MedWorm: Environment Agency

GM and precision farming encouraged by Environment Agency

Guardian Unlimited Science — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:00:02 +0100

Lord Smith tells National Farmers' Union that climate change 'could provide opportunities for novel crops and systems'The government's drive to push controversial genetically modified crops up the national agenda will receive a further boost today, when former cabinet minister Chris Smith will tell farmers that the technology has a key role in helping the UK beating climate change.Lord Smith, former culture secretary under Tony Blair and now chair of the Environment Agency, will say that both GM crops and new technologies to support "precision farming" - including nanotechnology - could help tackle growing climate pressures such as water shortages.Addressing delegates at the National Farmers' Union's (NFU) annual conference in Birmingham, Lord Smith will tell farmers that climate change "w...

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Local school win Go4SET prize

University of Bristol news — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:13:47 +0100

The John Cabot Academy Team A, in conjunction with the Environment Agency, have won the Go4SET Best Overall Project Award for their project on water and recycling at the Go4SET Bristol Celebration and Assessment Day (CAD). The prize was presented by Dr Askin Isikveren, Director of Engineering Design at Bristol University. (Source: University of Bristol news)

NTU wins three out of five inaugural Environment Technology and Research Programme grants

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Nanyang Technological University) Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has won three out of the five inaugural Environment and Technology Research Programme grants awarded by the National Environment Agency (NEA). Awards reaffirm NTU as a leader in environmental engineering and urban sustainability. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Environmental groups split over calls for IPCC boss to resign

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:57:28 +0100

Friends of the Earth and WWF defend Pachauri, while Greenpeace says a new leader may restore faith in UN panelInternational environment and development groups have given conflicting opinions over whether Rajendra Pachauri, the chairman of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), should resign over criticism of his handling of a false claim about melting glaciers in the panel's landmark 2007 report. They also fear a drop in the confidence in climate science could undermine governments' resolve to address global warming, with Greenpeace saying a new leader of the IPCC could restore confidence in the UN panel.Pachauri has refused to apologise for the claim that Himalayan glaciers would melt away by 2035, which came from a report by green group WWF, who had in turn sourced it f...

Knowledge and Practice of Household Mosquito Breeding Control Measures between a Dengue Hotspot and Non-Hotspot in Singapore.

Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: More HS residents were knowledgeable and reported practicing mosquito-breeding control measures compared to NHS residents. However, a knowledge-practice gap still existed. PMID: 20237738 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore)

Environment Agency: British wildlife faces climate change devastation

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:40:59 +0100

The UK is already feeling the effects of global warming, as rising temperatures put native species at risk of extinctionRising temperatures and sea levels brought on by climate change could have devastating effects on British wildlife from salmon to wildfowl, the Environment Agency warned today as climate talks entered a second week in Copenhagen.The agency said the country's waterways could be hit by invading species, such as African clawed toads and South American water primrose, which spread disease to native wildlife and clog up rivers and streams, causing flooding.Fish species such as Atlantic salmon and trout, which need cold water may struggle to survive, are already declining in warming southern English rivers and estuaries.Insects, which form an integral part of the food chain, wi...

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'Environmental Atlas of Europe' unveiled at COP15

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:00:00 +0100

(European Space Agency) In support of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change taking place in Copenhagen, the European Environment Agency hosted the "Bend the Trend" event on Sunday evening to provide a global climate networking platform and premiere the screening of the new "Environmental Atlas of Europe." (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Copenhagen climate talks: Time to change, no time to waste

Guardian Unlimited Science — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:10:46 +0100

Next month, 192 countries will meet to set targets on carbon emissions. The summit will pit the developed world against the developing world in a last-ditch bid to limit warming to 2CThe world's first global treaty to combat climate change, the Kyoto Protocol, was agreed in December 1997 after exhausting, all-night negotiations in Japan that saw arguments, desperate phone calls back to leaders in capital cities and inspired diplomacy.The Guardian reported: "A more bizarre way of reaching agreement to tackle global warming cannot be imagined. Half of those involved were asleep on the floor, unaware that history was being made."The final text of the agreement was still in the form of the conference chairman's scribbled notes as the politicians flew home.Fast-forward a dozen years and the wor...

