Phenols and flavonoids in Aleppo pine needles as bioindicators of air pollution

The aim of the present study is to assess whether certain ecophysiological responses (contents of total phenols, total proanthocyanidins, and total and simple flavonols), in the needles of Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis Mill.) may be valid bioindicators for the assessment of the air quality. Samples were taken at five natural sites polluted by various pollutants (NO, NO2, other NOx, SO2, and O3). The results show a decrease in total phenol concentrations with levels of nitrogen oxide pollutions (significant negative correlations between the total phenol concentrations and concentrations of NO, NO2, and other NOx). Total flavonoids (total flavonols and proanthocyanidins) are useful bioindicators for ozone pollution (significant negative correlations between total proanthocyanidins and the concentrations of ozone and significant positive correlations between total flavonols and the ozone pollution). Sulfur dioxide pollution is distinguished by low concentrations in quercetin, isorhamnetin, and kaempferol (significant negative correlations between these simple flavonols and the concentrations of SO2). This work confirms the strong interest of using the phenolic compounds of Pinus halepensis as biological indicators of air quality.     

Montréal's Eco-quartier environmental program: local action and municipal management

This article assesses the City of Montréal's éco-quartier program from the viewpoint of managing the urban environment and improving living environments. It evaluates the actual achievements of the program, looking especially at the ability of local communities to take effective action to improve their living environments, while under the guidance of the associations mandated to manage the program at the local level. Our research concentrated on three main areas: a) the development of the City of Montréal's environmental program; b) the effectiveness of the éco-quartiers in carrying out their mandate; c) the actual impacts of the program in improving living environments.     

International mining taxation issues and comparisons

This paper presents the quantitative results of recent research on Canada's minerals and metals industry, and its international competitiveness for mineral investment. The information and analysis presented are derived from the work of a Canadian government-industry task force that was created in 1991, under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Mineral Industry (IGWG). Much of this work deals with mining taxation in several Canadian provinces. More importantly, an attempt is made to evaluate the total tax burden that the mining industry must bear, on a project basis, at all levels from exploration through refining operations in many important competitor countries. While the focus of the paper is on an international comparison of mining taxation, some non-tax issues relating to Canada's competitiveness for mineral investment are addressed .     

Factors a ecting trace element content in periurban market garden subsoil in Yunnan Province, China

Field investigations were conducted to measure subsoil trace element content and factors influencing content in an intensive periurban market garden in Chenggong County, Yunnan Province, South-West China. The area was divided into three di erent geomorphological units: specifically, mountain (M), transition (T) and lacustrine (L). Mean trace element content in subsoil were determined for Pb (58.2 mg/kg), Cd (0.89 mg/kg), Cu (129.2 mg/kg), and Zn (97.0 mg/kg). Strong significant relationships between trace element content in topsoil and subsoil were observed. Both Pb and Zn were accumulated in topsoil (RTS (ratio of mean trace element in topsoil to subsoil) of Pb and Zn >1.0) and Cd and Cu in subsoil (RTS of Cd and Cu 61.0). Subsoil trace element content was related to relief, stoniness, soil color, clay content, and cation exchange capacity. Except for 7.5 YR (yellow-red) color, trace element content increased with color intensity from brown to reddish brown. Significant positive relationships were observed between Fe content and that of Pb and Cu. Trace element content in mountain unit subsoil was higher than in transition and lacustrine units (M > T > L), except for Cu (T > M > L). Mean trace element content in calcareous subsoil was higher than in sandstone and shale. Mean trace element content in clay texture subsoil was higher than in sandy and sandy loam subsoil, and higher Cu and Zn content in subsoil with few mottles. It is possible to model Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn distribution in subsoil physico-chemical characteristics to help improve agricultural practice.     

The greater snow goose <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anser caerulescens atlanticus</Emphasis>: Managing an overabundant population

Between the early 1900s and the 1990s, the greater snow goose Anser caerulescens atlanticus population grew from 3000 individuals to more than 700 000. Because of concerns about Arctic degradation of natural habitats through overgrazing, a working group recommended the stabilization of the population. Declared overabundant in 1998, special management actions were then implemented in Canada and the United States. Meanwhile, a cost–benefit socioeconomic analysis was performed to set a target population size. Discussions aiming towards attaining a common vision were undertaken with stakeholders at multiple levels. The implemented measures have had varying success; but population size has been generally stable since 1999. To be effective and meet social acceptance, management actions must have a scientific basis, result from a consensus among stakeholders, and include an efficient monitoring programme. In this paper, historical changes in population size and management decisions along with past and current challenges encountered are discussed.     

