Table of Contents
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S/N |
Title |
Synopsis |
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I. Subject Area : Environmental Technology |
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1 |
New air monitor could protect workers against hazards |
Researchers from the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a portable, ultra-sensitive air particulate monitor that can identify hazardous elements and their relative concentrations. |
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2 |
Production of a clean burning fuel |
Researchers from the Southern Illinois University in Carbondale have developed an efficient way of producing methanol, a clean burning fuel using carbon dioxide and bacterial enzymes. |
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3 |
GM debuts fuel-cell car |
General Motors Corp. announced a step forward in the race to replace the gasoline engine with environment-friendly fuel-cell car, the 'Precept'. |
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II. Subject Area : Public Health |
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4 |
Indoor air pollutant exposures too high |
A survey by British researchers found that indoor pollutant exposures can be many thousand times higher than outdoor exposures. |
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5 |
European Commission to set up European Food Authority |
EU policy makers proposed to set up an advisory European Food Authority to rebuild consumer confidence amidst an embarrassing series of food scandals in recent years. |
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6 |
Countries agree on Bio-Safety Protocol |
International negotiators have reached agreement on a protocol to regulate trade in genetically modified organisms used in food production. |
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III. Subject Area : Environmental Pollution |
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7 |
States in US to pressure congress on MTBE's use in gasoline |
Environmental representatives from eight states plan to pressure the U.S. Congress to give their states greater authority to regulate MTBE in gasoline. |
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IV. Subject Area : Global Environmental Issues |
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8 |
EU probes thinning of ozone layer over Europe and Arctic |
European Union Research Commissioner has launched a scientific campaign to ascertain the extent of the thinning of the ozone layer over the region. |
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9 |
UK to review particles standard by end of year |
The United Kingdom's Environment Minister has pledged to review the particles standard by the end of the year 2000. |
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10 |
Commission amends hazardous waste law to reflect OECD changes to classifications |
The European Union has adopted revisions to its law controlling the movement of hazardous waste to reflect changes made by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in its system for classifying waste. |
SUMMARY REPORT
Period Covered: 24 Jan to 30 Jan 2000
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Item 1 |
New Air Monitor Could Protect Workers Against Hazards |
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Summary |
Researchers from the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a portable, ultra-sensitive air particulate monitor that identifies almost all the hazardous elements in the periodic table and their relative concentrations. The device consists of a miniature microwave plasma source that excites the elements in the air particulate sample. The identification of the elements is based on the energy levels produced as all elements in the periodic table have well characterized atomic energy levels. The new portable monitor can provide workers who are handling hazardous materials with real-time concentrations of the hazardous elements and gives them early warnings to take prompt action to avoid overexposure. |
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Reference |
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Item 2 |
Production Of A Clean Burning Fuel |
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Summary |
Researchers from the Southern Illinois University in Carbondale have developed an efficient way of producing methanol, a clean-burning fuel that can be used to power cars. The new method makes use of enzymes and carbon dioxide to produce methanol. Liver enzyme and two bacterial enzymes are embedded in a sponge-like, glassy material, which is placed in water. When carbon dioxide is bubbled through the water, one of the bacterial enzymes converts the carbon dioxide into formic acid and then another bacterial enzyme transforms the formic acid into formaldehyde. Finally the liver enzyme, which normally helps our livers to detoxify alcohol, completes the reaction by turning the formaldehyde into methanol. |
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Reference |
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Item 3 |
GM Debuts Fuel Cell Car |
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Summary |
General Motors Corp. (GM) recently unveiled its fuel-cell concept car, the 'Precept'. Powered by electricity generated by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, the 'Precept' was touted as a fast and fuel-efficient car during a preview for automotive analysts and reporters at the North American International Auto Show. GM's 'Precept' takes in air through a rear fender vent, mixes it with hydrogen, and feeds the mix into a thin filter. The oxygen in the air reacts with hydrogen to produce electricity and the byproduct is water vapour. The electricity powers the electric motor that drives the car. Only heat and water vapor are in the exhaust. The five-passenger 'Precept', the size of a midsize sedan, is supposed to accelerate from zero to 100 km/hr in 9 seconds, go faster than 190 km/hr. In the new 'Precept', a chemical hydride material developed by GM scientists efficiently stores and releases hydrogen. The researchers had also came up with a stack of high-density batteries to store the electricity produced, so compact that they can fit under the cabin without intruding into the seating area. By 2004, GM wants to show fuel cells are feasible for powering a car. |
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Reference |
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Item 4 |
Indoor Air Pollutant Exposures Too High |
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Summary |
British researchers from the Building Research Establishment (BRE) conducting surveys on indoor air quality found that indoor pollutant exposures can be many thousand times higher than outdoor exposures. BRE surveyed over one thousand homes across England in a series of studies. They found that the average exposure of carbon monoxide was 600 m g/m3 with peak exposure during cooking recorded at 120,000 m g/m3. Nitrogen dioxides average about 26 m g/m3, with peaks of 700m g/m3.In a small pilot study looking at houses with integral garages, in-door benzene concentrations within the living accommodation leapt to a high of 26,000 m g/m3 immediately after parking a car in the garage. Nonetheless, the researchers concluded that for the majority of UK homes, indoor air quality is not a significant risk to health but in some cases, the levels can rise well above the standards. |