Bisphenol A Workshop of the German Federal Environment Agency - March 30-31, 2009 Work Group Report: Public Health Issues of Bisphenol A.

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Gies A, Heinzow B, Dieter HH, Heindel J PMID: 19879190 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health)

Environment Agency Serves Suspension Notice Following Trent Cyanide Pollution

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +0100

As part of its ongoing investigation into yesterday's pollution of the River Trent, the Environment Agency has served a Suspension Notice to prevent Red Industries Ltd of Burslem, Stoke-on Trent, from discharging any industrial effluent to the sewer system. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Epidemiological characteristics of imported and locally-acquired malaria in Singapore.

Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Singapore remains both vulnerable and receptive to the reintroduction of malaria and a high level of vigilance should be maintained indefinitely to prevent the re-establishment of endemicity. Medical practitioners should highlight the risk of malaria to travellers visiting endemic areas and also consider the possibility of simian malaria in a patient who has no recent travel history and presenting with daily fever spikes and with malaria parasite morphologically similar to that of P. malariae. PMID: 19890574 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore)

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Giant piranha found in Devon river

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:33:53 +0100

Environment Agency workers shocked to find ferocious fish – believed to have been a pet – floating in river TorridgeA giant piranha – the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world – has been found in a Devon river, the Environment Agency said today.Bathers in the UK's rivers and streams should be reassured that the fish was dead and is thought to have been an abandoned pet. Its discovery will add, however, to experts' anxieties about non-native wildlife being introduced to the UK.The fish, of a species more accustomed to the Amazon river basin, was discovered in the river Torridge by Environment Agency workers conducting a wildlife survey. Eddie Stevens, one of the three-man monitoring team, said they were left open-mouthed by their discovery."What we actually came across was som...

Could a tiny insect halt the invasion of Japanese knotweed?

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:05:30 +0100

The government believes it has found a way to stop the spread of Japanese knotweed in BritainClose to where the green twist of Kenidjack Valley gives way to the Atlantic Ocean there rises an old stone chimney and the ruins of a mine. Women and children once dug arsenic from the Cornish earth here so the deadly poison could be sold to American cotton farmers to kill the boll weevil, a migrant beetle that threatened to destroy the cotton industry. Long after the mining ceased, this verdant valley has been threatened with an invasive migrant of its own: Japanese knotweed.Introduced into Britain in the 19th century as an ornamental plant, Japanese knotweed is terrifyingly tenacious. The nearest living thing to a triffid, it will grow a metre high in four weeks, push through concrete and tarmac...

Revised and new reference values for environmental pollutants in urine or blood of children in Germany derived from the German Environmental Survey on Children 2003-2006 (GerES IV).

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Schulz C, Angerer J, Ewers U, Heudorf U, Wilhelm M, Based on the representative data collection of the German Environmental Survey on Children 2003-2006 (GerES IV) the Human Biomonitoring Commission of the German Federal Environment Agency has updated the reference values for a comprehensive number of environmental pollutants in blood and urine of children in Germany. Reference values are statistically derived values that indicate the upper margin of background exposure to a given pollutant in a given population at a given time. They can be used as criteria to classify the measured values of individuals or population groups as being "elevated" or "not elevated". Since environmental conditions are changing, reference values are continuously checked and updated if new informati...

