MedWorm: Environment Agency

Database tallies US emissions

Nature — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Nature 481, 7381 (2012). http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/481247a Author: Jeff Tollefson Environment agency launches searchable public log of major greenhouse-gas emitters. (Source: Nature)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

[Assessment of substances with specific technological functions and in small quantities in the verification of formulations based on the guidelines from the German Federal Environment Agency on the hygienic assessment of organic materials in contact with drinking water (Geringfügigkeits-Leitlinie)].

Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: PMID: 22286261 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz)

[Measures for minimizing the introduction of human pharmaceuticals and their residues into untreated water used to prepare drinking water : Recommendation from the German Federal Environment Agency from 30 August 2011 after the hearing of the Drinking Water Commission of the German Federal Ministry of Health].

Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

[Measures for minimizing the introduction of human pharmaceuticals and their residues into untreated water used to prepare drinking water : Recommendation from the German Federal Environment Agency from 30 August 2011 after the hearing of the Drinking Water Commission of the German Federal Ministry of Health]. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz. 2012 Jan;55(1):143-9 Authors: PMID: 22286260 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz)

Crayfish invasion of England's waterways tracked by radio

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:01:06 +0100

North American predators move upstream at 500m a month, spreading disease to native species, Environment Agency findsMembers of an aggressive species of crayfish which have been invading England's waterways are being tracked with radio transmitters in an attempt to better understand them.The Environment Agency said virile crayfish (Orconectes virilis), which are non-native, prey on native wildlife and spread crayfish plague, a disease deadly to native white clawed crayfish. The north American predators have recently been seen in waterways in east London after first being found on the river Lea near Enfield in 2004.They have since colonised more than 10 miles of the river and linked waterways, spreading into Hertfordshire.The agency has fitted small radio transmitters on the backs of the un...

Environmental surveys, specimen bank and health related environmental monitoring in Germany.

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Kolossa-Gehring M, Becker K, Conrad A, Schröter-Kermani C, Schulz C, Seiwert M Abstract Production of chemicals, use of products and consumer goods, contamination of food as well as today's living conditions are related to a substantial exposure of humans to chemicals. Safety of human beings and the environment has to be safeguarded by producers and government. Human biomonitoring (HBM) has proven to be a useful and powerful tool to control human exposure and facilitate risk assessment. Therefore, the German Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA) employs two major HBM tools, the German Environmental Survey (GerES) and the German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB). GerES is a nationwide population representative study on HBM and external human exposure, which has...

Q&A: Mohammed Al Madfaei on the Millennium Development Goals and the need for data

SciDev.Net — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:39:19 +0100

Mohammed Al Madfaei, deputy manager of the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, says data access is vital in the context of the Rio+20 talks. (Source: SciDev.Net)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

[This Week in Medicine] December 3–9, 2011

LANCET — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

A report released by the European Environment Agency calculates the economic costs of harm to health and the environment caused by air pollution from industrial facilities. Power plants and production processes cost the region between €102 billion and €169 billion in 2009. 50% of the total damage was caused by emissions from only 191 facilities. (Source: LANCET)

Fracking 'probable' cause of Lancashire quakes

Guardian Unlimited Science — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:48:00 +0100

Controversial 'fracking' technique to extract gas from the ground was the 'highly probable' cause of earth tremors, report findsTwo earthquake tremors in north-west England earlier this year were probably caused by controversial operations to extract gas nearby, a report by the company responsible has concluded.The two tremors - magnitude 2.3 and 1.5 - which were felt by people just outside Blackpool, but did not cause any known damage, were reported in April and May. Since the second event, Cuadrilla Resources has stopped "fracking" operations – where water and chemicals are injected into rocks at high pressure to extract gas from the cracks.The news came as protesters against the controversial new energy source halted work at a Cuadrilla gas exploration rig at Banks, near Southport, Me...

Massive Cornwall rockfall captured on video

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:38:21 +0100

Extraordinary footage from the North Cliffs near Hell's Mouth shows tens of thousands of tonnes of rock crashing into the seaIt looks a little like something from a slightly rough and ready disaster film.In fact it is a piece of Cornwall tumbling into the Atlantic Ocean, caught by a cameraman apparently out for a clifftop walk.The footage of tens of thousands of tonnes of rock crashing into the sea has been posted on YouTube and is attracting the interest of geologists from around the world.It is not that such falls are particularly rare but it is uncommon for such clear footage to be captured.The cameraman was on the North Cliffs near Hell's Mouth in north Cornwall when the earth started to move.One woman who is with the cameraman can be heard crying: "Oh My God" as part of the 100 metre ...

