Using landsat data to determine land use/land cover changes in Samsun, Turkey

The rapid industrialization and urbanization of an area require quick preparation of actual land use/land cover (LU/LC) maps in order to detect and avoid overuse and damage of the landscape beyond sustainable development limits. Remote sensing technology fits well for long-term monitoring and assessment of such effects. The aim of this study was to analyze LU/LC changes between 1980 and 1999 in Samsun, Turkey, using satellite images. Three Landsat images from 1980, 1987 and 1999 were used to determine changes. A post classification technique was used based on a hybrid classification approach (unsupervised and supervised). Images were classified into six LU/LC types; urban, agriculture, dense forest, open forest-hazelnut, barren land and water area. It is found that significant changes in land cover occurred over the study period. The results showed an increase in urban, open forest/hazelnut, barren land and water area and a decrease in agriculture and dense forest in between 1980 and 1999. In this period, urban land increased from 0.77% to 2.47% of the total area, primarily due to conversions from agricultural land and forest to a lesser degree. While the area of dense forest decreased from 41.09% to 29.64% of the total area, the area of open forest and hazelnut increased from 6.73% to 11.88%.     

Characterization of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Their Sources in the Air of Izmir, Turkey

Air samples were collected in Izmir, Turkey at two (suburban and urban) sites during three sampling programs in 2002 and 2004 to determine the ambient concentrations of several monoaromatic, chlorinated and oxygenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Samples were analyzed for 60 VOCs using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and 28 compounds were detected in most samples. On the average, urban air VOC concentrations were about four times higher than those measured at the suburban site. Toluene (40.6%) was the most abundant compound in suburban site and was followed by benzene (7.4%), o,m-xylene (6.5%), and 1,2-dichloroethane (5.1%). In urban site, toluene (30.5%), p-xylene (14.9%), o,m-xylene (11.4%), and ethyl benzene (7.2%) were the dominating compounds in summer. In winter, toluene (31.1%), benzene (23.9%), 1,2-dichloroethane (9.5%), and o,m-xylene (8.2%) were the most abundant compounds. Receptor modeling (positive matrix factorization) has been performed to estimate the contribution of specific source types to ambient concentrations. Six source factors (gasoline vehicle exhaust, diesel vehicle exhaust+residential heating, paint production/application, degreasing, dry cleaning, and an undefined source) were extracted from the samples collected in the urban site. Three source factors (gasoline vehicle exhaust, diesel vehicle exhaust, and paint production/application) were identified for the suburban site.     

Ambient concentrations and source apportionment of PCBs and trace elements around an industrial area in Izmir, Turkey

Atmospheric concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and trace elements were measured at two sites (Industrial and Urban) located around the Aliaga industrial region, Izmir, Turkey. Average sigma 36PCB concentrations were 3136+/-824 and 1371+/-642 pg m(-3) for summer and winter periods, respectively in the Industrial site and they were 314+/-129 and 847+/-610 pg m(-3) in the Urban site. The elemental content showed that the PM(10) measured at the Industrial site was dominated by terrestrial elements and trace elements emitted by the iron-steel plants (Fe, Zn and Pb). The elemental profile at the Urban site was typical for Aegean Region that was dominated by terrestrial elements (Ca, Al, Mg) and sea salt (Na). Sources of particle-phase PCBs and trace elements were identified using factor analysis (FA) and were apportioned by chemical mass balance (CMB) model. FA suggested that the steel industry, fuel oil combustion, or the nearby vinyl chloride process in the petrochemical plant, and soil were significant PCB sources. CMB results showed that at the Industrial site, the contribution of steel industry and soil to particle-phase PCBs were 71% and 22%, respectively, while at the Urban site, the contributions were 33% and 49%, respectively. Steel industry was also the dominant contributor for trace elements around the site. Fugacity calculations in air and soil showed that the soil acts as a secondary source to the atmosphere for low molecular weight PCBs especially in summer and as a sink for the higher molecular weight ones.     

Forests and global change: what can genetics contribute to the major forest management and policy challenges of the twenty-first century?

