Table of content
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Title |
Synopsis |
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I. Subject Area: Public Health |
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1 |
Finnish study links pollution with heart disease |
A Finnish study found that air pollution worsens heart disease by cutting off circulation to the heart, thereby helping to explain why polluted environments aggravate not only asthma but also heart conditions. |
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2 |
Sewage sludge linked to illnesses |
US researchers have linked the use of sewage sludge as fertilizer with a host of health problems, while the US EPA said that it had not considered the synergistic effects of chemicals such as lime and pathogens in sludge when approving sludge to be used as fertilizer. |
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3 |
Belgium bans some fluoride supplement products |
Belgium intends to ban the sale of chewing gum, tablets, and drops that contain fluoride from late Aug 2002 because of the fear of fluoride poisoning by people who use them excessively. |
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II. Subject Area: Waste Management |
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4 |
Softstone purchase new technology for tyre reuse |
Softstone, a US company, is using a new proven technology to recycle used tyres into a paving product used primarily for sidewalks, jogging trails, equine safety surfaces, patios, golf courses, etc. |
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III. Subject Area: Environment Policy & Regulation |
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5 |
Restructuring taxes for environmental protection |
European countries use properly constructed tax mechanism to make markets work more effectively to protect the environment. |
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6 |
US EPA proposes new emission standards for motorcycles |
The US EPA intends to implement emission standards for the motorcycles in 2006 to reduce emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides by 50%. |
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IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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7 |
International solar UV Index cuts cancer, cataract risk |
The World Health Organisation is promoting a new sun protection program, the Global Solar UV Index (UVI), to raise awareness of the health hazards of UV radiation and to encourage people to take protective measures. |
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8 |
New hydrogen tank moves fuel cell vehicles closer to reality |
Germany's Technical Inspection Association has certified a new 10,000-psi pressure hydrogen storage tank that is large and safe enough to make fuel cells a viable power source for vehicles. |
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9 |
US federal ask for ballast water demonstration project |
The US Maritime Administration together with other agencies in US, have jointly asked for proposals for ballast water technology demonstration projects to bring such technology from laboratory to commercial use. |
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10 |
The use of polyacrylamides to control water pollution |
The US Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has found that the use of polyacrylamides in farmland reduce the amount of nutrients and pathogens reaching water bodies. |
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SUMMARY REPORT
Period covered: 29 Jul 2002 to 3 Aug 2002
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Item 1 |
Finnish study links pollution with heart disease |
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Summary |
A study carried out by Finnish researchers found that air pollution could worsen heart disease by cutting off circulation to the heart. The finding helped to explain why polluted environments aggravate not only asthma but also heart conditions. The researchers studied pollution coming from factory smokestacks and the tailpipes of diesel-powered buses and trucks. They discovered that heart disease patients exposed to such pollution were about three times more likely to have ischemia, which decreased blood flow to the heart, in comparison to them breathing in cleaner air. Ischemia is often painless, but is a sign of serious disease. The pollution may either help clumps of artery-clogging plaque to break off or it could be causing dangerous heart rhythms. The heart rate increased from an average of 61 beats per minutes to 90 after exposure to pollution. |
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Reference |
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/17093/newsDate/31-Jul-2002.../story.htm |
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Item 2 |
Sewage sludge linked to illnesses |
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Summary |
A study carried out by researchers at the University of Georgia linked the use of sewage sludge as fertilizer with a host of health problems. The researchers found that affected residents lived within about one kilometer of land application sites and complained of irritation such as burning eyes, burning lungs and skin rashes, after exposure to winds blowing from fields treated with sewage sludge. Although modern treatment could eliminate more than 95% of the pathogens, enough remain in the concentrated sewage sludge leaving treatment plants to pose a health risk. The researchers found 25 groups of pathogens in sludge, including bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella, as well as viruses, including hepatitis A, intestinal worms, harmful protozoa, and fungus. However, the US EPA said that, when approving sludge for use as a fertilizer, it looked at chemical and pathogen risks separately without considering that certain chemicals could increase the risk of infection. Chemicals such as lime, which is added during sludge processing, can irritate the skin and respiratory tract and make people more susceptible to infection. |
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Reference |
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Item 3 |
Belgium bans some fluoride supplement products |
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Summary |
Belgium has announced its plan to ban the sale of chewing gum, tablets, and drops that contain fluoride from late Aug 2002. The ban, the first of its kind in the European Union, however stops short of the sale of toothpaste with fluoride. Fluoride is not being added to drinking water in Belgium. Belgium took the decision after the results of a study commissioned by an advisory board that found excessive use of fluoride products could cause fluoride poisoning, damage the nervous system, and foster the brittle bone condition osteoporosis. Fluoride occurs naturally in some food and most water supplies. Research has shown that the incidence of dental cavities is reduced if adequate fluoride is taken during the years of tooth development. When used appropriately, scientists believe it is both safe and effective in controlling dental cavities, but high levels can be toxic. |
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Reference |
http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/07/07312002/reu_47995.asp |
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Item 4 |
Softstone purchase new technology for tire reuse |
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Summary |
