Detection of Human Enteric Viruses in Freshwater from European Countries

The transmission of water-borne pathogens typically occurs by a faecal–oral route, through inhalation of aerosols, or by direct or indirect contact with contaminated water. Previous molecular-based studies have identified viral particles of zoonotic and human nature in surface waters. Contaminated water can lead to human health issues, and the development of rapid methods for the detection of pathogenic microorganisms is a valuable tool for the prevention of their spread. The aims of this work were to determine the presence and identity of representative human pathogenic enteric viruses in water samples from six European countries by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) and to develop two quantitative PCR methods for Adenovirus 41 and Mammalian Orthoreoviruses. A 2-year survey showed that Norovirus, Mammalian Orthoreovirus and Adenoviruses were the most frequently identified enteric viruses in the sampled surface waters. Although it was not possible to establish viability and infectivity of the viruses considered, the detectable presence of pathogenic viruses may represent a potential risk for human health. The methodology developed may aid in rapid detection of these pathogens for monitoring quality of surface waters.     

AhR-mediated and antiestrogenic activity of humic substances

Humic substances (HS) were for decades regarded as inert in the ecosystems with respect to their possible toxicity. However, HS have been recently shown to elicit various adverse effects generally attributed to xenobiotics. In our study, we used MVLN and H4IIE-luc cell lines stably transfected with luciferase gene under control of estrogen receptor (ER) and Ah receptor (AhR; receptor connected with so-called dioxin-like toxicity) for assessment of anti/estrogenic and AhR-mediated effects of 12 commercially available humic substances. Out of those, five humic acids were shown to induce AhR-mediated activity with relative potencies related to TCDD 2.6 x 10(-8)-7.4 x 10(-8). Organic extracts of HS solutions also elicited high activities what means that lipophilic molecules are responsible for a great part of effect. However, relatively high activity remaining in extracted solution suggests also presence of polar AhR-agonists. Contribution of persistent organic compounds to the observed effects was ruled out by H(2)SO(4) treatment. Eight out of twelve HS elicited significant antiestrogenic effects with IC(50) ranging from 40 to 164 mg l(-1). The possible explanations of the antiestrogenic effect include sorption of 17-beta-estradiol (E2) on HS, changes in membrane permeability for E2 or another specific mechanism.     

Investigations into the influence of dustiness on dust explosions

A new safety characteristic the “dustiness” according to VDI 2263 – part 9 (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure, 2008) is investigated. Dustiness means the tendency of a dust to form clouds. The paper deals with the influence of the dustiness on vented dust explosions. In order to look into the effects of the dustiness on dust cloud formation and explosion properties experiments and simulations in a vertical dust dispersion glass tube apparatus were carried out.Preliminary explosion experiments showed that the dustiness has an influence on the reduced explosion pressure in a vented 75 L test apparatus. Dusts with comparable p_max and K_St values and different dustiness were tested. Dusts with higher dustiness produced higher overpressures, despite comparable safety characteristics. In order to verify the results for applications in the process industries further tests with different settings are planned as well as industrial scale experiments. Characteristics of the dust such as particle size, density, specific surface area and particle shape, which influence the dispersibility, have been determined experimentally.The Euler/Lagrange and the Euler/Euler approaches are compared for simulating an exemplary dust/air mixture. Especially sedimentation and the ability of the approaches to simulate the tendency of dust to stay airborne were investigated. The Euler/Lagrange approach is better suited for simulating local dust concentrations, particle size distributions and particle forces. It could be used to point out regions of high dust concentrations in a vessel. With the Euler/Euler method it is possible to achieve fast solutions for one specified diameter, but the simulated dust/air mixtures are always more homogenous than in reality. ANSYS CFX version 13 was used in all simulations.     