The conservation and sustainable use of forests in the twenty-first century pose huge challenges for forest management and policy. Society demands that forests provide a wide range of ecosystem services, from timber products, raw materials and renewable energy to sociocultural amenities and habitats for nature conservation. Innovative management and policy approaches need to be developed to meet these often-conflicting demands in a context of environmental change of uncertain magnitude and scale. Genetic diversity is a key component of resilience and adaptability. Overall, forest tree populations are genetically very diverse, conferring them an enormous potential for genetic adaptation via the processes of gene flow and natural selection. Here, we review the main challenges facing our forests in the coming century and focus on how recent progress in genetics can contribute to the development of appropriate practical actions that forest managers and policy makers can adopt to promote forest resilience to climate change. Emerging knowledge will inform and clarify current controversies relating to the choice of appropriate genetic resources for planting, the effect of silvicultural systems and stand tending on adaptive potential and the best ways to harness genetic diversity in breeding and conservation programs. Gaps in our knowledge remain, and we identify where additional information is needed (e.g., the adaptive value of peripheral populations or the genetic determinism of key adaptive traits) and the types of studies that are required to provide this key understanding.     

Ameliorating effect of N-acetylcysteine and curcumin on pesticide-induced oxidative DNA damage in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Endosulfan, malathion, and phosphamidon are widely used pesticides. Subchronic exposure to these contaminants commonly affects the central nervous system, immune, gastrointestinal, renal, and reproductive system. There effects have been attributed to increased oxidative stress. This study was conducted to examine the role of oxidative stress in genotoxicity following pesticide exposure using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in vitro. Further possible attenuation of genotoxicity was studied using N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and curcumin as known modulators of oxidative stress. Cultured mononuclear cells was isolated from peripheral blood of healthy volunteers, and exposed to varying concentrations of different pesticides: endosulfan, malathion, and phosphamidon for 6, 12, and 24 h. Lipid peroxidation was assessed by cellular malondialdehyde (MDA) level and DNA damage was quantified by measuring 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) using ELISA. Both MDA and 8-OH-dG were significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner following treatment with these pesticides. There was a significant decrease in MDA and 8-OH-dG levels in PBMC when co-treated with NAC or/and curcumin as compared to pesticide alone. These results indicate that pesticide-induced oxidative stress is probably responsible for the DNA damage, and NAC or curcumin attenuate this effect by counteracting the oxidative stress.     

Morin protects against acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity in rats: an investigation into different signal pathways

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The presented study investigates the effects of morin against toxicity induced by acrylamide (ACR) in the brains of Sprague Dawley rats. In this...     

Quality standard codes of reference of Jordanian coastal waters of the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

Back in 1992, the Gulf of Aqaba Environmental Action Plan (GAEAP), a collaboration between the Aqaba Region Authority (ARA), Jordan and the World Bank, gave considerable emphasis to the environmental protection of the Gulf of Aqaba [The World Bank. Gulf of Aqaba Environmental Action Plan. Report No. 12244JO (1993).]. The document recommended the establishment of a marine reserve and the long term monitoring of the coastal habitats' environmental quality. The combination of a dedicated follow up, the collaborative efforts of ARA and the Marine Science Station (MSS), and the founding of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) have turned the recommendations into reality. A comprehensive monitoring program of the Jordanian coastal habitats commenced in 1999. The first three years of the program were financed by a donation from The Global Environmental Facility (GEF). In return, Jordan has committed itself to the maintenance of the monitoring program as an ongoing tool for sustainable coastal management. The monitoring program includes observations on benthic habitat, fish communities, bottom sediments and seawater quality. This paper focuses on the results of seawater-quality monitoring in the first three years. Records of weather conditions, coastal currents, seawater temperature, transparency, salinity, density, pH, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, silicate, particulate matter, chlorophyll a, zooplankton biomass, total coliform, fecal coliform, hydrocarbons and sedimentation rate have been generated monthly since January 1999 at six coastal stations, and one offshore reference station, in the Jordanian waters of the Gulf of Aqaba. The coastal stations are located at sites with different benthic habitats and are occupied by different human activities. Offshore records of density (thermohaline structure), nutrients and chlorophyll a depicted two well-defined seasons; a nutrient-/chlorophyll a-rich, mixed water winter from December to April and a nutrient-/chlorophyll a-poor, stratified water summer from June to October. Short transition seasons appeared in May and November. The mixing and stratification seasons were also clearly depicted in the coastal waters. Statistical analysis of the three-year data collected at the offshore station revealed no significant inter-annual differences in the upper 125 m of the water column with respect to any of the measured parameters. At coastal stations, the water quality at the two northernmost stations was significantly different in comparison to the upper 125 m at the offshore station and to the other coastal stations, with respect to the two key indicator parameters: inorganic nitrogen and chlorophyll a. The three-year findings of the monitoring program are employed to suggest standard codes of reference for the coastal water quality.     

