Indigenous and local communities can boost seed supply in the UN decade on ecosystem restoration

The UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration is poised to trigger the recovery of ecosystem services and transform structural injustices across the world in a way unparalleled in human history. The inclusion of diverse Indigenous and local communities to co-create robust native seed supply systems is the backbone to achieve the goals for the Decade. Here we show how community-based organizations have co-developed native seed supply strategies for landscape restoration from the bottom-up. We draw on the interconnections over two decades of seed networks in Brazil and the emerging Indigenous participation in native seed production in Australia. From an environmental justice perspective, we provide a participatory seed supply approach for local engagement, noting local geographical, social and cultural contexts. Meeting large-scale restoration goals requires the connection between local seed production and collaborative platforms to negotiate roles, rights and responsibilities between stakeholders. An enduring native seed supply must include a diversity of voices and autonomy of community groups that builds equitable participation in social, economic, and environmental benefits.     

Solving mercury (Hg) speciation in soil samples by synchrotron X-ray microspectroscopic techniques

Direct mercury (Hg) speciation was assessed for soil samples with a Hg concentration ranging from 7 up to 240 mg kg⁻¹. Hg chemical forms were identified and quantified by sequential extractions and bulk- and micro-analytical techniques exploiting synchrotron generated X-rays. In particular, microspectroscopic techniques such as μ-XRF, μ-XRD and μ-XANES were necessary to solve bulk Hg speciation, in both soil fractions <2 mm and <2 μm. The main Hg-species found in the soil samples were metacinnabar (β-HgS), cinnabar (α-HgS), corderoite (Hg₃S₂Cl₂), and an amorphous phase containing Hg bound to chlorine and sulfur. The amount of metacinnabar and amorphous phases increased in the fraction <2 μm. No interaction among Hg-species and soil components was observed. All the observed Hg-species originated from the slow weathering of an inert Hg-containing waste material (K106, U.S. EPA) dumped in the area several years ago, which is changing into a relatively more dangerous source of pollution.     

TG, FT-IR and NMR characterization of n-C16H34 contaminated alumina and silica after mechanochemical treatment

This paper deals with the application of mechanochemistry to model systems composed of alumina or silica artificially contaminated with n-C16H34. The mechanochemical treatment was carried out by means of a ring mill for times ranging from 10 to 40h. Thermogravimetry and infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies were used for the characterization of the mechanochemical products. The results have indicated that, in the case of alumina, almost all the contaminant n-C16H34 undergoes a complex oxidative reaction path whose end products are strongly held on the surface. These end products are most likely made of crosslinked, partially oxidized hydrocarbon chains bond to the solid surface via COO(-) groups. In the case of silica, the hydrocarbon undergoes a different, equally complex reaction path, but to a lower extent. In this case the end products are most probably carbonylic compounds and graphitic carbon. Then, for both solid matrices, the mechanochemical treatment promotes significant modification of the chemical nature of the polluting hydrocarbon with end products much more difficult to remove from the surface. As the systems studied are models of sites contaminated by aliphatic hydrocarbon, the results are worthy of consideration in relation to the mobility of the contaminants in the environment.     

Investigating the potential of functionalized MCM-41 on adsorption of Remazol Red dye

The modification of MCM-41 was performed with 3-aminopropropyltrimethoxysilane. The structural order and textural properties of the synthesized materials were studied by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry/differential thermogravimetry, nitrogen adsorption, and desorption analysis. The adsorption capacity of NH₂-MCM-41 was studied with Remazol Red dye. The following parameters were studied in the adsorption process: pH, temperature, adsorbent dosage, and initial concentration. The desorption process was studied in different concentrations of NaOH solutions. The Freundlich isotherm model was found to be fit with the equilibrium isotherm data. Kinetics of adsorption follows the modified Avrami rate equation. The maximum adsorption capacity was estimated to be 45.9 mg?g^?1, with removal of the dye of 99.1 %. The NH₂-MCM-41 material exhibited high desorption capacity with 98.1 %.     