European biofuels target condemned by leading US scientists

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:00:00 +0100

Union of Concerned Scientists warns that the EU view that biofuels are carbon neutral is 'not supported by the science'Over 100 top scientists and economists have written to the European commission calling for indirect land use change (ILUC) to be accounted for in EU biofuels policy making.The letter, seen by EurActiv, argues that assigning biofuels a zero or "carbon neutral" emissions value – as the EU has done – "is clearly not supported by the [best available] science".Because of "flawed" accounting conventions, "the European Union's target for renewable energy in transport may fail to deliver genuine carbon savings in the real world," the scientists argue."It could end up as merely an exercise on paper that promotes widespread deforestation and higher food prices."The lette...

Energy production: Giant dam threatens Brazilian rainforest

Nature — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Alison G. Nazareno & Thomas E. Lovejoy Brazil's rainforest is under further threat from plans to build a giant hydroelectric dam on the Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon River in Pará state. Plans for the dam, known as Belo Monte, have been approved by the environment agency. These come on (Source: Nature)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Budget woes force closure of Canadian ozone-monitoring network

Physics Today News Picks — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Nature: Canada's environment agency has informed researchers that it intends to severely cut back its network of ground-based ozone-monitoring stations because of budget constraints. As Nature's Quirin Schiermeier reports, the news shocked atmospheric scientists around the world. Data from the network's 17 stations helped to identify the widest-ever Arctic ozone hole: In March of this year, scientists reported that 40% of stratospheric ozone over the Arctic had been destroyed. Although instruments aboard satellites can also monitor ozone, experts say that ground-based measurements are essential for calibrating and validating space-based measurements. The decommissioning of Canada's ozone network will also entail the loss of 776 jobs. (Source: Physics Today News Picks)

British lakes and canals hit by toxic algae scum

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 11:04:10 +0100

Algal blooms caused by mild weather and high levels of phosphate nutrients from agriculture washed into waterA combination of mild weather and high levels of phosphate nutrients from agriculture and homes are to blame for the green, porridge-like toxic algae blooms that have blighted British canals and lakes this summer, the Environment Agency has said.There have been 83 algal incidents so far this year – a month into the three-month algae season – a higher than usual amount, according to the agency. In 2010, the number of incidents reached 225, while the peak year was 2005, when 226 were reported.It is not yet clear how many of this year's incidents are blue-green algae. Blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria) are natural inhabitants of many inland waters and estuaries, and form potentially ...

Update on the Fukushima Incident

Health Protection Agency — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:16:38 +0100

The Health Protection Agency, Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Northern Ireland Environment Agency monitoring stations have reported a continuing fall in the minute traces of radiation associated with events at the Fukushima nuclear facility in Japan. Overall, the levels are even lower than those observed in the previous update published on May 19. (Source: Health Protection Agency)

Reporting and evaluation criteria as means towards a transparent use of ecotoxicity data for environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals.

Environmental Pollution — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Agerstrand M, Küster A, Bachmann J, Breitholtz M, Ebert I, Rechenberg B, Rudén C Ecotoxicity data with high reliability and relevance are needed to guarantee the scientific quality of environmental risk assessments of pharmaceuticals. The main advantages of a more structured approach to data evaluation include increased transparency and predictability of the risk assessment process, and the possibility to use non-standard data. In this collaboration, between the research project MistraPharma and the German Federal Environment Agency, a new set of reporting and evaluation criteria is presented and discussed. The new criteria are based on the approaches in the literature and the OECD reporting requirements, and have been further developed to include both reliability and releva...

