Soil pollution in a decommissioned shooting range: a preliminary survey of the spatial variability of legacy pollutants.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Albanese ◽  
Annalise Guarino ◽  
Antonio Aruta ◽  
De Mascellis Roberto ◽  
Perreca Carlo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gamma Spectroscopy ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Shooting Range ◽  
Campania Region ◽  
Field Investigations ◽  
Pastoral Production ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Forestry Resources

<p>Outdoor shooting ranges provide recreational facilities for millions of people in the world. However, there are many negative effects on the environment and public health arising from this activity.</p><p>In particular, potential risks are mostly associated with the residential or agricultural use of decommissioned outdoor ranges, where bullets and targets have been deposited during the shooting activity.</p><p>This is the case of an outdoor shooting range in Campania region (Southern Italy), located in an area of historical and naturalistic value, close to the ancient Etruscan village of Suessola (VII century b.C.). Specifically, the study site is located within an agricultural land declared unsuitable for agricultural and forest-pastoral production by the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Resources, due to an extensive long term soil contamination associated with Pb, Sb, PAHs, dioxins, PCBs and C> 12 hydrocarbons.</p><p>With the purpose of planning a detailed site characterization of the shooting range area, a preliminary environmental survey was carried out by means of field investigations (ultrasonic penetrometry, electromagnetic induction - EMI -  and gamma spectroscopy) and geochemical prospecting.</p><p>Cone index data, obtained by ultrasonic penetrometer measurements, indicated the presence of a very dense, hard and impenetrable to hand hauger layer, recognised as travertine rock, from 25 to more than 55 cm of depth, and dipping northward.</p><p>Continuous EMI data and gamma spectroscopy (K %, eU ppm, eTh ppm) parameters were acquired in the field in order to identify homogeneous zones in which further geochemical investigations should have been focused. In fact, apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) map, consistently with the gamma ray dose rate distribution map, allowed to highlight three separated singularity areas  N-S oriented.</p><p>XRF analyses, carried out through a portable analyzer on soil samples collected along soil profiles digged from topsoil until the travertine layer, showed a high contamination by Pb (greater than 1000 mg/kg) and Sb (greater than 30 mg/kg) in the first 15 cm of depth, at a distance of approximately 90 m from the shooting lanes.</p><p>Chemical analyses were also performed on 32 topsoil samples collected on the basis of a regular grid across the study area. Concentrations of 13 PAHs compounds were determined and the highest values were found close to the firing lanes where in soil a huge amount of shooting target fragments are present.</p><p>The preliminary results showed how the contamination due to the previous activity in the area produced a spatial distribution of contaminats differentiated on the basis of their source material and their role in the shooting process.</p>

Processes of import substitution in the market of meat and dairy products in the context of economic policy

2019 ◽  
pp. 60-74
Author(s):  
T.N. Belova ◽  
V.S. Konkina
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Import Substitution ◽  
Foreign Market ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Complex Dynamic ◽  
Dairy Markets ◽  
Food Market ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Key Indicators

In article the complex assessment of modern policy of import substitution in the sphere of the agrofood market based on balance of its positive and negative effects is given. According to Rosstat and the Federal Customs Service the complex dynamic analysis of the meat and dairy markets in the context of key indicators — the price, import, export is carried out. Relationships of cause and effect of change of a condition of the food market in connection with introduction of economic sanctions are revealed. The conclusion that the policy of import substitution has to consider the potential risks and threats connected as with the possible accompanying growth of the food prices and deterioration of the food status of the least provided groups of the population, and with technical and technological dependence of domestic agricultural production on a foreign market is drawn. The main directions in which programs of support and stimulation are necessary are formulated.

