Cities of the future—bionic systems of new urban environment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The concepts of the cities we know nowadays, and which we are accustomed to, change at a very rapid pace. The philosophy of their design is also...     

Smoke filtration performances of membranes produced from commercial PVA and recycled PET by electrospinning method and ANN modeling

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Plastic waste and air pollution are becoming a great concern due to their adverse effect on human health and the environment. There is increasing...     

Microgeographic differentiation in the lipid composition of the bivalve Macoma balthica from the Gulf of Gdańsk (Southern Baltic)

Differentiation in lipid content, composition of lipid classes, fatty acids and sterols of Macoma balthica (L.) collected from various parts of the Gulf of Gdask was observed. The clams taken from the Inner Puck Bay contained significantly lower amounts of lipids, particularly of triglycerides, oleopalmitic acid and 24-methylenecholesterol. It is suggested that this differentiation is related to variability of trophic conditions in the Gulf of Gdask.     

Musculoskeletal Load Assessment of the Upper Limb Positions Subjectively Chosen as the Most Convenient

Work posture is determined by interdependence between work stand design, the necessity to perform given activities, and the anthropometric dimensions of the worker, but it also depends on individual preferences. The aim of the study was to compare the musculoskeletal load of the right upper extremity under conditions of imposed (standard) upper limb position and subjectively chosen ones, and to assess the influence of the changes in magnitude of the external force on the musculoskeletal load in the examined limb positions. Ten healthy male participants took part in the study. Muscular load associated with different upper extremity positions with and without external load were assessed. Musculoskeletal load for standard and subjectively chosen limb positions and two different values of external load were compared by means of theoretical and experimental methods. Results indicate that differences in musculoskeletal load between imposed and subjectively chosen limb positions were not high enough to show statistically significant differences, and the upper limb position chosen by the participant does not always cause the lowest musculoskeletal load.     

Carbon isotope signature of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in precipitation and atmospheric CO2

This paper describes results of chemical and isotopic analysis of inorganic carbon species in the atmosphere and precipitation for the calendar year 2008 in Wroc?aw (SW Poland). Atmospheric air samples (collected weekly) and rainwater samples (collected after rain episodes) were analysed for CO₂ and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations and for δ¹³C composition. The values obtained varied in the ranges: atmospheric CO₂: 337-448 ppm; δ¹³C_CO2 from −14.4 to −8.4‰; DIC in precipitation: 0.6-5.5 mg dm⁻³; δ¹³C_DIC from −22.2 to +0.2‰. No statistical correlation was observed between the concentration and δ¹³C value of atmospheric CO₂ and DIC in precipitation. These observations contradict the commonly held assumption that atmospheric CO₂ controls the DIC in precipitation. We infer that DIC is generated in ambient air temperatures, but from other sources than the measured atmospheric CO₂. The calculated isotopic composition of a hypothetical CO₂ source for DIC forming ranges from −31.4 to −11.0‰, showing significant seasonal variations accordingly to changing anthropogenic impact and atmospheric mixing processes.     

Ensemble Modeling of the Baltic Sea Ecosystem to Provide Scenarios for Management

We present a multi-model ensemble study for the Baltic Sea, and investigate the combined impact of changing climate, external nutrient supply, and fisheries on the marine ecosystem. The applied regional climate system model contains state-of-the-art component models for the atmosphere, sea ice, ocean, land surface, terrestrial and marine biogeochemistry, and marine food-web. Time-dependent scenario simulations for the period 1960–2100 are performed and uncertainties of future projections are estimated. In addition, reconstructions since 1850 are carried out to evaluate the models sensitivity to external stressors on long time scales. Information from scenario simulations are used to support decision-makers and stakeholders and to raise awareness of climate change, environmental problems, and possible abatement strategies among the general public using geovisualization. It is concluded that the study results are relevant for the Baltic Sea Action Plan of the Helsinki Commission.     

The concept of resilience in OSH management: a review of approaches

The concept of resilience has become very popular, especially in the 21st century. This concept is applicable to many fields, from mechanics to a broad range of social sciences. Resilience has even become part of the national and global policies of the USA, the United Nations and the European Commission. The concept of resilience has also been implemented in the area of safety and health based on the criticism of the traditional approach to occupational safety and health, which does not result in a satisfactory level of occupational safety. The concept of resilience was adopted to research occupational safety and health in different fields and thus with different approaches, such as via socio-technical studies, the psychological and behavioral aspects of organizational resilience and the link with research on individual or family resilience and its influence on work.     

An approach to cleaner production: from hair burning to hair saving using a lime-free unhairing system

One of the methods to decrease the pollution of tanneries' wastewater is hair saving unhairing of hides. An investigation of proteolytic activity of enzymatic preparation (EP) has shown that some EPs have high stability in strong alkaline solutions and can be used for the hair saving process.Based on this investigation, a new hair saving unhairing method using a system containing EP, sodium hydroxide, sodium sulphide, and disodium hydrophosphate was developed. The method results in a high quality pelt suitable for leather manufacturing, decreases the pollution caused by sodium sulphide and the other products of hair degradation and avoids the pollution caused by calcium compounds.