Health centres at risk from rising sea levels

Management in Practice — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:13:06 +0100

Coastal erosion and severe rainstorms will put thousands of doctors' surgeries at risk of flooding, the Environment Agency has warned (Source: Management in Practice)

The 15 plants killing our countryside

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sat, 16 May 2009 23:01:00 +0100

Rogue species of rhododendron, hyacinth and waterweed may be banned from saleGarden centres and nurseries could be banned from selling several popular plants under new measures being considered by the government to control alien species invading the UK.Top of the list are a number of varieties of pond weed used as oxygenators in garden ponds. Having escaped into the wild, they are now overwhelming waterways throughout the country. Rhododendron ponticum, which has colonised woodlands since being introduced as an ornamental plant in 1793 to Kew Gardens, is also earmarked because of the potential impact it has on native flora and fauna, including the dormouse.In all, 15 species are named in a consultation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, despite protests that some of...

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Let's send Britons back to the wild places

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sat, 02 May 2009 23:01:00 +0100

We live in a golden age of discovery. While the great explorers - Livingstone and Stanley, Burton and Speke, Shackleton and Scott - filled in blanks on a map, it is we who now learn how the world works and our effect on it. We not only discover new species of fauna and flora, but how they respond to changing climate and human interference. Such discoveries are crucial to the future of this threatened planet.The Royal Geographical Society, of which I was director from 1975 to 1996, is in the grip of an acrimonious debate about how best to deliver this research. Since it was founded in 1830, it has sent out expeditions, while also supporting, through grants, the expeditions of others. While funding for the latter continues, the RGS's own research projects have been halted. The RGS's council ...

Eels in crisis after 95% decline

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:01:00 +0100

Mysterious disappearance could lead to limits on fishing and ban on exportsThey ought to be wriggling through briny water and marshy flatlands in their hundreds of thousands right now. But the mystery of the vanishing eels is troubling fisheries officials, conservationists and fishermen who for generations have hunted the curious animal. A conference in Somerset on the plight of the eel, which was attended by experts from across Europe, has been hearing this week that the eel is in crisis. The number of European eels across the continent has declined by as much as 95% in the last 25 years, the Environment Agency says. Officials report that the number of young eels arriving in Britain's estuaries, rivers and streams this spring is significantly down on last year. Andy Don, an Environment Ag...

Threat to European biodiversity 'as serious as climate change'

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:53:07 +0100

Most of Europe's species and habitats are in poor condition and the risk of extinction continues to rise, environment chiefs are to warn at a major biodiversity conference in Athens this weekThe natural world across Europe is suffering a crisis as serious as the threat of climate change, Europe's environment chiefs are to warn this week.A report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) to be published next month sounds the alarm that most species and habitats across the continent are in poor condition and the risk of extinction continues to rise.New figures for the UK also show that even the most important and rare plants and animals are suffering: eight out of 10 habitats and half of species given the highest level of European protection are in an "unfavourable" condition.Species at ris...

First carbon capture plant begins work

Guardian Unlimited Science — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:28:06 +0100

French power station leading the way in the world's sluggish move towards using environmentally vital CCS technologyThe world's first retrofit of a power plant with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology will begin operating this month in the south of France.At a power plant at Lacq, energy company Total has upgraded an existing gas-fired boiler with CCS technology – a crucial step towards reducing carbon emissions from fossil-fuel power plants worldwide.With renewable energy sources a long way from covering the world's increasing demand for energy, many experts believe that developing reliable technology to allow countries to burn fossil fuels without releasing dangerous amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere is essential to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.Experts welcomed To...

Conference on environmental health begins

Healthcare — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:07:08 +0100

A four-day international conference on Environmental Health bringing together more than 100 scholars, researchers, experts began yesterday in Abu Dhabi. The conference aims to contribute to the global debate and effort to discuss issues relating to the linkages of environment and health at the global, regional and national levels. The Conference is organized by Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi and the World Health Organization's Regional Centre for Environmental Health Activities. (Source: Healthcare)

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‘Freshwater nature conservation and pollution: how important is it, and what can we do about it?’

