Environmental Monitoring Investigations Research Articles

Practical Applications of Biofluorescent Particle Counting in Environmental Monitoring Investigations.

Investigations into environmental monitoring (EM) excursions can be prolonged and do not always result in clear root causes or corrective and preventative actions. This article outlines how biofluorescent particle counting (BFPC) can be used in investigations to eliminate the inherent delays of culture-based methods. The application for investigations supplements routine EM, acting as a risk-reduction tool enabling real-time detection of viable microorganisms in air samples and supporting root cause analysis and remedial actions. The article includes guidance on how to use the technology, a real case study involving a mold excursion, and examples of business benefits achieved by various companies.

Optimization of the taxonomic resolution of an indicator taxon for cost-effective ecological monitoring: Perspectives from a heterogeneous tropical coastline

An important requirement towards formulating appropriate management and conservation measures for biological diversity is to devise efficient and cost-effective monitoring protocols that yield coherent data. Environmental monitoring investigations have been typically based on species level responses of biodiversity to environmental disturbances. Considering that this exercise is cost-intensive and the species identification keys are unavailable for some geographical areas, efforts are now afoot to test the efficacy of supra-specific taxa in resolving distribution patterns of biota, analogous to that of species. This study was aimed at testing the efficacy of Taxonomic Sufficiency (TS), a data reduction technique, in deciphering spatio-temporal variations of macrobenthos in the tropical coastal waters of northwest India. The macrobenthic indicator taxon, Polychaeta, was analyzed at five transects that included two marine protected areas, during the three major seasons. The consistency of spatio-temporal trends of polychaete assemblages, derived from four taxonomic levels and subjected to five types of data transformation was scrutinized. Univariate indices indicated that coarser taxonomic levels except order, maintained the indicative responses spatio-temporally, similar to the species level. Spatial variability was appropriately indicated by all data matrices. Temporal variation was evident only with family data subjected to fourth root or log data transformations. The TS approach succeeded in this tropical ecoregion owing to the consistent and sizable proportion of monotypic polychaete taxon and uniformity in responses of the constituents of higher polychaete taxon. CCA results revealed that a similar set of environmental variables influenced the polychaete distribution at all the taxonomic levels; however, spatial variations detected at species level diminished with reduced taxonomic breadth. Results indicated that meaningful robust data for deriving coastal management initiatives can be achieved cost-effectively by the adoption of TS approach for the ecologically and economically important 2360 km long northwest Indian coastline.

An interagency partnership applied to the study of environmental health in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas

An environmental monitoring investigation was initiated in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in response to concerns about the potential link between local residents' health and environmental pollution. Concerns expressed by residents of the community related to industrial emissions, agricultural pesticide use, and inadequate infrastructure. A field investigation was conducted jointly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the State of Texas during two sampling periods in 1993. The results provided preliminary data about the levels, sources, and pathways of actual human exposure in the Valley. Samples of indoor and outdoor air, house dust, soil, food, drinking water, urine, blood, and breath were collected and analyzed for several compound classes. This paper presents an overview of the study including the study design, the survey methods, participant selection, and communication of the results. This project has the potential to set a new model for environmental health research which integrates public health concerns, exposure reduction, illness prevention, and regulatory activities of many agencies.