Emission of greenhouse gases, including nitrous oxide (N₂O), from open beef cattle feedlots is becoming an environmental concern; however, research measuring emission rates of N₂O from open beef cattle feedlots has been limited. This study was conducted to quantify N₂O emission fluxes as affected by pen surface conditions, in a commercial beef cattle feedlot in the state of Kansas, USA, from July 2010 through September 2011. The measurement period represented typical feedlot conditions, with air temperatures ranging from -24 to 39°C. Static flux chambers were used to collect gas samples from pen surfaces at 0, 15, and 30 minutes. Gas samples were analyzed with a gas chromatograph and from the measured concentrations, fluxes were calculated. Median emission flux from the moist/muddy surface condition was 2.03 mg m⁻² hour⁻¹, which was about 20 times larger than the N₂O fluxes from the other pen surface conditions. In addition, N₂O peaks from the moist/muddy pen surface condition were six times larger than emission peaks previously reported for agricultural soils.

A cross-sectional study of 160 water samples collected from 72 cooling towers in 4 hospitals, 7 department stores, and 3 hotels in Bangkok was carried out to investigate Legionella pneumophila contamination and its predictive factors. All water samples were cultured for Legionella spp. and tested for L. pneumophila by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Some cooling tower parameters were measured and recorded. Data were analyzed using χ²-test, odds ratio and stepwise logistic regression analysis at the significant level of α = 0.05. Results revealed that the Legionella spp. contamination was 20.0% (32/160) and for L. pneumophila was 61.3% (98/160). The sensitivity of real-time PCR was higher than that of the culture. Factors significantly associated with L. pneumophila contamination by χ²-test were: the cooling tower model, size, use duration, pH, water temperature, use of ozone, and residual free chlorine (95% CI of OR > 1.0, P < 0.05). After stepwise logistic regression analysis, four predictive factors remained. These included the cooling tower model being a cross-flow type (adjusted OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.2-7.8, P = 0.017), use duration >5 years (adjusted OR = 3.6, 95% CI = 1.3-10.1, P = 0.016), water temperature <29.4°C (adjusted OR = 7.9, 95% CI = 2.1-29.6, P = 0.002), and residual free chlorine <0.2 ppm (adjusted OR = 8.5, 95% CI = 2.1-34.9, P = 0.003). Additionally, the risk probability for L. pneumophila contamination was estimated to be 13.9-97.1%, depending on the combination of predictive factors.

An analysis is presented to determine unsaturated zone hydraulic parameters based on detailed water content profiles, which can be readily acquired during hydrological investigations. Core samples taken through the unsaturated zone allow for the acquisition of gravimetrically determined water content data as a function of elevation at 3 inch intervals. This dense spacing of data provides several measurements of the water content within the capillary fringe, which are utilized to determine capillary pressure function parameters via least-squares calibration. The water content data collected above the capillary fringe are used to calculate dimensionless flow as a function of elevation providing a snapshot characterization of flow through the unsaturated zone. The water content at a flow stagnation point provides an in situ estimate of specific yield. In situ determinations of capillary pressure function parameters utilizing this method, together with particle-size distributions, can provide a valuable supplement to data libraries of unsaturated zone hydraulic parameters. The method is illustrated using data collected from plots within an agricultural research facility in Wisconsin.

Dynamic emission factors of air toxic compounds, emitted from vehicles in Bangkok, Thailand, are developed using the IVE model. The model takes into account the actual fleet and characteristics of vehicles in the study area. It is found that the calculated emission factors are greatly influenced by vehicle emission control policy. Approximately 2000 tons of benzene emission per year is reduced by the changing of fuel quality from Euro 2 to Euro 4 standards. As for mitigation measures, introduction of gasohol and natural gas as alternative fuels, as well as encouraging the utilization of public transportation systems, are analyzed. The outcomes reveal that a combined scenario using 100% gasohol plus decreasing vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT) by 20% is the most effective in reduction of benzene emission. In addition, 1,3-butadiene, acetaldehyde and formaldehyde emissions are greatly decreased by the combined scenario of using compressed natural gas (CNG) plus decreasing VKT by 20%.

