Characterizing ammonia emissions from swine farms in eastern North Carolina: part 2--potential environmentally superior technologies for waste treatment

The need for developing environmentally superior and sustainable solutions for managing the animal waste at commercial swine farms in eastern North Carolina has been recognized in recent years. Program OPEN (Odor, Pathogens, and Emissions of Nitrogen), funded by the North Carolina State University Animal and Poultry Waste Management Center (APWMC), was initiated and charged with the evaluation of potential environmentally superior technologies (ESTs) that have been developed and implemented at selected swine farms or facilities. The OPEN program has demonstrated the effectiveness of a new paradigm for policy-relevant environmental research related to North Carolina's animal waste management programs. This new paradigm is based on a commitment to improve scientific understanding associated with a wide array of environmental issues (i.e., issues related to the movement of N from animal waste into air, water, and soil media; the transmission of odor and odorants; disease-transmitting vectors; and airborne pathogens). The primary focus of this paper is on emissions of ammonia (NH3) from some potential ESTs that were being evaluated at full-scale swine facilities. During 2-week-long periods in two different seasons (warm and cold), NH3 fluxes from water-holding structures and NH3 emissions from animal houses or barns were measured at six potential EST sites: (1) Barham farm--in-ground ambient temperature anaerobic digester/energy recovery/greenhouse vegetable production system; (2) BOC #93 farm--upflow biofiltration system--EKOKAN; (3) Carrolls farm--aerobic blanket system--ISSUES-ABS; (4) Corbett #1 farm--solids separation/ gasification for energy and ash recovery centralized system--BEST; (5) Corbett #2 farm--solid separation/ reciprocating water technology--ReCip; and (6) Vestal farm--Recycling of Nutrient, Energy and Water System--ISSUES-RENEW. The ESTs were compared with similar measurements made at two conventional lagoon and spray technology (LST) farms (Moore farm and Stokes farm). A flow-through dynamic chamber system and two sets of open-path Fourier transform infrared (OP-FTIR) spectrometers measured NH3 fluxes continuously from water-holding structures and emissions from housing units at the EST and conventional LST sites. A statistical-observational model for lagoon NH3 flux was developed using a multiple linear regression analysis of 15-min averaged NH3 flux data against the relevant environmental parameters measured at the two conventional farms during two different seasons of the year. This was used to compare the water-holding structures at ESTs with those from lagoons at conventional sites under similar environmental conditions. Percentage reductions in NH3 emissions from different components of each potential EST, as well as the whole farm on which the EST was located were evaluated from the estimated emissions from water-holding structures, barns, etc., all normalized by the appropriate nitrogen excretion rate at the potential EST farm, as well as from the appropriate conventional farm. This study showed that ammonia emissions were reduced by all but one potential EST for both experimental periods. However, on the basis of our evaluation results and analysis and available information in the scientific literature, the evaluated alternative technologies may require additional technical modifications to be qualified as unconditional ESTs relative to NH3 emissions reductions.     

A dynamic simulation based water resources education tool

Educational tools to assist the public in recognizing impacts of water policy in a realistic context are not generally available. This project developed systems with modeling-based educational decision support simulation tools to satisfy this need. The goal of this model is to teach undergraduate students and the general public about the implications of common water management alternatives so that they can better understand or become involved in water policy and make more knowledgeable personal or community decisions. The model is based on Powersim, a dynamic simulation software package capable of producing web-accessible, intuitive, graphic, user-friendly interfaces. Modules are included to represent residential, agricultural, industrial, and turf uses, as well as non-market values, water quality, reservoir, flow, and climate conditions. Supplementary materials emphasize important concepts and lead learners through the model, culminating in an open-ended water management project. The model is used in a University of Arizona undergraduate class and within the Arizona Master Watershed Stewards Program. Evaluation results demonstrated improved understanding of concepts and system interactions, fulfilling the project's objectives.     

