Applying the precautionary principle to consumer household cleaning product development

Hazardous chemicals are pervasive in household disinfectant products. Many ingredients have established associations with acute and chronic human health conditions as well as with environmental damage. Although these associations are suggested but not proven, they are of great concern. This article describes the application of the precautionary principle to the selection of an anti-microbial active ingredient for a botanical disinfectant when significant uncertainty exists around the hazard and risk of traditional disinfectant active ingredients. We show that application of the precautionary principle does not stifle innovation and facilitates a responsible approach to product development.     

Environmental and economic assessment of a greenhouse waste heat exchange

As the economic costs of energy and the negative externalities associated with the combustion of fossil fuels threaten the economic viability of greenhouses in northern climates there is a renewed interest in the use of waste heat. This paper presents a technical and economic methodology to determine the viability of establishing waste heat greenhouses using the waste heat from industrial processes in northern climates. A case study is presented of an exchange between a tomato greenhouse and a flat glass manufacturing plant, which found the waste heat system is significantly more economic to operate than a purely natural gas system.     

The water supply footprint (WSF): a strategic planning tool for sustainable regional and local water supplies

This paper introduces a new methodological approach of the ecological footprint explicitly addressing the sustainability of water supplies, which we call the water supply footprint (WSF). The WSF calculates the catchment area or water supply hinterland of a certain society and can serve as a strategic planning tool for local or regional water supplies linking the water demand with the water supply in a water supply footprint matrix. Based on regional water balances it estimates how much water can be appropriated for human use in an environmentally sustainable way.The proposed method is tested on the South East Queensland water supply in Australia, an area where water use restrictions are regularly imposed on the population. Applying the proposed method indicates that supply shortages may be avoided by considerably changing the organisation of water supply, thereby reducing and possibly even avoiding the necessity for large-scale supply side measures like additional sweet water reservoirs or desalination plants. In that way it is demonstrated that the WSF method is applicable at an early and strategic stage of water supply planning.     

都匀毛尖茶土壤中总磷含量的调查研究

目的:调查都匀毛尖茶土壤中总磷的含量;方法:以贵州省都匀市毛尖茶产地--螺丝壳山的土壤为研究对象,采用酸法消解,用钼酸铵分光光度法于700 nm波长处测定土壤中总磷含量;结果:都匀螺丝壳山中土壤中总磷含量在177.58 mg·kg-1~353.92 mg·kg-1之间;结论:都匀毛尖茶土壤中的总磷含量在全国基本水平范围以内,总磷含量与土壤的类型、土壤所处海拔高度无明显关系。     

Low cost measurements of nitrogen and sulphur dry deposition velocities at a semi-alpine site: gradient measurements and a comparison with deposition model estimates

The conditional time averaged gradient method was used to measure air-surface exchange of nitrogen and sulphur compounds at a semi-alpine site in Southern Norway. Dry deposition velocities were then obtained from the bi-weekly concentration gradient measurements. Annual deposition velocities were found to be 1.4, 11.8 and 4.0 mm s(-1) for NH3, HNO3 and SO2, respectively, if all data were included, and to be 10.8, 11.8 and 13.0 mm s(-1), respectively, if only positive values were included. Measured deposition velocities were compared to two sets of values estimated from a big-leaf dry deposition module applying to two different land types (short grass and forbs, and tundra), driven by measured micrometeorological parameters. The deposition module gives reasonable values for this site throughout the year, but does not reproduce the large variability as shown in the measured data. No apparent seasonal variations were found from either measurements or module estimates due to the very low productivity of the studied area.     

Microbial degradation of the benzonitrile herbicides dichlobenil, bromoxynil and ioxynil in soil and subsurface environments--insights into degradation pathways, persistent metabolites and involved degrader organisms

The benzonitriles dichlobenil, bromoxynil and ioxynil are important broad-spectrum or selective herbicides used in agriculture, orchards and public areas worldwide. The dichlobenil metabolite 2,6-dichlorobenzamide is the most frequently encountered groundwater contaminant in Denmark, which suggests that the environmental fate of these three structurally related benzonitrile herbicides should be addressed in detail. This review summarises the current knowledge on microbial degradation of dichlobenil, bromoxynil and ioxynil with particular focus on common features of degradation rates and pathways, accumulation of persistent metabolites and diversity of the involved degrader organisms.     

Long term changes in atmospheric N and S throughfall deposition and effects on soil solution chemistry in a Scots pine forest in the Netherlands

In a Scots pine forest the throughfall deposition and the chemical composition of the soil solution was monitored since 1984. (Inter)national legislation measures led to a reduction of the deposition of nitrogen and sulphur. The deposition of sulphur has decreased by approximately 65%. The total mineral-nitrogen deposition has decreased by ca. 25%, which is mainly due to a reduction in ammonium-N deposition (−40%), since nitrate-N deposition has increased (+50%). The nitrogen concentration in the upper mineral soil solution at 10 cm depth has decreased, leading to an improved nutritional balance, which may result in improved tree vitality. In the drainage water at 90 cm depth the fluxes of NO₃⁻ and SO₄²⁻ have decreased, resulting in a reduced leeching of accompanying base cations, thus preserving nutrients in the ecosystem. It may take still several years, however, before this will meet the prerequisite of a sustainable ecosystem.     

Trends in background levels of persistent organic pollutants at Kosetice observatory, Czech Republic.2) Part II. Aquatic and terrestrial environments 1996-2005

A multimedia sampling of ambient air, wet deposition, surface water, sediment, soil and biota has been performed at Kosetice background observatory in the southern Czech Republic since 1988. An integrated monitoring approach was applied to assess the current state, anthropogenic impacts, and possible future changes of terrestrial and freshwater environments. Average PCB concentrations in the individual matrices calculated from ten years of sampling on multiple sites varied between 2 ng g(-1) in sediment and 7 ng g(-1) in soil or moss. DDT concentrations were lower in moss and needles (2 ng g(-1) and 4 ng g(-1), respectively) than in sediment (11 ng g(-1)) and soil (20 ng g(-1)), while the HCH level was higher in moss and needles (5 ng g(-1) and 6 ng g(-1), respectively) than in soil or sediment (1 ng g(-1) and 2 ng g(-1), respectively). The highest average level of PAHs was found in soil (600 ng g(-1)), while it was lower in needles (230 ng g(-1)), moss (210 ng g(-1)) or sediment (210 ng g(-1)). Time related trends of concentration levels of persistent organic pollutants in all matrices were investigated. Moss and needle trend patterns resembled those of the ambient air, showing a slight concentration decrease of all compounds, except for hexachlorobenzene. The soil, water and sediment concentrations showed a similar decrease of PAHs, PCBs, and HCHs, but there was no clear trend for DDTs and HCB.