Efficacy of created and restored nesting sites for the conservation of colonial Laridae in the South of France

By rapidly modifying key habitat components, habitat restoration is at risk of producing attractive cues for animals without providing habitats of sufficient quality. As such, individual fitness components, such as reproduction, could be reduced and restored habitats could become ecological traps. This risk notably appears by using artificial constructions in restoration projects, yet few studies have evaluated their efficacy in a robust way. We investigated this by analyzing 154 islets that were created or restored to improve the conservation status of 7 colonial Laridae species in the South of France. From 2007 to 2016, we compared occupancy dynamics and breeding parameters of these species between the restored sites and 846 unmanaged nesting sites. We also explored species’ preference for different nesting site characteristics and their respective effect on breeding parameters. Restored nesting sites were 2–9 times as attractive as unmanaged sites for all species except the Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus). Colonization probability was up to 100 times higher in sites already used by other species the previous year and increased with distance to the shore until >0.2 when distance was over 250 m. Abandonment probability was 29–70% lower when breeding was successful the previous year in all species except the Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis). Productivity and breeding success probability were 2 times higher on managed sites. Distance from the shore was an important attractive characteristic of artificial nesting sites in all species. Other nesting site characteristics had species-specific effects on colonization, abandonment, and breeding success. Our results indicate that managed nesting sites are successful conservation tools for colonial Laridae in the Mediterranean and do not act as ecological traps. Our study showed that testing the ecological trap hypothesis is a robust way to evaluate the success of restoration projects of breeding habitats.     

Long-term changes in microbial water quality indicators in a hydro-power plant reservoir: The role of natural factors and socio-economic changes

Long-term changes, from 1984 to 2010, in the indicators of microbial pollution (total viable count, coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, and Clostridium perfringens) are analysed in the Riga Hydropower Plant Reservoir, an essential source of drinking water for Riga, the capital of Latvia. Counts in microbial indicators fluctuated seasonally and were related to physicochemical parameters (nitrogen compounds, turbidity, temperature, and pH). The changes in microbial pollution were brought about by two major socio-economic developments. Firstly, Latvia’s independence from the USSR in 1991 which facilitated a distinct reduction in most microorganism counts due to a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production. This resulted in a significant drop in point and nonpoint pollution in the river basin. A further development was Latvia joining the European Union in 2004. The corresponding focus on water management, including wastewater treatment, was a major priority of environmental investment and lead to improvements in microbial water quality.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01470-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Glyphosate concentrations in global freshwaters: are aquatic organisms at risk?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Glyphosate is the most used herbicide worldwide. Many studies have reported glyphosate risks to aquatic organisms of different trophic levels....     

Soil contamination in Colombian playgrounds: effects of vehicles,construction, and traffic

The presence of potentially hazardous elements (PHEs) in playground soils is generally associated with anthropogenic sources such as vehicle traffic, industries, construction sites, and biomass burning. Studies indicate that PHEs are harmful to human health and may even be carcinogenic. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical, morphological, and mineralogical properties of soil samples from three public playgrounds located in the cities of Bogota, Medellin, and Barranquilla. Besides, the possible impacts caused by the aerodynamics of particles in Colombian cities were verified. The morphology, composition, and structure of the nanoparticles (NPs) (< 100 nm) present in these soils were evaluated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) equipped with high-precision field emission (FE) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Soil samples were predominantly feldspar, quartz, and, to a lesser extent, clay minerals, carbonates, and hematites. The average content of PHEs was anthropogenically enriched in relation to the upper continental crust. As and Sn showed a large spatial variation, indicating the influence of local sources, such as vehicle traffic and industries. There is an inverse relationship between the total concentrations of some elements and their leachable fractions. The accumulation of traffic-derived PHEs has a negative impact on human health and the environment, which is alarming, especially for elements such as Pb, Sb, or As. Therefore, the presence of PHEs should receive greater attention from public health professionals, and limits should be set and exposures controlled. This study includes the construction of a baseline that provides basic information on pollution, its sources, and exposure routes for humans in the vicinity of Colombia’s major cities, characterized by their increasing urbanization and industrialization.

     

Can the environmental health of urban centers be assessed through pollutants trapped in lakes? A study case in the biggest city of the southern hemisphere

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Air and water quality in urban centers are summited to pollution from different sources, such as industrial activities, traffic, and wastewater...     

