“Emission game”: some applications of the theory of games to the problem of CO2 emission

If there are no doubts that we must reduce the total emission of carbon dioxide, then the problem of how much different countries should be allowed to contribute to this amount remains a serious one. We suggest this problem to be considered as a non-antagonistic game (in Germeier's sense). A game of this kind is called an “emission game”. Suppose that there are n independent actors (countries or regions), each of them releasing a certain amount of CO₂ per year (in carbon units) into the atmosphere, and that the emission would be reduced by each actor. Each actor has his own aim: to minimise the loss in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) caused by the reduction of emissions. On the other hand, taking into account that it is impossible to estimate more or less precisely the impact of the climate change on GDP for each country today, a common strategy will be to reduce the climate change. Since one of the main leading factors in global warming is the greenhouse effect, then the common aim will be to reduce the sum of emissions. This is a typical conflict situation. How to resolve it? We can weigh the “egoistic” and “altruistic” criteria for each actor introducing the so-called “coefficients of egoism”. This coefficient is very large, if the actor uses a very egoistic strategy, and conversely, if the actor is a “super-altruist”, then the corresponding coefficient is very small. Using these coefficients we get the general solution of the game in a form of some Pareto's equilibrium. The solution is stable and efficient.     

Water pollution of Sabarmati River—a Harbinger to potential disaster

River Sabarmati is one of the biggest and major river of Gujarat that runs through two major cities of Gujarat, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad and finally meets the Gulf of Khambhat (GoK) in the Arabian Sea. A study was conducted to evaluate the water quality of this river, as it could possibly be one of the major sources for filling up Kalpasar, the proposed man-made freshwater reservoir supposed to be the biggest one in the world. A total of nine sampling stations were established covering 163 km stretch of the river from upstream of Gandhinagar city to Vataman near Sabarmati estuary. Physicochemical (temprature, pH, salinity, chloride, total dissolved solids, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, phenol, and petroleum hydrocarbons), biological (phytoplankton), and microbiological (total and selective bacterial count) analyses indicated that the river stretch from Ahmedabad-Vasana barriage to Vataman was highly polluted due to perennial waste discharges mainly from municipal drainage and industries. An implementation of sustainable management plan with proper treatment of both municipal and industrial effluents is essential to prevent further deterioration of the water quality of this river.     

Estimation of riverine loads of nitrogen and phosphorus to the Baltic Sea, 1970–1993

This article presents the results of the first critical examination of time series of riverine nutrient-load data for the entire Baltic Sea drainage area. Water quality data collected by or for the different national environmental agencies were compiled and analysed statistically to identify and remove inconsistent or obviously incorrect observations. Moreover, sampling tours were undertaken to acquire additional information about the present nutrient concentrations in the largest rivers in the study area. Gaps in the time series of approved data were then filled in by employing statistical interpolation and extrapolation methods. Thereafter, the concentration and runoff data were combined to obtain estimates of monthly nutrient loads for the time period 1970–93. The results of the calculations showed that although there had been substantial changes in land use, atmospheric deposition and wastewater treatment in many parts of the study area, the total riverine loads of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to the Baltic Sea have been fairly constant since 1980, and most likely also since 1970. Moreover, the interannual variation was clearly correlated to the runoff. The mean annual loads for the time period 1980–93 were found to be about 825 000 tonnes N and 41 000 tonnes P, respectively. This implies that (i) several other investigators have strongly underestimated the riverine loads of nutrients, especially the nitrogen, and that (ii) the riverine loads by far exceed the input to the Baltic Sea from other sources, {i.e.} atmospheric deposition, direct emissions from cities and industries along the Baltic Sea coast and nitrogen fixation by marine algae.     

Accident Due to Release of Hydrogen Sulphide in a Manufacturing Process of Cobalt Sulphide – Case Study

An accident occurs during the manufacture of cobalt sulphide unit due to liberation of hydrogen sulphide. Problems associated with the hydrogen sulphide and the recommended preventives measured have been discussed.     

Application of the probability-based Maryland Biological Stream Survey to the state’s assessment of water quality standards

The Clean Water Act presents a daunting task for states by requiring them to assess and restore all their waters. Traditional monitoring has led to two beliefs: (1) ad hoc sampling (i.e., non-random) is adequate if enough sites are sampled and (2) more intensive sampling (e.g., collecting more organisms) at each site is always better. We analyzed the 1,500 Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS) random sites sampled in 2000–2004 to describe the variability of Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scores at the site, reach, and watershed scales. Average variability for fish and benthic IBI scores increased with increasing spatial scale, demonstrating that single site IBI scores are not representative at watershed scales and therefore at best 25% of a state’s stream length can be representatively sampled with non-random designs. We evaluated the effects on total taxa captured and IBI precision of sampling for twice as many benthic macroinvertebrates at 73 MBSS sites with replicate samples. When sampling costs were fixed, the precision of the IBI decreased as the number of sites had to be reduced by 15%. Only 1% more taxa were found overall when the 73 sites where combined. We concluded that (1) comprehensive assessment of a state’s waters should be done using probability-based sampling that allows the condition across all reaches to be inferred statistically and (2) additional site sampling effort should not be incorporated into state biomonitoring when it will reduce the number of sites sampled to the point where overall assessment precision is lower.     

