Diesel particulate emissions and the implications for the soiling of buildings

Summary The sources of dark smoke and particulate elemental carbon (PEC) in the London and United Kingdom atmospheres have been estimated from emission inventories. Diesels are responsible for about 60 percent of the dark smoke and 95 percent of the PEC in London, and about 30 percent of the dark smoke and 90 percent of the PEC in the UK. The role of PEC in the soiling of materials is considered. An experimental programme in the Hatfield Tunnel revealed a soiling rate constant of 1.9 yr^–1. The socio-economic implications of building soiling are considered.Dr Trudie Mansfield completed her postgraduate training at Middlesex Polytechnic, where her research supervisor, Dr Ron Hamilton, and Bryan Ellis are members of staff in the Urban Pollution Research Centre (address, Bounds Green Road, London N11 2NQ) and Peter Newby is a staff member in the School of Geography (address, Queensway, Enfield EN3 4SF). Trudie Mansfield is a Senior Scientific Officer in the Air Quality Division of the Department of the Environment.     

Sea to land transfer of anthropogenic radionuclides to the North Wales coast, Part I: external gamma radiation and radionuclide concentrations in intertidal sediments, soil and air

Previous projects specifically aimed at performing radiological assessments in the vicinity of North Wales, investigating the presence and transfer of radionuclides from sea to land, were in 1986 and 1989. Since then, changes have occurred in the radioactive discharges from the British Nuclear Group Sellafield site. Annual discharges of (137)Cs, (238)Pu, (239,340)Pu and (241)Am have decreased markedly whereas, up until recent years, discharges of (99)Tc have increased. It is therefore desirable to quantify current transfer processes of radionuclides in the North Wales region and thus provide an update on 15-year-old studies. A field campaign was conducted collecting soil samples from 10 inland transects and air particulates on air filters from three High Volume Air Samplers, along the northern coast of Wales at Amlwch, Bangor Pier and Flint. Complementary field data relating to external gamma dose rates were collected at the soil sites. The field data generated for (137)Cs, (238)Pu, (239,340)Pu and (241)Am were consistent with what had been reported 15 years previously. Therefore, there has been no increase in the supply of these Sellafield-derived radionuclides to the terrestrial environment of the North Wales coast. The (99)Tc data in sediments were consistent with reported values within annual monitoring programmes, however, a relatively high activity concentration was measured in one sediment sample. This site was further investigated to determine the reason why such a high value was found. At present there is no clear evidence as to why this elevated concentration should be present, but the role of seaweed and its capacity in accumulating (99)Tc and transferring it to sediment is of interest. The analysis of the field samples for (99)Tc, (137)Cs, (238)Pu, (239,240)Pu and (241)Am has provided a data set that can be used for the modelling of the transfer of anthropogenic radionuclides from sea to land and its subsequent radiological implications and is reported in an accompanying paper.     

Leaching of copper,chromium and arsenic in a soil of south west Victoria,Australia

The movement of copper, chromium and arsenic originating from samples of the wood preservative Tanalith® through mildly acidic, sandy loam soil was investigated. Small, undisturbed soil cores (of dimensions 15 × 15 × 15 cm) were removed from the topsoil of a paddock adjacent to the Glenelg River in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. The paddock soils were thin (<30cm) greyish brown, mildly acidic, sandy loams with a moderate organic carbon content (2–5%) overlying a limestone cap. Tanalith® was applied to the surface of the cores which were then irrigated with deionised water at approximately 30 mm day^‐1. Copper concentrations in all leachate remained at background levels throughout the experiment, and this element was found to be immobilised in the top 4 cm of the soil. Up to 29% of the applied dose of chromium was detected in the leachate, with breakthrough occurring within 20 days of Tanalith® application. Up to 13% ofthe applied dose ofarsenic was detected in the leachate, although in this case breakthrough was not observed until 25 days after Tanalith® application and leachate concentrations were still rising when the experiment came to a close. Significant concentrations of arsenic and chromium were found in the top 6 cm of the soil profile.     

