Suchergebnisse

This article presents a methodological approach for the formulation of control strategies capable of reducing atmospheric pollution at the standards set by European legislation. The approach was implemented in the greater area of Thessaloniki and was part of a project aiming at the compliance with air quality standards in five major cities in Greece. The methodological approach comprises two stages: in the first stage, the availability of several measures contributing to a certain extent to reducing atmospheric pollution indicates a combinatorial problem and favors the use of Integer Programming. More specifically, Multiple Objective Integer Programming is used in order to generate alternative efficient combinations of the available policy measures on the basis of two conflicting objectives: public expenditure minimization and social acceptance maximization. In the second stage, these combinations of control measures (i.e., the control strategies) are then comparatively evaluated with respect to a wider set of criteria, using tools from Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis, namely, the well-known PROMETHEE method. The whole procedure is based on the active involvement of local and central authorities in order to incorporate their concerns and preferences, as well as to secure the adoption and implementation of the resulting solution. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

This book is a collection of the lectures delivered during the 7th International Summer School on Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ISSAOS) titled 'Integrated Ground-Based Observing Systems Applications for Climate, Meteorology, and Civil Protection'. Its aim is to contribute to the scientific understanding of basic concepts and applications of integrated ground-based observing systems. The first part describes the most common instrumentations showing their strengths and limitations. Furthermore, strategic plans for the deployment of an observation site are discussed along with an overview of.

Over the past century chlorine has been widely used as an oxidant in water and wastewater treatment. Chlorine's efficacy is demonstrated for microbial inactivation of a wide variety of pathogens along with oxidation of various chemical contaminants. However, the potential formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs), such as trihalomethane, is a concern [1]. DBPs, including trihalomethanes, can be formed as a consequence of the reaction of chlorine with natural organic matter (NOM) present in both surface and ground water [2]. NOM comprises of two fractions; humic substances (HS), which are composed of humic acids, fulvic acids, and non-humic substances (non-HS), which include carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids [3]. Furthermore, humic acids constitute a major fraction of NOM, of which the soluble portion (aromatic compounds) of humic substances may react with chlorine to form trihalomethanes [4]. It has been reported that these THMs are carcinogens [5]. Epidemiologic studies in humans suggest a weak association with bladder, rectal and colon cancer [6,7] along with reproductive and developmental effects [8,9]. Due to these health concerns, many jurisdictions specify maximum allowable concentrations. The United States Environ- mental Protection Agency [10] specifies maximum levels for trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) of 80 and 60 mg/L, respectively [11]. European Union regulations limit THMs to 100 mg/L. However, many national reports find frequent occurrence of THM exceedance [12]. It is important to limit THMs and THMs causing substances (humic acids) in water. Several approaches such as nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis coagulation [13], activated carbon adsorption [14], Fenton treatment [15], nano-TiO2 photocatalysis [16], membrane filtration [17], biological treatment [18], and ozonation [19] have been employed to remove humic substances and THM's. Biological processes, including the use of bio-filters may lead to the accumulation of suspended solids and release of bacteria [20]. Separation technologies such as biofilms and membrane filtration may be limited due to fouling [21]. Ozone's efficacy for humic substance breakdown in water has been demonstrated, however the process may result in the formation of brominated by-products [22]. In addition, the use of such advanced oxidation processes (AOP) which are capable of oxidizing some of the NOM present in raw water sources require an additional step for mineralization increasing the operational cost. Therefore, there is a need to develop novel approaches to remove humic substances and THMs in energy efficient manner.

The legal and institutional framework -- The environment and international society: issues, concepts and definitions -- History -- Governance: states, international organisations and non-state actors -- International law-making and regulation -- Compliance: implementation, enforcement, dispute settlement -- Principles and rules establishing standards -- General principles and rules -- Atmospheric protection -- Climate change -- Freshwater resources -- Biological diversity -- Oceans, seas and marine living resources -- Hazardous substances and activities, and waste -- The polar regions: antarctica and the arctic -- Environmental impact assessment -- Environmental information and technology transfer -- Liability for environmental damage -- Human rights and international humanitarian law -- International economic law: trade, investment and intellectual property -- Future developments

