Treatment of wastewater effluents with Phillipsite-rich tuffs

The presence of abundant zeolites in association with volcanic pumiceous materials in Tererife (Canary Islands) prompted us to study their properties as a water purifying bed for inorganic contaminants, pathogenic bacteria, and soluble organic matter. The experimental model used was a chemical percolation reactor with a constant flux of solution, where the fixation kinetics were studied by comparing the input and the output solutions. The ammonium and phosphate retention values found after 10 days of constant percolation were 70% and 14%, respectively. In addition, a high reduction of soluble organic matter was observed, as well as the total removal of the bacteria species studied. The N-P-K values of the soluble and exchangeable nutrients indicate the potential capacity of the bed as a slow-release fertilizer.     

Polish adaptation of three self-report measures of job stressors: the Interpersonal Conflict at Work Scale,the Quantitative Workload Inventory and the Organizational Constraints Scale

Aim. The objective of the present study was to test the psychometric properties, reliability and validity of three job stressor measures, namely, the Interpersonal Conflict at Work Scale, the Organizational Constraints Scale and the Quantitative Workload Inventory. Method. The study was conducted on two samples (N?=?382 and 3368) representing a wide range of occupations. The estimation of internal consistency with Cronbach's α and the test–retest method as well as both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were the main statistical methods. Results. The internal consistency of the scales proved satisfactory, ranging from 0.80 to 0.90 for Cronbach's α test and from 0.72 to 0.86 for the test–retest method. The one-dimensional structure of the three measurements was confirmed. The three scales have acceptable fit to the data. The one-factor structures and other psychometric properties of the Polish version of the scales seem to be similar to those found in the US version of the scales. It was also proved that the three job stressors are positively related to all the job strain measures. Conclusions. The Polish versions of the three analysed scales can be used to measure the job stressors in Polish conditions.     

Predominance of alcohol and illicit drugs among traffic accidents fatalities in an urban area of Brazil

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of alcohol and illicit drug use among victims of fatal traffic accidents in the Metropolitan Region of Vitória, Brazil, during the period 2011–2012.

Methods: Blood samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of drugs from 391 deceased victims of traffic crashes that occurred in the Metropolitan Region of Vitória, Brazil. The victims included drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, day of the week, and period of the year in which the accidents occurred were recorded. The analyses were performed by a gas chromatography–flame ionization method for alcohol and by a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for amphetamines, cocaine, and cannabis.

Results: The results showed that 44.8% (n = 175) of all cases were positive for alcohol and/or illicit drugs. The detection of alcohol and/or drugs was more frequent in young males, aged 17 to 34, whose samples were positive in 46.8% of cases. Small differences among drivers, passengers, and pedestrians were observed (drivers = 45.9%, passengers = 46.4%, and pedestrians = 45.6%). In general, the most prevalent drug was alcohol, with 141 positive cases (36.1%), followed by cocaine, with 47 positive cases (12%). Amphetamines and cannabis had positivity rates of 4.1 and 4.3%, with 16 and 17 positive cases, respectively. The combined use of alcohol and other drugs was found in 36 cases (9.2%). Crack cocaine use was observed in 27.7% of the positive cases for cocaine.

Conclusions: For the effective reduction of traffic accidents related to driving under influence of drugs (DUID), we suggest the intensification of enforcement actions against the use of alcohol by drivers, the definition of which illicit drugs should be surveyed, as well the cutoff values, the promotion of changing legislation to oblige drivers to provide samples for toxicological testing, and the establishment of public information programs and specific actions aimed at young drivers to promote behavioral changes.     

Hepatitis E Virus in Farmed Rabbits,Wild Rabbits and Petting Farm Rabbits in the Netherlands

Rabbits have been suggested as a zoonotic source of Hepatitis E virus. Phylogenetic analysis of HEV isolates from farmed, wild and pet rabbits in the Netherlands (23, 0, and 60 % respectively) showed them to be grouped amongst published rabbit HEV sequences and distinct from most human isolates. Dutch rabbits are unlikely to be a zoonotic source.     