Nature Network London - Upcoming Events — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:33:40 +0100

Alastair Burn is Principal Specialist, Freshwater and Pollution, at Natural England. He spent 12 years in research in insect ecology and pesticides, before working on pesticide policy for four years with the National Farmers’ Union, finally joining English Nature in 1992. At English Nature he worked initially on pesticides, toxic substances and pollution. He then led English Nature’s freshwater team up to the formation of Natural England, and is now a principal specialist in Natural England’s Evidence Team. He chairs the Wetland Habitats Action Plan Group, and is Natural England’s representative on the Water and Wetland workstream of the England Biodiversity Strategy. His lecture will cover the following themes: Freshwater Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) ar...

‘Getting on with the job: taking practical action for freshwater ecology and conservation’

Nature Network London - Upcoming Events — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:25:44 +0100

Paul Raven, FI Biol, is Head of Conservation and Ecology at the Environment Agency, Bristol. Following a Ph.D at University College London on the ecological effects of river engineering, Paul was freshwater specialist at the Department of Environment for Northern Ireland before joining the National Rivers Authority in 1991. He chairs the Water and Wetland Group that supports the England Biodiversity Strategy. Practical experience of river and lake ecology includes the UK and mainland Europe, whilst his main focus of policy work for freshwater is linking ecological objectives and environmental standards under the Habitats Directive and Water Framework Directive. His lecture will cover the following themes: Paul’s lecture will cover the critical links between ecological science and practic...

‘The state of river ecosystems: a degraded past, an uncertain future?’

Nature Network London - Upcoming Events — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:03:39 +0100

Steve Ormerod is Professor of Ecology, Cardiff School of Biosciences. He is also President of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, Chairman of RSPB Wales, Trustee of the RSPB, Trustee of Association of Rivers’ Trusts, Trustee of South East Wales Rivers Trust With over 25 years experience and over 220 scientific publications, Steve is one of Europe’s leading freshwater ecologists. His work focuses on large-scale, multi-disciplinary problems affecting freshwater biodiversity, ecosystem quality and function, and he is known best for flagship studies on the effects of acid rain, land use and climate-change on aquatic insects and river birds. Landmark studies have included some of the first field-validated models of the ecological effects of acid rain, land use and cl...

EU environment agency outlines challenges for 2009

Physics Today News Picks — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Environmental News Network: Tackling climate change and its consequences, reforming the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, improving air quality and reducing the environmental impact of biofuels will top the bloc's environmental policy debates in the coming year, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA). (Source: Physics Today News Picks)

'It'll never happen to me': understanding public awareness of local flood risk. - Burningham K, Fielding J, Thrush D.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 09:57:07 +0100

Following the severe flood events of 1998 and 2000, the United Kingdom's Environment Agency prioritised the need to increase public flood risk awareness. Drawing on data collected during research undertaken for the Environment Agency, this paper contribute... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

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A full moon spectacular (because it is at its perigee)

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 00:03:18 +0100

A night-time spectacle not seen for 15 years was produced last night when a full moon coincided with the moon orbiting the Earth almost 18,400 miles (30,000km) closer than usual this month. The moon's orbit is not a circle but an ellipse, and when it is at its closest approach, or perigee, the moon comes much closer to the Earth than at its apogee, or greatest distance, hence its apparent swelling.Despite the fact that it was still around 221,800 miles away, the rare conjunction meant that the moon appeared much larger and brighter than it usually does.Or, as the blog of the Royal Observatory Greenwich noted a little more scientifically: "On average, the Moon is 378,000 km away, and at furthest, it is 399,300 km away from the Earth's surface. So [the] full Moon is 6% closer than average, a...

Engaging with the environment: finding quality eInformation resources

MEDEV Events — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:22:42 +0100

The objectives of the workshop are to introduce delegates to some of the vast number of sources for environmental information. The workshop will cover: * Government departments and committees * Influential groups and bodies * News sources * Research Who should attend This course is aimed a people who need a starting point for finding environmental information. It will also help people who need to be aware of alternative sources for this information. Speakers include Gina Cybulska has been working with environmental information for over 11 years. After graduating in Information Management, she started out researching information specifically on waste, and then moved onto the wider environmental arena. She worked for the UK's leading environmental publication, The ENDS Report,...

