Handbook on pesticides and their uses in Florida agriculture.

Mode of access: Internet.

H'ani : National Parks and Wildlife Facilities at Springbrook.

The paper describes the process in whcih a multi-disciplinary group of design students propose a redevelopment of individual and group camping facilities at Springbrook national Park. A romantic and fairyland atmosphere is developed to enhance the natural educational potential of the site and heighten the experience of the transient community, the campers.

Sewage disposal and wildlife health in Antarctica

Sewage and its microbiology, treatment and disposal are important to the topic of Antarctic wildlife health because disposal of untreated sewage effluent into the Antarctic marine environment is both allowed and commonplace. Human sewage contains enteric bacteria as normal flora, and has the potential to contain parasites, bacteria and viruses which may prove pathogenic to Antarctic wildlife. Treatment can reduce levels of micro-organisms in sewage effluent, but is not a requirement of the Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty (the Madrid Protocol). In contrast, the deliberate release of non-native organisms for any other reason is prohibited. Hence, disposal of sewage effluent to the marine environment is the only activity routinely undertaken in Antarctica knowing that it will likely result in the release of large numbers of potentially non-native species. When the Madrid Protocol was negotiated, the decision to allow release of untreated sewage effluent was considered the only pragmatic option, as a prohibition would have been costly, and may not have been achievable by many Antarctic operators. In addition, at that time the potential for transmission of pathogens to wildlife from sewage was not emphasised as a significant potential risk. Since then, the transmission of disease-causing agents between species is more widely recognised and it is now timely to consider the risks of continued discharge of sewage effluent in Antarctica and whether there are practical alternatives.

Environmental management and wildlife in Queensland : a review of Queensland mammal species designated as scarce

From 19 authoritative lists with 164 entries of ‘endangered’ Australian mammal species, 39 species have been reported as extinct. When examined in the light of field conditions, the 18 of these species thought to be from Queensland consist of (a) species described from fragmentary museum material collected in the earliest days of exploration, (b) populations inferred to exist in Queensland by extrapolation from distribution records in neighbouring States or countries, (c) inhabitants of remote and harsh locations where search effort is extraordinarily difficult (especially in circumstances of drought or flooding). and/or (d) individuals that are clearly transitory or peripheral in distribution. ‘Rediscovery’ of such scarce species - a not infrequent occurrence - is nowadays attracting increasing attention. Management in respect of any scarce wildlife in Queensland presently derives from such official lists. The analyses here indicate that this method of prioritizing action needs review. This is especially so because action then tends to be centred on species chosen out of the lists for populist reasons and that mostly addresses Crown lands. There is reason to believe that the preferred management may lie private lands where casual observation has provided for rediscovery and where management is most desirable and practicable.

Influence of parameters on the heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of pesticides and phenolic contaminants in wastewater : a short review

In recent years, the application of heterogeneous photocatalytic water purification process has gained wide attention due to its effectiveness in degrading and mineralizing the recalcitrant organic compounds as well as the possibility of utilizing the solar UV and visible light spectrum. This paper aims to review and summarize the recently published works on the titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalytic oxidation of pesticides and phenolic compounds, predominant in storm and waste water effluents. The effect of various operating parameters on the photocatalytic degradation of pesticides and phenols are discussed. Results reported here suggested that the photocatalytic degradation of organic compounds depends on the type of photocatalyst and composition, light intensity, initial substrate concentration, amount of catalyst, pH of the reaction medium, ionic components in water, solvent types, oxidizing agents/electron acceptors, catalyst application mode, and calcinations temperature in water environment. A substantial amount of research has focused on the enhancement of TiO2 photocatalysis by modification with metal, non-metal and ion doping. Recent developments in TiO2 photocatalysis for the degradation of various pesticides and phenols are also highlighted in this review. It is evident from the literature survey that photocatalysis has shown good potential for the removal of various organic pollutants. However, still there is a need to find out the practical utility of this technique on commercial scale.

Recent developments in photocatalytic degradation of pesticides and phenols in storm and wastewater effluent

The heterogeneous photocatalytic oxidation process offers a versatile promise in the detoxification and disinfection of wastewater containing hazardous organic compounds such as pesticides and phenolic compounds in storm and wastewater effluent. This process has gained wide attention due to its effectiveness in degrading and mineralizing the organic compounds into harmless and often useful components. To develop an efficient photocatalytic process, titanium dioxide has been actively studied in recent years due to its excellent performance as a photocatalyst under UV light irradiation. This paper aims at critically evaluating and highlighting the recent developments of the heterogeneous photocatalytic systems with a special focus on storm and wastewater treatment applications.

Decoration of titania nanofibres with anatase nanoparticles as efficient photocatalysts for decomposing pesticides and phenols

Using a series of partial phase transitions, an effective photocatalyst with fibril morphology was prepared. The catalytic activities of these materials were tested against phenol and herbicide in water. Both H-titanate and TiO2-(B) fibres decorated with anatase nanocrystals were studied. It was found that anatase coated TiO2-(B) fibres prepared by a 45 h hydrothermal treatment followed by calcination were not only superior photocatalysts but could also be readily separated from the slurry after photocatalytic reactions due to its fibril morphology.

Impacts of pesticides and fertilisers on soil

The effects of inorganic amendments (fertilisers and pesticides) on soil biota that are reported in the scientific literature are, to say the least, variable. Though there is clear evidence that certain products can have significant impacts, the effects can be positive or negative. This is not surprising when you consider the number of organisms and amount of different functional groups, the number of products and various rates at which they could be applied, the methods of application and the environmental differences that occur in soil at a micro scale (within centimetres) in a paddock, let alone between paddocks, farms, catchments, regions etc. It therefore becomes extremely difficult to draw definitive conclusions from the reported results in order to summarise the impacts of these inputs. Several research trials and review papers have been published on this subject and most similarly conclude that the implications of many of the effects are still uncertain.

