Evaluation of persistent organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in Umgeni River bank soil, KwaZuluNatal, South Africa

is study investigated the presence and distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soil collected along the banks of the Umgeni River, one of the largest rivers in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. e analysis was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). e results showed that the levels of OCPs ranged from 3.58±0.09 ng/g for hexachlorobenzene (HCB) to 82.65±2.82 ng/g for HCH, with an individual mean concentration of 24.33±2.00 ng/g dry weight (dw). e levels of PCBs ranged from 10.46 ng/g for PCB105 to 89.46 ng/g for PCB180, with an average PCB value of 25.47±1.26 ng/g, dw. e highest levels of OCPs and PCBs were found at Northern Wastewater Treatment Plant (mean OCP: 32.39±3.97 ng/g and PCB: 67.87±1.67 ng/g). e two most abundant contaminants in the river were endrin and PCB180.Keywords: Umgeni River, bank soil, OCPs, PCBs, gas chromatography mass spectrometr

Sponsorship and social identity in advancement of women leaders in South Africa

PURPOSE : In South Africa, women in senior management positions experience social identity dilemmas, necessitating more research into this domain. While research has been conducted into coaching and mentoring of these women, limited scholarly attention has been paid to sponsorship. This paper aims to explore the social identity of women at senior management levels and sponsorship as a proposed mechanism to develop talented women. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : This qualitative research included two studies using two sample groups, both of which included executive-level respondents in corporate organisations. One study focussed on sponsorship; here, the 29-strong sample included 14 male and 15 female executives, of whom 15 were White; 9 were African and 5 were Indian. The second study, consisting of only African, coloured and Indian (ACI) female executives (23 interviewees), focussed more broadly on their development path to the C-suite. FINDINGS : A common theme across the two studies was the inclination to give developmental support, in turn, once supported. There were prerequisites in this support-giving, however. For example, sponsors identified criteria that protégés had to meet. Despite evident gender inequality at senior management levels in South Africa, this paper reveals that in the Study 1 sample, gender and race were ostensibly irrelevant when choosing a sponsor or who to sponsor. A closer examination revealed a gender-based expectation, embedded in the South African context. Study 2 showed that ACI women above 50 years of age were more inclined to mentor others; even when they themselves were not mentored, some purposefully developed other ACI women. This paper thus suggests age as an important additional diversity dimension in relation to the career development of ACI women towards the C-suite. The findings have implications for the career development of individual ACI women and for organisations in reaching equality. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS : Gender differences with regard to perceptions also revealed that male respondents perceived sponsorship more as task-based actions, whereas female respondents focussed on relational elements. The paper concludes with recommendations on how individual ACI women and organisations can proactively develop talented women. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : The paper offers insight into the gendered expectations of sponsors and gendered perceptions around merit in identifying protégés worthy of sponsorship. ACI women’s social identity changed when they joined the C-suite to identify more with their roles as executives and became less associated with their original ACI women group.http://www.emeraldinsight.com/1754-2413.htmhttp://www.emeraldinsight.com/loi/gmhj2018Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS

Omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, GALACTIC‐HF: baseline characteristics and comparison with contemporary clinical trials

Aims: The safety and efficacy of the novel selective cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is tested in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTIC‐HF) trial. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants in GALACTIC‐HF and how these compare with other contemporary trials. Methods and Results: Adults with established HFrEF, New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA) ≥ II, EF ≤35%, elevated natriuretic peptides and either current hospitalization for HF or history of hospitalization/ emergency department visit for HF within a year were randomized to either placebo or omecamtiv mecarbil (pharmacokinetic‐guided dosing: 25, 37.5 or 50 mg bid). 8256 patients [male (79%), non‐white (22%), mean age 65 years] were enrolled with a mean EF 27%, ischemic etiology in 54%, NYHA II 53% and III/IV 47%, and median NT‐proBNP 1971 pg/mL. HF therapies at baseline were among the most effectively employed in contemporary HF trials. GALACTIC‐HF randomized patients representative of recent HF registries and trials with substantial numbers of patients also having characteristics understudied in previous trials including more from North America (n = 1386), enrolled as inpatients (n = 2084), systolic blood pressure < 100 mmHg (n = 1127), estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 528), and treated with sacubitril‐valsartan at baseline (n = 1594). Conclusions: GALACTIC‐HF enrolled a well‐treated, high‐risk population from both inpatient and outpatient settings, which will provide a definitive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy, as well as informing its potential future implementation

Characterisation of SAPPI SAICCOR pulp mill's effluent.

Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.SAPPI SAJCCOR, whose factory is situated south of Durban, South Africa, is one of the few paper and pulp mills that uses the acid sulphite process with calcium and magnesium bases to produce a high-grade cellulose pulp. Four streams of effluent, namely, the calcium - spent liquor stream, the magnesium condensate stream and two streams from the bleaching effluent are produced during this sulphite pulping process and they contain a variety of organic compounds extracted from the wood. Characterisation of the effluent was based on isolation using column chromatography and identification using NMR techniques. A range of constituents, such as lignans and lignin - type precursors, a trilerpenoid and fatty acids were isolated and identified. X-ray diffraction was used to identify an inorganic residue obtained from the calcium - spent liquor stream and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to identify a wax residue. which builds up in the process. In addition to this, the carbohydrate content of the four streams of effluent was detennined using UV/visiblc spectroscopy

Encapsulation of Silica Nanotubes from Elephant Grass with Graphene Oxide/Reduced Graphene Oxide and Its Application in Remediation of Sulfamethoxazole from Aqueous Media

