Trace Metal Voltammetric Determination of Otoliths of Tench Tinca Tinca (L.): Its Possible Uses in Monitoring the Quality of Fresh Waters

New data of heavy metals in otoliths of fresh water teleosts are reported. Differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) has been used for determining copper, lead, cadmium and zinc in otoliths of tench, Tinca tinca (L.). the analytical procedure followed gives data of good repeatability and with low detection limits, in a simple and inexpensive way. Tench of age ranging from 3 to 8 years were examined. Four year old fish had maximum concentrations of heavy metals, and an otolith weight adequate for experimental determinations in bulked samples. Fresh water teleosts are less mobile than marine ones, and could be used for monitoring the quality of waters suspected for pollution, and eventually verifying the influence of the environmental variations on the metal bioaccumulation.     

Description and preliminary validation of the PMSS fast response parallel atmospheric flow and dispersion solver in complex built-up areas

Noxious atmospheric releases may originate from both accidents and malicious activities. They are a major concern for public authorities or first responders who may wish to have the most accurate situational awareness. Nonetheless, it is difficult to reliably and accurately model the flow, transport, and dispersion processes in large complex built-up environments in a limited amount of time and resources compatible with operational needs. The parallel version of Micro-SWIFT-SPRAY (PMSS) is an attempt to propose a physically sound and fast response modelling system applicable to complicated industrial or urban sites in case of a hazardous release. This paper presents and justifies the choice of the diagnostic flow and Lagrangian dispersion models in PMSS. Then, it documents in detail the development of the parallel algorithms used to reduce the computational time of the models. Finally, the paper emphasizes the preliminary model validation and parallel performances of PMSS based on data from both wind tunnel (Evaluation of Model Uncertainty) and in-field reduced-scale (Mock Urban Setting Test) and real-scale (Oklahoma City) experimental campaigns.     

The Food Allergy Risk Management in the EU Labelling Legislation

Food allergy represents an increasing public health issue, and a large number of food control authorities have provided regulations aimed to minimize the risk of allergic reaction for sensitized consumers. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations together with the World Health Organization established the Codex Alimentarius Commission whose main goal is to protect the consumers’ health. To purse this task the Commission listed the foods and ingredients causing the most severe allergic reactions that should be labelled. It has been reported that some cases of specific foods hypersensitivity display a different prevalence among different Countries. Thus, the European Union drew up a list of mandatory allergens (that must be labelled) longer than that provided by Codex Alimentarius. As a consequence of the complexity of the legal phraseology of the European Union (EU) and/or European Community (EC) the Regulations and/or Directives were differently translated in all EC/EU official languages determining possible misinterpretations of the legislation. Moreover, food labelling regulations were also established with the goal to promote the consumers’ conscious choice about what they eat. Starting from the case of the fermented beverages, we analysed the European legislative scenario concerning the allergen labelling of the last fifteen years, highlighting that mistranslations, misinterpretations and lack of information in the EU Regulations might lead to health and ethical issues.     

Preparation and characterization of carbon-enriched coal fly ash

Carbon-enriched fractions have been obtained from two coal fly ash (FA) samples. The FA came from two pulverized-coal fired power stations (Lada and Escucha, Spain) and were collected from baghouse filters. Sieving was used to obtain carbon-enriched fractions, which were further subjected to two beneficiation processes: acid demineralization using HCl and HF, and oil agglomeration using soya oil-water. Yield in weight after sieving, unburned carbon content, and several physicochemical characteristics of the obtained fractions were used to compare the performance of the beneficiation methods. Low carbon concentration was obtained by sieving, particularly in the case of Escucha FA. However, after acid demineralization or oil agglomeration, fractions containing unburned carbon in a range of 63% to 68% were obtained. These fractions showed differences in mineral phase composition and distribution depending on the FA and on the beneficiation method used. The textural properties of the obtained fractions varied as a function of their carbon content and the beneficiation method used. However, no significant differences in morphology of the carbonaceous particles were found.     

