The risk assessment–policy gap: An example from the UK contaminated land regime

Risk-based regulation assumes that risk assessment can evaluate risks against policy objectives. However, policy goals are often ambiguous and require risk assessors to interpret them for use in risk assessment. This risk assessment-policy gap stems partly from normative and imprecise policy language but is rooted more fundamentally in society's uncertain expectations for the environment. Until this uncertainty is resolved, the democratic and regulatory effectiveness of risk regulation will be undermined by ad hoc policy decisions abdicated to risk assessors.     

Analytische Chemie in Deutschland — wohin?

Analytical Chemistry in the Federal Republic of Germany, when being compared with other branches of chemistry and with its situation in other countries, seems to have lost much of its importance. An analysis of the present situation, a historical survey and a prognostic picture are given by the authors, one being engaged in university work, the other in industrial research and analytical chemistry.     

Behavioural reactivation and subjective assessment of the state of vigilance--application to simulated car driving.

The frequency of some behaviour (such as self-centred gestures) increases during a task that leads to the occurrence of low-vigilance episodes. These gestures can be useful in stimulating oneself. A study carried out in 20 adults has enabled us to state that motor activity (recorded with an actimeter) increases with the duration of a monotonous driving task and sleep deprivation. The analysis of the scores recorded using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale has shown that drivers can assess the deterioration of their state of vigilance according to the actual sleep preceding the driving test. Finally, the joint analysis of the subjective and objective data revealed a co-variation of these two types of indices. We discuss the stimulatory function of the motor activity in a task leading to the occurrence of low-vigilance episodes by investigating, among other things, the use, conscious or not, of this type of activity.     

The effects of pathway configuration, landmarks and stress on environmental cognition

The results of this study indicate that manipulations of the pathway grid configuration and landmark placement in a setting cause changes in environmental knowledge. These experimental manipulations were accomplished using a realistic, dynamic simulation technique at the Berkeley Environmental Simulation Laboratory. Measures of environmental knowledge include: memory for incidental information along the simulated urban route, accuracy of route maps, relocation memory for scenes along the route, and questionnaire measures. Data are also presented showing both positive and negative effects of stress from noise on the processes of environmental cognition.     

Trace Metals in New England Marine Sediments: Casco Bay, Maine, in relation to Other Sites

The concentrations in surface sediments of the trace metals Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn have been determined at 32 stations in the Casco Bay region of the Gulf of Maine. The metals are not distributed homogeneously but exhibit elevated levels around the Portland waterfront and generally low levels at offshore and tidally scoured stations. Comparison of these results to those from both industrialized and non-industrialized sites throughout New England indicates that the sediments in parts of the Casco Bay region are affected by trace metals.