Wildlife conservation in the cultural landscapes of the central Andes

The inhabited areas of the central Andean highlands are cultural landscapes, long dominated by land uses associated with subsistence agriculture. The wildlife remaining in these landscapes includes rare and endangered species, useful species, and those that can cause economic losses to local residents. Despite a general lack of relevant scientific investigations, it is important that wildlife concerns be included in rural development and nature reserve projects. This is best done by a three-prong approach that (1) improves the coverage, protection, and management of national parks and nature reserves; (2) integrates the control and management of wildlife into development projects focused on Andean communities; and (3) promotes species-specific programs that target endangered, useful or nuisance species of special concern.     

Heavy metal pollution in the Chao Phraya River estuary, Thailand

A study on heavy metal pollution in the Chao Phraya River estuary indicated that the accumulation of Cd, Cu, Cr and Pb in water in the river mouth vicinity was significant, which may have a long term impact on the aquatic environment through precipitation of heavy metals to the bottom sediments and bio-accumulation and bio-magnification of heavy metals in various food chains. Although the seasonal and spatial variations of heavy metals in the sediments and fish did not conform to a definite pattern, the heavy metal contents of samples were higher than those previously reported in the area and in some cases were higher than the mean world concentrations. Thus, Thai people may ingest Hg and Pb in fish in the Chao Phraya River estuary at quantities more than those reported for other countries.     

Comparison of next-generation portable pollution monitors to measure exposure to PM2.5 from household air pollution in Puno,Peru

Assessment of personal exposure to PM_2.5 is critical for understanding intervention effectiveness and exposure-response relationships in household air pollution studies. In this pilot study, we compared PM_2.5 concentrations obtained from two next-generation personal exposure monitors (the Enhanced Children MicroPEM or ECM; and the Ultrasonic Personal Air Sampler or UPAS) to those obtained with a traditional Triplex Cyclone and SKC Air Pump (a gravimetric cyclone/pump sampler). We co-located cyclone/pumps with an ECM and UPAS to obtain 24-hour kitchen concentrations and personal exposure measurements. We measured Spearmen correlations and evaluated agreement using the Bland-Altman method. We obtained 215 filters from 72 ECM and 71 UPAS co-locations. Overall, the ECM and the UPAS had similar correlation (ECM ρ = 0.91 vs UPAS ρ = 0.88) and agreement (ECM mean difference of 121.7 µg/m³ vs UPAS mean difference of 93.9 µg/m³) with overlapping confidence intervals when compared against the cyclone/pump. When adjusted for the limit of detection, agreement between the devices and the cyclone/pump was also similar for all samples (ECM mean difference of 68.8 µg/m³ vs UPAS mean difference of 65.4 µg/m³) and personal exposure samples (ECM mean difference of −3.8 µg/m³ vs UPAS mean difference of −12.9 µg/m³). Both the ECM and UPAS produced comparable measurements when compared against a cyclone/pump setup.     

Heavy metal behaviour in peat - A mineralogical perspective

The mineralogical composition of a 40 cm subsurface layer of transitional mire ‘Bagno Bruch’ (southern Poland) polluted with atmospheric dust was studied using scanning electron microscopy. The mire is located 9 km to the east of a zinc smelter on the northern limit of industrial Upper Silesia in southern Poland. Concentrations of zinc, lead and cadmium reach values of 494, 238 and 16 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, in the peat layer.Inorganic particles in the peat were grouped into two main categories based on their origin: air dust particles of anthropogenic- and natural sources, and authigenic minerals that originated within the mire. Anthropogenic particles comprise an important part of the inorganic particles in the peat. As they are typically enriched in heavy metals, their stability is critical to controlling metal mobilities. Spheroidal aluminosilicate fly-ash particles are the most common- and most stable anthropogenic pollutants. Partially dissolved Pb-bearing particles (sulphides, chlorides and oxides) and ZnS occur as trace components throughout the peat profile. The prolonged existence of the particles made them susceptible to gravitational relocation in the peat and limits the biogeochemical cycling of the constituent elements. The least resistant Fe (hydro)oxides release Zn and minor amounts of Mn, Mg and Sn due to reductive dissolution. The released Zn is immobilized in the form of ZnS spherules, 1-3 μm in diameter, approximately 10 cm further down in the profile.The investigation shows that the behaviour of trace elements in polluted peatland is controlled by mineral dissolution/precipitation processes. The formation of authigenic minerals (ZnS, barite, gypsum) indicates complex redox conditions and element redistribution in the transitional mire.     

