequent causes of accidents in the manufacturing sector in Andalusia, Spain, to help safety practitioners in the task of prioritizing preventive actions. Official accident investigation reports are analyzed. A causation pattern is identified with the proportion of causes of each of the different possible groups of causes. We found evidence of a differential causation between slight and non-slight accidents. We have also found significant differences in accident causation depending on the mechanism of the accident. These results can be used to prioritize preventive actions to combat the most likely causes of each accident mechanism. We have also done research on the associations of certain latent causes with specific active (immediate) causes. These relationships show how organizational and safety management can contribute to the prevention of active failures.     

The Impact of the Macaíba Components Addition on the Biodegradation Acceleration of Poly (Ɛ-Caprolactone) (PCL)

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Nowadays, there is a need to obtain eco-friendly materials, especially plastics that are responsible for most of the environmental pollution. In this...     

Morphology,Chemical Characterization and Sources of Microplastics in a Coastal City in the Equatorial Zone with Diverse Anthropogenic Activities (Fortaleza city,Brazil)

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - The aim of the present study was to perform morphological and chemical characterizations of microplastics (MPs) found in seawater samples from the coast of...     

Effects of activated sludge and UV disinfection processes on the bacterial community and antibiotic resistance profile in a municipal wastewater treatment plant

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Wastewater tertiary treatment has been pointed out as an effective alternative for reducing the concentration of antibiotic resistant bacteria and...     

Challenges of TiO2 heterogeneous photocatalysis on cytostatic compounds degradation: state of the art

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The following work provides a perspective on the degradation of cytostatic pollutants through TiO2 heterogeneous photocatalysis. Cytostatic drugs are...     

Synthesis of an organic–inorganic composite from calcium carbonate and Kraft lignin and its use as carrier material for controlled release of semiochemical agents

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The control of pests in agricultural systems is currently based on the widespread use of pesticides that efficiently control pests but have negative...     

Micronucleus and different nuclear abnormalities in wild birds in the Cerrado,Brazil

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Free-living birds play an important role as bioindicators in natural environments. In this study, we used the micronucleus test and nuclear...