Multivariate space analysis of the major precipitation ions over Europe, 1986-1997

The annual average concentrations (1986-1997) of the major ions SO4(2-), NO3-, Cl-, NH4+, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and K+ in precipitation are analyzed for selected EMEP stations. The objective is to determine the ion patterns or typologies in precipitation by principal component analysis (PCA) combined with a cluster analysis. SO4(2-) and NO3- ions are predominant in central and eastern Europe. This area corresponds to high emissions of SO2 and NO2. Sea spray ions are predominant in coastal sites. The soil components show an important contribution in southern Europe, possibly due to the soil dust transported from northern Africa.     

The evolution of the pH in Europe (1986-1997) using panel data

The temporal evolution of pH values in precipitation over Europe during the period 1986-1997 is examined using panel data. The use of panel data techniques allows us to determine the temporal evolution of groups of stations rather than analyzing the temporal behavior of each of them. The analysis reveals three different temporal patterns: Peripheral, Central and French. We find a significant increasing trend (P < 0.00001) in both Peripheral and Central patterns. The annual increases are +0.057 pH-units yr(-1) and +0.022 pH-units yr(-1) respectively. However the French pattern is characterized by a significant decreasing trend (P < 0.004) and the annual decrease is -0.022 pH-units yr(-1). The standard errors of panel data estimates are around 47% smaller than those of classical pooling and 32% smaller than aggregate time-series regression. The use of panel data produces higher R2 values than classical pooling and aggregate data. This technique takes into account the individual heterogeneity, allows a larger number of data points and improves the efficiency of the estimates. In general, the policies of governments to reduce pollutant emissions seem to be effective.     

Linking contemporary river restoration to economics,technology, politics,and society: Perspectives from a historical case study of the Po River Basin,Italy

River restoration is a novel paradigm of ‘mirescape’ (land-and-water-scape) management that developed along with the emergence of aquatic ecology. River restoration can be seen as the application of an ecological perspective to return rivers to nature. However, the river restoration paradigm is also the contemporary iteration of historical phases of mirescape management. We review the long and varied recorded history of the Po River in northern Italy as a case study to illustrate the transformations and common themes of mirescape management. We find, first, that significant changes in mirescape management and river condition only occur in the context of larger social, political, technological and economic transformations. Second, we show how particular cultural understandings, economic interests, technological innovations and political powers have driven particular paradigms of mirescape management. These have tended towards increasing territorial separation of wet and dry. We find, third, that these separations lead not only to increasing economic precariousness for many, but also to increasingly severe disasters. We conclude that river restoration faces social and political challenges to becoming relevant at a mirescape scale, due to its lack of integration with land management, or with current social, political, technological and economic transformations. To act on this conclusion, we suggest philosophically aligned social movements that river restoration could work with to improve impact and uptake.     

Climate change policy in the peripheral countries of Europe: Ireland as a case study

Owing to their relative underdevelopment, the 'cohesion' countries of the European Union have been allowed to increase emissions above the 1990 base within the EU 'envelope'. However, they face daunting challenges in meeting the agreed targets, because it requires breaking the link between rising gross domestic product and rising energy consumption at a relatively early stage in the economic development cycle. This paper examines the extreme case of Ireland, which is experiencing the most rapid growth in the EU. It shows that Ireland has already reached its emissions ceiling. The best opportunities for reducing emissions lie in energy supply, industry, and the household sector. A mix of policy instruments is required. Emissions trading seems to be the most effective policy instrument for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy supply and large industry. Such a policy would provide a stimulus for continuous improvement, without which Ireland's limit will be breached.     

Challenges of linking scientific knowledge to river basin management policy: AquaTerra as a case study

The EU Project AquaTerra generates knowledge about the river-soil-sediment-groundwater system and delivers scientific information of value for river basin management. In this article, the use and ignorance of scientific knowledge in decision making is explored by a theoretical review. We elaborate on the 'two-communities theory', which explains the problems of the policy-science interface by relating and comparing the different cultures, contexts, and languages of researchers and policy makers. Within AquaTerra, the EUPOL subproject examines the policy-science interface with the aim of achieving a good connection between the scientific output of the project and EU policies. We have found two major barriers, namely language and resources, as well as two types of relevant relationships: those between different research communities and those between researchers and policy makers.     

