Lung function among residents from the largest coal region in Brazil

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Coal mining and burning activities in coal-fired power plants are among the most polluting activities in developing countries. In Brazil, the Candiota...     

Sediment manganese and biogenic silica as geochemical indicators in estuarine salt marshes of coastal Georgia, USA

Salt-marsh estuarine sediments are not homogeneous. It is obvious that a steady state cannot be assumed if the depositional environments under which salt marshes accumulate change from subtidal through non-vegetated intertidal to vegetated intertidal state during their formation. In addition to these, the supply of sedimentary material depends on the tidal prism which changes as salt marshes are formed. Based on the study of cores collected in the estuarine region of Georgia, USA, it was found that the Mn/Al ratios in sediments of marsh cores change from subtidal through non-vegetated intertidal to vegetated intertidal. The relative variation of biogenic silica preserved in sediments of marsh core reflects the relative supply rate of organic carbon (phytoplankton) produced in the water column to the sediment surface at the time of deposition. In this paper it is proposed that sediment manganese and biogenic silica may be applied as geochemical indicators of changing depositional environments and organic carbon originating from phytoplankton in the estuarine salt marsh sediments.     

Estimation of Additive Effects from Multiple Sources

Using meteorological diffusion equations, a computer program has been developed to calculate the distribution of pollutants in an area affected by multiple sources, such as in a typical industrial district. Using rapid printout on a teletype terminal, data processing costs can be as low as two to three dollars for a printout showing distribution of pollutants over a distance of several miles and illustrating additive effects from multiple sources in the area. By integrating this method of data processing into a monitoring network and an emission inventory, the usefulness of monitoring data could be greatly increased to provide a much more realistic evaluation of ambient air quality within the area.     

Meister

A mobile remote sensing system is presented for measuring the concentration of gaseous pollutants in ambient air and in directed effluent streams. MEISTER is based on Fourier-Transform-Infrared-Spectroscopy (FTIS), which is predestinated for a simultaneous analysis of a large number of atmospheric gases. The Kayser-Threde Double-Pendulum interferometer K300 and the Multicomponent Air Pollution Software (MAPS) of the Fraunhofer Institute of Atmospheric Environmental Research, which is based on radiative transfer modeling and least square fit procedures, enable a concentration determination under almost all meteorological conditions. CO, CO₂, NO, N₂O, CH₄, H₂O and HCl concentrations have been determined in good agreement with results from conventionalin situ sensors. NO₂, SO₂, NH₃, HCHO and hydrocarbons have been successfully detected provided their concentrations were high enough.