Academic literature on the topic 'Environment pollution research'

The rapid rising anthropogenic emissions driven by economic growth over China documented by satellite observations and bottom-up inventories have led to severely degraded air quality, and also have been suggested to be linked to the recent upward trends of tropospheric O₃ over the regions downwind of China. Multi-scale modeling analyses facilitated by ground-level, aircraft and satellite observations have been conducted to understand the atmospheric chemistry over China. Analyses using a 1-D photochemical model constrained by measurements at Beijing in August of 2007 suggest that reactive aromatic VOCs are the major source (~75%) of peroxy acetyl nitrate (PAN). Detailed radical budget analyses reveal the very fast ROₓ (OH + HO₂ + RO₂) production, recycling and destruction driven by VOC oxidation and heterogeneous processes. Photoenhanced aerosol surface uptake of NO₂ is found to be the predominant source of nitrous acid (HONO) during daytime (~70%). 3-D regional modeling analyses of tropospheric vertical column densities of glyoxal (CHOCHO) from SCIAMACHY show that anthropogenic emissions of aromatic VOCs are substantially underestimated (by a factor of 5 - 6, regionally varied) over China. Such an underestimation is the main cause of a large missing source of CHOCHO over the region in current global models, and could also partly explain the underestimation of organic aerosols in previous modeling studies.

Proteomics is the global analysis of proteins that covers a broad range of technologies aimed at determining the identity and quantity of proteins expressed in the cell, their three-dimensional structure and interaction partners. In contrast to genome, proteome reflects more accurately on the dynamic state of the cell, tissue, or an organism. Therefore much is expected from proteomics to yield better disease markers for early diagnosis and therapy monitoring, as well as biomarkers that would indicate environmental exposure or provide prediction of biological age. In this thesis, I have developed and applied robust and sensitive subproteomic approaches to study the effect of aging as well as and environmental pollution using different animal models. In the first part, a high-throughput proteomic method based on liquid chromatography coupled to 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (LC/2-DE) was developed. The usefulness of this method has been demonstrated by applying it to the assessment of marine pollution in a field experiment. Next, I have utilized this subproteomic approach to study the effect of aging in mouse kidney of both genders. As a result, a protein expression signature of aging kidney was obtained, revealing gender-dependent alterations in proteome profiles of aging mouse kidney. In order to further reduce the dynamic range of protein expression and increase the sensitivity of proteomic analysis, I have applied a shotgun mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) coupled to liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to study age-related differences in peroxisome-enriched fractions from mouse liver. Only eight proteins showed statistically significant difference in expression (p&lt;0.05) with moderate folds. This study indicates that age-depended changes in the liver proteome are minimal, suggesting that its proteome is efficiently maintained until certain age. Finally, in the context of aging studies and the role of peroxisomes in aging, I have tested the utility of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) as agents for protein delivery into acatalasemic peroxisomes using yeast as a model. The results obtained suggest that CPPs may be suitable for the delivery of antioxidants to peroxisomes and in future could provide a tool for the protein therapy of age-related diseases.<br>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following publications were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Submitted, Paper 4: Submitted.

<p>Co-operation between states is a necessity to be able to handle environmental issues in the Baltic Sea area, since these are transboundary problems. Two organisations that deal with environmental issues in this region are HELCOM and Baltic 21. The aim has been to study how the problem of pollution from diffuse land-based sources, especially agriculture, has been dealt with through these organisations, to look upon the roles of and the relationship between HELCOM and Baltic 21 and to study the possibilities and the difficulties in the practical co-operation. The study holds a Swedish perspective, as Swedish representatives with connections to the HELCOM and Baltic 21 processes have been interviewed. The analysis shows that the EU is becoming increasingly important as an actor in the Baltic Sea co-operation, which makes the future roles of HELCOM and Baltic 21 uncertain. Concerning the difficulties of the work, aspects mentioned were cultural differences, group problems and lack of resources. To improve the work some proposals made by the interviewees were to use the experiences from different projects and to increase the resources.</p>

The literature and data describing the environmental effects of air pollution in South Africa were examined, with a focus on the effects that are produced by the use of energy. This examination consisted of three parts: The emissions resulting from the use of the different fuels were calculated, with a complete sectorial and regional breakdown for pollution sources. A review of the data obtained from pollution monitoring programmes conducted in South Africa was completed. It was found that while monitoring is conducted in various regions and urban districts, there are areas with recognised pollution problems, such as townships, where little or no monitoring has been conducted. Often the resulfs of monitoring programmes were not published, or only available in unprocessed form. The literature describing environmental effects related to air pollution was reviewed. The number of studies pertaining to South African environments was found to be limited and tended to focus on certain areas, while neglecting others. Areas requiring further study and research were identified.

