ATP-bioluminescence was used to evaluate the microbiological quality of water samples collected from the water supply, the water treatment system and from a dairy plant, including ammonia-cooling water and industrial water. For industrial water, there was relation between the ATP-bioluminescence technique and microbial count. There were no differences (p>0.05) between water supply and ammonia-cooling water samples for total and free ATP concentrations nor for the microbial counts. Different microbial ATP concentrations were found for these water samples. The results suggested that the physical chemical quality of ammonia cooling water decreased the RLU measurements slightly. It could be concluded that the total ATP concentration was the most effective technique to evaluate the microbiological quality of water used in the food indsutry by ATP-bioluminescence. | A qualidade microbiológica da água do manancial de captação para tratamento na ETA/UFV, da água de resfriamento de amônia e da água industrial de uso em um laticínio foi avaliada pela técnica de ATP-bioluminescência. Nas águas, foram efetuadas, também, as contagens de mesófilos aeróbios, expressos em UFC.mL-1 e coliformes totais, expressos em NMP.100 mL-1. Foi utilizado um luminômetro para os testes de determinação de ATP total e livre, expressos em Unidades Relativas de Luz (URL), nas diversas águas. O ATP microbiano foi determinado pela diferença entre o ATP total e livre. Em relação à água industrial, houve a concordância entre os métodos de bioluminescência e de contagem de mesófilos aeróbios e coliformes totais. As amostras de água de manancial e de resfriamento não apresentaram diferença (p>0,05), pelo teste de Tukey, para as quantidades de ATP total, livre e também para as contagens microbianas. Constataram-se concentrações diferentes de ATP microbiano para essas amostras de água. Os resultados indicam que o teste de ATP total é o mais recomendado para avaliar a qualidade microbiológica da água e sugerem que a qualidade físico-química da mesma pode afetar a formação de luz.

ATP-bioluminescence was used to evaluate the microbiological quality of water samples collected from the water supply, the water treatment system and from a dairy plant, including ammonia-cooling water and industrial water. For industrial water, there was relation between the ATP-bioluminescence technique and microbial count. There were no differences (p>0.05) between water supply and ammonia-cooling water samples for total and free ATP concentrations nor for the microbial counts. Different microbial ATP concentrations were found for these water samples. The results suggested that the physical chemical quality of ammonia cooling water decreased the RLU measurements slightly. It could be concluded that the total ATP concentration was the most effective technique to evaluate the microbiological quality of water used in the food indsutry by ATP-bioluminescence.<br>A qualidade microbiológica da água do manancial de captação para tratamento na ETA/UFV, da água de resfriamento de amônia e da água industrial de uso em um laticínio foi avaliada pela técnica de ATP-bioluminescência. Nas águas, foram efetuadas, também, as contagens de mesófilos aeróbios, expressos em UFC.mL-1 e coliformes totais, expressos em NMP.100 mL-1. Foi utilizado um luminômetro para os testes de determinação de ATP total e livre, expressos em Unidades Relativas de Luz (URL), nas diversas águas. O ATP microbiano foi determinado pela diferença entre o ATP total e livre. Em relação à água industrial, houve a concordância entre os métodos de bioluminescência e de contagem de mesófilos aeróbios e coliformes totais. As amostras de água de manancial e de resfriamento não apresentaram diferença (p>0,05), pelo teste de Tukey, para as quantidades de ATP total, livre e também para as contagens microbianas. Constataram-se concentrações diferentes de ATP microbiano para essas amostras de água. Os resultados indicam que o teste de ATP total é o mais recomendado para avaliar a qualidade microbiológica da água e sugerem que a qualidade físico-química da mesma pode afetar a formação de luz.

This document presents the key findings of the evaluation of an integrated agricultural production and water management project implemented by IFAD in Netrakona district, in northern Bangladesh. The aim of this eight-year project was to boost the incomes and food security of small farm households and arrest their decline into marginalisation and landlessness.Outcomes of the project include: sustainable changes have been brought about by the projectimpact surveys show that 85% of respondents now use the skills and knowledge they received from training and will continue to do sobetween 1995 and 2000 the amount of land used to grow vegetables increased by 186% from 2,750 to 8,950 hectaresnew training and community centres facilitate communication on marketing issues or availability of social servicesimplementation was not participatory: greater expertise in participatory development and group mobilisation is needed in future projects of this kindthe potential for livestock development should be given higher priority and where NGOs are involved in government projects more effective coordination between the two is vital.Key insights from the evaluation include:lack of credit for small farmers is a constraint to agricultural development and needs strengtheningparticipation is the key to people-centred development yet it was understood differently by various partners. Greater expertise and knowledge of participatory development and social mobilisation during the planning stages would ensure that sound concepts and implementation strategies are adopted from the outsetstronger project design such as the flexibility to modify project activities during implementation, if necessary, would ensure greater impact.[adapted from author]

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Environmental analyst Lester R. Brown documents the ways In which human demands are outstripping the earth's natural capacities--and how the resulting environmental damage is undermining food production.--From publisher description.

