Search results for "Environmental Monitoring"
showing 10 items of 609 documents
Recent benthic foraminiferal assemblages and their relationship to environmental variables on the shoreface and inner shelf off Valencia (Western Med…
2014
The environmental variables that determine the distributions of benthic foraminiferal assemblages on the shoreface and inner shelf of the north of Valencia province (Western Mediterranean) are identified. The possible influence of variables such as water depth, distance from shore, hydrodynamics, substrate type, carbonate content, organic matter content and human activity is evaluated. Multivariate cluster-Q-type analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA) are used to identify the environmental variables that have the greatest influence on the assemblage distribution. The spatial distribution of the assemblages is closely associated with water depth and substrate. The diversity and abundance of …
A review of hydropower plants in Romania: Distribution, current knowledge, and their effects on fish in headwater streams
2021
Abstract Hydropower is currently experiencing a boom in southeast Europe. For Romania, the number of hydropower plants is estimated to be between 545 and 674, but little has been published about their environmental impact. We provide the first overview of the geographical distribution of hydropower plants in Romania, supplemented by a review of current knowledge about their environmental impact, and present case study evidence on the effects of small hydropower plants on fish in headwater streams of the Carpathian Mountains. We show that 49% of the documented 545 hydropower plants in Romania are located in Natura 2000 or other protected areas, 5% are located in water bodies with ‘very good’…
Current trends in solid-phase-based extraction techniques for the determination of pesticides in food and environment
2006
Solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedures for pesticide residues in food and environment are reviewed and discussed. The use of these procedures, which include several approaches such as: matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD), solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) and stir-bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), represents an opportunity to reduce analysis time, solvent consumption, and overall cost. SPE techniques differ from solvent extraction depending on the interactions between a sorbent and the pesticide. This interaction may be specific for a particular pesticide, as in the interaction with an immunosorbent, or non-specific, as in the way a number of different pesticides are adsorbed on apolar or…
Comprehensive analytical strategy for biomonitoring of pesticides in urine by liquid chromatography–orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry
2014
In this study we propose an analytical strategy that combines a target approach for the quantitative analysis of contemporary pesticide metabolites with a comprehensive post-target screening for the identification of biomarkers of exposure to environmental contaminants in urine using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC–HRMS). The quantitative method for the target analysis of 29 urinary metabolites of organophosphate (OP) insecticides, synthetic pyrethroids, herbicides and fungicides was validated after a previous statistical optimization of the main factors governing the ion source ionization and a fragmentation study using the high energy collision disso…
Spectroscopic and conformational properties of size-fractions separated from a lignite humic acid
2007
Abstract A lignite humic acid (HA) was fractionated by preparative high performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) in seven different size-fractions. The size-fractions were characterized by cross polarization (CP) magic angle spinning (MAS) 13 C NMR spectroscopy and a further analytical HPSEC elution under UV and fluorescence detection. The alkyl hydrophobic components mainly distributed in the largest molecular-size-fraction, whereas the amount of oxidized carbons increased with decreasing size of fractions. Cross polarization time ( T CH ) and proton spin-lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame ( T 1 ρ (H)) were measured from variable contact time (VCT) experiments. The bulk…
In Itinere STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT of an integrated provincial waste system
2009
In the paper, the practical problem of analysing in an integrated way the performance of provincial waste systems is approached, in the framework of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). In particular, the in itinere phase of SEA is analysed herein. After separating out a proper group of ambits, to which the waste system is supposed to determine relevant impacts, pertinent sets of single indicators are proposed. Through the adoption of such indicators the time trend of the system is investigated, and the suitability of each indicator is critically revised. The structure of the evaluation scheme, which is essentially based on the use of ambit issues and analytical indicators, calls …
Large-Eddy Simulation in LSPIV techniques: the study of surface turbolence
2021
<p>In recent years, technological advances have been observed in environmental monitoring field, leading to a rapid spread of innovative technologies overcoming many historical challenges. In river monitoring field the use of image-based techniques provides non-intrusive measurements ensuring the best safety conditions for operators. The most used optical methods are the Large-Scale Particle Image Velocimetry (LSPIV) and the Large-Scale Particle Tracking Velocimetry (LSPTV).</p><p>In LSPIV and LSPTV techniques a floating tracer is introduced on the water surface and its motion is recorded by commercial devices (e.g. digital cameras). Resulting video…
Cluster of Legionnaires’ Disease in an Italian Prison
2019
Background: Legionella pneumophila (Lp) is the most common etiologic agent causing Legionnaires&rsquo
Source and Nature of Inhaled Atmospheric Dust from Trace Element Analyses of Human Bronchial Fluids
2011
International audience; Rapid volcanic eruptions quickly ejecting large amounts of dust provoke the accumulation of heavy metals in people living in surrounding areas. Analyses of bronchoalveolar lavage samples (BAL) collected from people exposed to the paroxysmal 2001 Etna eruption revealed a strong enrichment of many toxic heavy metals. Comparing the BAL to the dust composition of southeastern Sicily, we found that only V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and U enrichment could be related to the volcanic event, whereas Ni, Cu, Cd, and Pb contents come from the dissolution of particles of anthropogenic origin. Furthermore, the nature of these inhaled anthropogenic particles was revealed by anomalous La and…
WebGIS Implementation for Dynamic Mapping and Visualization of Coastal Geospatial Data: A Case Study of BESS Project
2021
Within an E.U.-funded project, BESS (Pocket Beach Management and Remote Surveillance System), the notion of a geographic information system is an indispensable tool for managing the dynamics of georeferenced data and information for any form of territorial planning. This notion was further explored with the creation of a WebGIS portal that will allow local and regional stakeholders/authorities obtain an easy remote access tool to monitor the status of pocket beaches (PB) in the Maltese Archipelago and Sicily. In this paper, we provide a methodological approach for the implementation of a WebGIS necessary for very detailed dynamic mapping and visualization of geospatial coastal data