In this article we have approached the reality surrounding the intervention of public authorities in the control of air pollution in our country. This is done through the planning, management and protection of the air we breathe. In Spain, as in the other countries that make up the European Union, Economic growth brings the constant increase in the consumption of natural resources, the generation of waste and pollutants that spread to the atmosphere generating "air pollution" and the exposure of citizens to numerous toxic and harmful substances that put at risk and generate dangers and uncertainty, among other issues, to human health. In this way, we can affirm, without a doubt, that the progress generated in the integration of the environment in the decision-making process and in the realization of sectoral policies they are relatively slow. ; En el presente artículo nos hemos aproximado a la realidad que rodea la intervención de los poderes públicos en el control de la contaminación atmosférica en nuestro país. Esto se realiza a través de la planificación, la gestión y la protección del aire que respiramos. En España, como en los demás países que conforman la Unión Europea, el crecimiento económico lleva parejo el aumento constante del consumo de recursos naturales, la generación de residuos y agentes contaminantes que se propagan a la atmósfera generando "contaminación atmosfércia" y la exposición de los ciudadanos a numerosas sustancias tóxicas y dañinas que ponen en riesgo y generan peligros e incertidumbre, entre otras cuestiones, a la salud humana. De este modo, podemos afirmar, sin lugar a dudas, que los progresos generados en la integración del medioambiente en el proceso de toma de decisiones y en la concreción de políticas de carácter sectorial son relativamente lentos. ; Dans cet article, nous avons abordé la réalité entourant l'intervention des pouvoirs publics dans le contrôle de la pollution de l'air dans notre pays. Ceci est fait par la planification, la gestion et la protection de l'air que nous respirons. En Espagne, comme dans les autres pays de l'Union européenne, La croissance économique entraîne l'augmentation constante de la consommation de ressources naturelles, la génération de déchets et de polluants qui se propagent dans l'atmosphère générant une "pollution de l'air" et l'exposition des citoyens à de nombreuses substances toxiques et nocives qui met en péril et génère des dangers et des incertitudes, entre autres problèmes, pour la santé humaine. De cette façon, nous pouvons affirmer, sans aucun doute, que les progrès réalisés dans l'intégration de l'environnement dans le processus décisionnel et dans la réalisation des politiques sectorielles, elles sont relativement lentes.

The Fernow Watershed Acidification Study is a long-term, paired watershed acidification study. This book describes the responses to chronic N and S amendments by deciduous hardwood forests, one of the few studies to focus on hardwood forest ecosystems. Intensive monitoring of soil solution and stream chemistry, along with measurements of soil chemistry, and vegetation growth and chemistry, provide insights into the acidification process in forested watersheds.

Development of efficient plant protection methods against bacterial phytopathogens subjected to compulsory control procedures under international legislation is of the highest concern having in mind expensiveness of enforced quarantine measures and threat of the infection spread in disease-free regions. In this study, fructose-stabilized silver nanoparticles (FRU-AgNPs) were produced using direct current atmospheric pressure glow discharge (dc-APGD) generated between the surface of a flowing liquid anode (FLA) solution and a pin-type tungsten cathode in a continuous flow reaction-discharge system. Resultant spherical and stable in time FRU-AgNPs exhibited average sizes of 14.9 ± 7.9 nm and 15.7 ± 2.0 nm, as assessed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), respectively. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis revealed that the obtained nanomaterial was composed of Ag while selected area electron diffraction (SAED) indicated that FRU-AgNPs had the face-centered cubic crystalline structure. The fabricated FRU-AgNPs show antibacterial properties against Erwinia amylovora, Clavibacter michiganensis, Ralstonia solanacearum, Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris and Dickeya solani strains with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 1.64 to 13.1 mg L−1 and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) from 3.29 to 26.3 mg L−1. Application of FRU-AgNPs might increase the repertoire of available control procedures against most devastating phytopathogens and as a result successfully limit their agricultural impact.

The article deal with research of the most pressing areas of human development strategies in order to self-preservation and harmonious survival of world biodiversity, which is caused by a new impetus as a result of global scale environmental disaster in Japanese nuclear power plant in 2011.In article author analyzes the current state of environmental safety of the air on international level. In study author solves several problems: defines and groupesa number of problems, which affect to environmental safety of the air at the present stage, investigates the possible prospects of it maintaining by international community.Special attention is given to the review and analysis of international legal cooperation in the direction of improving the ecological state of the air in the world.All processes and activities, directed by the world community to achieve this goal, the author classified into two broad groups: international regulatory proceedings, international institutional and legislative mechanisms to maintain and ensure the environmental safety of air.In the thesis was developed, based on the arguments concerning the lack of comprehensive international legal mechanisms aimed of environmental protection, which is reflected in the environmental safety of the air, suggested the development of the legal acts of a planetary scale in environmental and legal relations – Conventionabout Protection of Atmospheric Air, suggested the possible structure, rules, principles, mechanisms of realization, proposed by the ideas and principles which can be used to develop a new project, made a conclusions about the state of international legal regulation of environmental safety of air, described these suggestions and ways to improve. ; В статті аналізується сучасний стан екологічної безпеки атмосферного повітря на міжнародному рівні. В дослідженні автором вирішується ряд завдань: окреслюється і групується ряд проблем, які впливають на екологічну безпеку атмосферного повітря на сучасному етапі, досліджуються можливі перспективи її підтримання міжнародною спільнотою. В результаті проведеної роботи автором пропонуються можливі шляхи удосконалення міжнародно-правової охорони атмосферного повітря.

