Small-scale field study of window films’ impact on daylight availability under clear sky conditions

Daylight illuminance levels and their spatial distribution are important design elements to achieve indoor visual comfort conditions and sustainability in buildings during the operation stage. While a proper daylighting scheme increases the efficiency of the building, the excessive use of glazed surfaces can contribute to thermal and visual discomfort, hence increasing the cooling demand and use of artificial lighting. Solar control film (SCF) is a self-adhesive thin film that can be applied on glazing systems of existing buildings for retrofitting purposes to modify thermal and optical properties of the glass substrate. This paper analyses experimentally the impact of single glazing with different SCFs on the indoor illuminance levels and respective distribution on horizontal work plane by comparing the measured absolute values and the useful daylight illuminance metric. Field experiments using a small scale model with the glazing oriented to the south, in Lisbon, were performed for a 6 mm clear glass and four different SCFs applied on the external surface of the glass, under clear sky conditions during summer and winter solstice at 9h00, 12h00, and 15h00. The results show that all SCFs reduced the indoor illuminance, which demonstrate their potential for glazing refurbishment when indoor visual discomfort occurs in buildings.FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (PD/BD/127848/2016

Levels of organochlorine pesticides are associated with amyloid aggregation in apex avian brains

Organochlorine (OC) pesticides pose a significant environmental risk to wildlife and humans and have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aims to spectroscopically analyse brains from free-flying birds and link the results to OC exposure and consequent amyloid aggregation. As long-lived apex predators, predatory birds represent a sentinel species similar to humans. Therefore, the results have implications for both species and may also add to our understanding of the role OC pesticides play in the development of AD. Brains of wild sparrowhawks were analysed using ATR-FTIR and Raman spectroscopy and Congo red staining; results were correlated with OC pesticide concentrations in livers. Effects of OC exposure were sex and age dependant and associated alterations were seen in lipids and protein secondary structure. A shift from α-helix to β-sheet conformation of proteins indicated that concentrations of OC pesticides > 7.18 µg/g may lead to cerebral amyloid aggregation

Effect of different carbon materials on the performance of microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) operated on urine and their microbial composition

ISMET 6 - General Meeting of the International Society for Microbial Electrochemistry and TechnologyUrine is rich in nitrogen and phosphorous and can considerably reduce domestic wastewater treatment requirements if collected separately. Source separated urine has been shown to be suitable for energy production and nutrients recovery in bioelectrochemical systems. However, there are still several challenges to overcome mainly related to organics conversion into electrical energy. In this study, anode performance of three microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) fed with urine using different carbon anodes, Keynol (phenolic-based), C-Tex (cellulose-based) and PAN (polyacrylonitrilebased) was compared. Two strategies were used to supply energy to the MECs; cell potential control (1' 1 assay) and anode potential control (2"d assay). In both assays, the C-Tex MEC outperformed MECs using Keynol and PAN. The C-Tex MEC with anode potential control at -0.300 V generated the highest current density of 904 mA m·2 , which was almost 3-fold higher than the MEC with Keynol, and 8-fold higher than the MEC with PAN. Analysis of anodes textural, chemical and electrochemical characteristics suggest that the higher external surface area of C-Tex enabled the higher current density generation compared to Keynol and PAN. The microbial composition on each anode and its correlation with the generated current was also investigated. No significant differences were observed in microbial diversity of the biofilm present in the studied anodes. Nonetheless, C-Tex had higher dominance of bacteria belonging to Luctobucillu/es and Enterobucteriules suggesting its relation with higher current generation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influence of carbon anode properties on performance and microbiome of Microbial Electrolysis Cells operated on urine

"Available online 15 February 2018"Anode performance of Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MECs) fed with urine using different anodes, Keynol (phenolic-based), C-Tex (cellulose-based) and PAN (polyacrylonitrile-based) was compared under cell potential control (1st assay) and anode potential control (2nd assay). In both assays, C-Tex MEC outperformed MECs using Keynol and PAN. C-Tex MEC under anode potential control (0.300V vs. Ag/AgCl) generated the highest current density (904mAm2), which was almost 3-fold higher than the Keynol MEC and 8-fold higher than the PAN MEC. Analysis of anodes textural, chemical and electrochemical characteristics suggest that the higher external surface area of C-Tex enabled higher current density generation compared to Keynol and PAN. Anodes properties did not influence significantly the microbial diversity of the developed biofilm. Nonetheless, C-Tex had higher relative abundance of bacteria belonging to Lactobacillales and Enterobacteriales suggesting its correlation with the higher current generation.This study was supported by the European Union's Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration [Grant number 308535] and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 [POCI-01- 0145-FEDER-006684], of Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 [FCOMP01-0124-FEDER-027462], POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007679 [UID/CTM/ 50011/2013], and by BioTecNorte operation [NORTE-01-0145- FEDER-000004] funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. This work is a result of project “AIProcMat@N2020 - Advanced Industrial Processes and Materials for a Sustainable Northern Region of Portugal 2020”, with the reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000006, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and of Project POCI-01-0145- FEDER-006984 e Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM funded by ERDF through COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizaçao (POCI) e and by national funds through FCT. The authors also would like to acknowledge the support of Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Plasticisers in the terrestrial environment: sources, occurrence and fate

