The leachate composition of an old waste dump connected to groundwater: Influence of the reclamation works

This study has been carried out in an uncontrolled dump in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This dump still contains solid wastes of different types in direct contact with the human consumption aquifer. After 18 years of overturning the dump was closed in 1992, and the reclamation works started.Three leachate samplings were carried out in three different zones of the dump, selected according to the topography, the age of residues and the degree of water contact. These samplings were done before the reclamation works, at the end, and four months after they were finished. Several chemical parameters, including heavy metals in solid and dissolved fractions, were analyzed.Multivariate analysis (PCA) was performed to help to understand the effects of the labors on leachate composition. The works could be responsible for a temporal increase of dissolved heavy metals and several chemical variables in the leachate. At the sites of the dump where the modifications were carried out, the levels of some elements analyzed recovered their former values a few months after the reclamations works. At the farthest site, the impact and recovery effects of the works on leachate composition, were delayed.     

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...     

Exploring the capacity of renewable energy consumption to reduce outdoor air pollution death rate in Latin America and the Caribbean region

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The impact of renewable energy consumption on reducing the outdoor air pollution death rate, in nineteen Latin America & the Caribbean...     

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...     

Population structure and connectivity of the European conger eel (Conger conger) across the north-eastern Atlantic and western Mediterranean: integrating molecular and otolith elemental approaches

Genetic variation (mtDNA) of the European conger eel, Conger conger, was compared across five locations in the north-eastern Atlantic (Madeira, Azores, South Portugal, North Portugal and Ireland) and one location in the western Mediterranean (Mallorca). Genetic diversity of conger eel was high, and differentiation among regions was not significant. Additionally, comparisons of element:Ca ratios (Sr:Ca, Ba:Ca, Mn:Ca and Mg:Ca) in otolith cores (larval phase) and edges (3?months prior to capture) among the Azores, North Portugal, Madeira and Mallorca regions for 2?years indicated that variation among regions were greater for edges than cores. Therefore, while benthic conger may display residency at regional scales, recruitment may not necessarily be derived from local spawning and larval retention. Furthermore, data from otoliths suggest a separated replenishment source for western Mediterranean and NE Atlantic stocks. The combination of genetics and otolith chemistry suggests?a population model for conger eel involving a broad-scale dispersal of larvae, with limited connectivity for benthic juvenile life stages at large spatial scales, although the existence of one or multiple spawning grounds for the species remains uncertain.     

Valuing algal bloom in the Black Sea Coast of Bulgaria: A choice experiments approach

Increased interest in water quality in coastal and marine areas stemming from the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive has led to important questions in relation to policies that address nutrient loadings. This paper presents the results from a choice experiment study to assess the recreational damage associated with algal blooms caused by nutrients flows into Varna Bay, Bulgaria. Varna Bay is an important beach destination on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. Algal bloom events have been experienced frequently in the area. A choice experiment questionnaire was developed and applied in the Varna Bay area to assess the extent to which the quantity of algal blooms and the duration of the bloom affect recreational activities. The amount of bloom was found to be important, as respondents were on average willing to pay a one off tax of 18.97 Leva (€9.73) for a program that provides beaches free from algal blooms.     

Challenges to reducing post-consumer plastic rejects from the MSW selective collection at two MRFs in São Paulo city,Brazil

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - ​The present study is concerned with an overview of the main aspects of the selective collection from the municipal solid waste in São...     

Revaluation of a Soy Protein By-product in Eco-friendly Bioplastics by Extrusion

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Agri-food waste and by-products are being increasingly revalued, exploiting their potential. One of the attractive alternatives is their use as raw...     

Consumption of low-density polyethylene,polypropylene, and polystyrene materials by larvae of the greater wax moth,Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera,Pyralidae), impacts on their ontogeny

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), and expanded polystyrene (EXPS) are the most common plastics found in every home of the world, but only ~ 10% enter the recycling chains. Consequently, the study of plastic biodegradation by microorganisms and insects, such as the wax moths, has gained special interest. Galleria mellonella (L.) has been shown to consume single-layered polyethylene and polystyrene, though biological impacts of this consumption have been rarely reported. We evaluated the consumption of different plastics by G. mellonella larvae (L7, mean size: 25–30 mm) and its effect on larval duration, survival, and development. For this, we offered the larvae five diets: single-layered LDPE, EXPS, BOPP, triple-layered polyethylene (SB, for silo-bags), and a control with beeswax. We recorded the state and weight of the materials and the state of larvae until they reached the adult stage. Larvae consumed more PE (both LDPE and SB) and EXPS than BOPP; still, they were able to emerge as adults in all treatments. Larvae that consumed plastics turned into pupal stage faster than those that consumed beeswax, regardless of the type and amount of plastic consumed. This is the first report of wild G. mellonella larvae in Argentina consuming biaxially polypropylene and silo-bags.

     

Atmospheric pollution assessment using polar graphs and its relationship with the bird community from the Sierra de Guadalupe,Mexico (initial data)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - One of the most populated areas of the world is the Metropolitan Zone of the Mexican Valley, which has serious atmospheric pollution problems. To the...