White-collar workers' self-reported physical symptoms associated with using computers

The aim of our work was to study the physical symptoms of upper- and lower-level white-collar workers using a questionnaire. The study was cross-sectional with a questionnaire posted to 15 000 working-age persons. The responses (6121) included 970 upper- and 1150 lower-level white-collar workers. In the upper- and lower-level white-collar worker groups, 45.7 and 56.0%, respectively, had experienced pain, numbness and aches in the neck either pretty often or more frequently. When comparing daily computer users and nonusers, there were significant differences in pain, numbness and aches in the neck or in the shoulders. In addition, age and gender influenced some physical symptoms. In the future, it is essential to take into account that working with computers can be especially associated with physical symptoms in the neck and in the shoulders when workers use computers daily.     

典型土壤持久性有机污染物空间分布特征及环境行为研究进展

持久性有机污染物(POPs)由于具有致癌性、致畸性和致突变效应的"三致性",近年来已经越来越受到人们的关注.本文综合分析了有机氯农药(OCPs)、多氯联苯(PCBs)、二英类(PCDD/Fs)、多环芳烃(PAHs)及多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)等几种典型土壤持久性有机污染物的空间分布特征.同时,对土壤POPs的挥发作用、吸附/解吸、迁移、生物降解、化学降解等环境行为进行了深入分析,并指出了这些环境行为的影响因素,包括POPs的物质属性、土壤理化性质及周围环境等共性影响因素及其它因素.此外,针对国内外研究现状中存在的问题,提出了相关建议,指出控制土壤POPs污染的根本手段在于管理措施的完善.     

Northern magnetic displacements trigger endogenous fuelling responses in a naive bird migrant

In a previous study, we found that juvenile northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) exposed to a magnetic displacement to the west of their natural migration route increased their body mass. The total intensity and inclination used for the western displacement may also have been interpreted as northern compared to the experimental site (stronger total field intensity and steeper inclination angle). In order to investigate whether the fuelling response was a response to an unexpected magnetic field or specific to the northern magnetic field, we conducted a new experiment. Juvenile wheatears from the same study population were magnetically displaced to southwestern magnetic fields, exposing the birds to unexpected magnetic combinations, but eliminating the possible effect of a northern magnetic field. A control group was kept in the local geomagnetic field in Sweden for comparison. There was no difference in body mass increase between treatments, suggesting that the fuelling response previously found was not a simple response to an unexpected magnetic field, but rather a specific response to the northern magnetic field. Juvenile wheatears may have developed a fuelling response to northern magnetic fields in order to enable a successful flight towards the migration goal.     

Antimicrobial Activity of the Chitosan Extracted from Metapenaeus stebbingi Shell Wastes

In the study, chitosan chemically extracted from Metapenaeus stebbingi shells obtained from shrimp processing factories and commercial chitosan were used as antimicrobial materials. Antimicrobial activities of the chitosans dissolved in acetic, lactic, formic and hydrochloric acid at different concentrations (1.00, 0.50, 0.25, 0.10 and 0.05%) were tested in vitro by using the disk diffusion method with standard microorganisms (Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli 1, Escherichia coli 2, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterecoccus faecalis, Aeromonas caviae). On the other hand, gentamicin was used as positive control. Antimicrobial test results indicated that chitosan demonstrated different effects depending on the chitosan concentration, solvent material and bacteria type. In the present study, both the extracted and commercial chitosans were observed to have antimicrobial effects on nearly all types of the bacteria.     

Cost,environmental impact,and resilience of renewable energy under a changing climate: a review

Energy derived from fossil fuels contributes significantly to global climate change, accounting for more than 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and approximately 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions. Alternative energy from renewable sources must be utilized to decarbonize the energy sector. However, the adverse effects of climate change, such as increasing temperatures, extreme winds, rising sea levels, and decreased precipitation, may impact renewable energies. Here we review renewable energies with a focus on costs, the impact of climate on renewable energies, the impact of renewable energies on the environment, economy, and on decarbonization in different countries. We focus on solar, wind, biomass, hydropower, and geothermal energy. We observe that the price of solar photovoltaic energy has declined from $0.417 in 2010 to $0.048/kilowatt-hour in 2021. Similarly, prices have declined by 68% for onshore wind, 60% for offshore wind, 68% for concentrated solar power, and 14% for biomass energy. Wind energy and hydropower production could decrease by as much as 40% in some regions due to climate change, whereas solar energy appears the least impacted energy source. Climate change can also modify biomass productivity, growth, chemical composition, and soil microbial communities. Hydroelectric power plants are the most damaging to the environment; and solar photovoltaics must be carefully installed to reduce their impact. Wind turbines and biomass power plants have a minimal environmental impact; therefore, they should be implemented extensively. Renewable energy sources could decarbonize 90% of the electricity industry by 2050, drastically reducing carbon emissions, and contributing to climate change mitigation. By establishing the zero carbon emission decarbonization concept, the future of renewable energy is promising, with the potential to replace fossil fuel-derived energy and limit global temperature rise to 1.5 °C by 2050.

