The effects of pesticides on greenhouse workers and their produced products

Pesticides are chemicals used in agriculture but are known to produce adverse effects on humans. In this study, blood activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and levels of malondialdhyde (MDA) were determined in 44 greenhouse workers (24 tomato workers, 20 clove workers) and in tomato (24 samples) and clove (20 samples) products. At the end of this study, blood MDA levels and activities of ALT, AST, and LDH levels in greenhouse workers were significantly increased while SOD and CAT activity levels fell significantly. Pesticide residues were not found in agricultural worker blood. Malathion residues (average 0.8?ppm) were detected in tomatoes (8 samples) in these greenhouses. Data suggest that the health of the greenhouse workers may be adversely affected by pesticides.     

Cadmium accumulation by green algae Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kutz. (Chlorophyta) in presence of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (L.)

Accumulation of metals by aquatic organisms is mostly affected by other biological components in environments. In this study, cadmium (Cd) accumulation in green algae, Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kutz., exposed to 0.1 and 1.0 mg L^?1 of Cd for 15 and 30 days was examined in laboratory conditions in the presence of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (L.). The green algae C. glomerata accumulated Cd concentrations as 690 ± 70 and 3430 ± 470 mg kg^?1 on day 15, and 1130 ± 180 and 6830 ± 1540 mg kg^?1 on day 30. There were significant increases (p < 0.05) in metal accumulation by green algae as the exposure time and metal concentration increased. The results also indicated that the presence of Nile tilapia in the medium led to a significant Cd accumulation in the green algae compared to control (p < 0.05).     

Factors affecting male and female reproductive success in a chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus) with a scramble competition mating system

While sexual selection in mammals with female defense systems has historically received considerable attention, much less is known about the factors affecting reproductive success in mammalian species with scramble competition mating systems. Using mark–recapture techniques and DNA microsatellite loci to assign parentage, we examined the mating system and factors affecting the variation of the annual reproductive success in an introduced population of the Siberian chipmunk, Tamias sibiricus, a small, monomorphic, solitary squirrel. Our analyses showed that breeding females were spatially dispersed, setting the stage for a scramble competition mating system. Male reproductive success was positively associated with the size of the home range. The strength of sexual selection on this behavioral trait was very strong, equaling previous estimates for morphological traits in female defense mating systems. These findings suggest that a behavioral trait, space use, strongly influences the annual reproductive success in males, which is consistent with expectations in a scramble competition mating system. In both sexes, reproductive success was influenced by habitat, with twice as many juveniles produced in semi-open than in closed habitat, possibly due to differences in food availability between the two habitats.     

Colour-independent shape recognition of cryptic predators by bumblebees

Predators hunting for cryptic prey use search images, but how do prey search for cryptic predators? We address this question using the interaction between bumblebees and the colour-changing crab spider Misumena vatia which can camouflage itself on some flowers. In laboratory experiments, we exposed bumblebees to an array of flowers concealing robotic predators (a trapping mechanism combined with a 3D life-sized model of a crab spider or a circle). Groups of bees were trained to avoid either cryptic yellow spiders or yellow circles (equal area to the spiders) or remained predator naive. The bees were then exposed to a new patch of white flowers containing some cryptic predators (either white spiders, white circles or a mixture of both). We monitored individual foraging choices and used a 3D video tracking system to quantify the bees’ flight behaviour. The bees trained to avoid cryptic spiders, chose 40% fewer spider-harbouring flowers than expected by chance, but were indifferent to cryptic circles. They also aborted a higher proportion of landings on flowers harbouring spiders, ultimately feeding from half as many ‘dangerous’ flowers as naive bees. Previous encounters with cryptic spiders also influenced the flight behaviour of bees in the new flower patch. Experienced bees spent more time inspecting the flowers they chose to reject (both with and without concealed spiders) and scanned from side to side more in front of the flowers to facilitate predator detection. We conclude that bees disentangle shape from colour cues and thus can form a generalised search image for spider shapes, independent of colour.     

Indoor and outdoor radon measurements at lung cancer patients’ homes in the dwellings of Rize Province in Turkey

In this study, indoor and outdoor radon (²²²Rn) surveys were carried out in the summer and winter seasons in homes of one hundred lung cancer patients in the year 2013–2014. The aim was to investigate the relationship between radon and cancer patients. Lung cancer patients completed a questionnaire concerning their living environment, various physical parameters and living habits. Pearson correlation and t tests revealed no meaningful results between radon concentrations, on one hand, and environmental and personal living habits, on the other hand. Consequently, the BEIR VI model was adapted and ²²²Rn exposure was estimated to be responsible for about 12% of the lung cancer incidences in the winter season and around 5% in the summer season in the Rize Province. However, due to the limited number of data and numerous parameters that could lead to lung cancer, the estimations done with the model should be taken very lightly. The annual effective doses due to inhalation of indoor and outdoor ²²²Rn were estimated to be, respectively, 1.43 and 0.94 mSv y^?1. The indoor and outdoor annual effective doses were, respectively, close and below the world annual effective dose (1.3 mSv y^?1). At the district level, the indoor annual effective dose equivalent in the ?yidere district was 4.52 mSv y^?1, which was 3.5 times greater than the world average. The number of patients in the majority of the houses in this district was more than one.     