An Ardmore Oklahoma-based company, called Softstone, has purchased a new proven manufacturing techniques, which converts used tyres into a paving product used primarily for sidewalks, jogging trails, equine safety surfaces, patios, golf courses, etc. Softstone acquired the exclusive rights to the Western Hemisphere for the devulcanization technology invented by Levgum that breaks down sulphur links in polymer chains in vulcanized rubber allowing it to be used again. The process maintains 80% of the rubber's originally properties at a cost savings when compared to traditional processes. Softstone is also working with other manufacturers to go into blending the devulcanized rubber with virgin and synthetic rubber material to form existing products. The technology could give many such manufacturers the ability to recycle 100 % of their waste; saving an enormous amount of money on disposal fees and raw material replacement. |
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Reference |
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Item 5 |
Restructuring taxes for environmental protection |
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Summary |
Many countries have implemented taxes on environmentally destructive products and activities. More countries are recognising the power of tax restructuring to reach environmental goals. In Germany, tax shifting has resulted in lower motor fuel sales and carpool agencies reported growth of carpooling. The United Kingdom's environmental tax reform involves a steadily increasing fuel tax. As a result, fuel consumption in the road transport sector dropped and fuel efficiency of trucks increased. Properly constructed tax shifts can help make markets work more effectively by incorporating more of the indirect costs of goods and services into their prices and by changing consumer and producer behaviours accordingly. These measures have also spurred sales of energy efficient appliances and encouraged other energy saving behaviour. The emergence of a world leading wind turbine industry in Denmark, for example, is one result of Danish taxes on fossil fuels and electricity, which are among the highest in the world. |
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Reference |
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Item 6 |
US EPA proposes new emission standards for motorcycles |
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Summary |
The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its plan to implement a new, more stringent emission standards for the motorcycles. The emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides from motorcycles would be reduced by 50%. The new standard would become effective in 2006. |
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Reference |
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Item 7 |
International solar UV Index cuts cancer, cataract risk |
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Summary |
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), overexposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is responsible for two major public health problems: skin cancer and cataract. Very simple and inexpensive protection measures, such as wearing a shirt, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen and seeking shade during midday hours can significantly reduce the risk of these health problems. The WHO is promoting a new sun protection program, the Global Solar UV Index (UVI), to raise awareness of the health hazards of UV radiation and to encourage people to adopt protective measures. The UVI was developed in 1997 by the WHO in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, and the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection. The WHO has introduced an internationally agreed communication concept to harmonise reporting of the UVI worldwide and to improve its use as an educational tool. UVI values are grouped into exposure categories of low, moderate, high, very high and extreme with corresponding colour codes. Simple icons are also used to indicate the appropriate sun protective measures needed. |
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Reference |
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Item 8 |
New hydrogen tank moves fuel cell vehicles closer to reality |
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Summary |
Germany's Technical Inspection Association has certified a new high-pressure hydrogen storage tank that is large and safe enough to make fuel cells a viable power source for vehicles. The new storage tank is able to hold 10,000-psi pressure of hydrogen, which is enough of the gas to provide a range of nearly 300 miles before refueling. The new storage tank has also been validated by the European Integrated Hydrogen Project, which develops global regulatory standards for hydrogen storage testing and certification. Creating storage tanks that can hold enough hydrogen to provide a sufficient driving range while being lightweight and safe enough to withstand collisions has been a key challenge to bringing hydrogen-fed fuel cell vehicles to market. Fuel cells produce electricity through a chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen without giving out of carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming problem. |
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Reference |
http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/07/07312002/ap_47998.asp |
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Item 9 |
US federal ask for ballast water demonstration project |
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Summary |
The US Maritime Administration, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service are jointly requesting proposals for ballast water technology demonstration projects with a budget of US$2 million. Everyday, large quantities of ballast water from areas all around the world are discharged from ships into the US' waters. In this ballast water are plants, animals, bacteria and pathogens that are not native to the local ecosystems. Some of these organisms are microscopic; others may be large plants or fish. Many have the potential to become aquatic nuisance species, which displace native species, degrade native habitats, spread disease, and disrupt human, social and economic activities that depend on the local aquatic resources. As there has not yet been any large-scale testing and demonstrations aboard ships, the US Maritime Administration has developed a two-phased approach to move the ballast water treatment technology from laboratory testing to aboard commercial ship testing. The first phase of the program will involve the use of vessels at stationary sites. Technologies successful in the first phase will then move on to the sea trials. |
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Reference |
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Item 10 |
The use of polyacrylamides to control water pollution |
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Summary |
The US Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has found that the use of polyacrylamides or PAMs could help to control water pollution. Studies carried out by the scientists in ARS showed that mixing small amounts of PAM into irrigation water could reduce significantly soil erosion. PAM does that by holding soil particles, which contain nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers, in place. Otherwise, soil particles together with nutrients might wash away into ponds, lakes, streams and rivers and cause eutrophication problem. The scientists also scrutinized PAM's interaction with disease-causing bacteria found in cow, pig and fish manure. Experiments carried out by them showed that PAM alone reduced nutrients and manure-borne pathogens in water samples by 90%. When PAM was combined with aluminum sulfate or calcium oxide, the pollutants were reduced by as much as 99%. |
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Reference |