Determination of Impact of Urbanization on Agricultural Land and Wetland Land Use in Balçovas’ Delta by Remote Sensing and GIS Technique

Because of their intense vegetation and the fact that they include areas of coastline, deltas situated in the vicinity of big cities are areas of greet attraction for people who wish to get away from in a crowded city. However, deltas, with their fertile soil and unique flora and fauna, need to be protected. In order for the use of such areas to be planned in a sustainable way by local authorities, there is a need for detailed data about these regions. In this study, the changes in land use of the Balçova Delta, which is to the immediate west of Turkey’s third largest city Izmir, from 1957 up to the present day, were investigated. In the study, using aerial photographs taken in 1957, 1976 and 1995 and an IKONOS satellite image from the year 2005, the natural and cultural characteristics of the region and changes in the coastline were determined spatially. Through this study, which aimed to reveal the characteristics of the areas of land already lost as well as the types of land use in the Balçova delta and to determine geographically the remaining areas in need of protection, local authorities were provided with the required data support. Balçova consists of flat and fertile wetland with mainly citrus-fruit orchards and flower-producing green houses. The marsh and lagoon system situated in the coastal areas of the delta provides a habitat for wild life, in particular birds. In the Balçova Delta, which provides feeding and resting for migratory birds, freshwater sources are of vital importance for fauna and flora. The settlement area, which in 1957 was 182 ha, increased 11-fold up to the year 2005 when it reached 2,141 ha. On the other hand, great losses were determined in farming land, olive groves, forest and in the marsh and lagoon system. This unsystematic and rapid urbanization occurring in the study region is not only causing the loss of important agricultural land and wetland, but also lasting water and soil pollution.     

Application of a “closed-can” technique for measuring radon exhalation from mine samples of Punjab, Pakistan

Using the closed-can technique, radon exhalation rate measurements have been carried out for shale and coal samples collected from various mines located in the Chakwal and Makarwal areas of Pakistan. For the two areas, the measured average values of the exhalation rates from shale are 1.45±0.13 and 0.67±0.25 Bq m⁻² h⁻¹ and for coal are 1.0±0.03 and 0.65±0.32 Bq m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively. These values are much lower than the measured exhalation rates from alum-shale-based Nordic concrete which has values in the 50–200 Bq m⁻² h⁻¹ range. The lower values of the measured exhalation rates from the shale and coal deposits in the Chakwal and Makarwal areas are indicative of their lower uranium contents and mine workers in these areas do not face any abnormal health hazard due to radon since the exhalation rates have been found to be on the low side.     

Costa Rican Environmental Service Payments: The Use of a Financial Instrument in Participatory Forest Management

The core element of the Costa Rican forestry policy is a financial instrument called the environmental service payment. This instrument rewards forest owners for the environmental services (the mitigation of greenhouse gases, the protection of watersheds and scenic beauty, and the development of biodiversity) their forests provide. In this article, the experiences with this new instrument are analyzed by focusing on the way interests are represented and access is granted, the openness of information exchange, whether social learning occurred, and whether decision-making authority is shared. The analysis is based on a survey conducted in the Huetar Norte Region and on in-depth interviews with the major stakeholders. The Costa Rican case indicates that financial instruments can be used to share responsibilities and that stakeholders can successfully cooperate on forest issues. It also shows that such a participatory approach is only promising if certain cultural, economic, organizational, and political conditions are met.     

环境风作用下弧形立面机场航站楼自然排烟效果的数值模拟研究

机场航站楼公共区域多采用自然排烟方式,而环境风和排烟窗控制模式会影响排烟效果,尤其在弧形立面航站楼中影响效果显著。以某弧形立面航站楼为研究对象,选取候机指廊弧形区域的自然排烟窗分3段控制启闭,进而确定6种控制模式,采用 FDS火灾动力学模拟软件研究了不同模式下的排烟效果,获得了环境风和发烟量对危险到达时间的影响规律, 提出了排烟窗控制模式流程。结果表明:对于弧形立面航站楼而言,排烟窗分段控制模式下的排烟效果优于不分段控制模式,可以有效降低环境风对自然排烟的影响。当环境风速超过10 m/s时,须关闭迎风向排烟窗,避免烟气倒灌。在法向环境风作用的不利条件下,当发烟量在0. 05~0. 20之间时,危险到达时间的最大值tmax与发烟量x满足一次函数关系式:tmax=-3018x+1030.5。     

