Determination of cobalt by air-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction

Abstract

A rapid and selective technique for extraction, preconcentration and determination of trace amounts of cobalt in water and pharmaceutical samples by air-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction combined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry is proposed. 1-Nitroso-2-naphthol is used as a complexing agent and 1-octanol as an extraction solvent. Parameters relevant for analytical effectivity, i.e. pH of sample solution, concentration of complexing agent, volume of extraction solvent, and number of extraction cycles are optimized using a Box–Behnken design. At optimum conditions, a dynamic linear range of 5–600?µg L^?1 is obtained, with a limit of detection of 1.2?µg L^?1. The method is used for determination of Co(II) in environmental water and pharmaceutical samples.     

Project tocoen. The fate of selected organic pollutants in the environment—iv. soil,earthworms and vegetation 1988

The samples of soils, earthworms and vegetation (needles, lichens, mosses) were collected for the realization of Project TOCOEN (Toxic Organic Compounds in the ENvironment). The samples were collected from three TOCOEN model areas in Czechoslovakia—one city and two rural areas. The samples were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorinated pesticides (C1‐PEST) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).     

Pah characteristics in ambient air within a steel industrial complex

Ambient air samples at ten sites in an iron and steel industrial complex were collected from June to December for analyzing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Sixteen species of PAH components in air samples were identified. The results indicate that both gaseous phase and particle‐bound PAHs at the top of the cokemaking plants are unusually high. The profiles of particle‐bound PAHs indicate that the predominant species at the top of, the coke oven batteries are those of high molecular weight components. The major components of particle‐bound PAHs at sampling sites near the fenceline, however, include the medium molecular weight components. The PAH profiles of air samples within the industrial complex show a strong similarity to those of cokemaking plant samples. The concentrations and the specific content of benzo(a)pyrene in the iron and steel industrial complex are higher than those values measured in urban area, petrochemical industry park, and open‐air burning area.     

Industrial ecology flows of agriculture and food industry in Finland: utilizing by-products and wastes

Although half of the administrative units in China are said to have implemented their local Agenda 21, the promotion of sustainable communities is not pervasive. In this paper, we adopted a relatively untried mode of analysis and a socio-economic context to illustrate the potentials and failures of China's grassroots local government bodies in achieving sustainable waste management. Our study shows that, among the three main functions of sustainable waste management (ensuring environmental hygiene, provision of recycling logistics and changing the consumption pattern of the local community) for local governments, grassroots local government bodies in mainland China are only able to do the minimum, i.e. ensuring environmental hygiene and handling complaints. One of the reasons for the failure is that, despite the emphasis on capacity building in China's Agenda 21, the reality is that no action is taken to empower grassroots local government. Despite the high profile accorded by the Chinese central government to motivating local governments to formulate their own Agenda 21, local sustainability and waste management performance have little relevance to the appraisal systems of these government agents.     

Essential and nonessential elements in the red-crowned crane Grus japonensis of Zhalong Wetland,northeastern China

The concentrations of four essential (Ca, Mg, Zn, and Cu) and two nonessential elements (Pb and Cd) in feathers and kidneys, livers, gut walls, and muscles of eight carcasses of migratory red-crowned cranes (Grus japonensis) from Zhalong Wetland, northeastern China, were examined. The concentrations of Cd in the feathers were between 0.4 mg kg^?1 dry weight (dw) and 3.1 mg kg^?1 dw, in the livers between 0.4 and 4.4 mg kg^?1 dw, the maximum of which exceeded a level considered to be environmental exposure risk (i.e., 3 mg kg^?1 dw in the liver or kidney). High Pb levels (0.4–3.2 mg kg^?1 dw, with an average of 1.8 mg kg^?1) were also detected in livers, which exceeded a level considered toxicosis in birds (1.7 mg kg^?1 dw). Pb and Cd had the highest scores in principal component analysis. Relatively high Pb and Cd concentrations in the migratory cranes were thought to be associated with their habitat and prey.     

Facilitating resilient rural-to-urban sustainable agriculture and rural communities

ABSTRACT

This article contributes to efforts to validate a common set of parameters and principles of sustainable agriculture. Comparisons between alternative forms of sustainable agriculture and rural-to-urban community resilience are investigated. Conclusions are drawn between multiple sustainable/alternative agriculture systems and evaluated. A set of common baseline parameters and principles is proposed as a method of evolving a common structural framework for strengthening sustainability of agriculture and rural contexts. Concepts of rural-to-urban community sustainability are proposed, supporting sustainable agriculture contexts as rural and urban. In the twenty-first century, agriculture is becoming more diversified and less typified as a rural occupation. Urban agriculture is expanding as the need for fresh, affordable, accessible agriculture produce increases in urban areas. Evidence supports symbiotic relationships between sustainable agriculture and rural/urban communities, although some claim this relationship has not been clearly defined.

This article investigates sustainable agriculture from two perspectives. We ask ‘what are common parameters and principles of the various forms of sustainable agriculture,’ and ‘why urban-to-rural context.’ Organic agriculture parameters and principles are proposed as a conceptual framework toward establishing baseline parameters and principles for sustainable agriculture. Best management parameters of urban and rural sustainable agriculture in the United States and the United Kingdom are examined for their potential to develop a strengthening framework of parameters and principles of agriculture and rural-to-urban sustainability. These results are compared and evaluated for their effectiveness in redefining current sustainable agriculture practices, and their value in strengthening sustainable agriculture symbiosis with rural-to-urban community systems.     

