EuroBionet: a pan-European biomonitoring network for urban air quality assessment

EuroBionet, the 'European Network for the Assessment of Air Quality by the Use of Bioindicator Plants', is an EU-funded cooperative project currently consisting of public authorities and scientific institutes from 12 cities in 8 countries. In 2000, the bioindicator plants tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum Bel W3), poplar (Populus nigra 'Brandaris'), spiderwort (Tradescantia sp. clone 4430), Italian rye grass (Lolium multiflorum italicum) and curly kale (Brassica oleracea acephala) were exposed to ambient air at 90 monitoring sites according to standardised methods. Visible injuries and growth parameters were assessed and the accumulation of toxic substances in leaves determined. The exposure of tobacco resulted in a gradient with low levels of ozone-induced foliar injury in N and NW Europe, and medium to high values in the southern and central regions. The results of heavy metal and sulphur analyses in rye grass samples generally showed low to very low sulphur and low to medium heavy metal concentrations in leaves. In some cities, however, local hot spots of heavy metal contamination were detected. Analyses of the PAH contents in curly kale leaves gave low to medium values, with locally elevated levels at traffic-exposed sites.     

欧洲的恶臭污染法规及测试技术进展

欧洲城市中人口密度的增加导致了严重的恶臭污染,几百年来,各种有关恶臭污染的法规相继出台。在过去的30年中,恶臭测试方法有所发展,人们不再轻信环境健康工作者的主观判断,而是将恶臭测试推向定量化的轨道。根据恶臭排放测试,扩散模式以及恶臭标准(以定量恶臭性质的影响研究为基础,确定恶臭污染的可忍受程度),荷兰率先推动了恶臭量化管理趋势。恶臭标准根据各行业的恶臭污染的具体程度制定。嗅觉计测试臭气浓度是一项可靠的技术,目前已经写入欧洲标准(EN13725:2003),将嗅觉计测试法和日本的三点式比较臭袋法进行比较,发现结果具有显著的一致性。嗅辨员的严格筛选也是促成其一致性的关键因素。     

Harmonisation and Standardisation in Multi-National Environmental Statistics – Mission Impossible?

Multi-national statistics are frequently based on data, whichoriginate from national surveys. The systems of nomenclatureapplied for key attributes often show national differences.Different error sources which are incorporated in multi-nationalstatistics are discussed. The paper presents approaches forharmonisation and standardisation of multi-nationalenvironmental statistics and gives examples from the forestrysector. The effect of differences of national forest areaestimates on multi-national figures is quantified. An examplefrom forest health surveys is presented that shows the impact ofdifferent interpretation and application of the attribute crown transparency that is already harmonised on theEuropean level.     

Explaining implementation behaviour of the National Incident Management System (NIMS)

This paper explains the perceived implementation behaviour of counties in the United States with respect to the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The system represents a massive and historic policy mandate designed to restructure, standardise and thereby unify the efforts of a wide variety of emergency management entities. Specifically, this study examined variables identified in the NIMS and policy literature that might influence the behavioural intentions and actual behaviour of counties. It found that three key factors limit or promote how counties intend to implement NIMS and how they actually implement the system: policy characteristics related to NIMS, implementer views and a measure of local capacity. One additional variable—inter‐organisational characteristics—was found to influence only actual behaviour. This study's findings suggest that the purpose underlying NIMS may not be fulfilled and confirm what disaster research has long suggested: the potential for standardisation in emergency management is limited.