Screening of new adsorbents to remove algal organic matter from aqueous solutions: kinetic analyses and reduction of disinfection by-products formation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The algal organic matter (AOM) is a problem in water treatment. Although the adsorption process is extensively applied to drinking water treatment,...     

Historical changes in the food and water supply systems of the New York City Metropolitan Area

The history of New York City (NYC) is much shorter than those of most European cities, but New York shares in common the problem of providing sufficient water and food to its inhabitants from its watershed and foodshed. These resource provision areas have grown over time and changed in character as they expanded in tandem with the growth of the city. In contrast to some cities, such as Paris, which historically has been supported by local food production, NYC??s status as a trade center has enabled the supply of food from distant sources from early in its history. NYC??s transportation system has rapidly evolved from early roads to canals, railroads, and modern surface and air transport networks. The development of the hydraulic engineering of the City??s reservoir, aqueduct, and tunnel system determined the extent of its water supply watersheds. Deviations from general growth trends in food and water consumption have occurred due to environmental and economic disruptions. As the growth of the city slowed in the last few decades, environmental technology has reduced the impact of the City on its environment, due to water metering, reduction of leakage, and improvements in waste treatment. However, per capita food consumption in the US continues to increase, with implications for the environmental health of New York and its region, as well as other centers of net anthropogenic nutrient inputs.     

Increasing conservation management action by involving local people in natural resource monitoring

There is a need for a better understanding of the status of the environment. At the same time, concerns have been raised regarding alienation of the local populace from environmental decisions. One proposed solution is participatory environmental monitoring. When evaluating the usefulness of environmental monitoring, the focus may be on accuracy, as is usually done by scientists, or on efficiency in terms of conservation impact. To test whether investment in participatory biodiversity monitoring makes economic sense for obtaining data for management decisions, we compared the cost efficiency of participatory and conventional biodiversity monitoring methods in Philippine parks. We found that, from a government perspective, investment in monitoring that combines scientific with participatory methods is strikingly more effective than a similar level of investment in conventional scientific methods alone in generating conservation management interventions. Moreover, the local populace seemed to benefit from more secure de facto user rights over land and other resources. Participatory biodiversity monitoring not only represents a cost-effective alternative when conventional monitoring is impossible, but it is also an unexpectedly powerful complementary approach, capable of generating a much higher level of conservation management intervention, where conventional monitoring already takes place.     

PCB congener distribution in estuarine water,sediment and fish samples: implications for monitoring programs

Traditional analyses for PCBs in environmental matrices havefocused on commercial Aroclor mixtures with detection limits inthe 100 to 1000 part per trillion range. This approach hasrecently been supplanted by analyses for specific PCB compoundscalled congeners with detection limits less than 0.5 ppt. At thenational level, total PCB determinations based upon selected PCBcongeners typically characterize analyses of surface water,sediment and tissue. These federal efforts rely on a suite of 18to 20 congeners out of a total of 209 congeners to characterizetotal PCB. The present study compares total PCB estimates basedupon this subset of congeners with estimates based upon anexpanded list of 81 congeners from water, sediment and fishtissue collected from the Delaware Estuary.Analytical data from monitoring programs conducted in theDelaware Estuary by the Delaware River Basin Commission, NOAANational Ocean Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency from 1996 to 1998 were evaluated. Total PCB estimates derived from the different sets of congeners,including the adjustment factor of 2.0 used by NOAA, werecompared. This evaluation indicated that differences existbetween total PCB determinations based upon these approaches, andthat these differences vary depending on the matrix analyzed. The bias associated with using a smaller set of PCB congeners,and the implications for risk assessment are discussed.     

Annealing Effect on Pla/Eva Blends Performance

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - PLA has aroused industrial and scientific interest in recent years, mainly due to its biodegradable character. However, PLA is brittle and displays low...