High-purity zeolites A were synthesized from different coal combustion by-products (baghouse filter fly ash, cyclone filter ash, and bottom ash) and characterized in terms of morphology, chemical, and mineralogical composition. The products were tested for carbon dioxide capture by using a continuous CO₂ flow system passing through a column packed with the adsorbent material, which was connected to an analyser that directly measures the concentration of CO₂ The values of CO₂ adsorption capacities calculated for the unmodified Na-A zeolites (ZABF, ZACF, and ZABA) were 556.48, 494.29 and 654.82 mg g^–1, respectively. These values were higher than those achieved by the calcium-modified zeolite samples. ZABA adsorbent presented the best performance in CO₂ capture when compared to the other adsorbent material and achieved an adsorption capacity 32% higher than a 4A commercial zeolite. In the adsorption cycles study, the percentage of CO₂ desorption by ZABA at the second and hird cycles reached 93%, showing that zeolite A can be regenerated by heating at 150 ºC. The use of coal ashes to obtain zeolites and the application of these products for the CO₂ adsorption can be an important strategy to mitigate both the problem of waste management and the greenhouse gases emission in coal-fired power plants.

Water pollution by Cr is challenging due to its high toxicity. Most of chromium is released by industrial processes. Different methods have been developed to remove heavy metals from water, but they are expensive and not efficient for low concentrations. Microorganisms have received attention since they are able to grow in stress conditions. Bacteria living in water bodies near to mining are resistant to heavy metals; then, they have potential for bioadsorption applications. The purpose of this work was to isolate a microorganism tolerant to Cr from water bodies near to a mining zone. The isolated, Pseudomonas koreensis, was immobilized in alginate beads and its efficiency to remove Cr from water was evaluated. For isolation, serial dilution of samples was conducted; microorganisms were cultured in EMB, MacConkey and Mannitol salt agar and incubated at 30–35 °C for 24 h. The dominant colonies were replanted in nutrient agar supplemented with chromium and they were incubated at 30–35 °C until growth evidence. Species identification was done according to Bergey’s Manual and by 16 S rDNA sequencing. Alginate beads were prepared by slow continuous deposition method. Isolated bacteria were set in batch reactors together with alginate beads and nutrient medium to promote microorganism immobilization. The biofilm presence was confirmed through SEM. A random experimental design was used to determine the best amount of adsorbent in lab scale batch reactors. The concentration was taken as variable considering 15, 25 and 40 g. Temperature, pH, stirring and concentration of Cr (VI) were fixed at 30°C, 6.6, 150 rpm and 10 ppm, respectively. Samples from 0 to 56 h were taken. A variance analysis was performed. Chromium removal of 97% at 32 h was reached. Significative difference was observed related to adsorbent concentration and time. The best results correspond to 40 g of adsorbent.

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in indoor air is a substantial risk factor for many health issues. Children are particularly susceptible to ETS with increased risk of asthma attacks, respiratory infec- tions and sudden infant death syndrome. The health effects of ETS are well researched in adults, but few studies examine the impact on children’s cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). CRF has been shown to be a useful biomarker for monitoring health effects which would normally be too subtle to iden- tify at rest. In adults, ETS has been shown to reduce CRF, and children may be at greater risk due to high respiration rates and developing organs. This preliminary research tests the hypothesis that ETS has a detrimental impact on CRF in children. Twenty-five children (9–11 years) from one Merseyside primary school were recruited. ETS exposure was determined by parental surveys and coupled with children’s exhaled carbon monoxide concentration. CRF was determined using a VO peak test, with lung function assessed using standard spirometry, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) provided an indication of lung inflammation. Initial results show that children exposed to ETS had statically lower CRF scores (p = 0.048) and were more likely to be classified as ‘unfit’ compared to children not exposed. A negative correlation was found between the number of cigarettes smoked at home and children’s CRF (r = −0.526, p = 0.008), suggesting a possible dose–response relationship. Spirometry and FeNO values were not statistically different between groups. Results indicate that ETS exposure is likely to be detrimental to children’s CRF. They highlight the need for further work, on a larger dataset that will allow more robust analysis with greater statistical power. To the author’s knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to use laboratory-based fitness measurements to explore associations between ETS and CRF in children.

