Hexavalent chromium reduction kinetics in rodent stomach contents

Reduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) to trivalent chromium (Cr(III)) in the stomach prior to absorption is a well-recognized detoxification process thought to limit the toxicity of ingested Cr(VI). However, administration of high concentrations of Cr(VI) in drinking water cause mouse small intestinal tumors, and quantitative measures of Cr(VI) reduction rate and capacity for rodent stomach contents are needed for interspecies extrapolation using physiologically-based toxicokinetic (PBTK) models. Ex vivo studies using stomach contents of rats and mice were conducted to quantify Cr(VI) reduction rate and capacity for loading rates (1-400 mg Cr(VI) L⁻¹ stomach contents) in the range of recent bioassays. Cr(VI) reduction was measured with speciated isotope dilution mass spectrometry to quantify dynamic Cr(VI) and Cr(III) concentrations in stomach contents at select time points over 1 h. Cr(VI) reduction followed mixed second-order kinetics, dependent upon concentrations of both Cr(VI) and the native reducing agents. Approximately 16 mg Cr(VI)-equivalents of reducing capacity per L of fed stomach contents (containing gastric secretions, saliva, water and food) was found for both species. The second-order rate constants were 0.2 and 0.3 L mg⁻¹ h⁻¹ for mice and rats, respectively. These findings support that, at the doses that caused cancer in the mouse small intestine (?20 mg Cr(VI) L⁻¹ in drinking water), the reducing capacity of stomach contents was likely exceeded. Thus, for extrapolation of target tissue dose in risk assessment, PBTK models are necessary to account for competing kinetic rates including second order capacity-limited reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III).     

Establishing Green Roof Infrastructure Through Environmental Policy Instruments

Traditional construction practices provide little opportunity for environmental remediation to occur in urban areas. As concerns for environmental improvement in urban areas become more prevalent, innovative practices which create ecosystem services and ecologically functional land cover in cities will be in higher demand. Green roofs are a prime example of one of these practices. The past decade has seen the North American green roof industry rapidly expand through international green roof conferences, demonstration sites, case studies, and scientific research. This study evaluates existing international and North American green roof policies at the federal, municipal, and community levels. Green roof policies fall into a number of general categories, including direct and indirect regulation, direct and indirect financial incentives, and funding of demonstration or research projects. Advantages and disadvantages of each category are discussed. Salient features and a list of prompting standards common to successfully implemented green roof strategies are then distilled from these existing policies. By combining these features with data collected from an experimental green roof site in Athens, Georgia, the planning and regulatory framework for widespread green roof infrastructure can be developed. The authors propose policy instruments be multi-faceted and spatially focused, and also propose the following recommendations: (1) Identification of green roof overlay zones with specifications for green roofs built in these zones. This spatial analysis is important for prioritizing areas of the jurisdiction where green roofs will most efficiently function; (2) Offer financial incentives in the form of density credits and stormwater utility fee credits to help overcome the barriers to entry of the new technology; (3) Construct demonstration projects and institutionalize a commitment greening roofs on publicly-owned buildings as an effective way of establishing an educated roofing industry and experienced installers for future green roof construction.     

A spatial analysis of phosphorus in the Mississippi river basin

Phosphorus (P) in rivers in the Mississippi River basin (MRB) contributes to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and impairs local water quality. We analyzed the spatial pattern of P in the MRB to determine the counties with the greatest January to June P riverine yields and the most critical factors related to this P loss. Using a database of P inputs and landscape characteristics from 1997 through 2006 for each county in the MRB, we created regression models relating riverine total P (TP), dissolved reactive P (DRP), and particulate P (PP) yields for watersheds within the MRB to these factors. Riverine yields of P were estimated from the average concentration of each form of P during January to June for the 10-yr period, multiplied by the average daily flow, and then summed for the 6-mo period. The fraction of land planted in crops, human consumption of P, and precipitation were found to best predict TP yields with a spatial error regression model ( = 0.48, = 101). Dissolved reactive P yields were predicted by fertilizer P inputs, human consumption of P, and precipitation in a multiple regression model ( = 0.42, = 73), whereas PP yields were explained by crop fraction, human consumption of P, and soil bulk density in a spatial error regression model ( = 0.49, = 61). Overall, the Upper Midwest's Cornbelt region and lower Mississippi basin had the counties with the greatest P yields. These results help to point out specific areas where agricultural conservation practices that reduce losses to streams and rivers and point source P removal might limit the intensity or spatial occurrence of Gulf of Mexico hypoxia and improve local water quality.     

Dignity,face, and honor cultures: A study of negotiation strategy and outcomes in three cultures

This study compares negotiation strategy and outcomes in countries illustrating dignity, face, and honor cultures. Hypotheses predict cultural differences in negotiators' aspirations, use of strategy, and outcomes based on the implications of differences in self‐worth and social structures in dignity, face, and honor cultures. Data were from a face‐to‐face negotiation simulation; participants were intra‐cultural samples from the USA (dignity), China (face), and Qatar (honor). The empirical results provide strong evidence for the predictions concerning the reliance on more competitive negotiation strategies in honor and face cultures relative to dignity cultures in this context of negotiating a new business relationship. The study makes two important theoretical contributions. First, it proposes how and why people in a previously understudied part of the world, that is, the Middle East, use negotiation strategy. Second, it addresses a conundrum in the East Asian literature on negotiation: the theory and research that emphasize the norms of harmony and cooperation in social interaction versus empirical evidence that negotiations in East Asia are highly competitive. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biota Connect Aquatic Habitats throughout Freshwater Ecosystem Mosaics