The report highlights key facts, conditions and trends regarding water internationally. It explores water's relationship to sustainable food production and consumption patterns. It also highlights key water-food-nutrition-environment-livelihood trends, provides response options, and illustrates important policy directions.Five key issues for policy debate are identified within the report: increasing water productivity in both rain fed and irrigated areas will require a combination of agronomic, economic and social interventions facilitating the diffusion and use of new technologies for increasing water productivity will depend on providing incentives to producers, further research and making technological development socially acceptable identifying and influencing unsustainable consumption patterns will need to account for the complex mix of social forces that influence food preferences the protection of aquatic ecosystems against water depletion implies an urgent need for the identification of minimum ecological service criteria identifying unsustainable agricultural subsidies and trade barriers will help to establish the degree to which free trade can help to solve regional food deficiency problems Highlighting the links between production, nutrition, ecology and poverty, the report illustrates how production patterns, consumption patterns and consumer preferences have synergistic relationships and must therefore be contended with concurrently. It emphasises the need for a fundamental change in the thinking about water use so that: its impact on agricultural productivity can be increased water use for food, nutrition and livelihood security can be promoted consumption patterns that support sustainable production can be promoted water can be co-managed to meet both agricultural and ecosystem demands a strong poverty focus can be developed through the promotion of low-cost technologies and management The report identifies two basic challenges in meeting these aims. First, a better understanding of the relationship between managed "environmental flows" and ecosystem health must be grasped. Second, creating the institutional mechanism to incorporate these environmental flows into management regimes should be implemented.This working document was produced by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) for a side event organised by the Swedish Government at the 12th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), New York, April 2004.

7 pages, 4 figures, 5 tables.-- PMID: 15382852 [PubMed].-- Printed version published Aug, 15, 2004. | An integrated study encompassing the distribution of organochlorine compounds (OC) in water, food web (chironomids, terrestrial insects, cladocerans, mollusks, and cyanobacteria), and fish (brown trout) from a high mountain lake (Redon, Pyrenees) is reported. OC distributions in these compartments have been determined to assess their transport routes into fish. Food diets have been estimated by analysis of fish stomach content and food web stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N). OCs with octanol−water partition coefficient (Kow) higher than 106 showed lower concentra tions in food than expected from theoretical octanol−water partition, indicating that the distribution of these compounds does not reach equilibrium within the life span of the food web organisms (ca. 1 year). On the other hand, the degree of biomagnification in fish increased with Kow, except in the case of the largest compound analyzed (seven chlorine substituents, PCB #180). OC exchange at fish gill and gut has been evaluated using a fugacity model based on the water, food, and fish concentrations. All compounds exhibited a net gill loss and a net gut uptake. A pseudostationary state was only achieved for compounds with log(Kow) < 6. Calculation of fish average residence times for the compounds in apparent steady state gave values of days to a few weeks for HCHs, 1 year for HCB and 4,4‘-DDE, and 2−3 years for 4,4‘-DDT and PCB#28 and PCB#52. Residence times longer than one decade were found for the more chlorinated PCB. | Financial support from the EU projects EUROLIMPACS (GOCE-CT-2003-505540) and EMERGE (EVK1-CT-1999-00032) and ACA-CIRIT (Generalitat de Catalunya). | Peer reviewed

The spawning season and food habits of the deep-water stomato-pod crustacean Squilloides leptosquilla (Squillidae) were examined using samples collected on board the small-scale bottom trawlers in Kagoshima Bay, southern Japan. From the reproductive analyses, the size at sexual maturity of female S. leptosquilla was estimated to be 10 mm in carapace length and the spawning season was estimated to continue from May to September with a peak during July and September. Gut analysis showed that this species is a typical carnivore and mainly ate shrimps, especially the deep-water mud shrimp Solenocera melantho which is one of the most important target species for the small-scale bottom trawlers in Kagoshima Bay.