Modern society is widely dependent upon plastic. Therefore, it is unsurprising that macro- and microplastic pollution is found in every environmental compartment on earth. Plasticisers are chemicals added to plastics to increase their flexibility. Like plastics themselves, plasticisers are also widely present in the environment. Plasticisers and plastic debris may undergo long-range transport in the atmosphere and the oceans, contaminating even the most remote areas of land. In addition, although plasticisers typically degrade in a matter of weeks–months, they can persist in soil for decades and have been shown to occur in all land uses studied. Some plasticisers are genotoxic and can be taken up by soil organisms, which may pose a risk to ecosystems and human health. To date the majority of data on plasticisers exists for phthalates. However, plasticisers are a diverse range of chemicals and with the increasing transfer to non-phthalate alternatives, research into the fate and effects of emerging plasticisers is required to determine their environmental risk and management options. Data on the occurrence and ecotoxicity of emerging plasticisers, in addition to the impacts of all plasticisers on terrestrial ecosystems, therefore, remain a key research need within the wider plastics debate

Plasticisers in terrestrial and estuarine environments: sources, occurrence and fate

Plastics not only have physical effects on organisms, but there is also a chemical burden associated with their presence in the environment. Plasticisers are one of the most widely used classes of chemical additive in plastic items, and thus there is widespread potential for the release of these compounds into the environment over the lifetime of the plastic, where they may pose a risk to organisms. Despite this, there have been very few studies of the occurrence and fate of plasticisers in the UK environment. To address this knowledge gap, field surveys were carried out to assess the occurrence of multiple classes of legacy and emerging plasticiser in UK terrestrial and estuarine environments. The occurrence of macroplastics, and microplastics in the UK terrestrial environment was also investigated. In addition to these field studies, laboratory experiments were also carried out to investigate plasticiser release rates from microplastics into soils, and the persistence and degradation kinetics of multiple classes of plasticiser. Laboratory and field studies in this project were designed to investigate differences and similarities in the occurrence and fate of legacy phthalate and emerging non-phthalate plasticisers, many of which are increasing in use in response to legislative pressure. The results from these studies suggest that plasticiser contamination of UK terrestrial and estuarine environments is widespread, with phthalates the most abundant class of plasticiser in both soils and sediments. Multiple classes of emerging plasticiser were also detected in these environments. In some instances, concentrations of emerging compounds were greater than or equal to restricted phthalate plasticisers, although levels were generally relatively low. The laboratory mechanistic studies indicated that plasticiser release from microplastics into soils can proceed rapidly, and that some emerging plasticisers are among the most persistent plasticisers in soils. Overall, the results from this project suggest that future monitoring of plasticisers, in addition to investigations of the impacts and fate of emerging and legacy plasticisers in organisms, would be warranted in order to assess and manage the risk of these compounds in the UK and wider environment

Effects of water and nutrient availability on morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits of one invasive and one native grass of a Neotropical savanna

The cerrado is a Neotropical savanna characterized by a soil and vegetation mosaic where plants endure dystrophic soils and seasonal drought. Dry spells or flooding are the main environmental stress native species face in their growth period. African grasses are common invasive species, jeopardizing the biodiversity by displacing native species and outgrowing them. Invasive species may benefit from human interventions that increase nutrient availability in natural areas and may respond differently than natives to environmental conditions. Therefore, we compared the performance of one native (Schizachyrium microstachyum) and one invasive (Melinis minutiflora) grass in different conditions of water and nutrient availability simulating possible cerrado scenarios. Five-week-old seedlings were submitted to different irrigation treatments (simulating dry spells, normal rainfall, and flooding) and fertilization treatments (high or low nutrient availability) for four weeks, and were analyzed for morphological (leaf area, length of the shoot, number of tillers, seedling dry weight, and root:shoot ratio) and physiological parameters (chlorophyll fluorescence, pigment concentration, nutrient content, and biochemical assays). There was a trend for the invasive species to show better responses to water stress by growing more profusely, showing an even higher effect when the soil was richer in nutrients. The invasive species may outcompete the native species by using nutrients and water more efficiently, showing a weaker oxidative response to drought and fertilization. The native species would perform at a similar pace to the invasive species in conditions of less water and nutrient availability, whereas unnatural fertilization inputs and high-water availability would benefit the invasive species.publishe

