Passive airborne dust sampling to assess mite antigen exposure in farming environments

The aim of this study was to estimate mite antigen exposure in farming environments by passive sampling of airborne dust. Antigen concentrations were measured with enzyme immunoassays specific for three storage mites (SM): Acarus siro, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Tyrophagus putrescentiae and the house dust mite (HDM) Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. Dust samples were collected with electrostatic dust fall collectors (EDCs) in three different areas of cattle farms. EDCs were placed in cow stables (working area), in changing rooms (transit area) and in different rooms of farmer dwellings (living area). Mite concentrations in the living area of farm homes were compared to those of urban homes. In dust samples from stables, antigens of all four mite species could be detected. The highest exposure level was to L. destructor (median 56.7 μg/m(2)), the lowest to A. siro (median 14.4 μg/m(2)). Mite concentrations of different species showed no correlation within the cow stables. In comparison to stables, the median mite concentrations in farm homes were significantly lower, ranging from below the detection limit to 1.5 μg/m(2). Antigens of SM were predominantly found in changing rooms and kitchens, and HDM antigens were mainly detected in bedrooms. Antigens of all mites were measured the least often in living rooms. T. putrescentiae was the most prevalent mite in all room types, and the exposure levels correlated strongly between different rooms. The number of SM positive samples in farm homes was considerably higher than in urban homes, while the percentage of HDM positive samples did not differ significantly.     

Distribution of microbiological indicators of fecal pollution in the riverine substrates

Distribution of fecal microorganisms in water, periphyton, and sediment was studied along the ?rnovnica river (Croatia) over a 1.5-year period. It was found that periphyton was inhabited by the highest number of investigated bacteria, while lower numbers of them were found in sediment and the lowest in surface water of the river. The concentrations of fecal microorganisms in periphyton and partly in sediment were found to be significantly higher in the middle of the river course, near the town of ?rnovnica, while according to the analysis of surface water the highest degree of pollution was reached on its estuary. The results were explained with respect to bacterial?Calgal associations. Considering the fact that most of the river microorganisms are associated with periphyton and sediment particles and only a small number of them is in the free-living form, microbiological analysis of both periphyton and sediment together with water samples has been suggested when fecal pollution of a river is concerned.     

Bewertung von Umweltwirkungen gentechnisch veränderter Organismen (GVO)

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can have effects on the environment in a variety of ways. The Genetic Engineering Act (Gen TG) stipulates that, before a GMO may be used, its characteristics have to be assessed and its behaviour in the environment has to be estimated and evaluated. The Federal Environmental Agency is the first and hitherto only authority involved in the implementation of the Genetic Engineering Act to have presented a risk assessment concept, in order to ensure that consent decisions taken in the enforcement of the Act are comprehensible and comparable. This concept is presented, as are proposals for the envisaged revision which results from changes in the legal framework, notably the adoption of the Biosafety Protocol, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the new EU Deliberate Release Directive 2001/18/EC. In addition, the contribution discusses the role of the precautionary principle and possible implications for decision-making by the authorities. The precautionary principle demands that environmental risks and damage should be avoided as far as possible, or prevented from arising at the outset. A particular challenge when refining assessment concepts is the integration of nature conservation principles. These have been given insufficient attention to date. The contribution presents the results of a workshop on this subject, which was jointly organised by the Federal Environmental Agency and the Federal Nature Conservation Agency. Those participating in the workshop identified aspects which go beyond the scope of the Genetic Engineering Act and are derivee from the specific objective of biotope and species protection. Furthermore, the contribution addresses the provisions of the new Deliberate Release Directive 2001/18/EC on environmental risk assessment (e.r.a.). The aim of e.r.a., on a case-by-case basis is, to identify and evaluate potential adverse effects of the GMO, either direct and indirect, immediate or delayed, on human health and the environment, which the deliberate release or the placement of GMOs on the market may have. There exists a link to the definition of goals for a sustainable agriculture which have to be considered when assessing the impact of GMOs.     

An ethical dimension to sustainable restoration and long-term management of contaminated areas

Experience after the Chernobyl accident has shown that restoration strategies need to consider a wide range of different issues to ensure the long-term sustainability of large and varied contaminated areas. Thus, the criteria by which we evaluate countermeasures need to be extended from simple cost-benefit effectiveness and radiological protection standards to a more integrated, holistic approach, including social and ethical aspects. Within the STRATEGY project, the applicability of many countermeasures is being critically assessed using a wide range of criteria. Attention is being given to issues such as practicability, feasibility, capacity and environmental side-effects, as well as social factors such as public perceptions of risk, communication of information and the need for dialogue and consultation with affected communities, and ethical aspects such as informed consent and the fair distribution of costs and doses. Although such socio-ethical factors are now the subject of a substantial field of research, there has been little attempt to integrate them in a practical context for decision makers. Within this paper, we specifically consider the ethical aspects of restoration strategies and suggest practical means by which these can be taken into account in the decision making process, introducing a value matrix. The paper covers two critical areas: evaluation of individual countermeasures, and use of the matrix to ensure transparent and systematic consideration of values in selection of a restoration strategy.     

E-participation for environmental sustainability in transitional urban China

Using information and communication technologies (ICTs), e-participation is a tool that promotes the inclusion of the public in participative and deliberative decision-making processes, thus contributing to a transformation of the interaction between government and citizens in environmental governance and sustainable development. In a number of Chinese cities, citizens increasingly draw on ICTs to promote environmental sustainability and to encourage community-based actions aimed to address various environmental concerns. The potential success of e-participation and the role of ICTs in China has, however, not been well explored. The objective of this study is to understand the role that ICTs can play in promoting public participation about environmental sustainability issues in urban China. Based on an online survey with 630 respondents, the study aims to: (1) analyze what public motivations, perception/attitudes and actions drive environmental e-participation; (2) identify barriers to e-participation, and (3) assess the different applications and functions of ICT for citizen participation in environmental sustainability. The analysis illustrates how ICTs have helped the public to obtain sensitive information about sustainability issues, to mobilize people and to gain media coverage for their actions. The central finding is that new technologies have taken citizen engagement to new heights online. More specifically, the age of ICTs has unleashed a stronger public voice on environmental governance and sustainability issues in urban China, which does not go unnoticed by the Chinese state authorities.     

The constitution of power in Norway's protected areas: on shore and in the sea

This article aims at comparing power resources that opponents to environmental policy apply in shaping and constructing discourses that contest the implementation of marine and terrestrial area protection. Document analyses and qualitative interviews have been undertaken with key actors and documents in two case areas to show how actors, knowledge, and financial and organisational capacities are introduced in the planning processes in order to contest the dominating environmental discourse established by environmental authorities. The results demonstrate how opponents to the terrestrial case were rather fragmented, consisting of a wide range of local and regional actors with various interests and agendas, and without substantial financial and organisational strength. Here, the environmental administration managed to create a partnership with local authorities that eventually proclaimed the national park as a win–win situation for local society. As a contrast, the opponents to the marine case had strong organisational, financial and even scientific capacities that were effectively unified with local authorities in the Skjerstad fjord. Here, the win–win situation was not accepted by the local parties. Together, these resources seemed to explain some of the variance in institutional responses in environmental administration, and finally different outcomes of the two cases.