Arabian 'unicorn' no longer extinct

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:25:15 +0100

The IUCN says the antelope's reintroduction to the wild is the most successful effort for any species once classified as extinctAn antelope species, widely believed to be the source of the unicorn legend and hunted to extinction in the wild, has been brought back from the brink, conservationists said today as they unveiled the latest update on threatened species.It is thought the last wild Arabian oryx was shot in 1972, but a successful captive breeding programme and reintroduction efforts mean its population now stands at 1,000 in its wild home of the Arabian peninsula.It has moved from "endangered" to the less-serious category of "vulnerable" in the latest red list of threatened species, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said.It is the first time a species that wa...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

[News of the Week] Around the World

Science: Current Issue — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 01:20:33 +0100

In science news around the world this week, Brazil's environment agency approved construction of an immense hydroelectric station in the Amazon rainforest, a spending bill passed by the House of Representatives would drastically downsize science and technology programs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the World Health Organization has concluded that cell phones may be carcinogenic, and a new report warns that international funding needed to maintain progress in fighting HIV/AIDS has been declining. (Source: Science: Current Issue)

Gambia: NEA Trains Stakeholders On Environmental, Other Issues

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:59:55 +0100

The National Environment Agency (NEA) recently held a three-day workshop on environmental awareness, HIV/AIDs and gender awareness creation at the project demo site of Tumani-Tenda, West Coast Region. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Brazil Gives Green Light to 'Monster Dam'

ScienceNOW — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:29:29 +0100

Brazil's environment agency gave final approval this week for the construction of the Belo... (Source: ScienceNOW)

Brazil Approves Massive Amazon Dam for Construction

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:33:00 +0100

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's environment agency gave its definitive approval on Wednesday for construction of the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam, a controversial $17 billion project in the Amazon that has drawn criticism from native Indians and conservationists. The regulator, Ibama, issued licenses to the consortium in charge of Belo Monte to build the massive dam on the Xingu River, a tributary to the Amazon. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Update on the Fukushima Incident 19 May 2011

NeLM - News — Thu, 19 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Source: Health Protection Agency (HPA) Area: News The Health Protection Agency, Environment Agency and Northern Ireland Environment Agency monitoring stations have reported further minute traces of radiation associated with events at the Fukushima nuclear facility in Japan. Overall, the levels are lower than those observed in the previous update published on May 5. The levels being detected mean there is no risk to public health in the United Kingdom from the environmental concentrations resulting from the release of radioactive material at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. (Source: NeLM - News)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Update on the Fukushima Incident

Health Protection Agency — Thu, 19 May 2011 12:30:18 +0100

The Health Protection Agency, Environment Agency and Northern Ireland Environment Agency monitoring stations have reported further minute traces of radiation associated with events at the Fukushima nuclear facility in Japan. Overall, the levels are lower than those observed in the previous update published on May 5. (Source: Health Protection Agency)

Call to ban mobiles and WiFi from schools

NHS News Feed — Mon, 16 May 2011 18:30:00 +0100

This report appears to be at the draft resolution stage. It should now go on to be presented by the rapporteur, and debated at a plenary session of the assembly. At the end of the debate the draft report (which can be amended), is voted on and adopted or rejected by the assembly. What do other organisations say about the risk? The World Health Organization (WHO) has extensively examined the health implications of electromagnetic fields, particularly those generated by mobile phone signals. The WHO has stated that ‘despite extensive research, to date there is no evidence to conclude that exposure to low level electromagnetic fields is harmful to human health.’ It said, ‘In the area of biological effects and medical applications of non-ionizing radiation approximately 25,000 article...

Update on the Fukushima Incident

Health Protection Agency — Thu, 05 May 2011 13:17:23 +0100

The Health Protection Agency, Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency monitoring stations have reported further minute traces of radiation associated with events at the Fukushima nuclear facility in Japan. Overall, the levels are lower than those observed in the previous update published on 21 April. (Source: Health Protection Agency)

James Dyson: Reinventing Britain

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:05:04 +0100

James Dyson has made millions by allowing us to see the dirt we suck up. As he calls for more inventors, Lucy Siegle asks him about manufacturing abroad, design disasters and whether he could build a nuclear reactorI am at Dyson HQ in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, the beacon of British industrialism, which is not a dark satanic mill but all light, contoured glass and bridges over placid water between sculptures. This is the birthplace of the bagless, see-through vacuum cleaner that offers 100% suction (so well known it need only be referred to as "the Dyson") and the planet's most powerful hand dryer, the Airblade. Bright young engineers emerge from testing rooms wearing non-business dress (an informal rule) and mingle in the sunshine. People are smiling and holding lattes from the shiny canteen....

Cardiovascular effects of environmental noise: Research in Germany.

