Sugarcane straw management for bioenergy: effects of global warming on greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon storage

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change - Global warming can intensify the soil organic matter (SOM) turnover, damaging soil health. Crop residues left on the soil are important to...     

Growth and spatial distribution of Cassidulus mitis (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) on a sandy beach in Southeastern Brazil

Using a hand dredge, a population of Cassidulus mitis Krau, 1954 was sampled monthly from February 1986 to January 1987 at 15 stations offshore from Vermelha Beach (22°5718 S; 43°948 W), in water depths ranging from 0 to 6 m. The sex ratio indicated a slight numerical dominance of females for adults and a larger numerical female dominance for juveniles. A von Bertalanffy growth curve was estimated as L=71.00 (1-e^(-0.390t)), where L=length (mm) and t=time (yr). The instantaneous natural mortality rate (M) was estimated as 0.812. The population occupies a zone parallel to the beach, and displays a spatially aggregated pattern, with higher densities in areas characterized by coarse and very well sorted sand containing low amounts of organic matter.     

Correction to: Characterization of a fatty acid-binding protein from the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas): pharmaceutical and toxicological implications

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13135-x     

Molecular behavior assessment on initial stages of oil spill in terrestrial environments

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The contamination of terrestrial environments by oil spills creates biological risks to humans and affects the ecosystem’s health. The studies...     

Heterogeneous electro-Fenton process for degradation of bisphenol A using a new graphene/cobalt ferrite hybrid catalyst

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A simple, efficient, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive synthesis route was developed to obtain a magnetic nano-hybrid (GH) based on graphene...     

Monogamy in large bee societies: a stingless paradox

High genetic diversity is important for the functioning of large insect societies. Across the social Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps), species with the largest colonies tend to have a high colony-level genetic diversity resulting from multiple queens (polygyny) or queens that mate with multiple males (polyandry). Here we studied the genetic structure of Trigona spinipes, a stingless bee species with colonies an order of magnitude larger than those of polyandrous honeybees. Genotypes of adult workers and pupae from 43 nests distributed across three Brazilian biomes showed that T. spinipes colonies are usually headed by one singly mated queen. Apart from revealing a notable exception from the general incidence of high genetic diversity in large insect societies, our results reinforce previous findings suggesting the absence of polyandry in stingless bees and provide evidence against the sperm limitation hypothesis for the evolution of polyandry. Stingless bee species with large colonies, such as T. spinipes, thus seem promising study models to unravel alternative mechanisms to increase genetic diversity within colonies or understand the adaptive value of low genetic diversity in large insect societies.     

Organochlorine levels in viperine snake Natrix maura carcasses from the ebro delta (NE Spain): Sexual and size-related differences

Organochlorine compounds (PCBs, DDTs and HCB) in carcasses from a population of the Viperine Snake (Natrix maura) living in the Ebro Delta were analyzed. This is a wetland area on the Mediterranean coast where the natural ecosystem has been partially substituted by rice fields. High levels of pollutants (mainly DDTs and PCBs) have been detected in several species living in this area, due to the production of these compounds by a former industrial activity upstream as well as agricultural activity in the Delta. Organochlorines were analyzed in adult males and females, and in immature snakes. DDTs (mainly p,p′-DDE) were the most abundant pollutant present. The DDT/PCB ratio was higher than expected, which is consistent with the position of the Viperine Snake in the trophic web as well as the type of prey consumed. Immature snakes had more organochlorines than adults. However, the broad range of concentrations shown by immature snakes, suggested that part of the organochlorine load is transferred from gravid females to their eggs. In adults, organochlorine concentrations increased with carcass weight in both males and females. This increase was higher in males since females lost contaminants through fat investment during vitellogenesis. Seasonally, PCBs and DDTs levels increased in spring when snakes showed higher feeding activity, whereas higher levels of HCB were present at the end of summer, when the river input increased. Furthermore, HCB does not seem to biomagnify well across the trophic chain. Organochlorine concentrations in Viperine Snake carcasses were high since: 1) the dry tissue had less than 5% of fat, and 2) snakes were caught many years after the DDT ban, supporting the fact that cleaning of the ecosystem does not occur easily. These results indicate that snakes are adequate as indicators of the contamination in natural ecosystems but sex and body size of the samples should be taken into account for interpretation of results.     

Laboratory study on the leaching potential of spent alkaline batteries

Four different leaching tests were carried out with spent alkaline batteries as an attempt to quantify the environmental potential burdens associated with landfilling. The tests were performed in columns filled up with batteries either entire or cross-cut, using either deionized water or nitric acid solution as leachant. In a first set of tests, the NEN 7343 standard procedure was followed, with leachant circulating in open circuit from bottom to top through columns. These tests were extended to another leaching step where leachant percolated the columns in a closed loop process.Leachate solutions were periodically sampled and pH, conductivity, density, redox potential, sulphates, chlorides and heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl and Zn) were determined in the samples.The results showed that the total amount of substances leached in tests with cross-cut batteries was higher than with entire ones; zinc and sulphates were the substances found the most in the leachate solutions. In general, the amount of substances dissolved in open circuit is higher than in closed loop due to the effect of solution saturation and the absence of fresh solution addition.Results were compared with metal contents in the batteries and with legal limits for acceptance in landfill (Decision 2003/33/CE and Decree-Law 152/2002). None of the metals were meaningfully dissolved comparatively to its content in the batteries, except Hg. Despite the differences in the experiment procedure used and the one stated in the legislation (mixing, contact time and granulometry), the comparison of results obtained with cross-cut batteries using deionized water with legal limits showed that batteries studied could be considered hazardous waste.