Environment Report 2 Oct 2000 to 8 Oct 2000

TABLE OF CONTENTS

S/N	Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
1		British Researchers Light Up the Dark to Track Toxics in Soil		An environmental firm in Scotland has developed a new technology that makes use of genetically modified bacteria to detect the presence of toxic substances in the soil.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution
2	Dioxins in Arctic Canada Linked to South		A study has shown that dioxins in the Arctic Canada region have been linked to specific incinerators and smelters thousands of miles south in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
3	Vehicle Emissions Linked to Water Pollution		Research has shown that pollution from traffic congestion is getting into waterways, where it can poison animal and other aquatic life.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Policy
4	New EU Rules on Ozone-Depleters In Force		New EU controls on the production and use of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) have entered into force on 30 Sep 2000.
5	EU States Delay Decision on Phthalates Ban		The EU governments will delay a decision to permanently ban the use of phthalate softeners in PVC baby toys until at least early next year.
6	Dutch MEPs Back Stricter Road Tyre Noise Limits		Dutch MEPs are of the view that tyre manufacturers should be forced to produce road tyres that meet stricter noise requirements than those proposed by EU ministers.
IV. Subject Area: Environmental Management
7		California Regulators Adopt Plan to Cut Diesel Emissions		California regulators have approved a plan to cut diesel emissions. The new set of rules are aimed at reducing potentially cancer-causing emissions by as much as 90%.
V. Subject Area: Environmental Health
8		Carpet Acts As Long Term Chemical Trap		Researchers from the University of Texas have found that carpets can trap chemicals from sources ranging from deodorizers to mothballs and slowly release the chemicals, exposing the occupants to the chemicals all the time.
VI. Subject Area: General Environmental News
9		Serious Global Warming Impacts Expected Even With Strict GHG Controls		A study commissioned by Germany's Federal Environment Agency showed that climate change will seriously affect natural vegetation, agricultural yields and ocean levels even if industrialised countries cut their greenhouse gas emissions to half the 1990 levels by 2003 and to one-fourth by 2100.

SUMMARY REPORT

Period Covered : 2 Oct 2000 to 8 Oct 2000

Item 1

British Researchers Light Up The Dark To Track Toxics In Soil

Summary

An environmental company in Scotland has developed a new technology that makes use of genetically modified bacteria that glow like fireflies to detect the presence of toxic volatile organic, non-volatile organic or inorganic contaminants in the soil. The toxic substances in the soil will cause the healthy bacteria to be sick and the light from the bacteria will become dimmer. This technology could be used for immediate assessment of the extent of contamination by toxic substances.

The company used the glowing bacteria in an assessment of the site of a century old paint manufacturing plant in Germany which was contaminated with toluene, xylene and trichloroethene dating back 60 years.

Reference

Engineering News Record, 2 Oct 2000, Page 19

Item 2	Dioxins in Arctic Canada Linked to South
Summary	A study has found that cancer-causing dioxins polluting Canada's Arctic region have been linked, for the first time, to specific incinerators and smelters thousands of miles south in the United States, Canada and Mexico - showing the long-range atmospheric transport of dioxins. The study by a team of researchers from Queens College found dioxins in the Arctic diet of fish, seal and caribou meat, and recently, in mother's breast milk. The team used an adaptation of a computer model developed by the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (Hysplit-4) to track "puffs" of dioxins in the air released at locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Of the 44,000 emission sources identified in North America as causing pollution in Nunavut in the Arctic, the US accounted for 62%, Mexico for 30% and Canada 8%. Dioxin sources within Nunavut accounted for less than 0.02% of the total. The study also estimated 2 to 20% of dioxin pollution in Nunavut to originate from outside North America, mainly in Japan, France, Belgium and Britain.
Reference	http://www.planetark.org

Item 3	Vehicle Emissions Linked to Water Pollution
Summary	Research shows that pollution from traffic congestion is getting into waterways, where it can poison animal and other aquatic life. The study blames increased traffic from urban sprawl for high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in lakes and reservoirs around metropolitan areas in the US, including Washington DC, New York, Newark, New Jersey, Minneapolis, Minnesota, etc. As these pollutants bind to the sediments in water and do not bioaccumulate, they are unlikely to get into drinking water supplies and affect human health. They can however, kill aquatic life due to their toxicity and mutagenic effects.
Reference	http://www.ens-news.com

Item 4	New EU Rules on Ozone-Depleters in Force
Summary	New EU controls on the production and use of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) entered into force on 30 Sep 2000. A total of three regulations has been implemented, which are either in tandem with the UN Montreal Protocol or stricter. The first regulation imposes tighter restrictions on most ODS, including controversial phase-out timetables for most of the CFC substitute chemicals, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and methyl bromide. It also includes immediate bans on the use and sale of most CFCs, carbon tetrachloride and 1,1,1-trichloroethane. The other two regulations alter the base year for HCFC production and import quotas, and update restrictions on the use of CFCs in medical inhalers.
Reference	http://www.ends.co.uk

Item 5

EU States Delay Decision on Phthalates Ban

Summary

Under the European Commission's proposal, six types of phthalates would be banned in toys designed to be sucked by under-threes. Toys that might be sucked are allowed to contain phthalates on condition that these carry warning labels.

