欧洲的氮状况

欧洲(不包括前苏联)的氮收支表明,欧洲氮循环加速的三个主要驱动力是肥料生产(14MtN/a)、矿物燃料燃烧及其它工业(3.3MtN/a)和各种产品中的氮输入(7.6MtN/a).本文估计了欧洲粮食、能源和工业产品系统中活性氮元素的各种泄漏,评估了它们对人类健康及水陆生态系统的影响.考虑到氮流转中的可能后果,未来欧洲有关封闭氮循环和减少活性氮泄漏的环境政策措施最好集中于三个主要驱动力.在确定氮排放上限和制定氯流控制的综合政策方面,如肥料使用、输入和氮水平,临界负载可能是非常有用的工具.     

Pulmonary Function Changes Associated with an Air Pollution Episode in January 1987

In January 1987, an air pollution episode occurred In central and western Europe. Levels of SO₂, NO₂, black smoke, sulphates and other components were elevated, with 24 hour average concentrations of SO₂ reaching a maximum of close to 300 μg/m3 In an area In the southeast of the Netherlands. Pulmonary function was measured In a group of children of 6- 12 years old at the end of the episode, and also two and three and a half weeks after the episode. A baseline lung function value was obtained about three months before the episode. Pulmonary function growth between baseline and retest dates was estimated from a simple growth model which was validated using measured pulmonary function growth data from a longitudinal study. A decline of pulmonary function (FVC, FEV₁ and PEF) from predicted baseline levels was observed, starting on the last day of the episode. Two weeks after the episode, FVC, FEV₁ PEF and MMEF were all decreased, and three and a half weeks after the episode, there was still a deficit compared to predicted baseline levels for FVC and FEV₁     

Future risk of flooding: an analysis of changes in potential loss of life in South Holland (The Netherlands)

Potential loss of life is considered an important indicator of flood risk. We examine the future development of potential loss of life due to flooding for a major flood prone area in The Netherlands. The analysis is based on projections and spatial distribution of population under a high economic growth scenario and a loss of life model. Results show that the projected population growth in flood prone areas is higher than average in the Netherlands between 2000 and 2040. Due to this effect the potential number of fatalities is projected to increase by 68% on average for 10 different flood scenarios, not including impacts from climate change and sea level rise. Just sea level rise of 0.30 m leads to an average 20% increase in the number of fatalities. The combined impact of sea level rise and population growth leads to an estimated doubling in the potential number of fatalities. Taking into account increasing probability of flooding due to sea level rise and extreme river discharges, the expected number of fatalities could quadruple by 2040. The presented results give a conservative and upper bound estimate of the increase of the risk level when no preventive measures are undertaken. It is found that the consideration of the exact spatial distribution of population growth is essential for arriving at reliable estimates of future risk of flooding.     

Improving the environmental performance of the fishing fleet by use of Quality Function Deployment (QFD)

This article introduces Quality Function Deployment (QFD) as a method for improving the environmental performance of the Norwegian fishing fleet. Systems engineering has been introduced as a feasible process for handling sustainability issues in the fisheries, because it contains methods for general system design, operation, and support in a life-cycle perspective. QFD is related to systems engineering as a method for translating stakeholder needs into detailed system requirements at each life-cycle stage. Eco-QFD extends the scope of QFD, and combines QFD, Life-Cycle Cost (LCC), and Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) to evaluate environmental effects and costs in the system development process. The article assesses the usefulness of Eco-QFD in fisheries management decision-making regarding sustainability in the fishing fleet, and for shipyards in their design of fishing vessels. It is concluded that Eco-QFD may be difficult to use for fisheries management in its present form, due to the complexity of sustainability, and the time and efforts demanded to carry out the analyses. Nevertheless, the structuring of the stakeholder needs and requirements may contribute to improved understanding of the decision-situation.     

Environmental Equity and the Role of Public Policy: Experiences in the Rijnmond Region

This Φ Ψ study of environmental equity uses secondary quantitative data to analyze socioeconomic disparities in environmental conditions in the Rijnmond region of the Netherlands. The disparities of selected environmental indicators—exposure to traffic noise (road, rail, and air), NO₂, external safety risks, and the availability of public green space—are analyzed both separately and in combination. Not only exposures to environmental burdens (“bads”) were investigated, but also access to environmental benefits (“goods”). Additionally, we held interviews and reviewed documents to grasp the mechanisms underlying the environmental equity situation, with an emphasis on the role of public policy. Environmental equity is not a priority in public policy for the greater Rotterdam region known as the Rijnmond region, yet environmental standards have been established to provide a minimum environmental quality to all local residents. In general, environmental quality has improved in this region, and the accumulation of negative environmental outcomes (“bads”) has been limited. However, environmental standards for road traffic noise and NO₂ are being exceeded, probably because of the pressure on space and the traffic intensity. We found an association of environmental “bads” with income for rail traffic noise and availability of public green space. In the absence of regulation, positive environmental outcomes (“goods”) are mainly left up to market forces. Consequently, higher-income groups generally have more access to environmental “goods” than lower-income groups.     

