2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) micropollutant herbicide removing from water using granular and powdered activated carbons: a comparison applied for water treatment and health safety

Abstract

Activated carbons are well-known porous materials as an effective adsorbent used for the removal of emerging contaminants, such as herbicides, which are increasingly present in water bodies. Most water treatment plants, specially in Brazil, are unable to completely remove such contaminants by the conventional process and advanced treatment using activated carbons is required. The aim of this paper was to verify the influence of the activated carbons granulometry and specific surface area on the 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) herbicide removal efficiency using distilled-deionized water and filtered water collected from a conventional Water Treatment Plant. Commercial activated carbons samples used in this work were obtained from two different manufacturers. Activated carbons were analyzed by the specific surface area, pore size and volume distribution, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared and x-ray spectroscopy, moisture, volatile matter and ash contents. Batch adsorption isotherms experiments were used and performed by Langmuir and Freundlich models. Granular and powdered activated carbons removed over 99% of 2,4-D in distilled water and near to 99% using filtered water. The activated carbons evaluated in this work presented high performance and played a key role in water treatment by removing 2,4-D herbicide, ensuring the protection of human health and the ecosystem.     

Efficacy of extracting indices from large‐scale acoustic recordings to monitor biodiversity

Passive acoustic monitoring could be a powerful way to assess biodiversity across large spatial and temporal scales. However, extracting meaningful information from recordings can be prohibitively time consuming. Acoustic indices (i.e., a mathematical summary of acoustic energy) offer a relatively rapid method for processing acoustic data and are increasingly used to characterize biological communities. We examined the relationship between acoustic indices and the diversity and abundance of biological sounds in recordings. We reviewed the acoustic‐index literature and found that over 60 indices have been applied to a range of objectives with varying success. We used 36 of the most indicative indices to develop a predictive model of the diversity of animal sounds in recordings. Acoustic data were collected at 43 sites in temperate terrestrial and tropical marine habitats across the continental United States. For terrestrial recordings, random‐forest models with a suite of acoustic indices as covariates predicted Shannon diversity, richness, and total number of biological sounds with high accuracy (R² ≥ 0.94, mean squared error [MSE] ≤170.2). Among the indices assessed, roughness, acoustic activity, and acoustic richness contributed most to the predictive ability of models. Performance of index models was negatively affected by insect, weather, and anthropogenic sounds. For marine recordings, random‐forest models poorly predicted Shannon diversity, richness, and total number of biological sounds (R² ≤ 0.40, MSE ≥ 195). Our results suggest that using a combination of relevant acoustic indices in a flexible model can accurately predict the diversity of biological sounds in temperate terrestrial acoustic recordings. Thus, acoustic approaches could be an important contribution to biodiversity monitoring in some habitats.     

Perceived barriers to and drivers of community participation in protected‐area governance

Protected areas (PAs) are a frequently used conservation strategy, yet their socioeconomic impacts on local communities remain contentious. A shift toward increased participation by local communities in PA governance seeks to deliver benefits for human well‐being and biodiversity. Although participation is considered critical to the success of PAs, few researchers have investigated individuals’ decisions to participate and what this means for how local people experience the costs and benefits of conservation. We explored who participates in PA governance associations and why; the perceived benefits and costs to participation; and how costs and benefits are distributed within and between communities. Methods included 3 focus groups, 37 interviews, and 217 questionnaire surveys conducted in 3 communities and other stakeholders (e.g., employees of a nongovernmental organization and government officials) in PA governance in Madagascar. Our study design was grounded in the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the most commonly applied behavior model in social psychology. Participation in PA governance was limited by miscommunication and lack of knowledge about who could get involved and how. Respondents perceived limited benefits and high costs and uneven distribution of these within and between communities. Men, poorer households, and people in remote villages reported the highest costs. Our findings illustrate challenges related to comanagement of PAs: understanding the heterogeneous nature of communities; ensuring all households are represented in governance participation; understanding differences in the meaning of forest protection; and targeting interventions to reach households most in need to avoid elite capture.     

