Biological index based on epiphytic diatom assemblages is more restrictive than the physicochemical index in water assessment on an Amazon floodplain,Brazil

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI) provides protection for freshwater life promoting healthy ecosystems and safeguarding human health. Biological...     

Projected changes in particulate matter concentrations in the South Coast Air Basin due to basin-wide reductions in nitrogen oxides,volatile organic compounds,and ammonia emissions

An ozone abatement strategy for the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) has been proposed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and the California Air Resources Board (ARB). The proposed emissions reduction strategy is focused on the reduction of nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions by the year 2030. Two high PM_2.5 concentration episodes with high ammonium nitrate compositions occurring during September and November 2008 were simulated with the Community Multi-scale Air Quality model (CMAQ). All simulations were made with same meteorological files provided by the SCAQMD to allow them to be more directly compared with their previous modeling studies. Although there was an overall under-prediction bias, the CMAQ simulations were within an overall normalized mean error of 50%; a range that is considered acceptable performance for PM modeling. A range of simulations of these episodes were made to evaluate sensitivity to NO_x and ammonia emissions inputs for the future year 2030. It was found that the current ozone control strategy will reduce daily average PM_2.5 concentrations. However, the targeted NO_x reductions for ozone were not found to be optimal for reducing PM_2.5 concentrations. Ammonia emission reductions reduced PM_2.5 and this might be considered as part of a PM_2.5 control strategy.

Implications: The SCAQMD and the ARB have proposed an ozone abatement strategy for the SoCAB that focuses on NO_x emission reductions. Their strategy will affect both ozone and PM_2.5. Two episodes that occurred during September and November 2008 with high PM_2.5 concentrations and high ammonium nitrate composition were selected for simulation with different levels of nitrogen oxide and ammonia emissions for the future year 2030. It was found that the ozone control strategy will reduce maximum daily average PM_2.5 concentrations but its effect on PM_2.5 concentrations is not optimal.     

Effects of howler monkey reintroduction on ecological interactions and processes

Rewilding has been an increasingly popular tool to restore plant–animal interactions and ecological processes impaired by defaunation. However, the reestablishment of such processes has seldom been assessed. We investigated the restoration of ecological interactions following the reintroduction of the brown howler monkey (Alouatta guariba) to a defaunated Atlantic forest site. We expected the reintroduction to restore plant–animal interactions and interactions between howlers and dung beetles, which promote secondary seed dispersal. We estimated the number of interactions expected to be restored by the reintroduction to provide the baseline interaction richness that could be restored. We followed the reintroduced howler monkeys twice a week for 24 months (337 hours total) to assess their diet. We used howler monkey dung in secondary seed dispersal experiments with 2484 seed mimics to estimate the removal rates by dung beetles and collected the beetles to assess community attributes. We compared the potential future contribution of howler monkeys and other frugivores to seed dispersal based on the seed sizes they disperse in other areas where they occur. In 2 years, howler monkeys consumed 60 animal-dispersed plant species out of the 330 estimated. Twenty-one dung beetle species were attracted to experimentally provided dung; most of them were tunnelers, nocturnal, and large-sized (>10 mm). On average 30% (range 0–100%) of the large seed mimics (14 mm) were moved by dung beetles. About 91% of the species consumed by howlers (size range 0.3–34.3 mm) overlapped in seed size with those removed by dung beetles. In our study area, howler monkeys may consume more large-seeded fruit species than most other frugivores, highlighting their potential to affect forest regeneration. Our results show reintroductions may effectively restore ecological links and enhance ecological processes.     

Electrokinetic enhancement of phenanthrene biodegradation in creosote-polluted clay soil

Given the difficulties caused by low-permeable soils in bioremediation, a new electrokinetic technology is proposed, based on laboratory results with phenanthrene, to afford bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in clay soils. Microbial activity in a clay soil historically polluted with creosote was promoted using a specially designed electrokinetic cell with a permanent anode-to-cathode flow and controlled pH. The rates of phenanthrene losses during treatment were tenfold higher in soil treated with an electric field than in the control cells without current or microbial activity. Results from experiments with Tenax-assisted desorption and mineralization of 14C-labeled phenanthrene indicated that phenanthrene biodegradation was limited by mass-transfer of the chemical. We suggest that the enhancement effect of the applied electric field on phenanthrene biodegradation resulted from mobilization of the PAH and nutrients dissolved in the soil fluids.     

