Rebirth,Devastation and Sickness: Analyzing the Role of Metaphor in Media Discourses of Nuclear Power

Nuclear power plays an important but controversial role in policies to ensure domestic energy security, fuel poverty reduction and the mitigation of climate change. Our article construes the problem of nuclear power in terms of social discourse, language and public choice; specifically examining the role that metaphors play in the policy domain. We empirically analyze metaphors as framing devices in nuclear energy policy debates in the UK between April 2009 and March 2013, thereby capturing the impact of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. We employ documentary analysis of major UK national broadsheet and tabloid newspapers, using electronic bibliographic tools to extract the metaphors. We then map these metaphors using a Type Hierarchy Analysis, which examines how elements of the target domain (energy technologies and policies) originate from a different source domain. Type hierarchies identify and categorize metaphors, defining the affectual and emotional responses associated with them, providing us with grounded insight into their role in shaping discourse and as a consequence influence public engagement with energy policy. Our analysis highlights three emergent domains of discourse metaphors and discusses the implications of their deployment. Metaphors were found to be classified into three different categories: Rebirth (Renaissance), Devastation (Apocalypse, Inferno, Genie and Bomb) and Sickness (Addiction and Smoking).     

Neutral poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in air and seawater of the North Sea

Concentrations of neutral poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), such as fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), perfluoroalkane sulfonamides (FASAs), perfluoroalkane sufonamidoethanols (FASEs), and fluorotelomer acrylates (FTACs), have been simultaneously determined in surface seawater and the atmosphere of the North Sea. Seawater and air samples were taken aboard the German research vessel Heincke on the cruise 303 from 15 to 24 May 2009. The concentrations of FTOHs, FASAs, FASEs, and FTACs in the dissolved phase were 2.6–74, <0.1–19, <0.1–63, and <1.0–9.0 pg L^?1, respectively. The highest concentrations were determined in the estuary of the Weser and Elbe rivers and a decreasing concentration profile appeared with increasing distance from the coast toward the central part of the North Sea. Gaseous FTOHs, FASAs, FASEs, and FTACs were in the range of 36–126, 3.1–26, 3.7–19, and 0.8–5.6 pg m^?3, which were consistent with the concentrations determined in 2007 in the North Sea, and approximately five times lower than those reported for an urban area of Northern Germany. These results suggested continuous continental emissions of neutral PFASs followed by transport toward the marine environment. Air–seawater gas exchanges of neutral PFASs were estimated using fugacity ratios and the two-film resistance model based upon paired air–seawater concentrations and estimated Henry's law constant values. Volatilization dominated for all neutral PFASs in the North Sea. The air–seawater gas exchange fluxes were in the range of 2.5?×?10³–3.6?×?10⁵ pg m^?2 for FTOHs, 1.8?×?10²–1.0?×?10⁵ pg m^?2 for FASAs, 1.1?×?10²–3.0?×?10⁵ pg m^?2 for FASEs and 6.3?×?10²–2.0?×?10⁴ pg m^?2 for FTACs, respectively. These results suggest that the air–seawater gas exchange is an important process that intervenes in the transport and fate for neutral PFASs in the marine environment.     

Reprint of: Temporal trends of polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) in liver tissue of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) from the Baltic Sea, 1974-2008

Temporal trends of polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) were examined in grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) liver from the Baltic Sea over a period of 35 years (1974-2008). In total, 17 of 43 PFCs were found, including the perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (C₄-C₁₀ PFSAs), perfluorooctanesulfinate (PFOSi), long chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (C₇-C₁₄ PFCAs), and perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides (i.e., perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA) and N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamide (EtFOSA)), whereas saturated and unsaturated fluorotelomer carboxylates, shorter chain PFCAs and perfluoroalkyl phosphonic acids were not detected. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was the predominant compound (9.57-1444 ng g⁻¹ wet weight (ww)), followed by perfluorononanoate (PFNA, 0.47-109 ng g⁻¹ ww). C₆-C₈ PFSAs, PFOSi and C₇-C₁₃ PFCAs showed statistically significant increasing concentrations between 1974 and 1997, with a peak in 1997 and then decreased or levelled off (except for C₁₂ and C₁₃ PFCAs). FOSA had a different temporal trend with a maximum in 1989 followed by significant decreasing concentrations until 2008. Toxicological implications for grey seals are limited, but the maximal PFOS concentration found in this study was about 40 times lower than the predicted lowest observed effect concentrations (LOEC). The statistically significant decreasing concentrations or levelling off for several PFCs in the relative closed marine ecosystem of the Baltic Sea indicate a rapidly responding to reduced emissions to the marine environment. However, the high concentrations of PFOS and continuing increasing concentrations of the longer chain PFCAs (C₁₂-C₁₄) shows that further work on the reduction of environmental emissions of PFCs are necessary.     

