Fatal and serious collisions involving pedal cyclists and trucks in London between 2007 and 2011

Objective: Increased numbers of people riding pedal cycles have led to a greater focus on pedal cycle safety. The aim of this article is to explore factors that are associated with fatal and a small number of serious-injury pedal cyclist crashes involving trucks that occurred in London between 2007 and 2011.

Methods: Data were collected from police collision files for 53 crashes, 27 of which involved a truck (≥3.5 tonnes) and a pedal cycle. A systematic case review approach was used to identify the infrastructure, vehicle road user, and management factors that contributed to these crashes and injuries and how these factors interacted.

Results: Trucks turning left conflicting with pedal cyclists traveling straight ahead was a common crash scenario. Key contributory factors identified included the pedal cyclists not being visible to the truck drivers, road narrowing, and inappropriate positioning of pedal cyclists.

Conclusions: Crashes involving trucks and pedal cyclists are complex events that are caused by multiple interacting factors; therefore, multiple measures are required to prevent them from occurring.     

Nanoregulation along the product life cycle in the EU,Switzerland, Thailand,the USA,and intergovernmental organisations,and its compatibility with WTO law

Abstract

Due to vast research programmes of industrial countries during the last two decades, our knowledge about the intrinsic properties of nanomaterials has increased considerably. However, ‘nanoregulation’ lags behind this progress. Key elements of nanoregulation are definition/scope and safety/consumer information. Safety information along the nano life-cycle is vital for the nanoparticle producer down to the industrial downstream user (product producer). However, nanodeclaration (in the sense of a label on the product for consumers) is not yet widely spread, in different geographic regions for different reasons. This is a case study for the EU, Switzerland, Thailand, the USA, and Intergovernmental Organisations. In addition, this study investigates inter- and governmental activities and the relationship between nanodeclaration and WTO rules. Non-compliance with WTO rules is a pretext for not introducing nanodeclaration in products. It is concluded that WTO rules do not exclude nanodeclaration.     

Comparison of beach bacterial water quality indicator measurement methods

Three methods (membrane filtration, multiple tube fermentation, and chromogenic substrate technology kits manufactured by IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.) are routinely used to measure indicator bacteria for beach water quality. To assess comparability of these methods, quantify within-laboratory variability for each method, and place that variability into context of variability among laboratories using the same method, 22 southern California laboratories participated in a series of intercalibration exercises. Each laboratory processed three to five replicates from thirteen samples, with total coliforms, fecal coliforms or enterococci measured depending on the sample. Results were generally comparable among methods, though membrane filtration appeared to underestimate the other two methods for fecal coliforms, possibly due to clumping. Variability was greatest for the multiple tube fermentation method. For all three methods, within laboratory variability was greater than among laboratories variability.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and Polybrominated Diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in three fish species from an estuary in the southeastern coast of Brazil

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and Polybrominated Diphenyls Ethers (PBDEs) are two highly lipophilic classes of persistent organic pollutants able to resist degradation and with the ability to bioaccumulate through the food chain. In Brazil, there are still few studies on PCBs and PBDEs in aquatic organisms. In this study, we determined the levels of PBDEs and PCBs in three different fish species from the Ilha Grande Bay, located in the southern state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. PBDEs levels were very low, with values below the limit of quantification. PCBs concentrations ranged from 2.29 to 27.60 ng g^?1 ww in muscle and from 3.41 to 34.22 ng g^?1 ww in liver of the three investigated fish species. Significant positive correlations were established between PCBs concentration and fish biometric variables in mullet (length and lipid content) and a statistically significant change between seasons in croaker was observed.     

