Environmental Pollution

Succession of soil fauna during the composting the empty fruit bunches (EFB) of oil palm were studied. The research was conducted in a plastic house and the EFB taken from PTPN VII Rejosari. The fauna was enumerated by wet sieving methods. The results showed that The abundance of macro fauna, meso fauna, and micro fauna were changed over time during the composting process of EFB. Meso fauna was preferred and dominated to growth and decomposed EFB at the beginning of composting periods followed by meso fauna at the middle time, and micro fauna at the end of composting. The macro fauna abundance were dominated by beetles, caterpillars, diploda, coleoptera, and thysanoptera, while meso fauna were dominated by collembola, and acarina, and micro fauna were dominated by naked amoeba, flagellates, and ciliata

Рецензенти: М. О. Барановський, доктор географічних наук, професор, завідувач кафедри географії Ніжинського державного університету імені М.В. Гоголя. О. В. Браславська, доктор педагогічних наук, професор, завідувач кафедри географії та методики її навчання Уманського державного педагогічного університету імені Павла Тичини. Ю. О. Кисельов, доктор географічних наук, професор, завідувач кафедри геодезії, картографії та кадастру Уманського національного університету садівництва. К67 Корнус А. О. Навчальна практика з географічних дисциплін : навч.-метод. посіб. / А. О. Корнус, О. Г. Корнус, С. І. Сюткін, О. С. Данильченко; за загальною ред. А. О. Корнуса. Суми : СумДПУ імені А. С. Макаренка, 2018. 100 с.

В данной статье рассматривается применение различных моделей к решению задачи детекции товаров различных брендов на изображении. Проведен сравнительный анализ наиболее эффективных и широко применяемых нейросетевых архитектур Faster R-CNN (ResNet50/101), SSD и YOLO. Полученные результаты подтверждают эффективность применения архитектуры Faster R-CNN к любым выборкам изображений. Однако нужно отметить ресурсоемкость таких архитектур и их непригодность для решения задач, в котором важным критерием эффективности является время выполнения анализа. Модели SSD и YOLO, хотя и не дают преимуществ при детекции объектов малых и средних размеров, могут успешно применяться в составе мобильных систем детекции, ограниченных в своих аппаратных возможностях. Кроме этого, данные нейросетевые архитектуры выполняют обработку быстрее Faster R-CNN и могут рассматриваться как базовые модели для детекции и сегментации фото- и видеоизображений в реальном времени

Данная статья носит обзорный характер и ориентирована на основные парадигмы обучения нейронных сетей, которые используются в настоящее время при проектировании интеллектуальных систем. В работе проведен анализ и рассмотрены следующие концепции обучения: обучение с учителем, подкрепляющее обучение и обучение без учителя. Для обучения без учителя рассматривается алгоритм обратного распространения ошибки и его основные модификации. Приведены математические выражения для модификации синаптических связей многослойного персептрона и вычисления шага обучения. В качестве подкрепляющего обучения в работе рассматривается адаптивное эвристическое управление (АНС) и Q-обучение. Приводятся основные выражения для подкрепляющего обучения. Рассмотрены правила изменения синаптических связей для основных методов обучения без учителя. Это правило Хебба, конкурентное обучение и правило Ойя

В предлагаемой статье обсуждается возможность применения нейронных сетей в задачах обработки хаотических сигналов. Обсуждены вопросы анализа временных рядов, идентификации хаотического поведения, предсказания и динамической реконструкции. Рассмотрены основные аспекты обработки хаотических временных рядов, такие как определение параметров вложения, вычисление спектра показателей Ляпунова, предсказание хаотических данных как на уровне единичных отсчетов ряда, так и в масштабе сохранения динамической структуры в фазовом пространстве. Приведено сравнение традиционных и нейросетевых методов для решения представленных задач

GOLOVKO V. A., MIKHNO E. V., BRICH A. L., MIKHNYAEV A. L., VOYTSEKHOVICH L. Yu., MATYUSHKOV A. L. The reduced svertochny neural network for exact recognition of hand-written figuresВ данной статье рассматривается сверточная нейронная сеть для распознавания рукописных цифр. Разработана упрощенная архитектура сверточной нейронной сети, которая позволяет классифицировать рукописные цифры с точностью 99.29% (ошибка тестирования 0.71%), что является лучшим результатом в классе неглубоких (shallow) сверточных нейронных сетей

The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States. The designation employed and the presentation of material on any map in this work do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. This publication has been externally edited.

