Why social values cannot be changed for the sake of conservation

The hope for creating widespread change in social values has endured among conservation professionals since early calls by Aldo Leopold for a “land ethic.” However, there has been little serious attention in conservation to the fields of investigation that address values, how they are formed, and how they change. We introduce a social–ecological systems conceptual approach in which values are seen not only as motivational goals people hold but also as ideas that are deeply embedded in society's material culture, collective behaviors, traditions, and institutions. Values define and bind groups, organizations, and societies; serve an adaptive role; and are typically stable across generations. When abrupt value changes occur, they are in response to substantial alterations in the social–ecological context. Such changes build on prior value structures and do not result in complete replacement. Given this understanding of values, we conclude that deliberate efforts to orchestrate value shifts for conservation are unlikely to be effective. Instead, there is an urgent need for research on values with a multilevel and dynamic view that can inform innovative conservation strategies for working within existing value structures. New directions facilitated by a systems approach will enhance understanding of the role values play in shaping conservation challenges and improve management of the human component of conservation.     

Accounting for monogastric livestock as a driver in global land use and cover change assessments

Land systems are described based on various characteristics, including land cover composition and agricultural production. However, it is uncertain to what extent livestock, particularly monogastric livestock, determines land systems. We included monogastrics in a land system classification, and statistically analyzed the land cover composition and agricultural production of otherwise similar land systems with and without monogastric livestock. The results indicate that land systems with monogastrics are statistically different from their counterparts in the classification without monogastrics in terms of grassland area and crop yields, but are less different in terms of tree area, crop area, and ruminant livestock production. We then used a land systems map that includes monogastrics in the classification and a similar map that does not include monogastrics to project future changes in a novel manner that integrates livestock as a determinant of land systems. The results show that including monogastrics in otherwise similar projections yields less cropland intensification and more cropland expansion in several world regions, including Northern Africa and the Middle East. Other regions, such as Europe and Australia, were characterized by less decrease or more increase in tree area in the application with monogastrics, mainly due to the occurrence of open forests with monogastrics. This study prompts a call for improved characterization of land systems for land use and cover change (LUCC) assessments in order to better represent LUCC driven by monogastric livestock.     

Assessing demineralization treatments for PVC effluent reuse in the resin polymerization step

To reduce fresh water consumption in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant, the effluent from a biological treatment must be demineralized to be re-used in the resin polymerization process. Demineralization is a critical process, since the quality and the stability of the PVC resins are highly influenced by the water quality used in the process. The main target values for water parameters are the following: conductivity <10 μScm^?1, TOC < 10 mg L^?1, and Al < 0.1 mg L^?1. To achieve this quality, several reverse osmosis membranes from different materials and suppliers were tested and compared in the demineralization treatment. Polyamide membranes showed higher salt rejection compared to cellulose acetate membranes yielding both types similar flux and permeability. Two-pass reverse osmosis treatment was necessary to reach conductivities lower than 10 μS cm^?1. On the other hand, a good quality effluent for reuse was obtained by combining RO and ionic exchange resins. Results showed that good quality PVC resins in terms of color, granulometry, porosity, and bulk density were obtained when demineralized water from two-pass reverse osmosis was used as fresh water, proving the feasibility of the effluent reuse in the PVC industry.     

Analysis of short-term ozone and PM2.5 measurements: Characteristics and relationships for air sensor messaging

Air quality sensors are becoming increasingly available to the general public, providing individuals and communities with information on fine-scale, local air quality in increments as short as 1 min. Current health studies do not support linking 1-min exposures to adverse health effects; therefore, the potential health implications of such ambient exposures are unclear. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and Air Quality Index (AQI) on the best science available, which typically uses longer averaging periods (e.g., 8 hr; 24 hr). Another consideration for interpreting sensor data is the variable relationship between pollutant concentrations measured by sensors, which are short-term (1 min to 1 hr), and the longer term averages used in the NAAQS and AQI. In addition, sensors often do not meet federal performance or quality assurance requirements, which introduces uncertainty in the accuracy and interpretation of these readings. This article describes a statistical analysis of data from regulatory monitors and new real-time technology from Village Green benches to inform the interpretation and communication of short-term air sensor data. We investigate the characteristics of this novel data set and the temporal relationships of short-term concentrations to 8-hr average (ozone) and 24-hr average (PM_2.5) concentrations to examine how sensor readings may relate to the NAAQS and AQI categories, and ultimately to inform breakpoints for sensor messages. We consider the empirical distributions of the maximum 8-hr averages (ozone) and 24-hr averages (PM_2.5) given the corresponding short-term concentrations, and provide a probabilistic assessment. The result is a robust, empirical comparison that includes events of interest for air quality exceedances and public health communication. Concentration breakpoints are developed for short-term sensor readings such that, to the extent possible, the related air quality messages that are conveyed to the public are consistent with messages related to the NAAQS and AQI.

Implications: Real-time sensors have the potential to provide important information about fine-scale current air quality and local air quality events. The statistical analysis of short-term regulatory and sensor data, coupled with policy considerations and known health effects experienced over longer averaging times, supports interpretation of such short-term data and efforts to communicate local air quality.     

