Mining disasters caused and controlled by mankind: the case for coal mining and other minerals

In Part I of this two-part paper, the characteristics of mine disasters and their effects are presented with case studies from coal, metal and non-metal mines leading to an amplification of their causes and opportunities for control. The disasters discussed encompass those which threaten the health and the safety of miners and those which affect the general population. In Part 2 of the paper, which will be published in the November 1995 issue of Natural Resources Forum , the approaches to hazard and disaster control are reviewed with particular attention to laws and regulations to promote health and safety at the workplace, and general welfare in mining communities. Further, a systems approach to disaster control is outlined .     

Effect of Anthropogenic Factors on the Ability of Narrow-skulled Voles (Lasiopodomys gregalis) to Adapt to Captive Conditions

Russian Journal of Ecology - To test the hypothesis that animals from habitats exposed to high anthropogenic pressure are more successful in adapting to captivity, immature narrow-skulled voles...     

Cadmium-binding proteins in Mytilus edulis: Relation to mode of administration and significance in tissue retention of cadmium

Tissue cadmium levels and the amount of metal associated with the various protein fractions thereof have been determined in specimens of $\text{Mytilus edulis}$ exposed to cadmium in the water and by direct injection. In addition to metallothionein, heavy-molecular weight proteins are involved in cadmium retention.     

Phase II Allowances Allocations and an Assessment of the Allowance Market in the West

Title IV of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 establishes a unique “market-based“ approach to reduce national electric utility sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions during the next century by about 10 million tons/year below the corresponding level in 1980. This program is designed to provide utility operators with the flexibility to achieve the applicable SO₂ emissions limitations (total tons) using the most cost-effective approach. However, in reality, it is unlikely that many utility operators would have such operational flexibility, especially in the case of plants located in the Western United States. This is due to the fact that these sources may also be subject to other more stringent provisions of the Act, such as to protect public health and visibility, which override the Title IV provisions.

This paper examines the Phase II allowance allocations for the utility units located in the 11 western states and assesses the potential impacts of the current federal/state air quality regulatory programs on the allowance market in the West. This analysis shows that, even after accounting for the projected population growth and the accompanying growth in electric power demand during the next decade, the West should have a surplus of allowances, especially if new regulations are initiated to further reduce SO₂ emissions, mainly for the purpose of improving visibility in Western Class I areas.     

Low-frequency variability of storms in the northern Black Sea and associated processes in the ocean–atmosphere system

Monthly anomalies of stormy wind–wave heights and return periods are evaluated using secular routine observations in the coastal zone of the northern Black Sea. It is shown that wind–wave anomalies in this region are characterized by high-amplitude quasi-periodical variability with typical timescale of about 50 years. This timescale is determined by temporal variability of the coupled ocean–atmosphere system and coincides with periodicity of Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. Atmospheric re-analysis data show that cyclonic activity over the Black Sea basin intensifies when North Atlantic is relatively cold and meridional forms of atmospheric circulation are more frequent in the North Atlantic-Eurasian region. This leads to generation of more frequent Black Sea storm events and enhanced recurrence of extreme waves and results in profound (and mostly negative) environmental consequences. When North Atlantic is relatively warm and meridional forms of atmospheric circulation are less frequent in the North Atlantic-Eurasian region, environmental conditions in the Black Sea region are calmer. Thus, statistics of dangerous events can be wrongly estimated even if relatively long-term (~30 years) time series are considered and interdecadal variability of wind–wave anomalies must be taken into account when the risk assessment is accomplished.     

On the Formal and Informal Estimates of Floristic Diversity: An Example of Pine Forests of the Southern Urals

Advantages of the informal assessment of biodiversity based on the phytosociological spectrum (the ratio of species associated with different higher units of ecological-floristic classification in the cenoflora) are demonstrated in a study of pine forests of the Southern Urals (classes Vaccinio-Piceetea, Brachypodio-Betuletea, and Querco-Fagetea). The phytosociological spectrum reflects environmental conditions better than formal estimations of , , and -diversity.     

Long-Term Dynamics of Heavy Metal Concentrations in the Food and Liver of Shrews (g. Sorex) during High and Reduced Emissions Periods from the Copper Smelter

Russian Journal of Ecology - The long-term changes in the contents of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Рb) in the food and liver of four shrew species of the g. Sorex, in the vicinity of the the...     

Diversity and Ecological Features of Phylogenetic Lineages of Tinder Fungus in the Urals

Russian Journal of Ecology - Absract—Phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of ribosomal DNA isolated from 51 basidiocarps of tinder fungus shows that this...     

Advanced oxidation/reduction technologies: a perspective from Iberoamerican countries

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

The Edge Effect on the Herb–Dwarf Shrub Layer of Urbanized Southern Taiga Forests

Russian Journal of Ecology - We estimated when the edge effect appears in the herb–dwarf shrub layer of pine forests near Yekaterinburg (Central Urals; Southern Taiga subzone) on 14 transects...