Cold Atmospheric Plasma as a Novel Method for Inactivation of Potato Virus Y in Water Samples

Food and Environmental Virology - While one of the biggest problems we are facing today is water scarcity, enormous quantities of water are still being used in irrigation. If contaminated, this...     

The UN/ECE International Programme on Mapping Critical Loads and Levels

Critical Loads and levels have played a centralrole in the successful development of effect-based emissionreduction strategies for Europe in the fields of acidification,eutrophication and ground-level ozone. The aim of theInternational Programme on Mapping Critical Loads and Levelsled by Germany, with participation of 24 countries, is todetermine critical loads and levels for forest, crops, naturalvegetation, soils, water and materials. The exceedances ofcritical loads and critical levels are used to quantify the riskfor environmental damage by air pollution and tosupport the development of optimised abatement strategies.     

Land clearance not dieback continues to drive tree loss in a Tasmanian rural landscape

Tree cover has declined markedly since European settlement in the agricultural areas of Australia due to land clearing and natural and stress-induced senescence of remnant trees combined with widespread regeneration failure. These decreases in tree cover have seldom been quantified on a landscape scale, but are important in understanding losses in carbon storage and biodiversity across large areas of the continent. We used historical aerial photography and satellite imagery to study changes in tree canopy cover in the southern Tasmanian Midlands, one of the oldest agricultural regions in Australia. Tree cover at 1,000 random sites was assessed from imagery captured on four occasions between 1947 and 2010. Tree cover was stable between 1947 and the 1970s, but decreased from 33 % in the 1970s to 21 % in 2010. The decrease appeared driven by transition from some cover to no cover, rather than from more cover to less cover, because sites with tree cover in 2010 showed little net change during the study period. Statistical modelling showed soils derived from igneous rocks lost more cover than did the less fertile sedimentary soils, and contrary to the expectations, if drought was the cause of cover loss, sun-exposed north-facing sites did not lose more cover than south-facing ones. We argue that these temporal and spatial patterns of tree cover change are consistent with tree clearing rather than loss of remnant isolated trees due to drought-induced dieback.     

Considerations of the skilled manpower needs for water supply systems

Summary This paper describes an approach to the determination of skilled manpower requirements for the water supply industry. It outlines a training programme presented in five modules: resource exploitation and distribution; meter maintenance; leak detection; electrical/mechanical equipment, and sewage systems. This training curriculum is based on a detailed analysis of what is needed in a particular country. Though the proposals are specific, in this case Turkey, the approach is general and as such will have a wide application in discussions of what types of skills are required, and what is necessary to develop the necessary capabilities of the programme.Dr Gregor Watters is a qualified engineer with a special expertise in the design and construction of water supply and sewage treatment systems. His present appointment is Regional Officer for Basic Sanitary Measures at the World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe. He has experience of projects in Nigeria, Tanzania, Iraq, Yugoslavia and Turkey.     

A STUDY OF RESIDENTIAL STORMWATER IMPOUNDMENTS: PERCEPTIONS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS1

ABSTRACT: The traditional solution to stormwater runoff from housing developments has been stormwater sewer systems. A newer and increasingly popular solution is some sort of impoundment or “lake” within the development, which is thought to be cheaper, to provide recreation, to improve the aesthetics of the environment, and to increase property values. Little is known of the acceptability of these to public officials, developers, or potential residents, or of their policy implications. Two such developments in Mississauga, Ontario, were studied, in terms of the perceptions and opinions of a random sample of residents and of officials who had been involved in their planning and management. The areas have attracted a relatively young group, just beginning their child-bearing years, with relatively high income and education. The lakes appear to be popular, and relatively successful, especially the one which provides more recreational opportunities, and which has had fewer maintenance problems. The major problems are visual and safety. The City, and to some extent the developers, are seen as the appropriate groups to manage and maintain the lakes. Some suggestions, based on residents' and officials' responses, are presented for future designs and policy formulation.