Mercury policy and regulations for coal-fired power plants

Introduction  

Mercury is a high-priority regulatory concern because of its persistence and bioaccumulation in the environment and evidence of its having serious adverse effects on the neurological development of children.     

Proximity to wood industries and respiratory symptoms in children: a sensitivity analysis

Increased prevalence of respiratory and irritation symptoms was found in children who live near a large wood industrial park. Proximity to the wood industries was used as indicator of exposure. This study describes a sensitivity analysis for the results of the survey. All the children (3-14 years) living in the area were surveyed through a parental questionnaire (n = 3854) and their addresses were geocoded. The distances from each child's home and school to the closest industry were combined, weighted and used as an indicator of exposure. A sensitivity analysis was performed to check 1) the robustness of the results to the choice of weights used for defining the exposure indicator, 2) the effect of outliers on risk estimates and 3) the sensitivity on the functional form used for modeling the dose-response function. The choice of the weights did not influence the association between proximity to the industries and respiratory symptoms. Excluding the subjects who lived far away from the industries showed that in a radius of 5 km from the industries the study did not had enough power to estimate a gradient in the dose-response function. Besides, results were sensitive to the choice of the functional form used for modeling the minimum distance. The sensitivity analyses confirmed the overall increasing trend of respiratory symptoms with proximity to the industries and pointed out that all the assumptions made for defining a proxy of exposure need to be carefully checked.     

Evidence for the prevalence of the sustainability concept in European corporate responsibility reporting

This paper empirically examines the terminology used in the titles of corporate social responsibility (CSR)/sustainability reports in Europe. Our data supports the claim of the rise of the sustainability concept in corporate communication in comparison to other concepts. In detail this research analysed CSR/sustainability reports to support Matten and Moon’s [Acad Manage Rev 33(2):404–424, 2008] hypothesis regarding a recent European trend towards a more voluntary and explicit CSR practice. The second and main objective of the research was to describe statistically significant trends in the use of terms and concepts in CSR/sustainability reporting to better understand how European companies interpret CSR and sustainability and how they communicate it to their stakeholders. To this end, a content analysis was conducted on 329 CSR/sustainability reports from 50 leading European companies from Euro Stoxx 50 that were published between the beginning of online CSR/sustainability reporting in 1998 and 2010. Our data analysis clearly indicates that the use of social and environment-related terms occurred more frequently in the past and demonstrates the establishment of sustainability in corporate non-financial reporting. Based on the results of our empirical research, the final discussion explores the development and diffusion of the sustainability concept in both the academic and business fields and examines economic, environmental, and social implications. Different propositions are presented to explain the recent rise of the sustainability concept in European CSR/sustainability reporting, adding to the formation of sustainability as a concept and as a science.     

Combined phytoremediation of metal-working fluids with maize plants inoculated with different microorganisms and toxicity assessment of the phytoremediated waste

The aim of this study was to validate the effectiveness of a phytoremediation procedure for metal-working fluids (MWFs) with maize plants growing in hydroponic culture in which the roots grow on esparto fibre and further improve bioremediation potential of the system with root beneficial bacteria, seeking a synergistic effect of the plant–microorganism combination. Chemical oxygen demand (COD), pH, total and type of hydrocarbons measured after phytoremediation indicated that the process with maize plants was successful, as demonstrated by the significant decrease in the parameters measured. This effect was mainly due to the plant although inoculated microorganisms had a relevant effect on the type of remaining hydrocarbons. The success of the phytoremediation process was further confirmed by two toxicity tests, one of them based on chlorophyll fluorescence measurements on maize plants and another one based on cyanobacteria, using a bioluminescent toxicity bioassay; both tests demonstrated that the phytoremediated waste was significantly less toxic than the initial non-phytoremediated MWFs.     

Ionic composition of wet precipitation over the southern slope of central Himalayas,Nepal

Severe atmospheric pollution transported to Himalayas from South Asia may affect fragile ecosystem and can be harmful for human health in the region. In order to understand the atmospheric chemistry in the southern slope of central Himalayas, where the data is limited, precipitation has been sampled at four sites: Kathmandu (1,314 m), Dhunche (2,065 m), Dimsa (3,078 m), and Gosainkunda (4,417 m) in Nepal for over a 1-year period characterized by an urban, rural, and remote sites, respectively. HCO₃ ^? is the dominant anion, while the NH₄ ⁺ is the dominant cation in precipitation at the four sites. Generally, most of ions (e.g., SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^?, NH₄ ⁺, HCO₃ ^?, and Ca²⁺) have higher concentrations in urban site compared to the rural sites. Neutralization factor calculation showed that precipitation in the region is highly neutralized by NH₄ ⁺ and Ca²⁺. Empirical orthogonal function and correlation analysis indicated that the precipitation chemistry was mostly influenced by crustal, anthropogenic, and marine sources in Nepal. Among different sites, urban area was mostly influenced by anthropogenic inputs and crustal dusts, whereas remote sites were mostly from marine and crustal sources. Seasonal variations show higher ionic concentrations during non-monsoon seasons mainly due to limited precipitation amount. On the other hand, lower ionic concentrations were observed during monsoon season when higher amount of precipitation washes out aerosols. Thus, precipitation chemistry from this work can provide a useful database to evaluate atmospheric environment and its impacts on ecosystem in the southern slope of central Himalayas, Nepal.     

Decontamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nonylphenol from sewage sludge using hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and evaluation of the toxicity of leachates

A decontamination technique based in cyclodextrin extraction has been developed to eliminate nonylphenol (NP) and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; the US Environmental Protection Agency priority pollutants list) from sewage sludge. In a first step, PAHs and NP were characterised in six sludges to determine contamination levels according to limit values proposed by the European Union Sludge Directive draft. There were few variations in the total PAHs content with levels of 1.88 to 3.05 mg kg^?1. Three-ring PAHs predominated, but fluoranthene and pyrene were also present. None of the sludge exceeded the PAHs limit proposed by the European Union’s draft Directive. On the contrary, NP content in four of the six sludges was over the recommended limits of 50 mg kg^-1 for NP ethoxylates. With the aim of obtaining NP values below the concentration limits proposed to use the sewage sludge as agricultural amendments, a preliminary study using hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) extractions as a decontamination technique was carried out. About 90 % of NP content was removed with only one extraction with HPBCD, whereas after three sequential extractions using an aqueous solution without HPBCD, the NP extraction percentage was less than 1 %. Simultaneously, PAHs extraction percentages obtained with HPBCD were also much higher than when aqueous solution was used, especially in the case of two- and three-ring PAHs. Finally, the potential environmental hazard of HPBCD leachates to aquatic organisms (Daphnia magna) was tested. These results indicate that the treatment of sewage sludge with cyclodextrin could allow their safe use as fertiliser in agriculture.     

Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat food by Step One real-time polymerase chain reaction

The aim of this study was to follow contamination of ready-to-eat food with Listeria monocytogenes by using the Step One real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We used the PrepSEQ Rapid Spin Sample Preparation Kit for isolation of DNA and MicroSEQ® Listeria monocytogenes Detection Kit for the real-time PCR performance. In 30 samples of ready-to-eat milk and meat products without incubation we detected strains of Listeria monocytogenes in five samples (swabs). Internal positive control (IPC) was positive in all samples. Our results indicated that the real-time PCR assay developed in this study could sensitively detect Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat food without incubation.     

Biomonitoring aquatic environmental quality in a marine protected area: a biomarker approach

The main aims of the present study, conducted in the framework of the MONIQUA-Egadi Scientific Project, were twofold: first, to make the first step in the development and validation of an ecotoxicological approach for the assessment of marine pollution in coastal environments on the basis of a set of biomarker responses in new sentinel species; and second, to obtain preliminary information on environmental quality in an Italian marine protected area, the Egadi Islands (Sicily). Several cytochrome P450-dependent mixed-function oxidase activities were measured in the following sentinel species: rainbow wrasse Coris julis, gastropod limpet Patella caerulea, and sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. The results suggest that specimens from the Favignana Harbor may be exposed to P450 inducers, whereas most of the other sites seem to share similar environmental quality. The proposed approach has potential for assessment of environmental quality in marine protected areas.     

Thyroid ultrasound volume, structure and function after long-term high exposure of large population to polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides and dioxin

We examined 2,046 adults (834 males and 1,212 females aged 20-75 years) from polluted district in East Slovakia (POLL) and two neighboring upstream and upwind located districts of background pollution (BCGR). By ultrasound we estimated the thyroid volume (ThV), hypoechogenicity (HYE), nodules and cysts. Serum levels of thyrotropin (TSH), thyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOab) and thyroglobulin were estimated by electrochemiluminiscent assay and these of 15 PCB congeners, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and hexachlorocyclohexane by high-resolution gas chromatography. In 320 subjects also selected hydroxylated and methylsulfonated PCB metabolites, polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins (PCDDs), -furans (PCDFs), five dioxin-like coplanar and eight mono-ortho PCB congeners were estimated. Urinary iodine was measured by automatic microplate method. Reciprocal positive association was found between three major POPs (PCBs, DDE and HCB), the levels of these and also PCDDs plus PCDFs in polluted area being considerably higher than in background pollution area. ThV in groups of males and females from POLL with high PCBs level was significantly higher (p<0.001 by t-test) then in age and sex matched groups from BCGR with low PCBs level. In 1,048 males and females aged <60 years with serum PCBs level >1,000 ng g(-1) lipid (median=1,756 ng g(-1)) a significant effect of age on ThV was found (p<0.01 by ANOVA), while in 921 respective subjects with PCBs level <1,000 ng g(-1) (median=661 ng g(-1)) it was not. These findings supported the view on the additional effect of PCBs on ThV other than that of age. Since the urinary iodine in both districts showed optimal range, any interfering effect of unsatisfactory iodine intake on ThV may be excluded. The frequency of autoimmune thyroiditis signs such as HYE, increased serum level of TPOab and TSH resulting in subclinical or overt thyroid hypofunction was positively associated with sex, age and organochlorine levels. The increase of such frequency in males with POPs levels was much more abrupt than that in females. No considerable differences in the frequency of thyroid nodules as related to PCBs level were found.     

The impact of heterogeneity on the distribution of CO2: Numerical simulation of CO2 storage at Ketzin

Numerical modelling of multiphase flow is an essential tool to ensure the viability of long-term and safe CO₂ storage in geological formations. Uncertainties arising from the heterogeneity of the formation and lack of knowledge of formation properties need to be assessed in order to create a model that can reproduce the data available from monitoring. In this study, we investigated the impact of unknown spatial variability in the petrophysical properties within a sandy channel facies of a fluviatile storage formation using stochastic methods in a Monte Carlo approach. The stochastic method has been applied to the Ketzin test site (CO₂SINK), and demonstrates that the deterministic homogeneous model satisfactorily predicts the first CO₂ arrival time at the Ketzin site. The equivalent permeability was adjusted to the injection pressure and is in good agreement with the hydraulic test. It has been shown that with increasing small-scale heterogeneity, the sharpness of the CO₂ front decreases and a greater volume of the reservoir is affected, which is also seen in an increased amount of dissolved CO₂. Increased anisotropy creates fingering effects, which result in higher probabilities for earlier arrival times. Generally, injectivity decreases with increasing heterogeneity.