While the first proposition is already in force under emergency legislation, a number of the member states, such as Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Austria object to the labelling option, and want the ban extended to the toys. On the other hand, the UK, Netherlands, Spain, France and Italy argue otherwise and want instead to introduce maximum phthalate migration levels based on agreed test methods.

The EU governments will not respond to European Commission proposals to permanently ban the use of phthalate softeners in PVC baby toys until at least early next year, when research on reliable migration tests are developed. By then, the EU will decide whether test methods offer a viable alternative to warning labels or not.

Reference

http://www.ends.co.uk

Item 6

Dutch MEPs Back Stricter Road Tyre Noise Limits

Summary

Dutch Members of European Parliament (MEPs) want tyre manufacturers to produce road tyres that meet stricter noise requirements than those proposed by EU ministers as it is felt that tyres of cars or trucks travelling at more than 40km/h is one of the most important sources of noise pollution. The new noise limits, endorsed by the European Parliament, ranged from 72 to 79 dB, depending on the vehicle type and road surface.

Industry sources however, are of the view that tighter limits on noise could affect tyre safety by reducing performance in wet weather. They stressed that quieter road surfaces were more important. Experts, however, said that a further noise reduction of 3 to 4 dB would be possible if so-called "whispering asphalt" were introduced.

Reference

http://www.ends.co.uk

Item 7

California Regulators Adopt Plan to Cut Diesel Emissions

Summary

California regulators have approved a plan requiring diesel engines to clean up their act with a new set of rules aimed at reducing potentially cancer-causing emissions by as much as 90%.

The proposal, which would impose some of the toughest diesel regulations in the nation, requires the retrofitting of most existing engines with particulate matter filters and the use of low-sulphur diesel fuel.

Currently, regulations limit sulphur content to 500 parts per million, but the board would like to drop that level to 15 parts per million by 2006.

According to the chairman of ARB, these measures would cut the particulate matter emissions by 75 percent by 2010 and 85 percent by 2020.

ARB will in the next few years, call for new measures that would reduce emissions from on-road equipment, off-road equipment, and stationary and portable engine. ARB will also consider the feasibility of other technologies such as compressed natural gas and electric motors as possible alternatives to diesel.

Reference

http://www.planetark.org, http://www.gnet.org

Item 8

Carpet Acts As Long Term Chemical Trap

Summary

Researchers from the University of Texas found that carpets can trap chemicals from sources ranging from deodorizers to mothballs and slowly release the chemicals. The researchers tested potentially hazardous volatile organic compounds in different types of carpets and under different conditions to find out the amount of time taken for the carpet to be free of the chemical residues. They found that a chemical might take days, months or even years before it would be fully released depending on its chemical composition. For instance, gasoline might last a few days whereas the chemicals in mothballs might last a few months or years. These findings have significant implications as chronic exposure to even low levels of toxic chemicals can be potentially dangerous to health.

Reference

http://www.gnet.org

Item 9

Serious Global Warming Impacts Expected Even With Strict GHG Controls

Summary

A study commissioned by Germany's Federal Environment Agency showed that climate change will seriously affect natural vegetation, agricultural yields and ocean levels even if industrialised countries cut their greenhouse gas emissions to half the 1990 levels by 2003 and to one-fourth by 2100.

The study scrutinised the expected impacts of global warming for two scenarios. The first scenario is the stabilisation of atmospheric carbon dioxide at 550 ppm as demanded by the European Union and the second scenario is the stabilisation of atmospheric carbon dioxide at 450 ppm as demanded by some non-governmental organisations.

In both the scenarios, industrialised countries will have to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to half the 1990 levels in 2030 and to further reduce to about one-fourth of the 1990 levels by 2100 as the global emissions are expected to grow until 2030. Developing nations would have to keep their 2030 emission levels until 2100 in order to reach a stabilisation at 550 ppm of atmospheric carbon dioxide and to reach a stabilisation at 450 ppm, they would have to reduce their total emissions by half in that time frame.

Though both scenarios would demand rigorous international emission control, they still would not prevent serious environmental impacts.

According to the study, the median global temperature, sea levels, wheat production and natural vegetation would be affected even if atmospheric carbon dioxide were stabilised at 450 ppm or 500 ppm.

