scholarly journals Soil Colour and Plant-Wax Markers: Application in Forensic Investigations under Urban Subtropical Environments

2022 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-71
Author(s):  
Samara Testoni ◽  
Lorna Dawson ◽  
Vander Melo ◽  
Josiane Lopes-Mazzetto ◽  
Bruna Ramalho ◽  
...  

Most cases involving soil in criminal investigations in Brazil have focused on the chemical and mineralogical analyses of soil fractions without including the organic matter. The organic fraction contains plant-wax markers which may be useful to “fingerprint” forensic soils due to their chemical diversity, relative longevity and resistant nature. The aim of this study was to test the long- (kilometre), medium- (metre) and short- (centimetre) scale variability of plant-wax biomarkers in a forensic context in anthropised urban soils and soils developed under subtropical conditions. Two areas from the Curitiba municipality and two areas from the Colombo municipality, Paraná State, South Brazil, were selected. Soil colour analysis was carried out to obtain reflectance data over the 360–740 nm wavelength range. Furthermore, plant-wax marker compounds (n-alkanes and fatty-alcohols) were assessed by extraction and separation into different classes and an analysis of the compounds by gas chromatography (GC/MS). The compositions of the wax-marker profiles were different in samples collected side-by-side, showing sensitivity to local variations under subtropical conditions and in areas under intense human urban disturbance. Under these conditions, biomarkers may be used in real crime scenes, even on a micrometric scale of variation.

Environments ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Omar Al-Dulaimi ◽  
Mostafa E. Rateb ◽  
Andrew S. Hursthouse ◽  
Gary Thomson ◽  
Mohammed Yaseen

More than 50% of the UK coastline is situated in Scotland under legislative jurisdiction; therefore, there is a great opportunity for regionally focused economic development by the rational use of sustainable marine bio-sources. We review the importance of seaweeds in general, and more specifically, wrack brown seaweeds which are washed from the sea and accumulated in the wrack zone and their economic impact. Rules and regulations governing the harvesting of seaweed, potential sites for harvesting, along with the status of industrial application are discussed. We describe extraction and separation methods of natural products from these seaweeds along with their phytochemical profiles. Many potential applications for these derivatives exist in agriculture, energy, nutrition, biomaterials, waste treatment (composting), pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and other applications. The chemical diversity of the natural compounds present in these seaweeds is an opportunity to further investigate a range of chemical scaffolds, evaluate their biological activities, and develop them for better pharmaceutical or biotechnological applications. The key message is the significant opportunity for the development of high value products from a seaweed processing industry in Scotland, based on a sustainable resource, and locally regulated.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Binner ◽  
Timothy Sullivan ◽  
Maria E. Mc Namara

<p>Soil contamination is widespread across Europe. In particular, contamination of urban soils by metals is poorly characterised. This is a major environmental concern, especially given that urban recreational amenities may be located on former industrial sites and/or may possess ex situ soils derived from industrial areas. We surveyed soils from nine urban recreational sites (15 samples per site) in Cork city in order to assess the degree of metal contamination. The results show that Pb concentrations exceed national background levels in all soil samples from all sites by a mean of 600 % and at least 140 %. Mn, Fe and Zn are enriched above background levels in all soil samples from three (Mn and Fe) to five (Zn) of the sites and, at the remaining sites, show 7 – 14 localised hotspots. Similar hotspots characterise Cu, Rb and Sr, which each exceed background levels at eight or more sampling locations at four sites. Co, Ni, As and Sn concentrations exceed background levels in at least three hotspots at each of three to six sites. Overall, metal concentrations are highest in the sites closest to the city centre, reflecting diverse sources that potentially include traffic and current and historical domestic coal burning and industry. At each urban site, the element grouping Zn and Pb recurs in 50 to 80 % of locations and enrichment in the element grouping Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb recurs in approx. 50 % of locations; Ni and As recur in approx. 10 % of the locations. At three sites, elevated concentrations of Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb are associated with high LOI (Loss-on-ignition) values – a proxy for the amount of soil organic matter present – and near-neutral pH values. Conversely, low LOI and acidic pH values are associated with lower concentrations of these elements. This indicates that soil metal concentrations are influenced by the amount of organic matter present and by pH.  Future analyses and experiments will further investigate links between soil organic matter and metal concentrations.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahin Khosrov Akhundov ◽  
Mushfig Farhad Tagiyev ◽  
Arastun Ismail Khuduzade ◽  
Natig Namig Aliyev

Abstract Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary cover in the Middle Kura depression located between the Greater and Lesser Caucasus mountain structures contains numerous oil accumulations. According to studies in the Cretaceous and Paleogene strata, sedimentary organic matter is of mixed clastic-marine origin. Moderate amounts of organic matter have been recorded in the Eocene sediments (on average 0.70%), in the Upper and Lower Cretaceous average values made up 0.39% и 0.42%, respectively. Analysis of bitumoid composition suggests that in a number of areas bitumoids have experienced a widespread movement across the sedimentary strata. The results of measurements on isolated samples indicate that the Cretaceous strata have only advanced to the initial hard-coal stage of organic transformation (0.48-0.55%Ro). On vitrinite reflectance data the Eocene deposits in studied areas of the Middle Kura depression have reached initial (brown-coal) stage of catagenetic transformation (±0.48Ro%; est. paleotemperature of 85°C). Nonetheless, analysis of formation conditions of commercial HC accumulations found earlier in the Eocene strata allows considering them the most prospective in the Middle Kura depression.


Author(s):  
Nabil Kechaou ◽  
E Ammar

The Municipal Solid Waste of Agareb (Sfax –Tunisia), characterized by high organic fraction and moisture contents is the most worrying pollution source that must be managed by innovative treatment and recycling technologies. Bio-drying, as a waste to energy conversion technology, aims at reducing moisture content of this organic matter. This concept,  similar to composting, is accomplished by using the heat generated from the microbial degradation of the waste matrix, while forced aeration is used. The purpose of this work was to reduce the moisture content of the waste, by maximizing drying and minimizing organic matter biodegradation, in order to produce a solid recovered fuel with high calorific value.Keywords: Municipal solid wastes; organic matter; biodrying; composting; energy recovery.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (47) ◽  
pp. 27-27
Author(s):  
Natalia Moskvina ◽  
Igor Shestakov ◽  
Natalia Mitrakova

On the territory of the left-bank part of Perm, the urban pedocomplexes (UPC) were distinguished as a combination of soil and technogenic surface formations on the same soil-forming rocks within a certain functional zone. Within the UPC, formed on eluvial-deluvial loams and clays in the zone of multi-storey buildings, the surface horizons of soils and TSF (technogenic surface formations) were studied. A change in the zonal trend of humus formation in reclaimed soils was observed as an increase in the content of organic matter, as well as in a change in the type of humus to the humate side. The conservation of zonal features of humus formation in non-purposefully recultivated urban soils and TSF was noted. It manifests in a low or medium content of organic carbon, the formation of a humate-fulvate type of humus. Keywords: URBAN ECOLOGY, URBAN SOILS, URBAN PEDOCOMPLEX, HUMUS, HUMUS TYPE, SOIL PROPERTIES


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