恶臭污染排放源指纹谱编制及初步应用

为了识别恶臭污染源排放特征以及了解不同行业恶臭物质排放差异,对恶臭污染排放源指纹谱指标物质进行了筛选,并依据筛选结果对6家典型恶臭排放企业进行样品采集及分析,绘制了各家企业的指纹谱图.结果表明:①通过物质嗅觉阈值与AMGE（ambient multimedia environmental goals,周围环境目标值）和RfC（reference concentration,健康风险参考浓度）对比以及结合国内外恶臭标准受控物质和现有的标准检测方法,最终确定了包括三甲胺、硫化氢、甲硫醇等典型恶臭物质在内的19种物质作为指纹谱指标物质.②依据我国现行的标准监测分析方法对19种恶臭指标物进行检测,初步得到了各家企业的恶臭物质指纹谱数据,绘制了各家企业的指纹谱图.③指纹谱成分分析结果显示,污水处理厂主要的恶臭物质是硫化氢,ρ（硫化氢）为44.566 mg/m3;涂料企业ρ（甲基乙基酮）、ρ（丁醛）和ρ（乙酸乙酯）较高,分别为39.037、28.757、27.840 mg/m3;制药企业ρ（丙醛）较高,为4.791 mg/m3;汽车和家具制造企业ρ（二甲苯）较高,分别为15.209和2.081 mg/m3.④应用分歧系数法分析不同企业指纹谱之间的相似程度,分析结果显示,分歧系数在0.331~0.809之间,不同企业之间指纹谱存在较大差异.研究显示,建立恶臭污染排放源指纹谱可进行恶臭源排放特征识别,为恶臭污染溯源提供基础数据和科学依据.      

天津中心城区环境空气挥发性有机物污染特征分析

为研究天津中心城区挥发性有机物的污染特征,在天津中心城区布点26个,分别对春、夏、秋、冬四季进行了系统采样.天津中心城区共检出挥发性有机物80余种,检出率大于80%的物质主要为烷烃、苯系物和卤代烃.天津中心城区挥发性有机物总浓度(体积分数,下同)季节变化特征为:春季(110.43×10-9)>秋季(93.73×10-9)>冬季(73.37×10-9)>夏季(60.43×10-9).统计结果表明,城区挥发性有机物总浓度主要集中在30×10-9~90×10-9之间,在此区间4个季节的样品百分比均在50%以上.天津中心城区不同季节VOCs组成存在一定差异.含氧有机物和烷烃是VOCs主要组成物质,两者浓度百分比之和4个季节均在50%以上.对苯系物和卤代烃这两类主要污染物,进行了季节变化分析.     

电石炉炉气电改袋除尘技术

介绍了某厂3台20 000kVA内燃式电石炉炉气除尘系统由原来采用的电式除尘器改为袋式除尘器技术,同时将原系统内的增湿塔改造为强制风冷及预荷电、预除尘设备,这样不但可以降低烟气温度使其满足袋式除尘器对进口烟气温度的要求,同时使微细粉尘荷电凝聚,提高了后续袋式除尘器对颗粒的捕集效率,并降低了袋式除尘器的阻力损失。改造后的系统运行稳定,烟气出口排放浓度满足国家环保要求。     

A direct observation study of nighttime safety belt use in Indiana

INTRODUCTION: Nearly all direct observation studies of safety belt use are conducted exclusively during daylight hours. Recent work has suggested that safety belt use at night may differ from daytime belt use. METHODS: An observational study of nighttime safety belt use, utilizing specialized night vision equipment, was conducted in Indiana surrounding the Click It or Ticket 2006 safety belt mobilization activities. A pre- and a post-mobilization statewide direct observation survey was conducted at night coinciding with daytime safety belt use data collection conducted by the state of Indiana. Daytime and nighttime belt use rates were compared. RESULTS: The comparisons across the mobilization period revealed a significant increase during the day, but a significant decrease at night. Comparisons between daytime and nighttime belt use revealed no overall difference during the pre wave, but a significant difference during the post wave. Finally, many common daytime trends in belt use were also found at night, with the exception of the typical age and seating position effects. DISCUSSION: The mobilization activities had a positive effect on daytime belt use, but no effect on nighttime belt use, likely resulting in the differences between daytime and nighttime belt use observed during the post wave. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The findings of this study suggest that safety belt mobilizations implemented only during the day do not influence nighttime safety belt use. Changes to how these programs are implemented or additional programs specifically targeting belt use at night should be considered, along with continued monitoring of nighttime belt use.     

Associated skeletons of a new middle Triassic "Rauisuchia" from Brazil

For more than 30 million years, in early Mesozoic Pangea, ??rauisuchian?? archosaurs were the apex predators in most terrestrial ecosystems, but their biology and evolutionary history remain poorly understood. We describe a new ??rauisuchian?? based on ten individuals found in a single locality from the Middle Triassic (Ladinian) Santa Maria Formation of southern Brazil. Nine articulated and associated skeletons were discovered, three of which have nearly complete skulls. Along with sedimentological and taphonomic data, this suggests that those highly successful predators exhibited some kind of intraspecific interaction. Other monotaxic assemblages of Triassic archosaurs are Late Triassic (Norian-Rhaetian) in age, approximately 10 million years younger than the material described here. Indeed, the studied assemblage may represent the earliest evidence of gregariousness among archosaurs, adding to our knowledge on the origin of a behavior pattern typical of extant taxa.