     

Optimizing biomass pathways to bioenergy and biochar application in electricity generation,biodiesel production,and biohydrogen production

The current energy crisis, depletion of fossil fuels, and global climate change have made it imperative to find alternative sources of energy that are both economically sustainable and environmentally friendly. Here we review various pathways for converting biomass into bioenergy and biochar and their applications in producing electricity, biodiesel, and biohydrogen. Biomass can be converted into biofuels using different methods, including biochemical and thermochemical conversion methods. Determining which approach is best relies on the type of biomass involved, the desired final product, and whether or not it is economically sustainable. Biochemical conversion methods are currently the most widely used for producing biofuels from biomass, accounting for approximately 80% of all biofuels produced worldwide. Ethanol and biodiesel are the most prevalent biofuels produced via biochemical conversion processes. Thermochemical conversion is less used than biochemical conversion, accounting for approximately 20% of biofuels produced worldwide. Bio-oil and syngas, commonly manufactured from wood chips, agricultural waste, and municipal solid waste, are the major biofuels produced by thermochemical conversion. Biofuels produced from biomass have the potential to displace up to 27% of the world's transportation fuel by 2050, which could result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by up to 3.7 billion metric tons per year. Biochar from biomass can yield high biodiesel, ranging from 32.8% to 97.75%, and can also serve as an anode, cathode, and catalyst in microbial fuel cells with a maximum power density of 4346 mW/m². Biochar also plays a role in catalytic methane decomposition and dry methane reforming, with hydrogen conversion rates ranging from 13.4% to 95.7%. Biochar can also increase hydrogen yield by up to 220.3%.

     

Artificial intelligence-based solutions for climate change: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Climate change is a major threat already causing system damage to urban and natural systems, and inducing global economic losses of over $500 billion. These issues...     

Bioenergy production from chicken manure: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Adopting waste-to-wealth strategies and circular economy models can help reduce biowaste and add value. For instance, poultry farming is an essential source of...     

Biomarkers of environmental contaminants in the coastal waters of Estonia (Baltic Sea): effects on eelpouts (Zoarces viviparus)

The eastern Baltic Sea near the Estonian coast is heavily navigated by numerous cargo ships and oil tankers. Hundreds of accidents and oil spills happen yearly in this area. Yet, there is a lack of data concerning the distribution and effects of the environmental contaminants, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Different parts of the Baltic Sea have different levels of contamination; therefore a wide range of monitoring stations in coastal areas in the Gulf of Finland and Gulf of Riga were chosen. The aim of the present research was to document the responses of chosen biomarkers of environmental contaminants in different unstudied areas of the Estonian coastal sea. During 2009 and 2010 we measured PAH metabolites, EROD activities, geno- and cytotoxicity, histology, parasites and other biomarkers from the eelpout (Zoarces viviparus), a resident benthic fish species. The results showed that fish from the Gulf of Riga emitted lower levels of fluorescence in fixed wavelength analyses (representing equivalents of PAH metabolites in bile and urine), and consistently, showed less geno- and cytotoxicity and parasite infection, higher liver somatic index (LSI) and a higher condition factor (CF) than fish inhabiting areas close to the Baltic proper and in the Gulf of Finland. The results point to the effect of long-range contaminant transportation, whether atmospheric or hydrodynamic, and also to the intensive shipping activity in international routes. This study fills the gap of knowledge in this area that has persisted until now. Nevertheless, more studies in this area on the different groups of contaminants are necessary, to specify the factors that are responsible for observed biological effects.     

Spatial and temporal estimation of soil loss for the sustainable management of a wet semi-arid watershed cluster

The ungauged wet semi-arid watershed cluster, Seethagondi, lies in the Adilabad district of Telangana in India and is prone to severe erosion and water scarcity. The runoff and soil loss data at watershed, catchment, and field level are necessary for planning soil and water conservation interventions. In this study, an attempt was made to develop a spatial soil loss estimation model for Seethagondi cluster using RUSLE coupled with ARCGIS and was used to estimate the soil loss spatially and temporally. The daily rainfall data of Aphrodite for the period from 1951 to 2007 was used, and the annual rainfall varied from 508 to 1351 mm with a mean annual rainfall of 950 mm and a mean erosivity of 6789 MJ mm ha^?1 h^?1 year^?1. Considerable variation in land use land cover especially in crop land and fallow land was observed during normal and drought years, and corresponding variation in the erosivity, C factor, and soil loss was also noted. The mean value of C factor derived from NDVI for crop land was 0.42 and 0.22 in normal year and drought years, respectively. The topography is undulating and major portion of the cluster has slope less than 10°, and 85.3 % of the cluster has soil loss below 20 t ha^?1 year^?1. The soil loss from crop land varied from 2.9 to 3.6 t ha^?1 year^?1 in low rainfall years to 31.8 to 34.7 t ha^?1 year^?1 in high rainfall years with a mean annual soil loss of 12.2 t ha^?1 year^?1. The soil loss from crop land was higher in the month of August with an annual soil loss of 13.1 and 2.9 t ha^?1 year^?1 in normal and drought year, respectively. Based on the soil loss in a normal year, the interventions recommended for 85.3 % of area of the watershed includes agronomic measures such as contour cultivation, graded bunds, strip cropping, mixed cropping, crop rotations, mulching, summer plowing, vegetative bunds, agri-horticultural system, and management practices such as broad bed furrow, raised sunken beds, and harvesting available water using farm ponds and percolation tanks. This methodology can be adopted for estimating the soil loss from similar ungauged watersheds with deficient data and for planning suitable soil and water conservation interventions for the sustainable management of the watersheds.