Effects of nano-TiO(2) in combination with ambient UV-irradiation on a leaf shredding amphipod

Production and use of engineered nanoparticles, such as titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO₂), is increasing worldwide, enhancing their probability to enter aquatic environments. However, direct effects of nTiO₂ as well as ecotoxicological consequences due to the interactions of nTiO₂ with environmental factors like ultraviolet (UV) irradiation on representatives of detrital food webs have not been assessed so far. Hence, the present study displayed for the first time adverse sublethal effects of nTiO₂ at concentrations as low as 0.2 mg L⁻¹ on the leaf shredding amphipod Gammarus fossarum both in presence and absence of ambient UV-irradiation following a 7-d exposure. In absence of UV-irradiation, however, the effects seemed to be driven by accumulation of nTiO₂ at the bottom of the test vessels to which the gammarids were potentially exposed. The adverse sublethal and lethal effects on gammarids caused by the combined application of nTiO₂ and ambient UV-irradiation are suggested to be driven by the formation of reactive oxygen species. In conclusion, both the accumulation of nTiO₂ at the bottom of the test vessel and the UV induced formation of reactive oxygen species clearly affected its ecotoxicity, which is recommended for consideration in the environmental risk assessment of nanoparticles.     

The definition of species richness used by species sensitivity distributions approximates observed effects of salinity on stream macroinvertebrates

The risk of chemicals for ecological communities is often forecast with species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) which are used to predict the concentration which will protect p% of species (PC_p value). However, at the PC_p value, species richness in nature would not necessary be p% less than at uncontaminated sites. The definition of species richness inherent to SSDs (contaminant category richness) contrasts with species richness typically measured in most field studies (point richness). We determine, for salinity in eastern Australia, whether these definitions of stream macroinvertebrate species richness are commensurable. There were strong relationships (r² ≥ 0.87) between mean point species, family and Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera and Plecoptera species richness and their respective contamination category richness. Despite differences in the definition of richness used by SSDs and field biomonitoring, their results in terms of relative species loss from salinity in south-east Australia are similar. We conclude that in our system both definitions are commensurable.     

Characterization of individual aerosol particles in workroom air of aluminium smelter potrooms

Aerosol particles with aerodynamic diameters between 0.18 and 10 microm were collected in the workroom air of two aluminium smelter potrooms with different production processes (Soderberg and Prebake processes). Size, morphology and chemical composition of more than 2000 individual particles were determined by high resolution scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis. Based on chemical composition and morphology, particles were classified into different groups. Particle groups with a relative abundance above 1%(by number) include aluminium oxides, cryolite, aluminium oxides-cryolite mixtures, soot, silicates and sea salt. In both production halls, mixtures of aluminium oxides and cryolite are the dominant particle group. Many particles have fluoride-containing surface coatings or show agglomerations of nanometer-sized fluoride-containing particles on their surface. The phase composition of approximately 100 particles was studied by transmission electron microscopy. According to selected area electron diffraction, sodium beta-alumina (NaAl(11)O(17)) is the dominant aluminium oxide and cryolite (Na(3)AlF(6)) the only sodium aluminium fluoride present. Implications of our findings for assessment of adverse health effects are discussed.     

Integrated regional modelling and scenario development to evaluate future water demand under global change conditions

Within climate change impact research, the consideration of socioeconomic processes remains a challenge. Socioeconomic systems must be equipped to react and adapt to global change. However, any reasonable development or assessment of sustainable adaptation strategies requires a comprehensive consideration of human-environment interactions. This requirement can be met through multi-agent simulation, as demonstrated in the interdisciplinary project GLOWA-Danube (GLObal change of the WAter Cycle; ). GLOWA-Danube has developed an integrated decision support tool for water and land use management in the Upper Danube catchment (parts of Germany and Austria, 77,000 km²). The scientific disciplines invoked in the project have implemented sixteen natural and social science models, which are embedded in the simulation framework DANUBIA. Within DANUBIA, a multi-agent simulation approach is used to represent relevant socioeconomic processes. The structure and results of three of these multi-agent models, WaterSupply, Household and Tourism, are presented in this paper. A main focus of the paper is on the development of global change scenarios (climate and society) and their application to the presented models. The results of different simulation runs demonstrate the potential of multi-agent models to represent feedbacks between different water users and the environment. Moreover, the interactive usage of the framework allows to define and vary scenario assumptions so as to assess the impact of potential interventions. It is shown that integrated modelling and scenario design not only provide valuable information, but also offer a platform for discussing complex human-environment-interactions with stakeholders.