Industrial odor sources and air pollutant concentrations in Globeville,a Denver,Colorado neighborhood

An odor of unknown origin described as a “tar” or “asphalt” smell has become unbearable for many of Globeville, CO, residents over the past few years. Residents report during odor events burning eyes and throat, headaches, skin irritation, and problems sleeping. This study was undertaken to identify the potential sources of the odor and the concentrations of air pollutants making up the odor by conducting meteorological correlations and sampling for a panel of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur gases, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the neighborhood and near suspected sources. Wind speed and direction data collected every 1 min in the neighborhood indicate that when the odor is noticed, the community is directly downwind of a wood preservation facility and an asphalt roofing facility. Air samples collected during high-intensity odor events have shown concentrations of methylene chloride, hexane, toluene, naphthalene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene, and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, each at least two times higher than background concentrations. Naphthalene and the other PAHs are known pollutants emitted from wood treatment processes, and are known to have a coal tar odor. Naphthalene was present in a sample collected directly adjacent to the Koppers facility and was not present in any background samples. Single-compound odor and health thresholds, however, were never surpassed. Given the technical and regulatory challenges of sampling odors and controlling emissions, it is recommended that Globeville residents and neighboring industry pursue a “good neighbor policy” to solve the odor issue. Specific offending industrial processes could be identified for which there exist cost-effective control technologies that would reduce exposure to odors and air toxics in Globeville.

Implications: Meteorological correlations and samples of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur gases, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Globeville, CO, neighborhood and near suspected sources during odor events indicate potential industrial sources of a transient and noxious odor. Legislative approaches have proven unfruitful and no health or odor thresholds were typically violated. New approaches are warranted to address odor mixture effects in neighborhoods near industrial facilities.     

River inflow, estuarine salinity, and Carolina wolfberry fruit abundance: linking abiotic drivers to Whooping Crane food

The supply of freshwater to estuarine ecosystems is a critical factor in maintaining the overall health and organization of coastal marshes. Specifically along the Texas Gulf coast, the coupled effects of decreased freshwater inflows to the estuary and natural processes (e.g., precipitation, wind, and tides) can exert significant salt-stress on coastal marsh vegetation. In this project we sought to quantitatively link the inflow of freshwater to the estuary (San Antonio Bay) with Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) coastal marsh salinity and assess the influence of salinity and inundation on Carolina wolfberry (Lycium carolinianum Walt.) phenology (leaf and fruit abundance). The Carolina wolfberry is one of the more common high marsh plant species found at ANWR and has been shown to be a key food source for endangered Whooping Cranes which inhabit the coastal marshes of the ANWR each fall/winter. Results from our study show that periods of decreased freshwater inflows to the estuary correlated with increased marsh salinity at the ANWR. Wolfberry plants at ANWR marsh sites displayed increased fruit abundance during years which had lower mean summer time salinity (June, July, and August) in San Antonio Bay; conversely, during years of increased bay salinity during the same summertime months, wolfberry plants showed decreased fruit abundance. Through the continued validation of the relationship between inflows and coastal marsh salinity, we hope to provide additional insight into how wolfberry phenology varies inter-annually across both salinity and inundation regimes and how freshwater inflows may affect food availability for the endangered Whooping Crane.     

A collaborative approach to address the cumulative impacts of mine-water discharge: Negotiating a cross-sectoral waterway partnership in the Bowen Basin,Australia

The social and environmental impacts of rapidly expanding coal and gas industries have generated high levels of public concern and there is increasing evidence of cumulative impacts. In the Bowen Basin of Queensland (Australia) water quality issues have triggered a collaborative response to coordinate monitoring efforts, integrate data and information and undertake regional analysis to inform landscape-scale management. Collaborative governance is promoted as a response to complex environmental problems, such as cumulative impacts. However, application of this approach to the resources and energy sectors remains a significant research gap. This paper reports the results of action research in the 2 years taken to negotiate the establishment of collaborative governance arrangements to address mine-water discharge impacts in the Bowen Basin. The long establishment phase has been required to refine objectives, build trust, develop governance mechanisms and secure resourcing commitments. The partnership established involves more than 20 organisations including regulators, resources and energy companies, agricultural industries and research organisations. The breadth of participating sectors is a significant innovation, but also represents a major challenge in establishing this model of regional environmental governance. Promising strategies adopted to manage these tensions have included neutral brokerage, facilitative leadership, establishing legitimacy of the collaboration and credibility of its reports. The case study provides a cautionary tale of the pursuit of the promise of ‘everyone working together’ to address cumulative impacts. Policy implications include the need for extended commitment and integration of collaborative and other responses.