Improving rigor in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon source fingerprinting

Source identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental samples has advanced greatly in the last 20 years and continues to advance. To realize potential benefits and avoid possible pitfalls, however, great care is needed as one applies published diagnostic tools to data sets. This commentary reflects some recent observations, concerns, and recommendations.     

Female choice in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata): the interaction between male color and display

The effect of two components of male courtship, color and display behavior, on female choice of mates was investigated in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Computer-modified videos were constructed to determine the relative importance of a static trait, the presence or absence of carotenoid pigment (C and NC), and a dynamic trait, high and low display rate (HD and LD), on female response. Females were given a choice between all combinations of male display and color in a binary choice design. Preference was determined by the time females spent visually inspecting the animation. Females preferred animations with high display rates when both animations displayed color (CHD vs CLD), but not in the absence of color (NCHD vs NCLD). Equal numbers of females chose the color/low-display animation and the no-color/high-display animation when the two were paired. Conversely, color became a criterion of choice when both animations showed a low display rate (CLD vs NCLD), but not when both displayed at a high rate (CHD vs NCHD). These results suggest that females use both static and dynamic traits to evaluate males, but their rankings are affected by the choices available. Results of these experiments provide insights into how females use multiple traits to assess males.     

An Ecosystem Management Program and Assessment Process for Ontario National Parks

Abstract: An ecosystem management program and assessment process was developed to standardize an ecosystem-based approach to protecting the ecological integrity of Ontario's national parks. The elements of the ecosystem management program collectively represent the dominant planning and technical aspects of ecosystem management. Within the program, 11 specific products—ecosystem conservation plan, greater park ecosystem inventory and analysis, greater park ecosystem scope, area of cooperation, stakeholder analysis, partnership group management guidelines, scientific research program, ecological indicators, ecological integrity monitoring program, information network, and communication strategy—are considered requisite tools to improve the scientific understanding required for park management within the context of greater park ecosystems and to increase communication and coordination among governments and citizens to improve decision making. The formal process uses evaluation criteria associated with the 11 products to assess progress in developing an ecosystem management program and the content of the related products. The assessment process, which provides comprehensive identification of a park's specific ecosystem management needs, has been applied to all national parks in Ontario in the past year, which has had the immediate effect of refining their ecosystem management programs.     

The Accuracy of Mortality Reporting in Displaced Persons Camps During the Post-emergency Phase

For humanitarian organisations, accurate data are essential to identify emerging health problems and determine programme needs. We visited 45 post-emergency phase displaced persons camps and collected three months' mortality data which we compared with organisations' routine mortality reports. Organisations reported 612 deaths and we identified 741 deaths, for a mortality-reporting ratio, defined as the number of organisation-reported deaths divided by the number of investigator-identified deaths, of 83 per cent. For the majority of camps which under-reported deaths, mortality reporting ratios were significantly higher for women than men, and for camps with central mortality registers rather than those without. In the few camps which over-reported deaths, these occurred primarily among children younger than five years of age, probably due to the inclusion of abortions and stillbirths. Despite the overall under-reporting of deaths by humanitarian organisations, the existing health information systems appear to estimate mortality rates adequately in these post-emergency camps. However, organisations should improve the precision and completeness with which they report the characteristics of deaths in order to provide valuable data to target their programmes at the most vulnerable people.     

Regional Goals

As a representative of EPA in the role of the Regional Administrator, I frequently feel like a middle man between the idealistic goals and timetables of the Congress and the practical problems of the states and local agencies in implementing air pollution control. As many of you know, EPA is one of the most decentralized of the federal agencies. Regional offices of EPA have much more authority to initiate action programs and allocate funds than do regional offices of HEW, HUD, or almost any other federal agency. This strong regional approach has sometimes been criticized as antithetical to a unified national approach to environmental policy. It has been said that you can’t run a national air program with ten idi-osyncracies. I disagree. I believe it is difficult or impossible to develop a program legislatively or administratively which is nationally uniform and yet recognizes the idiosyncracies of local situations and needs.     

Designing Treatability Studies for CERCLA Sites: Three Critical Issues

A great urgency has developed in the past few years within the U.S. EPA remediation program to perform treatability studies at Superfund (CERCLA) sites. The major reasons for this urgency is to ensure the selected treatment technology is applicable to the waste characteristics, and that Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) cleanup goals can be achieved. However, prior to conducting a treatability study, three critical issues must be resolved by the site manager. First, what scale and timing are appropriate? Second, should the treatability study be performed by a treatment technology vendor using proprietary equipment and processes, or can a generic study be performed? Third, should the study be performed in the field or should the waste be taken to the laboratory for testing? The objectives of the treatability study will have a major impact on how these issues are resolved. This paper discusses these major issues and provides information for the design and conduct of Superfund treatability programs.     

Separation and identification of heterocyclic nitrogen compounds in biooil derived by fast pyrolysis of chicken manure

N-heterocyclics were separated from a biooil, generated by the pyrolysis of chicken manures by column chromatography over neutral alumina and silica, and identified by Pyrolysis Field Ionization Mass Spectrometry (Py-FIMS) and Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS). Identities of chemical structures, whose presence was indicated by ESI-MS, were confirmed by comparing the Collision-Induced Dissociations (CID's) mass spectra of unknown and standards. The following seven base structures were identified: pyrazine, benzoquinoline, carbazole, phenylpyridine, indole, pyrazole and pyridine. Available hydrogens bonded to ring carbons and nitrogens on the seven N-heterocyclics were increasingly substituted by alkyl groups, mainly methylene groups (m/z 14) to yield mono-, di-, tri- methyl N-heterocyclics. In some instances, longer alkyl chains, such as ethyl, propyl, up to heptyl groups were the substituents.     

Pilot scale testing composite swellable organosilica nanoscale zero‐valent iron—Iron‐Osorb®—for in situ remediation of trichloroethylene

Iron‐Osorb^® is a solid composite material of swellable organosilica with embedded nanoscale zero‐valent iron that was formulated to extract and dechlorinate solvents in groundwater. The unique feature of the highly porous organosilica is its strong affinity for chlorinated solvents, such as trichloroethylene (TCE), while being impervious to dissolved solids. The swellable matrix is able to release ethane after dechlorination and return to the initial state. Iron‐Osorb^® was determined to be highly effective in reducing TCE concentrations in bench‐scale experiments. The material was tested in a series of three pilot scale tests for in situ remediation of TCE in conjunction with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency at a site in central Ohio. Results of these tests indicate that TCE levels were reduced for a period of time after injection, then leveled out or bounced back, presumably due to depletion of zero‐valent iron. Use of tracer materials and soil corings indicate that Iron‐Osorb^® traveled distances of at least 20 feet from the injection point during soil augmentation. The material appears to remain in place once the injection fluid is diluted into the surrounding groundwater. Overall, the technology is promising as a remediation method to treat dilute plumes or create diffuse permeable reactive barriers. Keys to future implementation include developing injection mechanisms that optimize soil distribution of the material and making the system long‐lasting to allow for continual treatment of contaminants emanating from the soil matrix. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.