Effects of age and sex ratios on offspring recruitment rates in translocated black rhinoceros

Success of animal translocations depends on improving postrelease demographic rates toward establishment and subsequent growth of released populations. Short‐term metrics for evaluating translocation success and its drivers, like postrelease survival and fecundity, are unlikely to represent longer‐term outcomes. We used information theory to investigate 25 years of data on black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) translocations. We used the offspring recruitment rate (ORR) of translocated females—a metric integrating survival, fecundity, and offspring recruitment at sexual maturity—to detect determinants of success. Our unambiguously best model (AICω = 0.986) predicted that ORR increases with female age at release as a function of lower postrelease adult rhinoceros sex ratio (males:females). Delay of first postrelease reproduction and failure of some females to recruit any calves to sexual maturity most influenced the pattern of ORRs, and the leading causes of recruitment failure were postrelease female death (23% of all females) and failure to calve (24% of surviving females). We recommend translocating older females (≥6 years old) because they do not exhibit the reproductive delay and low ORRs of juveniles (<4 years old) or the higher rates of recruitment failure of juveniles and young adults (4–5.9 years old). Where translocation of juveniles is necessary, they should be released into female‐biased populations, where they have higher ORRs. Our study offers the unique advantage of a long‐term analysis across a large number of replicate populations—a science‐by‐management experiment as a proxy for a manipulative experiment, and a rare opportunity, particularly for a large, critically endangered taxon such as the black rhinoceros. Our findings differ from previous recommendations, reinforce the importance of long‐term data sets and comprehensive metrics of translocation success, and suggest attention be shifted from ecological to social constraints on population growth and species recovery, particularly when translocating species with polygynous breeding systems.     

Prenatal diagnosis of Harlequin ichthyosis presenting as distal arthrogryposis using three-dimensional ultrasound

We describe a case of Harlequin Icthyosis where the main 2D and 3D ultrasound findings were digital contractures as opposed to the more commonly described severe facial dysmorphisms. A prenatal finding of distal arthrogryposis can therefore include harlequin icthyosis as a differential diagnosis, where 3D ultrasound may then disclose the facial features more commonly associated with the condition. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

阳离子型微乳液一亚硫酸钠光度法测定α-TNT

以阳离子型微乳液ＣＰＣ／正戊醇／正已烷／水为介质，进行了α－ＴＮＴ－Ｎａ２ＳＯ３分光光度法的研究（ε＝３．０６５×１０４Ｌ·ｍｏｌ－１·ｃｍ－１）与以ＣＰＣ为介质（ε＝２．６４４×１０４Ｌ·ｍｏｌ－１·ｃｍ－１）比较，测定灵敏度明显提高，α－ＴＮＴ在０．０５～２０μｇ／ｍＬ范围内符合比耳定律．相对标准偏差０．１９７％．该法成功地应用于污染土壤中及合成水样中α－ＴＮＴ的测定．     

天然水中痕量磷酸根、亚砷酸根和砷酸根的浮膜分光光度法测定

本文研究了孔雀绿与磷（砷）酸钼的离子对膜的形成条件。并依此与共存元素分离，进行痕量磷酸根、亚砷酸根和砷酸根的浮膜分光光度法测定。选用硫酸为介质，考察了25种共存离子对测定的影响。拟定了天然水中痕量磷酸根、亚砷酸根和砷酸根的分析方法．操作简便，结果令人满意。     

4-氯苯酚在水溶液中的光化学反应(Ⅱ)反应的动力学研究

研究了在模拟太阳光和紫外光作用下，４氯苯酚（４ＣＰ）的光反应动力学．研究表明，紫外光的作用更为显著．４ＣＰ的反应速率与４ＣＰ起始浓度、ｐＨ值，金属离子浓度、富里酸浓度等因素有关．通入空气，能够加速４ＣＰ降解．     

灭幼脲(Ⅲ)在模拟大气条件下光解行为的研究

研究了灭幼脲(Ⅲ)在模拟大气条件下的光解行为,测定了在不同气氛环境中灭幼脲(Ⅲ)的反应速率.结果表明,灭幼脲(Ⅲ)在氮气及空气中的光解为一级反应,其反应速率常数分别为:0.00703h~(-1)和0.0109h~(-1);在氧气中近似二级反应,其速率常数为0.00445h~(-1)(mg/g)~(-1).其主要光解产物为:对氯苯胺,对氯苯基异氰酸酯,邻氯苯甲酰胺,对氯苯基脲和N—(邻氯苯甲酰基)对氯苯胺.根据产物组成,建议了可能的反应历程.     

溢油海水环境化学行为的研究

海上溢油风化过程的研究是预测海上溢油归宿和影响的重要基础。溢油指示物（或指标）对溢油鉴别而言，就是如何选择那些能表征溢油图谱指纹的数据处理信息点，以便于准确地辨别溢油来源，气相色谱法（ＧＣ－ＦＩＤ）是一种快速有效的方法。文中从溢油指示物和海水环境化学指标的角度对溢油海水环境化学行为进行了研究，得出了溢油的指示物和海水环境化学的变化特征。