Assessing the benefits of the greenhouse gas emission reduction policy: a pilot case study of Korea

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to avert or slow climate change has become an increasingly important policy issue in developing countries such as Korea, as well as in developed countries. This paper uses the willingness to pay survey technique to assess the benefits that would ensue from a proposed OHO emissions reduction policy. It aims to provide at least a preliminary evaluation of the policy, using Korea as a specific case study. Respondents overall accepted the contingent market and were on average willing to contribute a significant amount toward the GHG emissions reduction policy. This willingness varies according to respondents' individual characteristics and environmental concerns. Finally, this study discusses the importance of including the climate change problem in cost—benefit analysis and presents the policy implications of the results.     

Assessing the uncertainty associated with national greenhouse gas emission inventories:: a case study for Austria

The uncertainty associated with the Austrian Greenhouse Gas emission inventory has been determined for the gases CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O and for the overall greenhouse potential. Expert interviews were conducted to obtain uncertainties in inventory input data. Based on these interviews, error distributions were developed and combined using Monte-Carlo analysis. Results for all sources and gases combined indicate an overall uncertainty between 10.5% and 12% depending on the base year considered. Excluding emissions and the uncertainty associated with forest sinks and natural sources, overall uncertainty decreased by 2% points. The mere ‘random error’, which is considered the level of uncertainty to be achieved with the current methodology (excluding all systematic errors) is 5% points lower. Detailed evaluation shows that much of the overall uncertainty derives from a lack of understanding the processes associated with N₂O emissions from soils. Other important contributors to GHG emission uncertainties are CH₄ from landfills and forests as CO₂ sinks. The uncertainty of the trend has been determined at near 5% points, with solid waste production (landfills) having the strongest contribution. Theoretical considerations do not permit a decrease of the trend uncertainty—even when forest sinks are not considered—below 3% points.     

Analysis of the decoupling effect and eco-economic coordination of the resident energy carbon footprint: a case study of Caijiapo Town,a national key town in western China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - National key towns are one of the most important units for mitigating China’s carbon emissions from urbanisation, industrialisation and...     

Hazardous waste disposal in Germany: a case study of the site in Billigheim, Baden-Wurttemberg

The disposal of hazardous waste is a very critical issue. It is associated with many risks. Efforts are made to minimise these by consistent legislation and by proper treatment of the waste. The goal of a hazardous waste disposal site, as described in this paper, is to ensure that hazardous waste is treated and disposed of in a way that does not harm human beings or the environment. To assure this it is necessary to observe the handling of the hazardous waste from its producer up to the disposal site, and to identify possible inherent risks.     

Groundwater contamination mechanism in a geothermal field: a case study of Balcova, Turkey

The Balcova Geothermal Field (BGF) located in Izmir, Turkey is situated on an east-west directed graben plain within which the hot waters surface from a fault zone that cuts the Mesozoic aged Bornova Flysch. Due to the low permeability and porosity of the Bornova Flysch, the geothermal water cycles along the immediate vicinity of the Agamemnon fault and mixes with cold waters at different depths of this fractured zone. Within the scope of this study, the mixing patterns and the groundwater contamination mechanisms are analyzed by, hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical methods. Based on the results of this research, it has been found out that the hot geothermal water and the cold regional groundwater resources of the surficial aquifer mix within the fractured zone in Bornova Flysch and within the Quaternary alluvium aquifer due to natural and anthropogenic activities including (i) the natural upward movement of geothermal fluid along the fault line, (ii) the accelerated upward seepage of geothermal fluid from faulty constructed boreholes drilled in the area, (iii) the faulty reinjection applications; and, (iv) the uncontrolled discharge of waste geothermal fluid to the natural drainage network. As a result of these activities, the cold groundwater reserves of the alluvial aquifer are contaminated thermally and chemically in such a way that various toxic chemicals including arsenic, antimony and boron are introduced to the heavily used surficial aquifer waters hindering their use for human consumption and agricultural irrigation. Furthermore, the excessive pumping from the surficial aquifer as well as the reduced surface water inflow into BGF due to the dam constructed on Ilica Creek intensify the detrimental effects of this contamination. Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that the groundwater pollution in BGF will expand and reach to the levels of no return unless a series of preventive measures is taken immediately.     

