1
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Flores BM, Montoya E, Sakschewski B, Nascimento N, Staal A, Betts RA, Levis C, Lapola DM, Esquível-Muelbert A, Jakovac C, Nobre CA, Oliveira RS, Borma LS, Nian D, Boers N, Hecht SB, Ter Steege H, Arieira J, Lucas IL, Berenguer E, Marengo JA, Gatti LV, Mattos CRC, Hirota M. Critical transitions in the Amazon forest system. Nature 2024; 626:555-564. [PMID: 38356065 PMCID: PMC10866695 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06970-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The possibility that the Amazon forest system could soon reach a tipping point, inducing large-scale collapse, has raised global concern1-3. For 65 million years, Amazonian forests remained relatively resilient to climatic variability. Now, the region is increasingly exposed to unprecedented stress from warming temperatures, extreme droughts, deforestation and fires, even in central and remote parts of the system1. Long existing feedbacks between the forest and environmental conditions are being replaced by novel feedbacks that modify ecosystem resilience, increasing the risk of critical transition. Here we analyse existing evidence for five major drivers of water stress on Amazonian forests, as well as potential critical thresholds of those drivers that, if crossed, could trigger local, regional or even biome-wide forest collapse. By combining spatial information on various disturbances, we estimate that by 2050, 10% to 47% of Amazonian forests will be exposed to compounding disturbances that may trigger unexpected ecosystem transitions and potentially exacerbate regional climate change. Using examples of disturbed forests across the Amazon, we identify the three most plausible ecosystem trajectories, involving different feedbacks and environmental conditions. We discuss how the inherent complexity of the Amazon adds uncertainty about future dynamics, but also reveals opportunities for action. Keeping the Amazon forest resilient in the Anthropocene will depend on a combination of local efforts to end deforestation and degradation and to expand restoration, with global efforts to stop greenhouse gas emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo M Flores
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil.
| | - Encarni Montoya
- Geosciences Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Boris Sakschewski
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Arie Staal
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Richard A Betts
- Met Office Hadley Centre, Exeter, UK
- Global Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Carolina Levis
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
| | - David M Lapola
- Center for Meteorological and Climatic Research Applied to Agriculture, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Adriane Esquível-Muelbert
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Catarina Jakovac
- Department of Plant Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
| | - Carlos A Nobre
- Institute of Advanced Studies, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael S Oliveira
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Laura S Borma
- Division of Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerabilities (DIIAV), National Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Da Nian
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Niklas Boers
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
- Earth System Modelling, School of Engineering and Design, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Susanna B Hecht
- Luskin School for Public Affairs and Institute of the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hans Ter Steege
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Quantitative Biodiversity Dynamics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Julia Arieira
- Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | | | - Erika Berenguer
- Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - José A Marengo
- Centro Nacional de Monitoramento e Alerta de Desastres Naturais, São José dos Campos, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Natural Disasters, UNESP/CEMADEN, São José dos Campos, Brazil
- Graduate School of International Studies, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Luciana V Gatti
- Division of Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerabilities (DIIAV), National Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Caio R C Mattos
- Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Marina Hirota
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil.
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
- Group IpES, Department of Physics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil.
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2
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Mo L, Zohner CM, Reich PB, Liang J, de Miguel S, Nabuurs GJ, Renner SS, van den Hoogen J, Araza A, Herold M, Mirzagholi L, Ma H, Averill C, Phillips OL, Gamarra JGP, Hordijk I, Routh D, Abegg M, Adou Yao YC, Alberti G, Almeyda Zambrano AM, Alvarado BV, Alvarez-Dávila E, Alvarez-Loayza P, Alves LF, Amaral I, Ammer C, Antón-Fernández C, Araujo-Murakami A, Arroyo L, Avitabile V, Aymard GA, Baker TR, Bałazy R, Banki O, Barroso JG, Bastian ML, Bastin JF, Birigazzi L, Birnbaum P, Bitariho R, Boeckx P, Bongers F, Bouriaud O, Brancalion PHS, Brandl S, Brearley FQ, Brienen R, Broadbent EN, Bruelheide H, Bussotti F, Cazzolla Gatti R, César RG, Cesljar G, Chazdon RL, Chen HYH, Chisholm C, Cho H, Cienciala E, Clark C, Clark D, Colletta GD, Coomes DA, Cornejo Valverde F, Corral-Rivas JJ, Crim PM, Cumming JR, Dayanandan S, de Gasper AL, Decuyper M, Derroire G, DeVries B, Djordjevic I, Dolezal J, Dourdain A, Engone Obiang NL, Enquist BJ, Eyre TJ, Fandohan AB, Fayle TM, Feldpausch TR, Ferreira LV, Finér L, Fischer M, Fletcher C, Frizzera L, Gianelle D, Glick HB, Harris DJ, Hector A, Hemp A, Hengeveld G, Hérault B, Herbohn JL, Hillers A, Honorio Coronado EN, Hui C, Ibanez T, Imai N, Jagodziński AM, Jaroszewicz B, Johannsen VK, Joly CA, Jucker T, Jung I, Karminov V, Kartawinata K, Kearsley E, Kenfack D, Kennard DK, Kepfer-Rojas S, Keppel G, Khan ML, Killeen TJ, Kim HS, Kitayama K, Köhl M, Korjus H, Kraxner F, Kucher D, Laarmann D, Lang M, Lu H, Lukina NV, Maitner BS, Malhi Y, Marcon E, Marimon BS, Marimon-Junior BH, Marshall AR, Martin EH, Meave JA, Melo-Cruz O, Mendoza C, Mendoza-Polo I, Miscicki S, Merow C, Monteagudo Mendoza A, Moreno VS, Mukul SA, Mundhenk P, Nava-Miranda MG, Neill D, Neldner VJ, Nevenic RV, Ngugi MR, Niklaus PA, Oleksyn J, Ontikov P, Ortiz-Malavasi E, Pan Y, Paquette A, Parada-Gutierrez A, Parfenova EI, Park M, Parren M, Parthasarathy N, Peri PL, Pfautsch S, Picard N, Piedade MTF, Piotto D, Pitman NCA, Poulsen AD, Poulsen JR, Pretzsch H, Ramirez Arevalo F, Restrepo-Correa Z, Rodeghiero M, Rolim SG, Roopsind A, Rovero F, Rutishauser E, Saikia P, Salas-Eljatib C, Saner P, Schall P, Schelhaas MJ, Schepaschenko D, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Schmid B, Schöngart J, Searle EB, Seben V, Serra-Diaz JM, Sheil D, Shvidenko AZ, Silva-Espejo JE, Silveira M, Singh J, Sist P, Slik F, Sonké B, Souza AF, Stereńczak KJ, Svenning JC, Svoboda M, Swanepoel B, Targhetta N, Tchebakova N, Ter Steege H, Thomas R, Tikhonova E, Umunay PM, Usoltsev VA, Valencia R, Valladares F, van der Plas F, Van Do T, van Nuland ME, Vasquez RM, Verbeeck H, Viana H, Vibrans AC, Vieira S, von Gadow K, Wang HF, Watson JV, Werner GDA, Wiser SK, Wittmann F, Woell H, Wortel V, Zagt R, Zawiła-Niedźwiecki T, Zhang C, Zhao X, Zhou M, Zhu ZX, Zo-Bi IC, Gann GD, Crowther TW. Integrated global assessment of the natural forest carbon potential. Nature 2023; 624:92-101. [PMID: 37957399 PMCID: PMC10700142 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06723-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Forests are a substantial terrestrial carbon sink, but anthropogenic changes in land use and climate have considerably reduced the scale of this system1. Remote-sensing estimates to quantify carbon losses from global forests2-5 are characterized by considerable uncertainty and we lack a comprehensive ground-sourced evaluation to benchmark these estimates. Here we combine several ground-sourced6 and satellite-derived approaches2,7,8 to evaluate the scale of the global forest carbon potential outside agricultural and urban lands. Despite regional variation, the predictions demonstrated remarkable consistency at a global scale, with only a 12% difference between the ground-sourced and satellite-derived estimates. At present, global forest carbon storage is markedly under the natural potential, with a total deficit of 226 Gt (model range = 151-363 Gt) in areas with low human footprint. Most (61%, 139 Gt C) of this potential is in areas with existing forests, in which ecosystem protection can allow forests to recover to maturity. The remaining 39% (87 Gt C) of potential lies in regions in which forests have been removed or fragmented. Although forests cannot be a substitute for emissions reductions, our results support the idea2,3,9 that the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of diverse forests offer valuable contributions to meeting global climate and biodiversity targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidong Mo
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Constantin M Zohner
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Peter B Reich
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
- Institute for Global Change Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jingjing Liang
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Sergio de Miguel
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Joint Research Unit CTFC - AGROTECNIO - CERCA, Solsona, Spain
| | | | - Susanne S Renner
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Johan van den Hoogen
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Arnan Araza
- Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Herold
- Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics Section, Helmholtz GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Leila Mirzagholi
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Haozhi Ma
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Colin Averill
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Javier G P Gamarra
- Forestry Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy
| | - Iris Hordijk
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Devin Routh
- Central IT - Teaching and Research, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Meinrad Abegg
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Yves C Adou Yao
- UFR Biosciences, University Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Giorgio Alberti
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo, Italy
| | - Angelica M Almeyda Zambrano
- Spatial Ecology and Conservation Lab, Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | | | | | - Luciana F Alves
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Iêda Amaral
- National Institute of Amazonian Research, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Christian Ammer
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Clara Antón-Fernández
- Division of Forest and Forest Resources, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Ås, Norway
| | | | - Luzmila Arroyo
- Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
| | | | - Gerardo A Aymard
- Programa de Ciencias del Agro y el Mar, Herbario Universitario (PORT), UNELLEZ-Guanare, Portuguesa, Venezuela
- Compensation International Progress S. A. Ciprogress Greenlife, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Radomir Bałazy
- Department of Geomatics, Forest Research Institute, Sękocin Stary, Poland
| | - Olaf Banki
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jorcely G Barroso
- Centro Multidisciplinar, Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco, Brazil
| | - Meredith L Bastian
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jean-Francois Bastin
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | | | - Philippe Birnbaum
- Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien (IAC), Nouméa, New Caledonia
- AMAP, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Robert Bitariho
- Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, Mbarara University of Science & Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Pascal Boeckx
- Isotope Bioscience Laboratory - ISOFYS, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frans Bongers
- Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Pedro H S Brancalion
- Department of Forest Sciences, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | | | - Francis Q Brearley
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Roel Brienen
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Eben N Broadbent
- Spatial Ecology and Conservation Lab, Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Helge Bruelheide
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Filippo Bussotti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forest (DAGRI), University of Firenze, Florence, Italy
| | - Roberto Cazzolla Gatti
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Ricardo G César
- Department of Forest Sciences, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Goran Cesljar
- Department of Spatial Regulation, GIS and Forest Policy, Institute of Forestry, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Robin L Chazdon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- Tropical Forests and People Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Han Y H Chen
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chelsea Chisholm
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hyunkook Cho
- Division of Forest Resources Information, Korea Forest Promotion Institute, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Emil Cienciala
- IFER - Institute of Forest Ecosystem Research, Jilove u Prahy, Czech Republic
- Global Change Research Institute CAS, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Connie Clark
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - David Clark
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Gabriel D Colletta
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - David A Coomes
- Conservation Research Institute, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - José J Corral-Rivas
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Ambientales, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, Mexico
