Characteristics that make trophy hunting of giant pandas inconceivable

In November 1928, Theodore Jr. and Kermit Roosevelt led an expedition to China with the expressed purpose of being the first Westerners to kill the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The expedition lasted 8 months and resulted in the brothers shooting a giant panda in the mountains of Sichuan Province. Given the concurrent attention in the popular press describing this celebrated expedition, the giant panda was poised to be trophy hunted much like other large mammals around the world. Today, however, the killing of giant pandas, even for the generation of conservation revenue, is unthinkable for reasons related to the species itself and the context, in time and space, in which the species was popularized in the West. We found that the giant panda's status as a conservation symbol, exceptional charisma and gentle disposition, rarity, value as a nonconsumptive ecotourism attraction, and endemism are integral to the explanation of why the species is not trophy hunted. We compared these intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics with 20 of the most common trophy-hunted mammals to determine whether the principles applying to giant pandas are generalizable to other species. Although certain characteristics of the 20 trophy-hunted mammals aligned with the giant panda, many did not. Charisma, economic value, and endemism, in particular, were comparatively unique to the giant panda. Our analysis suggests that, at present, exceptional characteristics may be necessary for certain mammals to be excepted from trophy hunting. However, because discourse relating to the role of trophy hunting in supporting conservation outcomes is dynamic in both science and society, we suspect these valuations will also change in future.     

Study of the dispersion of VOCs emitted by a municipal solid waste landfill

The dispersion of VOCs emitted by a municipal solid waste landfill was studied for a period of over one year. Sixteen VOCs were monitored: linear alkanes from C₇ to C₁₁, BTEX, trimethylbenzene, trichlorethylene, tetrachlorethylene, α and β-pinenes, limonene. The analytical procedure was first comprised of static long-term sampling of about 2 months using radial diffusion Radiello tubes containing activated carbon, followed by extraction by solvent (i.e. CS₂) and GC/MS analysis. The results were initially analysed on the basis of the total concentration of the quantified VOCs, then by examining the concentrations of certain selected compounds. The influence of different parameters such as operating conditions, meteorological conditions and site morphology was highlighted on the basis of total VOC concentrations. In order to study the VOC's dispersion more closely, 5 compounds were chosen: toluene, benzene, limonene, and the sum trichlorethylene + tetrachlorethylene, as a “marker”, to verify the origin of the VOCs emitted. The results showed that the main source of VOCs is the open cell and lead to different hypotheses on interferences from neighbouring sources and to the proposal of solutions to limit the emission of VOCs and their dispersion. To our knowledge, this type of study has not been accomplished until this day.     

Ozone pre-treatment as improver of PAH removal during anaerobic digestion of urban sludge

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are ubiquitous persistent pollutants. They may accumulate in sludge during wastewater treatment because of their low biodegradability and their hydrophobic characteristics. Combination of ozonation and anaerobic digestion may be efficient to remove PAHs naturally present in sludge. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of ozone pre-treatment, with and without surfactant addition, on the anaerobic degradation of 12 PAHs (from low to high molecular weight). Under anaerobic digestion without ozonation pre-treatment, the highest removals were obtained for the lightest PAHs (3-aromatic rings). Ozonation pre-treatment of sludge allowed to increase biodegradability or bioavailability of each PAH, and the PAH removals were well correlated to the PAH solubility. Finally, addition of tyloxapol before sludge ozone pre-treatment had antagonist effects on PAH removal during anaerobic digestion: negative impact on anaerobic ecosystem activity and improvement of PAH bioaccessibility (particularly the PAHs with the highest octanol water partition coefficients).     

1985 Update,Operating History and Current Status of Fabric Filters in the Utility Industry

Stringent particulate emissions limits and increasing awareness of stack opacity is leading the utility industry to use high efficiency particulate control systems. In response to this trend, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is conducting several research programs aimed at improving the operation, maintenance and performance of particulate control systems. One of these programs, RP-1401, “Reliability Assessment of Particulate Control Systems,” is developing operation, maintenance and design data bases for both electrostatic precipitators and fabric filters. This paper discusses some of the intermediate findings of the work done on fabric filters.     

Complex reproductive cycle inEucheilota paradoxica (Hydrozoa: Leptomedusae): Medusae,polyps and frustules produced from medusa stage

Eucheilota paradoxica Mayer, 1900 is a small leptomedusa unknown in the Mediterranean Sea until 1977. Since then, it has become endemic and occurs in great abundance in autumn in the bay of Villefranche-sur-mer. Since no sexual stages have ever been collected, either from the Atlantic Ocean or from the Mediterranean Sea, we decided to investigate the still unknown life cycle of this species. Specimens were obtained in the bay of Villefranche-sur-mer from plankton hauls between 0 and 50 m depth during October and November 1986. At temperatures >18°C, the medusa reproduces intensively by asexual medusal budding (one young medusa liberated per two days). This asexual reproduction explains the rapid proliferation of the species and the origin of the large population every autumn. In cultures maintained at temperatures <18°C, two other reproduction modes, not yet reported in a leptomedusa, were observed: (1) At 16° to 17°C, frustules bud along the canals; these frustules are dormant, giving rise to a small polyp when the temperature increases once more above 18°C. (2) At temperatures close to 15°C each medusa, in place of the gonads, differentiate into one or two polyps; these polyps develop progressively, concomitant with gradual regression of the mother medusa.