Hourly and daily patterns of particle-phase organic and elemental carbon concentrations in the urban atmosphere

Two semicontinuous elemental and organic carbon analyzers along with daily integrated samplers, which were used for laboratory elemental and organic carbon analysis, were operated to measure PM2.5 organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) for the entire year of 2002 at the St. Louis Midwest Supersite. The annual-average denuded OC and EC concentrations were 3.88 and 0.7 microg/m3, respectively. A comparison of the 24-hr average denuded and undenuded OC measurements showed a positive bias for the undenuded OC measurement that was best represented by a positive intercept of 0.34 +/- 0.1 microg/m3 and a slope of 1.06 +/- 0.02, with an R2 of 0.91. The full year of daily EC and OC measurements was used to demonstrate that a one-in-six-day sampling strategy at this site accurately represents the annual average concentrations. Although fine particle OC concentrations did not correlate with day of the week, EC concentrations showed a significant weekly pattern, with the highest concentration during the middle of the workweek and the lowest concentration on Sundays. Hourly EC and OC measurements yielded average diurnal patterns for the EC to OC ratio that peaked during morning rush hour traffic on weekdays but not on weekends.     

Development of the IM147: an alternative inspection/maintenance mass-emission transient test to address vehicle preconditioning concerns

A series of studies was performed to develop an alternative to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's gold standard IM240 mass-based emission test. The new IM147 test was based on the second phase of the IM240 that consists of 147 sec of transient vehicle operation. Paired IM240/IM147 tests were conducted on vehicles ranging from 1981 to 1996 to determine IM147 cutpoints and excess emissions were identified. Additionally, an optimized test procedure was developed that combined possible triplicate IM147s with improved drive trace quality control, fast-pass, and retest methods. The optimized procedure was found to provide improved vehicle preconditioning with a relatively minor decrease in excess emissions identification. Resulting identification rates ranged from 96 to 100% for hydrocarbons (HC), 93-100% for CO, and 93-100% for NOx, depending on cutpoint selection, while false failures caused by lack of vehicle preconditioning were reduced to essentially zero. Significant vehicle throughput improvements were achieved through the development of software algorithms involving modal fast-pass and retest procedures. Modal drive trace variation limits also were developed to improve test accuracy. The combination of the algorithms reduced average IM147 test times by nearly 60%.     

Futurecoast: Predicting the future coastal evolution of England and Wales

Analysis of shoreline change is often based exclusively upon the littoral cell concept and modelling of hydrodynamic processes. The Futurecoast study has considered fresh approaches to assessing shoreline evolution, which have been used to provide an analysis of future long-term evolution for the entire shoreline of England and Wales. This has been based upon an improved understanding of coastal systems and their behavioural characteristics. The study has included a range of supporting studies, focussing upon maximizing use of existing information and experience. A number of additional data sets have also been produced. The integration of leading expertise from different areas of coastal research to collectively consider this information has been the foundation for the study. The key outputs from this research are: (1) Improved understanding of coastal behaviour; (2) Assessment of future shoreline evolution; (3) Supporting information and data; (4) Delivery of results on an interactive CD-ROM.     

Influence of ozone on the sampling and storage of volatile organic compounds in canisters

A dynamic dilution system was used for the study of the influence of ozone on the sampling and storage of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at 0, 4, 7 and 14 days in “TO-Can” canisters at two ozone concentrations, 60 and 150 ppbv. Among the 31 ozone precursors VOCs, a representative mixture containing five alkenes, five aromatics, acetylene and 1,3 butadiene was selected using the Clausius–Clapeyron equation. Here, we demonstrate that the presence of ozone have no influence on the concentrations of VOCs after 14 days storage period and consequently no problem of representativity of the sampling appears after 14 days of storage. The main explanation is the degradation of ozone in contact with deactivated walls of canisters.     

