Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 01/06/2006
This is the weekly bulletin of the TURI Library, reporting a selection of recently published titles we have acquired. Our pledge is to keep the bulletin relevant to your work and brief -- no more than 10 titles. You are
welcome to send a message to jan@turi.org if you would like more
information on any of the articles listed here.
Titles here, abstracts below them:
- Pacific Island Villagers First Climate Change
"Refugees": UN Environment Builds Bridges Between Vulnerable Peoples
in the Arctic and Small
Islands
- Nanotechnology White Paper: External Review Draft
- Dechlorane Plus, a Chlorinated Flame Retardant, in the Great Lakes
- Wet End Chemistry: Doing More With Less
- REACH Vote -- MEPs Back Contentious Compromise
- Alternative Fuels: High Oil, Gas Prices Energize the
Market
- New UNC Experiments Show Very Weak Chlorine Solutions Can Kill Noroviruses
- Electroactive Bioplastics Flex Their Industrial Muscle
- Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2004
- Late Lessons from Early Warnings for EDSs
1. Pacific Island Villagers First Climate Change
"Refugees": UN Environment Builds Bridges Between Vulnerable Peoples
in the Arctic and Small
Islands
SOURCE United Nations Environment Programme,
www.unep.org, December 6, 2005
ABSTRACT A small community living in the Pacfic island
chain of Vanuatu has become one of, if not the first, to be formally moved out
of harms way as a result of climate change. The villagers have been relocated
higher into the interior of Tegua, one of the chains’ northern most provinces,
after their coastal homes were repeatedly swamped by storm surges and
aggressive waves linked with climate change. The relocation, under a project
entitled Capacity
Building for the
Development of Adaptation in Pacific Island Countries, underlines the
increasingly drastic measures now underway to conserve low lying communities as
a result of the rise in human-made emissions to the atmosphere. Klaus Toepfer,
UNEP’s Executive Director, said: “The peoples of the Arctic and the small
islands of this world face many of the same threats as a result of climbing
global temperatures the most acute of which is the devastation of their entire
ways of life”.“The melting and receding of sea ice and the rising of sea
levels, storms surges and the like are the first manifestations of big changes
underway which eventually will touch everyone on the planet. The plight of
these vulnerable peoples should be a clear signal to governments meeting here
in Montreal
that we must hurry up if we are to avert a climate-led catastrophe for current
and future generations,” he added. Other areas vulnerable to climate change are
mountain regions where the melting of glaciers is creating huge lakes whose
mud, soil and stone banks could burst sending huge quantities of water down
gulleys and valleys. The threat is underlined in the Himalayas where studies by
UNEP in collaboration with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain
Development (ICIMOD), have found some 50 glacial lakes that are of concern in Nepal and Bhutan.
2. Nanotechnology White Paper: External Review Draft
SOURCE United States Environmental Protection Agency
(USEPA)
DATE 2005
ABSTRACT Nanotechnology has the potential to change and
improve many sectors of American industry, from consumer products to health
care to transportation, energy and agriculture. In addition to these societal
benefits, nanotechnology presents new opportunities to improve how we measure,
monitor, manage, and minimize contaminants in the environment, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, or “the
Agency”) will continue to support and advance these opportunities. However, as
the applications of nanotechnology continue to expand, EPA also has the
obligation and mandate to protect human health and safeguard the environment by
better understanding and addressing potential risks from exposure to materials
containing nano-scale particles (commonly known as “nanomaterials”). In
December 2004, EPA’s Science Policy Council created a cross-Agency workgroup
charged with describing the issues EPA must address to ensure that society
accrues the important benefits to environmental protection that nanotechnology
may offer, as well as to better understand any potential risks from exposure to
nanomaterials in the environment. This paper is the product of that workgroup.
The paper begins with an introduction that describes what nanotechnology is,
why EPA is interested in it, and what opportunities and challenges exist
regarding nanotechnology and the environment. It then moves to a discussion of
the potential environmental benefits of nanotechnology, describing
environmental technologies as well as other applications that can foster
sustainable use of resources. Following is a brief section on risk management
and the Agency’s statutory mandates, which sets the stage for a discussion of
risk assessment issues specific to nanotechnology. The paper then provides an
extensive review of research needs for both environmental applications and
implications of nanotechnology. To help EPA focus on priorities for the near
term, the paper concludes with recommendations on next steps for addressing
science policy issues and research needs. Supplemental information is provided
in a number of appendices.