Monitoring soil pollution is a key aspect in sustainable management of contaminated land but there is often debate over what should be monitored to assess ecological risk. Soil pore water, containing the most labile pollutant fraction in soils, can be easily collected in situ offering a routine way to monitor this risk. We present a compilation of data on concentration of trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in soil pore water collected in field conditions from a range of polluted and non-polluted soils in Spain and the UK during single and repeated monitoring, and propose a simple eco-toxicity test using this media. Sufficient pore water could be extracted for analysis both under semi-arid and temperate conditions, and eco-toxicity comparisons could be effectively made between polluted and non-polluted soils. We propose that in-situ pore water extraction could enhance the realism of risk assessment at some contaminated sites.

Three methods for predicting element mobility in soils have been applied to an iron-rich soil, contaminated with arsenic, cadmium and zinc. Soils were collected from 0 to 30 cm, 30 to 70 cm and 70 to 100 cm depths in the field and soil pore water was collected at different depths from an adjacent 100 cm deep trench. Sequential extraction and a column leaching test in the laboratory were compared to element concentrations in pore water sampled directly from the field. Arsenic showed low extractability, low leachability and occurred at low concentrations in pore water samples. Cadmium and zinc were more labile and present in higher concentrations in pore water, increasing with soil depth. Pore water sampling gave the best indication of short term element mobility when field conditions were taken into account, but further extraction and leaching procedures produced a fuller picture of element dynamics, revealing highly labile Cd deep in the soil profile.

Application of green waste compost (GWC) to brownfield land is now common practice in soil restoration. However, previous studies have demonstrated both beneficial and detrimental effects on arsenic and metal mobility. In this paper, trace element behaviour was investigated following GWC application, either as surface mulch to, or mixed into soil from a previously described brownfield site in the U.K. Significant differences in arsenic mobility were observed between treatments. Mulching caused most disturbance, significantly increasing soil pore water As, together with Fe, P, Cr, Ni and dissolved organic carbon, the latter was a critical factor enhancing As mobilization. Arsenate was the main inorganic As species in soil pore water, increasing in concentration over time. An initial flush of potentially more toxic arsenite decreased 4 weeks after compost application. Biological processes appeared to play an important role in influencing As mobility. The results point to the necessity for careful management of Ascontaminated soils.

Nearly a century of metal deposition adjacent to a metal refinery in Prescot, north-west England has led to highly elevated metal levels in soils at a dominantly Acer pseudoplatanus woodland, but with incongruously and perplexingly few detrimental effects on trees. Dispersal and speciation of Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb and Ni in soil was found to be extremely variable, but spatial patterns of metals were inter-related and also related to soil pH and soil organic matter. These soil variables were all generally higher in soil directly beneath trees than in soil between trees, and were particularly high beneath the spreading canopy of Aesculus hippocastanum. It is argued that this heterogeneous dispersal and availability of metals in soils may explain the survival of mature trees and the successful establishment of seedlings within the woodland Differing speciation and mobility has allowed high disappearance rates of metals since recent closure of the refinery, which may result in soil recovery at a faster rate than previously thought.

High levels of trace metals in urban community garden soils pose human health risk due to the potential exposure through the ingestion of crops grown in contaminated soil and other exposures. This study assesses eight trace metal and metalloids (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) in a total of 54 soil samples collected from nine community gardens across Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2022 using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). There was a strong correlation between XRF and ICP-MS measurement (R 2 > 0.8) for all elements except V. When the mean concentration of trace elements at each of the gardens was compared against the most stringent standard, none of the gardens had exceedances for Pb, Cd, and V. One specific garden had exceedances for Cr, Ni, Zn, and As. About 15% of soil samples had Pb concentrations exceeding 100 mg/kg. Mean Pb concentration measured by ICP-MS was 53.7 ± 40.2 mg/kg and 72.7 ± 53.7 mg/kg in raised bed and ground soil, respectively. It is important to conduct regular soil testing at community gardens in the areas with industrial activities. In addition, use of raised-bed with new soil and safe gardening practices, such as the use of gloves and changing clothes before entering homes, can help to reduce exposure.