Reference

International Environment Reporter, 27 Sep 2000, Page 743 -744

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Item 1	British Researchers Light Up The Dark To Track Toxics In Soil
Summary	An environmental company in Scotland has developed a new technology that makes use of genetically modified bacteria that glow like fireflies to detect the presence of toxic volatile organic, non-volatile organic or inorganic contaminants in the soil. The toxic substances in the soil will cause the healthy bacteria to be sick and the light from the bacteria will become dimmer. This technology could be used for immediate assessment of the extent of contamination by toxic substances. The company used the glowing bacteria in an assessment of the site of a century old paint manufacturing plant in Germany which was contaminated with toluene, xylene and trichloroethene dating back 60 years.
Reference	Engineering News Record, 2 Oct 2000, Page 19

Item 5	EU States Delay Decision on Phthalates Ban
Summary	Under the European Commission's proposal, six types of phthalates would be banned in toys designed to be sucked by under-threes. Toys that might be sucked are allowed to contain phthalates on condition that these carry warning labels. While the first proposition is already in force under emergency legislation, a number of the member states, such as Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Austria object to the labelling option, and want the ban extended to the toys. On the other hand, the UK, Netherlands, Spain, France and Italy argue otherwise and want instead to introduce maximum phthalate migration levels based on agreed test methods. The EU governments will not respond to European Commission proposals to permanently ban the use of phthalate softeners in PVC baby toys until at least early next year, when research on reliable migration tests are developed. By then, the EU will decide whether test methods offer a viable alternative to warning labels or not.
Reference	http://www.ends.co.uk

Item 6	Dutch MEPs Back Stricter Road Tyre Noise Limits
Summary	Dutch Members of European Parliament (MEPs) want tyre manufacturers to produce road tyres that meet stricter noise requirements than those proposed by EU ministers as it is felt that tyres of cars or trucks travelling at more than 40km/h is one of the most important sources of noise pollution. The new noise limits, endorsed by the European Parliament, ranged from 72 to 79 dB, depending on the vehicle type and road surface. Industry sources however, are of the view that tighter limits on noise could affect tyre safety by reducing performance in wet weather. They stressed that quieter road surfaces were more important. Experts, however, said that a further noise reduction of 3 to 4 dB would be possible if so-called "whispering asphalt" were introduced.
Reference	http://www.ends.co.uk

Item 7	California Regulators Adopt Plan to Cut Diesel Emissions
Summary	California regulators have approved a plan requiring diesel engines to clean up their act with a new set of rules aimed at reducing potentially cancer-causing emissions by as much as 90%. The proposal, which would impose some of the toughest diesel regulations in the nation, requires the retrofitting of most existing engines with particulate matter filters and the use of low-sulphur diesel fuel. Currently, regulations limit sulphur content to 500 parts per million, but the board would like to drop that level to 15 parts per million by 2006. According to the chairman of ARB, these measures would cut the particulate matter emissions by 75 percent by 2010 and 85 percent by 2020. ARB will in the next few years, call for new measures that would reduce emissions from on-road equipment, off-road equipment, and stationary and portable engine. ARB will also consider the feasibility of other technologies such as compressed natural gas and electric motors as possible alternatives to diesel.
Reference	http://www.planetark.org, http://www.gnet.org

Item 8	Carpet Acts As Long Term Chemical Trap
Summary	Researchers from the University of Texas found that carpets can trap chemicals from sources ranging from deodorizers to mothballs and slowly release the chemicals. The researchers tested potentially hazardous volatile organic compounds in different types of carpets and under different conditions to find out the amount of time taken for the carpet to be free of the chemical residues. They found that a chemical might take days, months or even years before it would be fully released depending on its chemical composition. For instance, gasoline might last a few days whereas the chemicals in mothballs might last a few months or years. These findings have significant implications as chronic exposure to even low levels of toxic chemicals can be potentially dangerous to health.
Reference	http://www.gnet.org

Item 9	Serious Global Warming Impacts Expected Even With Strict GHG Controls
Summary	A study commissioned by Germany's Federal Environment Agency showed that climate change will seriously affect natural vegetation, agricultural yields and ocean levels even if industrialised countries cut their greenhouse gas emissions to half the 1990 levels by 2003 and to one-fourth by 2100. The study scrutinised the expected impacts of global warming for two scenarios. The first scenario is the stabilisation of atmospheric carbon dioxide at 550 ppm as demanded by the European Union and the second scenario is the stabilisation of atmospheric carbon dioxide at 450 ppm as demanded by some non-governmental organisations. In both the scenarios, industrialised countries will have to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to half the 1990 levels in 2030 and to further reduce to about one-fourth of the 1990 levels by 2100 as the global emissions are expected to grow until 2030. Developing nations would have to keep their 2030 emission levels until 2100 in order to reach a stabilisation at 550 ppm of atmospheric carbon dioxide and to reach a stabilisation at 450 ppm, they would have to reduce their total emissions by half in that time frame. Though both scenarios would demand rigorous international emission control, they still would not prevent serious environmental impacts. According to the study, the median global temperature, sea levels, wheat production and natural vegetation would be affected even if atmospheric carbon dioxide were stabilised at 450 ppm or 500 ppm.
Reference	International Environment Reporter, 27 Sep 2000, Page 743 -744