An assessment of Spain's Programa AGUA and its implications for sustainable water management in the province of Almería, southeast Spain

Spain's Programa AGUA was proposed in 2004 as a replacement for the Spanish National Hydrological Plan and represented a fundamental policy shift in national water management from large inter-basin water transfers to a commitment to desalination. Twenty-one desalination facilities are planned for six provinces on the Spanish Mediterranean coast to supplement their water needs. These include the province of Almería that for the last 30 years has endured a net water abstraction overdraft leading to serious reservoir depletion and groundwater imbalances. Rising water use is a result of increasing demand to support irrigated agriculture (e.g. greenhouse horticulture) and for domestic needs (e.g. rapid urban growth and tourism development), which has led observers to question Almería's long-term water sustainability. Desalinated water alone is unlikely to be sufficient to make up these water deficits and water-users will have to accept a move to full-price water recovery by 2010 under the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive of which Spain is a signatory. Anticipated water efficiencies resulting from higher water tariffs, increasing water reuse and water infrastructure improvements (including inter-basin transfers), in conjunction with increasing use of desalinated water, are expected to address the province's current water overdraft. However, Almería will need to balance its planned initiatives against long-term estimates of projected agricultural and domestic development and the environmental consequences of adopting a desalination-supported water future.     

High surface area materials prepared from sewage sludge-based precursors

This paper focuses on physical activation (CO2) and chemical activation (H3PO4, NaOH and KOH) of sewage sludge-based precursors. Our results show that (i) a simple acid washing treatment leads to a significant increase in the adsorption capacity of some precursors; (ii) under the experimental conditions tested, CO2 physical activation and chemical activation with H3PO4 were ineffective for an efficient porosity development and (iii) choosing an appropriate protocol, it is possible to obtain highly porous materials (700-1700 m2 g(-1)) by chemical activation of sludge-based precursors with alkaline hydroxides. The efficiency of the chemical activation with NaOH or KOH is very much influenced by the method used for mixing the activating agent and the precursor. The BET values of the materials obtained when physically mixing ground hydroxides with the precursor almost doubled the values obtained if other mixing methods are employed. Increasing the hydroxide:precursor ratio leads to an enhancement of the adsorption capacity of the adsorbents, with BET values ranging from 689 to 1224 m2 g(-1) for NaOH activation and from 853 to 1686 m2 g(-1) for KOH activation.     

Does leaf flushing in the dry season affect leaf traits and herbivory in a tropical dry forest?

We report a small hawk-like diurnal bird from the early Oligocene (30–31 million years ago) of Poland. Aviraptor longicrus, n. gen. et sp. is of a size comparable with the smallest extant Accipitridae. The new species is characterized by very long legs, which, together with the small size, suggest an avivorous (bird-eating) feeding behavior. Overall, the new species resembles extant sparrowhawks (Accipiter spp.) in the length proportions of the major limb bones, even though some features indicate that it convergently acquired an Accipiter-like morphology. Most specialized avivores amongst extant accipitrids belong to the taxon Accipiter and predominantly predate small forest passerines; the smallest Accipiter species also hunts hummingbirds. Occurrence of a possibly avivorous raptor in the early Oligocene of Europe is particularly notable because A. longicrus coexisted with the earliest Northern Hemispheric passerines and modern-type hummingbirds. We therefore hypothesize that the diversification of these birds towards the early Oligocene may have triggered the evolution of small-sized avivorous raptors, and the new fossil may exemplify one of the earliest examples of avian predator/prey coevolution.

     

Assessment of Surface Disinfection Effectiveness of Decontamination System COUNTERFOG® SDR-F05A+ Against Bacteriophage ɸ29

Food and Environmental Virology - The experience of COVID19 pandemic has demonstrated the real concern of biological agents dispersed in the air and surfaces environments. Therefore, the need of a...     