Noise and Health — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Maschke C Research on systematic noise effects started in Germany back in the fifties with basic experimental studies on humans. As a result, noise was classified as a non-specific stressor, which could cause an ergotropic activation of the complete organism. In the light of this background research a hypothesis was proposed that long-term noise exposure could have an adverse effect on health. This hypothesis was further supported by animal studies. Since the sixties, the adverse effects of chronic road traffic noise exposure were further examined in humans with the help of epidemiological studies. More epidemiological aircraft noise studies followed in the 1970s and thereafter. The sample size was increased, relevant confounding factors were taken into account, and the exposu...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

2010: A new beginning for biodiversity?

Comptes Rendus Biologies — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Barbault R Proclaimed "International Year of Biodiversity", will 2010 hold all its promises? Reminder: initiated by the Convention on Biological Diversity ratified after the global summit in Rio de Janeiro, delegations from more than one hundred countries gathered in Johannesburg in 2002 and committed themselves to slowing the erosion of biodiversity by 2010. The European Union was more ambitious (or reckless?) and even spoke about halting this erosion (European Environment Agency, Progress towards the European 2010 biodiversity target, 2009) [1]! Well, that date has come and the overall appraisal that has been made formally in Nagoya in October this year was not so brilliant (see Leadley et al., 2010) [2]-but the same slogan has been launched for 2020! The aim here is not to ...

Invasive species: Killer shrimps and English parrots | Editorial

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 23:01:03 +0100

Striped and suitably vicious-looking, a creature, which likes to kill its prey without eating it, has arrived from the Black SeaDikerogammarus villosus, a visitor to this country so unpopular that even the Environment Agency calls it the killer shrimp, turned up recently in Cardiff Bay and two freshwater reservoirs. It must be the only shrimp in history to have been given its own "wanted" poster by the government. Striped and suitably vicious-looking, the creature, which likes to kill its prey without eating it, has arrived from the Black Sea intent on wiping out northern Europe's rather meeker amphipods. And it is not alone.Yesterday, it was reported, monk parakeets became the latest invasive species to be targeted by the government. The grey and green birds stand accused of building huge...

Occurrence and Concentration of Dissolved Silver in Rivers in England and Wales.

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

In this study 425 separate analytical determinations for dissolved (<0.45 μm) silver from 84 Environment Agency monitoring stations were carried out. Sampling was carried out on a monthly basis over a period of 6 months. Of the 425 samples, 346 were reported as having dissolved silver concentrations below the limit of quantification (6.6 ng l(-1)) and, of these, 280 samples were reported as below the reporting limit of detection (3 ng l(-1)). The mean of the maximum dissolved silver concentrations reported at each station was calculated as 6.1 ng l(-1) using a statistical extrapolation technique to allow for the high level of censorship in the dataset. The maximum mean dissolved silver concentration recorded at a station was 19.8 ng l(-1). A freshwater Predicted No Effect Con...

Weekly update on the Fukushima Incident

Health Protection Agency — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:27:11 +0100

The Health Protection Agency, Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Northern Ireland Environment Agency monitoring stations have reported further minute traces of radiation associated with events at the Fukushima nuclear facility in Japan. Overall, the levels are lower than those observed in last week's update. (Source: Health Protection Agency)

Weekly update on the Fukushima Incident, 31 March 2011

Health Protection Agency — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:46:08 +0100

The HPA, Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) will jointly provide a weekly update of their air monitoring findings associated with the Fukushima event via the HPA website. This will be posted at 2pm every Thursday. (Source: Health Protection Agency)

Lethal in Japan - the real story on radiation

NaturalNews.com — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 07:00:00 +0100

The headlines we wake up to Monday morning say: A new column of smoke rising from an overheating nuclear plant in Japan drove workers out of the smoldering site dented hopes for a breakthrough in the post-quake atomic crisis raising the risk of uncontrolled radiation. The World Health Organization said today that radiation in food after an earthquake damaged a Japanese nuclear plant was more serious than previously thought, eclipsing signs of progress in a battle to avert a catastrophic meltdown in the reactors.The government of the world's third-biggest economy has been insisting that there is no widespread threat of radiation but confirmed that fresh foodstuffs are now showing signs of contamination.The double speak has officially started so now we know that the trouble is real, dangerou...