3. Dechlorane Plus, a Chlorinated Flame Retardant, in the Great Lakes
AUTHOR Hoh, Eunha; Zhu, Lingyan; Hites, Ronald A.
SOURCE Environmental Science & Technology, Research
ASAP, Web release January 4, 2006
ABSTRACT A highly chlorinated flame retardant, Dechlorane
Plus (DP), was detected and identified in ambient air, fish, and sediment
samples from the Great Lakes region. The identity of this compound was
confirmed by comparing its gas chromatographic retention times and mass spectra
with those of authentic material. This compound exists as two gas chromatographically
separable stereoisomers (syn and anti), the structures of which were
characterized by one- and two-dimensional proton nuclear magnetic resonance. DP
was detected in most air samples, even at remote sites. The atmospheric DP
concentrations were higher at the eastern Great Lakes sites (Sturgeon
Point, NY, and Cleveland,
OH) than those at the western Great Lakes
sites (Eagle Harbor, MI,
Chicago, IL,
and Sleeping Bear Dunes, MI). At the Sturgeon Point site, DP concentrations
once reached 490 pg/m3. DP atmospheric concentrations were comparable to those
of BDE-209 at the eastern Great Lakes sites.
DP was also found in sediment cores from Lakes Michigan and Erie. The peak DP concentrations were
comparable to BDE-209 concentrations in the sediment core from Lake Erie but
were about 30 times lower than BDE- 209 concentrations in the core from Lake Michigan. In the sediment cores, the DP
concentrations peaked around 1975-1980, and the surficial concentrations were
10- 80% of peak concentrations. Higher DP concentrations in air samples from Sturgeon Point, NY, and
in the sediment core from Lake Erie suggest that DP’s manufacturing facility in
Niagara Falls, NY, may be a source. DP was also detected in
archived fish (walleye) from Lake Erie,
suggesting that this compound is, at least partially, bioavailable.
4. Wet End Chemistry: Doing More With Less
SOURCE TAPPI and PIMA Solutions! v88 n11, November 2005,
pp26-29
ABSTRACT When it comes to wet end chemistry, today's
papermaker is like a kid in a candy store: forced to choose from an array of
wonderful products but only holding a few coins to spend. Facing intense
pressure to cut costs, papermakers are looking to get the same amount of
performance -- or more -- while using smaller amounts of chemicals.
Environmental concerns further complicate every decision. To help our readers
get more from less, we asked the wet end experts to weigh in on how effective
chemical use can help reduce costs, improve efficiency, and meet environmental
targets.
5. REACH Vote -- MEPs Back Contentious Compromise
SOURCE Chemical Market Reporter, v268 n18, 21 November -
4 December 2005, p16
ABSTRACT Europe’s MEPS [Members of the European Parliament]
have agreed to back the contentious compromise hammered out by the European
Parliament’s main political groups earlier this month. Following the European
Parliament plenary session in which more than 1,000 amendments were voted on,
Guido Sacconi, the European Parliament’s lead rapporteur on REACH said, “We
have managed to strike a balance between the different expectations. Not
everyone will laud this agreement but we have a functioning minimum for Reach
to work.” Sacconi welcomed the broad support for many of the amendments, adding
that it formed the basis for a pact with all member states by the end of the
year. “REACH could be in force by 2007, and become fully operational by 2018,”
Sacconi said.
6. Alternative Fuels: High Oil, Gas Prices Energize the
Market
AUTHOR Scott, Alex
SOURCE Chemical Week, v167 n40, November 23, 2005, pp15-19
ABSTRACT High oil and gas prices have triggered a surge
of interest in alternative fuels, many of which represent sizable market
opportunities for chemical companies. Firms including Air Liquide, Air
Products, BASF, BP, Cargill, Dow Chemical, DuPont, ExxonMobil, Johnson Matthey,
Novozymes, and Süd-Chemie say they are actively positioning themselves in the
alternative fuels sector, either in the synthesis of fuels, or development of
associated components such as storage, supply chain and delivery, and say they
see significant new market opportunities. Market segments include biofuels,
chiefly ethanol and biodiesel, hydrogen, and synthetic fuels made from syngas
derived from sources including biomass and coal. Ethanol and biodiesel, made
from crops such as corn and sugar cane, may be used as automotive fuel, while
hydrogen is being targeted for use in fuel cells. Methanol producers are also
eyeing the market for portable fuel cells that use methanol to generate
hydrogen in situ. Forecasters note that energy demand is spiralling upward,
while oil production over the long term is set to decrease. “The world is at a
tipping point” with new energy sources ready to begin replacing oil and other
fossil fuels, says Christopher Flavin, president of environmental research
group WorldWatch Institute (Washington,
DC). “Production of biofuels,
wind power, and solar energy are all growing at rates of 20%-30%/year, compared
with 2%/year for oil and gas. New energy sources are attracting about $30 billion/year
in investment,” Flavin says.
