The impact on tropospheric ozone formation on the implementation of a program for mobile emissions control: a case study in São Paulo,Brazil

The main sources of reactive hydrocarbons (RHC) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x), ozone precursors, in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP) in the southeast of Brazil are emissions from vehicles fleets. Ambient surface ozone and particulate matter concentrations are air quality problem in the MASP. This study examined the impact that implementing a control program for mobile emissions has on ozone concentrations, An episode of high surface ozone concentrations occurring in the MASP during the March 13–15, 2000 period was used as a case study that was modeled for photochemical oxidants using the California Institute of Technology/Carnegie Mellon University three-dimensional photochemical model. Different scenarios were analyzed in relationship to the implementation of the Programa Nacional de Controle de Poluição por Veículos Automotores (PROCONVE, National Program to Control Motor Vehicle Pollution). Scenario 1 assumed that all vehicles were operating within PROCONVE guidelines. Scenarios 2 and 3 considered hypothetical situations in which the PROCONVE was not implemented. Scenario 2 set the premise that vehicles were using pre-1989 technology, whereas scenario 3 allowed for technological advances. A base case scenario, in which the official emission inventory for the year 2000 was employed, was also analyzed. The CIT model results show agreement with most measurements collected during 13–15 March 2000 modeling episode. Mean normalized bias for ozone, CO, RHC and NO _x are approximately 9.0, 6.0, ?8.3, 13.0%, respectively. Tropospheric ozone concentrations predicted for scenario 2 were higher than those predicted for scenarios 1, 3 and base case. This study makes a significant contribution to the evaluation of air quality improvement and provides data for use in evaluating the economic costs of implementing a program of motor vehicle pollution control aimed at protecting human health.     

The clinical impact of the first-trimester nuchal translucency between the 95th–99th percentiles

Objectives

To evaluate the clinical significance of nuchal translucency (NT) between the 95th–99th percentile in terms of typical and atypical chromosomal abnormalities (ACAs), associated fetal congenital defects and postnatal outcome.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of fetuses with NT between the 95th–99th percentile. Data regarding the rate of associated fetal defects, genetic abnormalities and postnatal outcome were collected.

Results

A total of 306 cases of fetuses with an NT between the 95th–99th percentiles were included. The overall rate of genetic abnormalities was 12.1% (37/306). Chromosomal abnormalities were found in 10.1% (31/306) of cases and 2% were ACA (6/306). Within this group, two were pathogenic Copy Number Variants (CNVs) and four were single gene disorders. The overall rate of fetal congenital defects was 13.7% (42/306). All ACAs were found in fetuses with congenital defects. Postnatally, a new diagnosis of a single gene disorder was made in 0.85% of cases (2/236).

Conclusions

The presence of an NT between the 95th–99th percentiles carries a 10-fold increased risk of fetal defects, representing an indication for referral for a detailed fetal anatomy evaluation. The risk of ACA is mainly related to the presence of fetal defects, irrespective of the combined test risk.     

Contested sustainabilities: assessing narratives of environmental change in southeastern Turkey

This article contends that there is a need to more fully assess convergences and divergences between local environmental narratives in studies of environmental change and evaluations of sustainability. While much work has established the importance of being attentive to local knowledges, the possibility of evaluating points of overlap and dissonance between diverse narratives of change offers a particularly fruitful path for future work. Drawing on survey data and interviews related to irrigation-related changes in southeastern Turkey, narratives of environmental change offered by different actors are analysed to highlight key points of overlap and tension. Specifically, there is general agreement that degradation is occurring, even as actors disagree on the causal explanations for these changes. More revealing, narratives also share a tendency to validate techno-scientific approaches and continued state intervention, thus revealing crucial insights related to future agro-ecological possibilities in this region. Apart from offering empirical insights from a context in the Middle East where social science evaluations of environmental change and sustainability remain relatively thin, the analysis also speaks to broader theoretical and methodological concerns at the intersection of debates related to local knowledges, narrative and discursive approaches to environment, and sustainability.     

Influence of a Catalyst in Obtaining a Post-consumer Pet-Based Alkyd Resin that Meets Circular Economy Principles

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - The paper studied the influence of a catalyst, comparing it with its traditional counterparts, in the process of obtaining a polyethylene terephthalate...     

Sensitivity of gametes, fertilization, and embryo development of the Japanese pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata martensii, to the harmful dinoflagellate, Heterocapsa circularisquama

Blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Heterocapsa circularisquama cause massive bivalve kills in Japan. Mariculture of the Japanese pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata martensii, is the industry most affected by these blooms, especially in Ago Bay, Mie Prefecture, where they are frequent, cause mass mortality of oysters, and overlap with their spawning season. The goal of this August 2009 study was to assess the effects of a toxic strain of H. circularisquama isolated from Ago Bay on gametes, fertilization, and embryo development of pearl oysters. Spermatozoa, eggs, spermatozoa and eggs, and fertilized eggs of pearl oysters from Ago Bay were exposed to H. circularisquama at cell densities reported during the bloom (10–10⁴ cells mL^?1) for different periods of time. The concentration of H. circularisquama, exposure duration, and their interactions all had significant effects on gamete quality, fertilization, and embryo development. The motility and swimming velocity of spermatozoa, egg viability, fertilization, and embryo development rate were significantly reduced in all concentrations, with a cell density of 10 cells mL^?1 determined to be the critical density of H. circularisquama for deleterious effects. This is the first evidence of inimical effects of an HAB species on bivalve spermatozoa upon direct exposure. Further field and laboratory studies are required to investigate the potential effects of H. circularisquama blooms on the reproduction and recruitment of Japanese pearl oysters and other bivalves.     