山西省河流底泥重金属污染现状研究

通过对山西省内主要河流的某些河段的河道底泥进行抽样调查,分析了山西省河流水质现状,研究了各河段底泥中重金属分布特征及污染情况,以期为城市河道沉积物的污染防治提供重要的决策依据。     

Effects of dimethoate on spiders from metal pollution gradient

In this study, an attempt has been made to assess whether a chronic exposure to metals in habitats under a strong industrial pressure might have equipped spiders with biochemical defensive mechanisms enabling them to survive an additional chemical stress. To check this, non-web-building wolf spiders Pardosa lugubris (Lycosidae) and funnel web Agelena labyrinthica (Agelenidae) were collected at five variously polluted meadows and, under laboratory conditions, intoxicated with either single or multiple dose of dimethoate (OP pesticide). Then the activities of detoxifying (carboxylesterase: CarE, glutathione S-transferase: GST), antioxidative (selene-dependent and selene-independent glutathione peroxidases: GPOX and GSTPx) enzymes as well as acetylcholinesterase as a biomarker of exposure to OP pesticides were measured. In web-building A. labyrinthica, even a single application of the pesticide caused the inhibition of CarE, GSTPx and GPOX in individuals from less polluted sites and AChE and GST in specimens pre-exposed to high metal concentrations. Multiple intoxication, irrespectively of the site, caused significant, in comparison to controls, decrease in CarE, AChE and GSTPx activities. Actively hunting P. lugubris seem more resistant to acute pesticide intoxication, since the spiders from each site had a constant level of GST and AChE. In individuals of this species from heavily polluted sites, the inhibition caused by multiple intoxication with dimethoate was stated only for glutathione peroxidases.     

Heavy metal pollution associated with mining activity in the Kouh-e Zar region,NE Iran

The Kouh-e Zar mining area is located in the central part of the “Khaf–Bardaskan” volcanic-plutonic zone, NE Iran. Mining activity has resulted in pollution of soil and water resources by potentially toxic elements including arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), antimony (Sb), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn). In this study, the major source of heavy metal pollution and elucidating the probable environmental risks associated with this area were determined by quantifying pollution in soils and water resources. Concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn in the Kouh-e Zar mining area varied in the range of 5–470, 33–442, 25–5125, 81.15–12,096.27 and 55–4210 mg/kg, respectively. The geo-accumulation index for Cd in all samples was extremely high (I_geo > 5) and the enrichment factor also shows an extremely high amount (EF > 40), both representing evidence for highly polluted soil in the area. However, the coefficients of aqueous migration (K_x) of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn were K_x < 0.1, so they are classified as “least mobile and inert” grade. Also, the heavy metals tend to remain in soil (solid environment). Cluster analysis (CA) determined the lithogenic origin for Zn, Cu, Cr and Cd, and the anthropogenic origin (mining activity) for Pb in the soils of the mining area. The concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in water are controlled by free Fe and Mn oxy-hydroxide content in the soils. Both water–rock interaction and mining activity have contributed to pollution in the area.

     

Heavy metal accumulation in the periwinkle Littorina littorea, along a pollution gradient in the Scheldt estuary

Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometry (ICP-AES) was used to determine heavy metal concentrations in the shells and soft tissues of the periwinkle Littorina littorea, collected at seven sites along the Scheldt estuary. Several metals accumulate in the animals soft body parts, and are related to the seawards decreasing pollution gradient. No clear correlation with a previously detected shell size patterning could be established.     