Third runway will 'damage health'

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:28:24 +0100

A third runway at Heathrow Airport would be "very detrimental" to Londoners' health, the new head of the Environment Agency says. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

Environment Agency calls for carbon-capture on all new coal power stations

Guardian Unlimited Science — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:20:22 +0100

The Environment Agency has told the government that all new power stations must be built with the CO2-capturing technology (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)

“What is Land for?; - managing land and water in an integrated way”

Nature Network London - Upcoming Events — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:56:24 +0100

With the continuing advancement of climate change, land management is becoming even more important. But so is the management of the water environment.The right kinds of land use can help us manage the water environment. It can reduce water borne pollution, hold back flood water and ensure water storage. Our wetlands don’t just need to stay wet for biodiversity, but for other reasons, too’. We need to manage land and water in concert. That means knowing what we want to use land (and water) for, establishing national and local priorities and agreeing cost effective actions by a number of players. We need a land use planning system that delivers those priorities, a reformed Common Agricultural Policy to incentivise land managers and new tools for managing river basins for the publ...

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Mobile Phone Radiation to Unleash Epidemic of Brain Tumors

NaturalNews.com — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:00:00 +0100

(NaturalNews) A new review of more than 100 studies on the safety of mobile phones has concluded that cellular devices are poised to cause an epidemic of brain tumors that will kill more people than smoking or asbestos.The review was conducted by neurosurgeon Vini Khurana, who has received more than 14 awards in the past 16 years, who made headlines worldwide with his warnings. He called upon the industry to immediately work to reduce people's exposure to the radiation from mobile phones.According to Khurana, research demonstrates that long-term use of mobile handsets, more than 10 years, can double the risk of contracting brain cancer. While a number of studies have concluded that there is no such risk, Khurana said that most of those studies only examined short-term use. But because a br...

Environment agency denies plea to cut biofuel goals

news@nature.com — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:47:24 +0100

(Source: news@nature.com)

Good Practice Guide To Handling Veterinary Waste - British Veterinary Association

Veterinary News From Medical News Today — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:00:00 +0100

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has launched its new 'Good Practice Guide to Handling Veterinary Waste' consisting of a poster and web advice. Produced in association with the BSAVA and Goat Veterinary Society, and supported by The Environment Agency, the poster, alongside further detailed information on the BVA website, provides practical step by step guidance designed to assist veterinary surgeons comply with waste regulations in England and Wales. (Source: Veterinary News From Medical News Today)

Environment agency reopens doors to libraries

news@nature.com — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:05:45 +0100

(Source: news@nature.com)

24 Hour Cover, Bluetongue And VETS.TV - Items Discussed At BVA Council

Water Quality / Air Quality News From Medical News Today — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Representatives at last Wednesday's BVA Council meeting discussed a range of matters of interest, not only to BVA members but to the profession as a whole including progress with negotiations with the Environment Agency (EA) over the disposal of hazardous waste and with the RCVS over the provision of 24 hour cover within the confines of the Working Time Regulations. (Source: Water Quality / Air Quality News From Medical News Today)

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Designs For New Nuclear Power Stations Clear First Hurdle

Radiology / Nuclear Medicine News From Medical News Today — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Nuclear regulators, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment Agency (EA), today announced that the first step of 'Generic Design Assessment' (GDA) carried out on four designs submitted for new nuclear power stations had found nshortfalls at this stage - in terms of safety, security or the environment - that would prevent any of them from ultimately being constructed on licensed sites in the UK. (Source: Radiology / Nuclear Medicine News From Medical News Today)

New Jersey Environment Agency Recommends Demolishing Day Care

LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Emerging Toxic Torts Legal News — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:28:18 +0100