Parental energy expenditure: a proximate cause of helper recruitment in the pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)

Summary Energy expenditure of adult Pied Kingfishers was measured with doubly-labeled water. Results were related to reproductive success of parents aided and unaided by helpers. Energetically stressed parents in a colony with poor food supply accepted potential helpers more often than unstressed birds in another colony where food was easily available. This treatment of helpers was reversed in both colonies through experimental manipulation of clutch size and hence energetic stress. Results are discussed in relation to the costs and benefits that helpers incur on the parents' fitness.     

Copper complexation by tannic acid in aqueous solution

The speciation of titrated copper in a dissolved tannic acid (TA) solution with an initial concentration of 4 mmol organic carbon (OC)/l was investigated in a nine-step titration experiment (Cu/OC molar ratio = 0.0030–0.0567). We differentiated between soluble and insoluble Cu species by 0.45 μm filtration. Measurements with a copper ion selective electrode (ISE) and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) were conducted to quantify unbound Cu(II) cations (‘free’ Cu) and labile soluble Cu complexes. For the DGT measurements, we used an APA hydrogel and a Chelex 100 chelating resin (Na form). Insoluble organic Cu complexes (>0.45 μm) was the dominant Cu species for Cu/OC = 0.0030–0.0567 with a maximum fraction of 0.96 of total Cu. At Cu/OC > 0.0100, Cu-catalysed degradation of aggregate structures resulted in a strong increase of free Cu and (labile) soluble Cu complexes with a maximum fraction of 0.28 and 0.32 of total Cu, respectively. Labile (i.e. DGT-detectable) soluble Cu complexes had a relatively high averaged diffusion coefficient (D) in the APA hydrogel (3.50 × 10⁻⁶– 5.58 × 10⁻⁶ cm² s⁻¹).     

Environmental federalism and environmental liability

Environmental federalism considers what level of government should optimally regulate pollution. This paper addresses this question for accidental pollution, which government regulates through the ex post liability regimes of either negligence or strict liability. We find that decentralizing the choice between these regimes does not, in general, induce the socially optimal outcome. When firms can pay all damages, all regions may choose negligence and impose an overly strict standard of due care. When firms may be bankrupted by damages, all regions may choose strict liability, which induces too little care. In addition, asymmetric equilibria are possible in which some regions choose negligence, others strict liability. Combining negligence with a Pigovian tax, or strict liability with a bonding requirement can align regional authorities' incentives with those of a central government.     

Amorphous and condensed organic matter domains: the effect of persulfate oxidation on the composition of soil/sediment organic matter

The composition of amorphous and condensed soil/sediment organic matter (SOM) domains was investigated for one soil sample and four sediment samples. These samples were oxidized with persulfate to remove amorphous SOM, before and after which the composition of SOM was studied by thermogravimetric analysis, pyrolysis-GC/MS, and cross polarization magic angle spinning 13C-NMR. Comparison of the SOM composition before and after oxidation showed that condensed SOM was more thermostable and less polar than amorphous SOM. Condensed SOM was relatively low in O-alkyl C and carboxyl C and it was likely to contain only small amounts of labile organic components (carbohydrates, peptides, fatty acids). Apart from these general characteristics, the composition of the condensed and amorphous domains appeared to be highly dependent on the origin and nature of the SOM investigated. Condensed domains in relatively undecomposed SOM were enriched in aliphatic C, whereas condensed domains in relatively weathered SOM were enriched in aromatic C. Altogether, the compositional changes upon persulfate oxidation were similar to the compositional changes upon humification, which supports the idea that weathered SOM is more condensed than the original material.     

Accelerating the deployment of carbon capture and storage technologies by strengthening the innovation system

In order to take up the twin challenge of reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, while meeting a growing energy demand, the potential deployment of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technologies is attracting a growing interest of policy makers around the world. In this study we evaluate and compare national approaches towards the development of CCS in the United States, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, and Australia. The analysis is done by applying the functions of innovation systems approach. This approach posits that new technology is developed, demonstrated and deployed in the context of a technological innovation system. The performance assessment of the CCS innovation system shows that the extensive knowledge base and knowledge networks, which have been accumulated over the past years, have not yet been utilized by entrepreneurs to explore the market for integrated CCS concepts linked to power generation. This indicates that the build-up of the innovation system has entered a critical phase that is decisive for a further thriving development of CCS. In order to move the CCS innovation system through this present difficult episode and deploy more advanced CCS concepts at a larger scale; it is necessary to direct policy initiatives at the identified weak system functions, i.e. entrepreneurial activity, market creation and the mobilization of resources. Moreover, in some specific countries it is needed to provide more regulatory guidance and improve the legitimacy for the technology. We discuss how policy makers and technology managers can use these insights to develop a coherent policy strategy that would accelerate the deployment of CCS.