Estimating the Density of Honeybee Colonies across Their Natural Range to Fill the Gap in Pollinator Decline Censuses

Abstract: Although pollinator declines are a global biodiversity threat, the demography of the western honeybee (Apis mellifera) has not been considered by conservationists because it is biased by the activity of beekeepers. To fill this gap in pollinator decline censuses and to provide a broad picture of the current status of honeybees across their natural range, we used microsatellite genetic markers to estimate colony densities and genetic diversity at different locations in Europe, Africa, and central Asia that had different patterns of land use. Genetic diversity and colony densities were highest in South Africa and lowest in Northern Europe and were correlated with mean annual temperature. Confounding factors not related to climate, however, are also likely to influence genetic diversity and colony densities in honeybee populations. Land use showed a significantly negative influence over genetic diversity and the density of honeybee colonies over all sampling locations. In Europe honeybees sampled in nature reserves had genetic diversity and colony densities similar to those sampled in agricultural landscapes, which suggests that the former are not wild but may have come from managed hives. Other results also support this idea: putative wild bees were rare in our European samples, and the mean estimated density of honeybee colonies on the continent closely resembled the reported mean number of managed hives. Current densities of European honeybee populations are in the same range as those found in the adverse climatic conditions of the Kalahari and Saharan deserts, which suggests that beekeeping activities do not compensate for the loss of wild colonies. Our findings highlight the importance of reconsidering the conservation status of honeybees in Europe and of regarding beekeeping not only as a profitable business for producing honey, but also as an essential component of biodiversity conservation.     

总硬度的测量不确定度评定

通过对总硬度浓度的测定过程分析,找出影响结果的各个分量,进行测量不确定度的评定,按照计量技术规范,给出标准的表示法。     

Elemental source signatures of aerosols from the Canadian high Arctic

The seasonal fluctuations of antimony, arsenic, indium, manganese and vanadium have been measured in airborne particulate matter from 1982-1987 at Alert in the Canadian high Arctic. Calculations of enrichment factors have shown that arsenic and antimony are very enriched in the wintertime aerosol. While wintertime ratios of non-crustal manganese/non-crustal vanadium were in agreement with previously published work, summertime ratios often resulted in negative values. A re-evaluation of the crustal Mn/V ratio was undertaken by looking at this ratio during the summertime and assuming that nearly all the airborne particulate matter was derived from crustal matter. Principal Source Contribution Function Analyses were performed for arsenic, indium and manganese. The results suggested that these important regional signatures can now be characterized as coming from distinct European and Asian areas. This improvement in area resolution is much more satisfactory than citing the usual attribution of an overall Eurasian source.     

Chemical and Microbiological Characteristics of Mineral Spoils and Drainage Waters at Abandoned Coal and Metal Mines

Mining is a long-established human activity. Abandonedmines, tailings, and mine spoils may have considerable impacton neighboring environments long after the sites are abandoned. Of greatest concern are derelict mines and wastes that generateacidic discharge waters that are enriched with iron and othermetals and metalloids. The chemistry and microbiology of thesesites are intricately intertwined. Whilst some indigenousmicroorganisms are responsible for accelerating sulfide mineraloxidation, thereby generating acidity and mobilizing metals,others catalyze reductive processes that essentially reversethese reactions and thereby ameliorate polluted mine waters.This article reviews current knowledge on the chemistry and microbiology of abandoned coal and metal mines, mine spoils and tailings.     

Disposal practices for unused medications in New Zealand

BackgroundThere is an enhanced international awareness that the improper disposal of unwanted and unused medications may have a detrimental effect on the environment.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine the proportion of unused medications in New Zealand that are not returned to a pharmacy for disposal and are instead disposed of via land fill or water systems. In addition, this study intended to identify why these medications were unused or unwanted.DesignAn online survey was placed on the New Zealand National Poisons Centre website for a period of three months during 2008. This consisted of a series of questions with predefined answer sets and asked about collection of medications, why there may be unused medications, storage of medications and disposal of medications.ResultsThis survey was completed by 452 individuals. 62% of respondents currently had unwanted medications in their house. The most common reason for people to have leftover medication was ‘medical condition improved or resolved’ (n = 307). Depending on formulation type, between 13–24% of unused medications were returned to pharmacies with tablets and capsules being most likely to be returned and liquids most likely to be added to water systems.ConclusionsA significant percentage of unwanted medications are disposed of via routes that have the potential to adversely affect the environment. Reducing excess medications and wastage as well as education of appropriate disposal techniques may minimize their potential impact on the environment.     

Propanil in a Manitoba soil: an interactive spreadsheet model based on conventional chemical kinetics

An interactive spreadsheet model has been created for quantitative predictions of propanil sorption and reaction in a slurried Manitoba clay soil. Based on experimental values for the numbers of empty and filled sorption sites as reactants and products, the reaction mechanism has been described with conventional chemical kinetics. The on line HPLC μ extraction method revealed labile sorption, intraparticle diffusion, and a chemical reaction. Laidler's integral rate law for second order kinetics describes the labile sorption. Desorption, intraparticle diffusion, and the chemical reaction are all described by first order kinetics. The time dependent effects of initial concentration and amount of slurried soil can be predicted for sorption, intraparticle diffusion, and the amount of reaction product. Suggested applications include storm runoff and inputs for fate and transport hydrology models.     

