The intentional use of mercury (Hg) in products and processes ("commercial Hg") has contributed a large and previously unquantified anthropogenic source of Hg to the global environment over the industrial era, with major implications for Hg accumulation in environmental reservoirs. We present a global inventory of commercial Hg uses and releases to the atmosphere, water, soil, and landfills fro...

BACKGROUND The potential impact of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI), which is an anthropogenic source of aerosol emissions, is of great public health concern. This study investigated the characterization and cytotoxic effects of ambient ultrafine particles (PM<0.2), fine particles (PM0.2-2.5) and coarse particles (PM2.5-10) collected around a municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) p...

Modern atmospheric deposition across the Atacama was collected by an array of dust traps that stretched from the Pacific coast to the Andean altiplano, and the material was analyzed for its geochemical, mass and isotopic composition. The coastal trap had the second-highest insoluble mineral particle and highest soluble salt deposition rates due to significant inputs from the Morro Mejillones Ra...

The definition of conservation units is crucial for the sustainable management of endangered species, though particularly challenging when recent and past anthropogenic and natural gene flow might have played a role. The conservation of the European grayling, Thymallus thymallus, is particularly complex in its southern distribution area, where the Adriatic evolutionary lineage is endangered by ...

Ocean ambient noise results from both anthropogenic and natural sources. Different noise sources are dominant in each of 3 frequency bands: low (10 to 500 Hz), medium (500 Hz to 25 kHz) and high (>25 kHz). The low-frequency band is dominated by anthropogenic sources: primarily, commercial shipping and, secondarily, seismic exploration. Shipping and seismic sources contribute to ambient noise ac...

Aquatic ecosystems are an essential component of the biogeochemical cycle of mercury (Hg), as inorganic Hg can be converted to toxic methylmercury (MeHg) in these environments and reemissions of elemental Hg rival anthropogenic Hg releases on a global scale. Quantification of effluent Hg releases to aquatic systems globally has focused on discharges to the global oceans, rather than contributio...

in recent years, the topic of desertification has been discussed in different ways in scientific areas. this event occurred globally, regionally and nationally and many steps were taken to stop it. desertification is challenged universally and its destructive effects are unavoidable and its consequences do endanger the life of inhabitants. the identification of sensitive regions and prevention ...

a total of 148 groundwater samples were collected from bore wells from thirumanimuttar sub-basin for two seasons to identify major geochemical process activated to alter groundwater chemistry. the study revealed relationships with the lithology and anthropogenic process. groundwater in the region was dominated by na – ca – mg and cl and hco3 types. the (ca +mg) versus tz+ plot for both seas...

[1] We used SCIAMACHY (10:00 LT) and OMI (13:30 LT) tropospheric NO2 columns to study diurnal and seasonal patterns in NO2 concentrations over India. Using characteristics of seasonal variability in tropospheric NO2 columns, we present a simple methodology to identify the dominant NOx source category for specific regions in India. Regions where the dominant source category is classified as biom...

[1] We use a continuous 6-year record (1996–2001) of GOME satellite measurements of formaldehyde (HCHO) columns over east and south Asia to improve regional emission estimates of reactive nonmethane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), including isoprene, alkenes, HCHO, and xylenes. Mean monthly HCHO observations are compared to simulated HCHO columns from the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model...