医院中央空调环境污染健康危险度评价方法的研究

以通用的危险度评价方法为基础,结合医院中央空调环境污染物每增高一单位所产生的健康损失,并对环境污染物浓度变化所致的健康影响进行定量评估。提出了医院中央空调环境健康危险度评价流程图,以及估计由医院中央空调环境污染造成的超死亡数或超病例数的计算公式。采用本方法可对我国医院中央空调环境污染改善措施的优先选用和效果作出健康效益的评定。     

太原市北中环交通噪声及扬尘污染问题的防治

以太原市双塔北路与北中环交叉口为例,从运营初期存在的噪声污染、扬尘污染两个方面分析了形成污染的原因及影响噪声大小的各种因素,通过与相关规范要求对比,揭示了防治的必要性,提出了加强施工控制、种植隔音林带、设置交通管理标识、安装隔音玻璃等防治措施。     

豫西阳平河流域地下水重金属污染研究

在外业取样及室内测试分析的基础上,研究了黄河流域某地区地下水中Cr,Cd,Cu,Zn,Pb和Ni六种重金属的含量特征,并采用综合累积指数法,分析评价了六种重金属的污染程度,结果表明,研究区内地下水中Zn,Pb,Cr6+,As超标,污染率达到46.7%,重金属含量超标。     

Traffic-related air pollution and cardiovascular mortality in central Taiwan

In this study, the relationship between cardiovascular mortality and traffic-related air pollutants (NO₂, CO, PM₁₀, and six volatile organic compounds (VOCs), propane, iso-butane, propylene, benzene, meta-, para-, and ortho-xylenes) was investigated. The concentrations of NO₂, PM₁₀ and CO from 1993 to 2006 were measured at a fixed-site air monitoring station, and VOC data from 2003 to 2006 were obtained from a photochemical assessment monitoring site in an urban area in central Taiwan. Outcome variables were data on mortality due to cardiovascular diseases (ICD-9-CM 410-411, 414, 430-437) from 1993 to 2006. Cardiovascular mortality averaged 1.5 cases, ranging between 0 and 9 cases per day. Daily air pollution levels ranged from 0.5 to 80.5 ppb for NO₂ and from 0.1 to 3.8 ppm for CO. From the subset of data from 2003 to 2006, daily average values ranged from 0.6 to 17.5 ppb for propane, 0.3 to 6.7 ppb for iso-butane, 0.3 to 6.7 ppb for propylene, 0.2 to 3.8 ppb for benzene, 0.3 to 26.0 ppb for m,p-xylene, and 0.02 to 7.6 ppb for o-xylene. Poisson generalized additive model was used to estimate the effects of elevated air pollutant levels on daily mortality, adjusting for meteorological conditions and temporal trends. Single-pollutant model showed that cardiovascular mortality was significantly associated with NO₂ lagged 2 days, and with propane, iso-butane, and benzene lagged 0 day. The relative risk for an interquartile range increase in air pollutant levels was 1.053 for NO₂, 1.064 for propane, 1.055 for iso-butane, and 1.055 for benzene. In conclusion, daily cardiovascular mortality showed association with data on acute exposure to traffic air pollutants in Taichung, which is an important factor to consider in studying cardiovascular mortality in urban environments.     

Use of numerical taxonomy for comparison of metal pollution in the environment

Numerical taxonomy has been applied to explain the behaviour of macroconstituents (Na, K, Ca, Mg) and heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd) in different ecological sections (mollucs, plants, rain, drv deposition, soils, airborne dust, lixiviates through soils, springs) in the industrialized area near Bilbao (Spain). Distances based on correlation coefficients and mean Euclidean distances have been used for drawing dendrograms of metals and sections. Three types of effects may be distinguished, due to potassium, other macrocomponents (Na, Ca, Mg) and heavy metals as a result of the accumulation of these constituents in specific sections of the environment.     