Disposal practices for unused medications around the world

Pharmaceuticals have been detected throughout the environment where at least in some cases, they have been shown to have a detrimental effect. Many result from improper patient disposal of unused pharmaceuticals via environmentally-unfriendly routes, such as the sink, toilet or rubbish bin. This review surveys the current peer-reviewed literature on attitudes and practices to medicine disposal methods as reported by patients and the various medication disposal and destruction systems around the world. A literature search was carried out using the keywords 'medicines disposal', 'unused medicines', 'medicines wastage', and 'medication disposal' in the PubMed TM, ISI Web of Knowledge TM, Google Scholar TM, Medline TM, Scopus TM and International Pharmaceuticals Abstracts TM up to the end of May 2010. Twelve peer-reviewed articles with specified sample sizes were selected. The most popular methods for medication disposal were in the garbage, toilet or sink. Liquid medications were more likely to be rinsed down the sink, as opposed to solid tablets and capsules which were more likely deposited in the rubbish bin. Much confusion exists about the 'proper' way of medication disposal as many countries do not have standard medication disposal protocols. Furthermore, some pharmacies around the world refused to accept unused medications or discouraged the practice. Patients with knowledge about the impact of pharmaceuticals in the environment were more likely to return medications for proper disposal and destruction. It is concluded that it is of paramount importance that a formalized protocol for patient disposal and destruction of pharmaceuticals be implemented around the world.     

Environmental photochemistry of PCDDs. Part I. Kinetics and quantum yields of the photodegration of 1,2,3,4,7-penta- and 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexachlorodibenzo-p-dixin in aqueous acetontrile

For the determination of the quantum yields of 1,2,3,4,7-pentachlorodibenzo-$\text{p}$-dioxin ($\text{1}$) and 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexachlorodibenzo-$\text{p}$-dioxin ($\text{2}$), ten Pyrex glass photochemical cells were constructed and their correction factors determined. Quantum yields at 313 nm for $\text{1}$ and $\text{2}$ in aqueous acetonitrile (4:6 v/v) were (9.781 ± 2.376) 10^?5 and (1.096 ± 0.020) × 10^?4, respectively. These quantum yields and the measured absorption spectra were used to estimate the environmental phototransformation first-order rate constants and photochemical half-lives of $\text{1}$ and $\text{2}$ in water under conditions of variable sunlight intensity during various seasons from solar intensity data available in the literature. In summer, typical half-lives for the phototransformation of $\text{1}$ and $\text{2}$, respectively, near the surface of water bodies at 40° north latitude would be 364 ± 88 and 151 ± 3 h; whilst such values in winter would be 1257 ± 309 and 518 ± 10 h.     

The use of carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios to identify landfill leachate contamination: Green Island Landfill, Dunedin, New Zealand

A study was undertaken to determine whether the isotopic ratios of C and N could be used to uniquely identify municipal solid waste landfill leachate as a source of contamination in the Kaikorai Estuary, Dunedin, New Zealand. Leachate samples were taken from the adjacent Green Island Landfill (GILF), and surface water samples were collected over an 8-month period from the stream and estuary, upstream and downstream of the landfill. Samples were analysed for delta(13)C-dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), delta(15)N-NO(3)(-), delta(15)N-NH(4)(+), and particulate organic matter (POM) delta(13)C and delta(15)N. Plant material collected along the Kaikorai Stream was analysed for POM delta(13)C and delta(15)N. Leachate was found to have a distinct isotopic signature characterised by a highly enriched delta(13)C-DIC (as much as 16.11+/-0.23 per thousand ) and highly enriched delta(15)N-NH(4)(+) (as much as 27.42+/-0.90 per thousand ). Evidence of leachate contamination was found in the isotopic signatures of downstream delta(13)C-DIC, delta(15)N-NH(4)(+), and delta(13)C and delta(15)N of plant material POM. Other potential sources of enriched delta(13)C-DIC and delta(15)N-NH(4)(+) present in the study area, such as estuarine waters and livestock effluent, were eliminated on the basis of their isotopic characteristics.     

Identifying Determinants of Nations' Wetland Management Programs Using Structural Equation Modeling: An Exploratory Analysis

Integrated management and policy models suggest that solutions to environmental issues may be linked to the socioeconomic and political characteristics of a nation. In this study, we empirically explore these suggestions by applying them to the wetland management activities of nations. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate a model of national wetland management effort and one of national wetland protection. Using five predictor variables of social capital, economic capital, environmental and political characteristics, and land-use pressure, the multivariate models were able to explain 60% of the variation in nations' wetland protection efforts based on data from 90 nations, as defined by level of participation in the international wetland convention. Social capital had the largest direct effect on wetland protection efforts, suggesting that increased social development may eventually lead to better wetland protection. In contrast, increasing economic development had a negative linear relationship with wetland protection efforts, suggesting the need for explicit wetland protection programs as nations continue to focus on economic development. Government, environmental characteristics, and land-use pressure also had a positive direct effect on wetland protection, and mediated the effect of social capital on wetland protection. Explicit wetland protection policies, combined with a focus on social development, would lead to better wetland protection at the national level.