The background information related to health effects and damage caused to ecosystems by PM atmospheric pollution, particularly by its fine fraction, will be summarisedCurrent international policy instruments for reducing airborne emissions and, consequently, improving air quality, will be reviewed. In particular the EU clean air package and the UN/ECE initiatives under the Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Convention (LRTAP), including the recentlyadopted Long-term Strategy, will be considered. The air policy initiatives by EFCA related to improve air quality in relation to PM and its ultrafine fraction/Black Carbon will be described and assessed. Combustion of all kinds produces PM pollution, including its ultrafine fraction (UFP). Carbonaceous particles in form of Black Carbon (BC) and Organic Aerosols (OA) are of particular concern. UFPs are also formed as secondary pollutants. The latter have substantial influence on particle formation and their growth generates half of the cloud condensation nuclei in the atmosphere. Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases (NCGG), however, are underestimated as pollutants by the climate policy community and deserve to be treated as equally important. UFPs play an important role in policy to reduce toxic air pollution and climate forcers. The series of UFP Symposia has provided strong evidence of impact, and information on sources and effective control techniques. EFCA therefore believes it is now timely to consider policy aspect. It fully supports UFP/BC regulation, including new ceilings in the EU NEC Directive and the revised Gothenburg Protocol under the LRTAP. Moreover, a new metric is urgently needed for UFPs, expressed in weight and by number of particles. Also, dual policy, integrating cleaner air and climate protection criteria, to combat UFPs can be more effective and generate co-benefits for both. The role of integrated policy, as opposed to the current practice of separate sectoral policies in combatting air pollution will be considered with reference to concrete examples, ...

Agriculture is responsible for 98% of atmospheric ammonia (NH3) in Ireland, of which pigs and poultry produce 7%; with laying hens specifically contributing 0.6%. Though a small proportion of the national NH3 total emissions, the ecological impacts on sensitive sites attributed to laying hen farms can be substantial. NH3 emission monitoring was conducted in Spring (February to March) and Summer (July to August) 2016 to account for seasonal variation. The total average emission and ventilation rate was 0.25 g bird−1 day−1 and 931 cm3 s−1 bird−1. This is lower than the previously used emission factor for the Irish national inventory of 0.5 g bird−1 day−1, but broadly similar to factors reported in the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU). Dispersion modelling using monitored data indicated potentially acute effects within 84 m, critical level exceedance within 312 m and exceedance of 0.3 kg N ha−1 year−1 deposition within 2.9–5.2 km. The sensitivity of the model was tested using SCAIL-Agriculture emission and ventilation rates which showed P-values for one tailed critical level below 0.01 for all models, indicating that when normalised the maximum extents modelled by AERMOD were significantly different. This analysis showed emission rate having more influence than ventilation rate. Both parameters combined had the greatest increase in dispersion extent, on average 55.8% greater than the use of monitored rates. A deposition rate of 0.3 kg N ha−1 year−1 was modelled to occur within 5.1–7.7 km when using SCAIL-Agriculture rates. Indicating that the use of SCAIL-Agriculture recommended emission and ventilation rates would have been sufficiently precautionary to assess negative ecological effects on a Natura 2000 site under the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). In relation to Appropriate Assessment (AA) screening, the use of any contribution from a source within a set distance may be an appropriate full AA trigger. ; Environmental Protection Agency

Wildfires, changing glaciers, deforestation, open-pit mining, increasing demands for food and bio-fuel production and the growth of megacities change our landscape. This book comprehensively reviews the current knowledge on how natural and anthropogenic land-use/cover changes affect weather, air quality and climate worldwide and explains how these changes may trigger further land-use/cover changes. It discusses how anthropogenic land-use/cover changes have affected local and regional climate and air quality since the settlement of America and the industrialisation. It addresses the topic how l

Topological insulators (TIs) with an inverted bulk band and a strong spin-orbit coupling exhibit gapless topological surface states (TSSs) protected by time-reversal symmetry. Helical spin textures driven by spin-momentum locking offer the opportunity to generate spin-polarized currents and therefore TIs are expected to be used for future spintronic applications. For practical applications TIs are urgently required that are operable at room temperature due to a wide bulk band gap as well as a distinct topological surface state that is robust to atmospheric exposure. Here we show two distinguishable TSSs originating from different terminations on PbBi4Te4S3 by using spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We find that one TSS is persistently observed, while the other becomes invisible upon intentional oxygen exposure. The result signifies the presence of a protected TSS buried under the topmost surface. Our finding paves the way for realizing a topological spintronics device under atmospheric conditions. ; This work was partly supported by the bilateral collaboration program between RFBR (Russia; No. 15-52-50017) and JSPS (Japan) and also by KAKENHI Grants No. 17H06138 and No. 18H03683. K.S. was financially supported by a Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows (No. 16J03874). The study has also been supported by the Russian Science Foundation (Grant No. 17-12-01047) and RFBR (Grant No. 17-08-00955) for growing the single crystals and characterizing the samples. I.V.S. acknowledges financial support from the Russian Science Foundation (Grant No. 18-12-00169) for band structure calculations and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation within governmental program Megagrants (State Task No. 3.9003.2017/9.10) for charge density calculations. This work has been partly performed in the framework of the nanoscience foundry and fine analysis (NFFA-MIUR Italy, Progetti Internazionali) facility. E.V.C. acknowledges financial support from the Saint Petersburg State University Project No. 15.61.202.2015 and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation Grant No. FIS2016-75862-P. ; Peer reviewed