7. New UNC Experiments Show Very Weak Chlorine Solutions Can Kill Noroviruses
AUTHOR Williamson, David
SOURCE University
of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill News Services, December 19, 2005
ABSTRACT Chlorine solutions much weaker than previously
believed can still be used to kill more than 99 percent of noroviruses, the
chief cause of outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness around the world, a new University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill study concludes. Researchers
discovered for the first time that dilute solutions of hypochlorous acid, or
free chlorine, as low as 200 -- or even 20 -- milligrams per liter will
completely inactivate noroviruses on surfaces such as stainless steel and
ceramic tile. Dr. Mark D. Sobsey,
professor of environmental sciences and engineering at the UNC School of Public Health, and postdoctoral fellow
Dr. Geunwoo Park conducted the research. They also found that the dilute
chemical worked quickly -- in five minutes or less. “This is good news since
noroviruses are the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis,” said Sobsey,
director of the school’s Environmental Health Microbiology Laboratories. “They
have caused countless outbreaks of gastroenteritis in health-care facilities,
schools, food establishments, hotels and resorts and on cruise ships.”
Decontamination of affected facilities can prove difficult since the viruses
persist on environmental surfaces and are resistant to some widely used
sanitizers, he said. And they are highly infectious even at low doses. In their
studies, the scientists dried a group II norovirus -- the predominant form
circulating in the USA
-- and a widely used indicator virus, bacteriophage MS2 infecting E. coli, on
stainless steel and ceramic surfaces, Sobsey said. After treating those
surfaces with a 200 milligrams per liter solution of hypochlorous acid for one
minute, they tested them to learn how much virus remained. The viruses dropped
99.99 percent. “Even a lower concentration of 20 milligrams per liter of
hypochlorous acid reduced the viruses by 99.9 percent in five minutes,” he
said. “Our results show that environmental surfaces can be readily
decontaminated of noroviruses with dilute hypochlorous acid, which is the
active ingredient of household bleaches like Chlorox.” In practical terms, that
means that household bleach can be diluted by a factor of 1,000 and still work,
Sobsey said. In all likelihood, it would even disinfect noroviruses on hard
surfaces if diluted by a factor of 10,000. At full strength, the bleach
contains 50,000 to 60,000 milligrams per liter of chlorine. “Previously, many
people have diluted household bleach to one part in 10, which is still a
strongly corrosive solution,” he said. “They often are reluctant to use at that
strength since it can mar surfaces and make them look bad.” Regularly
disinfecting bathrooms, kitchens and other areas prone to harbor viruses and
bacteria is important because outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness, which
include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, can kill people, especially if they are
old or dehydrated, Sobsey said. While most otherwise healthy patients recover
after a few days of discomfort even without treatment, noroviruses can continue
to sicken others until facilities have been thoroughly sanitized with products
proven to be effective. In the research, Sobsey and Park generated hypochlorous
acid from a dilute solution of salt using an electrolytic generator made by
Sterilox Technologies. That company, which supported the research, manufactures
on-site generators of room-temperature, high-level hypochlorous acid
disinfectant for use in biomedical, food production, water treatment and other
applications.
8. Electroactive Bioplastics Flex Their Industrial Muscle
AUTHOR Suszkiw, Jan
SOURCE Agricultural Research Magazine, v53 n12, December
2005, pp10-11
ABSTRACT Today’s robots are nimbler than ever thanks to
artificial muscles made of conductive polymers, a breed of shape-shifting
plastic that bends, bulges, and contracts when stimulated by electricity or
when charged particles called “ions” are used. Efforts are also under way to
put these same polymers to work in biomedical applications, specialized sensors,
lightemitting diodes, and even the next generation of robotic Mars rovers. The
material’s space-age promise could get a further lift from efforts of
Agricultural Research Service scientists in Peoria, Illinois.