Survey of arsenic and its speciation in rice products such as breakfast cereals, rice crackers and Japanese rice condiments

Rice has been demonstrated to be one of the major contributors to arsenic (As) in human diets in addition to drinking water, but little is known about rice products as an additional source of As exposure. Rice products were analyzed for total As and a subset of samples were measured for arsenic speciation using high performance liquid chromatography interfaced with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). A wide range of rice products had total and inorganic arsenic levels that typified those found in rice grain including, crisped rice, puffed rice, rice crackers, rice noodles and a range of Japanese rice condiments as well as rice products targeted at the macrobiotic, vegan, lactose intolerant and gluten intolerance food market. Most As in rice products are inorganic As (75.2-90.1%). This study provides a wider appreciation of how inorganic arsenic derived from rice products enters the human diet.     

Spatial and temporal variability of outdoor coarse particulate matter mass concentrations measured with a new coarse particle sampler during the Detroit Exposure and Aerosol Research Study

The Detroit Exposure and Aerosol Research Study (DEARS) provided data to compare outdoor residential coarse particulate matter (PM_10–2.5) concentrations in six different areas of Detroit with data from a central monitoring site. Daily and seasonal influences on the spatial distribution of PM_10–2.5 during Summer 2006 and Winter 2007 were investigated using data collected with the newly developed coarse particle exposure monitor (CPEM). These data allowed the representativeness of the community monitoring site to be assessed for the greater Detroit metro area. Multiple CPEMs collocated with a dichotomous sampler determined the precision and accuracy of the CPEM PM_10–2.5 and PM_2.5 data.CPEM PM_2.5 concentrations agreed well with the dichotomous sampler data. The slope was 0.97 and the R² was 0.91. CPEM concentrations had an average 23% negative bias and R² of 0.81. The directional nature of the CPEM sampling efficiency due to bluff body effects probably caused the negative CPEM concentration bias.PM_10–2.5 was observed to vary spatially and temporally across Detroit, reflecting the seasonal impact of local sources. Summer PM_10–2.5 was 5 μg m^?3 higher in the two industrial areas near downtown than the average concentrations in other areas of Detroit. An area impacted by vehicular traffic had concentrations 8 μg m^?3 higher than the average concentrations in other parts of Detroit in the winter due to the suspected suspension of road salt. PM_10–2.5 Pearson Correlation Coefficients between monitoring locations varied from 0.03 to 0.76. All summer PM_10–2.5 correlations were greater than 0.28 and statistically significant (p-value < 0.05). Winter PM_10–2.5 correlations greater than 0.33 were statistically significant (p-value < 0.05). The PM_10–2.5 correlations found to be insignificant were associated with the area impacted by mobile sources during the winter. The suspected suspension of road salt from the Southfield Freeway, combined with a very stable atmosphere, caused concentrations to be greater in this area compared to other areas of Detroit. These findings indicated that PM_10–2.5, although correlated in some instances, varies sufficiently across a complex urban airshed that that a central monitoring site may not adequately represent the population's exposure to PM_10–2.5.     

Measuring the biodegradability of nonylphenol ether carboxylates, octylphenol ether carboxylates, and nonylphenol

We examined the biodegradability of several metabolites of C8- and C9-alkylphenol ethoxylates, including nonylphenoxyacetic acid (NPEC1), nonylphenoxyethoxyacetic acid (NPEC2), octylphenoxyacetic acid (OPEC1), octylphenoxyethoxyacetic acid (OPEC2), and nonylphenol (NP). Using OECD method 301B (modified Sturm method), OPEC1 and OPEC2 are readily biodegradable: both compounds exceeded 60% of theoretical CO2 formation (ThCO2) by day 28, and required less than 10 days to go from 10% to 60% ThCO2. Also using method 301B, NPEC1 and NPEC2 exceeded 60% ThCO2 at day 28, but did not meet the 10 day window. Using OECD method 301F, the manometric respirometry method that measures oxygen consumption, approximately 62% of NP was biodegraded in 28 days, but required more than 10 days to go from 10% to 60% biodegradation. While the validity of the "10-day window" is currently being debated within OECD, the data show that the common metabolites of C8- and C9-APEs are rapidly degraded in the test systems used, which strongly suggests that they would not accumulate or persist in the environment.     

