Findings further suggest that adjusting the scores towards absolute levels of GHG emissions increases industry average efficiency. Comparing the unadjusted and adjusted efficiency scores using Spearman rank correlation indicates similar efficiency rankings between the unadjusted and adjusted scores. However, findings also indicate that adjusted and unadjusted eco-efficiency scores are associated with different influencing factors, which lends empirical support to the idea that the two types of efficiency scores are conceptually different. Policy recommendations can be made based on insights from the second stage analysis of possible influencing factors. In particular, adjusted eco-efficiency is associated with higher intensity of farming defined as output per livestock unit. Further, adjusted eco-efficiency is associated with a higher number of livestock units in conventional farms and with lower levels of labour per livestock unit in organic farms.The establishment of new buffer zone in the mine areas lacks the basis of theoretical model. As a case study, this study presents the partition model of new buffer zone in a small-scale mine area located in the remote mountainous region of Hainan province, China. The investigation carried out by integration of geostatistical interpolation maps using unmanned aerial vehicle has revealed that As, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Hg are mainly distributed near the tailing ponds and the dressing plant, while Cr and Cu are prominent near the agricultural area. The partition model of buffer zone was established in accordance to the transport velocity of the liquid phase heavy metal in soil. The boundary line of buffer zone is integrated by comparing the 'predicted' heavy metal concentrations with the 'measured' heavy metal concentrations. Principal component analysis (PCA) and the variations of heavy metal concentrations with elevation, slope, and distance were performed to further evaluate the reliability of the predicted buffer zone, indicating that the new buffer zone has a significant effect on minimizing transport of heavy metals from the mining area into the agricultural land. This study is suggestive to provide risk control and sustainable development strategy for the ecosystem protection in mine areas.The use of 210Pb dating for the reconstruction of contaminant profiles in undisturbed sediments is the most widely acceptable technique historically. Due to the uncertainties associated with the technique, dating of sediments have often been supported by ancillary evidence such as an alternative historical marker in the catchment that is preserved in the sedimentary records. The most widely used verification marker is 137Cs, which is attributed to global fallout from past nuclear weapons testing, and the Chernobyl accident. In the southern hemisphere, and the mid-latitudes, the 137Cs signal from Chernobyl fallout is often absent from the sedimentary records making it very difficult to verify the 210Pb chronologies in these natural archives. This study reports the spatial and temporal variability of total phosphorus (TP) and its forms in sediments from Kuwait Bay and provides evidence of the possibility of using Phosphorous as a potential marker to support dates derived from 210Pb dating. In the current study phosphorus removal efficiency. These fluctuations preserved in the sedimentary records linked to identifiable historical events provides powerful evidence that this nutrient associated with wastewater inputs in coastal aquatic environments can be used as ancillary information to support 210Pb dating.As evidenced from literature, exposure to non-lethal concentrations of dissolved copper (Cu2+) and copper nanoparticles (CuO NPs) promotes blue mussels susceptibility to various bacterial infections. We study whether pre-exposure (3.5 h) with CuSO4 (100 μg Cu L-1) and CuO NPs (1000 μg Cu L-1) will result in infection of M. edulis L. with pathogenic microalga Coccomyxa sp. under field conditions. In May - September 2019, cages were installed in the site Metis-sur-Mer, St. Lawrence Estuary (QC, Canada) where the native mussel population is known to be infected with the pathogen. Untreated and pre-exposed mussels were grown for up to 130 days. Only the mussels pre-exposed to copper were infected by Coccomyxa. This finding allows proposing that occurrences of Coccomyxa-infected mussels worldwide might have an association with water pollution with xenobiotics. Pre-exposure of caged mussels to copper, as a protocol monitoring for other infectious agents, can be recommended to test.Soil metal pollution in two Sarcocornia salt marshes within the Bahía Blanca estuary (Argentina, South America) was evaluated through pseudo-total and bioavailable metal levels and pollution indexes. Soil conditions were also studied. The pseudo-total metal concentrations were similar in both salt marshes and followed the same decreasing order Fe > Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cd. Bioavailable metals presented different patterns between salt marshes. The percentages of the bioavailable fraction varied between 28 and 80%, being higher than 60% for Cu, Zn and Pb. Organic matter ruled the distribution of all metals, except Pb. Using shale average concentration as background level, indexes did not show pollution nor enrichment, whereas using as background levels local values, anthropogenic enrichment was found for all metals and most metals showed moderate metal pollution. Our results showed that bioavailable metals levels and indexes using local background values provide an adequate assessment of metal pollution in salt marsh soils.This is the first investigation of the potential for using Cymodocea nodosa to biomonitor trace element (TE) contamination in Marchica lagoon (Morocco), a Mediterranean pollution hotspot. We measured concentrations of seven TEs in seagrass tissues (leaf-rhizome-root) and sediments. Single and multi-element indices confirmed that sediments near illegal discharges were heavily polluted and we predicted risks of frequent adverse biological effects in these areas. Four of the TEs increased concentrations in C.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/cetuximab.html  nodosa leaf and root along sediment pollution gradient. Leaves and roots were both good indicators of Cu and Cd contamination in sediment, whereas leaves were the best indicator of Zn and roots for Pb. This seagrass was not a bioindicator of Al, Cr and Ni contamination. These results show the bioaccumulation patterns of TEs in C. nodosa, and can be used to design biomonitoring programs.