| | - Philip M Crim
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Department of Physical and Biological Sciences, The College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY, USA
| | | | - Selvadurai Dayanandan
- Biology Department, Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - André L de Gasper
- Natural Science Department, Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Blumenau, Brazil
| | | | - Géraldine Derroire
- Cirad, UMR EcoFoG (AgroParisTech, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de la Guyane), Campus Agronomique, Kourou, French Guiana
| | - Ben DeVries
- Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Jiri Dolezal
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Aurélie Dourdain
- Cirad, UMR EcoFoG (AgroParisTech, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de la Guyane), Campus Agronomique, Kourou, French Guiana
| | | | - Brian J Enquist
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Teresa J Eyre
- Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Herbarium and Biodiversity Science, Toowong, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Tom M Fayle
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ted R Feldpausch
- Geography, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Leandro V Ferreira
- Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Coordenação de Ciências da Terra e Ecologia, Belém, Brazil
| | - Leena Finér
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Joensuu, Finland
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Lorenzo Frizzera
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele All'adige, Italy
| | - Damiano Gianelle
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele All'adige, Italy
| | | | | | - Andrew Hector
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andreas Hemp
- Department of Plant Systematics, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | | | - Bruno Hérault
- Cirad, UPR Forêts et Sociétés, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Department of Forestry and Environment, National Polytechnic Institute (INP-HB), Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - John L Herbohn
- Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Annika Hillers
- Centre for Conservation Science, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Sandy, UK
- Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, Liberia Office, Monrovia, Liberia
| | | | - Cang Hui
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Theoretical Ecology Unit, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Thomas Ibanez
- AMAP, Univ. Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Nobuo Imai
- Department of Forest Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Andrzej M Jagodziński
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland
- Department of Game Management and Forest Protection, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Bogdan Jaroszewicz
- Faculty of Biology, Białowieża Geobotanical Station, University of Warsaw, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Vivian Kvist Johannsen
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carlos A Joly
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Tommaso Jucker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Ilbin Jung
- Division of Forest Resources Information, Korea Forest Promotion Institute, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Viktor Karminov
- Forestry Faculty, Mytischi Branch of Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Mytischi, Russian Federation
| | - Kuswata Kartawinata
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Elizabeth Kearsley
- CAVElab - Computational & Applied Vegetation Ecology, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - David Kenfack
- CTFS-ForestGEO, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
| | - Deborah K Kennard
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, CO, USA
| | - Sebastian Kepfer-Rojas
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gunnar Keppel
- UniSA STEM and Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Mohammed Latif Khan
- Department of Botany, Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Sagar, India
| | - Timothy J Killeen
- Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
| | - Hyun Seok Kim
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- National Center for Agro Meteorology, Seoul, South Korea
- Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - Michael Köhl
- Institute for World Forestry, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Henn Korjus
- Institute of Forestry and Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Florian Kraxner
- Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Dmitry Kucher
- Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Diana Laarmann
- Institute of Forestry and Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mait Lang
- Institute of Forestry and Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Huicui Lu
- Faculty of Forestry, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Natalia V Lukina
- Center for Forest Ecology and Productivity, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Brian S Maitner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Eric Marcon
- AgroParisTech, UMR-AMAP, Cirad, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Ben Hur Marimon-Junior
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, Brazil
| | - Andrew R Marshall
- Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
- Flamingo Land Ltd., Kirby Misperton, UK
| | - Emanuel H Martin
- Department of Wildlife Management, College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka, Tanzania
| | - Jorge A Meave
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Casimiro Mendoza
- Colegio de Profesionales Forestales de Cochabamba, Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | | | - Stanislaw Miscicki
- Department of Forest Management, Dendrometry and Forest Economics, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Cory Merow
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Abel Monteagudo Mendoza
- Jardín Botánico de Missouri, Oxapampa, Peru
- Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Cusco, Peru
| | - Vanessa S Moreno
- Department of Forest Sciences, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Sharif A Mukul
- Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Environment and Development Studies, United International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Philip Mundhenk
- Institute for World Forestry, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - María Guadalupe Nava-Miranda
- Instituto de Silvicultura e Industria de la Madera, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, Mexico
- Programa de Doctorado en Ingeniería para el Desarrollo Rural y Civil, Escuela de Doctorado Internacional de la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (EDIUS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - David Neill
- Universidad Estatal Amazónica, Puyo, Ecuador
| | - Victor J Neldner
- Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Herbarium and Biodiversity Science, Toowong, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Michael R Ngugi
- Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Herbarium and Biodiversity Science, Toowong, Queensland, Australia
| | - Pascal A Niklaus
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jacek Oleksyn
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland
| | - Petr Ontikov
- Forestry Faculty, Mytischi Branch of Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Mytischi, Russian Federation
| | | | - Yude Pan
- Climate, Fire, and Carbon Cycle Sciences, USDA Forest Service, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Alain Paquette
- Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Elena I Parfenova
- V. N. Sukachev Institute of Forest, FRC KSC, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation
| | - Minjee Park
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Marc Parren
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Pablo L Peri
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral (UNPA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Río Gallegos, Argentina
| | - Sebastian Pfautsch
- School of Social Sciences (Urban Studies), Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | | | - Daniel Piotto
- Laboratório de Dendrologia e Silvicultura Tropical, Centro de Formação em Ciências Agroflorestais, Universidade Federal do Sul da Bahia, Itabuna, Brazil
| | | | | | - John R Poulsen
- Global Change Research Institute CAS, Brno, Czech Republic
- The Nature Conservancy, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Hans Pretzsch
- Chair of Forest Growth and Yield Science, Department of Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute (iuFOR), University Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | | | - Zorayda Restrepo-Correa
- Servicios Ecosistémicos y Cambio Climático (SECC), Fundación Con Vida & Corporación COL-TREE, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Mirco Rodeghiero
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele All'adige, Italy
- Centro Agricoltura, Alimenti, Ambiente, University of Trento, San Michele All'adige, Italy
| | - Samir G Rolim
- Laboratório de Dendrologia e Silvicultura Tropical, Centro de Formação em Ciências Agroflorestais, Universidade Federal do Sul da Bahia, Itabuna, Brazil
| | - Anand Roopsind
- Center for Natural Climate Solutions, Conservation International, Arlington, VA, USA
| | - Francesco Rovero
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Tropical Biodiversity Section, MUSE - Museo delle Scienze, Trento, Italy
| | | | - Purabi Saikia
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, India
| | - Christian Salas-Eljatib
- Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
- Departamento de Gestión Forestal y su Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Peter Schall
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Dmitry Schepaschenko
- Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
- Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation
| | | | - Bernhard Schmid
- Remote Sensing Laboratories, Department of Geography, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Eric B Searle
- Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Vladimír Seben
- National Forest Centre, Forest Research Institute Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Josep M Serra-Diaz
- Université de Lorraine, AgroParisTech, INRAE, Silva, Nancy, France
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Douglas Sheil
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Anatoly Z Shvidenko
- Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | | | - Marcos Silveira
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco, Brazil
| | - James Singh
- Guyana Forestry Commission, Georgetown, French Guiana
| | - Plinio Sist
- Cirad, UPR Forêts et Sociétés, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Ferry Slik
- Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Bonaventure Sonké
- Plant Systematic and Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Higher Teachers' Training College, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Alexandre F Souza
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) & Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Miroslav Svoboda
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | | | - Nadja Tchebakova
- V. N. Sukachev Institute of Forest, FRC KSC, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation
| | - Hans Ter Steege
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Quantitative Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Raquel Thomas
- Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development (IIC), Georgetown, French Guiana
| | - Elena Tikhonova
- Center for Forest Ecology and Productivity, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Peter M Umunay
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Vladimir A Usoltsev
- Botanical Garden of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Ural State Forest Engineering University, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation
| | | | | | - Fons van der Plas
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tran Van Do
- Silviculture Research Institute, Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | | | | | - Hans Verbeeck
- CAVElab - Computational & Applied Vegetation Ecology, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Helder Viana
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, CITAB, UTAD, Quinta de Prados, Vila Real, Portugal
- Agricultural High School, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, IPV, Viseu, Portugal
| | - Alexander C Vibrans
- Natural Science Department, Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Blumenau, Brazil
- Department of Forest Engineering, Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Blumenau, Brazil
| | - Simone Vieira
- Environmental Studies and Research Center, University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Klaus von Gadow
- Department of Forest and Wood Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Hua-Feng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources, Ministry of Education, School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - James V Watson
- Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | | | - Susan K Wiser
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Florian Wittmann
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Institute of Geography and Geoecology, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | | | - Verginia Wortel
- Centre for Agricultural Research in Suriname (CELOS), Paramaribo, Suriname
| | - Roderik Zagt
- Tropenbos International, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Chunyu Zhang
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuhai Zhao
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Mo Zhou
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Zhi-Xin Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources, Ministry of Education, School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Irie C Zo-Bi
- Department of Forestry and Environment, National Polytechnic Institute (INP-HB), Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - George D Gann
- Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), Washington, DC, USA
| | - Thomas W Crowther
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland.