Processes Influencing Dissolved Organic Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sulphur in Soils

The influence of different plant and soil processes on the concentrations of soluble organic forms of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur in soil and drainage waters is reviewed. Current knowledge about soluble organic matter is restricted mainly to dissolved organic carbon. Comparable information about soluble organic nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur in processes such as eutrophication, plant uptake and decomposition is limited. Data are presented to highlight the potential sources of soluble organic components together with a discussion of their likely fate within the soil profile. the implications of changes in land use and management practices on dissolved organic matter are discussed.     

Identifying conservation priorities for threatened Eastern Himalayan mammals

To augment mammal conservation in the Eastern Himalayan region, we assessed the resident 255 terrestrial mammal species and identified the 50 most threatened species based on conservation status, endemism, range size, and evolutionary distinctiveness. By using the spatial analysis package letsR and the complementarity core‐area method in the conservation planning software Zonation, we assessed the current efficacy of their protection and identified priority conservation areas by comparing protected areas (PAs), land cover, and global ecoregion 2017 maps at a 100 × 100 m spatial scale. The 50 species that were most threatened, geographically restricted, and evolutionarily distinct faced a greater extinction risk than globally nonthreatened and wide‐ranging species and species with several close relatives. Small, medium‐sized, and data‐deficient species faced extinction from inadequate protection in PAs relative to wide‐ranging charismatic species. There was a mismatch between current PA distribution and priority areas for conservation of the 50 most endangered species. To protect these species, the skewed regional PA distribution would require expansion. Where possible, new PAs and transboundary reserves in the 35 priority areas we identified should be established. There are adequate remaining natural areas in which to expand current Eastern Himalayan PAs. Consolidation and expansion of PAs in the EH requires strengthening national and regional transboundary collaboration, formulating comprehensive regional land‐use plans, diversifying conservation funding, and enhancing information sharing through a consolidated regional database.     

Correcting common misconceptions to inspire conservation action in urban environments

Despite repeated calls to action, proposals for urban conservation are often met with surprise or scepticism. There remains a pervasive narrative in policy, practice, and the public psyche that urban environments, although useful for engaging people with nature or providing ecosystem services, are of little conservation value. We argue that the tendency to overlook the conservation value of urban environments stems from misconceptions about the ability of native species to persist within cities and towns and that this, in turn, hinders effective conservation action. However, recent scientific evidence shows that these assumptions do not always hold. Although it is generally true that increasing the size, quality, and connectivity of habitat patches will improve the probability that a species can persist, the inverse is not that small, degraded, or fragmented habitats found in urban environments are worthless. In light of these findings we propose updated messages that guide and inspire researchers, practitioners, and decision makers to undertake conservation action in urban environments: consider small spaces, recognize unconventional habitats, test creative solutions, and use science to minimize the impacts of future urban development.     

Can the legacy of industrial pollution influence antimicrobial resistance in estuarine sediments?

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a major global health threat, as well as a major hazard to sustainable economic development and national security. It remains, therefore, vital that current research aligns to policy development and implementation to alleviate a potential crisis. One must consider, for example, whether drivers of antibiotic resistance can be controlled in the future, or have they already accumulated in the past, whether from antibiotics and/or other pollutants? Unfortunately, industrial heritage and its pollution impact on the prevalence of environmental AMR have largely been ignored. Focussing on industrialised estuaries, we demonstrate that anthropogenic pollution inputs in addition to the natural diurnal environmental conditions can sufficiently create stressful conditions to the microbiome and thus promote selective pressures to shift the resistome (i.e., collection of resistance traits in the microbiological community). Unfortunately, the bacteria’s survival mechanisms, via co-selective pressures, can affect their susceptibility to antibiotics. This review highlights the complexity of estuarine environments, using two key contaminant groups (metals/toxic elements and polyaromatic hydrocarbons), through which a variety of possible chemical and biological pollutant stressors can promote the emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. We find compelling divers to call on more focused research on historically disrupted ecosystems, in propagating AMR in the real world.