Search results for "Environmental Monitoring"
showing 10 items of 609 documents
Characterization of the Etna volcanic emissions through an active biomonitoring technique (moss-bags): Part 1 – Major and trace element composition
2013
Active biomonitoring using moss-bags was applied to an active volcanic environment for the first time. Bioaccumulation originating from atmospheric deposition was evaluated by exposing mixtures of washed and air-dried mosses (Sphagnum species) at 24 sites on Mt. Etna volcano (Italy). Concentrations of major and a large suite of trace elements were analysed by inductively coupled mass and optical spectrometry (ICP-MS and ICP-OES) after total acid digestion. Of the 49 elements analysed those which closely reflect summit volcanic emissions were S, Tl, Bi, Se, Cd, As, Cu, B, Na, Fe, Al. Enrichment factors and cluster analysis allowed clear distinction between volcanogenic, geogenic and anthropo…
Integrated satellite data fusion and mining for monitoring lake water quality status of the Albufera de Valencia in Spain
2015
Abstract Lake eutrophication is a critical issue in the interplay of water supply, environmental management, and ecosystem conservation. Integrated sensing, monitoring, and modeling for a holistic lake water quality assessment with respect to multiple constituents is in acute need. The aim of this paper is to develop an integrated algorithm for data fusion and mining of satellite remote sensing images to generate daily estimates of some water quality parameters of interest, such as chlorophyll a concentrations and water transparency, to be applied for the assessment of the hypertrophic Albufera de Valencia. The Albufera de Valencia is the largest freshwater lake in Spain, which can often pr…
Protecting emergency workers and armed forces from volatile toxic compounds: Applicability of reversible conductive polymer-based sensors in barrier …
2019
International audience; Barrier materials have wide applicability in both professional (military, medical, industrial) and non-professional(leisure and sports) fields. This paper focuses on the preparation of real conductive polymer (CP) sensors, for thestudy of the permeation of volatile toxic compounds through barrier materials. Use of such a CP sensor can helpimprove the quality of barrier materials used in protective clothing. Several types of platforms have beenmanufactured or purchased for use as comb sensors with different electrode dimensions, and a suitable methodof applying the detection layer of conductive polymers (polyaniline and poly-pyrrole) has been developed. Prepared senso…
Evaluation of the current status of operating and closed landfills in Russia, Finland and Ireland with regard to water pollution and methane emission
2003
The annual production of municipal solid wastes (MSW) in Russia, Finland and Ireland in the late 1990s accounts for 37.5, 2.5 and 2.05 mln. tonnes or 252, 488 and 566 kg per capita, respectively. 96.5, 64 and 91% of these wastes (for Russia, Finland and Ireland, correspondingly) are currently disposed of via landfilling. However, nowadays, MSW management in these countries is undergoing drastic changes (source separation, closure of old landfills, reduction of the number of landfills etc.) forced by recent legislation set by the European Union and Russian authorities. This paper evaluates the current status of MSW landfills, as well as information on current leachate and methane emissions i…
Internal leachate quality in a municipal solid waste landfill: Vertical, horizontal and temporal variation and impacts of leachate recirculation
2008
The aim of this study was to monitor and characterise internal leachate quality at a Finnish municipal solid waste landfill (Lahti, Kujala, in operation for approximately 50 years) to provide information about its horizontal and vertical variation as well as effects of leachate recirculation on leachate quality. The study area (approximately 4h) of the landfill had 14 monitoring wells for leachate quality monitoring over a 2-year period. The leachate was monitored for COD, BOD, TKN, NH4-N, Cl, pH and electric conductivity. The results showed high horizontal and vertical variability in leachate quality between monitoring wells, indicating that age and properties of waste, local conditions (e…
Determination and assessment of mercury content in calcareous soils.
2009
Abstract This paper provides the first available information on the determination of the total mercury content in different Mediterranean calcareous soils by thermal decomposition, amalgamation and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Fifty-three samples from five soil use groups (natural, dry land, greenhouse, irrigated and rice farming soils) were analysed. The results show that the levels of mercury in these soils were 9.4–1585 μg kg −1 . Soil organic matter and the zinc equivalent index have been related to Hg content in soils, suggesting that Cu, Ni, Zn and Hg are of a similar origin. The background level (BL), geochemical baseline concentrations (GBC) and the reference value (RV) were…
The distribution of phthalate esters in indoor dust of Palermo (Italy).
2013
In this work, phthalic acid esters (PAEs): dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and di-n-octyl phthalate in indoor dust (used as passive sampler) were investigated. The settled dust samples were collected from thirteen indoor environments from Palermo city. A fast and simple method using Soxhlet and GC–MS analysis has been optimized to identify and quantify the phthalates. Total phthalates concentrations in indoor dusts ranged from 269 to 4,831 mg/kg d.w. (d.w. = dry weight). The data show a linear correlation between total PAEs concentration and a single compound content, with the exclusion of the two …
Polychlorinated biphenyls and some pesticides in perch (Perca Fluviatilis) from inland waters of Latvia
1999
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT - related substances, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were analysed in perch (Perca fluviatilis) from Latvian lakes and rivers. DDE is present in the highest concentrations in all samples; 62–170 ng/g lipid weight in perch from rural areas and 460 ng/g in perch from the Riga area. Individual dominating PCB congeners were in the range 16–45 ng/g and 200–210 ng/g, respectively. The degree of contamination of rural areas in Latvia of these organohalogen substances is in the same range as in background areas in Sweden. Riga, the major urban area in Latvia, is shown to be more polluted with PCBs than other areas in Latvia.
Extractability of metals and ecotoxicity of soils from two old wood impregnation sites in Finland
2003
Abstract Four metal-contaminated soil samples were classified using physical methods, extracted by selective extraction procedures and analyzed for chemical concentrations. De-ionized water, 0.01 mol/l barium chloride, 1 mol/l ammonium acetate and concentrated nitric acid were used as extraction solutions. Ecotoxicity of water extracts and soil samples was analyzed in order to describe the bioavailability of the contaminants. Samples from old wood impregnation plants contained high amounts of As, Cu, Cr and Zn, which originated from chromated copper arsenate, ammoniacal copper–zinc arsenate, and ammoniacal copper quaternary compound. Total As concentrations of the heavily contaminated sampl…
Impact of rainfall data resolution in time and space on the urban flooding evaluation.
2013
Climate change and modification of the urban environment increase the frequency and the negative effects of flooding, increasing the interest of researchers and practitioners in this topic. Usually, flood frequency analysis in urban areas is indirectly carried out by adopting advanced hydraulic models to simulate long historical rainfall series or design storms. However, their results are affected by a level of uncertainty which has been extensively investigated in recent years. A major source of uncertainty inherent to hydraulic model results is linked to the imperfect knowledge of the rainfall input data both in time and space. Several studies show that hydrological modelling in urban are…