Most conductive polymers in the developmental pipeline are petroleum based. But
Vicki Finkenstadt and J.L. Willett have shown that plant polysaccharides, such
as starch and cellulose, work just as well. In these interlinking chains of
glucose the researchers see an affordable, homegrown resource that sidesteps
some of the pitfalls associated with petroleum feedstocks. Chief among these is
U.S.
reliance on foreign suppliers and—more generally—pollution tied to the
manufacture, use, and disposal of petroleum’s derivative products. “Starch,
cellulose, and chitin are some of the most abundant natural polymers on Earth .
. . [and] have a wide range of uses, functioning as energy storage, transport,
signaling, and structural components,” write Finkenstadt, a chemist, and
Willett, a supervisory chemical engineer. “Our electroactive bioplastics offer
new market options for agricultural products and illustrate their potential for
advanced uses,” says Willett, who leads the center’s Plant Polymer Research
Unit. “Their renewability and relative ease of processing reduce environmental
impact.” Finkenstadt notes that one characteristic of synthetic polymers is
their disorganized molecular structure, which can slow the free flow of
electrons. Because of this, she says, “Synthetic conductive materials have had
a limited range of conductivity, were difficult to cast into shapes, and became
brittle after a few cycles of use.” Polysaccharides, by contrast, have a
predictable and uniform molecular structure, making them relatively easier to
shape and process on a large scale. “Our electroactive bioplastics can be
molded or made into a film or powder,” says Finkenstadt, “and the material is
environmentally friendly and inexpensive.”
9. Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2004
SOURCE Energy Information Administration, Office of
Integrated Analysis and Forecasting, U.S. Department of Energy
DATE 2005
ABSTRACT U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases in 2004
totaled 7,122.1 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e), 2.0
percent more than in 2003 (6,983.2 MMTCO2e). The 2004 increase in total
greenhouse gas emissions is attributable primarily to a 1.7-percent increase in
emissions of carbon dioxide, along with increases in emissions of nitrous oxide
(5.5 percent) and methane (0.9 percent). Emissions of engineered gases—
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride
(SF6)—also increased, by 9.6 percent. The U.S. economy grew by 4.2 percent in
2004, the highest rate of growth since 1999. Consequently, U.S. greenhouse
gas intensity (greenhouse gas emissions per unit of real economic output) was
2.1 percent lower in 2004 than in 2003. From 1990 to 2004, U.S. greenhouse
gas intensity declined by 23 percent, or by an average of 1.9 percent per year.
U.S.
greenhouse gas emissions in 2004 were 16 percent higher than the 1990 emissions
level of 6,148.8 MMTCO2e—an average annual increase of 1.1 percent over the
period. Since 1990, U.S.
emissions have increased more slowly than the average annual growth in
population (1.2 percent), primary energy consumption (1.2 percent), electric
power generation (1.9 percent), or gross domestic product (3.0 percent). While
the annual growth rate in carbon dioxide emissions since 1990 (1.3 percent) has
closely tracked annual growth in population and energy consumption, the average
annual rate of growth in total greenhouse gas emissions has been lower (1.1
percent) because of reductions in methane emissions and low growth in nitrous
oxide emissions (0.7 percent) since 1990.
10. Late Lessons from Early Warnings for EDSs
AUTHOR Gee, David
SOURCE
Environmental Health Perspectives [EHP-in-press], Online 13 October 2005
ABSTRACT The histories of selected public and
environmental hazards, from the first scientifically based early warnings about
potential harm, to the subsequent precautionary and preventive measures, have
been reviewed by the European Environment Agency. This paper relates the “late
lessons” from these early warnings to the current debates on the application of
the precautionary principle to the hazards posed by endocrine disrupting
substances (EDSs). It summarises some of the definitional and interpretative
issues that arise, such as the contingent nature of knowledge; the definitions
of precaution, prevention, risk, uncertainty, and ignorance; the use of
differential levels of proof; and the nature and main direction of the
methodological and cultural biases within the environmental health sciences. It
is argued that scientific methods need to better reflect the realities of
multi-causality, mixtures, timing of dose, and system dynamics, which
characterise the exposures and impacts of EDSs. This improved science could
provide a more robust basis for the wider and wise use of the precautionary
principle in the assessment and management of the threats posed by EDSs. The
evaluation of such scientific evidence requires assessments that also account
for multi-causal reality. Two of the often used, and sometimes mis-used,
Bradford Hill “criteria”, consistency and temporality, are critically reviewed
in light of multi-causality, illustrating the need to review all of the
criteria in light of 40 years of progress in science and policymaking.
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