Electrochemical combustion of herbicide mecoprop in aqueous medium using a flow reactor with a boron-doped diamond anode

The anodic oxidation of 1.8l of solutions with mecoprop (2-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)-propionic acid or MCPP) up to 0.64 g l(-1) in Na2SO4 as background electrolyte within the pH range 2.0-12.0 has been studied using a flow plant containing a one-compartment filter-press electrolytic reactor with a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode and a stainless steel cathode, both of 20-cm2 area. Electrolyses carried out in batch under steady conditions and operating at constant current density between 50 and 150 mA cm(-2) always yield complete mineralization due to the great concentration of hydroxyl radical generated at the BDD anode. The degradation rate is practically independent of pH and Na2SO4 concentration, but it becomes faster with increasing MCPP concentration, current density, temperature and liquid flow rate. The effect of these parameters on current efficiency and energy cost has also been investigated. Generated weak oxidants such as H2O2 and peroxodisulfate ion have little influence on the mineralization process. The kinetics for the herbicide decay follows a pseudo first-order reaction with a higher rate constant when current density increases. Aromatic products such as 4-chloro-o-cresol, 2-methylhydroquinone and 2-methyl-p-benzoquinone, and generated carboxylic acids such as maleic, fumaric, lactic, pyruvic, tartronic, acetic and oxalic, have been identified as intermediates by chromatographic techniques. The initial chlorine is completely released in the form of chloride ion, which is slowly oxidized to Cl2 at the BDD anode. A reaction pathway for MCPP mineralization involving all products detected is proposed.     

Spatial and temporal dimensions of landscape fragmentation across the Brazilian Amazon

Regional Environmental Change - The Brazilian Amazon in the past decades has been suffering severe landscape alteration, mainly due to anthropogenic activities, such as road building and land...     

Changes in the flood regime of S?o Francisco River (Brazil) from 1940 to 2006

Flow regulation causes various environmental impacts in the downstream reaches of impounded rivers. The S?o Francisco River (SF) basin is Brazil’s third most important watershed. Several dams have been built in its course in the last four decades, mostly for flow regulation and hydropower generation. This paper presents an evaluation of historical changes in the flood regime. Three regions of the SF River basin, which are under the influence of different levels of regulation, were studied: the lower, middle, and upper SF River. The components of magnitude, frequency, and duration of floods were quantified for each region from 1940 to 1960 (prior to the construction of the first dam) and from 1986 to 2006 (after the last dam). The results have shown the inexistence of big floods in the downstream areas, decreasing durations of small floods as well as significant changes in the annual seasonality of floods. Reductions in the flood frequency were verified in all stretches, even in non-regulated systems, such as the lower Velhas River. The climate variation, which occurred in both period, was not able to explain the changes in the flood regime of S?o Francisco River; therefore, dams and other anthropogenic activity are the main factors promoting the temporal variability of streamflows in the S?o Francisco basin.     

Recycling of air pollution control residues from municipal solid waste incineration into lightweight aggregates

This work focuses on the assessment of technological properties and on the leaching behavior of lightweight aggregates (LWA) produced by incorporating different quantities of air pollution control (APC) residues from municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration. Currently this hazardous waste has been mostly landfilled after stabilization/solidification. The LWA were produced by pelletizing natural clay, APC residues as-received from incineration plant, or after a washing treatment, a small amount of oil and water. The pellets were fired in a laboratory chamber furnace over calcium carbonate. The main technological properties of the LWA were evaluated, mainly concerning morphology, bulk and particle densities, compressive strength, bloating index, water adsorption and porosity. Given that APC residues do not own expansive (bloating) properties, the incorporation into LWA is only possible in moderate quantities, such as 3% as received or 5% after pre-washing treatment.The leaching behavior of heavy metals from sintered LWA using water or acid solutions was investigated, and despite the low acid neutralization capacity of the synthetic aggregates, the released quantities were low over a wide pH range.In conclusion, after a washing pre-treatment and if the percentage of incorporation is low, these residues may be incorporated into LWA. However, the recycling of APC residues from MSW incineration into LWA does not revealed any technical advantage.