Birds have been widely used as bioindicators. In this study we face the use of birds as bioindicators of metal pollution in two different scenarios of contamination: one that takes place in an aquatic environment, the Ebro river basin, and a second that occurs in a terrestrial environment, the Bolivian Andes. In the case of the Ebro river basin, the pollution threat is a factory located at the river bend, close to Flix, that due to its long operational activity and along with the construction of a dam next to the plant around 1960, resulted in the accumulation of 200,000–360,000 tons of industrial wastes in the riverbed, occupying an area of 700 m of length and 60 m of width. In this study case we evaluated whether aquatic birds such as the Purple Heron reflect the potential pollutant exposure from Flix Reservoir among different riverine and deltaic areas, and assess their usefulness as bioindicators. Also we examined if the polluted wastes of Flix reservoir affect the levels of pollution of the habitats where waterbird populations of the Ebro Delta (situated 90 km downstream) forage and feed. As results stable isotopes shown the high nitrification and lower carbon signatures in the river, and together with the niche width metrics, that Common and Sandwich Tern behave as strict specialists at the Ebro Delta, with narrow niche widths, while in the opposite way, Little Tern, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Night Heron and the Moorhen behave like generalists foragers, with broad niche widths. Mercury levels in nestlings of Purple Heron at Flix site and eggs of Audouin’s Gull, Little Tern and Common Tern ‘Banya’ at the Ebro Delta are high enough to be of special concern. Arsenic (specially used in combination with carbon signatures) discriminates outstandingly between marine and freshwater species. Both eggs and nestling feathers of Purple Herons are adequate bioindicators for trace element pollution, but nestling feathers present certain advantages. The six selected blood parameters (TOSC ROO*, TOSC OH*, BhCE, CbE, LDH and MN) provide the first evidence of an association of biological responses with pollutants in heron species. The second study case takes place in Bolivia. Anthropogenic mining has taken place in the Bolivian Andes since at least the fifteenth century. Particularly the East of Oruro Department in the Eastern Andean Cordillera is affected by a long term history of mining. These mining activities were characterized by the deposition of large tailing piles, which accumulated in abandoned and active mines, where trace metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and antimony could reach surface waters and soils, and so the biota. In this case we evaluated the potential of Tinamou species as sentinels of exposure to local trace metal pollution and studied different routes of lead accumulation into the sentinel species, in order to assess the usefulness of feather levels as a measure of the exposure to this pollutant. As results we found that the detected small home ranges detected in Ornate Tinamou (lower than 1 km2) and their sedentary habits make of this species an adequate bioindicator of local pollution. We recommend feathers for future monitoring programs as they are a non invasive sample. Higher rates of histopathological damage were found in kidney at the polluted sites. We detected high levels of trace elements detected at the polluted sites in the two studied species of Tinamou (Ornate and Darwin Tinamou), many of them trespassing hazard levels. The calamus is the most suitable section for assessing the original endogenous lead levels in feather samples.<br>En este estudio las aves serán utilizadas como bioindicadoras de contaminación por metales pesados en dos escenarios diferentes: el primero en un ambiente acuático, la cuenca del rio Ebro, mientras que el segundo tiene lugar en un ambiente terrestre, los Andes bolivianos. En el primer caso la fuente de contaminación es una fábrica localizada cerca de Flix, que produjo cientos de toneladas de lodos tóxicos. Así evaluamos si aves acuáticas como la Garza imperial reflejan la exposición potencial a los contaminantes de Flix entre zonas fluviales y deltaicas, comprobando su utilidad como bioindicadoras, y también examinamos si dichos residuos afectan a la contaminación de los hábitats donde la avifauna del Delta del Ebro se alimenta. Como resultados los isótopos estables mostraron la alta nitrificación y signaturas más bajas de carbono en el río y observamos que el Charrán común y patinegro actúan como especialistas en el Delta, mientras que Charrancito, Garceta común, Garza Imperial, Martinete y Gallineta de agua son generalistas, presentando amplios nichos tróficos. El mercurio en volantones de Garza Imperial en Flix y huevos de Gaviota de Audouin, Charrancito y Charrán común “Banya” en el Delta presentan valores alarmantes. El arsénico discrimina claramente entre especies marinas y dulceacuícolas. Ambos huevos y plumas son bioindicadores adecuados de contaminación, pero las plumas presentan más ventajas. El segundo estudio tiene lugar en los Andes Bolivianos, donde la actividad minera ha dado lugar a la acumulación de residuos. Evaluamos el potencial de las especies de Tinamúes como bioindicadoras de la exposición a dicha contaminación, incluyendo las diferentes vías de acumulación de plomo en las especies bioindicadoras. Como resultados, los pequeños territorios detectados y hábitos sedentarios hacen del Tinamú Pisacca un bioindicador adecuado de la contaminación local. Se recomienda el uso de plumas al son una muestra no invasiva. El mayor daño histopatológico se encontraron en muestras de riñón de las zonas contaminadas. La contaminación minera ha quedado de manifiesto con los altos niveles detectados en las dos especies estudiadas de Tinamú. El cálamo es la sección más adecuada para la evaluación de los niveles originales endógenos de plomo.