Heavy metal pollution status in surface sediments of the coastal Bohai Bay

Bohai Bay, the second largest bay of Bohai Sea, largely due to the huge amount of pollutants discharged into it annually and its geohydrologic condition, is considered to be one of the most polluted marine areas in China. To slow down, halt and finally reverse the environmental deterioration of Bohai Sea, some researchers have proposed to connect it with Jiaozhou Bay in the western coast of Southern Yellow Sea by digging an interbasin canal through Shandong Peninsula. In order to assess the heavy metal pollution and provide background information for such a large geoengineering scheme, surface sediments from 42 stations covering both riverine and marine regions of the northwestern coast of Bohai Bay were analyzed for heavy metal content and fractionation (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn). Three empirically derived sediment quality guidelines were used to assess the pollution extent of these metals. The studied metals had low mobility except for Cd at all stations and Zn at some riverine stations. Although a high mobility of Cd was observed, it could hardly cause a bad effect on the environment owing to its low total concentrations. Anthropogenic influence on the accumulation of studied heavy metals in sediments of Bohai Bay was obvious, but their contents were relatively lower to date comparing with some other marine coastal areas that receive important anthropogenic inputs. Taking as a whole, surface sediments of northwestern Bohai Bay had a 21% probability of toxicity based on the mean effects range-median quotient.     

Planting Design in the Ecuadorian Andes: Memory,Resilience, and Re-Connection

Modern cities are constantly growing and evolving. This expansion of urban development bleeds into the surrounding landscapes, causing the displacement and disturbance of native plant and animal species to remote areas where topography limits human access. As a result, metropolitan areas often become gray places with low biodiversity, elevated temperatures, poor air quality, flood issues, and lack of a local identity. Quito, Ecuador is one of the cities facing this important challenge. Perched high in the Andes, Quito is a place of great biodiversity, nevertheless the constructed landscapes are dominated by introduced species due to colonization and to the lack of availability of native species in the nursery trade. This article walks through the creation of a native nursery in Quito and the implementation of initial trial plots, a green roof, and a garden. It explains the discoveries made during the process and provides directions for future goals to reintroduce native plant species into urban environments and contemporary landscapes in order to create more sustainable cities. The goal is to help people reconnect with their natural heritage and to learn about native plants to ensure the continuity of ancestral knowledge of the natural world for future generations.     

山西省重金属污染场地的原位修复研究

在对山西省重金属污染情况及土质特征研究的基础上,分析了各种场地重金属修复的典型技术,提出了适宜本地重金属修复的技术方法,主要包括:固化/稳定化、纳米零价铁原位修复技术、淋洗法、化学萃取、低温热脱附、高温热脱附、植物修复,指出重金属污染场地的修复工作在环境治理中的重要性。     

基于大数据分析的矿区土壤重金属污染评价

通过以矿区土壤重金属污染评价作为主要研究对象,采用大数据分析技术,在结合具体调查矿区实际情况的基础上,建立相应的矿区土壤重金属污染评价模型。并对评价结果进行分析,可知评价矿区土壤重金属污染情况对落实矿区生态保护工作,维护整体生态系统以及人体健康安全具有重要意义。结果显所建立的单因子污染指数模型、综合污染指数模型以及污染负荷指数模型与潜在生态危害模型,得出的评价结果基本一致。在该矿区土壤中存在严重的重金属污染,包括Cd污染、Cu污染以及轻微的Ni等污染。相比于矿区周边区域,采场中的污染问题更为严重,因此需要在矿区后续工作中加大生态修复力度,重点加强对Cd污染与Cu污染的防治处理。     

