Chemical and Biological Characterization of Products of Incomplete Combustion from the Simulated Field Burning of Agricultural Plastic

Chemical and biological analyses were performed to characterize products of Incomplete combustion emitted during the simulated open field burning of agricultural plastic. A small utility shed equipped with an air delivery system was used to simulate pile burning and forced-air-curtain incineration of a nonhalogenated agricultural plastic that reportedly consisted of polyethylene and carbon black. Emissions were analyzed for combustion gases; volatile, semi-volatile, and particulate organics; and toxic and mutagenlc properties. Emission samples, as well as samples of the used (possibly pesticide-contaminated) plastic, were analyzed for the presence of several pesticides to which the plastic may have been exposed. Although a variety of alkanes, alkenes, and aromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds were identified in the volatile, seml-volatlle, and particulate fractions of these emissions, a substantial fraction of higher molecular weight organic material was not identified. No pesticides were Identified in either combustion emission samples or dlchloromethane washes of the used plastic. When mutagenlcity was evaluated by exposing Salmonella bacteria (Ames assay) to whole vapor and vapor/partlculate emissions, no toxic or mutagenlc effects were observed. However, organic extracts of the particulate samples were moderately mutagenlc. This mutagenlcity compares approximately to that measured from residential wood heating on a revertant per unit heat release basis. Compared to pile burning, forced air slightly decreased the time necessary to burn a charge of plastic. There was not a substantial difference, however, in the variety or concentrations of organic compounds Identified In samples from these two burn conditions. This study highlights the benefits of a combined chemical/biological approach to the characterization of complex, multi-component combustion emissions. These results may not reflect those of other types of plastic that may be used for agricultural purposes, especially those containing halogens.     

Improvement of health risk factors after reduction of VOC concentrations in industrial and urban areas

After reductions of fugitive and diffuse emissions by an industrial complex, a follow-up study was performed to determine the time variability of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the lifetime cancer risk (LCR). Passive samplers (3 M monitors) were placed outdoors (n?=?179) and indoors (n?=?75) in industrial, urban, and control areas for 4 weeks. Twenty-five compounds including n-alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatics, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and terpenes were determined by GC/MS. The results show a significant decrease of all VOCs, especially in the industrial area and to a lesser extent in the urban area. The median outdoor concentration of benzene in the industrial area declined compared to the former study, around 85 % and about 50 % in the urban area, which in the past was strongly influenced by industrial emissions. Other carcinogenic compounds like styrene and tetrachloroethylene were reduced to approximately 60 %. VOC concentrations in control areas remained nearly unchanged. According to the determined BTEX ratios and interspecies correlations, in contrast to the previous study, traffic was identified as the main emission source in the urban and control areas and showed an increased influence in the industrial area. The LCR, calculated for benzene, styrene, and tetrachloroethylene, shows a decrease of one order of magnitude in accordance to the decreased total VOC concentrations and is now acceptable according to values proposed by the World Health Organization.     

Remediation of mould damaged building materials--efficiency of a broad spectrum of treatments

We compared the efficiency of some commercially available products and methods used for remediation of mould-contaminated building materials. Samples of gypsum board and pinewood were artificially contaminated with toxin-producing isolates of Stachybotrys chartarum and Aspergillus versicolor, respectively, then, ten different remediation treatments were applied according to the manufacturers' instructions. Microbial and chemical analyses of the infested materials were carried out both immediately before and after treatment, after six weeks of drying at room temperature, and after another six weeks of remoistening. The aim of the study was to determine whether the investigated methods could inhibit the mould growth and destroy some selected mycotoxins produced by the moulds. None of the decontamination methods tested could completely eliminate viable moulds. Some methods, especially boron based chemicals, ammonium based chemicals, and oxidation reduced the contents of mycotoxins produced by S. chartarum (satratoxin G and H, verrucarol), whereas the one which uses an ammonium based chemical reduced the amount of sterigmatocystin produced by A. versicolor with statistical significance. No remediation treatment eliminated all the toxins from the damaged materials. These results emphasize the importance to work preventively with moisture safety throughout the construction processes and management to prevent mould growth on building materials.     

Disaster waste management: a review article

Depending on their nature and severity, disasters can create large volumes of debris and waste. The waste can overwhelm existing solid waste management facilities and impact on other emergency response and recovery activities. If poorly managed, the waste can have significant environmental and public health impacts and can affect the overall recovery process.This paper presents a system overview of disaster waste management based on existing literature. The main literature available to date comprises disaster waste management plans or guidelines and isolated case studies. There is ample discussion on technical management options such as temporary storage sites, recycling, disposal, etc.; however, there is little or no guidance on how these various management options are selected post-disaster. The literature does not specifically address the impact or appropriateness of existing legislation, organisational structures and funding mechanisms on disaster waste management programmes, nor does it satisfactorily cover the social impact of disaster waste management programmes.It is envisaged that the discussion presented in this paper, and the literature gaps identified, will form a basis for future comprehensive and cohesive research on disaster waste management. In turn, research will lead to better preparedness and response to disaster waste management problems.     