Incorporation of graphene/graphene oxide on a low-cost support has been established to improve adsorption performance. This study reports the synthesis of silica nanotubes (SNT) from elephant grass, its encapsulation by reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/graphene oxide (GO) and its application as a highly efficient adsorbent for the remediation of sulfamethoxazole from wastewater. The SNT was synthesized and encapsulated with GO and RGO, to obtain silica nanotubes graphene oxide (SNTGO) and silica nanotubes reduced graphene oxide (SNTG), respectively. The adsorbents were characterized with FTIR, CHN elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, XRD, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The FTIR, elemental analysis, and XRD results confirmed successful synthesis of the materials. SNTGO had an adsorption capacity of 125 mg/g, which increased to 248 mg/g when it was reduced to SNTG in the adsorption of sulfamethoxazole. The pseudo-second-order model best described the adsorption kinetics and the Freundlich isotherm was best fit for the equilibrium data. Thermodynamic studies showed the adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic. The desorption studies revealed that the adsorbent could be regenerated and reused in the adsorption of sulfamethoxazole. SNTG was a better adsorbent compared to SNTGO for wastewater remediation

Evaluation of persistent organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in Umgeni River bank soil, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

This study investigated the presence and distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soil collected along the banks of the Umgeni River, one of the largest rivers in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The analysis was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that the levels of OCPs ranged from 3.58±0.09 ng/g for hexachlorobenzene (HCB) to 82.65±2.82 ng/g for HCH, with an individual mean concentration of 24.33±2.00 ng/g dry weight (dw). The levels of PCBs ranged from 10.46 ng/g for PCB105 to 89.46 ng/g for PCB180, with an average PCB value of 25.47±1.26 ng/g, dw. The highest levels of OCPs and PCBs were found at Northern Wastewater Treatment Plant (mean OCP: 32.39±3.97 ng/g and PCB: 67.87±1.67 ng/g). The two most abundant contaminants in the river were endrin and PCB180

Target, Suspect and Non-Target Screening of Silylated Derivatives of Polar Compounds Based on Single Ion Monitoring GC-MS

There is growing interest in determining the unidentified peaks within a sample spectra besides the analytes of interest. Availability of reference standards and hyphenated instruments has been a key and limiting factor in the rapid determination of emerging pollutants in the environment. In this work, polar compounds were silylated and analyzed with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine the abundant fragments within the single ion monitoring (SIM) mode and methodology. Detection limits and recoveries of the compounds were established in river water, wastewater, biosolid and sediment matrices. Then, specific types of polar compounds that are classified as emerging contaminants, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, in the environment were targeted in the Mgeni and Msunduzi Rivers. We also performed suspect and non-target analysis screening to identify several other polar compounds in these rivers. A total of 12 compounds were quantified out of approximately 50 detected emerging contaminants in the Mgeni and Msunduzi Rivers. This study is significant for Africa, where the studies of emerging contaminants are limited and not usually prioritized

Quantitative assessment of human health risks from chemical pollution in the uMsunduzi River, South Africa

A quantitative chemical risk assessment was performed using published data as well as data from the official monitoring programme for the uMsunduzi River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The chemicals assessed were organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), heavy metals, and nitrates and phosphates. The water from uMsunduzi River is used locally without treatment. Consequently, the exposure routes investigated were via ingestion during domestic drinking and incidental ingestion during recreational activities, which were swimming and non-competitive canoeing, for both adults and children. For the individual chemicals, non-carcinogenic risks using the hazard quotient (HQ) and carcinogenic risks using the cancer risk (CR) were quantified. It was found that the exposed population is likely to experience non-carcinogenic effects from pesticides and phosphates, but not from PPCPs, heavy metals and nitrates. This study also found that the carcinogenic risks for OCPs were higher than the tolerable limit of 10-5, while for lead the risk was below the tolerable limit. Some of the activities that potentially contribute to chemicals onto the uMsunduzi River are subsistence farming, small plantations, illegal dumping, industries, and broken sewers. The findings of this study may act as the technical foundation for the introduction of pollution reduction measures within the catchment, including public education

Facile synthesis and characterization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes decorated with hydroxyapatite from cattle horns for adsorptive removal of fluoride

Developing a new adsorbent for fluoride removal from cattle horn waste materials by a facile chemical method has shown great potential for fluoride removal. This paper reports the synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes decorated with hydroxyapatite from cattle horns (MWCNT-CH) using a facile chemical method. Characterization studies using standard techniques showed that the composite is mesoporous with a rough morphology and contained MWCNTs uniformly encapsulated by the hydroxyapatite forming a crystalline MWCNT-CH composite. Optimization of fluoride adsorption by the as-synthesized composite using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) showed that a maximum fluoride removal efficiency of 80.21% can be attained at initial fluoride concentration = 10 mg/L, pH = 5.25, adsorbent dose = 0.5 g and a contact time of 78 min. ANOVA indicates contribution of the process variables in descending order as pH > contact time > adsorbent dose > initial fluoride concentration. Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.9991) best described the process, and the maximum adsorption capacity of fluoride onto the as-synthesized MWCNT-CH composite was 41.7 mg/g. Adsorption kinetics data were best fitted in the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.9969), indicating chemisorption. The thermodynamic parameter (Δ H = 13.95 J/mol and Δ S = 65.76 J/mol/K) showed that fluoride adsorption onto the MWCNT-CH composite was a spontaneous, endothermic, and entropy-driving process. Moreover, the adsorption mechanism involves ion exchange, electrostatic interaction, and hydrogen bonding. Fluoride was successfully desorbed (using 0.1 M NaOH) from the composite in four cycles, retaining fluoride removal efficiency in the fourth cycle of 57.3%