Toxic metal (Pb, Cd, As and Hg) and organochlorine residue levels in hake (Merluccius merluccius) from the Marmara Sea, Turkey

Toxic metals (Pb, Cd, As and Hg) and organochlorine residue levels were measured in hake (Merluccius merluccius) from the Marmara Sea. Biota samples were collected by a trawling cruise of the R/V ARAR in August and December 2009. The concentrations of toxic metals varied between Pb, 3.23-14.4; Cd, <0.01-2.14; Hg, 0.01-0.18 and As, 0.01-0.21 [Formula: see text]g g(-1) dry wt. Pb levels in the Marmara Sea were found to be higher than the critical limits set by the both Turkish Ministry of Environment for Aquatic Products (1 μg g(-1) wet wt.) and European countries (2.0 μg g(-1), UNEP 1985). In contrast, As and Hg levels were found to be lower than the critical limits for two periods. Cd contents of fish from the Marmara Sea were also comparable to or slightly lower than contents of fish from the Southern Black Sea Shelf. The results of organochlorine residues ranged between total HCH, <0.05 and 99 ng g(-1); endrin, <0.001 and 381 ng g(-1); alpha-endosulphan, <0.05 and 90 ng g(-1); beta-endosulphan, <0.05 and 15.3 ng g(-1); o,p DDE, 3.5 and 52.4 ng g(-1); p,p DDE, 7.4 and 139 ng g(-1); o,p DDD, 1.5 and 90.2 ng g(-1) and p,p DDD, 2.7 and 86 ng g(-1) wet weight. The rivers for the distribution of organochlorine levels in the Marmara Sea ordered from highest to lowest as Dil R. > Susurluk R. > Biga R. > G?nen R. The high levels of o,p and p,p DDE, and o,p and p,p DDD compounds, which are metabolites of DDT, indicate its illegal use. Toxic metal and organochlorine residue levels of fish are significantly higher than levels from the Mediterranean Sea.     

Strategic environmental assessment application for sustainable transport-related air quality policies: a case study in Hanoi City,Vietnam

Recognition has grown among policy-makers that early in the decision-making process, there is a need for an environmental assessment of the effects of the policy, plan, and program (PPP) and their alternatives. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is widely recognized as a supporting tool that systematically integrates environmental aspects into strategic decision-making processes, thereby contributing to sustainable development. In this study, SEA was applied for an integrated assessment of environmental, social, and economic impacts of a wide range of scenarios for transport-related air quality policies to help decision-makers in identifying the most sustainable scenario with the purpose of reducing carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations from transport emissions in Hanoi City, Vietnam. In conducting SEA process, the urban air dispersion model MUAIR was used as a quantitative tool in prediction of CO concentrations. To evaluate the predicted impacts of scenarios, the SEA objectives concerning sustainability and the corresponding sustainable indicators were identified. Based on the likely significant predicted impacts on landscape, biodiversity, and health benefits, mitigation measures were proposed. These included planning in infrastructure development and implementation of public education campaign. The results of predicted and evaluated impacts of scenarios as well as proposed mitigation measures were taken into account for supporting sound decision-making that is consistent with the principles of sustainable development. Considering sustainable impacts of the scenarios, the SEA result clearly indicates that a combination of policy for public transport development and policy for installation of oxidation catalytic converter for motorcycles is the most sustainable scenario for reducing CO concentrations from transport emissions.     

Analyses of incinerated ash of paper sludge: comparison with incinerated ash of municipal solid waste

Fourteen paper sludge samples were collected at seven representative pulp and paper mills in Japan, and were analyzed to obtain fundamental data on the reuse of paper sludge-incinerated ash as papermaking material. For comparison, incinerated ashes of municipal solid waste (MSW) were collected at MSW incineration plants in Tokyo, and analyzed by similar methods. Elementary and X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that the predominant elements in paper sludge samples are calcium, silicon, aluminum, and magnesium, which are derived from paper fillers, coating pigments, and coagulants used in papermaking and process effluent treatments. Similar results were also obtained for the MSW-incinerated ashes, indicating that major components in the collected MSW are paper-related materials. Incineration of paper sludge around 800°C is recommended in terms of high brightness of the incinerated ash, which has about 60% brightness. Calcium, silicon, and aluminum components in the paper sludge are fused or sintered by heating. Although paper-sludge-incinerated ashes have irregular shape and large particle size distributions, they may be used as papermaking materials after pulverization using a ball mill. The MSW-incinerated ashes have 5%–30% water-soluble fractions and low brightness, and thus incineration conditions must be changed to reuse the MSW-incinerated ash as a papermaking material.Part of this paper was presented at the 68th Research Conference of Japan Tappi, Tokyo, 2001     

