Heavy metals and organic carbon in sediments from the Tuy River basin,Venezuela

The Tuy River basin, located in north-central Venezuela with an annual average temperature of 27°C and precipitation of 140 cm, was selected to conduct a geochemical study of bottom sediments, with the object of establishing the natural and human influences in the abundance and distribution of Fe, Mn, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and organic carbon. The basin is lithologically divided into two sub-basins, north and south. The north sub-basin drains a iow-grade metasedimentary terrain with a population density of 800 persons km^–2 and approximateiy 600 industrial sites, while the south sub-basin in underlain by metavolcanic and ultramafic rocks, with a population density of less than 10 persons km^–2.Stream bottom sediment samples (150) were collected during the years of 1979–1986 in 16 unpolluted sites and 13 polluted sites. The sediments were air dried at room temperature and sieved through a 120 stainless steel mesh (125 m). Samples of grain size smaller than 125 m were analysed, the heavy metals being determined by atomic absorption spectrometry and the organic carbon (Corg) by dry combustion.The higher concentrations of heavy metals and organic carbon found in the pristine areas were in the south sub-basin, especially in those areas with higher annual precipitation and tropical forest. This indicated that the metavolcanic and ultramafic rocks yield higher concentrations of heavy metals than the metasedimentary rocks. It was also noted that the higher concentrations of Cr and Ni are associated with the ultramafic rocks. The results obtained from the sediment samples collected in the polluted sites showed that the elements Pb, Zn and Corg are enriched up to 4 times as a result of ail the human activities taking place in the basin. Organic carbon is an excellent indicator of domestic wastewater, Pb and Zn are good indicators of the automotive traffic and industrial effluents. The concentrations of each heavy metal did not show any significant correlation with grain size fractions; however, the concentration of organic carbon did show a negative correlation with grain size. The lithological, climatic and vegetation influence in the abundance of heavy metals and organic carbon in stream sediments clearly indicates the necessity of establishing background levels for the area under study when carrying out studies in environmental geochemistry.     

The effects of heavy metal contamination on the soil arthropod community of a shooting range

Soils in clay pigeon shooting ranges can be seriously contaminated by heavy metals. The pellets contained in ammunition are composed of Pb, Sb, Ni, Zn, Mn and Cu. The total concentrations of these metals in soils, and the effects of their increasing levels on the arthropod community were investigated at seven sampling sites in a clay pigeon shooting range and compared with two controls. Research revealed that the spatial distribution of Pb and Sb contamination in the shot-fall area was strongly correlated with the flight path of the pellets. Ordination obtained through Redundance Analysis showed that Collembola, Protura and Diplura were positively correlated with major detected contaminants (Pb, Sb), while Symphyla showed a negative correlation with these pollutants. Determination of the soluble lead fraction in soil, and of its bioaccumulation in the saprophagous Armadillidium sordidum (Isopoda) and the predator Ocypus olens (Coleoptera), showed that a significant portion of metallic Pb from spent pellets is bioavailable in the soil and can be bioaccumulated by edaphic organisms, entering the soil trophic network, but without biomagnification.     

On-road vehicle particulate matter and gaseous emission distributions in Las Vegas, Nevada, compared with other areas

During the spring and summer of 2000, 2001, and 2002, gaseous and particulate matter (PM) fuel-based emission factors for approximately 150,000 low-tailpipe, individual vehicles in the Las Vegas, NV, area were measured via on-road remote sensing. For the gaseous pollutants (carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxide), a commercial vehicle emissions remote sensing system (VERSS) was used. The PM emissions were determined using a Lidar-based VERSS. Emission distributions and their shapes were analyzed and compared with previous studies. The large skewness of the distributions is evident for both gaseous pollutants and PM and has important implications for emission reduction policies, because the majority of emissions are attributed to a small fraction of vehicles. Results of this Las Vegas study and studies at other geographical locations were compared. The gaseous pollutants were found to be close to those measured by VERSS in other U.S. cities. The PM emission factors for spark ignition and diesel vehicles are in the range of previous tunnel and dynamometer studies.     

Effects of Water Availability and Habitat Quality on Bark-Stripping Behavior in Barbary Macaques

Abstract: The cedar oak forest of the Middle Atlas in Morocco is not only the last of the large forests in the southern Mediterranean, but it also contains all the surviving forest biodiversity. This forest has been severely affected by drought, overgrazing by mixed herds of goat and sheep, and excessive logging for timber, firewood, and livestock fodder. Recently, cedar bark stripping by Barbary Macaques (    Macaca sylvanus ) has begun to have an effect on the forest. We investigated this behavior by monitoring a 500-km² mosaic forest of cedar and oak in the Middle Atlas of Morocco between 1994 and 1996. We surveyed the forest 18 times in four different seasons along a 90-km transect. We recorded observations of bark stripping and a variety of quantitative ecological factors that could predict this behavior, such as livestock density, forest quality, undergrowth condition, water availability, and monkey density. The statistical analysis (including rank correlation, regression, and nonparametric variance analysis) strongly suggests that water scarcity and monkey exclusion from previously available permanent water sources are correlated with intense cedar bark-stripping behavior by macaques. The density of cedars and of monkeys appeared to be only secondary factors. As a conservation policy, making water more accessible to wild monkeys might reduce bark-stripping behavior.     

