Deposition of gamma emitters from Chernobyl accident and their transfer in lichen-soil columns

Lichen-soil column samples were taken from several locations in the Southern Finland between 1986 and 2006. Columns were divided into three parts, upper lichen, lower lichen and underlying soil, and their gamma emitting radionuclides, (134)Cs, (137)Cs, (103)Ru, (95)Zr, (106)Ru, (110m)Ag, (125)Sb and (144)Ce, were measured with gamma spectrometry. Deposition values were calculated as Bq/m(2) for each sampling site. Distribution of various radionuclides in the three compartments as a function of time was determined. Both effective and ecological half-lives of all radionuclides were calculated for upper lichen, whole lichen and whole lichen-soil column. A linear relation was derived between the physical half-lives and effective half-lives for whole lichen and for whole lichen-soil column. Reindeer meat activity concentrations of various radionuclides and ensuing radiation doses to reindeer-herding people were also estimated for a hypothetical case where a similar high radioactive pollution, as was taken place in the Southern Finland, would have occurred in the reindeer-herding areas in the Finnish Lapland.     

Exploratory factor analysis of adolescent attitudes toward alcohol and risk

This 2-year longitudinal study of 302 high school students in the state of Indiana examined attitudes toward the use of alcohol in 25 potentially hazardous settings, varying from riding in a car, to swimming, to simply drinking at home. Student ratings indicated that they were capable of rationally evaluating alcohol-related risks. Principal components factor analysis identified three factors underlying student responses: propensity/desirability of the behavior, choice/control of the risk, and fear/consequences/likelihood of the risk. Each of these factors was comparable to factors found to be important in past studies of adult risk perception. The finding that self-reported behavioral propensity and desirability were weakly correlated with the measures of perceived risk is of particular interest. Attempts to reduce the use of alcohol by adolescents have traditionally focused on risk awareness. The implication of this study is that intervention programs might be more successful if they focused on modifying perceived value.     

Environmental Services Provided from Riparian Forests in the Nordic Countries

Riparian forests (RF) growing along streams, rivers and lakes comprise more than 2% of the forest area in the Nordic countries (considering a 10 m wide zone from the water body). They have special ecological functions in the landscape. They receive water and nutrients from the upslope areas, are important habitats for biodiversity, have large soil carbon stores, but may emit more greenhouse gases (GHG) than the uplands. In this article, we present a review of the environmental services related to water protection, terrestrial biodiversity, carbon storage and greenhouse gas dynamics provided by RF in the Nordic countries. We discuss the benefits and trade-offs when leaving the RF as a buffer against the impacts from upland forest management, in particular the impacts of clear cutting. Forest buffers are effective in protecting water quality and aquatic life, and have positive effects on terrestrial biodiversity, particularly when broader than 40 m, whereas the effect on the greenhouse gas exchange is unclear.     

Quantitative assessment of soil parameter (KD and TC) estimation using DGT measurements and the 2D DIFS model

Diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) is a dynamic, in situ measuring technique that can be used to supply diverse information on concentrations and behaviour of solutes. When deployed in soils and sediments, quantitative interpretation of DGT measurements requires the use of a numerical model. An improved version of the DGT induced fluxes in soils and sediments model (DIFS), working in two dimensions (2D DIFS), was used to investigate the accuracy with which DGT measurements can be used to estimate the distribution coefficient for labile metal (KD) and the response time of the soil to depletion (TC). The 2D DIFS model was used to obtain values of KD and TC for Cd, Zn and Ni in three different soils, which were compared to values determined previously using 1D DIFS for these cases. While the 1D model was shown to provide reasonable estimates of KD, the 2D model refined the estimates of the kinetic parameters. Desorption rate constants were shown to be similar for all three metals and lower than previously thought. Calculation of an error function as KD and TC are systematically varied showed the spread of KD and TC values that fit the experimental data equally well. These automatically generated error maps reflected the quality of the data and provided an appraisal of the accuracy of parameter estimation. They showed that in some cases parameter accuracy could be improved by fitting the model to a sub-set of data.     

Conceptual development of a harmonised method for tracking change and evaluating policy in the agri-environment: The Agri-environmental Footprint Index

An aggregated farm-level index, the Agri-environmental Footprint Index (AFI), based on multiple criteria methods and representing a harmonised approach to evaluation of EU agri-environmental schemes is described. The Index uses a common framework for the design and evaluation of policy that can be customised to locally relevant agri-environmental issues and circumstances. Evaluation can be strictly policy-focused, or broader and more holistic in that context-relevant assessment criteria that are not necessarily considered in the evaluated policy can nevertheless be incorporated. The Index structure is flexible, and can respond to diverse local needs. The process of Index construction is interactive, engaging farmers and other relevant stakeholders in a transparent decision-making process that can ensure acceptance of the outcome, help to forge an improved understanding of local agri-environmental priorities and potentially increase awareness of the critical role of farmers in environmental management. The structure of the AFI facilitates post-evaluation analysis of relative performance in different dimensions of the agri-environment, permitting identification of current strengths and weaknesses, and enabling future improvement in policy design. Quantification of the environmental impact of agriculture beyond the stated aims of policy using an ‘unweighted’ form of the AFI has potential as the basis of an ongoing system of environmental audit within a specified agricultural context.     