Several factors can contribute to the ecological degradation of stream catchments following urbanization, but it is often difficult to separate their relative importance. We isolated the impact of polluted sediment on the condition of an urban stream in Melbourne, Australia, using two complementary approaches. Using a rapid bioassessment approach, indices of stream condition were calculated based on macroinvertebrate field surveys. Urban stream reaches supported impoverished macroinvertebrate communities, and contained potentially toxic concentrations of heavy metals and hydrocarbons. Using a field microcosm approach, a bioassay was carried out to assess sediment pollution effects on native macroinvertebrates. Sediment from urban sites substantially altered the microcosm macroinvertebrate community, most likely due to elevated heavy metal and hydrocarbon concentrations. Macroinvertebrate surveys combined with a bioassay approach based on field microcosms can help isolate the effect of stream pollutants in degraded ecosystems.

Introduction: Genotoxic biomarkers have been studied largely in adult population, but few studies so far have investigated them in children exposed to air pollution. Children are a high-risk group as regards the health effects of air pollution and some studies suggest that early exposure during childhood can play an important role in the development of chronic diseases in adulthood. The objective of the project is to evaluate the associations between the concentration of urban air pollutants and biomarkers of early biological effect in children, and to propose a model for estimating the global risk of early biological effects due to air pollutants and other factors in children. Methods and analysis: Two biomarkers of early biological effects, DNA damage by the comet assay and the micronuclei (MN) test, will be investigated in oral mucosa cells of 6-8-year-old children. Concurrently, some toxic airborne pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and nitro-PAH) and in vitro air mutagenicity and toxicity in ultra-fine air particulates (PM0.5) will be evaluated. Furthermore, demographic and socioeconomic variables, other sources of exposures to air pollutants and lifestyle variables will be assessed by a structured questionnaire. The associations between sociodemographic, environmental and other exposure variables and biomarkers of early biological effect using univariate and multivariate models will be analysed. A tentative model for calculating the global absolute risk of having early biological effects caused by air pollution and other variables will be proposed. The project has been approved by the Ethics Committees of the local Health Authorities. The results will be communicated to local Public Health Agencies, for supporting educational programmes and health policy strategies. LIFE+2012 Environment Policy and Governance. LIFE12 ENV/IT/ 000614.

Particulate matter (PM) is considered an atmospheric pollutant that mostly affects human health. The finest fractions of PM (PM 2.5 or less) play a major role in causing chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the genotoxic effects of PM 0.5 collected in five Italian towns using different bioassays. The role of chemical composition on the genotoxicity induced was also evaluated. The present study was included in the multicentre MAPEC_LIFE project, which aimed to evaluate the associations between air pollution exposure and early biological effects in Italian children. PM 10 samples were collected in 2 seasons (winter and spring) using a high-volume multistage cascade impactor. The results showed that PM 0.5 represents a very high proportion of PM 10 (range 10e63%). PM 0.5 organic extracts were chemically analysed (PAH s , nitro-PAH s ) and tested by the comet assay (A549 and BEAS-2B cells), MN test (A549 cells) and Ames test on Salmonella strains (TA100, TA98, TA98NR and YG1021). The highest concentrations of PAHs and nitro-PAHs in PM 0.5 were observed in the Torino, Brescia and Pisa samples in winter. The Ames test showed low mutagenic activity. The highest net revertants/m 3 were observed in the Torino and Brescia samples (winter), and the mutagenic effect was associated with PM 0.5 (p < 0.01), PAH and nitro-PAH (p < 0.05) concentrations. The YG1021 strain showed the highest sensitivity to PM 0.5 samples. No genotoxic effect of PM 0.5 extracts was observed using A549 cells except for some samples in winter (comet assay), while BEAS-2B cells showed light DNA damage in the Torino, Brescia and Pisa samples in winter, highlighting the higher sensitivity of BEAS-2B cells, which was consistent with the Ames test (p < 0.01). The results obtained showed that it is important to further investigate the finest fractions of PM, which represent a relevant percentage of PM 10 , taking into account the chemical composition and the biological effects induced.