Industrial pollution,spatial stigma and economic decline: the case of Asopos river basin through the lens of local small business owners

This paper explores the notion of environmentally induced spatial stigma through an analysis of data from interviews across public attitudes to pollution within the Asopos river basin in central Greece. The area has a 40 year plus history of legal and illicit industrial waste disposal and public debate on the associated environmental degradation. The study focuses on the perceptions and beliefs of a sector of the community likely to be directly and negatively affected by stigma, that is small business owners in the tourism and hospitality sector. The qualitative analysis explores awareness and viewpoints on environmental degradation and water quality within the local context, implications for the local economy and the individual's own enterprise, views on industrial environmental management as well as corporate responsibility and future prospects for the environmental problems of Asopos. Findings reveal a noticeable variation in views on industrial pollution and ecosystem deterioration among the respondents, but overall a strong environmentally induced stigmatization of the area. They also uncover an information asymmetry and lack of credible commitment by government bodies and industry members in disclosing accurate information, a situation likely to increase speculation and uncertainty within the community. The paper concludes by addressing implications of the findings to policy-making and managerial considerations, along with future research perspectives which aim to increase considerations of sustainability aspects for local development.     

A two-generational reproductive toxicity study of zinc in rats

A two-generation reproductive toxicity study of zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) was conducted in rats. F_o male and female rats were administered 0.00 (control), 7.50 (low), 15.00 (mid) and 30.00 (high) mg/kg/day of ZnCl₂. Selected F₁ male and female rats were exposed to the same doses received by their parents (F_o). Exposure of F₀ parental rats to ZnCl₂ showed significant reduction in fertility, viability (days 0 and 4), and the body weight of F₁ pups from the high-dose group but caused no effects on litter size, weaning index, and sex ratio. Similarly, the continued exposure of F₁ parental rats to ZnCl₂ also reduced fertility, liter size, viability (day 0), and the body weight of F₂ pups within the high-dose group but caused no effects on weaning index and sex ratio. Exposure of ZnCl₂ to F₀ and F₁ parental males resulted in a significant reduction in their body weights, and the F₀ and F₁ parental females did not show any significant difference in their body weights compared to their control groups. However, the postpartum dam weights of both F₀ and F₁ female rats were significantly reduced compared to their controls. Exposure of ZnCl₂ to F_o and F₁ generation parental rats did not produce any significant change of their clinical signs as well as their clinical pathology parameters, except the alkaline phosphotase (ALK) level, which showed an upward trend in both sexes of both generations. Exposure of ZnCl₂ to F₀ rats resulted in a reduction of brain, liver, kidney, spleen and seminal vesicles weights of males and in the spleen and uterus of females. Similarly, exposure of F₁ rats to ZnCl₂ also resulted in reduction of brain, liver, kidney, adrenal, spleen, prostate and seminal vesicles weights of males and in spleen and uterus of females. ZnCl₂ exposure resulted in grossly observed gastro-intestianla (GI) tract, lymphoreticular/hematopoietic, and reproductive tract lesions in parental rats in both generations. Reduced body fat was also recorded in F₁ parental rats.     

Use of cholinesterase activity in monitoring chlorpyrifos exposure of steer cattle after topical administration

The aim of this work was to study the pharmacokinetic behavior and the inhibitory effect of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activities of chlorpyrifos (CPF) in steer cattle after pour-on administration. Determination of cholinesterase activity in plasma and erythrocyte was carried out according to Ellman kinetic method. CPF was analyzed by gas chromatography. AChE was the predominant form of cholinesterase analyzed, with low levels of BChE in plasma. Following the treatment with CPF, the maximum inhibitory effect on AChE or BChE were 50.88 ± 11.57 and 42.66 ± 12.01%, respectively. The chlorpyrifos plasma concentrations observed were low and they presented a high variability. Chlorpyrifos peak plasma concentration (10.42 ± 4.76 μ g/L) was reached at 8.42 ± 13.97 h. The pesticide was not detected in plasma after 48 h post treatment. The values of area under the curve (AUC) were 118.48 ± 87.46 μ g· h/L and mean resistance time (MRT) were 13.38 ± 10.41 h. The pour-on exposure to the organophosphate chlorpyrifos significantly reduced AChE and BChE activity in steer cattle and the recovery was not reached on 50 days post-treatment.     

Remediation of alachlor and atrazine contaminated water with zero-valent iron nanoparticles

Zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI, diameter < 90 nm, specific surface area = 25 m² g^?1) have been used under anoxic conditions for the remediation of pesticides alachlor and atrazine in water. While alachlor (10, 20, 40 mg L^?1) was reduced by 92–96% within 72 h, no degradation of atrazine was observed. The alachlor degradation reaction was found to obey first-order kinetics very closely. The reaction rate (35.5 × 10^?3–43.0 × 10^?3 h^?1) increased with increasing alachlor concentration. The results are in conformity with other researchers who worked on these pesticides but mostly with micro ZVI and iron filings. This is for the first time that alachlor has been degraded under reductive environment using nZVI. The authors contend that nZVI may prove to be a simple method for on-site treatment of high concentration pesticide rinse water (100 mg L^?1) and for use in flooring materials in pesticide filling and storage stations.     

A Monte-Carlo Simulation of the Ozone Attainment Process

A Monte-Carlo simulation of the approach to attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone has been performed for the California Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Four compliance tests together with different design values are used in the simulation. The results show that the present compliance test requiring a zero-percent chance of violation and the design value represented by the fourth highest value in three years makes both the standard and the control requirement much more stringent than generally assumed. In fact, to attain the standard on a long-term basis would require annual means and annual second-highest values that are close to those of the rural background ozone. The simulation also shows that by taking into account the fluctuation of ozone concentrations in the compliance test, such as a t test, and by using a design value consistent with the test, a standard defined in terms of the three-year mean of the annual second-highest values not only is more consistent with the currently- perceived stringency of the present standard, but may also be attainable with a more reasonable control requirement.