Evaluation of the relationship of picoplankton and viruses to environmental variables in a lagoon system (Çakalburnu Lagoon,Turkey)

Lagoons are defined as wetlands separated from the sea coasts on which they are located and sit between continental and marine aquatic ecosystems. Çakalburnu Lagoon is a coastal wetland on the southern side of the Bay of ?zmir. Microorganisms, which are quite sensitive to changes occurring in environmental factors, are commonly used to determine the impact of environmental effects on the functioning of the ecosystem. In this study, variations in the abundance and biomass of picoplankton (Synechococcus spp. and bacteria) and the abundance of viruses, which identify the ecological productivity of the food chain, were seasonally examined by epifluorescence microscopy. Moreover, the microbial abundance and biomass relation over time between the physical and chemical parameters was evaluated. According to our results, the maximum abundance of Synechococcus spp. and viruses was 6.7?×?10⁴ cell/ml and 9.9?×?10⁸?cell/ml in the summer, respectively. Otherwise, the highest level of bacteria was measured at 3.6?×?10⁷ cell/ml in the spring. Based on the principal component analysis and Pearson correlation analysis results, we concluded that total suspended solids, Chl-a, particulate organic carbon and particulate organic nitrogen were the major parameters influencing the observed variability of the lagoon system. Overall, to protect and improve the ecological and microbiological quality of aquatic systems such as lagoons, the necessary monitoring and measurement studies should be conducted in these sensitive areas.     

Health importance of arsenic in drinking water and food

Arsenic is a toxic metalloid of global concern. It usually originates geogenically but can be intensified by human activities such as applications of pesticides and wood preservatives, mining and smelting operations, and coal combustion. Arsenic-contaminated food is a widespread problem worldwide. Data derived from population-based studies, clinical case series, and case reports relating to ingestion of inorganic arsenic in drinking water, medications, or contaminated food or beverages show the capacity of arsenate and arsenite to adversely affect multiple organ systems. Chronic arsenic poisoning can cause serious health effects including cancers, melanosis (hyperpigmentation or dark spots, and hypopigmentation or white spots), hyperkeratosis (hardened skin), restrictive lung disease, peripheral vascular disease (blackfoot disease), gangrene, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease.     

Simultaneous Removal of Cationic and Anionic Dyes from Binary Solutions Using Carboxymethyl Chitosan Based IPN Type Resin

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - In this study, a novel bead form IPN type resin comprising poly (2-Dimethylaminoethyl) methacrylate and carboxymethyl chitosan networks with a high dye...     

An empirical note on tourism and sustainable development nexus

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The goal of this research is to investigate the impact of tourism on sustainable development in the 10 most visited countries. For this purpose,...     

The dynamic analysis of renewable energy’s contribution to the dimensions of sustainable development and energy security

In sustainable development, energy is critical in human activities and shapes a sustainable future. Thus, it is an unignorable element in human development. This paper analyzes the contributions of renewable energy sources (RES)’s to the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainable development. Moreover, we add energy security as a possible fourth dimension into the analysis. For the sample size, we limit the countries members of the OECD and run generalized methods of moments for the period from 1995 to 2015. This method can produce efficient estimators under the problems of endogeneity, omitted-variable bias, measurement errors, and heteroscedastic residuals. According to the results, RES has a small reducing effect (?.007%) on output in the Cobb-Douglas production function for the economic dimension. We found that RES has a positive contribution to the environmental dimension and abates the level of carbon emission (?.093%). RES also confirms the inverted-U shape of environmental Kuznets curve. In the social dimension, RES improves human development and a 1% increase in RES consumption causes to .0045% increase in human development. In the last contribution, RES has a positive effect on sustainable energy supply security in the context of electricity generation (.032%). Although the effects of RES on the environment, social, and energy security are significant, they are limited. These limitations point to barriers that can be overcome over time. Our conclusions recommend that these effects might flourish with technical developments and political support in the long run. Furthermore, public awareness, rising income level, and economies of scale are also beneficial in this process. As a result, RES might be an excellent source for a sustainable future and development. Especially, RES might have remarkable contributions to the 7th, 11th, 12th, and 13th goals of sustainable development.