Humic substances formation during poultry litter composting and its influence on the structural characteristics of the compost

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - This study aimed to elucidate the formation process of humic substances (HS) during poultry litter (PL) composting and its influence on the...     

Deep carbon degassing in the Matese massif chain (Southern Italy) inferred by geochemical and isotopic data

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The Italian Apennines are among the most important sources of freshwater for several Italian regions. With evidences of deep CO2-rich fluids intruding...     

A Food Handler-Associated, Foodborne Norovirus GII.4 Sydney 2012-Outbreak Following a Wedding Dinner, Austria, October 2012

On October 12, 2012, the provincial public health directorate of Salzburg reported a suspected norovirus (NV) outbreak among guests of a wedding–reception. The investigation aimed to confirm the causative agent, to identify the mode of transmission and to implement appropriate preventive measures. A probable outbreak case was defined as a wedding guest with diarrhoea or vomiting with disease onset from 7 to 10 October 2012 and who consumed food at the wedding dinner prepared by a hotel in the province Salzburg on 6 October 2012. A confirmed outbreak case fulfilled the criteria of a probable outbreak case and had a laboratory-confirmed NV infection. We conducted a cohort-investigation among the wedding guests. The case definitions were fulfilled in 26 wedding guests (25 %) including 2 confirmed cases. Females were 3.2 times more likely to develop disease (95 % CI 1.4–7.2) as compared to males. A mushroom dish was found to be associated with disease risk among females (risk ratio 2.3, 95 % CI 1.2–4.3). Two of 2 tested case-patients and 6 of 14 kitchen workers tested were positive for NV GII.4 Sydney. One kitchen staff-member worked during the wedding dinner despite diarrhoea. No food safety training was documented for the employees and the kitchen staff’s restroom was lacking operational facilities for hand hygiene. We report the first investigated outbreak due to GII.4 Sydney, which was likely due to a symptomatic kitchen worker. Gender-specific eating behaviour may have posed female guests at higher risk of NV infection.     

Profiles of cuticular hydrocarbons mediate male mate choice and sexual isolation between hybridising <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysochus</Emphasis> (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Summary. Chemical signals frequently underlie sexual isolation between insect species. Our understanding of the evolutionary forces influencing these signaling systems is known for very few systems, challenging both our efforts to understand insect speciation, and our ability to predict long-term changes in the chemical communication systems of insects. Thus, we are in need of more systems in which both the chemical signals causing sexual isolation and the evolutionary forces driving sexual isolation are understood. Sexual isolation in the hybrid zone between Chrysochus cobaltinus and C. auratus has apparently increased in response to natural selection against hybridisation (i.e. reinforcement). Previous experiments suggested that this isolation was due, at least in part, to male preferences for conspecific females. Here, we confirm this role of male choice, and document that male mate choice in this system is influenced by cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles. Specifically, male C. cobaltinus responses to control cadavers and conspecific female cadavers painted with different cuticular hexane extracts, together with analyses of the composition of those extracts, revealed that male mate choice is governed by CHC profiles. Multivariate analyses of GC profiles demonstrated that those profiles are indeed both sex- and species-specific. Although GC-MS enabled identification and quantification of the specific cuticular hydrocarbons, we have not yet determined which individual compounds govern mate choice. Having established that CHCs influence sexual isolation in this system, we can now assess the evolutionary lability of these cues, which will inform both our understanding of speciation, and of the conditions under which the chemical signaling systems that influence mate choice in insects can evolve.     

A Regional Approach to Projecting Land-Use Change and Resulting Ecological Vulnerability

This study explores ecological vulnerability to land-use change in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Region by spatially extrapolating land and economic development, and overlaying these projections with maps of sensitive ecological resources. As individual extrapolations have a high degree of uncertainty, five methods with different theoretical bases are employed. Confidence in projections is increased for counties targeted by two or more projection methods. A county is considered at risk if it currently supports three or more sensitive resources, and is projected to experience significant growth by the year 2010 by two or more methods. Analysis designated 19 counties and two cities as at risk, highlighting within a large region the priority areas where state and regional efforts would contribute the most to integrating environmental considerations into the process of land development. The study also found that potentially severe ecological effects of future land-use change are not limited to the outskirts of major urban areas. Recreational demands on smaller communities with mountain and coastal resources are also significant, as are initiatives to promote economic development in rural areas of high ecological quality. This approach provides a comprehensive overview of potential regional development, leading to an objective prioritization of high-risk areas. The intent is to inform local planning and decision-making so that regional and cumulative ecological degradation are minimized.