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Cole L, Helmcke C, Jenkins E. Promise of private finance is blocking peatland restoration. Nature 2023; 623:483. [PMID: 37964059 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-03539-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
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Swathes of Earth are turning into desert - but the degradation can be stopped. Nature 2023; 623:666. [PMID: 37989775 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-03621-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
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del Río-Mena T, Willemen L, Vrieling A, Snoeys A, Nelson A. Long-term assessment of ecosystem services at ecological restoration sites using Landsat time series. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0243020. [PMID: 34161335 PMCID: PMC8221468 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reversing ecological degradation through restoration activities is a key societal challenge of the upcoming decade. However, lack of evidence on the effectiveness of restoration interventions leads to inconsistent, delayed, or poorly informed statements of success, hindering the wise allocation of resources, representing a missed opportunity to learn from previous experiences. This study contributes to a better understanding of spatial and temporal dynamics of ecosystem services at ecological restoration sites. We developed a method using Landsat satellite images combined with a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) design, and applied this to an arid rural landscape, the Baviaanskloof in South Africa. Since 1990, various restoration projects have been implemented to halt and reverse degradation. We applied the BACI approach at pixel-level comparing the conditions of each intervened pixel (impact) with 20 similar control pixels. By evaluating the conditions before and after the restoration intervention, we assessed the effectiveness of long-term restoration interventions distinguishing their impact from environmental temporal changes. The BACI approach was implemented with Landsat images that cover a 30-year period at a spatial resolution of 30 meter. We evaluated the impact of three interventions (revegetation, livestock exclusion, and the combination of both) on three ecosystem services; forage provision, erosion prevention, and presence of iconic vegetation. We also evaluated whether terrain characteristics could partially explain the variation in impact of interventions. The resulting maps showed spatial patterns of positive and negative effects of interventions on ecosystem services. Intervention effectiveness differed across vegetation conditions, terrain aspect, and soil parent material. Our method allows for spatially explicit quantification of the long-term restoration impact on ecosystem service supply, and for the detailed visualization of impact across an area. This pixel-level analysis is specifically suited for heterogeneous landscapes, where restoration impact not only varies between but also within restoration sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trinidad del Río-Mena
- Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
- * E-mail: ,
| | - Louise Willemen
- Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Anton Vrieling
- Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | | | - Andy Nelson
- Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
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Ferse SCA, Hein MY, Rölfer L. A survey of current trends and suggested future directions in coral transplantation for reef restoration. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249966. [PMID: 33939716 PMCID: PMC8092780 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Coral transplantation has been used in reef restoration for several decades, but information on the type of projects, their scope, scale, and success is mostly limited to published scientific studies and technical reports. Many practitioners do not have the capacity to share their progress in peer-reviewed literature, yet likely have a wealth of information to share on how to improve the efficiency of transplantation efforts. In order to incorporate non-published data on coral transplantation projects and gain an overview of the general features of these projects, we conducted an initial systematic online survey of projects run by various practitioners. Surveyed projects (n = 50) covered most of the tropical belt and ranged in size from a few hundred transplanted corals to >5000 transplants. The most frequent source of coral fragments were corals already broken from some previous impact (“corals of opportunity”; 58% of projects), followed by fragments stored in different types of aquaculture systems (42% of projects). The use of sexual reproduction was very limited. Fast-growing, branching corals were used in 96% of projects, being by far the most common transplanted growth form. About half of the projects mentioned undertaking maintenance of the transplantation plots. The majority of projects undertook subsequent monitoring (80%), yet the available data indicates that duration of monitoring efforts was not adequate to evaluate long-term success. The findings underline that while some general principles for successful coral restoration projects are reasonably well established, others need to be mainstreamed better in order to improve the effectiveness of coral transplantation for reef restoration. This relates in particular to sustainable funding, adequate site assessment, and long-term monitoring using established protocols. Additional information is needed to better understand and address potential challenges with regards to the sourcing of transplants and use of slow-growing species. A better integration of practitioners is necessary to improve the understanding of coral transplantation effectiveness. The results underline a need to develop and use monitoring protocols that allow gauging and comparing the effectiveness of coral transplantation among various projects, as well as for accessible platform(s) to allow the exchange of experiences made in different projects. Regular surveys of restoration projects are recommended to collate and share information among practitioners. We provide a number of recommendations for items to include in future surveys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian C. A. Ferse
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
- Faculty of Biology & Chemistry (FB2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Margaux Y. Hein
- Marine Ecosystem Restoration (MER) Research and Consulting, Monaco
- TropWATER, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lena Rölfer
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
- Faculty of Biology & Chemistry (FB2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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Kong L, Mayorga-Martinez CC, Guan J, Pumera M. Photocatalytic Micromotors Activated by UV to Visible Light for Environmental Remediation, Micropumps, Reversible Assembly, Transportation, and Biomimicry. Small 2020; 16:e1903179. [PMID: 31402632 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201903179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Photocatalytic micromotors are light-induced, chemically powered micromachines based on photocatalytic materials, activated by light illumination, and have redox reactions with environmental solutions to produce chemical gradients and bubbles that propel the micromachines through self-diffusiophoresis, self-electrophoresis, and bubble recoil. Due to the fact that excitation light relates largely to the bandgaps of selected materials, the development of photocatalytic micromotors has experienced an evolution from ultraviolet-light-activated to visible-light-activated and potentially biocompatible systems. Furthermore, due to the strong redox capacity and physical effects caused by the products or product gradients, photocatalytic micromotors have applications in environmental remediation, micropumps, reversible assembly, transportation, and biomimicry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Kong
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637371, Singapore
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi road, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Carmen C Mayorga-Martinez
- Center for Advanced Functional Nanorobots, Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technická 5, 166 28, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jianguo Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi road, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Martin Pumera
- Center for Advanced Functional Nanorobots, Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technická 5, 166 28, Prague 6, Czech Republic
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Korea
- Future Energy and Innovation Laboratory, Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 656/123, CZ-616 00, Brno, Czech Republic
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O'Connor D, Müller-Grabherr D, Hou D. Strengthening social-environmental management at contaminated sites to bolster Green and Sustainable Remediation via a survey. Chemosphere 2019; 225:295-303. [PMID: 30878542 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The Green and Sustainable Remediation (GSR) movement demands informed, integrated, and holistic management of contaminated sites. As such, GSR may become increasingly relevant in developing countries such as China, where vast areas of contaminated land require clean-up. Among other efforts, the World Bank together with China's Foreign Economic Cooperation Office is facilitating GSR adoption through the development of a guideline on social-environmental management. However, there are no existing studies that have considered how the established remediation industry perceives its effectiveness in addressing the various social-environmental management aspects, or how certain aspects have rooted. Without this information, it may be difficult to guide social-environmental practice forward, or introduce GSR into developing remediation markets with any precision. Therefore, a questionnaire survey of remediation participators was undertaken with principal component analysis (PCA) applied to the data to help group the various aspects. The PCA extracted two components for environmental management, ascribed to: (1) on-site/local impacts; and, (2) widespread impacts, and three social management components, ascribed to: (1) community inclusion; (2) economic gain; and, (3) health, safety, and welfare. It was found that the aspects the industry are most familiar with historically are generally dealt with more effectively than those that have only recently been introduced by the GSR movement. In particular, bolstering the management of widespread environmental impacts and giving greater regard to the economic gain of remediation, may be beneficial. In developing countries, public engagement is often very limited, necessitating improvement in remediation policy and guidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- David O'Connor
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | | | - Deyi Hou
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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Zhang S, Merino N, Okamoto A, Gedalanga P. Interkingdom microbial consortia mechanisms to guide biotechnological applications. Microb Biotechnol 2018; 11:833-847. [PMID: 30014573 PMCID: PMC6116752 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial consortia are capable of surviving diverse conditions through the formation of synergistic population-level structures, such as stromatolites, microbial mats and biofilms. Biotechnological applications are poised to capitalize on these unique interactions. However, current artificial co-cultures constructed for societal benefits, including biosynthesis, agriculture and bioremediation, face many challenges to perform as well as natural consortia. Interkingdom microbial consortia tend to be more robust and have higher productivity compared with monocultures and intrakingdom consortia, but the control and design of these diverse artificial consortia have received limited attention. Further, feasible research techniques and instrumentation for comprehensive mechanistic insights have only recently been established for interkingdom microbial communities. Here, we review these recent advances in technology and our current understanding of microbial interaction mechanisms involved in sustaining or developing interkingdom consortia for biotechnological applications. Some of the interactions among members from different kingdoms follow similar mechanisms observed for intrakingdom microbial consortia. However, unique interactions in interkingdom consortia, including endosymbiosis or interkingdom-specific cell-cell interactions, provide improved mitigation to external stresses and inhibitory compounds. Furthermore, antagonistic interactions among interkingdom species can promote fitness, diversification and adaptation, along with the production of beneficial metabolites and enzymes for society. Lastly, we shed light on future research directions to develop study methods at the level of metabolites, genes and meta-omics. These potential research methods could lead to the control and utilization of highly diverse microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Zhang
- Global Research Center for Environment and Energy based on Nanomaterials ScienceNational Institute for Material Science1‐1 NamikiTsukubaIbarakiJapan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and ImmunologyNorris Comprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Southern California1441 Eastlake StreetLos AngelesCA90033USA
- Present address:
Section of Infection and ImmunityHerman Ostrow School of DentistryUniversity of Southern CaliforniaCA90089‐0641USA
| | - Nancy Merino
- Earth‐Life Science InstituteTokyo Institute of Technology, 2‐12‐1‐I7E‐323Ookayama, Meguro‐kuTokyo 152‐8550Japan
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of Southern California, 835 Bloom Walk, SHS 562Los AngelesCA 90089‐0740USA
| | - Akihiro Okamoto
- Global Research Center for Environment and Energy based on Nanomaterials ScienceNational Institute for Material Science1‐1 NamikiTsukubaIbarakiJapan
| | - Phillip Gedalanga
- Department of Health ScienceCalifornia State University Fullerton, 800 North State College BoulevardFullertonCA 92831‐3599USA
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Abstract
Over the last decades, advanced oxidation processes have often been used alone, or combined with other techniques, for remediation of ground and surface water pollutants. The application of heterogeneous catalysis to electrochemical advanced oxidation processes is especially useful due to its efficiency and environmental safety. Among those processes, electro-Fenton stands out as the one in which heterogeneous catalysis has been broadly applied. Thus, this review has introduced an up-to-date collation of the current knowledge of the heterogeneous electro-Fenton process, highlighting recent advances in the use of different catalysts such as iron minerals (pyrite, magnetite or goethite), prepared catalysts by the load of metals in inorganic and organic materials, nanoparticles, and the inclusion of catalysts on the cathode. The effects of physical-chemical parameters as well as the mechanisms involved are critically assessed. Finally, although the utilization of this process to remediation of wastewater overwhelmingly outnumber other utilities, several applications have been described in the context of regeneration of adsorbent or the remediation of soils as clear examples of the feasibility of the electro-Fenton process to solve different environmental problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Poza-Nogueiras
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Vigo, Campus As Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310, Vigo, Spain
| | - Emilio Rosales
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Vigo, Campus As Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310, Vigo, Spain
| | - Marta Pazos
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Vigo, Campus As Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310, Vigo, Spain
| | - M Ángeles Sanromán
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Vigo, Campus As Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310, Vigo, Spain.