The study aimed at assessing the elemental concentrations of heavy metal that are potentially harmful to the people and the environment in the soils along major highways within Azare metropolis. The heavy metals concentration Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Zinc in the soils samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Azare is located in Bauchi State in Northern Nigeria, with coordinates 11°40'27″N and 10°11'28″E at an elevation of 436 meters. This study revealed that Cadmium concentration varied from 0.11-0.93 mg/kg with a mean value of 0.57 mg/kg, Chromium (Cr) concentration ranged from 37.14-110.48 mg/kg with a mean of 76.79 mg/kg while Lead (Pb) 29.23-95.27 mg/kg with an average value of 56.67 mg/kg. Zinc (Zn) concentration ranged from 15.43-60.6 mg/kg with an average of 36.95 mg/kg. These concentrations are in following order: Cd < Zn < Pb <Cr. The mean value concentrations of all the heavy metals studied were below the permissible limit recommended by WHO (1996). Pollution indices which are contamination factor (CF) and pollution load index were also computed from measured concentration of heavy metals. The results revealed that based on the CF classification, all the studied were ranked as having low contamination levels because the pollution load index (PLI) for all soils studied showed no sign of pollution, PLI <1) and that the study area was not contaminated with regard to the selected heavy metals.

Different contaminated soil samples were collected from the long-standing Enyigba-Abakaliki lead and zinc mine, Nigeria, during the harmattan or dry season and analysed for their contents of the heavy metals zinc, lead, cadmium, and copper. The heavy metal concentration of the soils were as high or higher than in other contaminated soils. There was a strong correlation between the density and the pH of the soils. Mean soil density was 1.18 g/ml and the pH was 6.01. The leaves of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) collected from the mine were analysed for zinc, lead, and cadmium. There was no strong association between the accumulation of the elements in rice and the corresponding soils. The uptake of Cd by rice leaves was greater than the content of Cd in the corresponding soils. The highest Zn, Pb, and Cd uptake of rice leaves compared to soil content was respectively, 0.732, 0.103, and 3.27.

The city of Aldama, Chihuahua, Mexico is located 30 km NNE of Chihuahua city. Three high-volume collectors with PM 10 heads were placed in specific locations in Aldama during the year 2011 to measure radioisotope concentrations in the air. The city area of 16 km 2 was divided into 64 squares of 500 × 500 m. At the vertices of the grid, silt samples were taken between January and June 2011, before the rains began. The concentrations of natural, cosmogenic, and anthropogenic radioactive isotopes were calculated in both filters and silts samples. The isotopes selected for the measurement were 238 U, 232 Th, 7 Be, 137 Cs, and 40 K. Measurements of PM 10 and silts were performed during 2011, coinciding with the accident at Fukushima, Japan, on March 11. For this reason, we could see the 137 Cs in PM 10 increase between April and July; with the arrival of the rains, the 137 Cs concentration began to decrease in the air. The concentration of PM 10 measured by the equipment located at the Mexican Uranium plant (URAMEX, initials in Spanish) that was processing radioactive ores exceeded the standard values in February and March, when the air velocity increases. At City Hall, the concentration of PM 10 surpassed the value of the standard between May and July. This increased concentration is likely due to increased automobile traffic because City Hall is located in the city center. At a private home, the concentration of PM 10 surpassed the standard on several days during the year because the home is located on the outskirts of the city, where most of the streets are not paved. Due to the high concentrations of PM 10 , especially at the collection point located at the private home, it is necessary to start taking steps to mitigate their spread before they cause health problems in the younger population and in older adults. Implications: The radioisotope content found in the PM 10 confirms that the decision to place the Mexican Uranium plant (URAMEX, initials in Spanish) processing radioactive ores near the town of Aldama was not well thought out. Because the monitoring work was carried out in 2011 and coincided with the Fukushima accident, an increased concentration of 137 Cs could be detected in the PM 10 . We made recommendations to the municipal authorities of the city to mitigate the concentration of particles in the air.

In the east coast Peninsular Malaysia region, sediments are transported by several rivers from the east Malaysia into the South China Sea estuary. In the vicinity of the five river estuaries core sediments were collected in order to investigate rare earth elements (REEs) profile. Core sediments were divided into strata of between 2 to 4 cm intervals and prepared for analyzing by ICP-AES. REE concentrations of 54.3 μg/gr at 24-26 cm in EC4 increased to 114.1 μg/gr at 20-22 cm in EC5. The measured concentration of LREEs and Fe normalized enrichment factors indicated that sediments were not enriched with light rare earth elements derived from effluents of anthropogenic activities. Results of the total concentration were used to establish baseline data in environmental pollution assessment and to develop the correlations between the Ce/Ce* and Eu/Eu* anomalies and the distribution patterns of some light rare earth elements (LREEs) and the heavy rare earth elements (HREEs). The chondrite-normalized ratios of REEs showed LREEs enrichment and flat HREE depletion.