Checking For Contaminants

Chemical and Engineering News — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 18:05:00 +0100

Regulation: Environment agency proposes monitoring 28 chemicals in drinking water. (Source: Chemical and Engineering News)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Scientists track 'killer' shrimps

The Independent - Science — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:01 +0100

Traps baited with cat and fish food are being used to track "killer" shrimp in British rivers, the Environment Agency has announced. (Source: The Independent - Science)

Epidemiology and control of chikungunya fever in Singapore

Journal of Infection — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The disease was successfully brought under control through aggressive vector control measures directed at A. albopictus. Although the incidence has sharply declined since January 2009, a high degree of vigilance is maintained to prevent a recurrence of epidemic transmission which can occur even with a well-established nationwide mosquito control programme. (Source: Journal of Infection)

U.S.: Environment Agency Moves to Regulate Carbon Dioxide

IPS Inter Press Service - Health — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 22:29:41 +0100

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun the initial stages of a process that may lead to the federal agency's first regulations to limit emissions of carbon dioxide from power plants and oil refineries. (Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health)

[Baby swimming and disinfection by-products in swimming pools : Communication from the Federal Environment Agency following the swimming and wading pool water commission hearings of the Federal Ministry of Health at the Federal Environment Agency.]

Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: PMID: 21246340 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz)

Freshwater wildlife thrives in cleanest rivers since Industrial Revolution

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 00:01:08 +0100

Otters, water voles and many species of freshwater fish make dramatic recovery as water quality continues to improveOtters, water voles and species of freshwater fish which had all but vanished from waterways have made a dramatic recovery following the healthiest decade for rivers since the industrial revolution.The toxic effects of pesticides nearly wiped out the wild otter in the 1970s, but steady improvements in water quality mean their numbers are expected to make a full recovery.Otters may already have reached their maximum capacity in parts of the south-west of England, Cumbria and Northumbria. In the past 30 years, positive sightings have risen 10-fold, says a report by the Environment Agency.The return of wildlife in and around the waterways reflects clean-up operations by water co...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

What happened next? The otter resurgence

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 08:00:19 +0100

In May, Jon Henley went in search of one of our most beloved mammals. So have things changed for Britain's otters?Back in May, I spent two highly enjoyable but ultimately fruitless days trying to spot an otter with Kevin O'Hara, who works for the Northumberland Wildlife Trust and, having spent most of his career with them, knows more about the nation's favourite wild mammal than almost anyone else in the country. Sadly, we failed to spot a single one, although I learned a lot about them and we did see reassuring quantities of otter poo. Or spraints, as they are technically known.The reason for the story was that Britain's fifth national otter survey was due out later in the summer. Having been driven – by pollution and pesticides, mostly – almost to extinction in England, the otter has...

The carcinogenic potential of nanomaterials, their release from products and options for regulating them.

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Becker H, Herzberg F, Schulte A, Kolossa-Gehring M A summary of a critical review by a working group of the German Federal Environment Agency and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment on the carcinogenic potential of nanomaterials is presented. After a critical review of the available data, we conclude that the potential carcinogenic risk of nanomaterials can currently be assessed only on a case-by-case basis. There is certain evidence that different forms of CNTs (carbon nanotubes) and nanoscale TiO(2) particles may induce tumours in sensitive animal models. It is assumed that the mode of action of the inhalation toxicity of asbestos-like fibres and of inhalable fractions of biopersistent fine dusts of low toxicity (nano-TiO(2)) is linked to chronic inflammatory pr...

Science will shape climate adaptation plans

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 05:59:47 +0100

Scientists must press on in developing the emerging tools that will help governments make decisions on adapting to climate change• UK 'poorly prepared for impact of global warming'Some would argue that the demand for information on how climate change will affect our future outstrips the current capability of the science and climate models. My view is that as scientists, we can provide useful information, but we need to be clear about its limitations and strive to improve information for the future. We need to be clear about the uncertainties in our projections while still extracting useful information for practical decision-making.I have been involved in developing climate models for the last 15 years and despite their limitations we are now able to assess the probability of different ou...