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Gardner MJ, Comber SDW. Detecting environmental change: how many samples are required? Environ Sci Process Impacts 2018; 20:311-317. [PMID: 29300404 DOI: 10.1039/c7em00562h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
One of the most important functions of environmental monitoring is the detection of change. This can be the delineation of deteriorating circumstances or the identification of the success of remedial measures. The design of effective monitoring of change (and hence the optimisation of resources devoted to monitoring) relies on appropriate replication - knowing how many samples are required. Lack of information on the variance of the measured parameter is often a barrier to determining the optimum sampling strategy. An important new information resource on within-site variance of the concentrations of over 60 trace substances in wastewater treatment works effluents has been provided by the UK water industry research programme. This paper makes use of this resource in order to explore the potential to design monitoring programmes that will be capable of demonstrating the success of planned remedial measures that will be implemented in the coming years. Two approaches to experimental design (simple before-and-after sampling and detection of trends via correlation) are examined. It is concluded that for programmes involving numbers of samples of less than 30 the detection of a change in concentration of less than 50% might be very challenging for many of the trace substance of greatest interest. Knowledge of the difficulty of the task in hand should make it possible to design programmes that optimise the use of resources and the approaches taken, such that effects of interest are detected as soon and as economically as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Gardner
- Atkins Limited, The Hub, 500, Park Avenue, Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol BS32 4RZ, UK.
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12
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Nygrén NA, Tapio P, Horppila J. Will the Oxygen-Phosphorus Paradigm Persist? - Expert Views of the Future of Management and Restoration of Eutrophic Lakes. Environ Manage 2017; 60:947-960. [PMID: 28799010 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-017-0919-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In the age of climate change, the demand and lack of pure water challenges many communities. Substantial amount of effort is put in every year to manage and restore degraded lakes while the long-term effects of those efforts are only poorly known or monitored. Oxygenation, or aeration, is used extensively for the restoration of eutrophic lakes, although many studies question whether this process improves the status of the lakes in the long-term. The desired effect of oxygenation is based on paradigmatic theories that, in the light of recent literature, might not be adequate when long-term improvements are sought. This article canvasses expert views on the feasibility of the 'oxygen-phosphorus paradigm' as well as the future of the management and restoration of eutrophic lakes, based on an international, two-rounded, expert panel survey (Delphi study), employing 200 freshwater experts from 33 nationalities, contacted at three conferences on the topic. The conclusion is that the oxygen-phosphorus paradigm seems to be rather persistent. The experts considered oxygenation to be a valid short-term lake restoration method, but not without harmful side-effects. In addition, experts' low level of trust in the adequacy of the scientific knowledge on the effects of restorations and in the use of the scientific knowledge as a basis of choice of restoration methods, could be signs of a paradigm shift towards an outlook emphasizing more effective catchment management over short-term restorations. The expert panel also anticipated that reducing external nutrient loads from both point and diffuse sources will succeed in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina A Nygrén
- Finland Futures Research Centre, University of Turku, FI-20014, Turku, Finland.
| | - Petri Tapio
- Finland Futures Research Centre, University of Turku, FI-20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Jukka Horppila
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O.Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
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13
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Hou D, Guthrie P, Rigby M. Assessing the trend in sustainable remediation: A questionnaire survey of remediation professionals in various countries. J Environ Manage 2016; 184:18-26. [PMID: 27567932 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.08.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade, sustainable remediation has grown from an emerging concept into a widely accepted new institutional norm. Scholar literature increased exponentially from nearly none in late 1990s to over 400 publications per year in 2014. The present study used a questionnaire survey conducted in 2012 and 2014 to assess the global trend in the awareness and practice of sustainable remediation. A total of 373 responses were received from survey participants located in 22 countries. The survey found that the US and the UK similarly had the highest level of awareness and adoption rate of sustainable remediation. Asia and other developing countries had much lower awareness levels and/or adoption rates. For all regions, the adoption rates were significantly lower than awareness levels, indicating a large gap between awareness and practice. One specific example is regarding minimizing greenhouse gas emission, which is a focal point in sustainable remediation literature, but with very low adoption rate according to this survey. This study also found that the adoption rates of a few sustainable remediation considerations, such as "minimizing local scale secondary impact", "minimizing national to global scale secondary impact", and "bringing prosperity to disadvantaged community", had decreased between 2012 and 2014. On the other hand, the survey also suggests the remediation community has rendered more expertise, training, and resources in sustainable remediation between 2012 and 2014. The mixed results suggest that in order to enhance sustainable remediation adoption, it is imperative to employ continued effort to enhance the understanding of sustainable remediation by practitioners and to link self-interest and public interest with sustainable remediation considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyi Hou
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Peter Guthrie
- Centre for Sustainable Development, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Mark Rigby
- Parsons Corporation, South Jordan, UT, 84095, USA
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14
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Cantwell MG, Katz DR, Sullivan JC, Ho K, Burgess RM, Cashman M. Selected pharmaceuticals entering an estuary: Concentrations, temporal trends, partitioning, and fluxes. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016; 35:2665-2673. [PMID: 27062058 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
In many coastal watersheds and ecosystems, rivers discharging to estuaries receive waters from domestic wastewater-treatment plants resulting in the release and distribution of pharmaceuticals to the marine environment. In the present study, 15 active pharmaceutical ingredients were measured regularly over 1 yr in the dissolved and particulate phases as they entered Narragansett Bay from the Pawtuxet River in Cranston (Rhode Island, USA). Of the active pharmaceutical ingredients measured, 14 were consistently present in the dissolved phase, with concentrations ranging from below detection to >310 ng/L, whereas 8 were present in the particulate phase (0.2-18 ng/g). Partition coefficients (Kd s and KOC s) were determined, and organic carbon normalization reduced variability associated with Kd s for the active pharmaceutical ingredients evaluated. Flux estimates based on river flow were calculated for both dissolved and particulate-phase active pharmaceutical ingredients, with particulate fluxes being low (1-12 g/yr) and dissolved fluxes of active pharmaceutical ingredients being 155 g/yr to 11 600 g/yr. Results indicate that the pharmaceuticals measured in the present study reside primarily in the dissolved phase and thus are likely bioavailable on entering the estuarine waters of Narragansett Bay. This long-term temporal study provides important information on seasonal and annual dynamics of pharmaceuticals in an urban estuarine watershed. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:2665-2673. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Cantwell
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA.
| | - David R Katz
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Julia C Sullivan
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Kay Ho
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Robert M Burgess
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Michaela Cashman
- Department of Geosciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
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Tencati A, Pogutz S, Moda B, Brambilla M, Cacia C. Prevention policies addressing packaging and packaging waste: Some emerging trends. Waste Manag 2016; 56:35-45. [PMID: 27372152 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2016.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Revised: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/18/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Packaging waste is a major issue in several countries. Representing in industrialized countries around 30-35% of municipal solid waste yearly generated, this waste stream has steadily grown over the years even if, especially in Europe, specific recycling and recovery targets have been fixed. Therefore, an increasing attention starts to be devoted to prevention measures and interventions. Filling a gap in the current literature, this explorative paper is a first attempt to map the increasingly important phenomenon of prevention policies in the packaging sector. Through a theoretical sampling, 11 countries/states (7 in and 4 outside Europe) have been selected and analyzed by gathering and studying primary and secondary data. Results show evidence of three specific trends in packaging waste prevention policies: fostering the adoption of measures directed at improving packaging design and production through an extensive use of the life cycle assessment; raising the awareness of final consumers by increasing the accountability of firms; promoting collaborative efforts along the packaging supply chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Tencati
- Department of Economics and Management, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Contrada S. Chiara 50, 25122 Brescia, Italy; CReSV - Center for Research on Sustainability and Value, Università Bocconi, Milan, Italy.
| | - Stefano Pogutz
- Department of Management and Technology, CReSV - Center for Research on Sustainability and Value, Università Bocconi, Milan, Italy.
