Organic compound emissions from a landfarm used for oil and gas solid waste disposal

Solid or sludgy hydrocarbon waste is a by-product of oil and gas exploration and production. One commonly used method of disposing of this waste is landfarming. Landfarming involves spreading hydrocarbon waste on soils, tilling it into the soil, and allowing it to biodegrade. We used a dynamic flux chamber to measure fluxes of methane, a suite of 54 nonmethane hydrocarbons, and light alcohols from an active and a remediated landfarm in eastern Utah. Fluxes from the remediated landfarm were not different from a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sheet or from undisturbed soils in the region. Fluxes of methane, total nonmethane hydrocarbons, and alcohols from the landfarm in active use were 1.41 (0.37, 4.19) (mean and 95% confidence limits), 197.90 (114.72, 370.46), and 4.17 (0.03, 15.89) mg m^?2 hr^?1, respectively. Hydrocarbon fluxes were dominated by alkanes, especially those with six or more carbons. A 2-ha landfarm with fluxes of the magnitude we observed in this study would emit 95.3 (54.3, 179.7) kg day^?1 of total hydrocarbons, including 11.2 (4.3, 33.9) kg day^?1 of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes).

Implications: Solid and sludgy hydrocarbon waste from the oil and gas industry is often disposed of by landfarming, in which wastes are tilled into soil and allowed to decompose. We show that a land farm in Utah emitted a variety of organic compounds into the atmosphere, including hazardous air pollutants and compounds that form ozone. We calculate that a 2-ha landfarm facility would emit 95.0 ± 66.0 kg day^?1 of total hydrocarbons, including 11.1 ± 1.5 kg day^?1 of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes).     

An ultraviolet signal generates a conflict between sexual selection and species recognition in a newt

Whether sexual selection and species recognition involve distinct preferences and signals is still debated. Earlier work showed that traits under sexual selection can reduce the efficiency of species recognition but remains uncertain on how frequently such a conflict occurs. We can, however, hypothesise that overlapping distributions of sexual signals may enhance the hybridization risk in many species. We tested this hypothesis in a newt, Lissotriton vulgaris, which hybridises with Lissotriton helveticus. The two species also share an ultraviolet (UV) colour trait, which influences male attractiveness in L. vulgaris, though this trait is probably not functional for sexual communication in L. helveticus. We predicted that the shared trait would affect species recognition when UV radiation is present in the environment. We staged binary choice preference tests under UV+ and UV? conditions. In the UV+ treatment, female preference depended on the values of the shared UV trait and total brightness, regardless of male species identity. Thus, species recognition was enhanced or reversed depending on the difference in the male trait. Females preferred no male type in the UV? treatment, likely explained by our design, which alternated different sensory environments, and the limited prior exposure of subjects to the other species’ morph. We conclude that the presence of this shared trait used in sexual communication contributes to the production of hybrids in syntopic ponds. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental evidence of the influence of an UV sexual signal modulating species recognition.     

Functional variation of sperm morphology in sticklebacks

Some theoretical models of sperm competition make the assumption that in fish species with external fertilisation, sperm length relates positively to swimming speed at the expense of sperm longevity. Few studies have tested this assumption. We used the three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus L., to study functional sperm morphology. In this study, the relationship between males’ mean sperm length and fertilisation rate was investigated in vitro in a non-competitive situation. Fertilisation at different time points after sperm release was taken into account, and sperm morphology was quantified from scanning electron microscopy images. The time series of artificial fertilisations demonstrated that males which produced sperm with a longer tail fertilised faster, but their sperm had a shorter lifespan (or activity period). It was further suggested that males that produced sperm with a larger midpiece had greater fertilisation chances later on in the fertilisation process. Thus, in sticklebacks, there exists functional variation in sperm morphology, and sperm tail length is traded off against sperm longevity (or activity).     

Showering in Flint, MI: Is there a DBP problem?

Lead contamination in the City of Flint, MI has been well documented over the past two years, with lead levels above the EPA Action Level until summer 2016. This resulted from an ill-fated decision to switch from Detroit water (Lake Huron) with corrosion control, to Flint River water without corrosion control. Although lead levels are now closer to normal, reports of skin rashes have sparked questions surrounding tap water in some Flint homes. This study investigated the presence of contaminants, including disinfection by-products (DBPs), in the hot tap water used for showering in the homes of residents in Flint. Extensive quantitative analysis of 61 regulated and priority unregulated DBPs was conducted in Flint hot and cold tap water, along with the analysis of 50 volatile organic compounds and a nontarget comprehensive, broadscreen analysis, to identify a possible source for the reported skin rashes. For comparison, chlorinated hot and cold waters from three other cities were also sampled, including Detroit, which also uses Lake Huron as its source water. Results showed that hot water samples generally contained elevated levels of regulated and priority unregulated DBPs compared to cold water samples, but trihalomethanes were still within regulatory limits. Overall, hot shower water from Flint was similar to waters sampled from the three other cities and did not have unusually high levels of DBPs or other organic chemicals that could be responsible for the skin rashes observed by residents. It is possible that an inorganic chemical or microbial contaminant may be responsible.     