Framing the relationship between people and nature in the context of European conservation

A key controversy in conservation is the framing of the relationship between people and nature. The extent to which the realms of nature and human culture are viewed as separate (dualistic view) or integrated is often discussed in the social sciences. To explore how this relationship is represented in the practice of conservation in Europe, we considered examples of cultural landscapes, wildlife (red deer, reindeer, horses), and protected area management. We found little support, for a dualistic worldview, where people and nature are regarded as separate in the traditional practice of conservation in Europe. The borders between nature and culture, wild and domestic, public land and private land, and between protected areas and the wider landscape were blurred and dynamic. The institutionalized (in practice and legislation) view is of an interactive mutualistic system in which humans and nature share the whole landscape. However, more dualistic ideals, such as wilderness and rewilding that are challenging established practices are expanding. In the context of modern day Europe, wilderness conservation and rewilding are not valid for the whole landscape, although it is possible to integrate some areas of low‐intervention management into a wider matrix. A precondition for success is to recognize and plan for a plurality of values concerning the most valid approaches to conservation and to plan for this plurality at the landscape scale.     

Influence of Inversion Layers on the Distribution of Air Pollutants in Urban Areas

The air quality in urban areas is on the one hand determined by the intensity of emissions. On the other hand atmospheric dispersion and chemical transformation conditions as well as topographic location have great influence on the ambient air concentrations. Within, this study the correlation between pollutant concentrations and the dynamics of atmospheric barrier and mixing layers has been experimentally investigated by tethered balloon soundings.The most important barrier layer is the surface inversion. During clear sky it develops in the late afternoon and is dissolved by warm air from the heated ground in the morning. Emitted pollutants are kept beneath this inversion. But, at the same time, the component ozone is depleted below and stored above the layer within the so called `ozone reservoir layer'. During night elevated mountain sites are decoupled from the ground conditions and stay within this reservoir without a remarkable nocturnal decrease of ozone concentration. The regularly observed ground level ozone increase in the morning hours is firstly caused by down mixing from the reservoir. The conditions and dynamics are illustratively depicted by vertical profiles of the different components and diagrams of temperature and concentration isopleths over the height and the experiment time lasting over five days.     

Exploring Influences of Different Communication Approaches on Consumer Target Groups for Ethically Produced Beef

Communicating the process quality of ethically produced food effectively is of highest interest to policy makers, organizations, retailers and producers in order to enhance ethical food production and increase ethical label use. The objective of this paper is to unveil the effectiveness of different communication treatments in regard to changing purchase behavior of different consumer groups. Different communication material for beef produced according to consumer expectations was compiled and applied in a consumer survey—incorporating a choice experiment and a questionnaire—with 676 respondents in three cities of Germany. A Latent Class Mixed Logit Model was basis to identify different consumer segments and their response to the different communication treatments. The effects of different communication treatments unveil the importance to address information in an objective manner. Target groups could be enlarged through the assessment of clear, objective information. Moreover, most consumers were more likely to refrain from choosing a cheap beef product from conventional, barn-based rearing. Hence, consumers might be interested in reducing their overall consumption of beef and prefer the consumption of high value ethical beef with less frequency. Producers, market actors and policy makers should realize that a high share of consumers, not only smaller target groups, value ethical food and may be ready to change their consumption habits, if they are adequately informed.     

Clearance of atrazine in soil describing xenobiotic behavior

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the “clearance concept” as a tool for describing the behavior of xenobiotic movement into and through soils. As an example, degradation of 2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine (atrazine) with the formation of metabolites 2-chloro-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine (desethylatrazine) and 2-chloro-4-ethylamino-s-triazine (desisopropylatrazine) was investigated. Atrazine was sprayed post-emergently in doses of 0.125 or 0.5 g active ingredient/m² each on four test plots. Soil type was a sandy-loam, on which corn (Zea mays L.) was cultivated. Soil samples were taken as cores of 0.2 m depth 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks after application of atrazine, and analyzed by HPLC. Soil concentrations of atrazine were highly correlated (r=0.993, p< 0.001) between the two applications of 0.125 g/m² and 0.5 g/m². Up to 50% of the atrazine was measured as metabolites during the whole vegetation period. Clearance of atrazine from soil was calculated as the total load of atrazine divided by the area under the soil atrazine concentration time curve. Soil atrazine clearance was calculated as 5.13 +/? SD 1.10 and 5.17 +/? SD 1.02 liter of soil per day for doses of 0.125 g/m² and 0.5 g/m², respectively (from a “soil unit” of 1 × 1 × 0.2 meter). The clearance concept might be a tool for risk assessment of xenobiotics.     

Chemikaliensicherheit

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