| | - Beatrice Moda
- CReSV - Center for Research on Sustainability and Value, Università Bocconi, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Brambilla
- CReSV - Center for Research on Sustainability and Value, Università Bocconi, Milan, Italy
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16
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Rohr JR, Farag AM, Cadotte MW, Clements WH, Smith JR, Ulrich CP, Woods R. Transforming ecosystems: When, where, and how to restore contaminated sites. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016; 12:273-283. [PMID: 26033665 PMCID: PMC4862316 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.1668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2014] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Chemical contamination has impaired ecosystems, reducing biodiversity and the provisioning of functions and services. This has spurred a movement to restore contaminated ecosystems and develop and implement national and international regulations that require it. Nevertheless, ecological restoration remains a young and rapidly growing discipline and its intersection with toxicology is even more nascent and underdeveloped. Consequently, we provide guidance to scientists and practitioners on when, where, and how to restore contaminated ecosystems. Although restoration has many benefits, it also can be expensive, and in many cases systems can recover without human intervention. Hence, the first question we address is: "When should we restore contaminated ecosystems?" Second, we provide suggestions on what to restore-biodiversity, functions, services, all 3, or something else--and where to restore given expected changes to habitats driven by global climate change. Finally, we provide guidance on how to restore contaminated ecosystems. To do this, we analyze critical aspects of the literature dealing with the ecology of restoring contaminated ecosystems. Additionally, we review approaches for translating the science of restoration to on-the-ground actions, which includes discussions of market incentives and the finances of restoration, stakeholder outreach and governance models for ecosystem restoration, and working with contractors to implement restoration plans. By explicitly considering the mechanisms and strategies that maximize the success of the restoration of contaminated sites, we hope that our synthesis serves to increase and improve collaborations between restoration ecologists and ecotoxicologists and set a roadmap for the restoration of contaminated ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason R Rohr
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Aïda M Farag
- US Geological Survey, CERC, Jackson Field Research Station, Jackson, Wyoming, USA
| | - Marc W Cadotte
- University of Toronto-Scarborough, Biological Sciences, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - William H Clements
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - James R Smith
- Indiana Department Environmental Management, Office of Land Quality, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | | | - Richard Woods
- ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences, Annandale, New Jersey, USA
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Kuppusamy S, Thavamani P, Megharaj M, Venkateswarlu K, Naidu R. Agronomic and remedial benefits and risks of applying biochar to soil: Current knowledge and future research directions. Environ Int 2016; 87:1-12. [PMID: 26638014 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2015.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/31/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
'Biochar' represents an emerging technology that is increasingly being recognized for its potential role in carbon sequestration, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, renewable energy, soil improvement, crop productivity enhancement and environmental remediation. Published reviews have so far focused mainly on the above listed agronomic and environmental benefits of applying biochar, yet paid little or no attention to its harmful effects on the ecological system. This review highlights a balanced overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the pyrolysis process of biochar production, end-product quality and the benefits versus drawbacks of biochar on: (a) soil geochemistry and albedo, (b) microflora and fauna, (c) agrochemicals, (d) greenhouse gas efflux, (e) nutrients, (f) crop yield, and (g) contaminants (organic and inorganic). Future research should focus more on the unintended long-term consequences of biochar on biological organisms and their processes in the soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saranya Kuppusamy
- Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation (CERAR), University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of Environment (CRC CARE), PO Box 486, Salisbury South, SA 5106, Australia
| | - Palanisami Thavamani
- Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of Environment (CRC CARE), PO Box 486, Salisbury South, SA 5106, Australia; Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Mallavarapu Megharaj
- Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of Environment (CRC CARE), PO Box 486, Salisbury South, SA 5106, Australia; Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
| | - Kadiyala Venkateswarlu
- Formerly Department of Microbiology, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur 515055, India
| | - Ravi Naidu
- Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of Environment (CRC CARE), PO Box 486, Salisbury South, SA 5106, Australia; Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
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18
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Bates ME, Grieger KD, Trump BD, Keisler JM, Plourde KJ, Linkov I. Emerging Technologies for Environmental Remediation: Integrating Data and Judgment. Environ Sci Technol 2016; 50:349-358. [PMID: 26580228 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b03005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Emerging technologies present significant challenges to researchers, decision-makers, industry professionals, and other stakeholder groups due to the lack of quantitative risk, benefit, and cost data associated with their use. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) can support early decisions for emerging technologies when data is too sparse or uncertain for traditional risk assessment. It does this by integrating expert judgment with available quantitative and qualitative inputs across multiple criteria to provide relative technology scores. Here, an MCDA framework provides preliminary insights on the suitability of emerging technologies for environmental remediation by comparing nanotechnology and synthetic biology to conventional remediation methods. Subject matter experts provided judgments regarding the importance of criteria used in the evaluations and scored the technologies with respect to those criteria. The results indicate that synthetic biology may be preferred over nanotechnology and conventional methods for high expected benefits and low deployment costs but that conventional technology may be preferred over emerging technologies for reduced risks and development costs. In the absence of field data regarding the risks, benefits, and costs of emerging technologies, structuring evidence-based expert judgment through a weighted hierarchy of topical questions may be helpful to inform preliminary risk governance and guide emerging technology development and policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Bates
- Environmental Laboratory, Engineer Research and Development Center, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, Massachusetts 01742, United States
| | - Khara D Grieger
- RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Benjamin D Trump
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan , 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Jeffrey M Keisler
- College of Management, University of Massachusetts Boston , 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125, United States
| | - Kenton J Plourde
- Contractor to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, SOL Engineering Services, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, Massachusetts 01742, United States
| | - Igor Linkov
- Environmental Laboratory, Engineer Research and Development Center, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, Massachusetts 01742, United States
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Das S, Sen B, Debnath N. Recent trends in nanomaterials applications in environmental monitoring and remediation. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2015; 22:18333-18344. [PMID: 26490920 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5491-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Environmental pollution is one of the greatest problems that the world is facing today, and it is increasing with every passing year and causing grave and irreparable damage to the earth. Nanomaterials, because of their novel physical and chemical characteristics, have great promise to combat environment pollution. Nanotechnology is being used to devise pollution sensor. A variety of materials in their nano form like iron, titanium dioxide, silica, zinc oxide, carbon nanotube, dendrimers, polymers, etc. are increasingly being used to make the air clean, to purify water, and to decontaminate soil. Nanotechnology is also being used to make renewable energy cheaper and more efficient. The use of nanotechnology in agriculture sector will reduce the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals and thus will reduce the load of chemical pollutant. While remediating environment pollution with nanomaterials, it should also be monitored that these materials do not contribute further degradation of the environment. This review will focus broadly on the applications of nanotechnology in the sustainable development with particular emphasis on renewable energy, air-, water-, and soil-remediation. Besides, the review highlights the recent developments in various types of nanomaterials and nanodevices oriented toward pollution monitoring and remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumistha Das
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Gurgaon, 122413, India
| | - Biswarup Sen
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Gurgaon, 122413, India
| | - Nitai Debnath
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Gurgaon, 122413, India.
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20
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Feng Q, Miao Z, Li Z, Li J, Si J, S Y, Chang Z. Public perception of an ecological rehabilitation project in inland river basins in northern China: Success or failure. Environ Res 2015; 139:20-30. [PMID: 25686489 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Revised: 11/13/2014] [Accepted: 12/13/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The need for environmental protection challenges societies to deal with difficult problems because strategies designed by scientists to protect the environment often create negative effects on impoverished local residents. We investigated the effects of China's national and regional policies related to environmental protection and rehabilitation projects in inland river basins, by studying the effect of projects in the Heihe and Shiyang river basins, in northwest China. Interviews and surveys were conducted at 30 sites in the lower reaches of these two arid basins, an area that has experienced severe ecological degradation. The survey results show the ecological rehabilitation projects adversely affected the livelihoods of 70.35% of foresters, 64.89% of farmers and 62.24% of herders in the Minqing region in the lower Shiyang River Basin; also, the projects negatively affected 51.9% of residents in the Ejin Qi in the lower Heihe River Basin. This caused 16.33% of foresters, 39.90% of farmers and 45.32% of herders in the Minqing region to not support the project and 37.5% of residents in the Ejin Qi region said they will deforest and graze again after the project ends. The negative impacts of the policies connected to the projects cause these attitudes. The projects prohibit felling and grazing and require residents to give up groundwater mining; this results in a great amount of uncompensated economic loss to them. Extensive survey data document the concerns of local residents, concerns that are supported by the calculation of actual incomes. In addition, the surveys results show poorer interviewees believe the projects greatly affected their livelihoods. While citizens in this region support environment protection work, the poor require considerable assistance if one expects them to support this type of work. Governmental assistance can greatly improve their living conditions, and hence encourage them to participate in and support the implementation of the projects within and outside the districts where they live.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Feng
- Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Road 320, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China; The College of Tourism and Environment, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, Shaan Xi Province, China.
| | - Zheng Miao
- Organization Department of Gansu provincial party committee, Communist Party of China, China.
| | - Zongxing Li
- Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Road 320, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China.
| | - Jianguo Li
- Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Road 320, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China.
| | - Jianhua Si
- Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Road 320, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China.
| | - Yonghong S
- Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Road 320, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China.
| | - Zongqiang Chang
- Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Road 320, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China.
