Emission factors from different burning stages of agriculture wastes in Mexico

Open-air burning of agricultural wastes from crops like corn, rice, sorghum, sugar cane, and wheat is common practice in Mexico, which in spite limiting regulations, is the method to eliminate such wastes, to clear the land for further harvesting, to control grasses, weeds, insects, and pests, and to facilitate nutrient absorption. However, this practice generates air pollution and contributes to the greenhouse effect. Burning of straws derived from the said crops was emulated in a controlled combustion chamber, hence determining emission factors for particles, black carbon, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitric oxide throughout the process, which comprised three apparent stages: pre-ignition, flaming, and smoldering. In all cases, maximum particle concentrations were observed during the flaming stage, although the maximum final contributions to the particle emission factors corresponded to the smoldering stage. The comparison between particle size distributions (from laser spectrometer) and black carbon (from an aethalometer) confirmed that finest particles were emitted mainly during the flaming stage. Carbon dioxide emissions were also highest during the flaming stage whereas those of carbon monoxide were highest during the smoldering stage. Comparing the emission factors for each straw type with their chemical analyses (elemental, proximate, and biochemical), some correlations were found between lignin content and particle emissions and either particle emissions or duration of the pre-ignition stage. High ash or lignin containing-straw slowed down the pre-ignition and flaming stages, thus favoring CO oxidation to CO₂.

     

Understanding local community attitudes toward industrial development in the Great Barrier Reef region World Heritage Area: are environmental impacts perceived to overshadow economic benefits?

Conflicts between industrial development and environmental conservation can be particularly acute when such development occurs in the vicinity of World Heritage sites. A key example is the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) in northeastern Australia, where a 2012 review by the World Heritage Council found that rapid port development inshore of the coral reef posed significant risks to local marine ecosystems. Such instances pose pressing challenges for decision‐makers seeking to manage World Heritage sites for multiple values and needs, including those of key stakeholder groups, such as local communities. There is increasingly a societal expectation that public decision‐making takes into account local views and priorities, and that companies seek a ‘social license to operate’. This research explored local community attitudes toward port development associated with the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal through the GBRWHA. Using data drawn from a survey and interviews, the research examined how a range of geographical factors, including proximity to gas infrastructure and the perceived impacts and risks of development to the local community, economy and environment shape community perceptions of the industry. Findings suggest that local attitudes toward gas and coal terminal development inshore of the GBRWHA are shaped predominantly by community perceptions of environmental impacts and risks associated with such infrastructure, in contrast to a broader public narrative that focuses largely on economic benefits. A complex combination of other factors, including social impacts, personal environmental values, community trust in industry, and equity in decision‐making and distribution of the risks and benefits of industrial development also contribute. Placed in a broader, global context, the findings have important implications for public decision‐making processes in Australia and elsewhere as they suggest that, for local communities, the perceived impacts of gas development on the environment may overshadow the benefits of industry.     

Organochlorine compounds in bovine milk from the state of Mato Grosso do Sul – Brazil

Organochlorines are highly hydrophobic, synthetic organic pollutants that accumulate in the environment and in food webs. The primary route of human exposure to organochlorines is through food-mainly fat-rich food of animal origin such as meat, fish, and dairy products. Here we determined the presence and concentration of organochlorine residues in pasteurized milk from Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, to monitor consumer exposure to these contaminants. Organochlorine pesticides in milk samples were analyzed using solid phase extraction in octadecyl silica-prepacked columns and identified by gas chromatography using an electron capture detector. Of the 100 composite samples analyzed, more than 90% contained residues of organochlorine pesticides: aldrin was present in 44% of the samples, followed by ∑DDT (36%), mirex (34%), endosulfan (32%), chlordane (17%), dicofol (14%), heptachlor (11%) and dieldrin (11%). Compared to the values established by law, the concentration of the compounds in some samples was above the reference values. Given the importance that milk and its products have in the human diet, it is essential to know whether the levels of pesticide residues are kept well below the recommended levels to minimize the risk to human health.     

Multiresidue determination of carbamate,organochlorine, organophosphorus,and dicarboximide pesticides in lettuce by GC/MS

An extraction method based on matrix solid-phase dispersion was developed to determine pirimicarb, methyl parathion, malathion, procymidone, α -endosulfan and β -endosulfan in lettuce using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The best results were obtained using 4.0 g of lettuce, 2.0 g of silica as dispersant sorbent, 0.1 g of activated carbon as clean up sorbent and acetonitrile as eluting solvent. The method was validated using lettuce samples fortified with pesticides at six different concentration levels (0.1 to 2.0 mg/kg). Average recoveries (7 replicates) ranged from 50 to 120 %, with relative standard deviations between 0.6 and 8.0 %. Detection and quantification limits for lettuce ranged from 0.01 to 0.02 mg/kg and 0.04 to 0.10 mg/kg, respectively.     

Lindane removal by pure and mixed cultures of immobilized actinobacteria

Stereoselective dissipation of epoxiconazole had been studied in grape and soil during plant growing under field conditions in this paper. A sensitive and rapid chiral method was developed and validated for the determination of epoxiconazole stereoisomers in grape and soil based on liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Phenomenex Lux Cellulose-1 column was used for enantioseparation with a mixture of acetonitrile/water (90/10, v/v) as mobile phase at flow rate of 0.3 mL min⁻¹. Fortified recoveries in grape and soil samples ranged from 76.0% to 91.9% and relative standard deviations were less than 11.4% with fortified levels of 0.025-1.0 mg kg⁻¹. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.005 mg kg⁻¹ and 0.025 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, with linear calibration curves extending up to 5.0 mg kg⁻¹. The field experimental results showed that dissipations of epoxiconazole stereoisomers in grape followed first-order kinetics (R² > 0.92) and stereoselectivity occurred in 2 h after spraying. The (−)-stereoisomer with half-life of 9.3 d degraded faster than (+)-stereoisomer with that of 13.2 d, and resulted in relative enrichment of (+)-stereoisomer. However, the stereoisomeric dissipations in soil were triphasic (“increase-decrease-steady”) with lower dissipation rates, and also occurred with preferential degradation of (−)-stereoisomer under field condition. The results for stereoselective dissipations can be applied for food and environmental assessments of chiral pesticides.     