Accuracy of assessing the level of impulse sound from distant sources.

Impulse sound events are characterised by ultra high pressures and low frequencies. Lower frequency sounds are generally less attenuated over a given distance in the atmosphere than higher frequencies. Thus, impulse sounds can be heard over greater distances and will be more affected by the environment. To calculate a long-term average immission level it is necessary to apply weighting factors like the probability of the occurrence of each weather condition during the relevant time period. This means that when measuring impulse noise at a long distance it is necessary to follow environmental parameters in many points along the way sound travels and also to have a database of sound transfer functions in the long term. The paper analyses the uncertainty of immission measurement results of impulse sound from cladding and destroying explosive materials. The influence of environmental conditions on the way sound travels is the focus of this paper.     

Invading together: the benefits of coalition dispersal in a cooperative bird

Dispersal attempts can be costly and may often end in failure. Individuals should therefore only disperse when the benefits of dispersal outweigh the costs. While previous research has focussed on aspects of the individual that may affect dispersal success, social factors may also influence dispersal outcomes. One way of achieving successful dispersal could be through cooperative, or coalition dispersal. I investigated this possibility in the cooperatively breeding Arabian babbler Turdoides squamiceps. I found that coalition dispersal appears to be an effective strategy to ensure the success of dispersal attempts, with coalitions more successful than lone individuals at taking over the breeding position in a new group. Lone dispersal was more costly than coalition dispersal, with lone individuals suffering a greater loss of body mass during dispersal attempts. These results suggest a substantial short-term benefit for this type of cooperative behaviour. There was no evidence for dispersal polymorphism in the population, with no detectable phenotypic difference between dispersers and non-dispersers or those that dispersed as part of a coalition compared with those that dispersed alone.     

Integrated assessment of CCS in the German power plant sector with special emphasis on the competition with renewable energy technologies

The study presents the results of an integrated assessment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the power plant sector in Germany, with special emphasis on the competition with renewable energy technologies. Assessment dimensions comprise technical, economic and environmental aspects, long-term scenario analysis, the role of stakeholders and public acceptance and regulatory issues. The results lead to the overall conclusion that there might not necessarily be a need to focus additionally on CCS in the power plant sector. Even in case of ambitious climate protection targets, current energy policy priorities (expansion of renewable energies and combined heat and power plants as well as enhanced energy productivity) result in a limited demand for CCS. In case that the large energy saving potential aimed for can only partly be implemented, the rising gap in CO₂ reduction could only be closed by setting up a CCS-maximum strategy. In this case, up to 22% (41 GW) of the totally installed load in 2050 could be based on CCS. Assuming a more realistic scenario variant applying CCS to only 20 GW or lower would not be sufficient to reach the envisaged climate targets in the electricity sector. Furthermore, the growing public opposition against CO₂ storage projects appears as a key barrier, supplemented by major uncertainties concerning the estimation of storage potentials, the long-term cost development as well as the environmental burdens which abound when applying a life-cycle approach. However, recently, alternative applications are being increasingly considered?Cthat is the capture of CO₂ at industrial point sources and biomass based energy production (electricity, heat and fuels) where assessment studies for exploring the potentials, limits and requirements for commercial use are missing so far. Globally, CCS at power plants might be an important climate protection technology: coal-consuming countries such as China and India are increasingly moving centre stage into the debate. Here, similar investigations on the development and the integration of both, CCS and renewable energies, into the individual energy system structures of such countries would be reasonable.     