Recent trends in ILO conventions related to occupational safety and health.

The present study was conducted to analyze the ratification status of International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions related to occupational safety and health (OSH) by ILO member states in terms of national indicators (length of ILO membership and national income status) and regional affiliation. 17 conventions designated as OSH-related by the 2003 International Labour Conference were examined. In general, countries with longer ILO membership ratified higher numbers of conventions related to OSH. With some variation, long-membership countries had the largest number of ratifications, followed by middle- and short-membership countries in all regions. There were also incremental increases in the number of ratifications for OSH-related conventions according to the national income status. Common regional characteristics that could not be explained by the factors studied also existed. Future efforts to increase ratification at an international level will need to consider the factors influencing ratification practice among the member states.     

Novel mutations in the human CYP21 gene

The great majority of genetic defects underlying steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency appear to result from intergenic recombinations between the homologous CYP21 and CYP21P genes. For a minority, novel sporadic point mutations have been detected. De novo mutations in CYP21 have also been reported, but only a few studies have systematically screened their occurrence. We here describe a population-based patient sample in order to estimate the rate of single-family (i.e. sporadic) and de novo germline mutations in the human CYP21 locus. Among 76 Finnish families were observed three single-family mutations and two de novo mutations in CYP21. The rates obtained, ∼5% and ∼2% for novel and de novo mutations, respectively, indicate that they are not rare and that their occurrence should not be ignored in genetic diagnostics of this disorder. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study of Miller timing on exhaust emissions of a hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO)-fueled diesel engine

The effect of intake valve closure (IVC) timing by utilizing Miller cycle and start of injection (SOI) on particulate matter (PM), particle number, and nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions was studied with a hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO)-fueled nonroad diesel engine. HVO-fueled engine emissions, including aldehyde and polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions, were also compared with those emitted with fossil EN590 diesel fuel. At the engine standard settings, particle number and NO_x emissions decreased at all the studied load points (50%, 75%, and 100%) when the fuel was changed from EN590 to HVO. Adjusting IVC timing enabled a substantial decrease in NO_x emission and combined with SOI timing adjustment somewhat smaller decrease in both NO_x and particle emissions at IVC??50 and??70 °CA points. The HVO fuel decreased PAH emissions mainly due to the absence of aromatics. Aldehyde emissions were lower with the HVO fuel with medium (50%) load. At higher loads (75% and 100%), aldehyde emissions were slightly higher with the HVO fuel. However, the aldehyde emission levels were quite low, so no clear conclusions on the effect of fuel can be made. Overall, the study indicates that paraffinic HVO fuels are suitable for emission reduction with valve and injection timing adjustment and thus provide possibilities for engine manufacturers to meet the strictening emission limits.

Implications: NO_x and particle emissions are dominant emissions of diesel engines and vehicles. New, biobased paraffinic fuels and modern engine technologies have been reported to lower both of these emissions. In this study, even further reductions were achieved with engine valve adjustment combined with novel hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) diesel fuel. This study shows that new paraffinic fuels offer further possibilities to reduce engine exhaust emissions to meet the future emission limits.

Supplementary Materials: Supplementary materials are available for this paper. Go to the publisher's online edition of the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association for a complete list of analysed PAH compounds.     

Short- and long-term patterns of ¹³⁷Cs in fish and other aquatic organisms of small forest lakes in southern Finland since the Chernobyl accident

We summarize the patterns of ¹³⁷Cs activity concentrations and transfer into fish and other biota in four small forest lakes in southern Finland during a twenty-year period following the Chernobyl accident in April 1986. The results from summer 1986 showed fastest accumulation of ¹³⁷Cs into planktivorous fishes, i.e. along the shortest food chains. Since 1987, the highest annual mean values of ¹³⁷Cs have been recorded in fish occupying the highest trophic levels, for perch (Perca fluviatilis) 13,600 Bq/kg (ww) and for pike (Esox lucius) 20,700 Bq/kg (ww). At the same time, activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs in crustacean zooplankton and Asellus aquaticus have ranged between 1000 and 19,500 Bq/kg (dw). In 2006, 5-28% of the 1987 ¹³⁷Cs activity concentration levels were still present in perch and pike. Since 1989 their ¹³⁷Cs activity concentrations in oligohumic seepage lakes have remained significantly higher than in polyhumic drainage lakes due to the increased transfer of ¹³⁷Cs into fish in the seepage lakes with lower electrolyte concentrations, longer water retention times and lower sedimentation rate.     

Organic chlorine compounds in lake sediments. III. Chlorohydrocarbons, free and chemically bound chlorophenols

Chlorohydrocarbons and free and chemically bound chlorophenols, catechols and guaiacols were measured from lake sediments in Central Finland. Chlorohydrocarbons occurred at low backround levels except chlorocymenes from pulp mills and PCBs near the city of Äänekoski, where a local leakage occurrs. Free chlorophenols (hexane extractables) were found in all 18 areas studied, but the bound ones (extracted with strong alkali) only in the pulp mill reciepient lakes where they dominated. Preliminary analyses of chemically bound chlorophenols in high molecular fractions of spent bleach liquors and pulp mill effluents indicated that majority of chlorocatechols and guaiacols are bound already in the factory.