How science will shape climate adaptation plans | Vicky Pope

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 05:59:47 +0100

Scientists must press on in developing the emerging tools that will help governments make decisions on adapting to climate change• UK 'poorly prepared for impact of global warming'• John Dwyer: Climate research must be better coordinatedSome would argue that the demand for information on how climate change will affect our future outstrips the current capability of the science and climate models. My view is that as scientists, we can provide useful information, but we need to be clear about its limitations and strive to improve information for the future. We need to be clear about the uncertainties in our projections while still extracting useful information for practical decision-making.I have been involved in developing climate models for the last 15 years and despite their limitation...

Providing Data On Chemicals

Chemical and Engineering News — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:05:00 +0100

Regulation: Environment agency rule would require submissions about compounds every four years. (Source: Chemical and Engineering News)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

'Endangerment' Decision Upheld

Chemical and Engineering News — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:50:00 +0100

Petitions: Environment agency rules against challenges to greenhouse gas regulation. (Source: Chemical and Engineering News)

Health impact of urban air pollution in Belgium

Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:49:48 +0100

Abstract Health impact assessment (HIA) of air pollution was performed in three Belgian cities using APHEIS methodology, in the framework of the Belgian NEHAP. The urban agglomerations of Liège, Antwerp, and Brussels were chosen, totalling together two million inhabitants. HIA was calculated using either measured or interpolated populated weighted air data. We estimated the annual number of deaths in 2004 attributed to acute, subacute, and chronic exposure to PM10 above 20 μg/m³, the PM10 target value defined in the EU directive (1999/30/EC). For the three cities combined, 5.5% of the mortality is attributable to PM10 concentrations higher than the reference level. The differences between the three cities were not significant. The impact of ozone (reference, above 1...

Review of questioned IPCC report says conclusions 'well-founded'

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:09:33 +0100

Dutch government finds minor inaccuracies in contested paper, but reasserts that 'climate change poses "substantial risks" to most parts of the world'The first major independent review of criticisms of the global assessment of climate change led by the United Nations declared today that it found "no errors that would undermine the main conclusions" of the panel of international scientists that climate change will have serious consequences around the world.However the Dutch panel of experts claims it found 12 errors - from a criticism of the number of people in Africa at risk of water shortages to mistakes in references or typing. It also suggested the summary version of the report had portrayed an over-dramatic picture by putting the emphasis on negative impacts of climate change, and it f...

On the trail of the otter

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:00:02 +0100

From the point of near extinction in England, the otter has made an extraordinary comeback. But just how easy is it to spot one? Jon Henley hunkers down to waitSo here we are on a pin-bright, late-May morning, Kevin O'Hara and I, squatting in the mud beneath a small humpbacked bridge over the River Lynne, half an hour from downtown Newcastle, looking for poo. Not just any poo, mind. A special kind of poo. Otter poo."Now this," O'Hara had declared, pulling off the road in the 4x4, "is a perfect little ottery sort of a river. Just look at it. Clear, clean water: full of brown trout. Reeds, bushes, trees, good habitat. And 15 years ago this river was orange. 'No otter in its right mind would ever live here,' one local naturalist wrote, a man who knew his stuff. Let's see now."We clamber over ...

An international model validation exercise on radionuclide transfer and doses to freshwater biota

Journal of Radiological Protection — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Author(s): T L Yankovich, J Vives i Batlle, S Vives-Lynch, N A Beresford, C L Barnett, K Beaugelin-Seiller, J E Brown, J-J Cheng, D Copplestone, R Heling, A Hosseini, B J Howard, S Kamboj, A I Kryshev, T Nedveckaite, J T Smith and M D WoodAffiliation(s): AREVA Resources Canada, 817--45th Street West, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 3X5, Canada; Environmental Science, Westlakes Scientific Consulting Ltd, The Princess Royal Building, Westlakes Science and Technology Park, Moor Row, Cumbria CA24 3LN, UK; Radioecology Group, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, CEH Lancaster, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK; Environment and Emergency Operations Division (DEI), Batiment 159 Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire (IRSN) Centre de Cadarache, BP 3 13115 Sa...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Protection of the environment from ionising radiation in a regulatory context—an overview of the PROTECT coordinated action project

Journal of Radiological Protection — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Author(s): B J Howard, N A Beresford, P Andersson, J E Brown, D Copplestone, K Beaugelin-Seiller, J Garnier-Laplace, P D Howe, D Oughton and P WhitehouseAffiliation(s): Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK; Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, 171 16 Stockholm, Sweden; Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Grini Naeringspark 13, 1361 Osteras, Norway; Environment Agency, PO Box 12, Richard Fairclough House, Knutsford Road, Warrington WA4 1HG, UK; Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire DEI/SECRE, CE Cadarache, Batiment 159, BP 3, 13115 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France; Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 As, Norway (Source: Journal of Radiological Prot...