Water quality assessment of the Tubarão River through chemical analysis and biomarkers in the Neotropical fish Geophagus brasiliensis

The Tubarão River rises in Santa Catarina, Brazil, and has been historically affected by coal mining activities around its springhead. To evaluate its water conditions, an investigation regarding a possible decontamination gradient associated with the increased river flow toward the estuary, as well as the influence of seasonality over this gradient was performed through a series of biomarkers (vitellogenin, comet assay, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, gluthatione, gluthatione S-transferase, acetylcholinesterase, light microscopy in liver, and scanning electron microscopy in gills) and chemical analysis (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in bile and metal analysis in sediment) in the cichlid Geophagus brasiliensis. Two collections (summer and winter) were made in four distinct sites along the river, while sediments were sampled between those seasons. As expected, the contamination linked exclusively to mining activities was not observed, possibly due to punctual inputs of contaminants. The decontamination gradient was not observed, although seasonality seemed to have a critical role in the responses of biomarkers and availability of contaminants. In the summer, the fish presented higher histopathological damages and lower concentrations of PAHs, while in the winter they showed both higher genetic damage and accumulation of PAHs. The Tubarão suffers impacts from diverse activities, representing health risks for wild and human populations.     

Biodegradation of heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide-contaminated soils by white-rot fungal inocula

The ability of certain white-rot fungi (WRF) inocula to transform heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide and its application in artificially contaminated soil were investigated. Fungal inoculum of Pleurotus ostreatus eliminated approximately 89 % of heptachlor after 28 days of incubation, and chlordene was detected as the primary metabolite. The fungal inoculum of Pleurotus ostreatus had the highest ability to degrade heptachlor epoxide; approximately 32 % were degraded after 28 days of incubation, and heptachlor diol was detected as the metabolite product. Because Pleurotus ostreatus transformed heptachlor into a less toxic metabolite and could also effectively degrade heptachlor epoxide, it was then selected to be applied to artificially contaminated soil. The spent mushroom waste (SMW) of Pleurotus ostreatus degraded heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide by approximately 91 and 26 %, respectively, over 28 days. This finding indicated that Pleurotus ostreatus SMW could be used to bioremediate heptachlor- and heptachlor epoxide-contaminated environments.     

东洞庭湖湿地生态系统健康状态与水位关系研究

基于CBERS卫星遥感影像数据,以东洞庭湖国家级自然保护区为研究区,通过光谱特征分析建立决策树分类模型,提取东洞庭湖湿地的地物类型。以生态系统健康理论为基础,依据东洞庭湖湿地的特点,综合湿地生产力、组织结构、弹性和功能4个方面,建立湿地生态系统健康状态评价指标体系和评价模型,利用GIS技术,分析东洞庭湖湿地在2000～2006年10个时相的生态系统健康状态。结合城陵矶水文站的水位数据,探讨了东洞庭湖湿地健康状态与城陵矶水位之间的相关性,并利用2007年两个时相的数据进行检验。研究结果表明：东洞庭湖湿地健康状态与城陵矶水位之间存在着较大的相关性,当城陵矶水位达到30 m左右时,东洞庭湖湿地健康状态达到最佳值     

Solid beef cattle manure application impacts on soil properties and 17β-estradiol fate in a clay loam soil

Livestock manure applied to agricultural land is one of the ways natural steroid estrogens enter soils. To examine the impact of long-term solid beef cattle (Bos Taurus) manure on soil properties and 17β-estradiol sorption and mineralization, this study utilized a soil that had received beef cattle manure over 35 years. The 17β-estradiol was strongly sorbed and sorption significantly increased (P < 0.05) with increasing soil organic carbon content (SOC) and with an increasing annual rate of beef cattle manure. The 17β-estradiol mineralization half-life was significantly negatively correlated, and the total amount of 17β-estradiol mineralized at 90 days (MAX) was significantly positively correlated with 17β-estradiol sorption. The long-term rate of manure application had no significant effect on MAX, but the addition of fresh beef cattle manure in the laboratory resulted in significantly (P < 0.05) smaller MAX values. None of the treatments showed MAX values exceeding one-third of the 17β-estradiol applied.     

Matrine and oxymatrine in corroborant plant extracts and fertilizers: HPLC/MS-MS method development and single-laboratory validation

A reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method (HPLC/MS-MS) has been developed and validated for detection of alkaloids matrine and oxymatrine in fertilizer with labeled enhancer plant defense activities. The analytical method was validated statistically. The results show a strong matrix effect, requiring quantification by standard addition method. The regression lines showed r² > 0.994. Recoveries ranging from 97 to 104% were obtained for the fortification level of 0.01% wt wt^?1 and the relative standard deviations ranged from 3 to 4% (n = 10). The limits of detection were below 0.0001% wt wt^?1, while the limits of quantification did not exceed 0.0004% wt wt^?1. The method is currently applied in ICQRF Laboratory of Catania on fertilized and corroborant plant extract collected in the Italian market in the frame of MIPAAF institutional quality control activity, with the aim to dectect these unpermitted active substances.