The significance of futures trading in minerals and oil

Futures trading has been introduced for aluminium and oil in recent years and the range of contracts available on various minerals and oil products continues to widen. Concern has been expressed by producers of a number of minerals, including nickel and platinum, that the introduction of futures trading may introduce a speculative element to price determination that will create inappropriate or excessively volatile prices. It is the purpose of this article to analyse the role of futures trading in relation to trade in underlying commodities in general and especially for trade in minerals and oil. Evidence from oil and platinum markets, in particular, is adduced and examined in the light of earlier evidence of the influence of futures trading on underlying commodities. The contribution of futures trading is examined in detail and conclusions are reached on the significance of futures trading for minerals and oil.     

Electron-screening effects on fusion reactions

It is in the nature of astrophysics that many of the processes and most of the objects one tries to understand are physically inaccessible. Thus, it is important that those aspects that can be studied in the laboratory be rather well understood. The electron-screening effect on fusion reactions addresses one such aspect: the observed effect under laboratory conditions is presently not understood.     

Sorption and leaching potential of acidic herbicides in Brazilian soils

Leaching of acidic herbicides (2,4-D, flumetsulam, and sulfentrazone) in soils was estimated by comparing the original and modified AF (Attenuation Factor) models for multi-layered soils (AFi). The original AFi model was modified to include the concept of pH-dependence for Kd (sorption coefficient) based on pesticide dissociation and changes in the accessibility of soil organic functional groups able to interact with the pesticide. The original and modified models, considering soil and herbicide properties, were applied to assess the leaching potential of selected herbicides in three Brazilian soils. The pH-dependent Kd values estimated for all three herbicides were observed to be always higher than pH-independent Kd values calculated using average Koc data, and therefore the original AFi model overestimated the overall leaching potential for the soils studied.     

Indicators of deforestation in the Southern Brazilian Pre-Amazon

In recent years, Amazonian deforestation has become a question of global concern. Deforestation in Amazon is a complex phenomenon in nature and has been related to traditional agriculture expansion. In this work, land use, socioeconomic and conservation indicators, combined with statistical analysis, were used to understand forces associated with patterns of deforestation. This approach was applied in Southern Brazilian Pre-Amazon in Mato Grosso State, which represents an extensive rain forest-savanna ecotone, located in the south border of Amazon biome. Based on data from the last two agricultural censuses (1995/1996–2006), we compared agricultural expansion in this area and Mato Grosso state. Results have shown that 85 % of state deforestation was concentrated in Southern Pre-Amazon and was closely related to increase in number of cattle and pasture area. PCA results pointed that population (92 %), number of cattle (86.5 %), pastures (84.2 %) and tractors (78.4 %) were variables with highest positive correlation to deforestation. It showed that GDP contributes to an individual axis and has a low correlation to deforestation (37.8 %). Conservation units and indigenous reserves also contribute to a single axis and were negatively correlated to temporary crops area. Results revealed a significant reduction in production and commercialization of extractive products in the region, revealing that the main, almost only conservation policy in Mato Grosso remains the creation of Special Areas. We suggest that further studies are necessary to screen development alternatives to simple cutting trees down. It is important to diversify strategies for deforestation control, and development aspects must be more seriously considered to reach a sustainable deforestation control policy.     

An Empirical, Quantitative Approach to Predict the Reactivity of Some Substituted Aromatic Compounds Towards Reactive Radical Species (Cl2-·, Br2-·, ·NO2, SO3-·, SO4-·) in Aqueous Solution (3 pp)

The Hammett approach, applied to the reaction of various classes of aromatic compounds with the radicals Cl2-*, Br2-*, *NO2, SO3-*, and SO4-* yielded good predictive models, supported by high values of the correlation coefficient r2 in the case of phenols with Cl2-* and of phenolates with *NO2 and SO3-*. Lower but statistically significant correlation coefficients could be obtained for benzoates with Cl2-*, phenolates with Br2-*, and benzoates and anisoles with SO4-*.     

Source apportionment in oil spill remediation

A pipe rupture during unloading led to a spillage of 350-700 tonnes of Ca?o Limon, a light sweet crude oil, into San Vicente Bay in 2007. Initial clean-up methods removed the majority of the oil from the sandy beaches although some oil remained on the rocky shores. It was necessary for the responsible party to clean the spilled oil even though at this location there were already crude oil hydrocarbons from previous industrial activity. A biosolvent based on vegetable oil derivatives was used to solubilise the remaining oil and a statistical approach to source apportionment was used to determine the efficacy of the cleaning. Sediment and contaminated rock samples were taken prior to cleaning and again at the same locations two days after application of the biosolvent. The oil was extracted using a modified USEPA Method 3550B. The alkanes were quantified together with oil biomarkers on a GC-MS. The contribution that Ca?o Limon made to the total oil hydrocarbons was calculated from a Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis using Ca?o Limon crude oil as the source. By the time the biosolvent was applied, there had already been some attenuation of the oil with all alkanes 相似文献