Human Sapovirus in Mussels from Ría do Burgo,A Coruña (Spain)

The prevalence and genetical diversity of human Sapovirus were studied during an 18-month study in Ría do Burgo, an estuary nearby the city of A Coruña in Galicia (NW Spain). Sapovirus was detected using RT-qPCR procedure in 30 out of 80 mussel samples (37.5 %). Quantifications ranged from 2.2 × 10³ to 2.1 × 10⁵ RNA copies per gram of digestive tissue. Detection occurred mainly during the cold and rainy seasons of the period studied. Sequences obtained could be distributed into 5 genotypes being the most abundant GI.1 and GI.3. Results obtained indicate that the hydrodynamic characteristics of the harvesting area and the proximity of population density clearly influence the presence of the virus in shellfish.     

Evaluation of Satellite‐Derived Rainfall Data for Multiple Physio‐Climatic Regions in the Santiago River Basin,Mexico

Assessment of water resources requires reliable rainfall data, and rain gauge networks may not provide adequate spatial representation due to limited point measurements. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) provides rainfall data at global scale, and has been used with good results. However, TRMM data are an indirect measurement of rainfall, and therefore must be validated for its proper use. In this work, a validation scheme was designed and implemented to compare the TRMM Version 7 (V7) monthly rainfall product at different time frames with data measured in two hydrologic subregions of the Santiago River Basin (SRB) in Mexico: Río Alto Santiago and Río Bajo Santiago (RBS). Additionally, three physio‐climatic regions provide an assessment of the interplay of topography, distance from coastal regions, and seasonal weather patterns on the correspondence between both datasets. The TRMM V7 rainfall product exhibited good agreement with the rain gauge data particularly for the RBS and for the whole SRB during wettest summer and autumn seasons. However, strong regional dependence was observed due to differences in climate and topography. Overall, in spite of some noted underestimations, the monthly TRMM V7 rainfall product was found to provide useful information that can be used to complement limited monitoring as is the case of RBS. An improved combined rainfall product could be generated and thus gaining the most benefits from both data sources.     

Analyzing social perception as a key factor in the management of protected areas: the case of the Sierra Nevada Protected Area (S Spain)

Protected areas cannot be considered as elements isolated from the human groups that inhabit them. Consideration of the social factor is fundamental to guarantee the success of any management model. In this sense, analyzing the perception of people who live in protected areas can be a key tool for the formulation of proposals for improving the existing models. This article explores perceptions of local residents in the Sierra Nevada Protected Area in Southern Spain and identifies the socio-demographic factors that affect these perceptions. The main objective is to generate relevant data for the protected area management team. The recommendations we can offer entail a review of the communication plan and participatory strategy considering social differences in perceptions of the local population.     

Nodes of a peri-urban agricultural landscape at local level: an interpretation of their contribution to the eco-structure

The ecological value of some fine-scale landscape elements tends to be overlooked when they are found in highly human-influenced landscapes, such as peri-urban agricultural ones. These landscapes usually fall beyond the scope of the defined categories of landscape protection, and are thus mapped as areas of little or no ecological interest in the context of extensive analysis. In this paper, we present a method for assessing and visualizing the existing nodes in the field pattern of a peri-urban agricultural landscape. Nodes are identified from the field pattern and characterized according to the presence of relevant features and land uses from the viewpoint of their ecological functions. The method is applied in the Vega del Guadalfeo (south of Spain). Our results show an innovative map of the Vega which may be interpreted as its eco-structure; a model based on nodes to represent the ecological value of the peri-urban agricultural landscape.     

Flow cytometric characterization of bacterial abundance and physiological status in a nitrifying-denitrifying activated sludge system treating landfill leachate

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Flow cytometry has recently been presented as a research tool in the assessment of the viability/activity of activated sludge from municipal...