Pollen allergy related to the area of residence in the city of Córdoba,south-west Spain

The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between the distribution of hay-fever patients in the city of Córdoba, south-western Iberian Peninsula, and the specific atmospheric biological content originating from local sources. Four different districts were established in the metropolitan area of the city, according to vegetational and urbanistic characteristics. Air samples were taken in each area using portable Hirst-type samplers (Lanzoni VPPS 1000) and the spectrum of biological content was defined. Patients attending the Allergy Unit at Córdoba Teaching Hospital in 2000 with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma, and displaying a positive reaction to aeroallergen extracts, were distributed within the areas as a function of their district of residence. Aerobiological results revealed differences in pollen content between areas, in terms of both quantity and number of pollen types recorded. These differences were largely due to proximity to rural areas, prevalence of pollen from typically urban species and the possible effect of urban architecture as a barrier to the dispersal/ concentration of particles and other pollutants. Patients were not uniformly distributed within the city. The majority lived in districts in which pollen from rural species was mixed with pollen from ornamentals. Patients living in typically urban districts displayed a higher prevalence of allergy to pollen from ornamentals. It is concluded that a high degree of exposure to the same environment may influence the development of sensitisation to the particular pollen load associated with that area.     

An integrated approach to assess broad-scale condition of coastal wetlands—the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Wetlands pilot survey

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiated a two-year regional pilot survey in 2007 to develop, test, and validate tools and approaches to assess the condition of northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) coastal wetlands. Sampling sites were selected from estuarine and palustrine wetland areas with herbaceous, forested, and shrub/scrub habitats delineated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory Status and Trends (NWI S&T) program and contained within northern GOM coastal watersheds. A multi-level, stepwise, iterative survey approach is being applied to multiple wetland classes at 100 probabilistically-selected coastal wetlands sites. Tier 1 provides information at the landscape scale about habitat inventory, land use, and environmental stressors associated with the watershed in which each wetland site is located. Tier 2, a rapid assessment conducted through a combination of office and field work, is based on best professional judgment and on-site evidence. Tier 3, an intensive site assessment, involves on-site collection of vegetation, water, and sediment samples to establish an integrated understanding of current wetland condition and validate methods and findings from Tiers 1 and 2. The results from this survey, along with other similar regional pilots from the Mid-Atlantic, West Coast, and Great Lakes Regions will contribute to a design and implementation approach for the National Wetlands Condition Assessment to be conducted by EPA’s Office of Water in 2011.     

Physiological–biochemical properties of blue mussel Mytilus edulis adaptation to oil contamination

Bivalves have a known ability to accumulate different contaminants from ambient water and can therefore serve as bioindicators. The paper analyses certain biochemical and physiological parameters of blue mussels in response to varying oil product concentrations. The heart rate (HR) of blue mussels from the sublittoral zone exposed to different levels of oil products was investigated in a long-term experiment using non-invasive monitoring. A sharp rise in HR was observed at oil concentrations of 8.0 and 38.0 mg/l. A decreasing in mussel HR under the effect of lower concentrations (0.4 and 1.9 mg/l) was significant on the fourth day. Strong fluctuations of the cardiac activity were noted under all concentrations. After 6 days of oil treatment, tissues of the mussels were sampled to determine the total lipid composition. Low concentrations of oil products produced no reliable changes in the lipid composition whereas high concentrations induced significant changes in the ratio of lipid components (cholesterol and phospholipids).     

Assessment of Mexico��s program to use ethanol as transportation fuel: impact of 6% ethanol-blended fuel on emissions of light-duty gasoline vehicles

Recently, the Mexican government launched a national program encouraging the blending of renewable fuels in engine fuel. To aid the assessment of the environmental consequences of this move, the effect of gasoline fuel additives, ethanol and methyl tert-butyl ether, on the tailpipe and the evaporative emissions of Mexico sold cars was investigated. Regulated exhaust and evaporative emissions, such as carbon monoxide, non-methane hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides, and 15 unregulated emissions were measured under various conditions on a set of 2005?C2008 model light-duty vehicles selected based on sales statistics for the Mexico City metropolitan area provided by car manufacturers. The selected car brands are also frequent in Canada, the USA, and other parts of the world. This paper provides details and results of the experiment that are essential for evaluation of changes in the emission inventory, originating in the low-blend ethanol addition in light vehicle fuel.     

