The influence of south Foehn on the ozone distribution in the Alpine Rhine valley—results from the MAP field phase

During the Mesoscale Alpine Programme (MAP) special observation period (SOP) between 7 September and 15 November 1999, ground-based and airborne measurements have been conducted in the Rhine valley south of the Lake of Constance to investigate the unstationary aspects of Foehn and related phenomena, like the impact of Foehn on the ozone concentrations in the valley. Foehn events occurred with above-average frequency and high diversity. Foehn induced ozone peaks in October and November are found to be much lower than the September Foehn case of the period. An inversion layer in the lake area with ozone concentrations below 10 ppb often shields the monitoring stations from the Foehn air aloft. Trajectory calculations for the Foehn period between 19 and 24 October 1999 reveal that the Foehn air originated from below 1 to 1.5 km above the Po Basin and the Mediterranean Sea. Tethered balloon soundings in the source area south of the Alps, ozone measurements at the mountain station Jungfraujoch (3580 m a.s.l.) and airborne measurements across the Alpine crests reveal that the ozone levels found in the Foehn air correspond to the concentrations just above the mixing height in the Po Basin and are transported across the Alpine crest within the lowest flow layer.     

Seasonal evolution of gas-phase PCB concentrations in the Venice Lagoon area

The concentrations of gas-phase PCBs were measured from March 2002 to June 2003 at two sites of the Venice Lagoon and at one site of the Euganei hills. The aims of this study were to evaluate the various gas-phase PCB sources, the spatial and temporal variability of PCB concentrations in the gas-phase that enter the Venice Lagoon atmosphere and the influence of the air temperature on PCB trends. The highest annual average concentration of summation PCBs was observed at the station directly influenced by "urban" sources with values about 3 and 1.5 times higher compared to the concentrations found at the stations where "marine" sources and "not subjected to direct local sources" were respectively sampled from. The temporal trends of summation PCBs concentrations were similar at the three sampling stations corresponding to seasonal temperature changes. Greater concentrations occurred in the summer and first autumn months while the lower ones occurred in late autumn and winter. The temperature dependences were investigated using plots of the natural logarithm of the summation PCBs concentrations vs. reciprocal mean temperatures.     

Review of dynamical models for external dose calculations based on Monte Carlo simulations in urbanised areas

After an accidental release of radionuclides to the inhabited environment the external gamma irradiation from deposited radioactivity contributes significantly to the radiation exposure of the population for extended periods. For evaluating this exposure pathway, three main model requirements are needed: (i) to calculate the air kerma value per photon emitted per unit source area, based on Monte Carlo (MC) simulations; (ii) to describe the distribution and dynamics of radionuclides on the diverse urban surfaces; and (iii) to combine all these elements in a relevant urban model to calculate the resulting doses according to the actual scenario. This paper provides an overview about the different approaches to calculate photon transport in urban areas and about several dose calculation codes published. Two types of Monte Carlo simulations are presented using the global and the local approaches of photon transport. Moreover, two different philosophies of the dose calculation, the "location factor method" and a combination of relative contamination of surfaces with air kerma values are described. The main features of six codes (ECOSYS, EDEM2M, EXPURT, PARATI, TEMAS, URGENT) are highlighted together with a short model-model features intercomparison.     

Determination of strontium-90 in deer bones by liquid scintillation spectrometry after separation on Sr-specific ion exchange columns

The activity concentration of (90)Sr was determined in several deer bones from Austria. Strontium specific ion exchange columns with 4',4'(5')-di-t-butylcyclohexane-18-crown-6 from Eichrom Industries, Inc. were used for separation. The yield of the chemical procedure was quantified with AAS. Directly after column separation, the solution containing (90)Sr was mixed with the scintillation cocktail HiSafe III and measured by liquid scintillation counting. Prevention of (210)Pb contamination and reusability of the separation columns was investigated as well as the activity distribution within the bones. Results were compared with pre-Chernobyl measurements in Austria; a correlation between activity concentration of (90)Sr and site altitude was found.     

Seasonal variation in the relationship between cellular immune response and badge size in male house sparrows (Passer domesticus)

The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis postulates that secondary sexual traits are honest signals of male quality because steroid hormones (such as corticosteroids and sex steroids), which are supposed to favor the development of secondary sexual traits, may also have immunosuppressive effects. Certain secondary sexual traits are not only used as mate choice signals but also play a role as badges of status. In the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), males have a bib of black feathers which is used both as a signal of social status in male-male interactions and by females when choosing a mate. We investigated the relationships between bib size and cellular immune response in male house sparrows during and outside the reproductive season. Males with large badges were found to have lower levels of immunocompetence, as assessed using a T-cell-mediated immunity assay, during the reproductive season, as predicted by the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis. Conversely, in November, the correlation between badge size and cellular immune response was positive, possibly reflecting the better access to trophic resources of large-badged dominant males in winter flocks. Received: 24 September 1998 / Received in revised form: 2 February 1999 / Accepted: 14 February 1999     

Can a key boreal Calanus copepod species now complete its life-cycle in the Arctic? Evidence and implications for Arctic food-webs

The changing Arctic environment is affecting zooplankton that support its abundant wildlife. We examined how these changes are influencing a key zooplankton species, Calanus finmarchicus, principally found in the North Atlantic but expatriated to the Arctic. Close to the ice-edge in the Fram Strait, we identified areas that, since the 1980s, are increasingly favourable to C. finmarchicus. Field-sampling revealed part of the population there to be capable of amassing enough reserves to overwinter. Early developmental stages were also present in early summer, suggesting successful local recruitment. This extension to suitable C. finmarchicus habitat is most likely facilitated by the long-term retreat of the ice-edge, allowing phytoplankton to bloom earlier and for longer and through higher temperatures increasing copepod developmental rates. The increased capacity for this species to complete its life-cycle and prosper in the Fram Strait can change community structure, with large consequences to regional food-webs.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01667-y.     

Spiking organic chemicals onto sediments for ecotoxicological analyses: an overview of methods and procedures

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Laboratory testing with spiked sediments with organic contaminants is a valuable tool for ecotoxicologists to study specific processes such as effects...     

Response of atmospheric deposition and surface water chemistry to the COVID-19 lockdown in an alpine area

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on deposition and surface water chemistry were investigated in an area south of the Alps. Long-term data provided...