The levels of air pollution in the cities of Greater Bay Area in Southern China, including Macao, are extremely high and often exceeded the levels recommended by World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines. In order for the population to take precautionary measures and avoid further health risks un- der high pollutant exposure, it is important to develop a reliable air quality forecast. Statistical models based on multiple regression analysis were developed successfully for Macao to predict the next-day concentrations of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) for Taipa Ambient, a background representative station located within the area of Macao (32.9 km2), at Taipa Grande, the headquarter of Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau. The two developed models were statistically significantly valid, with a 95% confidence level with high coefficients of determination. A wide range of meteorological and air quality variables were identified, and only some were selected as significant dependent variables. The meteorological variables such as geopotential height and relative humidity at different vertical levels were selected from an extensive list of variables. The air quality variables that translate the resilience of the recent past concentrations of each pollutant were the ones selected. The models were based in meteorological and air quality variables with five years of historical data, from 2013 to 2017. The data from 2013 to 2016 were used to develop the statistical models and data from 2017 were used for validation purposes, with high coefficients of determination between predicted and observed daily average concentrations (0.92 and 0.89 for PM10 and PM2.5 , respectively). The results are expected to be the basis for an operational air quality forecast for the region.

When sustainability limits for resource use or adverse effects from multiple users are reached, there is a need to manage for the cumulative impacts of all users as well as the impacts of individual users. Ir- rigation expansion in Canterbury led to sustainability limits for water availability for further irrigation and water quality decline from land use intensification. This paper illustrates some of the key lessons for management of cumulative impacts from Canterbury examples. In the Rakaia-Selwyn Groundwater Zone, the spatial scale of management shifted from managing the drawdown impacts on adjacent bores to managing the total extraction from the groundwater zone and the effects on flows in groundwater-fed streams. The management of nitrate contamination from land use intensification across the Canterbury Plains required analysis of the cumulative effects of current and future developments on drinking wa- ter quality: this also led to requirements for increased controls on existing users and raised the issue of affordability of additional controls. As illustrated in water quality management for Lake Benmore, modelling of cumulative effects is more complex than modelling the effects of individual projects. Uncertainties in predicting cumulative effects can be greater than the contributions of individual projects. This creates difficulties not only in setting overall limits for managing cumulative effects but also in determining whether impacts from project proposals can be accommodated. The setting of nitrogen discharge limits on land users in the catchment of Wainono Lagoon demonstrates the issue of equity considerations in allocation of discharge allowances. This is not only for the allocation among existing users but also between existing dischargers and potential new dischargers. The management of salinisa- tion of the Woolston-Heathcote groundwater supply is an example of the need to manage the collective contributions of those responsible for adverse effects not just the individual users. The greater complexity of monitoring for the management of cumulative impacts is illustrated in the management of environmental flows in the Te Ngawai River. This required integrating the measurements of individual extractions and the combined effect on river flow in real time.