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Reference |
Air Quality Management, Jan 2000, Page 10 |
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Item 5 |
European Commission Proposes A European Food Authority |
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Summary |
A series of food scandals in recent years has prompted Brussels policymakers to consider establishing an advisory European Food Authority by 2002. The proposal for an independent agency employing several hundred scientists was advanced by the European Commission, which believes the agency will help to rebuild consumer confidence. The European Union's public health commissioner has announced that measures would be taken to close loopholes in existing legislation. These measures will cover animal feed, animal health and welfare, contaminants and residues, new food additives, flavourings, packaging, and irradiation. They will also include a general food law setting out the responsibility of operators at different stages of the food chain, and the importance of traceability, proper risk analysis, and application of the precautionary principle. |
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Reference |
British Medical Journal, Volume 320, Jan 2000, Page 208 |
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Item 6 |
Countries Agree On Bio-Safety Protocol |
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Summary |
International negotiators in Montreal have reached agreement on a protocol to regulate trade in genetically modified organisms used in food production. The Bio-safety Protocol would allow countries to take precaution when making decisions on imports of genetically modified crops. But it would also require such decisions to be based on sound science. The protocol would require shipments of genetically modified commodities to have labels saying they "may contain" genetically modified organisms and are not intended for intentional introduction into the environment. It would also require countries to begin negotiations on more specific labeling requirements to take effect no later than two years after the protocol enters into force. |
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Reference |
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Item 7 |
States in US To Pressure Congress On MTBE's Use In Gasoline |
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Summary |
Environmental representatives from eight states in the US plan to step up efforts to pressure the U.S. Congress to give their states greater authority to regulate MTBE in gasoline. They want the legislative body to lift a requirement for specific oxygen levels in gasoline, and so would gives states more leeway to regulate MTBE. Reformulated gasoline, which includes MTBE, is used in all or part of 16 states and reportedly accounts for a third of the gasoline sold in the U.S. Its use reduces tail-pipe emissions-in particular, carbon monoxide. Although as a gasoline additive, MTBE reduces exhaust emissions, it has been finding its way into the nation's underground water supplies from gasoline spills. In a report issued in 1999, the group said that low levels of MTBE had been found in 15% of the drinking water tested in the Northeast of the US; in most cases at levels of less than 2 ppb. About 1% of the water supplies tested in the Northeast had concentrations greater than 35 ppb, the report said. MTBE in water reputedly begins to pose a health concern at 30 to 70 ppb. An advisory panel has said that although current levels of MTBE in water do not pose a health risk, the government should abandon its widespread use of the additive to prevent a potential environmental problem. |
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Reference |
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Item 8 |
EU Probes Thinning Of Ozone Layer Over Europe And Arctic |
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Summary |
European Union (EU) Research Commissioner has launched a scientific campaign in Kiruna (north polar circle in Sweden) in order to ascertain the extent of the thinning of the ozone layer in the region. The EU has pooled resources with the United States, Japan, Russia, Norway, Poland and Switzerland in the biggest field campaign ever, which they called the Theseo 2000/Solve experiment. According to a news release from the EU, the ozone level over Europe is now about six percent lower than it was 20 years ago and losses of up to 50 percent per year have been observed during the winters of the 1990s. Also, at the end of Nov 99, the European Space Organization's satellite ERS-2 detected abnormally low ozone values over the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Northern Germany, Denmark and the Baltic as well as over the entire Arctic. Scientists all over the world try to find the reasons for these extremely low ozone concentrations and measuring campaigns like the one in Kiruna are necessary to predict future developments and give a sound basis to political decisions the EU notes. The results of the campaign will be known in March. |
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Reference |
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Item 9 |
UK to Review Particles Standard By End Of Year |
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Summary |
The United Kingdom's Environment Minister has pledged to review the particles standard by the end of the year 2000. At the launch of the new air strategy, the minister defended plans to relax the particles objective to the lower European directive levels, claiming that the objective set by the previous government could not be achieved. He said that there is very little point in setting a target which is impossible to achieve, so a viable target has to be set before the end of the year. Many accept that the particles standard of 50 m g/m3/four exceedences per year is not achievable but point out that this standard value is set by the government health experts as the maximum allowable level of pollution before ill health effects become apparent. Some local authorities said that they would ignore the relaxed standard because a tighter particles standard is already being proposed. |
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Reference |
Environment Business News Briefing, 27 Jan 2000, Page 6 |
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Item 10 |
Commission Amends Hazardous Waste Law To Reflect OECD Changes To Classifications |
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Summary |
The European Union has adopted revisions to its law controlling the movement of hazardous waste to reflect changes made by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in its system for classifying wastes. Under the OCED's system, the wastes are classified into three different categories, namely "green", "amber" and "red". Green wastes are for recycling and include a number of metals such as copper, nickel and gold; plastics; and paper and these wastes can move freely from OECD to non-OECD nations without restrictions. Amber wastes are those that also are destined for recovery operations but under more stringent conditions and include substances such as lead and copper ashes and residues and wastes containing organic and inorganic constituents or metals. Red wastes are hazardous and can only be shipped to countries that have given written prior consent. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, 19 Jan 2000, Page 45 |