Increasing extremes of heat and drought associated with recent severe wildfires in southern Greece

Mountains of the northern Mediterranean basin face two major threats under global change. Aridity and available fuel are both expected to increase because of climatic and land-use changes, increasing fire danger. There may already be signs of such effects in the case of the Pinus nigra and Abies cephalonica forests on Mt. Taygetos (southern Greece). We reconstructed climate (mid- to late-fire-season drought) using tree-rings for the last 150 years and compared it with the mountain’s fire history reconstructed from P. nigra fire scars. Seven, out of the ten, large fires Mt. Taygetos experienced were associated with below-normal precipitation (P) or above-normal maximum temperature (T _max). The largest fires occurred in late summer of 1879, 1944, 1998, and 2007. However, only the recent fires (1998 and 2007) had both low P and high T _max, also confirmed from long-term meteorological data. The synergy between climate and fuel availability may explain the very high intensity of 1998 and 2007 fires that burned mostly as stand-replacing crown fires. The other two large fire events (1879 and 1944) most likely occurred under reduced availability in burning fuel and were related to above-normal T _max. Our findings are among the first based on long-term and site-specific empirical data to support the prediction that Mediterranean mountainous areas will face a very large threat from wildfires in the twenty-first century, if socioeconomic changes leading to land abandonment and thus burning fuel accumulation are combined with the drought intensification projected for the region under global warming.     

Interrelationships of pollution load index, transfer factor, and concentration factor under the effect of sludge

A greenhouse experiment was conducted during 2010–2011. A complete randomized blocks design was used including seven treatment levels of sludge(tons per hectare), i.e., 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and “30+ treated wastewater”, in four replications. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L var longifolia) was chosen as a test plant. The purpose of the experiment was to study the relationships between soil Pollution Load Index, heavy metal transfer factor, and concentration factor and to determine optimum concentration factor values. The following were found: several mathematical relationships were established between the above parameters that could be used for the study of heavy metal accumulation in soils and plants under the effect of the applied sludge. They can be also used for the calculation of one of the above parameters as a function of the others. Based on the experimental data, the optimum concentration factor for several heavy metals were determined by multiple linear regression analysis, expressing the concentration factor as a function of the maximum dry lettuce matter yield, and of optimum/minimum heavy metal content of plant dry matter. The mean value of the calculated concentration factor obtained for each separate metal was: Zn, 2.93; Cd, 0.39; Co, 1.47; and Ni, 0.52.     

Effect of macronutrients and of anaerobic digestate on the heterotrophic cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris grown with glycerol

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of this work was to investigate the kinetics of the heterotrophic growth of Chlorella vulgaris as a means of producing bio-oil for biodiesel...     

Towards the harmonization of water-related policies for managing drought risks across the EU

Drought is recognized as a major issue in the EU, particularly in the Mediterranean region, posing risks to the environment as well as to local and regional economies. The EU policy on water management is continuously evolving, particularly in relation to water scarcity and drought. Starting with the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), which sets the general policy framework for water management across the EU, the EC Communication on Water Scarcity and Drought COM(2007) 414 final set the priorities for managing water scarcity and drought risks. Three follow-up reports (COM(2008) 875 final, COM(2010) 228 final and COM(2011) 133) highlighted achievements and yearly progress within the context of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, whereas guidance has further been provided through the issue of Technical Reports (e.g. the EC Water Scarcity Drafting Group Technical Report 2008–023 on Drought Management, Including agricultural, drought indicators and climate change aspects). The 2012 EU Water Review (“Blue Print for Safeguarding European Waters” will assess achievements and identify further requirements towards long-term sustainable water use across the EU. However, a harmonized approach on drought risk management at the EU level is still lacking, whereas drought risk in several countries and regions has not been yet fully integrated in water management and relevant sectoral policies.This paper focuses on a proposed paradigm shift from crisis to risk management, which is currently gaining ground as a means of reducing societal vulnerability to droughts. The paper underlines the importance of engaging into risk assessment and management practices and identifies policy gaps and requirements for further improvement of the drought management policy framework at all levels of governance: at the EU, at the national and at the river basin and regional levels.     

Psychological consequences among adults following the 1999 earthquake in Athens, Greece

One year after the 7 September 1999 earthquake in Athens, Greece, we investigated the psychological consequences among 305 individuals (71 per cent female) residing in the settlements of Ano Liosia Municipality. Adaptability was difficult (63 per cent) due to limited space (50 per cent). Insecurity feelings were predictive of difficult adaptability (chi2= 29.8, p<0.0001) and were common (63 per cent) among married subjects, independent of age (chi2= 5.0, odds ratio (OR): 0.49, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI): 0.26-0.90). Eighty per cent expressed stress feelings, mainly nervousness/tension (60 per cent). Adaptability (chi2= 5.3, OR: 0.5, 95 per cent CI: 0.27-0.9), age (chi2= 6.5, OR: 1.03, 95 per cent CI: 1.01-1.06), and female gender (chi2= 4.7, OR: 0.48, 95 per cent CI: 0.25-0.90) were independent predictors of stress feelings. The majority (55 percent) developed sleep disorders, chiefly insomnia (60 percent). Adaptability problems were the only predictor of sleep disorders (chi2= 6.4, OR: 0.5, 95 per cent CI: 0.33-0.87). Psychiatric medication use increased after the earthquake.     

Derivation of ozone flux-yield relationships for lettuce: a key horticultural crop

Ozone flux-response relationships were derived for lettuce, employing a multiplicative approach to model the manner in which stomatal conductance is influenced by key environmental variables, using a dataset collected during field experimentation in Crete and yield-response relationships derived from parallel open-top chamber experiments. Regional agronomic practices were adopted throughout. Computed versus measured data revealed that the derived model explained 51% (P<0.001) of the observed variation in stomatal conductance. Concentration-based indices were compared with flux-based indices. Analyses revealed a significant relationship between accumulated stomatal ozone flux and yield employing flux threshold cut-offs up to 4 nmol m(-2) s(-1). Regressions employing very low or zero flux thresholds resulted in the strongest yield-flux relationships (explaining approximately 80% (P<0.05) of the variation in the dataset).     

Occurrence of endocrine disrupters and selected pharmaceuticals in Aisonas River (Greece) and environmental risk assessment using hazard indexes

Purpose

The presence of four phenolic endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs: nonylphenol [NP], NP monoethoxylate[NP1EO], bisphenol A [BPA], triclosan, [TCS]) and four nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs: ibuprofen[IBF], ketoprofen [KFN], naproxen [NPX], diclofenac [DCF]) in a Greek river receiving treated municipal wastewater was investigated in this study.

Methods

Samples were taken from four different points of the river and from the outlet of a sewage treatment plant (STP) during six sampling campaigns, and they were analyzed using gas chromatography?Cmass spectrometry.

Results

According to the results, EDCs were detected in almost all samples, whereas NSAIDs were detected mainly in wastewater and in the part of the river that receives wastewater from the STP. Among the target compounds, the highest mean concentrations in the river were detected for NP (1,345?ng?L^?1) and DCF (432?ng?L^?1). Calculation of daily loads of the target compounds showed that STP seems to be the major source of NSAIDs to the river, whereas other sources contribute significantly to the occurrence of EDCs. The environmental risk due to the presence of target compounds in river water was estimated, calculating risk quotients for different aquatic organisms (algae, daphnids, and fish). Results denoted the possible threat for the aquatic environment due to the presence of NP and TCS in the river.     

On the use of metal-organic frameworks for the extraction of organic compounds from environmental samples

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The determination of trace metals and organic contaminants in environmental samples, such as water, air, soil, and sediment, is until today a...