Liquid household hazardous wastes in the United States: Identification,disposal, and management plan

Present methods of disposal of today's hazardous household chemicals in the United States are frequently not acceptable because of pathways to groundwater, surface water, and the atmosphere. This report identifies potentially hazardous liquid waste in the household, notes current disposal practices, and recommends an improved management plan that utilizes consumer education, manufacturer cooperation, and governmental intervention. Laws requiring uniform disposal labeling on packaging are critical. Local, county, and state governments must be encouraged to coordinate the necessary infrastructure. Managing hazardous household wastes now will mitigate potential disposal problems.     

Where is the line between benign and invasive? An examination of psychological barriers to the acceptance of awareness monitoring systems

As employees find themselves in geographically separated teams, the loss of face‐to‐face interaction has led to the development of new monitoring technologies that provide availability information for enhancing collaboration. Drawing on diverse literatures in electronic performance monitoring, computer supported cooperative work, privacy, and fairness, a comprehensive theoretical model of monitoring acceptance was developed to examine the effects of being monitored for availability. In the first study, over 600 employees from a large number of organizations responded to one of a variety of monitoring system characteristics. Although the model found strong support overall, results suggest that technical solutions, such as manipulating the characteristics of the awareness system, are not sufficient to ensure fairness and privacy. A second, focus group study, adds support for the theoretical model and provides an explanation for these quantitative results concerning system characteristics. Specifically, the qualitative evidence suggests that these systems can invade employees' psychological barriers ‐ and thus manipulating the technology will only have small effects on fairness and privacy because the technology has already crossed the line from benign to invasive. The paper concludes by presenting theoretical and practical implications for the consideration of psychological boundaries in the design and use of ubiquitous monitoring and communication technologies. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Landscape metrics and estuarine sediment contamination in the mid-Atlantic and southern New England regions

In a previously published study, quantitative relationships were developed between landscape metrics and sediment contamination for 25 small estuarine systems within Chesapeake Bay. These analyses have been extended to include 75 small estuarine systems across the mid-Atlantic and southern New England regions of the USA. Because of the different characteristics and dynamics of the estuaries across these regions, adjustment for differing hydrology, sediment characteristics, and sediment origins were included in the analysis. Multiple linear regression with stepwise selection was used to develop statistical models for sediment metals, organics, and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The landscape metrics important for explaining the variation in sediment metals levels (R2 = 0.72) were the percent area of nonforested wetlands (negative contribution), percent area of urban land, and point source effluent volume and metals input (positive contributions). The metrics important for sediment organics levels (R2 = 0.5) and total PAHs (R2 = 0.46) were percent area of urban land (positive contribution) and percent area of nonforested wetlands (negative contribution). These models included silt-clay content (metals) or total organic C (organics, total PAHs) of sediments and grouping by estuarine hydrology, suggesting the importance of sediment characteristics and hydrology in mitigating the influence of the landscape metrics on sediment contamination levels. The overall results from this study are indicative of how statistical models can be developed relating landscape metrics to estuarine sediment contamination for distributions of land cover and point source discharges.     

Snowmobile impact on old field and marsh vegetation in Nova Scotia,Canada: An experimental study

A study was carried out in Nova Scotia, Canada, to experimentally assess the effect of snowmobiles on old field and marsh vegetation. Snowmobile treatments ranging from a single pass to 25 passes (five passes on five separate days) were administered. The first pass by a snowmobile caused the greatest increase in snow compaction-roughly 75% of that observed after five sequential passes. Snowmobile treatment resulted in highly significant increases in snow retention in spring. Frequency was more important than intensity in this regard.Standing crop and species composition were measured the following summer. Standing crop in the field showed a significant reduction with increasing snowmobile use; frequency of treatment (p < 0.01) was more important than intensity (p = 0.125).Stellaria graminea, Aster cordifolius, Ranunculus repens, andEquisetum arvense all showed significant (p < 0.05) differences in percent cover resulting from the treatment. Marginally significant changes were observed inAgrostis tenuis andPhleum pratense Marsh vegetation showed no significant effects of snowmobile treatment. This may have been because of solid ice cover during the winter.The literature is critically reviewed. It is concluded that snowmobile use can have a highly significant effect upon natural vegetation. Management suggestions are made.     