2Loud?: Community mapping of exposure to traffic noise with mobile phones

Despite ample medical evidence of the adverse impacts of traffic noise on health, most policies for traffic noise management are arbitrary or incomplete, resulting in serious social and economic impacts. Surprisingly, there is limited information about citizen’s exposure to traffic noise worldwide. This paper presents the 2Loud? mobile phone application, developed and tested as a methodology to monitor, assess and map the level of exposure to traffic noise of citizens with focus on the night period and indoor locations, since sleep disturbance is one of the major triggers for ill health related to traffic noise. Based on a community participation experiment using the 2Loud? mobile phone application in a region close to freeways in Australia, the results of this research indicates a good level of accuracy for the noise monitoring by mobile phones and also demonstrates significant levels of indoor night exposure to traffic noise in the study area. The proposed methodology, through the data produced and the participatory process involved, can potentially assist in planning and management towards healthier urban environments.     

Assessment of Dust Generation Due to Opencast Coal Mining– An Indian Case Study

Every mine in India has to obtain environmental clearance fromthe Govt. Air pollution is one of the most important parametersto be considered in preparing an EIA. However, there is no welldefined method for predicting thr air pollution impact due tomining. Increasing trend of opencast (O/C) mining leads toproduction of huge quantities of dust. Emission factor data havebeen utilised to quantify the generation of dust. The projectunder study is one of the largest opencast project (OCP) forcoking coal. The main sources of air pollution have beenidentified. The rate of emission per unit of a given activityknown as an emission factor has been utilised, taking localfactors into account. It has been estimated that due to topsoilremoval, overburden (O/B) removal, extraction of coal, sizereduction generated 7.8 t of dust per day. Wind erosiongenerated 1.6 t of dust per day and the whole operationproduced dust which accounted for 9.4 mt/day. They cause airpollution in the work zone and surrouding locations. Themethodology adopted may be used to quantify generation for otherprojects also.     

Multidimensional Approaches to Calculation of Design Floods at Confluences—PROIL Model and Copulas

Environmental Modeling & Assessment - In confluence areas, where river flow slowdowns can be substantial, the selection of design flows for the purpose of designing a flood control system...     

Correction to: Clustering the Concentrations of PM10 and O3: Application of Spatiotemporal Model–Based Clustering

Environmental Modeling & Assessment -     

Exposure of Marine Mammals to Genotoxic Environmental Contaminants: Application of the 32P-Postlabeling Assay for Measuring DNA-Xenobiotic Adducts♯

There is little information on exposure of marine mammals to genotoxic environmental contaminants. The 32P-postlabeling assay has been successfully used to assess exposure to genotoxic polycyclic aromatic compounds in fish and humans. In the present study, a preliminary investigation showed that polycyclic aromatic compound-like DNA adducts were present in hepatic tissues of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) exposed to petroleum following the Exxon Valdez oil spill. However, for marine mammals, effects from changes in tissue condition on DNA recovery and quality is of concern, because tissue samples are often collected from animals that have been dead for unknown periods of time. To assess the effects of postmortem thermal history on DNA recovery from tissue and on DNA adduct quantitation, samples of harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) hepatic tissue were incubated for up to 10 d at 4 and 30 °C. Only traces (<4 g) of hepatic DNA were recovered from 200 mg of tissue after incubation at 30 °C for 36 h. At 4 °C, DNA (50–130 g) was recovered from tissue incubated for up to 6 d; whereas DNA recovery at 10 d was minimal. Chromatograms of 32P-labeled DNA digests of liver tissue held at 4 and 30 °C and salmon sperm DNA held at 30 °C for 2 d had comparable profiles, suggesting that alteration of DNA bases had occurred during incubation of porpoise liver tissue. Moreover, the chromatograms of DNA extracted from liver tissues of harbor porpoises caught incidentally in a northwest Atlantic fishery, packed in ice and sampled several days later also exhibited similar altered DNA structures. Although, altered DNA structures that can interfere with the DNA adduct quantitation were present in autolyzed tissue, changes in the 32P-postlabeling chromatography conditions can decrease the interference. Moreover, in a study with tissues taken from California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) immediately postmortem and stored at –80 °C until processing, DNA structures associated with tissue breakdown were not observed. The DNA from sea lions, however, had putative age-dependent hepatic DNA modifications, which have a distinctive profile, and must be considered when evaluating exposure of marine mammals to polycyclic aromatic compounds. Overall, the findings showed that with attention to the postmortem thermal history of the tissue samples hepatic DNA adducts, as measured by 32P-postlabeling, have the potential to serve as a biological indicator of exposure of marine mammals to environmental genotoxic compounds.     