纵向通风对隧道竖井排烟影响的模拟研究

通过开展小尺寸实验以及FDS数值模拟实验,研究纵向通风对不同高度竖井的排烟影响并确定最佳通风风速。通过分析纵向通风风速、竖井高度对吸穿现象、边界层分离的影响规律,讨论了吸穿现象的临界条件。小尺寸实验中纵向通风风速考虑了0.096 m/s、0.226 m/s、0.356 m/s、0.485 m/s、0.629 m/s五种工况,竖井高度考虑了0.133 m、0.2 m、0.333 m、0.533 m四种工况。实验结果表明:当纵向通风风速为0.096 m/s、0.226 m/s、0.356 m/s(对应实际风速0.37 m/s、0.87 m/s、1.38 m/s)时,可抑制吸穿现象,但烟气边界层分离现象随着风速的增加而加剧。吸穿现象临界判据F_(critical)=1.5在本文所测试的纵向通风条件下不再适用,但Ri′_(critical)=1.5依然适用。数值模拟结果表明:当竖井高度为1 m、1.5 m、2 m时,排烟量随纵向通风的增加而降低,而当其为3 m、4 m、5 m时,排烟量先上升后降低,在测试风速为1.5 m/s时达到最高值。     

通风口高度对太阳能烟囱建筑自然通风和自然排烟性能的影响研究

安装太阳能烟囱后的建筑具有效果优良、节能环保的自然通风系统。室内通风口高度是太阳能烟囱建筑性能的关键参数之一。提出通过改变太阳能烟囱建筑室内通风口高度位置,使太阳能烟囱既可用于建筑的日常自然通风,也能实现室内火灾场景下的自然排烟。利用缩比例实验台研究了不同室内通风口高度对太阳能烟囱建筑自然通风与自然排烟效果的影响,发现自然通风和自然排烟效果随通风口高度增加呈现先增大后减小的趋势,且最佳室内通风口高度位于窗户上檐位置附近。研究结果对太阳能烟囱建筑的建筑结构关键参数设计具有指导意义。     

Measurement of gross alpha and gross beta activity concentrations in human tooth

The gross alpha and gross beta activity concentrations were measured in human tooth taken from 3 to 6 age-groups to 40 and over ones. Accumulated teeth samples are investigated in two groups as under and above 18 years. The gross alpha and beta radioactivity of human tooth samples was measured by using a gas-flow proportional counter (PIC-MPC 9604-α/β counter). In tooth samples, for female age-groups, the obtained results show that the mean gross alpha and gross beta activity concentrations varied between 0.534-0.203 and 0.010-0.453 Bq g⁻¹ and the same concentrations for male age-groups varied between 0.009-1.168 and 0.071-0.204 Bq g⁻¹, respectively.     

Bioaccumulation and biological effects in the earthworm Eisenia fetida exposed to natural and depleted uranium

The accumulations of both natural (U) and depleted (DU) uranium in the earthworms (Eisenia fetida) were studied to evaluate corresponding biological effects. Concentrations of metals in the experimental soil ranged from 1.86 to 600 mg kg⁻¹. Five biological endpoints: mortality, animals’ weight increasing, lysosomal membrane stability by measuring the neutral red retention time (the NRRT), histological changes and genetic effects (Comet assay) were used to evaluate biological effects in the earthworms after 7 and 28 days of exposure. No effects have been observed in terms of mortality or weight reduction. Cytotoxic and genetic effects were identified at quite low U concentrations. For some of these endpoints, in particular for genetic effects, the dose (U concentration)-effect relationships have been found to be non-linear. The results have also shown a statistically significant higher level of impact on the earthworms exposed to natural U compared to depleted U.     

The relations between natural and civic place attachment and pro-environmental behavior

The relation between place attachment and pro-environmental behavior is unclear. Studies have reported that place attachment is associated both with more and less pro-environmental behavior. To help clarify this, we distinguished two dimensions of place attachment: civic and natural, and explored their respective influences on pro-environmental behavior. A community sample of residents (N = 104) from two proximate towns with different environmental reputations reported the strength of their civic and natural place attachment, their performance of various pro-environmental behaviors, and a number of sociodemographic characteristics. Regression analyses revealed that natural, but not civic place attachment predicted pro-environmental behavior when controlling for the town, length of residence, gender, education and age. This demonstrates that research and theory on place attachment should consider its civic and natural dimensions independently.     

Technologically enhanced 210Pb and 210Po in iron and steel industry

Iron and steel manufacture has been ranked as the largest industrial source of environmental contamination in the USA; the wastes generated in their production processes contain heavy elements that can be a source of contamination, and natural radionuclides that can produce an occupational and/or public radiological impact. In this work the potential occupational effective dose rate (μSv/y) due to inhalation in four integrated steel-making factories from Egypt has been evaluated, by assuming a well defined scenario and with basis in the ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po activity concentrations determined in ore and wastes collected in the aforementioned factories. Activity concentrations, in Bq/kg, of ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po, and leachable Pb and Fe were measured using gamma-ray spectrometry based on HPGe detector, alpha particle spectrometry based on PIPS detector, and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Levels of ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po in the range of <DL-4238 and 1-5660 Bq/kg, respectively, were found. According to the assumed scenarios, the occupational exposures by inhalation are much lower than the recommended annual effective dose limit, although the environmental impact due to waste storage and/or use should be considered based on case by case evaluation.