Innovations strategy for moving from created regional clusters to co-creation in life sciences for health care and well-being ecosystems

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Over the last decades, the demographic changes have all altered the population structure and influenced the social, economic, and political...     

Determination of phthalates in particulate matter and gaseous phase emitted in indoor air of offices

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Phthalate esters (PAEs) are endocrine disrupters and can disrupt the functioning of different hormones, causing adverse effects on human health. Due...     

Predicting the combustion behaviour of compression ignition engine fuelled with biodiesel from Stoechospermum marginatum,a macro algae

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Biodiesel is one among the recent developments in the field of renewable energy research. To enhance the combustion characteristics of compression...     

Solar drying of granulated waste blends for dry biofuel production

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the paper, results of drying biofuels from sewage sludge using solar energy are presented. Drying rates of biofuels made from sewage sludge and...     

Soil and preen waxes influence the expression of carotenoid-based plumage coloration

The signaling function of carotenoid-based plumage is mainly determined by the concentration of pigments in feathers. For this reason, most studies of the proximate control of coloration focus on processes during and preceding moult. In great tits Parus major, past research demonstrates that carotenoid-based plumage coloration honestly indicates male quality and, thus, may be a sexually selected signal. In this study, we investigate how dirt and preen oil influence the coloration of carotenoid-based feathers in the great tit. We collected six feathers from each individual bird; three feathers served as controls while the remaining three feathers were washed with a chloroform/methanol mixture to remove soil and preen waxes. We assessed plumage coloration using digital photography. This cleaning procedure slightly enhanced ornamentation; the experimentally cleaned feathers expressed hues shifted towards shorter wavelengths and expressed brighter overall coloration than control feathers. This is the first experimental study conducted on wild birds demonstrating that, in addition to pigment concentration, the presence of preen waxes and soils on feathers may contribute to variation in coloration.     

The first direct evidence of a Late Devonian coelacanth fish feeding on conodont animals

We describe the first known occurrence of a Devonian coelacanth specimen from the lower Famennian of the Holy Cross Mountains, Poland, with a conodont element preserved in its digestive tract. A small spiral and phosphatic coprolite (fossil excrement) containing numerous conodont elements and other unrecognized remains was also found in the same deposits. The coprolite is tentatively attributed to the coelacanth. Although it is unclear whether the Late Devonian coelacanth from Poland was an active predator or a scavenger, these finds provide the first direct evidence of feeding on conodont animals by early coelacanth fish, and one of the few evidences of feeding on these animals known to date. It also expands our knowledge about the diet and trophic relations between the Paleozoic marine animals in general.     

Optimisation of pressurised liquid extraction for elimination of sulphur interferences during determination of organotin compounds in sulphur-rich sediments by gas chromatography with flame photometric detection

A simple method for species-selective analysis of organotin compounds (OTCs) (butyl and phenyl) in sediments was developed. The sample preparation procedure was specifically optimised for sulphur-rich sediments to eliminate interferences from elemental sulphur and organosulphur compounds. Tin species were extracted from sediment samples using pressurised liquid extraction technique (PLE), ethylated - with simultaneous extraction to isooctane - in aqueous phase with sodium tetraethylborate (NaBEt(4)) and separated/detected by gas chromatography with flame photometric detection (GC-FPD). PLE operational variables (extraction temperature and pressure, solvent composition and number of static extraction steps) and extract handling routine were fine-tuned to minimise the amount of extracted interferents while keeping OTCs recovery at an acceptable level. Best results were obtained after extraction of sediment samples with methanol/water (75% v/v methanol) solution of acetic acid/sodium acetate with tropolone addition (0.6 g l(-1)). Derivatisation of low temperature, high-pressure (50 degrees C, 13.8 MPa) extracts gives isooctane extracts which are clean enough to be directly analysed by GC-FPD without any further cleanup. Interferences from elemental sulphur were completely eliminated while concentrations of other interferents were reduced to the level not impairing quantitation of OTCs under the study. No negative effects in terms of chromatographic column deterioration were observed after repeated injections of such extracts. Two certified reference materials, BCR646 and PACS-2, were analysed to assess performance of the method. Recoveries of all OTCs under the study, except MBT, were in the range of 91-114%. MBT extraction efficiency was low (34-47%) therefore the method is unsuitable for precise determinations of this compound.     