Marketing and social effects of industrial scale insect value chains in Europe: case of mealworm for feed in France

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Macombe ◽  
S. Le Feon ◽  
J. Aubin ◽  
F. Maillard
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Scale Insect ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Social Effects ◽  
Industrial Scale ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Feed Ingredient ◽  
Feed Production ◽  
Livestock Feed

Insects are becoming part of the human diet in many regions of the world, either directly or indirectly, as livestock feed. Insects could become a significant feed ingredient if produced at industrial scale, but it is a challenge. Such an emerging sector would result in substantial social effects. One innovation of the DESIRABLE project is exploring potential social consequences induced by industrial scale development of insect production in France for feed, under several production and marketing assumptions. First, this paper explains how the stakeholders and researchers involved in the project built and selected some framework scenarios, which depict upstream (production and meal processing) scenarios. Downstream scenarios were designed based on interviews with specialists in poultry, trout, and feed production markets, that allowed to proposing plausible scenarios for marketing. The potential outlets are more or less narrow market ‘niches’: feed for laying hens to produce organic eggs, or for farmed trout eating insect meal. Second, the method for evaluating social effects linked with the emergence of the new insect’ industry, a social life cycle analysis in four detailed scenarios. The main positive social effects of the four detailed scenarios result from job creation in the insect production sector, while effects on other feed-ingredient suppliers are few. Negative effects result from the allergy risk for employees and potential disturbance to nearby neighbourhoods, but the latter can be easily managed by carefully choosing the locations. In the two scenarios with integrated bio refinery, exists a major risk that could stop the industrial project: activists could use environmental or animal-welfare concerns to oppose the bio refinery, because of agricultural land and water preservation and/or opposition to industrial scale insect production. Nevertheless, insect meal can help preserve fishery resources by providing a constant substitute for fish meal.

scholarly journals The Impacts of Climate Change on Agricultural Production and Sustainable Agriculture of Smallholder Farmers in Vietnam

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1100-1107
Author(s):  
Nguyen Van Phu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
The World

Climate change is one of the greatest threats to human beings, and agriculture is one of the fields that is most negatively affected by climate change. Farmers around the world and global food supply chains are impacted by the more extreme weather phenomena and increased damage of diseases and pests caused by climate change. Today, almost all agricultural enterprises and farms consider climate change a serious long-term risk for their production. Agricultural land systems can produce significant greenhouse gases (GHGs) by the conversion of forests to crop- and animal lands, and also through the weak management of crops and livestock. Around the world, cultivation and cattle production accounts for 25% of global GHG emissions (Javeline, ‎2014). However, under suitable conditions, agriculture can create environmental conditions that can help minimize pollution and the negative effects of climate change including carbon absorption by green plants in forests, and fields for watershed protection and biodiversity conservation. Sustainable agriculture helps farmers to adapt, maintain, and improve productivity without applying harmful techniques. In turn, this allows farms to manage and mitigate climate-related risks in their supply chains. The Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) has found new ways to incorporate smart climate cultivation methods into all farming practices to help farms and enterprises carry out agriculture sustainably.

scholarly journals No Difference in Instream Decomposition Among Upland Agricultural and Forested Streams in Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen C. Kadeka ◽  
Frank O. Masese ◽  
David M. Lusega ◽  
Augustine Sitati ◽  
Benjamin N. Kondowe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Leaf Litter Decomposition ◽  
Limited Data ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Fine Mesh ◽  
Agricultural Streams

Expansion of agriculture is particularly worrying in tropical regions of the world, where native forests have been replaced by croplands and grasslands, with severe consequences for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem functioning. However, limited data exist on the effects of agriculture on the functioning of tropical streams. We conducted a leaf litter decomposition experiment in coarse- and fine-mesh litterbags using the three species of leaves (Eucalyptus globulus [non-native], Vernonia myriantha, and Syzygium cordatum [indigenous]) in three forested and agricultural streams to determine the effect of agriculture on instream leaf litter decomposition in headwater stream sites. We also examined the functional composition of macroinvertebrates in the streams through the contents of benthic kick samples. Agricultural streams had a less dense riparian canopy and smaller abundance of coarse organic particulate matter, and higher electric conductivity and suspended solids than forested streams. In terms of the effects of litter quality on decomposition rates, Vernonia had the fastest decomposition rates while Eucalyptus had the slowest in both forested and agricultural sites. Shredder invertebrates were less abundant in agricultural streams, and in both stream types, they were less diverse and abundant than other functional groups. Overall, leaf litter decomposition rates did not respond to agricultural land-use. The hypothesized negative effects of agriculture on organic matter processing were minimal and likely modulated by intact riparian zones along agricultural streams.