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, N.J. - The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection recommended Feb. 1 in a draft remediation report that the former Accutherm Inc. thermometer factory that was converted into the Kiddie Kollege day care be demolished because of the level of mercury contamination. Full story on lexis.com (Source: LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Emerging Toxic Torts Legal News)

Satellite Data To Deliver 'State-of-the-art' Air Quality Information In Europe

ScienceDaily Headlines — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:00:00 +0100

The European Environment Agency has finalized an agreement with an ESA-led consortium to provide unparalleled information on air pollution, which contributes to the premature deaths of hundreds of thousands of Europeans annually. The service includes data on ozone, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter (the sum of all particles suspended in air, including dust, smoke, pollen, etc.). Exposure to these pollutants can cause adverse health effects such as decreased lung function, increased respiratory symptoms and allergic responses, according to the World Health Organization. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

'State-Of-The-Art' Air Quality Information From Satellite Data

Public Health News From Medical News Today — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100

The European Environment Agency has finalised an agreement with an ESA-led consortium to provide unparalleled information on air pollution, which contributes to the premature deaths of hundreds of thousands of Europeans annually. (Source: Public Health News From Medical News Today)

Satellite data to deliver 'state-of-the-art' air quality information

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100

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Pollution In China

Chemical and Engineering News — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:10:00 +0100

Environment agency will survey emissions nationwide (Source: Chemical and Engineering News)

Validation of the geographic position of EPER-Spain industries

International Journal of Health Geographics — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Knowing the exact location of pollutant foci is vital to obtain reliable and valid conclusions in any study where distance to the focus is a decisive factor, as in the case of the consequences of industrial pollution on the health of neighbouring populations. (Source: International Journal of Health Geographics)

New reference value and the background exposure for the PAH metabolites 1-hydroxypyrene and 1- and 2-naphthol in urine of the general population in Germany: Basis for validation of human biomonitoring data in environmental medicine.

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Wilhelm M, Hardt J, Schulz C, Angerer J, Reference values for environmental pollutants in the German population are established continuously by the Human Biomonitoring Commission of the German Federal Environment Agency. The reference value for 1-hydroxypyrene in urine was derived from the representative adult population data collection of the 1998 German Environmental Survey (GerES III) and the representative data collection for children of the German Environmental Survey on Children, 2003/06 (GerES IV). For the non-smoking general population (aged 3-69 years) the commission derived a reference value of 0.5mug/l (corresponding to 0.3mug/g creatinine) for 1-hydroxypyrene in urine . For 1- and 2-naphthol levels in urine the amount of data is small and not representative of the...

Could London be the next New Orleans?

Nature Network London - Recent News — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:34:00 +0100

The ice man comethThe Antarctic ice sheets are disappearing. We don’t know why, and we can’t predict what this will do to global sea level. That’s the key message from David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey, who tonight delivers the Natural History Museum’s Annual Science Lecture. Vaughan is a world authority on glacial retreat, a veteran of eight seasons in the south polar regions, and a coordinating author of the latest IPCC report. “Antarctica is a crucial piece in the global warming jigsaw,” he says. “Understanding how its ice sheets respond to climate change is one of the biggest uncertainties in predicting sea-level rise.” Tonight, Vaughan will spell out these uncertainties, and predict what a rise in sea level might mean for the UK, where 17 million peo...

UAE water concerns

Healthcare — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 02:49:32 +0100

A study by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi has revealed that the UAE only has enough domestic use emergency water supplies to last between two and five days, reported Gulf News. The paper recommends the utilisation of groundwater aquifer storage and recovery techniques as a means of building up reserve supplies. Water demand in the UAE has increased five-fold since 1970. (Source: Healthcare)

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German Environmental Survey for Children (GerES IV) - First results.