Assessment of the Water Quality and Ecosystem Health of the Great Barrier Reef (Australia): Conceptual Models

Run-off containing increased concentrations of sediment, nutrients, and pesticides from land-based anthropogenic activities is a significant influence on water quality and the ecologic conditions of nearshore areas of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, Australia. The potential and actual impacts of increased pollutant concentrations range from bioaccumulation of contaminants and decreased photosynthetic capacity to major shifts in community structure and health of mangrove, coral reef, and seagrass ecosystems. A detailed conceptual model underpins and illustrates the links between the main anthropogenic pressures or threats (dry-land cattle grazing and intensive sugar cane cropping) and the production of key contaminants or stressors of Great Barrier Reef water quality. The conceptual model also includes longer-term threats to Great Barrier Reef water quality and ecosystem health, such as global climate change, that will potentially confound direct model interrelationships. The model recognises that system-specific attributes, such as monsoonal wind direction, rainfall intensity, and flood plume residence times, will act as system filters to modify the effects of any water-quality system stressor. The model also summarises key ecosystem responses in ecosystem health that can be monitored through indicators at catchment, riverine, and marine scales. Selected indicators include riverine and marine water quality, inshore coral reef and seagrass status, and biota pollutant burdens. These indicators have been adopted as components of a long-term monitoring program to enable assessment of the effectiveness of change in catchment-management practices in improving Great Barrier Reef (and adjacent catchment) water quality under the Queensland and Australian Governments’ Reef Water Quality Protection Plan.     

Estimation of Nonpoint Source Nitrate Concentrations in Indiana Rivers Based on Agricultural Drainage in the Watershed

Subsurface tile‐drained agricultural fields are known to be important contributors to nitrate in surface water in the Midwest, but the effect of these fields on nitrate at the watershed scale is difficult to quantify. Data for 25 watersheds monitored by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and located near a U.S. Geological Survey stream gage were used to investigate the relationship between flow‐weighted mean concentration (FWMC) of nitrate‐N and the subsurface tile‐drained area (DA) of the watershed. The tile DA was estimated from soil drainage class, land use, and slope. Nitrate loads from point sources were estimated based on reported flows of major permitted facilities with mean nitrate‐N concentrations from published sources. Linear regression models exhibited a statistically significant relationship between annual/monthly nonpoint source (NPS) nitrate‐N and DA percentage. The annual model explained 71% of the variation in FWMC of nitrate‐N. The annual and monthly models were tested in 10 additional watersheds, most with absolute errors within 1 mg/l in the predicted FWMC. These models can be used to estimate NPS nitrate for unmonitored watersheds in similar areas, especially for drained agricultural areas where model performance was strongest, and to predict the nitrate reduction when various tile drainage management techniques are employed.     

Fitness benefits of coalitionary aggression in male chimpanzees

Coalitionary aggression occurs when at least two individuals jointly direct aggression at one or more conspecific targets. Scientists have long argued that this common form of cooperation has positive fitness consequences. Nevertheless, despite evidence that social bond strength (which is thought to promote coalition formation) is correlated with fitness in primates, cetaceans, and ungulates, few studies have directly examined whether coalitionary aggression improves reproductive success. We tested the hypothesis that among free-ranging chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), participation in coalitionary aggression increases reproductive output. Using 14 years of genetic and behavioral data from Gombe National Park, Tanzania, we found that coalitionary aggression increased a male’s chances of (A) siring offspring, compared to other males of similar dominance rank, and (B) ascending in rank, a correlate of future reproductive output. Because male chimpanzees form coalitions with many others within a complex network, we used social network analysis to identify the types of connections correlated with these fitness benefits. The beneficiaries of coalitionary aggression were males with the highest “betweenness”—that is, those who tended to have coalition partners who themselves did not form coalitions with each other. This suggests that beyond simply recognizing third-party relationships, chimpanzees may use this knowledge to choose coalition partners. If so, this is a significant step forward in our knowledge of the adaptive value of social intelligence. Regardless of mechanism, however, this is the first evidence of genetic benefits of coalitionary aggression in this species, and therefore has important implications for understanding the evolution of cooperation.     

Developing markets for recyclate: perspectives from south Wales

This paper introduces the problems of a market-driven waste management strategy in the UK and the momentum towards developing markets for recycled materials. It focuses on the demand side barriers and principally the need for market stimulation in the end uses for recyclables. The important role, which small- and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) have to play in developing existing markets for recyclate, is discussed. SMEs also have the potential to contribute to the radical new approach of identifying and developing a broad range of new, more diverse and higher value uses for recyclate. If these enterprises are to be engaged effectively then regional action is essential. The paper then reports on research work focusing on SMEs that has taken place as a component of the CWMRE (Creating Welsh Markets for REcyclate) market development initiative in Wales. As a foundation for this, a series of semi-structured interviews with SMEs has been conducted with those operating in sectors that are known to have the potential to provide novel applications for secondary materials or to have the potential for material displacement. Some of the barriers and corresponding needs within the case study companies involved are discussed. The implications of these findings for a regional market development programme are considered and in particular how these case studies support the need to engage SMEs in the use of secondary materials.