scholarly journals Attempted study of the 237Np(n,2n)236Np reaction cross section at 9.5 MeV

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
M. Diakaki ◽  
R. Vlastou ◽  
M. Kokkoris ◽  
C. T. Papadopoulos ◽  
A. Tsinganis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cross Section ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gamma Spectroscopy ◽  
Reaction Cross ◽  
Activation Technique ◽  
Incident Neutron ◽  
Incident Neutron Energy ◽  
Tandem Accelerator ◽  
Section Measurement ◽  
High Gamma

The cross section measurement of the 237Np(n,2n)236Np reaction has been attempted at an incident neutron energy of 9.5 MeV by means of the activation technique. The neutron beam was produced via the 2H(d,n)3Ηe reaction at the VdG Tandem accelerator of NCSR “Demokritos”. It is the second time that this measurement has been tried with a gamma spectroscopy method and the difficulties faced due to the high gamma ray background produced by the sample itself and the fission fragments produced by the irradiation, in combination with the very low intensity of the gamma ray of interest are being reported.

scholarly journals Using Gamma Spectroscopy to Calculate Radioactive Contaminants in Foreign and Local Tobacco Samples

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed F. Mkhaiber ◽  
Auday T. Al-Bayati ◽  
Enas A. Jawad ◽  
Khalid H. Mahdi
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Gamma Spectroscopy ◽  
Natural Radionuclide ◽  
Germanium Detector ◽  
Average Concentration ◽  
Radium Equivalent Activity ◽  
Lifetime Cancer Risk ◽  
Potassium 40 ◽  
Thorium 232

The normal radioactivity levels of Uranium-238, Thorium-232, and Potassium-40 were calculated for ten types of foreign and local cigarettes available on the Iraqi market using a gamma-ray spectroscopy technique employing the germanium detector system. The results of this study showed that the average specific activity for each of Uranium-238, Thorium-232 and Potassium-40 were 21.689± 4.596, 18.906 ± 4.148, and 430.094 ± 19.449 (Bq/Kg) respectively. The annual effective dose, radium equivalent activity and excess lifetime cancer risk for the studied samples were also calculated, and their rates were 11.582 μsv/y, 81.841 Bq/Kg, and 40.538 people per million per year respectively. The outcomes indicate that the rate of concentration of uranium and thorium is lower than the permissible values, whereas the average concentration of potassium was slightly higher than the permissible values. This research is important because it warns against several types of cigarettes that contain high concentrations of radionuclides, which can lead to infection cancer and then lead to the death of the person who has used it profusely. Therefore, the aim of the current research is to evaluate the radiological risks of radionuclides in tobacco cigarette smoke by evaluating their natural radionuclide concentrations.

scholarly journals Patient Evaluation of Food Waste in Three Hospitals in Southern Italy

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (22) ◽  
pp. 4330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Schiavone ◽  
Pelullo ◽  
Attena
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Side Plate ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Campania Region ◽  
Average Percentage ◽  
Similar Patient

