Untersuchungen zur Aufnahme von HCB und Pyren durch den KompostwurmEisenia fetida und ausgewählte Regenwurmwildarten

The main issues of the studies described were the validation of a test design for the assessment of the bioaccumulation potential of environmental pollutants and the applicability ofEisenia fetida as a model-organism and artificial soil (OECD) as a standard test substrate. The test organisms used wereE. fetida of our own breeding stock andAllolobophora caliginosa, Allolobophora chlorotica, Allolobophora longa and Lumbricus rubellus sampled from a field site. Test soils used were the artificial soil (OECD) and a BBA field soil. Soils were each contaminated with 10 mg HCB and Pyrene per soil dry-weight. Within the test period of 4 weeks, samples were taken weekly for residue analysis in the worms and soils. Bioaccumulation factors (AF) calculated forE. fetida and the free-living species were in the range of 10–17 (HCB) and 0.9–1.7 (Pyrene) depending on the soil used. By re-calculation of the concentrations in soil to concentrations in soil water, the resulting bioconcentration factors are compared with published BCF values determined from QSAR’s of other worm species and fresh water fish. It could be concluded that the existing earthworm tests (OECD 1984, ISO 1998) represent an appropriate design for testing the bioconcentration potential of chemicals in soil.     

Monitoring the levels of brominated and organophosphate flame retardants in passenger cars: Utilisation of car air filters as active samplers

Filters in residential and office air conditioning(A/C) systems have been used as sampling devices for monitoring different pollutants.However,cabin air filters(CAFs) in the A/C system of passenger cars have not been utilised for this purpose.In this study,we collected22 used CAFs from passenger cars in Hanoi,Vietnam to analyse for 8 polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs) and 10 organophosphate esters(OPEs).All the analytes were detected in more than 50% of samples with the exception of BDE153 and BDE154.The average concentrations of ∑_(10)OPEs and ∑_8 BDEs in the captured dust were 2600 and 40 ng/g,respectively with Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate(TCIPP) and BDE209 as the dominant congener in OPE and BDE groups,respectively.CAFs are a potential tool to qualitatively assess the levels of semi-volatile chemicals in suspended dust in cars as a screening step for exposure assessment of those chemicals.     

Minimising the regeneration heat duty of post-combustion CO2 capture by wet chemical absorption: The misguided focus on low heat of absorption solvents

An ideal solvent for CO₂ capture by chemical absorption has to meet a number of requirements, such as high CO₂ capacity, high rate of reaction, low costs, low corrosive behaviour, low degradation and low vapour pressure; above all, it has to show a low regeneration heat duty. This heat can be approximated as the sum of three terms: the sensible heat to raise the solvent from absorber to desorber temperature, the heat of evaporation required to produce the stripping steam in the reboiler, and the heat necessary to desorb the CO₂ from the solution (heat of absorption).Many solvent screening studies focus almost exclusively on solvents that show a low heat of absorption. In these studies, the strong dependence of the three contributors to the overall regeneration heat duty on the chosen process parameters and on one another are often neglected.This work explains why the focus on solvents with a low heat of absorption, without considering the overall process, is not sufficient in quantifying the energy performance of alternative solvents. By using thermodynamic interrelations and underpinned by process simulations it is shown that operating parameters of the process, in particular the desorber pressure, must be taken into consideration in the evaluation of new solvents.     

Stable carbon kinetic isotope effects for the production of methacrolein and methyl vinyl ketone from the gas-phase reactions of isoprene with ozone and hydroxyl radicals

The stable-carbon kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) associated with the production of methacrolein (MACR) and methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) from the reactions of isoprene with ozone and OH radicals were studied in a 25 L reaction chamber at (298±2) K and ambient pressure. The time dependence of both the stable-carbon isotope ratios and the concentrations was determined using a gas chromatography combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GCC-IRMS) system. The average yields of ¹³C-containing MACR and MVK generated from the ozone reaction of ¹³C-containing isoprene differed by ?3.6‰ and ?4.5‰, respectively, from the yields for MACR and MVK containing only ¹²C. For MACR and MVK generated from the OH-radical oxidation of isoprene the corresponding values were ?3.8‰ and ?2.2‰, respectively. These values indicate a significant depletion in the ¹³C abundance of MACR and MVK upon their formation relative to isoprene’s pre-reaction ¹³C/¹²C ratio, which is supported by theoretical interpretations of the oxidation mechanism of isoprene and its ¹³C-substituted isotopomers. Numerical model calculations of the isoprene + O₃ reaction predicted a similar depletion in ¹³C for both reaction products upon production. Furthermore, the model predicts mixing ratios and stable carbon delta values for isoprene, MACR, and MVK that were in agreement with the experimental results. The combined knowledge of isotope enrichment values with KIEs will reduce uncertainties in determinations of the photochemical histories of isoprene, MACR, and MVK in the troposphere. The studies presented here were conducted with using isoprene without any artificial isotope enrichment or depletion and it is therefore very likely that these results are directly applicable to the interpretation of studies of isoprene oxidation using stable carbon isotope ratio measurements.     