Determining shark size from forensic analysis of bite damage

Bite damage patterns have long been used to estimate shark species and body size, with somewhat limited success. The lack of fit between damage patterns and shark size is partially due to variation in tooth size and shape within an individual. The ability to accurately predict body size from bite patterns is important for better understanding the ecological and behavioral underpinnings of shark bites/attacks on marine organisms, humans, and submarine equipment. To this end, we measured interdental distance (IDD) between the most labial teeth in the first six tooth files on both the upper and lower jaws, as well as the circumference of the portion of each jaw that bears teeth, for prepared jaw sets from fourteen shark species and regressed these data against total length. IDD is allometric as well as an accurate predictor of total length in all species examined, except Carcharhinus acronotus. Tooth-bearing circumference is also allometric and predictive of total length in all species. Though considerable overlap exists in IDD and circumference ranges among species for the total length ranges examined, Carcharodon carcharias and Isurus sp. can be differentiated from Carcharhinus limbatus, Carcharhinus brevipinna, and C. acronotus based on these values alone. When combined with knowledge of species-specific feeding behavior, geographic distribution, and habitat preferences, these simple measures from bite damage patterns allow quick, accurate assessment of shark size and potential species.     

A solid-phase microextraction chamber method for analysis of manure volatiles

Odors from livestock operations are a complex mixture of volatile carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen compounds. Currently, detailed volatiles analysis is both time consuming and requires specialized equipment and methods. This work describes a new method that utilizes a dynamic flux chamber, solid-phase microextraction (SPME), and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) to describe and compare the odorous compounds emitted from cattle and swine feces. Evaluation of method parameters produced a protocol for comparing relative emissions based on fixed sample temperature (20 degrees C) and exposed surface area (approximately 523 cm(2)), air flow rates (1 L min(-1) or 16 cm s(-1)), SPME exposure time (5 min), and chamber cleaning procedures (70% ethanol rinse and drying for 30 min at 105 degrees C) to minimize cross-contamination between samples. A variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including alcohols, volatile fatty acids, aromatic ring compounds, ketones, esters, and sulfides were routinely detected and the relative emissions from fresh and incubated (37 degrees C overnight) swine and cattle feces were compared as a measure of potential to produce odorants during manure storage. Differences in the types and relative quantities of volatiles emitted were detected when animal species (cattle or swine), diet, fecal incubation, or sample storage conditions (20, 4, or -20 degrees C) were varied.     

Soil microbial and faunal community responses to bt maize and insecticide in two soils

The effects of maize (Zea mays L.), genetically modified to express the Cry1Ab protein (Bt), and an insecticide on soil microbial and faunal communities were assessed in a glasshouse experiment. Soil for the experiment was taken from field sites where the same maize cultivars were grown to allow comparison between results under glasshouse conditions with those from field trials. Plants were grown in contrasting sandy loam and clay loam soils, half were sprayed with a pyrethroid insecticide (deltamethrin) and soil samples taken at the five-leaf stage, flowering, and maturity. The main effect on all measured parameters was that of soil type and there were no effects of Bt trait or insecticide on plant growth. The Bt trait resulted in more soil nematodes and protozoa (amoebae), whereas insecticide application increased plant Bt concentration and altered nematode community structure. The only significant effects on soil microbial community structure, microarthropods, and larvae of a nontarget root-feeding Dipteran, were due to soil type and plant growth stage. The results indicate that, although there were statistically significant effects of the Bt trait on soil populations, they were small. The relative magnitude of the effect could best be judged by comparison with the insecticide treatment, which was representative of current best practice. The Bt trait had no greater effect than the insecticide treatment. Results from this glasshouse experiment were in broad agreement with conclusions from field experiments using the same plant material grown in the same soils.     

The impact of the 2005 Gulf hurricanes on pollution emissions as inferred from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) nitrogen dioxide

The impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 on pollution emissions in the Gulf of Mexico region was investigated using tropospheric column amounts of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on the NASA Aura satellite. Around New Orleans and coastal Mississippi, we estimate that Katrina caused a 35% reduction in NO_x emissions on average in the three weeks after landfall. Hurricane Rita caused a significant reduction (20%) in NO_x emissions associated with power generation and intensive oil refining activities near the Texas/Louisiana border. We also found a 43% decrease by these two storms over the eastern Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf mainly due to the evacuation of and damage to platforms, rigs, and ports associated with oil and natural gas production.     

Lessons for sustainability from the world’s most sustainable culture

Environmentally sustainable development is one of the key challenges faced by societies today. Yet it is not a new challenge; throughout history, societies have faced the need to live within environmental constraints. Some have done so well, and some poorly. One society which did well for tens of thousands of years is that of Aboriginal Australia. This paper explores some lessons from Aboriginal Australia which have resonance in the modern world and shows that countries which have learned those lessons are in fact more sustainable than those which have not. It thus suggests that there is much that the pantheon of human experience can teach the modern world as it endeavours to create a sustainable future.