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21
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22
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Stringer LC, Fleskens L, Reed MS, de Vente J, Zengin M. Participatory evaluation of monitoring and modeling of sustainable land management technologies in areas prone to land degradation. Environ Manage 2014; 54:1022-42. [PMID: 23868445 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-013-0126-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2012] [Accepted: 07/05/2013] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Examples of sustainable land management (SLM) exist throughout the world. In many cases, SLM has largely evolved through local traditional practices and incremental experimentation rather than being adopted on the basis of scientific evidence. This means that SLM technologies are often only adopted across small areas. The DESIRE (DESertIfication mitigation and REmediation of degraded land) project combined local traditional knowledge on SLM with empirical evaluation of SLM technologies. The purpose of this was to evaluate and select options for dissemination in 16 sites across 12 countries. It involved (i) an initial workshop to evaluate stakeholder priorities (reported elsewhere), (ii) field trials/empirical modeling, and then, (iii) further stakeholder evaluation workshops. This paper focuses on workshops in which stakeholders evaluated the performance of SLM technologies based on the scientific monitoring and modeling results from 15 study sites. It analyses workshop outcomes to evaluate how scientific results affected stakeholders' perceptions of local SLM technologies. It also assessed the potential of this participatory approach in facilitating wider acceptance and implementation of SLM. In several sites, stakeholder preferences for SLM technologies changed as a consequence of empirical measurements and modeling assessments of each technology. Two workshop examples are presented in depth to: (a) explore the scientific results that triggered stakeholders to change their views; and (b) discuss stakeholders' suggestions on how the adoption of SLM technologies could be up-scaled. The overall multi-stakeholder participatory approach taken is then evaluated. It is concluded that to facilitate broad-scale adoption of SLM technologies, de-contextualized, scientific generalisations must be given local context; scientific findings must be viewed alongside traditional beliefs and both scrutinized with equal rigor; and the knowledge of all kinds of experts must be recognised and considered in decision-making about SLM, whether it has been formally codified or not. The approach presented in this paper provided this opportunity and received positive feedback from stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- L C Stringer
- School of Earth & Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK,
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Pottage T, Goode E, Wyke S, Bennett AM. Responding to biological incidents--what are the current issues in remediation of the contaminated environment? Environ Int 2014; 72:133-139. [PMID: 24530001 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2014.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Revised: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Since 2000 there have been a number of biological incidents resulting in environmental contamination with Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax. These incidents include the US anthrax attacks in 2001, the US and UK drumming incidents in 2006-2008 and more recently, anthrax contamination of heroin in 2009/2010 and 2012/2013. Remediation techniques used to return environments to normal have varied between incidents, with different decontamination technologies being employed. Many factors need to be considered before a remediation strategy or recovery option can be implemented, including; cost, time (length of application), public perception of risk, and sampling strategies (and results) to name a few. These incidents have demonstrated that consolidated guidance for remediating biologically contaminated environments in the aftermath of a biological incident was required. The UK Recovery Handbook for Biological Incidents (UKRHBI) is a project led by Public Health England (PHE), formerly the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to provide guidance and advice on how to remediate the environment following a biological incident or outbreak of infection, and is expected to be published in 2015.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Pottage
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK.
| | - E Goode
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - S Wyke
- Centre for Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - A M Bennett
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
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Kairis O, Kosmas C, Karavitis C, Ritsema C, Salvati L, Acikalin S, Alcalá M, Alfama P, Atlhopheng J, Barrera J, Belgacem A, Solé-Benet A, Brito J, Chaker M, Chanda R, Coelho C, Darkoh M, Diamantis I, Ermolaeva O, Fassouli V, Fei W, Feng J, Fernandez F, Ferreira A, Gokceoglu C, Gonzalez D, Gungor H, Hessel R, Juying J, Khatteli H, Khitrov N, Kounalaki A, Laouina A, Lollino P, Lopes M, Magole L, Medina L, Mendoza M, Morais P, Mulale K, Ocakoglu F, Ouessar M, Ovalle C, Perez C, Perkins J, Pliakas F, Polemio M, Pozo A, Prat C, Qinke Y, Ramos A, Ramos J, Riquelme J, Romanenkov V, Rui L, Santaloia F, Sebego R, Sghaier M, Silva N, Sizemskaya M, Soares J, Sonmez H, Taamallah H, Tezcan L, Torri D, Ungaro F, Valente S, de Vente J, Zagal E, Zeiliguer A, Zhonging W, Ziogas A. Evaluation and selection of indicators for land degradation and desertification monitoring: types of degradation, causes, and implications for management. Environ Manage 2014; 54:971-82. [PMID: 23811772 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-013-0110-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2012] [Accepted: 06/07/2013] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Indicator-based approaches are often used to monitor land degradation and desertification from the global to the very local scale. However, there is still little agreement on which indicators may best reflect both status and trends of these phenomena. In this study, various processes of land degradation and desertification have been analyzed in 17 study sites around the world using a wide set of biophysical and socioeconomic indicators. The database described earlier in this issue by Kosmas and others (Environ Manage, 2013) for defining desertification risk was further analyzed to define the most important indicators related to the following degradation processes: water erosion in various land uses, tillage erosion, soil salinization, water stress, forest fires, and overgrazing. A correlation analysis was applied to the selected indicators in order to identify the most important variables contributing to each land degradation process. The analysis indicates that the most important indicators are: (i) rain seasonality affecting water erosion, water stress, and forest fires, (ii) slope gradient affecting water erosion, tillage erosion and water stress, and (iii) water scarcity soil salinization, water stress, and forest fires. Implementation of existing regulations or policies concerned with resources development and environmental sustainability was identified as the most important indicator of land protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Or Kairis
- Laboratory of Soils, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, Athens, 11855, Greece
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Hessel R, Reed MS, Geeson N, Ritsema CJ, van Lynden G, Karavitis CA, Schwilch G, Jetten V, Burger P, van der Werff Ten Bosch MJ, Verzandvoort S, van den Elsen E, Witsenburg K. From framework to action: the DESIRE approach to combat desertification. Environ Manage 2014; 54:935-950. [PMID: 25156863 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-014-0346-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
It has become increasingly clear that desertification can only be tackled through a multi-disciplinary approach that not only involves scientists but also stakeholders. In the DESIRE project such an approach was taken. As a first step, a conceptual framework was developed in which the factors and processes that may lead to land degradation and desertification were described. Many of these factors do not work independently, but can reinforce or weaken one another, and to illustrate these relationships sustainable management and policy feedback loops were included. This conceptual framework can be applied globally, but can also be made site-specific to take into account that each study site has a unique combination of bio-physical, socio-economic and political conditions. Once the conceptual framework was defined, a methodological framework was developed in which the methodological steps taken in the DESIRE approach were listed and their logic and sequence were explained. The last step was to develop a concrete working plan to put the project into action, involving stakeholders throughout the process. This series of steps, in full or in part, offers explicit guidance for other organizations or projects that aim to reduce land degradation and desertification.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Hessel
- Soil Physics and Land Use team, Alterra, Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands,
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Kosmas C, Kairis O, Karavitis C, Ritsema C, Salvati L, Acikalin S, Alcala M, Alfama P, Atlhopheng J, Barrera J, Belgacem A, Solé-Benet A, Brito J, Chaker M, Chanda R, Coelho C, Darkoh M, Diamantis I, Ermolaeva O, Fassouli V, Fei W, Feng J, Fernandez F, Ferreira A, Gokceoglu C, Gonzalez D, Gungor H, Hessel R, Juying J, Khatteli H, Khitrov N, Kounalaki A, Laouina A, Lollino P, Lopes M, Magole L, Medina L, Mendoza M, Morais P, Mulale K, Ocakoglu F, Ouessar M, Ovalle C, Perez C, Perkins J, Pliakas F, Polemio M, Pozo A, Prat C, Qinke Y, Ramos A, Ramos J, Riquelme J, Romanenkov V, Rui L, Santaloia F, Sebego R, Sghaier M, Silva N, Sizemskaya M, Soares J, Sonmez H, Taamallah H, Tezcan L, Torri D, Ungaro F, Valente S, de Vente J, Zagal E, Zeiliguer A, Zhonging W, Ziogas A. Evaluation and selection of indicators for land degradation and desertification monitoring: methodological approach. Environ Manage 2014; 54:951-970. [PMID: 23797485 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-013-0109-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2012] [Accepted: 06/07/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
An approach to derive relationships for defining land degradation and desertification risk and developing appropriate tools for assessing the effectiveness of the various land management practices using indicators is presented in the present paper. In order to investigate which indicators are most effective in assessing the level of desertification risk, a total of 70 candidate indicators was selected providing information for the biophysical environment, socio-economic conditions, and land management characteristics. The indicators were defined in 1,672 field sites located in 17 study areas in the Mediterranean region, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Based on an existing geo-referenced database, classes were designated for each indicator and a sensitivity score to desertification was assigned to each class based on existing research. The obtained data were analyzed for the various processes of land degradation at farm level. The derived methodology was assessed using independent indicators, such as the measured soil erosion rate, and the organic matter content of the soil. Based on regression analyses, the collected indicator set can be reduced to a number of effective indicators ranging from 8 to 17 in the various processes of land degradation. Among the most important indicators identified as affecting land degradation and desertification risk were rain seasonality, slope gradient, plant cover, rate of land abandonment, land-use intensity, and the level of policy implementation.
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Lacombe S, Fresno F, Lavrenčič Štangar U. Photocatalysis: new highlights from JEP 2013. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2014; 21:11111-11115. [PMID: 24952254 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-3192-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Lacombe
- Institute for Analytical Sciences and Physico-Chemistry for Environment and Materials (IPREM), UMR 5254 CNRS, University of Pau and Pays de l'Adour, Hélioparc, 2 avenue of President ANGOT, 64053, Pau Cedex 09, France,
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28
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Palmer MA, Hondula KL. Restoration as mitigation: analysis of stream mitigation for coal mining impacts in southern Appalachia. Environ Sci Technol 2014; 48:10552-10560. [PMID: 25133756 DOI: 10.1021/es503052f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Compensatory mitigation is commonly used to replace aquatic natural resources being lost or degraded but little is known about the success of stream mitigation. This article presents a synthesis of information about 434 stream mitigation projects from 117 permits for surface mining in Appalachia. Data from annual monitoring reports indicate that the ratio of lengths of stream impacted to lengths of stream mitigation projects were <1 for many projects, and most mitigation was implemented on perennial streams while most impacts were to ephemeral and intermittent streams. Regulatory requirements for assessing project outcome were minimal; visual assessments were the most common and 97% of the projects reported suboptimal or marginal habitat even after 5 years of monitoring. Less than a third of the projects provided biotic or chemical data; most of these were impaired with biotic indices below state standards and stream conductivity exceeding federal water quality criteria. Levels of selenium known to impair aquatic life were reported in 7 of the 11 projects that provided Se data. Overall, the data show that mitigation efforts being implemented in southern Appalachia for coal mining are not meeting the objectives of the Clean Water Act to replace lost or degraded streams ecosystems and their functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A Palmer
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center and Department of Entomology, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 27042, United States
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29
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Prasad R. New approaches and insights into bioremediation of hazardous waste. Rev Environ Health 2014; 29:33-35. [PMID: 24695027 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2014-0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
An overview of the bioremediation session in 15th International Conference of the Pacific Basin Consortium for Environment and Health is presented. Brief summaries of the presentations made in the session covering topics dealing with remediation aspects using latest concepts of metagenomics, magnetic nano-composites and air pollution modeling with reference to PCBs have been described.