Community-managed forests and wildlife-friendly agriculture play a subsidiary but not substitutive role to protected areas for the endangered Asian elephant

Global conservation policy is increasingly debating the feasibility of reconciling wildlife conservation and human resource requirements in land uses outside protected areas (PAs). However, there are few quantitative assessments of whether or to what extent these `wildlife-friendly' land uses fulfill a fundamental function of PAs-to separate biodiversity from anthropogenic threats. We distinguish the role of wildlife-friendly land uses as being (a) subsidiary, whereby they augment PAs with secondary habitat, or (b) substitutive, wherein they provide comparable habitat to PAs. We tested our hypotheses by investigating the influence of land use and human presence on space-use intensity of the endangered Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) in a fragmented landscape comprising PAs and wildlife-friendly land uses. We applied multistate occupancy models to spatial data on elephant occurrence to estimate and model the overall probability of elephants using a site, and the conditional probability of high-intensity use given that elephants use a site. The probability of elephants using a site regardless of intensity did not vary between PAs and wildlife-friendly land uses. However, high-intensity use declined with distance to PM, and this effect was accentuated by an increase in village density. Therefore, while wildlife-friendly land uses did play a subsidiary conservation role, their potential to substitute for PAs was offset by a strong human presence. Our findings demonstrate the need to evaluate the role of wildlife-friendly land uses in landscape-scale conservation; for species that have conflicting resource requirements with people, PAs are likely to provide crucial refuge from growing anthropogenic threats. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB’s), Chlorinated Pesticides, and Heavy Metals and Other Elements in Tissues of Belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, from Cook Inlet

Tissues from Cook Inlet beluga whales, Delphinapterus leucas, that were collected as part of the Alaska Marine Mammal Tissue Archival Project were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s), chlorinated pesticides, and heavy metals and other elements. Concentrations of total PCB’s (ΣPCB’s), total DDT (ΣDDT), chlordane compounds, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), dieldrin, mirex, toxaphene, and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) measured in Cook Inlet beluga blubber were compared with those reported for belugas from two Arctic Alaska locations (Point Hope and Point Lay), Greenland, Arctic Canada, and the highly contaminated stock from the St. Lawrence estuary in eastern Canada. The Arctic and Cook Inlet belugas had much lower concentrations (ΣPCB’s and ΣDDT were an order of magnitude lower) than those found in animals from the St. Lawrence estuary. The Cook Inlet belugas had the lowest concentrations of all (ΣPCB’s aver-aged 1.49 ± 0.70 and 0.79 ± 0.56 mg/kg wet mass, and ΣDDT averaged 1.35 ± 0.73 and 0.59 ± 0.45 mg/kg in males and females, respectively). Concentrations in the blubber of the Cook Inlet males were significantly lower than those found in the males of the Arctic Alaska belugas (ΣPCB’s and ΣDDT were about half). The lower levels in the Cook Inlet animals might be due to differences in contaminant sources, food web differences, or different age distributions among the animals sampled. Cook Inlet males had higher mean and median concentrations than did females, a result attributable to the transfer of these compounds from mother to calf during pregnancy and during lactation. Liver concentrations of cadmium and mercury were lower in the Cook Inlet belugas (most cadmium values were <1 mg/kg and mercury values were 0.704–11.42 mg/kg wet mass), but copper levels were significantly higher in the Cook Inlet animals (3.97–123.8 mg/kg wet mass) than in Arctic Alaska animals and similar to those reported for belugas from Hudson Bay. Although total mercury levels were the lowest in the Cook Inlet population, methylmercury concentrations were similar among all three groups of the Alaska animals examined (0.34–2.11 mg/kg wet mass). As has been reported for the Point Hope and Point Lay belugas, hepatic concentrations of silver were re

Compliance Program report of findings: FY 79 pesticides and metals in Fish Program (7305.007)

Because fish bioaccumulate* certain chemicals, levels of chemical contaminants in their edible portion must be closely monitored. In recent years, FDA has conducted several surveys designed to determine the occurrence and levels of selected chemicals or groups of chemicals in fish. Previous fish surveillance programs included the Mercury in Wholesale Fish Survey (FY 71), the FY 73 and 74 Comprehensive Fish Surveys, the Canned Tuna Program (FY 75), the Kepone and Mirex Contamination Program (FY 77), and the FY 77 Mercury in Swordfish Program. In addition, recent Compliance Programs for Pesticides and Metals in Foods and Pesticides, Metals, and Industrial Chemicals in Animal Feed have specified coverage of fish and fish products. Because of previous findings and the sustained high level of fish imported into the United States, a separate compliance program dealing solely with chemical contaminants in fish was initiated by the FDA Bureau of Foods in FY 78. The program includes all domestic and imported fish coverage except that directed by the Bureau of Veterinary Medicine for animal feed components derived from fishery products. The earlier surveys indicated that "bottom feeder" species such as catfish generally had the highest levels of pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). For this reason, coverage at these species has been emphasized. Similarly, tuna has received special attention because it is the most prevalent fish in the U.S. diet and because of potential problems with mercury. Halibut, swordfish, and snapper also were emphasized in the sampling because of potential problems with mercury levels determined in previous years. The findings in this program were used in detecting emerging problems in fish and directing FDA efforts to deal with them. Care must be exercised in drawing conclusions about trends from the data because this Compliance Program was not statistically designed. Sampling objectives and sources may vary from year to year; thus the results are not directly comparable.