Pesticide Inhalation Exposure of Applicators and Bystanders Using Conventional and Innovative Cropping Systems in the Valencian Region, Spain

This paper provides scientific results from a European LIFE project carried out in the Valencian region of Spain during the 2017 to 2018 time frame. In 2018, more than 60,000 tons of pesticides were commercialized in Spain, with approximately 15% destined for Valencian crops. In order to improve the air quality in the agricultural areas of this region, an innovative cropping system based on irrigation was developed and compared to conventional treatments based on hand-spray and turbo application. After applying conventional treatments to five types of crops (citrus, persimmon, nectarine, watermelon, and other stone fruits), a total of 13 active substances were detected in the air. The same active substances were applied to crops using the novel irrigation system, and no pesticide was detected in the air. Moreover, applicator and bystander populations in the region were assessed for their risk of inhalation exposure to pesticides, and no risk was found when either of the techniques, the innovative and the conventional agricultural one, were applied

Atmospheric pollutants in peri-urban forests of Quercus ilex : evidence of pollution abatement and threats for vegetation

Peri-urban vegetation is generally accepted as a significant remover of atmospheric pollutants, but it could also be threatened by these compounds, with origin in both urban and non-urban areas. To characterize the seasonal and geographical variation of pollutant concentrations and to improve the empirical understanding of the influence of Mediterranean broadleaf evergreen forests on air quality, four forests of Quercus ilex (three peri-urban and one remote) were monitored in different areas in Spain. Concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ammonia (NH₃), nitric acid (HNO₃) and ozone (O₃) were measured during 2 years in open areas and inside the forests and aerosols (PM₁₀) were monitored in open areas during 1 year. Ozone was the only air pollutant expected to have direct phytotoxic effects on vegetation according to current thresholds for the protection of vegetation. The concentrations of N compounds were not high enough to directly affect vegetation but could be contributing through atmospheric N deposition to the eutrophization of these ecosystems. Peri-urban forests of Q. ilex showed a significant below-canopy reduction of gaseous concentrations (particularly NH₃, with a mean reduction of 29-38 %), which indicated the feasibility of these forests to provide an ecosystem service of air quality improvement. Well-designed monitoring programs are needed to further investigate air quality improvement by peri-urban ecosystems while assessing the threat that air pollution can pose to vegetation

Soil carbon stocks in a montane spruce forest in the Harz National Park, Germany

Este proyecto es una pequeña parte de un estudio llamado BEN (Biodiversity and Ecology in National Parks) (Biodiversidad y Ecología en Parques Naturales) del instituto Albrecht-von-Haller del Departamento de Ecología Vegetal en la Universidad August-Universität Göttingen. Las prácticas de manejo forestal pueden tener un efecto significativo en la reserva de carbono en la capa superficial del suelo como en el subsuelo. Este estudio tiene como objetivo recopilar información facilitada por el análisis del contenido de carbono en el suelo del bosque natural y tratar de ayudar a la personas que trabajan en la gestión de dicha área con el fin de entender el funcionamiento interno del bosque. Además los resultados estadísticos del contenido de carbono serán presentados en un mapa de la zona de muestreo con el fin de simplificar la visualización de dichos resultados. En esta tesis se han realizado trabajos de laboratorio así como de campo y de recopilación de datos, además de de trabajos cartográficos y de estadística con el fin de la obtención de una serie de resultados los cuales deberían diferenciar los diferentes contenidos de carbón en los diferentes estadios presentes en el suelo los cuales se explicaran el siguiente documento.Calvete Sogo, H. (2010). Soil carbon stocks in a montane spruce forest in the Harz National Park, Germany. Universitat Politècnica de València. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/151600Archivo delegad