Environmental Justice defines the environment as the spaces where we live, work, and play. The Environmental Justice (EJ) Movement has traditionally used this definition to organize against toxics in communities. However, within EJ work, prisons or policing have often not been centralized or discussed. This means that the approximately 2.2 million people in prison are excluded from the conversation and movement. Additionally, communities and activists are identifying police and prisons as toxics in their communities, but an analysis of policing and prisons is largely missing in EJ scholarship. This thesis explores the intersection between prisons, policing, and pollution. It outlines how prisons, policing, and pollution are connected and reveals why this intersection is critical to understand in Environmental Justice (EJ) scholarship and organizing. Based on interviews with formerly incarcerated individuals in San Antonio, Texas, and a case study of the Mira Loma Women’s Detention Center in the Antelope Valley of California, this thesis expands the realm of EJ work to include and center the spaces of prisons and policing and complicates the definition of toxicity as it has been traditionally used and organized against in the EJ movement. I argue that policing and imprisonment are toxic systems to our communities and contradict and prevent the development of safe and sustainable communities. Thus, understanding prisons and policing as toxic to both people and to the environment, we should move toward abolishing these toxic systems and building alternatives to them. To this end, or rather, to this new beginning, [prison-industrial-complex] abolition should be explored as a framework within EJ to push us to fundamentally reconsider our ideas of justice, to better and differently approach the practice of making environmental justice available for all because abolition is not only about dismantling, but it is largely about building more just, safer, and more sustainable communities. This thesis brings abolition and EJ discourses together to assess the potential for coalition building between abolitionists and EJ activists to work toward a common goal of building safe, sustainable, and more just communities for everybody. I conclude that abolition should be embraced as a framework within EJ to liberate our carceral landscape and to imagine, and subsequently, create a new environmental and social landscape.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Florida, 2005.<br>Typescript. Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 277 pages. Includes Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Municipal treated wastewater entering rivers contain biologically active pharmaceuticals capable of inducing effects in aquatic life. Phytoremediation of three of these pharmaceuticals and an herbicide was investigated using Sandbar willow (Salix exigua) and Arabidopsis thaliana. Both plants were effective at removing compounds from solution, with removal of 86% of the synthetic estrogen, 17α-ethynylestradiol, 65% of the anti-hypertensive, diltiazem, 60% of the anti-convulsant, diazepam (Valium®), and 51% of the herbicide atrazine, in 24 hours. Distribution of compounds within roots and shoots, in soluble and bound forms, differed among compounds. Uptake and distribution of pharmaceuticals within the study plants confirmed pharmaceutical behaviour can be predicted based on a physiochemical property, their octanol-water partitioning coefficients. An effective method for detection of 17α-ethynylestradiol within surface water using solid phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed. Previously unreported breakdown of 17α-ethynylestradiol into another common estrogen, estrone, during preparative steps and gas chromatography was resolved.<br>xv, 216 leaves ; 29 cm.