Hydrocarbon pollution fixed to combined sewer sediment: a case study in Paris

Over a period of two years (2000-2001), sediment samples were extracted from 40 silt traps (STs) spread through the combined sewer system of Paris. All sediment samples were analysed for physico-chemical parameters (pH, organic matter content, grain size distribution), with total hydrocarbons (THs) and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) selected from the priority list of the US-EPA. The two main objectives of the study were (1) to determine the hydrocarbon contamination levels in the sediments of the Paris combined sewer system and (2) to investigate the PAH fingerprints in order to assess their spatial variability and to elucidate the PAH origins. The results show that there is some important inter-site and intra-site variations in hydrocarbon contents. Despite this variability, TH and PAH contamination levels (50th percentile) in the Parisian sewer sediment are estimated at 530 and 18 microg g(-1), respectively. The investigation of the aromatic compound distributions in all of the 40 STs has underlined that there is, at the Paris sewer system scale, a homogeneous PAH background pollution. Moreover, the study of the PAH fingerprints, using specific ratios, suggests the predominance of a pyrolytic origin for those PAHs fixed to the sewer sediment.     

Estimation of measurement uncertainty associated to the determination of pesticide residues: a case study

In the analytical analysis the measurement uncertainty is a quantitative indicator of the confidence describing the range around a reported or experimental result within which the true value can be expected. Several approaches can be used to estimate the measurement uncertainty associated to the analysis of pesticide residues: a) the top-down, the estimation can be referred to default values; b) the bottom-up the estimation is related to the uncertainty sources. Concerning the bottom-up approach, the following contributions have been investigated: weight of sample, calibration solutions, final volume of sample and intermediate repeatability studies. The commodity/residue combination selected in this study was celery/tau-fluvalinate pesticide. Tau-fluvalinate is a broad-spectrum insecticide in the pyrethroid class of pesticides. The Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) of tau-fluvalinate in celery has been set at 0.01 mg/kg. The tau- Fluvalinate showed two chromatographic peaks. Since the individual standards are not available, the two peaks were integrated separately and the instrumental responses were added. The total residue was calculated on the basis of resulted peaks. The present work aims to compare the uncertainty estimated by experimental data using repeated analysis (n = 12) of a real sample and a spiked sample. The relative expanded uncertainty for two data set, incurred and spiked, was 22 % and 20 %, respectively. No differences were observed from repeated determinations of real samples and spiked samples.     

Toward ecological function zoning and comparison to the Ecological Redline Policy: a case study in the Poyang Lake Region,China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Faced with huge environmental problems of ecosystem degradation, “Ecological Redline Policy (ERP)” in China is a new key national-level...     

Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from urban to rural soils: a case study in Dalian, China

To estimate the distribution and sources of soil polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in metropolitan and adjacent areas, soil samples were collected from urban, suburban and rural locations of Dalian, China, and concentrations of 14 PAHs were determined. The spatial PAH profiles were site-specific and determined by the sources close to the sampling sites. PAH concentrations decreased significantly along the urban-suburban-rural transect. The gradient implied that the fractionation effect influenced PAH distribution. Bivariate plots of selected diagnostic ratios showed general trends of co-variation and allowed to distinguish samples taken from different areas. An improved method, factor analysis (FA) with nonnegative constrains, was used to determine the primary sources and contributions of PAHs in soils. The FA model showed traffic average (74%) and coal related residential emission (26%) were two primary sources to Dalian soils. In addition, the FA model provided reasonable explanations for PAH contributions in soils from different sites. The results suggest that FA with nonnegative constraints is a promising tool for source apportionment of PAHs in soils.     

Resolving neighborhood scale in air toxics modeling: a case study in Wilmington, CA

Air quality modeling is useful for characterizing exposures to air pollutants. Whereas models typically provide results on regional scales, new concerns regarding the potential for differential exposures among racial/ethnic populations and income strata within communities are driving the need for increasingly refined modeling approaches. These approaches need to be capable of resolving concentrations on the scale of tens of meters, across modeling domains 10-100 km2 in size. One approach for refined air quality modeling is to combine Gaussian and regional photochemical grid models. In this paper, the authors demonstrate this approach on a case study of Wilmington, CA, focused on diesel exhaust particulate matter. Modeling results suggest that pollutant concentrations in the vicinity of emission sources are elevated, and, therefore, an understanding of local emission sources is necessary to generate credible modeling results. A probabilistic evaluation of the Gaussian model application indicated that spatial allocation, emission rates, and meteorological data are important contributors to input and parameter uncertainty in the model results. This uncertainty can be substantially reduced through the collection and integration of site-specific information about the location of emission sources and the activity and emission rates of key sources affecting model concentrations.     