African snakehead (Parachanna obscura) is a highly valued freshwater fish species in Nigeria, but its availability for economic and nutritional benefits is being threatened as a result of overdependence on wild source. Effort at bringing it to culture is, however, being limited by paucity of information on its biology among other challenges. Therefore, key aspects of the reproductive biology of this species were investigated as a prelude to artificially propagate it. 688 live samples comprise of 394 females (12.6–45.0cm TL) and 294 males (12.8–41.6cm TL) were fortnightly obtained in Eleyele Lake between November 2014 and October 2016 from fishermen majorly using longline, cast nets and gillnets of various mesh sizes. Morphometric parameters of fish were taken, and each sample dissected for sex identification following standard method. The maturation stages were analysed using macroscopic and standard histological techniques. The sex ratio of samples varied significantly (p< 0.05), with 1.34 fe- males for every male. Five stages of oogenesis and three stages of spermatogenesis were obtained from samples analysed. Mean gonadosomatic index were significantly higher in May (2.26±0.86%), June (2.08±0.80%) and January (1.98±0.77%) for female samples and in June (0.18±0.06%) and December (0.21±0.06%) for male, implying peaks of gonadal development for the sexes. Length at first maturity calculated was 26.6 cm for males and 25.8 cm for females. The diameter of ova, however, varies from 0.60 to 1.42 mm. Absolute fecundity ranged between 336 (at 20.5cm total length) and 7,033 (at 36.7 cm total length). The relationship between fecundity and total length, weight, ovary length and ovary weight was linear and positive. This research provides key information necessary for artificial propagation of P. obscura.

A survey water quality study was conducted between 2014 and 2017 to investigate the presence and concentration of pesticides in the nearshore marine environments on the islands of Oahu and Kauai. On Kauai, a total of 32 surface water and 16 sediment samples were collected from four streams and one irrigation ditch over multiple sampling events. On Oahu, a total of 27 surface water and 16 sediment samples were collected from six streams on the leeward side of the island over multiple sampling events, typically under baseflow conditions. The samples were analysed for 197 compounds spanning eight chemical classes of pesticides. Five herbicide (glyphosate, metolachlor, atrazine, imazapyr and MCPA) and one insecticide (imidacloprid) compounds were detected in the surface water samples collected. Seven insecticide (imidacloprid, carbaryl, chlordane, p,pʹ-DDD, p,pʹ-DDE, p,pʹ-DDT and dieldrin), five herbicide [glyphosate, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), diuron, DCPMU and pendimethalin] and one fungicide (azoxystrobin) compound were detected in the stream bed sediments collected. Detected pesticides spanned the pesticide class list, with seven of the eight classes of pesticides tested discovered. This study found widespread, low level contamination by both legacy and currently used pesticides in nearshore waters and river bed sediments on the islands of Oahu and Kauai. Based on the pesticide data obtained during the study, five streams on the island of Oahu (two leeward and three windward streams) were selected for additional high-frequency sampling for the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate (Roundup), due to this compound’s prevalence and the elevated concentration levels (compared to other pesticides) measured. These five streams flow through watersheds dominated by agricultural, residential and mixed-use land use and were sampled under both baseflow and storm conditions.The pervasiveness and overall concentration levels of glyphosate detected are greater than any other pesticide currently or historically present in Hawaiian streams. Glyphosate was detected in 95% of stream samples collected during storm events (59 samples, 798 ng/L median, 1,308 ng/L mean detects) and 60% of stream samples collected under baseflow conditions (103 samples, 152 ng/L median,462 ng/L mean detects), respectively (detection limit = 50 ng/L). In addition, either glyphosate or its degradation product AMPA was detected in 100% of the stream bed sediment samples collected on Oahu and Kauai during the study. The higher glyphosate concentrations in measured stream samples collected under storm versus baseflow conditions is believed to result from the release of adsorbed glyphosate present in stream-bed sediments as they become re-suspended during the rapid rises in stream volumes that characterize Hawaiian stream during runoff events.The mean glyphosate concentration measured in streams that drain urban and mixed-use areas (1,020 and 1,050 ng/L, respectively) was slightly higher than concentration levels measured in streams that drain agricultural areas (760 ng/L). Glyphosate was detected more frequently in stream samples collected from agricultural areas than from urban and mixed-use areas (82%, 69% and 63% detection rates, respectively). The mean glyphosate concentrations measured during this study in stream waters and their associated bed sediments are more than 7 and 10 times higher than the maximum mean detect concentration of the most prevalent persistent organic pollutants (α-chlordane in sediment and pentachlorophenol in stream and bay waters) measured in waters and sediments in urban and mixed-use areas on Oahu in the mid-1970s.