Estimation of volatile organic compounds in Kuwaiti houses after the Gulf war

Interest in indoor air quality is steadily increasing. Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is associated with health effects as diverse as childhood respiratory disease, lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. In an effort to assess the environmental impact indoors from possible sources of VOCs, such as (i) open oil lakes, (ii) chemical and petrochemical industries and (iii) indoor pollution from household items, concentrations of aliphatic and aromatic VOCs, comprising n-hexane to n-hexadecane, benzene, toluene, xylene, ethyl benzene, methanol and o-dichlorobenzene, were measured in indoor air samples from seven different cities in Kuwait using a gas chromatograph. The data for the period March to May 1993 are presented. The VOCs, as measured, were surprisingly low and they are below the concentrations set by the American Hygienists Association. However, although the concentration of the estimated VOCs being low, were cumulative effects of them entering the human body and water sources cannot be ruled out.     

Labelling ecofriendly products in india — an emerging option for environmental production

Summary The labelling of ecofriendly products has been introduced in a number of developed countries to assist in the protection of the environment. Recently, developing countries like India, have introduced the scheme. This paper examines the steps involved in establishing the Indian Ecomark. For the successful implementation of the scheme the effective coordination of a number of agencies is necessary. Consumers, as well as manufacturers, have to be educated in the longterm benefits of the scheme. Initiatives necessary for the successful implementation of Ecomark have been highlighted.Mr S. S. Arvind is a member of faculty at the Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, at the Administrative Staff College of India. He is currently on secondment to the Centre for Technology Development, Clark University, 950, Main Street, Worcester MA 01610-1477, USA. Mr E.V. Muley is a scientist working for the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, Paryavaran Bhavan, CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi 110003, India.     

Protein that makes sense in the Argentine ant

With a protein-based approach, we have identified and cloned the cDNA encoding a chemosensory protein (LhumCSP) in the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile. The open reading frame of the cloned cDNA encoded a signal peptide (20 residues), and a mature protein (pI 4.62) of 106 amino acid residues. The calculated molecular mass (12,453 Da) was in agreement with the molecular mass measured by on-line chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (12,448 Da), given the formation of two disulfide bridges. LhumCSP shared sequence similarity with various CSPs, particularly those identified and/or cloned from moth species. Also, LhumCSP showed the hallmark of the chemosensory proteins, i.e., four well conserved cysteine residues. The antennal protein was not detected in non-olfactory tissues (leg and thorax) contrary to a putative pheromone-binding protein isolated from the thorax of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. In addition, these findings suggest that, as in Orthopterans and Phasmids, the protein that makes sense in the Argentine ant is not an odorant-binding protein, but rather a chemosensory protein.     

含柠檬酸盐电镀废水的处理

对含柠檬酸盐电镀废水的几种处理方法的比较表明,氯化钡添加法能较好地使柠檬酸盐沉淀,操作简便,处理效果理想,其柠檬酸根离子的去除率达98％以上。     

煤中有害元素对环境和人体健康影响的评价参数

煤中有害元素对环境和人体健康影响的较为全面的评价体系一直未建立，环保部门也缺乏系统性评价参数对电厂等在煤煤过程中有害元素排向大气的释放量进行监测估算。本文在查阅大量资料（主要为外文）的基础上，认为评价煤中有害元素对环境和人体健康影响的参数应该包括以下方面的数据C、H、O、N、无机硫，有机硫，有害微量元素的含量，分布规律，赋存状态，迁移转化行为（在燃煤过程中），洁净能力，淋滤力，矿物质，有机化学特征，煤炭学特征，并对煤中有害元素的污染方法进行探讨，如果上述各参数的数据被全面提供，并据此数据作针对性的抑制措施，煤中有害元素对环境和人体健康危害影响必将降低到最小。     

Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of diene modified analogs of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Matsucoccus</Emphasis> sex pheromones

The biological activity of the Matsucoccus spp. sex pheromones and diene modified analogs has been tested in forests of Israel and Portugal in order to explore the structure-activity relationship of the pine bast scale pheromone/kairomone system. The response of the adult predatory bugs, Elatophilus hebraicus and E. crassicornis and of the brown lacewing, Hemerobius stigma is more selective than that of the conspecific Matsucoccus males. The removal of the terminal methyl group from the diene terminus of both pheromones 1 and 2 eliminates all kairomonal activity but retains moderate pheromonal activity. Addition of a methyl group to the diene terminus of pheromones 1 and 2 sustains full pheromonal and kairomonal activities of the Elatophilus spp. but eliminates entirely the kairomonal activity of H. stigma. Subtle designed alterations in the structure of the diene group, typical of all Matsucoccus pheromones, change the mode of the kairomonal activity markedly.     

Land use as a mitigation strategy for the water-quality impacts of global warming: a scenario analysis on two watersheds in the Ohio River Basin

This study uses an integrative approach to study the water-quality impacts of future global climate and land-use changes. In this study, changing land-use types was used as a mitigation strategy to reduce the adverse impacts of global climate change on water resources. The climate scenarios were based on projections made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the United Kingdom Hadley Centre's climate model (HadCM2). The Thornthwaite water-balance model was coupled with a land-use model (L-THIA) to investigate the hydrologic effects of future climate and land-use changes in the Ohio River Basin. The land-use model is based on the Soil Conservation Service's curve-number method. It uses the curve number, an index of land use and soil type, to calculate runoff volume and depth. The ArcView programming language, Avenue, was used to integrate the two models into a geographic information system (GIS). An output of the water-balance model, daily precipitation values adjusted for potential evapotranspiration, served as one of the inputs into the land-use model. Two watersheds were used in the present study: one containing the city of Cincinnati on the main stem of the Ohio River, and one containing the city of Columbus on a tributary of the Ohio River. These cities represent two major metropolitan areas in the Ohio River Basin with different land uses experiencing different rates of population growth. The projected hypothetical land-use changes were based on linear extrapolations of current population data. Results of the analyses indicate that conversion from agricultural land use to low-density residential land use may decrease the amount of surface runoff. The land-use practices which generate the least amount of runoff are forest, low-density residential, and agriculture; whereas high-density residential and commercial land-use types produce the highest runoff. The hydrologic soil type present was also an important factor in determining the amount of runoff and non-point-source pollution. A runoff-depth matrix and total nitrogen matrix were created for Cincinnati and Columbus to describe possible land-use mitigation measures in response to global climate change. The differences in Cincinnati and Columbus were due to differences in geographic location, air temperature, and total runoff. The results of this study may be useful to planners and policy makers for defining the possible impacts of future global climate and land-use changes on water resources.     

喀喇昆仑山-昆仑山植物区系的一般特征及植物资源的保护与开发利用

本文根据1987—1988年两年考察的结果,初步讨论了喀喇昆仑—昆仑山地区植物区系的一般特征:1.植物种类比较贫乏高等植物仅243属约700种;2.北温带分布型属占绝对优势;3.以桑株河谷为界,昆仑山西段与东段的植物区系有很大差异;4.无严格的特有属,但种的分化强烈,种群数量大。本区由于极端干旱,自然生态系统十分脆弱,而森林和各类天然植被在维护本区自然生态系统平衡方面,起着十分重大的作用。在严格保护使森林和各类自然植被不致破坏的前提下,提出本区最有可能开发利用的植物资源是药用植物资源,除许多著名的中药外,应着重开发利用红景天属(Rhodiola)、风毛菊属(Saussurea)、葱属(Allium)的药用植物,并对当地的民族药物矮膜苞芹(Hymnolaena nana)等,进行深入研究。