Winter air quality in a wood-burning community: A case study in Waterbury,Vermont

The recent upsurge in residential wood combustion has raised questions about potential adverse effects on ambient air quality and public health. Before policymakers can make informed and rational decisions about the need for government intervention, more information is needed concerning the nature and extent of the problem. This paper presents findings from the 1982 Harvard Wood-Burning Study in Waterbury, Vermont. Waterbury, a rural community of about 2000 people, was an ideal location for this investigation because: (1) half of the private residences are heated with wood fuel; (2) frequent winter temperature inversions promote pollution buildup in the valley; (3) there are no major industrial sources and (4) the Vermont Agency of Environmental Conservation has compiled a detailed wood-burning inventory. The ambient air monitoring study, from January to March 1982, emphasized measurements of total, inhalable and respirable particulate matter. Results indicate that 60–70% of the Waterbury aerosol was composed of particles less than 2.5 μm. A combination of indirect evidence suggests that wood burning was the major source of airborne particles in residential sections of the town. Dramatic diurnal variations in particulate concentrations were observed, with peak values at night exceeding afternoon levels by 5- to 10-fold. Both meteorology and emission patterns contributed to observed fluctuations.     

Mercury accumulation in the surface layers of mountain soils: a case study from the Karkonosze Mountains, Poland

The study was aimed to examine total concentrations and pools of Hg in surface layers of soils in the Karkonosze Mountains, dependent on soil properties and site locality. Soil samples were collected from a litter layer and the layers 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm, at 68 sites belonging to the net of a monitoring system, in two separate areas, and in three altitudinal zones: below 900 m, 900-1100 m, and over 1100 m. Air-borne pollution was the major source of mercury in soils. Hg has accumulated mainly in the litter (where its concentrations were the highest), and in the layer 0-10 cm. Hg concentrations in all samples were in the range 0.04-0.97 mg kg⁻¹, with mean values 0.38, 0.28, and 0.14 mg kg⁻¹ for litter and the layers 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm, respectively. The highest Hg concentrations in the litter layer were found in the intermediate altitudinal zone, whereas Hg concentrations in the layer 0-10 cm increased with increasing altitude. Soil quality standard for protected areas (0.50 mg kg⁻¹) was exceeded in a few sites. The pools of Hg accumulated in soils were in the range: 0.8-84.8 mg m⁻², with a mean value of 16.5 mg m⁻², and they correlated strongly with the pools of stored organic matter.     

Geostatistical analysis to identify hydrogeochemical processes in complex aquifers: a case study (Aguadulce unit, Almeria, SE Spain)

The Aguadulce aquifer unit in southeastern Spain is a complex hydrogeological system because of the varied lithology of the aquifer strata and the variability of the processes that can take place within the unit. Factorial analysis of the data allowed the number of variables to be reduced to 3 factors, which were found to be related to such physico-chemical processes as marine intrusion and leaching of saline deposits. Variographic analysis was applied to these factors, culminating in a study of spatial distribution using ordinary kriging. Mapping of the factors allowed rapid differentiation of some of the processes that affect the waters of the Gador carbonate aquifer within the Aguadulce unit, without the need to recur to purely hydrogeochemical techniques. The results indicate the existence of several factors related to salinity: marine intrusion, paleowaters, and/or leaching of marls and evaporitic deposits. The techniques employed are effective, and the results conform to those obtained using hydrogeochemical methods (vertical records of conductivity and temperature, ion ratios, and others). The findings of this study confirm that the application of such analytical methods can provide a useful assessment of factors affecting groundwater composition.     

National status and trends mussel watch program: chlordane-related compounds in Gulf of Mexico oysters, 1986-1990

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program has been monitoring the chemical contamination in bivalve tissues from the US coastal waters since 1986. alpha-Chlordane, trans-nonachlor, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide, components of technical chlordane, are among the chlorinated pesticides measured. The geographical distribution of these chlordane compounds in oyster samples from the US Gulf of Mexico is well-established. For example, highest residue levels, predominantly alpha-chlordane and trans-nonachlor, were encountered in samples collected near highly populated areas in contrast with the concentrations measured in predominantly agricultural areas. Data collected during 5 years of bivalve sampling are used to evaluate temporal trends in residue concentrations at most NS&T sites. Minor decreases can be observed in the concentrations of alpha-chlordane and trans-nonachlor. Heptachlor and its epoxide concentrations, in contrast, have been increasing since 1987.