Electrochemical and FTIR studies of the mutual influence of lead(II) or iron(III) and phenol on their adsorption from aqueous acid solution by modified activated carbons

Cyclic voltammetry and spectral FTIR studies of the influence of activated carbon surface modification on the co-adsorption of metal cation (lead or iron) and phenol from aqueous acidic solution were carried out. The diversity in surface chemical structure was achieved by applying different procedures of inorganic matter removal and by modifying the carbon samples in various ways: heating under vacuum, aminoxidation in an ammonia-oxygen atmosphere, oxidation with concentrated nitric acid. The quantities of adsorbed metal ions (Pb(2+) or Fe(3+)) and phenol from solutions containing cation or phenol separately or in a mixture were determined. The adsorption capacity from acidic aqueous acidic solution depends on the chemical properties of the activated carbon surface (e.g., decrease in phenol adsorption with relative lower basicity of the adsorbent). The electrochemical parameters of electrodes made from the carbon samples were estimated, and some possible electrochemical reactions were determined from voltammograms recorded in acid electrolyte solution containing adsorbed species (separately or as a mixture). Relationships were found between metal ion adsorption and electrochemical behavior of Pb(2+)/Pb(4+) and Fe(3+)/Fe(2+) couples on the one hand, and the presence of phenol in the solutions tested and the influence of surface chemistry of the carbon electrodes on electrochemical processes on the other. The changes in adsorption capacity with respect to the adsorbates used and the changes in FTIR spectra of the carbons as a result of adsorption and/or coupling phenol molecules are discussed.     

Depth-dependence and monthly variability of charophyte biomass production: consequences for the precipitation of calcium carbonate in a shallow <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chara</Emphasis>-lake

The month-to-month variability of biomass and CaCO₃ precipitation by dense charophyte beds was studied in a shallow Chara-lake at two depths, 1 and 3 m. Charophyte dry weights (d.w.), the percentage contribution of calcium carbonate to the dry weight and the precipitation of CaCO₃ per 1 m² were analysed from May to October 2011. Physical-chemical parameters of water were also measured for the same sample locations. The mean dry weight and calcium carbonate precipitation were significantly higher at 1 m than at 3 m. The highest measured charophyte dry weight (exceeding 2000 g m^?2) was noted at 1 m depth in September, and the highest CaCO₃ content in the d.w. (exceeding 80 % of d.w.) was observed at 3 m depth in August. The highest CaCO₃ precipitation per 1 m² exceeded 1695 g at 1 m depth in August. Significant differences in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) were found between 1 and 3 m depths; there were no significant differences between depths for other water properties. At both sampling depths, there were distinct correlations between the d.w., CaCO₃ content and precipitation and water properties. In addition to PAR, the water temperature and magnesium and calcium ion concentrations were among the most significant determinants of CaCO₃ content and d.w. The results show that light availability seems to be the major factor in determining charophyte biomass in a typical, undisturbed Chara-lake. The study results are discussed in light of the role of charophyte vegetation in whole ecosystem functioning, with a particular focus on sedimentary processes and the biogeochemical cycle within the littoral zone.     

Alginate beads containing water treatment residuals for arsenic removal from water—formation and adsorption studies

Water treatment residuals (WTRs) produced in large quantities during deironing and demanganization of infiltration water, due to high content of iron and manganese oxides, exhibit excellent sorptive properties toward arsenate and arsenite. Nonetheless, since they consist of microparticles, their practical use as an adsorbent is limited by difficulties with separation from treated solutions. The aim of this study was entrapment of chemically pretreated WTR into calcium alginate polymer and examination of sorptive properties of the obtained composite sorbent toward As(III) and As(V). Different products were formed varying in WTR content as well as in density of alginate matrix. In order to determine the key parameters of the adsorption process, both equilibrium and kinetic studies were conducted. The best properties were exhibited by a sorbent containing 5 % residuals, formed in alginate solution with a concentration of 1 %. In slightly acidic conditions (pH 4.5), its maximum sorption capacity was 3.4 and 2.9 mg g^?1 for As(III) and As(V), respectively. At neutral pH, the adsorption effectiveness decreased to 3.3 mg As g^?1 for arsenites and to 0.7 mg As g^?1 for arsenates. The presence of carboxylic groups in polymer chains impeded in neutral conditions the diffusion of anions into sorbent beads; therefore, the main rate-limiting step of the adsorption, mainly in the case of arsenates, was intraparticle diffusion. The optimal condition for simultaneous removal of arsenates and arsenites from water by means of the obtained composite sorbent is slightly acidic pH, ensuring similar adsorption effectiveness for both arsenic species.