People, organisations and governments face a combination of inter-related challenges, global risks and existential threats. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) the outlook for environmental risks over the next decade is alarming, with the top four global risks in terms of severity of impact all being environmental. This Theme Paper explores areas on the agenda of the 26th International Conference on Environment Management and Climate Change. It suggests issues and questions that directors, speakers, and other participants might wish to consider ahead of the event and discuss with their peers, and highlights developments since last year’s event. Areas covered include: confronting rather than avoiding realities; environment management challenges; transition planning and corporate boards; climate change related finance; climate change anxiety, deniers and opponents; green and sustainable growth; from fragmented approaches to integrated strategies; clean energy and infrastructure for a sustainable future; innovation, digital and other technologies; pollution and water management; business, policy and climate leadership; and confronting multiple challenges. Boards and companies must cope and survive, with global challenges, risks and existential threats that may be denied or ignored by key players and ensure collaboration efforts are pursued to enhance collective capability to address them. It is questionable whether there is sufficient bandwidth to maintain order and cope with a combination of catastrophic events occurring simultaneously.

This paper presents 10 recommendations for improving the European Medicines Agency’s guidance for environmental risk assessment of human pharmaceutical products. The recommendations are based on up-to-date, available science in combination with experiences from other chemical frameworks such as the REACH-legislation for industrial chemicals. The recommendations concern: expanding the scope of the current guideline; requirements to assess the risk for development of antibiotic resistance; jointly performed assessments; refinement of the test proposal; mixture toxicity assessments on active pharmaceutical ingredients with similar modes of action; use of all available ecotoxicity studies; mandatory reviews; increased transparency; inclusion of emission data from production; and a risk management option. We believe that implementation of our recommendations would strengthen the protection of the environment and be beneficial to society. Legislation and guidance documents need to be upda...

The development objectives of the project are to assist the Borrower in: (a) reducing industrial pollution in targeted Industrial Enterprises; and (b) strengthening the monitoring and enforcement capabilities of the MOE. Has the Project Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project? Yes No Component Name Component Cost

Nanocrystals of magnesium oxide react with organophosphorus compounds at room temperature by dissociative chemisorption, which we term ™destructive adsorption∫. This process involves cleavage of PÀO and PÀF bonds (but not PÀC bonds) and immobilization of the resultant molecular fragments. These ultrafine powders have unusual crystalline shapes and possess high surface concentrations of reactive edge/corner and defect sites, and thereby display higher surface reactivity, normalized for surface area, than typical polycrystalline material. This high surface reactivity coupled with high surface area allows their use for effective decontamination of chemical warfare agents and related toxic substances. Herein data is presented for paraoxon, diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), and (CH 3 CH 2 O) 2 P(O)CH 2 -SC 6 H 5 (DEPTMP). Solid-state NMR and IR spectroscopy indicate that all OR and F groups dissociate; this leaves bound ÀPO 4 , ÀF, and ÀOR groups for paraoxon, DFP, and DEPTMP, respectively. For paraoxon, it was shown that one monolayer reacts. For DEPTMP, the OR groups dissociate, but not the PÀCH 2 SC 6 H 5 group. The nanocrystalline MgO reacts much faster and in higher capacity than typical activated carbon samples, which physisorb but do not destructively adsorb these phosphorous compounds.

of the transfer of 234 U and 238 U during water-rock interactions in the Cammenellis granite (Cornwall, England) and implications for the interpretation of field data. Applied Radiation and Isotopes. V. 54 pp. 977-994. CETESB. Guia de coleta e preservação de amostras de água. 1987. São Paulo.

Noise pollution with the increased entertainment facilities especially in the touristic cities, has been turned out to be one of the major problems that impact the quality of life all over the world. Antalya is the most prominent tourism center in Turkey with its historical places, beaches and crowded entertainment areas. Entertainment life in Antalya is more dynamic and versatile than an usual touristic city with beaches parties, hotel discos, wedding ceremonies and night clubs. Emphasis in this paper is placed on conducting computer simulation using the SoundPLAN 7.3 to assess the noise exposure levels sourced by above 600 entertainment facilities such as discos, bars and pubs etc. in the city center of Antalya. The levels of entertainment noise exposure in the city was calculated according to the European Noise Directive. Almost all of the entertainment places located at the sea side, therefore the most affected population from the entertainment noise live close to these regions....