The kernel method to compute the intensity of segregation for reactive pollutants: Mathematical formulation

It is well known that turbulent dispersion influences chemical reactions and that computation of reactant concentrations or mean chemical reaction rates can suffer of serious error when small-scale atmospheric processes' effects on chemical transformation are neglected. A quantity that gives a measure of the influence of turbulent dispersion on second-order chemical reaction rates is the intensity of segregation. A nonparametric estimator based on the kernel method aimed at measuring the intensity of segregation is proposed. Numerical benchmark tests, in the case of a Gaussian plume, are performed to study the suitability of this technique. The estimator works well, especially for small and moderate separation from the plume centreline and generally in the smooth parts of the estimated function. The effective reaction rate is computed and the percentage error emerges to be less than 5% in the best estimation intervals, and less than 40% in the worst. A method to reduce percentage error is introduced and improved performances are observed. The estimator proposed turns out to be particularly suitable for Lagrangian air quality modelling because it permits conservation of the grid independence.     

Testing kernel density reconstruction for Lagrangian photochemical modelling

In recent years, a number of pioneering works have shown as Lagrangian models can be of great interest when dealing with photochemistry, provided that special care is given in the reconstruction of chemicals concentration in the atmosphere. Density reconstruction can be performed through the so-called “box counting” method: an Eulerian grid for chemistry is introduced and density is computed counting particles in each box. In this way one of the main advantages of the Lagrangian approach, the grid independence, is lost. In this paper, a new approach to Lagrangian photochemical modelling is investigated and the chemical module of the Photochemical Lagrangian Particle Model (PLPM) is described and fully tested for stability, reliability and computational weight. Photochemical reactions are treated in PLPM by means of the complex chemical mechanism SAPRC90 and four density reconstruction methods have been developed, based on the kernel density estimator approach, in order to obtain grid-free accurate concentrations.     

Prenatal diagnosis of recurrence of cystic hygroma with normal chromosomes

Cyst-like masses in the neck and back region, simulating an encephalocele, were detected by midtrimester ultrasound examinations in two sib fetuses. After termination, the fetuses were found to have large cystic hygromas. The present observation strongly suggests the existence of an autosomal recessive type of cystic hygroma.     

A European supergrid for renewable energy: local impacts and far-reaching challenges

This article assesses the impact of extensive deployment of indigenous and external renewable energy sources on a local electricity system (Sardinia Island) and discusses the main challenges faced by the European power grids in integrating high shares of renewable-based generation technologies. It presents the 2030 scenarios for the Sardinian power system and the results of steady-state analyses in extreme (renewable) generation and consumption conditions. These results are eventually combined with the assessment of key technology development trends to explain how this can affect the development of a European supergrid. In general, the article stresses that rendering the bulk-power system capable of accommodating high renewable energy penetration not only requires reinforcing the electricity highways but also demands carefully planning the architecture of and the interface with regional power systems.     

L'Aquila's reconstruction challenges: has Italy learned from its previous earthquake disasters?

Italy is an earthquake‐prone country and its disaster emergency response experiences over the past few decades have varied greatly, with some being much more successful than others. Overall, however, its reconstruction efforts have been criticised for being ad hoc, delayed, ineffective, and untargeted. In addition, while the emergency relief response to the L'Aquila earthquake of 6 April 2009—the primary case study in this evaluation—seems to have been successful, the reconstruction initiative got off to a very problematic start. To explore the root causes of this phenomenon, the paper argues that, owing to the way in which Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has politicised the process, the L'Aquila reconstruction endeavour is likely to suffer problems with local ownership, national/regional/municipal coordination, and corruption. It concludes with a set of recommendations aimed at addressing the pitfalls that may confront the L'Aquila reconstruction process over the next few years.     

Singlet oxygen mediated degradation of Klason lignin

After some results concerning photochemical generated singlet oxygen on lignins from steam explosion, the reactions of chemically generated singlet oxygen with Klason lignins from pine and beech are described. Singlet oxygen was produced through the reaction of hydrogen peroxide with sodium hypochlorite. The degradation of lignin was followed by uv spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. Extensive degradation of the lignins was observed when 20 mg of Klason lignin was treated with 1 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide and 8.56 ml of 1.093 M sodium hypochlorite. In the uv spectra registered after the treatment with singlet oxygen the absorptions typical of lignin (210-220 nm and 250-280 nm) were completely absent. The gpc analysis of lignin after a treatment with 0.1 ml of hydrogen peroxide and 0.86 ml of sodium hypochlorite showed a clear reduction of signals due to the lignin and a shift to lower molecular weight. The potential use of this procedure in the bleaching procedure was tested by using recycled paper. A maximum reduction of 51% in the amount of lignin in this paper was observed.