Towards a co-evolutionary framework for implementing sustainable development

SUMMARY

A quantitative method which can be used to gauge the sustainability of existing socio-cultural, economic and environmental constructs is proposed. An underlying assumption of the approach is that a co-evolutionary relationship exists between social, cultural, economic and environmental systems and that these cannot be addressed in a reductionist and deterministic manner. The method focuses on both broad trends and patterns of variance in a multivariate data matrix, it allows the identification of dominant trends as well as underlying tensions, does not treat socio-cultural, economic and environmental heterogeneity as statistical noise and can be applied at different administrative scales. Furthermore, it may be used to identify potential sources of human insecurity, factors that may affect the probability of positive human survival, developmental patterns at odds with the established values system of civil society that can be targeted for political action, and to inform public debate. In addition, the method can be used to identify unexpected synergies between variables and may serve as an early warning system for regional planners.     

不同施肥模式对华北平原小麦-玉米轮作体系产量及土壤硝态氮的影响

为了探索培育高产粮田的施肥模式,实现氮肥资源的高效利用与环境效益,以华北平原的小麦（Triticum aestivum）-玉米（Zea mays L.）轮作体系作为研究对象,通过2007─2011年4个轮作季,探讨不同的施肥模式对作物产量和土壤硝态氮的影响。试验以处理A（当地传统管理）作为对照,从测土确定施肥量、按作物生长发育明确施肥时期、合理分配各时期的养分配比及增施有机肥等方面改变传统施肥模式,设置3种高产施肥培育模式,分别为处理B（现有高产田推荐管理）、处理C（高肥料投入管理）和处理D（水肥高效管理）,进行田间小区试验。4个轮作季的总产量以处理D为最高,达75430 kg·hm-2,其次是处理C为75166 kg·hm-2,当地传统的产量最低。冬小麦季的吸氮量为处理C和D显著高于A处理,分别高出444.78 kg·hm-2和310.20 kg·hm-2,但与处理B无显著差异;处理D在夏玉米季的吸氮量为776.75 kg·hm-2,显著高于处理A。处理B的氮肥偏生产力值最高为38.21,处理D为36.71,处理A和C均为28.33。各处理经过4个轮作季后,土壤硝态氮均在120-160 cm出现累积峰,A、B、C和D的硝态氮峰值分别为58.65、28.98、105.89、45.29 mg·kg-1。在0-100cm土层,处理B的硝态氮累积量达到144.22 kg·hm-2,显著高于处理A、C、D;所有处理在100-200 cm土层均出现较高的硝态氮累积,处理C高达1021.19 kg·hm-2;0-400 cm的土壤硝态氮累积量分别为724.27、711-92、1324.30、730.70 kg·hm-2。处理A、B、C、D在耕层土壤氮素的表观损失分别为1298.95、653.18、1236.39和718.43 kg·hm-2,处理B、D显著低于处理A、C,D和B间差异不显著。因此,处理D是培育高产的理想施肥模式,合理的施肥量、科学的施肥时期以及有机无机的合理配比是达到高产、提高肥效和环境友好的关键。     

敌百虫对中国林蛙蝌蚪生长发育的毒性效应

为评价水域环境中敌百虫(trichlorfon)污染对两栖类幼体的急性毒性,将中国林蛙(Rana chensinensis)28～29期(Gos-ner)蝌蚪分别暴露于10～30 mg· L-1敌百虫5个不同浓度的水体中,分别在24、48、72和96 h统计蝌蚪的死亡率,计算半致死浓度(LC50).结果显示,暴露24、48、72和96 h,敌百虫对蝌蚪的LC50分别为14250±3.23、49.19±128、25.68±2.04、1555±1.93 mg·L-1,安全浓度(SC)为156±0.19 mg· L-1.蝌蚪中毒后尾部多呈弯曲状,仰翻,外观浮肿.对死亡蝌蚪的解剖表明,其鳃腔内充水,内鳃萎缩,肝脏、肠管和肾脏呈灰白色.另外,将28～29期蝌蚪分别暴露于0.2 ～ 2.0 mg·L-1敌百虫4个不同浓度的水体中进行慢性暴露实验,检测蝌蚪暴露28和42 d时的体重和体长以及75％个体变态所需的时间.结果表明,蝌蚪在低剂量敌百虫水体中持续暴露,其生长发育受到明显抑制,并可导致蝌蚪身体扭曲、尾部强直性弯曲等畸型发生,蝌蚪的死亡率显著增高,作用强度呈现剂量和时间的累积效应.慢性暴露实验证明SC以下的敌百虫水体仍威胁着蝌蚪的生存.     

A landscape-scale framework to identify refugia from multiple stressors

From a conservation perspective, quantifying potential refugial capacity has been predominantly focused on climate refugia, which is critical for maintaining the persistence of species and ecosystems. However, protection from other stressors, such as human-induced changes in fire and hydrology, that cause habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation is also necessary to ensure that conservation efforts focused on climate are not undermined by other threats. Thus, conceptual and methodological advances for quantifying potential refugia from multiple anthropogenic stressors are important to support conservation efforts. We devised a new conceptual approach, the domains of refugia, for assessing refugial capacity that identifies areas where exposure to multiple stressors is low. In our framework, patterns of environmental variability (e.g., increased frequency of warm summers), thresholds of resilience, and extent and intensity of stressors are used to identify areas of potential refugia from a suite of ongoing anthropogenic stressors (e.g., changes in fire regime). To demonstrate its utility, we applied the framework to a Southern California landscape. Sites with high refugial capacity (super-refugia sites) had on average 30% fewer extremely warm summers, 20% fewer fire events, 10% less exposure to altered river channels and riparian areas, and 50% fewer recreational trails than the surrounding landscape. Our results suggest that super-refugia sites (∼8200 km²) for some natural communities are underrepresented in the existing protected area network, a finding that can inform efforts to expand protected areas. Our case study highlights how considering exposure to multiple stressors can inform planning and practice to conserve biodiversity in a changing world.