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Fernandes HM, Recio MS, Forsstrom H, Carson PM. International cooperation and support in environmental remediation - is there any room for improvement? J Environ Radioact 2013; 119:13-20. [PMID: 21937155 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2011.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2010] [Revised: 06/17/2011] [Accepted: 06/21/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The challenges faced by states seeking to implement Environmental Remediation works are many. To this end, the International Atomic Energy Agency attempts to provide assistance and guidance to Member States wherever possible. This review article provides a brief overview of these challenges and highlights the international sources of financial and implementation support discussed at an international conference on the topic in Astana, Kazakhstan in 2009. The conference concluded the importance of institutional structures as a pre-requisite for remediation work, recognized privatization as a useful but limited financing tool for remediation and illustrated the need for better coordination between international funding organizations to reduce overlap and optimization of resources to secure the best outcomes.
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31
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Fesenko S, Monken-Fernandes H. Environmental remediation: from Arlington to Astana. J Environ Radioact 2013; 119:1-4. [PMID: 23395137 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2013.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
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32
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Gomes HI, Dias-Ferreira C, Ribeiro AB. Overview of in situ and ex situ remediation technologies for PCB-contaminated soils and sediments and obstacles for full-scale application. Sci Total Environ 2013; 445-446:237-60. [PMID: 23334318 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.11.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2012] [Revised: 11/28/2012] [Accepted: 11/28/2012] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are persistent organic pollutants used worldwide between the 1930s and 1980s. Although their use has been heavily restricted, PCB can be found in contaminated soils and sediments. The most frequent remediation solutions adopted are "dig and dump" and "dig and incinerate", but there are currently new methods that could be more sustainable alternatives. This paper takes a look into the remediation options available for PCB-contaminated soils and sediments, differentiating between biological, chemical, physical and thermal methods. The use of combined technologies was also reviewed. Most of them are still in an initial development stage and further research in different implementation issues is needed. There is no single technology that is the solution for PCB contamination problem. The successful remediation of a site will depend on proper selection, design and adjustment of the technology or combined technologies to the site characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena I Gomes
- CENSE - Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research, Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
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33
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Toms LML, Guerra P, Eljarrat E, Barceló D, Harden FA, Hobson P, Sjodin A, Ryan E, Mueller JF. Brominated flame retardants in the Australian population: 1993-2009. Chemosphere 2012; 89:398-403. [PMID: 22748388 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.05.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2011] [Revised: 05/05/2012] [Accepted: 05/19/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Brominated flame retardants, including hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used to reduce the flammability of a multitude of electrical and electronic products, textiles and foams. The use of selected PBDEs has ceased, however, use of decaBDE and HBCD continues. While elevated concentrations of PBDEs in humans have been observed in Australia, no data is available on other BFRs such as HBCD. This study aimed to provide background HBCD concentrations from a representative sample of the Australian population and to assess temporal trends of HBCD and compare with PBDE concentrations over a 16 year period. Samples of human milk collected in Australia from 1993 to 2009, primarily from primiparae mothers were combined into 12 pools from 1993 (2 pools); 2001; 2002/2003 (4 pools); 2003/2004; 2006; 2007/2008 (2 pools); and 2009. Concentrations of ∑HBCD ranged from not quantified (nq) to 19 ng g(-1)lipid while α-HBCD and γ-HBCD ranged from nq to 10 ng g(-1)lipid and nq to 9.2 ng g(-1)lipid. β-HBCD was detected in only one sample at 3.6 ng g(-1)lipid while ∑(4)PBDE ranged from 2.5 to 15.8 ng g(-1)lipid. No temporal trend was apparent in HBCD concentrations in human milk collected in Australia from 1993 to 2009. In comparison, PBDE concentrations in human milk show a peak around 2002/03 (mean ∑(4)PBDEs=9.6 ng g(-1)lipid) and 2003/04 (12.4 ng g(-1)lipid) followed by a decrease in 2007/08 (2.7 ng g(-1)lipid) and 2009 (2.6 ng g(-1)lipid). In human blood serum samples collected from the Australian population, PBDE concentrations did not vary greatly (p=0.441) from 2002/03 to 2008/09. Continued monitoring including both human milk and serum for HBCD and PBDEs is required to observe trends in human body burden of HBCD and PBDEs body burden following changes to usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leisa-Maree L Toms
- Medical Radiation Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
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Abstract
Groundwater remediation technologies are designed, installed, and operated based on the conceptual models of contaminant hydrogeology that are accepted at that time. However, conceptual models of remediation can change as new research, new technologies, and new performance data become available. Over the past few years, results from multiple-site remediation performance studies have shown that achieving drinking water standards (i.e., Maximum Contaminant Levels, MCLs) at contaminated groundwater sites is very difficult. Recent groundwater research has shown that the process of matrix diffusion is one key constraint. New developments, such as mass discharge, orders of magnitude (OoMs), and SMART objectives are now being discussed more frequently by the groundwater remediation community. In this paper, the authors provide their perspectives on the existing "reach MCLs" approach that has historically guided groundwater remediation projects, and advocate a new approach built around the concepts of OoMs and mass discharge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W Hadley
- California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Sacramento, CA 95812-0806, USA.
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35
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Sun M, Teng Y, Luo Y. [Progresses in anaerobic biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons--a review]. Wei Sheng Wu Xue Bao 2012; 52:931-939. [PMID: 23173428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a recalcitrant group of contaminants in the environment. PAHs degradation has been extensively studied and well understood under aerobic conditions, whereas little is known about anaerobic degradation of PAHs. Here, we reviewed recent progress in anaerobic degradation of PAHs. We focused on naphthalene and phenanthrene as model compounds. We addressed the main rate-limiting factors involved, including the bioaccessibility of PAHs, the amendment of nutrients and elector acceptors, the degrading microorganisms, and the biochemistry of the initial activation and subsequent enzyme reaction involved in the pathway. Prospects on this field are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Sun
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
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36
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Aleksakhin RM. [On the international scientific symposium on the elimination of consequences of radionuclide contamination of soil and agricultural environment. March 8-10, 2012, Koriyama, Japan]. Radiats Biol Radioecol 2012; 52:335-336. [PMID: 22891558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
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Abstract
It is widely held that humankind's destructive tendencies when exploiting natural resources leads to irreparable harm to the environment. Yet, this thinking runs counter to evidence that many ecological systems damaged by severe natural environmental disturbances (e.g., hurricanes) can restore themselves via processes of natural recovery. The emerging field of restoration ecology is capitalizing on the natural restorative tendencies of ecological systems to build a science of repairing the harm inflicted by humans on natural environment. Evidence for this, for example, comes from a new meta-analysis of 124 studies that synthesizes recovery of impacted wetlands worldwide. While it may take up to two human generations to see full recovery, there is promise, given human will, to restore many damaged wetlands worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oswald J Schmitz
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.
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Abstract
In restored wetland ecosystems with apparently natural hydrology and biological structure, biogeochemical function may remain degraded, even a century after restoration efforts. Wetlands are among the most productive and economically valuable ecosystems in the world. However, because of human activities, over half of the wetland ecosystems existing in North America, Europe, Australia, and China in the early 20th century have been lost. Ecological restoration to recover critical ecosystem services has been widely attempted, but the degree of actual recovery of ecosystem functioning and structure from these efforts remains uncertain. Our results from a meta-analysis of 621 wetland sites from throughout the world show that even a century after restoration efforts, biological structure (driven mostly by plant assemblages), and biogeochemical functioning (driven primarily by the storage of carbon in wetland soils), remained on average 26% and 23% lower, respectively, than in reference sites. Either recovery has been very slow, or postdisturbance systems have moved towards alternative states that differ from reference conditions. We also found significant effects of environmental settings on the rate and degree of recovery. Large wetland areas (>100 ha) and wetlands restored in warm (temperate and tropical) climates recovered more rapidly than smaller wetlands and wetlands restored in cold climates. Also, wetlands experiencing more (riverine and tidal) hydrologic exchange recovered more rapidly than depressional wetlands. Restoration performance is limited: current restoration practice fails to recover original levels of wetland ecosystem functions, even after many decades. If restoration as currently practiced is used to justify further degradation, global loss of wetland ecosystem function and structure will spread. Wetlands, which include tropical mangroves and boreal peatlands, are among the most valuable ecosystems in the world because they provide critical ecosystem goods and services, such as carbon storage, biodiversity conservation, fish production, water purification, and erosion control. As global change accelerates the loss of wetlands, attempts are increasing to restore this fragile habitat and its associated functioning. There has been no global evaluation, however, of how effective such restoration efforts have been. Here, we present a meta-analysis of the biological structure (driven mostly by plant communities) and biogeochemical functioning (driven primarily by the storage of carbon in wetland soils) of 621 wetland sites. Our analysis suggests that even a century after restoration efforts, these parameters remained on average 26% and 23% (respectively) lower in restored or created wetlands than in reference wetlands. Our results also indicate that ecosystem size and the environmental setting significantly affect the rate of recovery. Recovery may be more likely and more rapid if more than 100 contiguous hectares of habitat are restored. In warm climates, and in settings linked to riverine or tidal flows, recovery can also proceed more rapidly. In general, however, once disturbed, wetlands either recover very slowly or move towards alternative states that differ from reference conditions. Thus, current restoration practice and wetland mitigation policies will maintain and likely accelerate the global loss of wetland ecosystem functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Moreno-Mateos
- Integrative Biology Department, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
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39
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Shandala MG. [Disinfectology as a subject of differentiation in hygiene science]. Gig Sanit 2011:4-7. [PMID: 22250380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The paper provides a rationale for the need for developing the decontamination - actively health-promoting area of hygiene science and practice to neutralize (decontaminate) different pathogens just in the environment where they enter during its inadequate, ineffective, or quite impossible protection from contamination. As of now, there are no physical decontamination technologies or ineffective attempts to make harmless chemical pathogens in the environment; at the same time it is stated that there are scientifically grounded biological decontamination and disinfectology technologies to neutralize biological pathogens just in the environment and on its different objects. To solve these problems requires hygienic competence, particularly the substantiation of hygienic standards for disinfectants in the environment and the elaboration of hygienically safe regimens of their application. In this connection, disinfectology is the most hygienic branch of all antiepidemic ones of preventive medicine. The development of disinfectology as a fruitful alliance of hygiene and epidemiology allowed a system of governmental management and control of unspecific prophylaxis to be developed and introduced in Russia, which contributes to a reduction in or at least stabilization of the incidence of infectious diseases in the country.