Competitive Markets for Pollution Permits: Impact on Factor Income and International Equilibrium

We are interested in the impact of pollution permits on wages and profits. We analyze important consequences of introducing a market of pollution permits. A fundamental issue concerns the initial allocation of such permits: should they be allocated freely by grandfathering or be auctioned. The international symmetric case allows us to capture the essence of the problem on income factor. We show that allocating permits to factors in proportion of their contribution to production leads to an efficient (neoclassical) distribution. Considering the international asymmetric case, we show that a permit market does not modify the competitive world equilibrium without permits when the total allocation is large enough. When it is not, if allocation of permits is not proportional to the emissions in the world without permits, there is a reduction factor of emissions that results from the equilibrium allocation of capital.     

Structural characterization and thermal stabilities of the isomers of the brominated flame retardant 1,2,5,6-tetrabromocyclooctane (TBCO)

1,2,5,6-Tetrabromocyclooctane (TBCO) is a commercial brominated flame retardant that is employed mainly as an additive in textiles, paints and plastics. Very little is known about its presence or behavior in the environment or its analysis. TBCO can exist as two diastereomers, the stereochemistries of which have not been previously reported. We have named the first eluting isomer, under HPLC conditions, as alpha-TBCO (α-TBCO) and the later eluting isomer as beta-TBCO (β-TBCO) when using an Acquity UPLC BEH C₁₈ column with methanol/acetonitrile/water as the mobile phase. The structural elucidation of these two isomers was accomplished by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, GC/MS, LC/MS and X-ray structure determinations. α-TBCO is (1R,2R,5S,6S)-1,2,5,6-tetrabromocyclooctane and β-TBCO is rac-(1R,2R,5R,6R)-1,2,5,6-tetrabromocyclooctane. As with some other brominated cycloaliphatic compounds, TBCO is thermally labile and the isomers easily interconvert. A thermal equilibrium mixture of α- and β-TBCO consists of approximately 15% and 85% of these isomers, respectively. Separation of the two diastereomers, with minimal thermal interconversion between them, is achievable by careful selection of GC-capillary column length and injector temperature. LC/MS analyses of TBCO also presents an analytical challenge due to poor resolution of the isomers on chromatographic stationary phases, and weak intensity of molecular ions (or major fragment ions) when using LC-ESI/MS. Only bromide ions were seen in the mass spectra. APCI and APPI also failed to produce the molecular ion with sufficient intensity for identification.     

History of the urban environmental imprint: introduction to a multidisciplinary approach to the long-term relationships between Western cities and their hinterland

This paper introduces a series of 11 studies on the relationships between large Western cities (Paris, London, Brussels, Vienna, Barcelona, Athens, New York, Providence) and their surrounding territories over a long historical time period. The concept of hinterland is introduced to designate a rural territory structured by its function of supplying the city with food, fuel, water and other material. The papers question the usefulness of this concept in the current globalized world, where cities are often considered as simple nodes of a network of worldwide trade exchanges, but where new citizen aspirations for reconnecting urban and rural territories are emerging.     

Photochemical production of organic matter triplet states in water samples from mountain lakes, located below or above the tree line

The production of triplet states (T(*)) of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), reacting with the probe molecule 2,4,6-trimethylphenol (TMP) was measured upon irradiation of water samples, taken from lakes located in a mountain area (NW Italy) between 1450 and 2750 m above sea level. The lakes are located below or above the tree line and surrounded by different vegetation types (trees, alpine meadows or exposed rocks). The most photoactive samples belonged to lakes below the tree line and their fluorescence spectra and CDOM optical features suggested the presence of a relatively elevated amount of humic (allochthonous) material. The lowest (negligible) photoactivity was found for a lake surrounded by exposed rocks. Its CDOM showed an important autochthonous contribution (due to in-lake productivity) and considerably higher spectral slope compared to the other samples, suggesting low CDOM molecular weight and/or aromaticity. Among the samples, CDOM photoactivity (measured as the rate of TMP-reactive T(*) photoproduction) decreased with changing vegetation type in the order: trees, meadows, rocks. It could be connected with decreasing contribution from catchment runoff and increasing contribution from autochthonous processes and possibly precipitation.