It pays to have an eye for emotions: Emotion recognition ability indirectly predicts annual income

This study integrates the emotion and social influence literatures to examine how emotion recognition ability (ERA) relates to annual income. In a sample of 142 employee–peer–supervisor triads from a broad range of jobs and organizations, we find that people's level of ERA indirectly relates to how much they earn per year. The relationship between ERA and annual income is mediated sequentially through political skill and interpersonal facilitation. The results imply that emotional abilities allow people not only to process affect‐laden information effectively but also to use this information to successfully navigate the social world of organizations in the pursuit of prosperity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mitigation of CO2 Emissions from the EU-15 Building Stock. Beyond the EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (9 pp)

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Goal Scope and Background. The European Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings which came into force 16 December 2002 will be implemented in the legislation of Member States by 4 January 2006. In addition to the aim of improving the overall energy efficiency of new buildings, large existing buildings will become a target for improvement, as soon as they undergo significant renovation. The building sector is responsible for about 40% of Europe's total end energy consumption and hence this Directive is an important step for the European Union in order that it should reach the level of saving required by the Kyoto Agreement. In this the EU is committed to reduce CO2 emissions relative to the base year of 1990 by 8 per cent, by 2010. But what will be the impact of the new Directive, how large could be the impacts of extending the obligation for energy efficiency retrofitting towards smaller buildings? Can improvement of the insulation offset or reduce the growing energy consumption from the increasing installation of cooling installations? EURIMA, the European Insulation Manufacturers Association and EuroACE, the European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings, asked Ecofys to address these questions.

Methods

The effect of the EPB Directive on the emissions associated with the heating energy consumption of the total EU 15 building stock has been examined in a model calculation, using the Built Environment Analysis Model (BEAM), which was developed by Ecofys to investigate energy saving measures in the building stock. The great complexity of the EU-15 building stock had to be simplified by examining five standard buildings with eight insulation standards, which are assigned to building age and renovation status. Furthermore, three climatic regions (cold, moderate, warm) were distinguished for the calculation of the heating energy demand. This gave a basic 210 building types for which the heating energy demand and CO2 emissions from heating were calculated according to the principles of the European Norm EN 832.

Results and Discussion

The model calculations demonstrates that the main contributor to the total heating related CO2 emissions of 725 Mt/a from the EU building stock in 2002 is the residential sector (77%) while the remaining 23% originates from non-residential buildings. In the residential sector, single-family houses represent the largest group responsible for 60% of the total CO2 emissions equivalent to 435 Mt/a.

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- The technical potential: If all retrofit measures in the scope of the Directive were realised immediately for the complete residential and non-residential building stock the overall CO2 emission savings would add up to 82 Mt/a. An additional saving potential compared to the Directive of 69 Mt/a would be created if the scope of the Directive was extended to cover retrofit measures in multi-family dwellings (200-1000m2) and non-residential buildings smaller than 1000m2 used floor space. In addition including the large group of single-family dwellings would lead to a potential for additional CO2 emission reductions compared to the Directive of 316 Mt/a.

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- Temporal mobilization of the potential: Calculations based on the building stock as it develops over time with average retrofit rates demonstrated that regulations introduced following the EPB Directive result in a CO2 emissions decrease of 34 Mt/a by the year 2010 compared to the business as usual scenario. Extending the scope of the EPB Directive to all residential buildings (including single and multi-family dwellings), the CO2 emission savings potential over the 'business as usual' scenario could be doubled to 69 Mt/a in the year 2010. This creates an additional saving potential compared to the Directive of 36 Mt/a.

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- Cooling demand: The analysis demonstrated that in warm climatic zones the cooling demand can be reduced drastically by a combination of lowering the internal heat loads and by improved insulation. With the reduction of the heat loads to a moderate level the cooling demand, e.g. of a terraced house located in Madrid, can be reduced by an additional 85% if the insulation level is improved appropriately.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that the European Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings will have a significant impact on the CO2 emissions of the European building stock. The main saving potential lies in insulation of the existing building stock. Beyond this, CO2 emissions could, however, be greatly reduced if the scope of the Directive were to be extended to include retrofit of smaller buildings.

Recommendation and Perspective

The reductions should be seen in relation to the remaining gap of 190 Mt CO2 eq. per annum between the current emission levels of EU-15 and the target under the Kyoto-Protocol for the year 2010. The energy and industrial sector will probably contribute only a fraction of this reduction via the newly established EU emissions trading scheme and connected projects under the flexible mechanism. In addition, the traffic sector is likely to continue its growth path leading to a widening of the gap. Thus, there is likely to be considerable pressure on the EU building sector to contribute to the EU climate targets beyond what will be achieved by means of the current EPB Directive. Legislators on the EU and national level are therefore advised to take accelerated actions to tap the very significant emission reduction potentials available in the EU building stock.     

Comprehensive study of endocrine disrupting compounds using grab and passive sampling at selected wastewater treatment plants in South East Queensland, Australia

Chemical (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, GC-MS) and biological (E-Screen assay) analyses were used to determine the concentrations of 15 endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and estrogen equivalent (EEq) in grab and passive samples from five municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in South East Queensland, Australia. EEq concentrations derived by E-Screen assays for the grab samples were between 108-356 ng/L for the influents and < 1-14.8 ng/L for the effluents with the exception of one effluent sample which was at 67.8 ng/L EEq. The EDC concentrations and EEq values for the passive samples were several times lower than those of the grab samples: a decrease probably caused by, but not limited to biofouling, low flow rate, biodegradation and temperature which can progressively reduce the uptake of compounds into the sampler. At this stage, grab sampling is the most reliable method for field monitoring; nevertheless, passive sampler is a useful sampling tool but the method requires more research to ensure that the information obtained can be interpreted appropriately. Although alkylphenols and phthalates were detected at higher concentrations in the wastewater samples as compared to natural hormones, the environmental risk may be negligible as their estrogenic potencies are several orders of magnitude lower than that of the natural estrogens. In most wastewater samples, the natural estrogens contributed to 60% or more of the EEq value. Removal efficacy of most estrogenic and xenoestrogenic compounds from the conventional activated sludge or biological nutrient removal (BNR) WWTPs monitored in this study was in the range of 80-> 99%. The efficiency of the WWTPs in removing estrogenic activity was > 95%. The EEqs of the E-Screen and those calculated from the results of extensive chemical analyses using the estradiol equivalency factors were comparable for most of the WWTPs samples.