Compliance of Australian threatened species recovery plans with legislative requirements

Recovery plans are the main documents supporting management decision-making for threatened species. We evaluated Australian recovery plans to assess their appropriateness as conservation and management planning instruments. Six legislative requirements (species information and general requirements, species distribution and location, known and potential threats, objectives, performance criteria and actions, duration of the plan, and estimated costs of plan implementation) were used to assess the degree of compliance of recovery plans with the relevant legislation. We assessed all 236 official recovery plans which had been adopted as at January 2006. The results showed that plans were most compliant regarding the setting of objectives, performance criteria, recovery actions, and duration of plan. Most plans included a single performance criterion that was generally related to the population status of target species. Improvement is required in relation to identification of current threats and critical habitats, and the establishment of basic elements of monitoring and evaluation for measuring recovery progress. Gaps in ecological information are the main factors affecting adequate compliance with legislative requirements as opposed to managerial information (e.g. clarity in establishing the implementation schedule, costs and resource allocation). Planning deficiencies could be addressed by improving the recovery planning guidelines and more carefully reviewing the drafting and adoption of new plans.     

Infrared differential absorption Lidar (DIAL) measurements of hydrocarbon emissions

We report the application of an infrared (IR) differential absorption Lidar (DIAL) system (also capable of ultra violet measurements) built at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), UK, to field measurements of total site emissions (controlled and fugitive) from petrochemical and landfill installations. The validation of the IR-DIAL was carried out via a series of controlled field experiments including comparison to GC analysis and tests against controlled methane releases from a test stack, all detailing agreements on the order of ±20%. In volatile organic compound (VOC) measurements at a UK petrochemical site it was found that the American Petroleum Institute's methodology of the time for calculating the emitted flux underestimated by a factor of 2.4. Also, in a similar field trial it was found that scaling traditional point measurements at easily accessible flanges and valves to represent all flanges and valves on a site led to an underestimation by a factor of 6. In addition to petrochemical examples we also report field measurements from a landfill site to demonstrate the advantageous of the DIAL technique for monitoring area emission sources. In this case study it was found that active (still being filled) cells resulted in significantly greater VOC emission rates (30 kg h(-1)) than closed (≤ 10 kg h(-1)).     

Application of geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor for assessing metal contamination in the sediments of Kafrain Dam, Jordan

An investigation is reported of the degree of metal pollution in the sediments of Kafrain Dam and the origin of these metals. Fourteen sampling sites located at Kafrain Dam were chosen for collecting the surface, cutbank, and dam bank sediment samples. The sediment samples have been subjected to a total digestion technique and analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometer for metals including Pb, Zn, Cd, Ni, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Fe. XRD analyses indicate that the sediments of Kafrain Dam are mainly composed of calcite, dolomite, quartz, orthoclase, microcline, kaolinite, and illite reflecting the geology of the study area. The enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (I _geo) have been calculated and the relative contamination levels assessed in the study area. The calculations of I _geo are found to be more reliable than of those of EF. The enrichment of metals in the study area has been observed to be relatively high. I _geo results reveal that the study area is not contaminated with respect to Ni, Co, Cr, Cu, and Mn; moderately to strongly contaminated with Pb; and strongly to extremely contaminated with Cd and Zn. The high contents of Pb, Cd, and Zn in the study area result from anthropogenic activities in the catchment area of the dam site. These sources mainly include the agricultural activities, sewage discharging from various sources within the study area (effluent of wastewater treatment plants, treated and untreated wastewaters, and irrigation return water), and the several industries located in the area. Degrees of correlations among the various metals in the study area are suggested by the results and the intermetallic relationship.     

Prenatal diagnosis of neurofibromatosis type 1: sonographic and MRI findings

Prenatal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a large oropharyngeal tumor, and cardiac and cranial abnormalities consistent with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) in a third-trimester fetus, which were confirmed on postmortem examination. Sonographic features of NF1 are generally nonspecific; MR examination provided significant additional information, facilitating prenatal diagnosis. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microméthode de dosage simultané de l'alcool isopropylique et de son métabolite l'acétone

Simultaneous determination of Isopropyl Alcohol and Acetone prove to be necessary in cases of poisoning by this widely used alcohol. An aluminum capsule containing a sample of blood to be analyzed is introduced into a gas chromatograph equipped with a flameionization detector and a Carbowax 20 M - Chromosorb WHP column. Use of a small blood sample (0.50 μl) and high sensitivity of the method make it a selected procedure in the clinical diagosis of poisoning by Isopropyl Alcohol.