Marine and coastal pollution plays an increasingly important role due to recent severe accidents which drew attention to the consequences of oil spills causing widespread devastation of marine ecosystems. All these problems cannot be solved without conducting environmental studies in the area of possible oil spill and performing chemometric evaluation of the data obtained looking for similar patterns among pollutants and optimize environmental monitoring during eventual spills and possible remediation actionswhat is the aim of the work presented. Following the chemical and ecotoxicological studies self-organising maps technique has been applied as a competitive learning algorithm based on unsupervised learning process. Summarizing it can be stated that biotests enable assessing the impact of complex chemical mixtures on the organisms inhabiting particular ecosystems. Short and simple application of biotests cannot easily explain the observable toxicity without more complex chemometric evaluation of datasets obtained describing dependence between xenobiotics and toxicological results.

The aim of this study was to investigate the behaviour trends of the harmful to human health persistent organic pollutants in the Rila Mountains‘ atmosphere. Passive air monitoring was carried out at Basic Ecological Observatory Moussala, Bulgaria, during the period of three years. PAHs naphthalene (1482.99 ng sample-1), biphenyl (533.14 ng sample-1), phenantrene (384.10 ng sample-1) and fluorene (293.04 ng sample-1) have highest concentrations, followed by organochlorine pesticides (DDTs, HCHs) and PCBs. A mathematical model of the data set was made using an artificial neural network. Clear positive correlation in PCB 118, PCB 138, PCB 180 and o,p’-DDT, d-HCH, PER, p,p’-DDT, p,p’-DDD as well as HCB behavior was observed. The variation in atmospheric load with POPs during identical time periods of two consecutive years could be attributed to significant differences in advection during the both selected time intervals.

Effects of photochemical and microbial degradation on variations in composition and molecular-size of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from different sources (algal and soil) and the subsequent influence on Cu(II) binding were investigated using UVeVis, fluorescence excitation-emission matrices coupled with parallel factor analysis, flow field-flow fractionation (FlFFF), and metal titration. The degradation processes resulted in an initial rapid decline in the bulk dissolved organic carbon and chromophoric and fluorescent DOM components, followed by a small or little decrease. Specifically, photochemical reaction decreased the aromaticity, humification and apparent molecular weights of all DOM samples, whereas a reverse trend was observed during microbial degradation. The FlFFF fractograms revealed that coagulation of both protein-and humic-like DOM induced an increase in molecular weights for algal-DOM, while the molecular weight enhancement for allochthonous soil samples was mainly attributed to the self-assembly of humic-like components. The Cu(II) binding capacity of algal-derived humic-like and fulvic-like DOM consistently increased during photo-and bio-degradation, while the soil-derived DOM exhibited a slight decline in Cu(II) binding capacity during photo-degradation but a substantial increase during microbial degradation, indicating source-and degradation-dependent metal binding heterogeneities. Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated that the Cu(II) binding potential was mostly related with aromaticity and molecular size for allochthonous soil-derived DOM, but was regulated by both DOM properties and specific degradation processes for autochthonous algal-derived DOM. This study highlighted the coupling role of inherent DOM properties and external environmental processes in regulating metal binding, and provided new insights into metal-DOM interactions and the behavior and fate of DOM-bound metals in aquatic environments.

The emission factors for indoor straw combustion are a major data gap for estimating the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions in China. The emission factors for open‐fire straw burning were borrowed from our previous study and a rough estimate was developed. As one of the most important emission sources in China, the emission factors for indoor straw combustion needed to be determined and revised accurately. In this study, a representative straw in rural China was collected and burned in similar conditions with those used by countryside families. The smoke produced was sampled and the PAH concentrations were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass selective detection (GC‐MSD), and much higher emission factors were found. Based on the newly measured emission factors, the emission amount from indoor straw combustion was updated. In addition, recently published emission factors were compiled in a comprehensive database and some new sources were included. Additionally, the emissi...