Identifying the origin of atmospheric inputs of trace elements in the Prades Mountains (Catalonia) with bryophytes, lichens, and soil monitoring

The biomonitors Hypnum cupressiforme and Xanthoria parietina were used to assess the deposition of trace elements and their possible origin in the Prades Mountains, a protected Mediterranean forest area of NE Spain with several pollution sources nearby. Al, As, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Sb, Ti, V, and Zn were determined in 16 locations within this protected area. Soil trace element concentrations were also ascertained to calculate enrichment factors (EF) and use them to distinguish airborne from soilborne trace element inputs. In addition, lichen richness was measured to further assess atmospheric pollution. EF demonstrated to be useful not only for the moss but also for the lichen. Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn presented values higher than three in both biomonitors. These trace elements were also the main ones emitted by the potential sources of pollutants. The distance between sampling locations and potential pollution sources was correlated with the concentrations of Cu, Sb, and Zn in the moss and with Cr, Ni, and Sb in the lichen. Lichen richness was negatively correlated with lichen Cu, Pb, and V concentrations on dry weight basis. The study reflected the remarkable influence that the pollution sources have on the presence of trace elements and on lichen species community composition in this natural area. The study highlights the value of combining the use of biomonitors, enrichment factors, and lichen diversity for pollution assessment to reach a better overview of both trace elements’ impact and the localization of their sources.     

Effect of Coconut, Sisal and Jute Fibers on the Properties of Starch/Gluten/Glycerol Matrix

Coconut, sisal and jute fibers were added as reinforcement materials in a biodegradable polymer matrix comprised of starch/gluten/glycerol. The content of fibers used in the composites varied from 5% to 30% by weight of the total polymers (starch and gluten). Materials were processed in a Haake torque rheometer (120 °C, 50 rpm) for 6 min. The mixtures obtained were molded by heat compression and further characterized. Addition of lignocellulosic fibers in the matrix decreased the water absorption at equilibrium. The diffusion coefficient decreased sharply around 5% fiber concentration, and further fiber additions caused only small variations. The thermogravimetric (TG) analysis revealed improved thermal stability of matrix upon addition of fibers. The Young’s modulus and ultimate tensile strength increased with fiber content in the matrix. The storage modulus increased with increasing fiber content, whereas tanδ curves decreased, confirming the reinforcing effect of the fibers. Morphology of the composites analyzed under the scanning electron microscope (SEM) exhibited good interfacial adhesion between the matrix and the added fibers. Matrix degraded rapidly in compost, and addition of increased amounts of coconut fiber in the matrix caused a slowdown the biodegradability of the matrix. Names are necessary to report factually on available data; however, the USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name by USDA implies no approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may be suitable.     

Effects of a shipwreck on the zooplankton community in a port region of the Amazon

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The port regions of the Amazon are subject to environmental impacts high shipping traffic. In October 2015, a cargo ship containing 5000 oxen sank in...     

Promoting the use of environmental data collected by concerned citizens through information and communication technologies

Public participation within environmental monitoring may contribute to increasing the knowledge on the state of the environment at the same time it promotes citizens' involvement in environmental protection. However, the use of voluntary collected data is limited due to a lack of confidence in data collection procedures. Additionally, data quality is often unknown and the data are usually dispersed and non-structured. Information and communication technologies (ICT) may promote the use of voluntary collected data through the development of a collaborative system that incorporates tools and methodologies to facilitate data collection, access and validation. Furthermore, the use of ICT may promote public involvement within environmental monitoring, since it facilitates communication among all the stakeholders. This paper analyses the role of ICT in developing a system for environmental collaborative monitoring intending to promote the use of volunteer collected data. It starts by analysing the role of volunteers within environmental monitoring and continues analysing the potential of ICT to take advantage of the benefits of using data collected by citizens. A collaborative system that allows the public to express its knowledge on the state of the environment is described. Special emphasis is given to tools that explore non-traditional types of environmental data such as images, sounds and videos in association with spatial information. To illustrate the above mentioned concepts, a case study for beach quality monitoring developed within the Senses@Watch project, is described.