A multi-criteria weight of evidence approach for deriving ecological benchmarks for radioactive substances

Journal of Radiological Protection — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Author(s): J Garnier-Laplace, C Della-Vedova, P Andersson, D Copplestone, C Cailes, N A Beresford, B J Howard, P Howe and P WhitehouseAffiliation(s): Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire DEI/SECRE, CEN Cadarache--Batiment 159, BP 3, 13115 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France; Magelis, 6 rue Frederic Mistral, 84160 Cadenet, France; Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, 17116 Stockholm, Sweden; Environment Agency, PO Box 12, Richard Fairclough House, Knutsford Road, Warrington WA4 1HG, UK; Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK (Source: Journal of Radiological Protection)

Considerations for the integration of human and wildlife radiological assessments

Journal of Radiological Protection — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Author(s): D Copplestone, J E Brown and N A BeresfordAffiliation(s): Environment Agency, PO Box 12, Richard Fairclough House, Knutsford Road, Warrington WA4 1HG, UK; Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Grini Naeringspark 13, 1361 Osteras, Norway; Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, CEH-Lancaster, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK (Source: Journal of Radiological Protection)

Assessment of risk to wildlife from ionising radiation: can initial screening tiers be used with a high level of confidence?

Journal of Radiological Protection — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Author(s): N A Beresford, A Hosseini, J E Brown, C Cailes, K Beaugelin-Seiller, C L Barnett and D CopplestoneAffiliation(s): Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Lancaster, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK; Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Department of Emergency Preparedness and Environmental Radioactivity, Grini naeringspark 13 Postbox 55, NO-1332 Osteras, Norway; Environment Agency, PO Box 12, Richard Fairclough House, Knutsford Road, Warrington WA4 1HG, UK; Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire DEI/SECRE, CE Cadarache--Batiment 159, BP 3, 13115 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France (Source: Journal of Radiological Protection)

Protection of the environment from ionising radiation: developing criteria and evaluating approaches for use in regulation

Journal of Radiological Protection — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Author(s): David Copplestone, Nicholas Beresford and Brenda HowardAffiliation(s): Environment Agency, PO Box 12, Richard Fairclough House, Knutsford Road, Warrington, WA4 1HG, UK; Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, CEH-Lancaster, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK (Source: Journal of Radiological Protection)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

The UK's Surplus Source Disposal Programme: successful management of a national radioactive legacy

Journal of Radiological Protection — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Author(s): Clive Williams, Philip Burns, Malcolm Wakerley, Isabelle Watson, Marianne Cook and Barry MoloneyAffiliation(s): Environment Agency, Block 1, Government Buildings, Burghill Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS10 6BF, UK; Formerly of the Environment Agency, Olton Court, 10 Warwick Road, Solihull B92 7HX, UK; Formerly of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Ergon House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR, UK; Scottish Environment Protection Agency, 5 Redwood Crescent, Peel Park, East Kilbride G74 5PP, UK; Scottish Government, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ, UK; Safeguard International (now EnergySolutions), B168, Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QT, UK (Source: Journal of Radiological Protection)

International Day of Biological Diversity

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 21 May 2010 07:00:03 +0100

London, New York, Paris, Blaenavon: all over the globe, the wonders of the living world are being celebrated in cities and in rural locationsHundreds of events are taking place across the world to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity tomorrow. From biodiversity-themed plays and workshops to living buildings and riverbed cleanups, here is our top 10:1 Garden on Champs Elysées, ParisThe French capital's most famous avenue will be filled with hundreds of plant species from all over France, transforming it into an extraordinary garden.2 Biodiversity festival, Natural History Museum, London (11am-4pm)Watch theatre and arts performances, join the science roadshow in the Darwin Centre and help artists create a special biodiversity day elephant sculpture to add to The Elephant Para...

Reassessment of critical lead effects by the German Human Biomonitoring Commission results in suspension of the human biomonitoring values (HBM I and HBM II) for lead in blood of children and adults.