Do phytotoxic allelochemicals remain in ashes after burning Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. monilifera (boneseed)?

Australia is facing challenges in controlling Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. monilifera(boneseed). However, burning has achieved some success in this regard. We aimed to investigate the comparative phytotoxicity of boneseed dried powder and ashes(burnt at 450℃ and250℃). Phenolic compounds in powder and ashes were measured using Folin–Ciocalteu assay and HPLC. The phytotoxicity of boneseed powder and ash extracts was assessed through germination bioassay on Lactuca sativa and the phytotoxicity of litter and ashes was evaluated using field soil, both in growth chamber. Burning of boneseed reduced total phenolics in ashes of boneseed organs by 99% and 100% both at high and low temperatures. The four phenolic compounds that were detected in boneseed were either absent or at negligible levels in the ashes,with inversely related to temperature. Both boneseed ash extracts and litter ash-mediated soil significantly reduced phytotoxicity displaying increased germination, biometric and biochemical parameters of test species compared with unburnt powder extracts and litter powder-mediated soil respectively, with greater reduction of phytotoxicity found for ashes produced at the lower temperature. Interestingly, the ash extracts and litter ash-mediated soil were found to stimulate some of those parameters of the test species compared to control. There was no excessive reactive oxygen species(ROS) produced in test species exposed to ash extracts compared with unburnt powder extracts. These findings suggest that burning of boneseed is an appropriate method of weed control and that this approach will reduce phytotoxicity of this species on native plants.     

Personality of young drivers in Oman: Relationship to risky driving behaviors and crash involvement among Sultan Qaboos University students

Objective: Drivers’ behaviors such as violations and errors have been demonstrated to predict crash involvement among young Omani drivers. However, there is a dearth of studies linking risky driving behaviors to the personality of young drivers. The aim of the present study was to assess such traits within a sample of young Omani drivers (as measured through the behavioral inhibition system [BIS] and the behavioral activation system [BAS]) and determine links with aberrant driving behaviors and self-reported crash involvement.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Sultan Qaboos University that targeted all licensed Omani's undergraduate students. A total of 529 randomly selected students completed the self-reported questionnaire that included an assessment of driving behaviors (e.g., Driver Behaviour Questionnaire, DBQ) as well as the BIS/BAS measures.

Results: A total of 237 participants (44.8%) reported involvement in at least one crash since being licensed. Young drivers with lower BIS–Anxiety scores and higher BAS–Fun Seeking tendencies as well as male drivers were more likely to report driving violations. Statistically significant gender differences were observed on all BIS and BAS subscales (except for BAS–Fun) and the DBQ subscales, because males reported higher trait scores. Though personality traits were related to aberrant driving behaviors at the bivariate level, the constructs were not predictive of engaging in violations or errors. Furthermore, consistent with previous research, a supplementary multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that only driving experience was predictive of crash involvement.

Conclusions: The findings highlight that though personality traits influence self-reported driving styles (and differ between the genders), the relationship with crash involvement is not as clear. This article further outlines the key findings of the study in regards to understanding core psychological constructs that increase crash risk.     

Determination of Pb(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Co(II) ions by flame atomic absorption spectrometry in food and water samples after preconcentration by coprecipitation with Mo(VI)-diethyldithiocarbamate

A new, simple, and rapid separation and preconcentration procedure, for determination of Pb(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), and Co(II) ions in environmental real samples, has been developed. The method is based on the combination of coprecipitation of analyte ions by the aid of the Mo(VI)–diethyldithiocarbamate–(Mo(VI)-DDTC) precipitate and flame atomic absorption spectrometric determinations. The effects of experimental conditions like pH of the aqueous solution, amounts of DDTC and Mo(VI), standing time, centrifugation rate and time, sample volume, etc. and also the influences of some foreign ions were investigated in detail on the quantitative recoveries of the analyte ions. The preconcentration factors were found to be 150 for Pb(II), Zn(II) and Co(II), and 200 for Cd(II) ions. The detection limits were in the range of 0.1–2.2 μg L^?1 while the relative standard deviations were found to be lower than 5 % for the studied analyte ions. The accuracy of the method was checked by spiked/recovery tests and the analysis of certified reference material (CRM TMDW-500 Drinking Water). The procedure was successfully applied to seawater and stream water as liquid samples and baby food and dried eggplant as solid samples in order to determine the levels of Pb(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), and Co(II) ions.