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Modern advances in nonlinear modeling have exposed that nonlinear models yield more robust results compared with linear models. Research on the effect of air-railway transportation on environmental pollution has now arrived into a new way of asymmetry analysis and captured the real issue among the nexus. This study aims to inspect the asymmetric impact of air-railway transportation on environmental pollution in Pakistan by using annual time series data from 1991 to 2019. The findings show that positive shock in air passenger carried and railway passenger carried increases carbon emissions, which implies that 1% increase in air passenger carried (railway passenger carried) enhances environmental pollution by 0.21% (0.32%) in long run in Pakistan. While positive shock in railway passengers carried increases environmental pollution and negative shock in railway passengers carried decreases the environmental pollution in the short run. The outcomes have also confirmed the short-and long-run asymmetries in Wald statistics. The findings are country-specific and it would be regionally specific.

This study scrutinizes the asymmetry phenomenon in environmental regulation- clean energy and environmental quality nexus in China. The study adopts the time series nonlinear ARDL approach proposed by Shin et al. (2014), which separates positive shocks from negative shocks to environmental regulation. Our findings reveal that there is evidence of asymmetry in the environmental regulation- clean energy nexus in China in the short and long run, while asymmetry holds in direction and magnitude in short-run and only in magnitude in long run over the period of study. We find that the response of environmental quality to environmental regulation shocks differs in magnitude and direction in the only long run. The asymmetries exist in clean consumption and CO2 emissions findings, Thus China should revise the policies of energy and environment.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of rice husk ash and ash rice straw against physical and mechanical characteristics of the bricks, and also to determine the minimal burning time in the manufacture of clay bricks with additional ingredients such waste to achieve physical and mechanical characteristics bricks in accordance with standard bricks. Variations of burning time is 12 hours, 18 hours, 24 hours, and 30 hours. While the variation of rice husk ash and rice straw ash is 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. The bricks were tested based on physical and mechanical characteristics. Physical characteristics include specific gravity test, fuel and shrinkage porosity test. While the mechanical characteristics are compressive strength test. Based on these results, it was found that all the bricks compressive strength test in accordance with ISO standards SK-S-04-1989-F, which is entering grade 25 and 50. The density is smaller than the standard that is 1.8 to 2.6 g / cm3. Test...

The concentration of trace elements in tissues of several animals collected in the Ha Nam province, approximately 40 km south of Hanoi, Vietnam, has been investigated using total-reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis. We find that the freshwater mussel is probably the optimal choice of biomonitor for the pollution situation in Vietnam, but the freshwater crab, the toad and the catfish are also good candidates. The krait is probably also well suited for this purpose. It is shown that since several elements show a more or less pronounced accumulation tendency in a particular tissue it can be of great use to determine the levels in different tissues. When selecting an organism to be used as a biomonitor, other factors besides the mere concentration of trace elements must be considered, for instance the abundance and feeding habits.

Recent years have seen a rise in interest in biosurfactants, which are surface-active compounds produced by microorganisms that affect surfaces, particularly the surface tension of liquid-vapor interfaces. Due to their ability to emulsify and solubilize hydrophobic compounds as result of their amphipathic nature, biosurfactants are useful in degradation of hydrocarbon and are therefore applicable in oil spill management. Because they are biodegradable, have low toxicity, work well at high or low pH levels, and are more environmentally friendly than their chemical equivalents, biosurfactants have merits over their chemical counterparts. Biosurfactants are adaptable materials with a wide range of uses in the biodegradation and bioremediation of environmental contaminants. In addition, they have uses in pharmaceutical, food, and other industries. The continuous interest in biosurfactants results from these benefits and their vast variety of applications. Hydrophobic pollutants such as hydrocarbons and their derivatives are the major environmental issues due to their poor degradation but the use of biosurfactants can enhance their microbial degradation. When microorganisms try to use substrates like hydrocarbon as a source of carbon, they produce a variety of compounds called biosurfactants that help the diffusion into the cell. This review discusses the roles of these microbial products as veritable tools in environmental management with particular emphasis on the roles of biosurfactants in the sanitation of petroleum pollution and bioremediation of soils contaminated by pesticides.

