Pecologix

During the last century, the global biogeochemical cycles of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) have been drastically altered by human activities. A century of land-clearing and biomass burning, followed by fossil fuel combustion have increased the concentration of atmospheric CO2 by approximately 20%, and since the mid-1900s, the use of agricultural fertilizers has been the [...]

The city of Santander ceased the discharge of sewage effluents into the bay of Santander in June, 2001 and began discharging at a site 2.4 km offshore in the nearby coastal area (Virgen del Mar, Bay of Biscay) at a water depth of about 40 m. The present study investigates the effects of the new [...]

It has been previously demonstrated that vitellogenin (VTG) – a precursor egg yolk protein – is produced in male fish exposed to estrogenic compounds in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. However, little attention has been given to examine whether any patterns of male VTG production exists across fish species on a global scale. We hypothesized [...]

In an effort to process wet algal biomass directly, eliminate organic solvent use during lipid extraction, and recover nutrients (e.g., N, P, and glycerol) for reuse, we developed a catalyst-free, two-step technique for algal biodiesel production. In the first step, wet algal biomass (ca. 80% moisture) reacts in subcritical water to hydrolyze intracellular lipids, conglomerate [...]

Elevated concentrations of arsenic in drinking water are common worldwide, however, little is known about the presence of other potentially toxic elements. We analyzed 31 different elements in drinking water collected in San Antonio de los Cobres and five surrounding Andean villages in Argentina, and in urine of the inhabitants, using ICP-MS. Besides confirmation of [...]

The system apparently operates as two entities: one for products destined for the export market and based largely on the requirements of importing countries, and the other with lower standards and levels of enforcement for domestic market products. The top-down approach focuses more on the end product rather than the production practices. There are several [...]

It has long been recognized that thyroid hormone (TH) is essential for normal brain development in both humans and animals, and there is growing evidence that environmental chemicals can disrupt the thyroid system. In the present work, we used a two-hybrid yeast assay to screen for agonistic or antagonistic thyroid receptor (TR) mediated effects in [...]