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Kolossa-Gehring M, Becker K, Conrad A, Lüdecke A, Riedel S, Seiwert M, Schulz C, Szewzyk R German Environmental Surveys (GerESs) are large scale population studies which have been carried out on adults in 1985/86, 1990/92 and 1998 and on children aged 6-14 years in 1990/92. GerES IV is the first survey focussing exclusively on children [Becker, K., Schulz, C., Babisch, W., Dürkop, J., Roskamp, E., Seiwert, M., Szewzyk, R., Ullrich, D., Seifert, B., 2005. German Environmental Survey for Children (GerES IV) 2003-2006. Pullut. Atmos. 188, 475-479]. GerES IV included a representative sample of 1790 children aged 3-14 of the participants of the National Health Interview and Examination Survey on Children and Adolescents. The primary goal of GerES IV is not only to analyse...

UAE to ban low quality diesel

Healthcare — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 03:45:00 +0100

The UAE Federal Environment Agency has announced it will campaign for the formulation of proper mechanisms to ban entry and use of low quality and under specification diesel, WAM reported. Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel now offered in UAE is a cleaner alternative as it is less polluting to the environment because of its lower sulphur content and generates much lower amounts of particulates and NOx, known causes linked to asthma and cancer. (Source: Healthcare)

Characterisation of esterases as potential biomarkers of pesticide exposure in the lugworm Arenicola marina (Annelida: Polychaeta).

Environmental Pollution — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Hannam ML, Hagger JA, Jones MB, Galloway TS Here, we identify and characterise cholinesterase (ChE) and carboxylesterase (CbE) activities in the body tissues of the sediment dwelling worm Arenicola marina. Exposure to the organophosphorus pesticide azamethiphos yielded an in vitro IC(50) of 5mug l(-1) for propionylcholinesterase (PChE). PChE was significantly inhibited in vivo after a 10day exposure to 100mug l(-1) azamethiphos, equivalent to the recommended aquatic application rate (ANOVA; F=2.75, P=0.033). To determine sensitivity to environmental conditions, A. marina were exposed for 10days to field collected sediments. PChE activity was significantly lower in worms exposed to sediments from an estuary classified to be at high risk from point source pollution by the UK Env...

Workshop on 'Safe Management of Healthcare Waste'

NHS Networks — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 13:20:08 +0100

The National Performance Advisory Group (NPAG) is organising a workshop on Implementing - 'Environment and Sustainability: HTM 07-01 Safe Management of Healthcare Waste' at The Royal Statistical Society, 12 Errol Street, London on 23 October 2007. 'HTM 07-10 Safe management of healthcare waste' was produced by the Department of Health because of changes in the law. The Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 define and regulate the segregation and movement of hazardous waste in England and Wales from the point of production to the final disposal or recovery. The aim of HTM is to help people to comply with the legislation and to ensure better, more appropriate segregation. This workshop's principal aim is to share the experiences of those who have had to put policy into practice. This e...

School promotes solar energy

Healthcare — Wed, 16 May 2007 03:44:59 +0100

The Emirates National School is running a solar energy project to promote the development and use of alternate energy sources, Gulf News reported. The pilot programme is a joint venture of ENS with the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi and Germany's Deutsche Energie-Agentur. The project will be reviewed at the end of the current academic year with a view to it being introduced in more schools. (Source: Healthcare)

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The german human biomonitoring commission.

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health — Tue, 01 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100

This article gives a review of the current reference values, HBM values, and the work of the German Human Biomonitoring Commission. PMID: 17337242 [PubMed - in process] (Source: International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health)

AD bans fishing method

Healthcare — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 08:29:48 +0100

Abu Dhabi has banned from its waters a method of fishing which uses an encircling net. The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi issued a decision banning the practice, called Al Halaq, to help protect Spanish mackerel, which is fished commercially in the region. (Source: Healthcare)

Islands get protected status

Healthcare — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 04:02:05 +0100

A group of islands off the coast of Abu Dhabi will form part of a new protected marine area. To be called Bu Al Siaief, the islands and surrounding waters were found to have ecological significance following a study by the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi. The area spans around 282 sq kms. (Source: Healthcare)