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Wu J, Xie MJ, Yang Q, Tu SX. [Current researches in microbial remediation of arsenic pollution]. Huan Jing Ke Xue 2011; 32:817-824. [PMID: 21634183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Along with the rapid development of industries, arsenic contamination emerges as one of the world's most urgent environmental problems, especially for the developing countries. Microbial remediation of arsenic polluted environments is a key technique in practice, four aspects, i.e., the special adsorption of arsenic by micro-organisms, the transformation of arsenic speciation and the degradation and volatilization of arsenic compounds by micro-organisms, the effects to arsenic contamination of soil by the interactions between micro-organisms and plant roots, and the molecular biological mechanism of bioremediation for arsenic were reviewed in this paper. In the final section of this paper, the outlook of bioremediation for arsenic and the issues and realms which call for more researches in the future were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Wu
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
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Skalska K, Miller JS, Ledakowicz S. Trends in NO(x) abatement: a review. Sci Total Environ 2010; 408:3976-89. [PMID: 20580060 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2009] [Revised: 05/31/2010] [Accepted: 06/02/2010] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Implementation of stringent regulations of NO(x) emission requires the development of new technologies for NO(x) removal from exhaust gases. This article summarizes current state of NO(x) abatement strategy. Firstly, the influence of NO(x) on environment and human health is described. The main focus is put on NO(x) control methods applied in combustion of fossil fuels in power stations and mobile vehicles, as well as methods used in chemical industry. Furthermore the implementation of ozone and other oxidizing agents in NO(x) oxidation is emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Skalska
- Technical University of Lodz, Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Wolczanska 213/215, 90-924, Lodz, Poland.
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42
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Shi WY, Shao HB, Li H, Shao MA, Du S. Progress in the remediation of hazardous heavy metal-polluted soils by natural zeolite. J Hazard Mater 2009; 170:1-6. [PMID: 19464110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.04.097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2009] [Revised: 04/22/2009] [Accepted: 04/22/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Hazardous heavy metal pollution of soils is an increasingly urgent problem all over the world. The zeolite as a natural amendment has been studied extensively for the remediation of hazardous heavy metal-polluted soils with recycling. But its theory and application dose are not fully clear. This paper reviews the related aspects of theory and application progress for the remediation of hazardous heavy metal-polluted soils by natural zeolite, with special emphasis on single/co-remediation. Based on the comments on hazardous heavy metal behavior characteristics in leaching and rhizosphere and remediation with zeolite for heavy metal-polluted soils, it indicated that the research of rhizosphere should be strengthened. Theory of remediation with natural zeolite could make breakthroughs due to the investigation on synthetic zeolite. Co-remediation with natural zeolite may be applied and studied with more prospect and sustainable recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-yu Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
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Abstract
Wetlands are particularly important for conserving China's biodiversity but riparian wetlands in the Tarim River basin in western China have been reduced by 46% during the last 3 decades. The world's largest habitat for Populus euphratica, which is in the Tarim River basin, significantly shrank. To protect and restore the deteriorated ecosystems along the Tarim River and its associated wetlands, China's government initiated a multimillion dollar river restoration project to release water from upper dams to the dried-up lower reaches of the Tarim River starting in 2000. We monitored the responses of groundwater and vegetation to water recharge in the lower reaches of the river from 2000 to 2006 by establishing nine 1000-m-long transects perpendicular to the river at intervals of 20-45 km along the 320-km river course below the Daxihaizi Reservoir, the source of water conveyance, to Lake Taitema, the terminus of the Tarim River. Water recharges from the Daxihaizi Reservoir to the lower reaches of the Tarim River significantly increased groundwater levels and vegetation coverage at all monitoring sites along the river. The mean canopy size of the endangered plant species P. euphratica doubled after 6 years of water recharge. Some rare migrating birds returned to rest on the restored wetlands in summer along the lower reaches of the Tarim River. The biggest challenge facing decision makers, however, is to balance water allocation and water rights between agricultural and natural ecosystems in a sustainable way. A large number of inhabitants in the Tarim Basin depend on these limited water resources for a living. At the same time, the endangered ecosystems need to be protected. Given the ecological, socioeconomic, and sociopolitical realities in the Tarim Basin, adaptive water policies and strategies are needed for water allocation in these areas of limited water resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqing Li
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology and Desert Environment, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China.
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44
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Lenz M, Lens PNL. The essential toxin: the changing perception of selenium in environmental sciences. Sci Total Environ 2009; 407:3620-33. [PMID: 18817944 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.07.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2008] [Revised: 07/17/2008] [Accepted: 07/30/2008] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
During the last decades, the perception of selenium has undergone substantial changes. While its toxic effects were recognized causing hair and hoof loss in animals during the 1930s, its essential role in microbial, animal and human metabolism has been recognized later, i.e. with the discovery of selenium deficiency causing "white muscle disease" in feedstock in the 1950s. Nowadays, the positive effect of systematic selenium supplementation is discussed in manifold topics such as cancer or diabetes prevention and avian influenza susceptibility. Treatment of selenium containing waste streams poses a notable challenge to environmental engineers, and to date no ultimate solution has been found for e.g. the selenium contamination in agricultural areas of the western USA. For the future, selenium contamination carries an imminent danger, if the increasing energy demand is covered by fossil fuel combustion, which will lead to major selenium emission and toxicity. This review presents current knowledge of selenium's role in environmental sciences and outlines potentially feasible treatment options targeting a variety of selenium contaminated waste streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Lenz
- Sub-Department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, Bomenweg 2, 6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Brenner K, You L, Arnold FH. Engineering microbial consortia: a new frontier in synthetic biology. Trends Biotechnol 2008; 26:483-9. [PMID: 18675483 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2008.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 518] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2008] [Revised: 05/22/2008] [Accepted: 05/23/2008] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Microbial consortia are ubiquitous in nature and are implicated in processes of great importance to humans, from environmental remediation and wastewater treatment to assistance in food digestion. Synthetic biologists are honing their ability to program the behavior of individual microbial populations, forcing the microbes to focus on specific applications, such as the production of drugs and fuels. Given that microbial consortia can perform even more complicated tasks and endure more changeable environments than monocultures can, they represent an important new frontier for synthetic biology. Here, we review recent efforts to engineer synthetic microbial consortia, and we suggest future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Brenner
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology 210-41, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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Abstract
Perhaps by virtue of its theoretical slipperiness, collective identity is often hailed as an important feature of social movements for the role it plays in unifying activists and organizations, and so helping them to develop shared concerns and engage in collective action. However, this paper argues that collective identity is the result of group rather than movement level processes, and although it can unite activists within a single movement organization, it is not always beneficial for the broader social movement. Although movements consist of networks of activists and organizations that have a broad shared concern, differing collective identities within the movement can actually be quite divisive. Based on case studies of three organizations in the environmental movement, this paper shows that activists who are most committed to an organization with an encompassing collective identity develop a strong sense of solidarity with other activists similarly committed to that organization. The resultant solidarity leads to the construction of a 'we-them' dichotomy between organizations within the same movement, increasing the chances of hostility between organizations and factions within the movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Saunders
- School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK.
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Abstract
Today, industrial plants that produce glycerol are closing down and others are opening that use glycerol as a raw material, owing to the large surplus of glycerol formed as a by-product during the production of biodiesel. Research efforts to find new applications of glycerol as a low-cost feedstock for functional derivatives have led to the introduction of a number of selective processes for converting glycerol into commercially valued products. This Minireview describes a selection of such achievements and shows how glycerol will be a central raw material in future chemical industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Pagliaro
- Institute for Scientific Methodology, CNR via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy.
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Becker D, Minsker B, Greenwald R, Zhang Y, Harre K, Yager K, Zheng C, Peralta R. Reducing long-term remedial costs by transport modeling optimization. Ground Water 2006; 44:864-75. [PMID: 17087758 DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6584.2006.00242.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The Department of Defense (DoD) Environmental Security Technology Certification Program and the Environmental Protection Agency sponsored a project to evaluate the benefits and utility of contaminant transport simulation-optimization algorithms against traditional (trial and error) modeling approaches. Three pump-and-treat facilities operated by the DoD were selected for inclusion in the project. Three optimization formulations were developed for each facility and solved independently by three modeling teams (two using simulation-optimization algorithms and one applying trial-and-error methods). The results clearly indicate that simulation-optimization methods are able to search a wider range of well locations and flow rates and identify better solutions than current trial-and-error approaches. The solutions found were 5% to 50% better than those obtained using trial-and-error (measured using optimal objective function values), with an average improvement of approximately 20%. This translated into potential savings ranging from 600,000 dollars to 10,000,000 dollars for the three sites. In nearly all cases, the cost savings easily outweighed the costs of the optimization. To reduce computational requirements, in some cases the simulation-optimization groups applied multiple mathematical algorithms, solved a series of modified subproblems, and/or fit "meta-models" such as neural networks or regression models to replace time-consuming simulation models in the optimization algorithm. The optimal solutions did not account for the uncertainties inherent in the modeling process. This project illustrates that transport simulation-optimization techniques are practical for real problems. However, applying the techniques in an efficient manner requires expertise and should involve iterative modification to the formulations based on interim results.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Becker
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Center of Expertise, 12565 W. Center Road, Omaha, NE 68144-3869, USA.
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