Human preferences for facial masculinity change with relationship type and environmental harshness

In humans (Homo sapiens), sexual dimorphism in face shape has been proposed to be linked to quality in both men and women. Although preferences for high-quality mates might be expected, previous work has suggested that high quality may be associated with decreased investment in partnerships. In line with a trade-off between partner quality and investment, human females have been found to prefer higher levels of masculinity when judging under conditions where the benefits of quality would be maximised and the costs of low investment would be minimised. In this study, we examined facultative preferences for masculinity/femininity under hypothetical high and low environmental harshness in terms of resource availability in which participants were asked to imagine themselves in harsh/safe environments. We demonstrate that environmental harshness influences preferences for sexual dimorphism differently according to whether the relationship is likely to be short or long term. Women prefer less-masculine male faces and men prefer less-feminine female faces for long-term than short-term relationships under conditions of environmental harshness. Such findings are consistent with the idea that high-quality partners may be low investors and suggest that under harsh ecological conditions, both men and women favour a low-quality/high-investment partner for long-term relationships. For short-term relationships, where investment is not an important variable, preferences for sexual dimorphism were similar for the low and high environmental harshness conditions. These results provide experimental evidence that human preferences may be contingent on the environment an individual finds itself inhabiting.     

Trisomy 5 mosaicism detected prenatally with an affected liveborn

This paper reports a case of chromosomal mosaicism for trisomy 5 recovered from amniotic fluid cells and from skin fibroblasts of a liveborn dysmorphic male. Routine amniocentesis was performed at 16 weeks' gestation because of parental concern. Trisomy 5 cells were measured from 25 per cent of amniocytes from two culture vessels. No further invasive testing was performed until 32 weeks' gestation, at which time ultrasound examination showed fetus with intrauterine growth retardation. Fetal blood sampling was then performed, with only karyotypically normal cells recovered. At birth, the child was found to have multiple dysmorphic features and congenital anomalies, including an eventration of the diaphragm and ventricular septal defect, both of which required surgical correction. Chromosomal analysis of cord blood lymphocytes indicated 46,XY; however, 20 per cent of the cultured fibroblasts obtained from the chest skin at the incision site for diaphragmatic repair had a 47,XY,+5 karyotype. Trisomy 5 mosaicism may be another example of tissue-limited mosaicism. Fetal blood sampling can then be falsely reassuring. Furthermore, because some cell lines rarely appear in lymphocyte populations, cytogenetic analysis of multiple tissues warranted as part of the evaluation of individuals with developmental delay and dysmorphic features.     

Differing Modes of Biotic Connectivity within Freshwater Ecosystem Mosaics

We describe a collection of aquatic and wetland habitats in an inland landscape, and their occurrence within a terrestrial matrix, as a “freshwater ecosystem mosaic” (FEM). Aquatic and wetland habitats in any FEM can vary widely, from permanently ponded lakes, to ephemerally ponded wetlands, to groundwater‐fed springs, to flowing rivers and streams. The terrestrial matrix can also vary, including in its influence on flows of energy, materials, and organisms among ecosystems. Biota occurring in a specific region are adapted to the unique opportunities and challenges presented by spatial and temporal patterns of habitat types inherent to each FEM. To persist in any given landscape, most species move to recolonize habitats and maintain mixtures of genetic materials. Species also connect habitats through time if they possess needed morphological, physiological, or behavioral traits to persist in a habitat through periods of unfavorable environmental conditions. By examining key spatial and temporal patterns underlying FEMs, and species‐specific adaptations to these patterns, a better understanding of the structural and functional connectivity of a landscape can be obtained. Fully including aquatic, wetland, and terrestrial habitats in FEMs facilitates adoption of the next generation of individual‐based models that integrate the principles of population, community, and ecosystem ecology.     

Leaching of heavy metals from E-waste in simulated landfill columns

In recent history the volume of electronic products purchased by consumers has dramatically escalated. As a result this has produced an ever-increasing electronic waste (E-waste) stream, which has generated concerns regarding the E-waste’s potential for adversely impacting the environment. The leaching of toxic substances from obsolete personal computers (PCs) and cathode ray tubes (CRTs) of televisions and monitors, which are the most significant components in E-waste stream, was studied using landfill simulation in columns. Five columns were employed. One column served as a control which was filled with municipal solid waste (MSW), two columns were filled with a mixture of MSW and CRTs, and the other two were filled with MSW and computer components including printed wire boards, hard disc drives, floppy disc drives, CD/DVD drives, and power supply units. The leachate generated from the columns was monitored for toxic materials throughout the two-year duration of the study. Results indicate that lead (Pb) and various other heavy metals that were of environmental and health concern were not detected in the leachate from the simulators. When the samples of the solids were collected from underneath the E-waste in the columns and were analyzed, significant amount of Pb was detected. This indicates that Pb could readily leach from the E-waste, but was absorbed by the solids around the E-waste materials. While Pb was not observed in the leachate in this study, it is likely that the Pb would eventually enter the leachate after a long term transport.