Water and soil pollution by Spent lubricating oils

This paper shows that spent lubricating oils from automobile engines generate carboxylic acids on environmental exposure. Samples of exposed oils, isolated from polluted river water and shore muds obtained from various locations, showed a direct proportionality between carboxylic acid content and time of exposure. Carboxylic acids were isolated by solvent extraction and studied by infrared spectroscopy.     

Land reclamation and strip-mined coal production in appalachia

This study quantifies the short-run impacts of reclamation on strip mining costs, coal prices, production, and employment in Appalachia. A process analysis model is developed and used to estimate short-run strip-mined coal supply functions under conditions of alternative reclamation requirements. Then, an econometric model is developed and used to estimate coal demand relations. Our results show that full reclamation has rather minor impacts. In 1972, full reclamation would have increased strip-mined coal production costs an average of $0.35 per ton, reduced strip-mined coal production by 10 million tons, and cost approximately 1600 jobs in Appalachia.     

Implications of Land Use Changes on Carbon Dynamics and Sequestration—Evaluation from Forestry Datasets, India

Forests and soils are a major sink of carbon, and land use changes can affect the magnitude of above ground and below ground carbon stores and the net flux of carbon between the land and the atmosphere. Studies on methods for examining the future consequences of changes in patterns of land use change and carbon flux gains importance, as they provide different options for CO₂ mitigation strategies. In this study, a simulation approach combining Markov chain processes and carbon pools for forests and soils has been implemented to study the carbon flows over a period of time. Markov chains have been computed by converting the land use change and forestry data of India from 1997 to 1999 into a matrix of conditional probabilities reflecting the changes from one class at time t to another class time t+1. Results from Markov modeling suggested Indian forests as a potential sink for 0.94 Gt carbon, with an increase in dense forest area of about 75.93 Mha and decrease of about 3.4 Mha and 5.0 Mha in open and scrub forests, if similar land use changes that occurred during 1997–1999 would continue. The limiting probabilities suggested 34.27 percent as dense forest, 6.90 as open forest, 0.4 percent mangrove forest, 0.1 percent scrub and 58 percent as non-forest area. Although Indian forests are found to be a potential carbon sink, analysis of results from transition probabilities for different years till 2050 suggests that, the forests will continue to be a source of about 20.59 MtC to the atmosphere. The implications of these results in the context of increasing anthropogenic pressure on open and scrub forests and their contribution to carbon source from land use change and forestry sector are discussed. Some of the mitigation aspects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land use change and forestry sector in India are also reviewed in the study.     

Developmental Processes, Changing Lifestyle and Traditional Wisdom: Analyses from Western Himalaya

Traditional knowledge and practices are important in prudent resource use and biodiversity conservation. The implications of modernization and changing lifestyle are discussed in the context of agriculture and resource use, the two sectors in which maximum modernization has occurred. The information was gathered through observations and structured interviews over three years (July 1996 to July 1999) of field work in the western Himalaya. It was observed that forest based subsistence agriculture has given way to the market dependant cash crop cultivation. That apart from loss of genetic diversity, has also resulted in the degradation of forests. The use of wild plants in the day-to-day activities has also declined and dependence on high value market products has increased. Currently, wild plants are used only if no other cheap substitute is available in the market or if the use is economically beneficial to the people. Thus, the knowledge gathered through ages of experience is eroding because of the activities geared for short-term economic benefits which, in long run, may not be sustainable.     

Occurence and Distribution of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ankara Precipitation

Urban atmospheric environment contains many trace organic pollutants that are related to the incomplete fuel combustion in domestic heating, industrial plants and automobile traffic. Removal of these pollutants from the atmosphere takes place through wet and dry deposition as well as chemical transformations. In this study, concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wet deposition samples were determined at an urban site of Turkey. Wet and dry deposition samples were collected using Andersen Rain Sampler. The sampler was modified accordingly for the collection of organic pollutants. Collected samples were preconcentrated by using solid phase extraction (SPE) disks and consecutively analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Among the 13 compounds quantified in this study, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene were found more frequently and at elevated concentrations (202, 271 and 260 ng L^-1 mean concentrations, respectively).Concentrations of PAHs were found to be high in winter period.     

The Role of Soil Organic Carbon in Maintaining Surface Elevation in Rapidly Subsiding U.S. Gulf of Mexico Coastal Marshes

Subsidence is a primary factor governing marsh deterioration in Mississippi River deltaic plain coastal marshes. Marsh surface-water level relationships are maintained primarily through soil organic matter accumulation and inorganic sediment input. In this study we examined the role of soil organic matter accumulation in maintaining marsh elevation in a brackish Spartina patens marsh. Measured rates of soil organic accumulation were compared to plant biomass production and soil respiration (carbon dioxide and methane emission) at the study sites. The study demonstrated the importance of plant biomass production to soil organic carbon accumulation in maintaining viable Spartina patens marshes in sediment-deficient coastal environments. The role of Mississippi River freshwater reintroduction in maintaining conditions for organic accretion is discussed.     

Starch, Poly(lactic acid), and Poly(vinyl alcohol) Blends

Research on biodegradable materials has been stimulated due to concern regarding the persistence of plastic wastes. Blending starch with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the most promising efforts because starch is an abundant and cheap biopolymer and PLA is biodegradable with good mechanical properties. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) contains unhydrolytic residual groups of poly(vinyl acetate) and also has good compatibility with starch. It was added to a starch and PLA blend (50:50, w/w) to enhance compatibility and improve mechanical properties. PVOH (M_W 6,000) at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% (by weight) based on the total weight of starch and PLA, and 30% PVOH at various molecular weights (M_W 6,000, 25,000, 78,000, and 125,000 dalton) were added to starch/PLA blends. PVOH interacted with starch. At proportions greater than 30%, PVOH form a continuous phase with starch. Tensile strength of the starch/PLA blends increased as PVOH concentration increased up to 40% and decreased as PVOH molecular weight increased. The increasing molecular weight of PVOH slightly affected water absorption, but increasing PVOH concentration to 40% or 50% increased water absorption. Effects of moisture content on the starch/PLA/PVOH blend also were explored. The blend containing gelatinized starch had higher tensile strength. However, gelatinized starch also resulted in increased water absorption.