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health — Tue, 18 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Wilhelm M, Heinzow B, Angerer J, Schulz C In Germany, the Human Biomonitoring Commission of the Federal Environment Agency continuously assesses environmental pollutants to derive human biomonitoring (HBM) and reference values. HBM values are derived on the basis of toxicological, epidemiological studies or toxicokinetic extrapolation which provides a concentration of a substance or its metabolites corresponding to tolerable intake doses. Two levels are defined: HBM I and HBM II. In 1996, the Commission set a HBM I of 100mug/l for lead in blood of children </=12 years and females of a reproductive age and a HBM I of 150mug/l for the other persons. In the light of findings from epidemiological studies on effects below 100mug/l, the Commission reevaluated and confirmed the as...

Drinking water quality in household supply infrastructure-A survey of the current situation in Germany.

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: VÃ¶lker S, Schreiber C, Kistemann T As a result of the amendment to the German Drinking Water Ordinance in 2001, local public health authorities are obliged to monitor the water supply in installations providing water for public use (Section 18 German Drinking Water Ordinance). With a systematic and nationwide survey of locally available data relating to hygienic drinking water quality and the existing drinking water infrastructure in buildings, the extent of microbial contamination of in-building distribution systems in Germany is intended to be assessed. To gain an overview of the microbial contamination of drinking water in public buildings all 419 local public health authorities in Germany were contacted in 2007. In a detailed study with a representative cooperation leve...

Dumped medical waste provokes hospital warning

Nursing Times Breaking News — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:15:00 +0100

An investigation has been launched after tonnes of hospital waste was dumped at an old airfield in Suffolk, the Environment Agency said. (Source: Nursing Times Breaking News)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Hospitals warned to dispose of waste properly

HSJ — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:08:00 +0100

An investigation has been launched after tonnes of hospital waste was dumped at an old airfield in Suffolk, the Environment Agency said. (Source: HSJ)

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...

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...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

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...

'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)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

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)

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...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

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...

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...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

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)

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))

Phytoremediation of benzophenone and bisphenol a by glycosylation with immobilized plant cells.

Environmental Health Insights — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Shimoda K, Hamada H, Hamada H Benzophenone and bisphenol A are environmental pollutions, which have been listed among "chemicals suspected of having endocrine disrupting effects" by the World Wildlife Fund, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in the USA and the Japanese Environment Agency. The cultured cells of Nicotiana tabacum glycosylated benzophenone to three glycosides, 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranosylbenzophenone (9%), diphenylmethyl beta-D-glucopyranoside (14%), and diphenylmethyl 6-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (12%) after 48 h incubation. On the other hand, incubation of benzophenone with immobilized cells of N. tabacum in sodium alginate gel gave products in higher yields, i.e. the yields of 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranosylbenzophenone, diphe...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

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...

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)

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)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

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)

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)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

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

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)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

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)

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)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

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)

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)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

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)

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)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Radioactivity Absorbed Through Food Below EU Legal Limit

Nutrition/Agriculture News From Medical News Today — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 21:00:00 +0100

The radioactivity people absorb through food remained below the European Union legal limit during 2005, says the Agency's fourth annual Radioactivity in Food and the Environment (RIFE) report, the most comprehensive independent report of radioactivity in food across the UK.It combines the FSA's monitoring results with the Environment Agency's, Scottish Environment Protection Agency's and the Environment and Heritage Services of Northern Ireland. [click link for full article] (Source: Nutrition/Agriculture News From Medical News Today)

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...

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

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

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK.

Predicting the radiation exposure of terrestrial wildlife in the Chernobyl exclusion zone: an international comparison of approaches

Journal of Radiological Protection — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0100

Author(s): N A Beresford, C L Barnett, J E Brown, J-J Cheng, D Copplestone, S Gaschak, A Hosseini, B J Howard, S Kamboj, T Nedveckaite, G Olyslaegers, J T Smith, J Vives i Batlle, S Vives-Lynch and C YuAffiliation(s): Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Lancaster, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK; Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Department of Emergency Preparedness and Environmental Radioactivity, Grini naeringspark 13, Postbox 55, No-1332 Osteras, Norway; Argonne National Laboratory, Building 900, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439-4832, USA; England and Wales Environment Agency, Richard Fairclough House, Knutsford Road, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 1HG, UK; International Radioecology Laboratory, Ukraine; Institute of Physics, Radiati...