Zur Entwicklung einer Prüfstrategie auf sexual-endokrine Wirksamkeit einer chemischen Substanz bei Fischen

Ohne Zusammenfassung Hintergrundinformation Umweltbundesamt (2007). Abschlussbericht des Forschungsprojektes „Charakterisierung endokrin vermittelter Wirkungen in Fischen: Relevante Parameter für die Entwicklung einer neuen OECD-Testmethode und in der Anwendung in der gesetzlichen Umweltrisikobewertung“ im Auftrag des Umweltbundesamtes (F?rderkennzeichen 206 67 470). Online erh?ltlich unter     

Conflict on the Coast: Using Geographic Information Systems to Map Potential Environmental Disputes in Matagorda Bay,Texas

The sustainable management of coastal natural resources inevitably involves identifying stakeholder conflicts and developing planning processes that prevent these conflicts from becoming intractable disputes. This study links environmental conflict to specific areas within a large ecological system. Specifically, we use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map potentially competing stakeholder values associated with establishing protected areas in Matagorda Bay, Texas. By overlaying multiple values associated with a range of stakeholders across space, we are able to identify hotspots of potential conflict as well as areas of opportunity for maximizing joint gains. Mapping stakeholder conflict is an approach to proactively locate potential controversy in response to a specific environmental management proposal and guide decision makers in crafting planning processes that mitigate the possibility of intractable disputes and facilitate the implementation of sustainable coastal policies. Results indicate that under different management scenarios, protected area proposals will generate more conflict in specific areas. Most notably, regulated uses would produce the greatest degree of conflict on or near shore, particularly at the mouth of the Colorado River. Additionally, of all the management scenarios evaluated, the prohibition of coastal structural development would generate the overall highest level of conflict within the Bay. Based on the results, we discuss the policy implications for environmental managers and provide guidance for future research on location-based conflict management within the coastal margin.     

Stricter Ozone Ambient Air Quality Standard Has Beneficial Effect on Ponderosa Pine in California

Ambient air quality standards and control strategies are implemented to protect humans and vegetation from adverse effects. We used a process-based tree-growth model (TREGRO) to show that over the past 37 years, changes in O₃ exposure, with accompanying variation in climate, are reflected in changes in the growth of Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws. in the San Bernardino Mountains near Los Angeles, California, USA. Despite variation in temperature and precipitation over the study period (1963–1999), O₃ exposure consistently reduced simulated tree growth. Simulated growth reductions increased concurrent with increasing O₃ exposure. The maximum growth reduction occurred in 1979. As O₃ exposures decreased during the 1980s and 1990s, effects on growth also decreased. This implies that emission control strategies taken to reduce exposures to attain O₃ standards benefited P. ponderosa growth in the San Bernardino Mountains. This modeling approach provides a powerful tool for solving the difficult problem of evaluating regulatory effectiveness by simulating plant response using long-term climate and air pollution exposure records for a given region.Phone 541 754-4621 Fax 541 754-4799     

Effects of Fish Stocking on Ecosystem Services: An Overview and Case Study Using the Stockholm Archipelago

In this article, we focus on documented and possible effects of fish stocking in terms of ecosystem services. The increasing use of fish stocking between 1970 and 2000 in the semiurban setting of Stockholm archipelago, Sweden, is used as case study. The objective is to analyze this management practice from an ecosystem perspective, accounting for both the ecological and social context of releasing fish. The results show that enhancements of four native species (Salmo S. trutta, Salmo salar, Stizostedion lucioperca, and Anguilla anguilla) have dominated over new introductions of one nonnative species. (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The major objective has been to increase fish catches for local resource users. Involved stakeholders include three management agencies, one hydropower company, and several local sport fishing associations. Documented effects focus on recapture and production rates. However, our analysis suggests that additional positive or negative effects on biodiversity, food web dynamics, mobile links, or ecological information may also result, with possible consequences for the long-term provision of food, game, and aesthetic values. We conclude that a more adaptive and cooperative management approach could benefit from a deeper analysis of where, when, and what species is released, by whom, which stakeholders that use the fish and those ecosystem services the fish generate, and of the role of formal and informal institutions for monitoring and evaluating the success of releasing fish.