Freshwater ecosystems are linked at various spatial and temporal scales by movements of biota adapted to life in water. We review the literature on movements of aquatic organisms that connect different types of freshwater habitats, focusing on linkages from streams and wetlands to downstream waters. Here, streams, wetlands, rivers, lakes, ponds, and other freshwater habitats are viewed as dynamic freshwater ecosystem mosaics (FEMs) that collectively provide the resources needed to sustain aquatic life. Based on existing evidence, it is clear that biotic linkages throughout FEMs have important consequences for biological integrity and biodiversity. All aquatic organisms move within and among FEM components, but differ in the mode, frequency, distance, and timing of their movements. These movements allow biota to recolonize habitats, avoid inbreeding, escape stressors, locate mates, and acquire resources. Cumulatively, these individual movements connect populations within and among FEMs and contribute to local and regional diversity, resilience to disturbance, and persistence of aquatic species in the face of environmental change. Thus, the biological connections established by movement of biota among streams, wetlands, and downstream waters are critical to the ecological integrity of these systems. Future research will help advance our understanding of the movements that link FEMs and their cumulative effects on downstream waters.     

Synthesis of a highly recoverable 3D MnO2/rGO hybrid aerogel for efficient adsorptive separation of pharmaceutical residue

Water contamination by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as acetaminophen, is an emerging ecological concern. In this study, a new three-dimensional manganese dioxide-engrafted reduced graphene oxide (3D MnO₂/rGO) hybrid aerogel was developed for acetaminophen sequestration. The synthesis involved firstly the self-assembly of GO aerogel, followed by thermal reduction and in-situ MnO₂ growth by redox-reaction. The aerogel demonstrated interlinked planes with smooth surfaces deposited with MnO₂ nanospheres and pores of 138.4 – 235.3 µm width. The influences of adsorbent dosage, initial pH, acetaminophen concentration, temperature and contact time were investigated. It was determined that the adsorption of acetaminophen occurred on uniform sorption sites in the aerogel, as suggested by the best fit of data to the Langmuir isotherm, yielding a maximum adsorption capacity of 252.87 mg/g. This highest adsorption performance of the 3D MnO₂/rGO aerogel was attained at a dosage of 0.6 g/L, initial pH of 6.2 and temperature of 40°C. The process kinetics were in-line with the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics at 10 and 20 – 500 mg/L concentrations, respectively. Thermodynamic assay showed the spontaneity and endothermicity features of the 3D MnO₂/rGO-acetaminophen system. The acetaminophen adsorption mechanisms were mainly hydrogen bonding and pore entrapment. Moreover, the as-synthesised aerogel was effectively regenerated using acetone and re-utilised in four adsorption-desorption cycles. Overall, the results highly recommend the implementation of the 3D MnO₂/rGO hybrid aerogel for purification of wastewater polluted by acetaminophen residue.     

Particulate collection in a high temperature cyclone

A new particle collection technique is analyzed and presented for its potential application in a high temperature, high pressure gas cleaning system. The technique is based on the collision and the aglomeration phenomena among the coal-ash particles when the cyclone is operated near the coal-ash fusion temperature. The percent increase of agglomeration rate is estimated by mathematical modeling for particles smaller than five microns in diameter. Particulate collection efficiency with or without agglomeration is presented. Experimental results in a high temperature cyclone are presented. The output dust loading varied from 0.025 to 5 grains per cubic foot (0.057–11 g/m³) as the input dust loading is increased from 4 to 35 grains per cubic foot (9.2–80g/m³) of gas flow.     

Behavioral alterations due to diesel exhaust exposure

Several experiments examining the effects of diesel exhaust on the behavior of rats are reported. Animals were exposed either as adults or neonates. The spontaneous locomotor activity (SLA), measured in standard running wheel cages, of adult rats exposed for 8 h/day, 7 days/week was significantly less than that of controls. Experiments involving diesel exhaust exposure to neonatal rats indicated that adult rats, exposed to diesel exhaust during their neonatal lives, were significantly less active as measured by SLA. Adult rats, exposed to 20 h diesel per day as neonates, were placed in skinner boxes after the SLA experiment described above had been completed. The exhaust exposed animals showed significantly decreased acquisition of a food reinforced bar pressing task. All animals that learned this task extinguished at the same rate. The results of the neonatal diesel exhaust experiments support the hypothesis that diesel exhaust exposure during development of an organism can lead to behavioral differences in adulthood.     

Indigenous Studies Speaks to Environmental Management

This article describes the increasing connections between the fields of Indigenous studies and environmental management and examines some of the ways that an Indigenous studies perspective can guide thinking about environmental management. Indigenous groups have been involved in the management of environmental and natural resources on their lands since time immemorial. Indigenous groups have also become increasingly involved in Western practices of environmental management with the advent of co-management institutions, subsistence boards, traditional ecological knowledge forums, and environmental issues affecting Indigenous resources. Thus, it is an important time for scholarship that explores how Indigenous groups are both shaping and being affected by processes of environmental management. This article summarizes key findings and themes from eight papers situated at the intersection of these two fields of study and identify means by which environmental managers can better accommodate Indigenous rights and perspectives. It is the authors’ hope that increased dialog between Indigenous studies and environmental management can contribute to the building of sustainable and socially just environmental management practices.