In recent years, food waste has received great attention and is now considered the cause of many negative effects, including health, economic, social and environmental issues. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 762 inpatients at three hospitals of Campania region in Italy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the amount of food waste occurring in these hospitals using a structured questionnaire and asking inpatients about the average percentage of food they had disposed of in the previous three days. The overall food wasted amounted to 41.6%. The main plates, first (pasta or rice), second plate (meat or fish), resulted in similar amounts of waste (38.5% and 39.7%, respectively). The side plate (vegetable or potatoes), however, generated the greatest amount of waste (55.0%); 40.7% of patients totally discarded this part of their meals. The type of food wastage among the three hospitals reflected similar patient behaviours, with the amount of food wasted never falling below 30%. Females tended to waste more food than males (59.1% vs. 38.2%; p = 0.000). Other variables were correlated with less food waste, such as having a good opinion of the food’s quality (RR = 1.91; 95% C.I. = 1.68–2.17) and satisfaction with the foodservice in general (RR = 1.86; 95% C.I. = 1.64–2.10). Poor quality, different eating habits and the feeling of satiety were the main reasons patients gave for food waste. Our study suggests that the most promising way to reduce food waste in hospitals is to improve the quality of meals and to establish an individual, simplified and flexible meal reservation process based on specific needs and preferences.

Effects of Precipitation on Surface-Scan Gamma Ray Survey Results: Case Study

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Dorrell
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gamma Spectroscopy ◽  
Barometric Pressure ◽  
Precipitation Event ◽  
Natural Phenomenon ◽  
Contour Maps ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Surface Scan

It has been known for many years that certain weather events (e.g., precipitation, low barometric pressure, etc.) can affect the results of outdoor gamma-ray surveys, particularly those where gamma spectroscopy is being used for the detection of uranium and its progeny. These effects are a result of a natural phenomenon that produces anomalous results that are contrary to the true concentrations present at the survey site. Gamma-ray survey results sometimes overestimate uranium concentrations during and immediately following rain or snowfall events. The effects that a precipitation event has upon a drive-over gamma-ray survey are discussed in this paper. Surveys were conducted using a sensitive array of sodium iodide (NaI) detectors mounted to an all-terrain vehicle in late fall/early winter where snow was encountered. Isotope-specific measurements taken before and during precipitation events are compared and visually presented in iso-contour maps.

scholarly journals Potential risks related to anabolic steroids use on nervous, cardiovascular and reproductive systems disorders in men

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Kujawska ◽  
Joanna Androsiuk-Perkowska ◽  
Jakub Husejko ◽  
Marcin Kozuchowski ◽  
Daria Bieniek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Risks ◽  
Anabolic Steroids ◽  
Biochemical Mechanism ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Amateur Sport ◽  
Thrombotic Complications ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractAnabolic steroids (AS) have been a subject of intensive research for the last several decades. Due to wide use of AS in pharmacological treatment and in professional and amateur sport, it is, hence, worthwhile to describe the biochemical mechanism of the effects of AS usage in humans and its potential health risks. In this work, the relationship between diet and its effect on the level of testosterone in blood is described. Testosterone affects the nervous system, however, there is need for further researches to examine the influence of AS therapy on emotional and cognitive functioning. AS therapy has known negative effects on the cardiovascular system: cardiac hypertrophy can occur, blood pressure can vastly increased, thrombotic complications can come about. These effects are observed not only in patients who are treated with AS, but also in athletes. The paper also describes the relationship between AS and reproductive system diseases. Decreased libido and erectile dysfunction are only some of the many side effects of an incorrect AS treatment.

Threshold Radioactivity for Bulk Food Samples by Gamma Spectroscopy

1965 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Harry M Yakabe ◽  
Hiram Neilson
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gamma Spectroscopy ◽  
Rapid Determination ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Fission Products ◽  
Food Samples ◽  
Family Of Curves ◽  
Lower Limits ◽  
True Activity

Abstract In the surveillance of bulk food produce by gamma ray spectroscopy for fission products, the activities of the commonly observed radionuclides are frequently in the magnitude of background inherent to the detection system. The problems of determining whether the sample is in fact contaminated, the lower limits of detecting the radionuclides, and the effect of compton smear on the lower limits are discussed. The discussions are based on the modified spectrum stripping method for quantitative analysis of gamma ray spectrum for the following radioisotopes: Cs-137, Zr-95/Nb-95, and K-40. A family of curves are shown for rapid determination of the minimum detectable true activity (AII) of Cs-137.

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