DoH consultation: Draft guidance on health in strategic environmental assessment

NeLM Headline News — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0100

This document supplements existing UK-wide guidance on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) by providing a good practice guide to including population’s health in SEA. This document has been written by the Department of Health in close collaboration with the Health Protection Agency and has been prepared in consultation with the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Environment Agency. Please see the above link for further details. (Source: NeLM Headline News)

ENVIRON: ENVIRON's B2BWEEE-Scheme Receives Formal Environment Agency Approval

Market Wire - Pharmaceuticals and Biotech — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 17:19:00 +0100

LONDON (MARKET WIRE) Ewire -- ENVIRON is pleased to announce the receipt of the formal approval documents for its Producer Compliance Scheme from the Environment Agency on the the 30th of January. (Source: Market Wire - Pharmaceuticals and Biotech)

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Revised reference value for pentachlorophenol in morning urine.

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Schulz C, Butte W Reference values are continuously derived by the Human Biomonitoring Commission of the German Federal Environment Agency to give help in assessing the exposure of individuals or population groups in comparison to the background exposure. As environmental conditions may change reference values should be checked periodically and they have to be updated, if new data become available. The results of the German Environmental Survey 1998 (GerES III) showed the decreasing pentachlorophenol (PCP) exposure of the German adult population. Therefore, the reference value for PCP in morning urine was lowered: from 8 to 5mug/l for adults (aged 18-69 years) living in homes where wood preservatives had not been used. PMID: 17196429 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (So...

Crack-down on bogus bonfires

Chemistry World | Latest News — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 09:15:01 +0100

UK Environment Agency patrols out in force to stop pollution caused by the illegal burning of waste under the guise of Guy Fawkes (Source: Chemistry World | Latest News)

Official challenges WWF findings

Healthcare — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 03:55:30 +0100

A senior UAE environment official has challenged a WWF report which claims UAE residents were putting the most stress per capita on the planet, Gulf News reported. Secretary-General of the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, Majid Al Mansouri, said it was unfair to compare tropical countries with nations in arid zones. The WWF's 2006 Living Planet Report estimates that on current trends man will need two planets' worth of natural resources by 2050. (Source: Healthcare)

Disposal of medicines returned from patients, and disposal of obsolete dispensing medicines

NeLM Headline News — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 00:00:00 +0100

The PSNC has reported that a number of questions have been raised with them recently, concerning whether or not it is necessary to separate obsolete dispensing stock from medicines returned from households and dispose of these separately. According to the PSNC, the Environment Agency has confirmed that "there is no legal reason to keep the wastes [originating from stock or households] separate". The Environment Agency in giving that clarification, does highlight the need to use the different EWC codes when describing the waste (for pharmacy stock the six digit code would begin 18, for returned medicines from households, the six digit code begins 20) The uncertainty may have originated from the original Essential Service 3 specification, paragraph 3.1.6 set out in the PSNC new c...

Use of passive diffusion sampling method for defining NO2 concentrations gradient in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Environmental Health — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 06:00:00 +0100

This study was intended to identify a gradient of exposure to traffic-related air pollution within different areas in Sao Paulo to provide information for future epidemiological studies. Methods: We measured NO2 using Palmes diffusion tubes in 36 sites on streets chosen to be representative of different road types and traffic densities in Sao Paulo in two one-week periods (July and August 2000). In each study period, two tubes were installed in each site, and two additional tubes were also installed in 10 control sites. Results: Average NO2 concentrations were related to traffic density observed on the spot, to number of vehicles counting, and to traffic density strata defined by the city Traffic Engineering Company (CET). Average NO2 concentrations were 63g/m3 and 49g/m3 in the first an...

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Use of passive diffusion sampling method for defining NO2concentrations gradient in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Environmental Health — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 06:00:00 +0100