Environmental knowledge memory: Contribution of the DIK model

A company does not only generate goods and services which meet the requirements in terms of deadlines, costs, quality and environment, but it also generates knowledge that must be capitalized. In order for a company to benefit from the skills and competences acquired during the realization of a project, some processes of memorization prove to be necessary. This article fits in this context and aims at suggesting a knowledge capitalization model in order to create a capital of environmental knowledge.To illustrate our suggestion, we have chosen an Environmental Performance Contract (EPC) signed by tens of Algerian companies which are reputed for their pollution of the environment. Capitalizing this knowledge allows these companies to anticipate on their environmental management and to guarantee the success of the EPC.     

Study of spatial and temporal distribution of antimicrobial in water and sediments from caging fish farms by on-line SPE-LC-MS/MS

An on-line solid phase extraction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of 12 antimicrobials in sediment and surface water was developed and validated. Furthermore, the spatial and temporal antimicrobials distributions in the sediment and in the water of four fish farms located in the hydroelectric dam of Ilha Solteira Reservoir in Brazil were investigated over four seasons in three sampling sites: at the fish cages, 100 and 1,000 m downstream far from the cages. The method was performed using an Agilent Zorbax 80 SB-C8 column (9.4 × 15 mm, 5 µm) as the loading column, and the Agilent Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 column (3.0 × 100 mm, 3.5 µm) as a separation column within a run time of 13 min. The limits of quantification were less than 9 ng·L^?1 for the antibiotics in water and 16 µg·kg^?1 in sediment; the recovery ranged from 80 to 119%, with a variation coefficient less than 11%, and the repeatability was lower than 15%. Oxytetracycline was found in the water in all sample seasons. However, florfenicol was identified in April and October 2013 and January 2014, and tetracycline was present in July 2013. Regarding the sediment, oxytetracycline and tetracycline were found in all sampling periods, but chlortetracycline was only identified in January 2014. The spatial distribution of antimicrobials showed that the main pollution source came from the fish farms. This study demonstrated that the proposed method is reliable for the monitoring of antimicrobials in water and sediments and it showed contamination in both matrices from Ilha Solteira Reservoir.     

Temporal pessimism and spatial optimism in environmental assessments: An 18-nation study

The personal assessments of the current and expected future state of the environment by 3232 community respondents in 18 nations were investigated at the local, national, and global spatial levels. These assessments were compared to a ranking of each country's environmental quality by an expert panel. Temporal pessimism (“things will get worse”) was found in the assessments at all three spatial levels. Spatial optimism bias (“things are better here than there”) was found in the assessments of current environmental conditions in 15 of 18 countries, but not in the assessments of the future. All countries except one exhibited temporal pessimism, but significant differences between them were common. Evaluations of current environmental conditions also differed by country. Citizens' assessments of current conditions, and the degree of comparative optimism, were strongly correlated with the expert panel's assessments of national environmental quality. Aside from the value of understanding global trends in environmental assessments, the results have important implications for environmental policy and risk management strategies.     

Biosorption of Cu and Zn from aqueous solutions by dried marine green macroalga Chaetomorpha linum

The biosorption of the heavy metals Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ by dried marine green macroalga (Chaetomorpha linum) was investigated. The biosorption capacities of the dried alga for copper and zinc were studied at different solution pH values (2–6), different algal particle sizes (100–800 μm) and different initial metal solution concentrations (0.5–10 mM). An optimum pH value of 5 was found suitable for both metal ions biosorption for both metal ions. At the optimum particle size (100–315 μm), biosorbent dosage (20 g/l) and initial solution pH (pH 5), the dried alga produced maximum copper and zinc uptakes values (q_max) of 1.46 and 1.97 mmol/g respectively (according to the Langmuir model). The kinetic data obtained at different initial metal concentrations indicated that the biosorption rate was fast and most of the process was completed within 120 min. This study illustrated an alternative technique for the management of unwanted biological materials using processed algal material. C. linum is one of the fast-growing marine algae in the lake of Tunis and could be utilized as a biosorbent for the treatment of Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ contaminated wastewater streams.     

Petroleum Hydrocarbons Rhizodegradation by Sebastiania commersoniana (Baill.) L. B. SM. & Downs

Petroliferous activities in Brazil have an accelerated development in the last years. As a consequence, the incidence of environmental accidents such as oil spills and contamination of soils has increased significantly. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to develop remediation techniques with lower costs, decontamination efficiency and impact minimisation. The aim of this work was to evaluate Sebastiania commersoniana phytoremediation potential in soil contaminated by petroleum. This species, which is a native tree, was selected due to its proven capacity for surviving in areas contaminated by petroleum. Experiments were carried out with soils that were vegetated but non-contaminated, soils that were freshly contaminated (25, 50 and 75 g kg^?1) but non-vegetated, and soils that were vegetated and contaminated, samples were collected 60 and 424 days after contamination with the purpose of evaluating the percentage of petroleum degradation in relation to the time. The results obtained in the present study allow us to state that S. commersoniana proves to be tolerant to petroleum contamination with respect to plant’s growth. The degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons was evaluated by gas chromatography with a flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) equipped with a capillary column HP-5 (5% phenyl-methylpolysiloxane, 30 m; 0.25 mm; 0.25 μm). According to chromatographic analysis, samples in contact with S. commersoniana showed a significant area reduction of the hydrocarbon peaks. Analysis of the 60-day samples showed a reduction of petroleum hydrocarbons area higher than 60% and the 424-day samples showed a reduction higher than 94%, which demonstrates that a petroleum degradation process is occurring.