Hydro-climatic change in Japan from 1906 to 2005 has been analyzed using local climate data from four large metropolitan areas, four cities, and eight rural areas. Mean annual and seasonal air temperature records (Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA) show linear warming trends at all 16 study sites with a strong dependence on population (density). Over the 100 year period investigated, the average warming has been the least (1.06°C) at the rural sites, higher (1.77°C) in the urban areas and cities, and highest (2.70°C) in the large metropolitan areas. The more sparsely populated rural sites had warming trends from 0.73 to 1.24°C per 100 years. In the business district of Tokyo, an average warming of 3.07°C in 100 years was recorded. Warming in Japan has been higher in winter than in summer, and has accelerated significantly since 1981. Average warming at all 16 stations was 3.1 times higher in the recent 25 years (1981-2005) than in the last century (1906-2005). The 1906-2005 average warming at the rural sites (1.06°C) was higher than the global warming reported by the IPCC (0.74°C).

Mean annual precipitation has decreased, on average, by 3% (60 mm) number of days with precipitation by 8% (29 days) at the 16 study sites in 100 years (1906-2005), and average daily precipitation intensity has increased by 4%. Annual precipitation amounts have changed the most (7%) in medium sized cities, and the least (2%) at rural study sites; they have also been higher in the warmer south (8%) than in the cooler north (1%) of Japan. Precipitation intensity increases are uncorrelated with air temperatures or their increases. Changes in precipitation from 1906 to 2005 in Japan are more likely caused by global climate change rather than by local urban heat island effects.

Little is known about the timing and quantity of nitrogen (N) mineralization from cover crop residue following cover crop termination. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the impact of cover crop species on the return of fall applied N to the soil in the spring following chemical and winter terminations. Fall N was applied (200 kg N ha⁻¹) into a living stand of cereal rye, tillage radish, and control (no cover crop). After chemical termination in the spring, soil samples were collected weekly and were analyzed for inorganic N (NO₃-N and NH₄-N) to investigate mineralization over time. Cereal rye soil inorganic N concentrations were similar to that of the control in both the spring of 2012 and 2013. Fall N application into tillage radish, cereal rye, and control plots resulted in an average 91, 57, and 66% of the fall N application rate as inorganic N in the spring at the 0-20 cm depth, respectively. The inclusion of cover crops into conventional cropping systems stabilized N at the soil surface and has the potential to improve the efficiency of fall applied N.

We analyzed the influence of environmental parameters on the temporal variation of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) mixing ratios in two environmentally contrasting Indian sites, Dehradun (30.1°N, 77.4°E, humid subtropical station) and Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.18°E, dry tropical station), from October 2010 to September 2011. The annual range of mixing ratios is low in Gadanki as compared to those of Dehradun because of relatively less monthly variation in temperature and relative humidity (RH) at Gadanki. At both the stations, the minimum mixing ratios are present during the high ecosystem productivity seasons in the afternoon hours. The maximum values are in the early morning hours. However, low wind speed conditions control the unexpected afternoon high mixing ratios in Gadanki during the pre-monsoon season. The early morning maximum is high during monsoon and post-monsoon seasons in Dehradun and Gadanki, respectively, whereas morning inflexion occurred earlier in Gadanki compared with Dehradun. The effect of cloudiness on the CO₂ uptake depends on the canopy cover.