Emerging and legacy plasticisers in coastal and estuarine environments: a review

The occurrence of plastic waste in the environment is an emerging and ongoing concern. In addition to the physical impacts of macroplastics and microplastics on organisms, the chemical effects of plastic additives such as plasticisers have also received increasing attention. Research concerning plasticiser pollution in estuaries and coastal environments has been a particular focus, as these environments are the primary entry point for anthropogenic contaminants into the wider marine environment. Additionally, the conditions in estuarine environments favour the sedimentation of suspended particulate matter, with which plasticisers are strongly associated. Hence, estuary systems may be where some of the highest concentrations of these pollutants are seen in freshwater and marine environments. Recent studies have confirmed emerging plasticisers and phthalates as pollutants in estuaries, with the relative abundance of these compounds controlled primarily by patterns of use, source intensity, and fate. Plasticiser profiles are typically dominated by mid-high molecular weight compounds such as DnBP, DiBP, and DEHP. Plasticisers may be taken up by estuarine and marine organisms, and some phthalates can cause negative impacts in marine organisms, although further research is required to assess the impacts of emerging plasticisers. This review provides an overview of the processes controlling the release and partitioning of emerging and legacy plasticisers in aqueous environments, in addition to the sources of plasticisers in estuarine and coastal environments. This is followed by a quantitative analysis and discussion of literature concerning the (co-)occurrence and concentrations of emerging plasticisers and phthalates in these environments. We end this review with a discussion the fate (degradation and uptake by biota) of these compounds, in addition to identification of knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research

Environmentally relevant exposure to an antidepressant alters courtship behaviours in a songbird

Pharmaceuticals in the environment are a recently identified global threat to wildlife, including birds. Like other human pharmaceuticals, the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac) enters the environment via sewage and has been detected at wastewater treatment plants. Birds foraging on invertebrates at these sites can be exposed to pharmaceuticals, although the implications of exposure are poorly understood. We conducted experiments to test whether chronic exposure to a maximally environmentally relevant concentration of fluoxetine (2.7 μg day-1) altered courtship behaviour and female reproductive physiology in wild-caught starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), a species commonly found foraging on invertebrates at wastewater treatment plants. When paired with a female over two days, males sang less and were more aggressive towards fluoxetine-treated females than controls. Fluoxetine-treated females were initially aggressive towards males, becoming significantly less aggressive by the second day. In contrast, control females expressed intermediate levels of aggression throughout. We found no effect of female treatment on female courtship behaviour. Female body condition, circulating testosterone and circulating oestradiol were unaffected by treatment and did not account for male preference. Our findings suggest that exposure to an antidepressant reduced female attractiveness, adding to growing evidence that environmental concentrations of pharmaceuticals can alter important traits related to individual fitness and population dynamics

Co-occurrence of macroplastics, microplastics, and legacy and emerging plasticisers in UK soils

Despite a theoretical link between plastic and plasticiser occurrence in the terrestrial environment, there are few empirical studies of the relationship between these contaminants in soils. We carried out a field study to assess the cooccurrence of plastic waste, and legacy and emerging plasticisers in UK soils (n = 19) from various land uses (woodlands, urban roadsides, urban parklands, landfill-associated). Surface plastics and soil microplastics were quantified and characterised using ATR-FTIR and μ-FTIR. Eight legacy (phthalate) and three emerging (adipate, citrate, trimellitate) plasticisers were quantified using GC–MS. Surface plastics were found at higher prevalence at landfillassociated and urban roadside sites, with levels significantly (2 orders of magnitude) greater than in woodlands. Microplastics were detected in landfill-associated (mean 12.3 particles g−1 dw), urban roadside (17.3 particles g−1dw) and urban parkland (15.7 particles g−1 dw) soils, but not in woodland soils. The most commonly detected polymers were polyethene, polypropene and polystyrene. Mean ∑plasticiser concentration in urban roadside soils (3111 ng g−1 dw) was significantly higher than in woodlands (134 ng g−1 dw). No significant difference was found between landfill-associated (318 ng g−1 dw) and urban parkland (193 ng g−1 dw) soils and woodlands. Di-n-butyl phthalate (94.7% detection frequency) and the emerging plasticiser trioctyl trimellitate (89.5%) were the most commonly detected plasticisers, with diethylhexyl phthalate (493 ng g−1 dw) and di-iso-decyl phthalate (96.7 ng g−1 dw) present at the highest concentrations. ∑plasticiser concentrations were significantly correlated with surface plastic (R2 = 0.23), but not with soil microplastic concentrations. Whilst plastic litter seems a fundamental source of plasticisers in soils, mechanisms such as airborne transport from source areas may be as important. Based on the data from this study, phthalates remain the dominant plasticisers in soils, but emerging plasticisers are already widespread, as reflected by their presence in all land uses studied