Land-use versus natural controls on soil fertility in the Subandean Amazon, Peru

Deforestation to amplify the agricultural frontier is a serious threat to the Amazon forest. Strategies to attain and maintain satisfactory soil fertility, which requires knowledge of spatial and temporal changes caused by land-use, are important for reaching sustainable development. This study highlights these issues by evaluating the relative effects of agricultural land-use and natural factors on chemical fertility of Inceptisols on redbed lithologies in the Subandean Amazon. Macro and micronutrients were determined in topsoil and subsoil in the vicinity of two villages at a total of 80 sites including pastures, coffee plantations, swidden fields, secondary forest and, as a reference, adjacent primary forest. Differences in soil fertility between the land cover classes were investigated by principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares regression (PLSR). Primary forest soil was found to be chemically similar to that of coffee plantations, pastures and secondary forests. There were no significant differences between soils of these land cover types in terms of plant nutrients (e.g. N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mo, Mn, Zn, Cu and Co) or other fertility indicators (OM, pH, BS, EC, CECe and exchangeable acidity). The parent material (as indicated by texture and sample geographical origin) and the slope of the sampled sites were stronger controls on soil fertility than land cover type. Elevated concentrations of a few nutrients (NO₃ and K) were, however detected in soils of swidden fields. Despite being fertile (higher CECe, Ca and P) compared to Oxisols and Ultisols in the Amazon lowland, the Subandean soils frequently showed deficiencies in several nutrients (e.g. P, K, NO₃, Cu and Zn), and high levels of free Al at acidic sites. This paper concludes that deforestation and agricultural land-use has not introduced lasting chemical changes in the studied Subandean soils that are significant in comparison to the natural variability.     

Heavy metal pollution of soils affected by the Guadiamar toxic flood

Total heavy metal concentrations were determined in soil samples of seven selected areas along the Guadiamar river valley affected by the toxic flood, after removal of the deposited sludge. Mean total concentrations of nine elements (As, Au, Bi, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, Tl and Zn) out of the 23 (As, Au, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, In, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sc, Sn, Th, Tl, U, V, Y and Zn) analysed were higher in sludge-covered soils than in unaffected soils. Mean values of total As, Au, Pb, Sb, Tl and Zn in sludge-affected soils were higher than the upper limits for normal soils world-wide. Mean concentrations of Bi, Cd and Cu were within these ranges, although some individual values exceeded the upper limits. In all sampling areas, severe heavy metal pollution was observed in the superficial layers (0-20 cm) of most of the affected soils, which decreased downward in the soil profile. Generally, in soils with more than 25% of clay, concentration of heavy metals below the 20-cm depth decreased to values close to those of the background level of the Guadiamar valley soils, while in coarser soils, heavy metal pollution penetrated below this depth, being noticeable down to a depth of at least 50-80 cm.     

The Posidonia oceanica marine sedimentary record: A Holocene archive of heavy metal pollution

The study of a Posidonia oceanica mat (a peat-like marine sediment) core has provided a record of changes in heavy metal abundances (Fe, Mn, Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, As and Al) since the Mid-Holocene (last 4470 yr) in Portlligat Bay (NW Mediterranean). Metal contents were determined in P. oceanica. Both, the concentration records and the results of principal components analysis showed that metal pollution in the studied bay started ca. 2800 yr BP and steadily increased until present. The increase in Fe, Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn and As concentrations since ca. 2800 yr BP and in particular during Greek (ca. 2680-2465 cal BP) and Roman (ca. 2150-1740 cal BP) times shows an early anthropogenic pollution rise in the bay, which might be associated with large- and short-scale cultural and technological development. In the last ca. 1000 yr the concentrations of heavy metals, mainly derived from anthropogenic activities, have significantly increased (e.g. from ~ 15 to 47 μg g^− 1 for Pb, ~ 23 to 95 μg g^− 1 for Zn and ~ 8 to 228 μg g^− 1 for As). Our study demonstrates for the first time the uniqueness of P. oceanica meadows as long-term archives of abundances, patterns, and trends of heavy metals during the Late Holocene in Mediterranean coastal ecosystems.