In a laboratory investigation, the effect of natural sunlight and UV light exposure on dissipation of fipronil insecticide from two soils (clay loam and sandy clay loam) and the effect of pH on the persistence of fipronil in aqueous medium were studied. Dissipation of fipronil insecticide under sunlight followed biphasic first order kinetics in both soils. The half-life of the insecticide in sandy clay loam type soil was found to be 5.71 days for the first faster phase and 23.88 days for the second slower phase, whereas, in clay loam soil, the corresponding half-lives were 4.02 and 8.38 days, respectively. Under the UV light exposure, the dissipation of fipronil followed a single phase first order kinetics in both the soils with a half-life of 3.77 days in clay loam and 5.37 days in sandy clay loam, respectively. Residues of fipronil dissipated faster in clay loam than in sandy clay loam under both sunlight and UV lamp light. As compared to sunlight, dissipation was found to be faster under UV lamp light. Persistence of fipronil in aqueous medium under different pH conditions revealed that fipronil residues were below the limit of detection (LOD), <0.05 µg g⁻¹, after 40 days of sampling at all the three pH. The dissipation of fipronil from aqueous medium increased with increasing pH from 5.0 to 9.0; the corresponding half-lives were 14.12, 9.83, and 6.76 days at pH 5.0, 7.0, and 9.0, respectively.

Reliability of offshore platforms is an important issue in the prevention of environmental disasters. In this paper, the variation of the horizontal force exerted on an offshore gravity platform is analyzed to achieve a deep comprehension of a storm scenario. Considering the wave motion as a potential motion, the quasi-determinism theory is applied to obtain the kinematic characteristics of a storm. The evolution of force against time is analyzed through the Morison's equation, diffraction theory, and a simplified method. Moreover, two case studies are examined, one in the Ortona region of the Italian coast and the other in the Gulf of Alaska, USA.

The relationship between water demand and pricing using the price elasticity of water demand in the City of Pullman, Washington, between 2000 and 2006 shows that the current amount of water depletion is not sustainable. Three different economic scenarios were developed by altering variables in regression equations to investigate the influence of individual variables on estimating the final price elasticity of water demand. Single-family households, total residential households, and total population water use of the City of Pullman, Washington were the three different economic scenarios developed for calculating the price elasticity of water demand. The regression results show that the price elasticity of marginal price is inelastic. The exponents for median household income, fixed price, and precipitation had the expected signs in all applied scenarios. An economic model based on the regression equation of price elasticity was developed using a systems dynamic approach. The economic model projected a decline in water demand when the independent variables were assumed to grow linearly over the coming 25 years. When the household size with higher elasticity values was excluded from the regression equation, the developed economic model was able to forecast reasonable water demand. The time series data with exact service connections are recommended to reduce the uncertainty in the computation of the price elasticity of water demand. Further sensitivity analysis is recommended to understand interrelationship of water demand and pricing from the developed economic model using system dynamics approach.

This paper describes the adsorption of Cd(II) ions from aqueous solutions by modified Cucumis sativus peel (CSP) by HCl treatment. The optimum pH, adsorbent mass, contact time, and initial ion concentration were determined. The maximum removal efficiency was 84.85% for 20 mg/L Cd(II) ion at pH 5. The adsorption isotherms were obtained using concentrations of the metal ions ranging from 5 to 150 mg/L. The adsorption process follows Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order reaction kinetics. CSPs exhibit monolayer adsorption capacity of 58.14 mg/g at 298 K. The paper also discusses the thermodynamic parameters of the adsorption (the Gibbs free energy, entropy, and enthalpy). Our results establish that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic under normal conditions.

The middle and southern parts of Iraq are exposed to a series of serious drought-related problems. This is mainly linked to the absence of applied international law for water distribution in the Euphrates and Tigris rivers between Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, in addition to climate change and unawareness of the water resource problems for more than three decades. The Inter-Agency Information and Analysis Unit of the United Nations reported that water in the Tigris and Euphrates will decrease by up to 80% and 50%, respectively, by 2025. Therefore, water recycling would be an essential and inevitable sustainable approach under these circumstances. The biological treatment of sewage, industrial waste water, scientific laboratories effluent, and irrigation waters using compact units is described here to be involved in solving the water shortage in Iraq. The main indicators used to assess the efficiency of these units are chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total solved salts (TSS), and total fecal coliforms (TFC). These units have been approved to treat contaminated waters with 10-fold pollutants in a fifth of the time required as compared to other classical procedures. In conclusion, using these treatment units will be useful in tackling the problem of water shortage in Iraq and could potentially be the best control method to stop the spread of infectious diseases obtained from contaminated waters.