Quantitative Ethnobotany in an Atlantic Forest Fragment of Northeastern Brazil – Implications to Conservation

Two new methods for assessing temporal trends in stream-solute concentrations at specific streamflow ranges were applied to long (40 to 50-year) but sparse (bi-weekly to quarterly sampling) stream-water quality data collected at three forested mesoscale basins along an atmospheric deposition gradient in the northeastern United States (one in north-central Pennsylvania, one in southeastern New York, and one in eastern Maine). The three data sets span the period since the implementation of the Clean Air Act in 1970 and its subsequent amendments.Declining sulfate (O ₄ ^2-) trends since the mid 1960s were identified for all 3 rivers by one or more of the 4 methods of trend detection used. Flow-specific trends were assessed by segmenting the data sets into 3-year and 6-year blocks, then determining concentration-discharge relationships for each block. Declining sulfate (O ₄ ^2-) trends at median flow were similar to trends determined using a Seasonal Kendall Tau test and Sen slope estimator. The trend of declining O ₄ ^2- concentrations differed at high, median and low flow since the mid 1980s at YWC and NR, and at high and low flow at WR, but the trends leveled or reversed at high flow from 1999 through 2002. Trends for the period of record at high flows were similar to medium- and low-flow trends for Ca²⁺+ Mg²⁺ concentrations at WR, non-significant at YWC, and were more negative at low flow than at high flow at NR; trends in nitrate (NO₃ ^-), and alkalinity (ALK) concentrations were different at different flow conditions, and in ways that are consistent with the hydrology and deposition history at each watershed. Quarterly sampling is adequate for assessing average-flow trends in the chemical parameters assessed over long time periods (∼decades). However, with even a modest effort at sampling a range of flow conditions within each year, trends at specified flows for constituents with strong concentration-discharge relationships can be evaluated and may allow early detection of ecosystem response to climate change and pollution management strategies.     

Is there a need to re-examine the approval of bismuth shotshell as a non-toxic alternative to lead based on the precautionary principle?

In 1997, the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) approved bismuth shotshell as an alternative to lead. We assessed whether there is a need to re-examine the toxicity of bismuth issue using the initial CWS toxicity guideline criteria. Review of the literature suggests that in the context of the precautionary principle, a re-examination of the approval of bismuth shotshell should be undertaken based on animal health issues, associated deficiencies in the analytical data used in the original assessment, and to a lesser extent, human health concerns.     

Simulations of groundwater-surface water interaction and particle movement due to the effect of weir construction in the sub-watershed of the river Labe in the town of Děčín

Steady- and transient-state simulations of groundwater flow and particle movement in the sub-watershed of the river Labe in Dě?ín town was carried out using Visual MODFLOW software. The simulations were performed for calibration and for the scenarios that the change in the water level of the river Labe was undergoing. Steady-state simulation was carried out for the sake of calibration of model outputs. For transient simulation, two different scenarios were considered in order to investigate the response of the aquifer system to the stresses applied on surface water of the river. The simulation results have shown that the surface water and groundwater interactions, and the subsequent particle movement were affected by the stresses applied on the surface water in the river Labe. The first scenario involved the rapid recharge of surface water to the aquifer in the vicinity of the river while particles still move towards the river at the places far away from the river. At the end of the second scenario, particles still tend to move towards the river slowly and finally tend to stay within the aquifer as equilibrium of hydraulic gradient is reached between the surface and groundwater levels. The time series graphs of hydraulic heads at all observation wells show that the groundwater level in the surrounding aquifer rises significantly as a result of recharges from the river. The local water balance of the study area was calculated and expressed as the rates of water entering and leaving the system. At the end of the second scenario, the difference between the rate of flow into and out of the model area was 0.73 m³ day^?1.     

Changes in alpine wetland ecosystems of the Qinghai�CTibetan plateau from 1967 to 2004

Spatiotemporal shifts in the extent and distribution of alpine wetland ecosystems in China's Qinghai-Tibet plateau were investigated for the period 1967-2004. Using aerial photographs for 1967, and satellite remote sensing data for 1986, 2000, and 2004/5, the main components and distribution of alpine wetland ecosystems in the headwaters regions of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, as well as those of the nearby Zoige region, were analyzed. Widespread degradation of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau's alpine wetlands occurred between 1967 and 2004, with over 10% of their area being lost. The greatest such degradation occurred in the headwaters region of Yangtze River, where wetland areas shrank by 29%, and the area of dried-up lakes rose by 17.5%. In the Yellow River's headwaters region as well as the Zoige region, wetland ecosystems clearly underwent accelerated fragmentation and isolation in their spatial distribution. The wetlands' degradation was closely correlated to the rise in air temperature, which from 1982-2004 was over 2-fold faster that from 1965-1982.