Search results for "E.P.S."
showing 10 items of 5292 documents
Associations between air pollution and pediatric eczema, rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma: A meta-analysis of European birth cohorts
2020
Background: Uncertainly continues to exist regarding the role of air pollution on pediatric asthma and allergic conditions, especially as air pollution levels have started to decrease in recent decades. Objective: We examined associations of long-term air pollution levels at the home address with pediatric eczema, rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma prevalences in five birth cohorts (BIB, EDEN, GASPII, RHEA and INMA) from seven areas in five European countries. Methods: Current eczema, rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma were assessed in children aged four (N = 6527) and eight years (N = 2489). A multi-morbidity outcome (≥2 conditions versus none) was also defined. Individual outdoor levels of nitrog…
Exposure to mercury among 9-year-old Spanish children: Associated factors and trend throughout childhood
2019
Mercury is considered a neurotoxicant and human exposure occurs mainly from the consumption of marine species. We aimed to describe total mercury concentrations (THg) and associated factors in 9-year old children, as well as to explore the trend in THg from 4 to 9 years of age. The study population consisted of 9-year-old children participating in the INMA (Environment and Childhood) birth cohort study in Valencia, Spain (n = 405, 2013–2014). THg in hair samples was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry at the age of 4 and 9 years. Sociodemographic and dietary data was obtained through questionnaires. Multiple linear regression was used to explore the association between THg and covari…
Zr/Hf ratio and REE behaviour: A coupled indication of lithogenic input in marginal basins and deep-sea brines
2019
Abstract The distribution of dissolved Zr, Hf and Rare Earth Elements (yttrium and lanthanides, hereafter referred to as REE) in the Eastern Mediterranean seawater column was measured in the Kryos basin to evaluate the lithogenic contribution from both Nile River and Sahara and Arabian desert dust. We found dissolved Zr/Hf ratios below the signature of crustal rocks and chondrites; a phenomenon likely driven by the dissolution of the Mn-rich coating of atmospheric dust particles delivered from the desert. In deeper waters, Zr/Hf ratios are clustered close to the signature of crustal rocks and chondrites according to the different Zr and Hf dissolved speciation. The Zr/Hf ratio observed in t…
Towards a long-term dataset of ELBARA-II measurements assisting SMOS level-3 land product and algorithm validation at the Valencia Anchor Station
2015
[EN] The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission was launched on 2nd November 2009 with the objective of providing global estimations of soil moisture and sea salinity. The main activity of the Valencia Anchor Station (VAS) is currently to assist in a long-term validation of SMOS land products. This study focus on a level 3 SMOS data validation with in situ measurements carried out in the period 2010-2012 over the VAS. ELBARA-II radiometer is placed in the VAS area, observing a vineyard field considered as representative of a major proportion of an area of 50×50 km, enough to cover a SMOS footprint. Brightness temperatures (TB) acquired by ELBARA-II have been compared to those obser…
Testing Sediment Connectivity at the Experimental SPA2 Basin, Sicily (Italy)
2017
The concept of sediment delivery can be used as a measure of sediment connectivity, and it can be linked to the structural connectivity (morphological unit, slope length, slope steepness, travel time) of a basin and to the hydrological connectivity (rainfall–runoff processes at morphological unit scale). In this paper, the sediment connectivity concept was tested at basin scale applying SEdiment Delivery Distributed model, which takes into account the hillslope sediment transport, and using sediment yield measurements carried out at SPA2 experimental basin (Sicily, Italy). For the SPA2 basin discretized into morphological units, the SEdiment Delivery Distributed model was first calibrated a…
PHYSICS-based retrieval of scattering albedo and vegetation optical depth using multi-sensor data integration
2017
Vegetation optical depth and scattering albedo are crucial parameters within the widely used τ-ω model for passive microwave remote sensing of vegetation and soil. A multi-sensor data integration approach using ICESat lidar vegetation heights and SMAP radar as well as radiometer data enables a direct retrieval of the two parameters on a physics-derived basis. The crucial step within the retrieval methodology is the calculus of the vegetation scattering coefficient KS, where one exact and three approximated solutions are provided. It is shown that, when using the assumption of a randomly oriented volume, the backscatter measurements of the radar provide a sufficient first order estimate and …
Short-Term Vegetation Recovery after a Grassland Fire in Lithuania: The Effects of Fire Severity, Slope Position and Aspect
2016
In Lithuania, fire is frequently used by farmers as a tool to remove dry grass, improve soil nutrient status and help soil tilling. However, little is known about the ecological impacts of these fires, including vegetation recovery. The objective of this work is to study the impacts of a spring grassland fire on vegetation recuperation on an east-facing (A) and a west-facing slope (B), considering fire severity and slope position, 10, 17, 31 and 46 days after the fire. Because of their effects on fire behaviour, aspect, steepness and heterogeneity of topography favoured higher fire severity on slope B than on slope A. Three different slope positions were identified on slope A – flat top, mi…
Soil erosion processes in European vineyards: A qualitative comparison of rainfall simulation measurements in Germany, Spain and France
2016
Small portable rainfall simulators are considered a useful tool to analyze soil erosion processes in cultivated lands. European research groups in Spain (Valencia, Málaga, Lleida, Madrid and La Rioja), France (Reims) and Germany (Trier) have used different rainfall simulators (varying in drop size distribution and fall velocities, kinetic energy, plot forms and sizes, and field of application) to study soil loss, surface flow, runoff and infiltration coefficients in different experimental plots (Valencia, Montes de Málaga, Penedès, Campo Real and La Rioja in Spain, Champagne in France and Mosel-Ruwer valley in Germany). The measurements and experiments developed by these research teams give…
Progress on bringing together raptor collections in Europe for contaminant research and monitoring in relation to chemicals regulation.
2019
Paola Movalli et al.
Personal Exposure to Ultrafine Particles According to Different Environments and Modes of Transport in Schoolchildren: Results from a Spanish Cohort …
2017
Background Combustion, especially in diesel engines, emits a complex mixture of gases and particles that could be harmful for the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Daily personal exposure to the smallest particulate matter (less than 0.1 µm and usually called nanoparticles or ultrafine particles – UFP) has been studied to a lesser extent compared to coarser particles. In this study we aim to assess personal exposure to UFP in different environments and transport modes among schoolchildren from a Spanish birth-cohort in the province of Valencia. Methods The study population consisted of 114 children aged 10-11 years. For each of them, personal exposure to UFP was measured continuously …