The impact of pollution caused by severe anthropogenic pressure in the Mediterranean Sea, an important biodiversity hotspot, requires continuous research efforts. Sources of highly toxic chemicals such as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are misunderstood in representative Mediterranean species, which limits our capability to establish proper conservation strategies. In the present study, eggs of Audouin&#39;s and yellow-legged gulls (Larus audouinii and L. michahellis) were used to investigate the trophic sources, as measured by δ(13)C, δ(15)N, and δ(34)S, of legacy POPs, in particular, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) and non-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (no-PCBs), as well as recently-regulated POPs, e.g., polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Special attention was paid to the usefulness of rarely-explored δ(34)S ratios in explaining POP exposure in wildlife, and δ(34)S was the isotopic ratio that best explained POP variations among gulls in most cas...

Introduction The Stockholm Convention (SC) on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from POPs. These highly toxic chemicals remain in the environment for long periods, and are bioaccumulative and ubiquitous since they undergo long-rate transport. The SC, which was adopted in 2001 and entered into force in 2004, requires Parties to take measures to eliminate or reduce the release of POPs into the environment. Spain, as a member State, ratified it in 2004 1 . The main objective of the Spanish Monitoring Programme is to establish a national monitoring network able to characterize the current status and temporal trends of POPs and in turn to evaluate the effectiveness of measures taken to reduce POP emissions

Chlorinated pesticides and metabolites (CPs) were quantified in the seabird species: little auk (Alle alle), Bru ¨nnich's guillemot (Uria lomvia), black guillemot (Cepphus grylle) and black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla). The purpose was to evaluate avian accumulation of selected CPs based on their concentrations and relative patterns, their relation to dietary descriptors (stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen), to enzymes involved in biotransformation, as well as CPs' accumulation potential relative to the recalcitrant polychlorinated biphenyl PCB-153. In all species, the CP pattern was dominated by p,p 0 -dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDE) and hexachlorbenzene (HCB). Except for HCB, concentrations were not related to trophic position. Most CPs were quantified in black guillemot, indicating a slower elimination compared to other seabird species. Bru ¨nnich's guillemot showed efficient elimination of chlordanes, whereas the opposite was found for little auk. Kittiwake showed higher accumulation of persistent CP and metabolites than auks, whereas accumulation of less recalcitrant CPs was low.

Chronic exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in wildlife might alter the response to environmental changes through interference with the regulation of stress hormones. Here, we examined the relationship between blood concentrations of several POPs and baseline plasma corticosterone levels in the black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) during three distinct periods in the breeding season. The concentrations of POPs and corticosterone increased, whereas body mass decreased progressively from the pre-laying period to the incubation and the chick rearing period. P PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) correlated positively with the baseline corticosterone levels during the pre-laying period, which might suggest that PCBs affect the regulation of corticosterone. However, this relationship was not found during the incubation or the chick rearing period. Possible explanations are discussed with emphasis on how total stress/allostatic load is handled during different periods and conditions.

Trophic transfer of Hg across lakes within a region has been related to multiple environmental factors, but the nature of these relationships across distinct basins within individual large lakes is unknown. We investigated Hg bioaccumulation in zooplankton in basins of differing trophic status in Lake Champlain (Vermont, USA) to determine the strongest predictors of Hg bioaccumulation. Zooplankton were sampled in Malletts Bay (oligotrophic) and Missisquoi Bay (eutrophic) in [2005][2006][2007][2008]. Zooplankton in the eutrophic basin had lower concentrations of total Hg and MeHg than those in the oligotrophic basin in all years but 2007, when no bloom occurred in Missisquoi. In addition, Hg concentrations in seston and small zooplankton, sampled during 2009 at 12 sites spanning the lake, decreased with increasing phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass. Thus, Hg bioaccumulation in zooplankton across basins in Lake Champlain is related to trophic status, as observed previously in multiple lake studies.

Human development introduces anthropogenic noise sources into the environment across many elements of the modern terrestrial landscape, including roads, airports, military bases, and cities. The impacts of these introduced noise sources on wildlife are less well studied than many of the other effects human activities have on wildlife, the most well known of which are habitat fragmentation and the introduction of invasive species. A growing and substantial body of literature suggests, however, that noise impacts may be more important and widespread than previously imagined. 3 They range in effects from mild to severe. They can impact wildlife species at both the individual and population levels. The types of impacts run the gamut from damage to the auditory system, the masking of sounds important to survival and reproduction, the imposition of chronic stress and associated physiological responses, startling, interference with mating, and population declines. Anthropogenic noise is a global phenomenon, with the potential to affect wildlife across all continents and habitat types. Despite the widespread