scholarly journals Ecological Conditions of the Lower Dniester and Some Indicators for Assessment of the Hydropower Impact

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 9900
Author(s):  
Svitlana Kovalyshyna ◽  
Tatiana Chuzhekova ◽  
Maria Grandova ◽  
Eduard Onishchenko ◽  
Elena Zubcov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Working Party ◽  
Biotic Index ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Biological Communities ◽  
Modern Period ◽  
The Impact

The Dniester is one of the largest transboundary rivers of the Black Sea basin, and its lower reaches integrate the influence of climate change and hydropower plant (HPP) impact on the waterway. The decrease in precipitation and average annual air temperature increase and intensive hydroelectric construction have led to a decline in the total water content of the river, during the last 10 years, being below the long-term historical “norm”. The shifts in the river flow result in multidirectional seasonal dynamics of nutrient concentrations. During the modern period, a stabilization of nutrient concentrations takes place, being lower than at the peak of eutrophication in the 1970s–1980s, but higher than in the natural flow period. The construction of reservoirs leads to a long-term decline in silica concentrations, continuing in the modern period. The concentration of heavy metals and metalloids in water and bottom sediments of the river generally corresponds to the ecological status of “Moderate”. Biological communities show a high β-diversity of microalgae, but low diversity of plankton and benthic invertebrates. Biological communities respond to the impact of HPP in both the short- and long-term. Hydroelectric dams change the bioavailability of nutrients downstream which, in the long-term, causes shifts in phytoplankton composition, especially the reduction of Bacillariophyta due to the lack of silicates that are deposited in reservoirs. However, in the short-term, after the discharge from the HPP dam, the concentration of silicates and the proportion of diatoms increase. Long-term changes also include a decline in the proportion of Rotifera and an increase in Copepoda in the total abundance of zooplankton and the unification of the benthic community with an increase in the biomass of gastropods in the area, which can be considered as indicators of the impact of hydroelectric power plants. The saprobity index, calculated both for zooplankton and macrozoobenthos, characterised the water as moderately polluted; benthic biotic indexes (Biological monitoring working party (BMWP), Belgian Biotic Index (BBI), Danish Stream Fauna Index (DSFI)) calculated on macrozoobenthos described the condition as “low” quality.

scholarly journals E-cigarettes: no smoke without fire?

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Daniels ◽  
C. Cosma ◽  
A. Llewellyn ◽  
D. Banks ◽  
H. Morris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
National Health ◽  
Working Party ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Dual Use ◽  
Common View ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Relapse Rates

Abstract Smoking was one of the biggest preventable killers of the 20th century, and it continues to cause the death of millions across the globe. The rapid growth of the e-cigarette market in the last 10 years and the claims that it is a safer form of smoking, and can help with smoking cessation, have led to questions being raised on their possible impact to society, the health of the population and the insurance industry. Recent media attention around the possible health implications of e-cigarette use has also ensured that this topic remains in the public eye. The e-cigarette working party was initiated by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ Health and Care Research Sub-Committee in July 2016, with the primary objective of understanding the impact of e-cigarettes on life and health insurance. In this paper, we have looked at all areas of e-cigarette usage and how it relates to insurance in the UK market. In particular, we have covered the potential risks and benefits of switching to e-cigarettes, the results of studies that have been published, the potential impact on underwriting and claims processes and the potential impact on pricing (based on what modelling is possible with the data available). Research in this area is still in its infancy and data are not yet mature, which makes predicting the long-term impact of e-cigarette smoking extremely challenging, for example, there are no studies that directly measure the mortality or morbidity impact of long-term e-cigarette use and so we have had to consider studies that consider more immediate health impacts or look more simply at the constituents of the output of an e-cigarette and compare them to that of a cigarette. The data issue is further compounded by the findings of studies and the advice of national health authorities often being conflicting. For example, while National Health Service England has publicly stated that it supports the growth of e-cigarette usage as an aid to reduce traditional smoking behaviour, the US Food and Drug Administration has been much more vocal in highlighting the perceived dangers of this new form of smoking. Users’ behaviour also adds complexity, as dual use (using both e-cigarettes and cigarettes) is seen in a high percentage of users and relapse rates back to cigarette smoking are currently unknown. Having talked to a number of experts in the field, we have discovered that there is certainly not a common view on risk. We have heard from experts who have significant concerns but also to experts who do believe that e-cigarettes are far safer than tobacco. We have purposefully considered conflicting evidence and have consulted with various parties so we can present differing points of view, thereby ensuring a balanced, unbiased and fair picture of our findings is presented. The evidence we have reviewed does suggest that e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to traditional smoking, but not as safe as non-smoking. There are no large, peer-reviewed, long-term studies yet available to understand the true impact of a switch to e-cigarette use, so currently we are unable to say where on the risk spectrum between cigarette smoking and life-time non-smoking it lies. We do not yet understand if the benefits seen in the studies completed so far will reduce the risk in the long term or whether other health risks will come to light following more prolonged use and study. This, coupled with concerns with the high proportion of dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, relapse rates and the recent growth in medical problems linked with e-cigarette use, means that we need to wait for experience to emerge fully before firm conclusions can be drawn. Although we have presented a view, it is vitally important that our industry continues to monitor developments in this area and fully considers what next steps and future actions may be required to ensure our position reflects the potential benefits and risks that e-cigarette use may bring. We feel that the time is right for a body such as the IFoA to analyse the feasibility of collecting the necessary data through the Continuous Mortality Investigation that would allow us to better analyse the experience that is emerging.

The impact of materials selection on long-term activation in fusion power plants

2000 ◽  
Vol 283-287 ◽  
pp. 28-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.P Taylor ◽  
C.B.A Forty ◽  
D.A Petti ◽  
K.A McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Materials Selection ◽  
Fusion Power ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals The Amur River Water During the Winter Low-water Period: The Many-year dynamics of the Sulfates Content and Runoff.

2020 ◽  
pp. 82-93
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Hydroelectric Power ◽  
Amur Basin ◽  
Amur River ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Large Cities ◽  
The Amur River ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Impact

ulfates are the dominant ions among the major ones in the Amur region’s sewage. Therefore, the purpose of the research is to study the long-term dynamics of the content and runoff of sulfates in the Amur River in the winter low-water, based on the materials of Roshydromet for 1943-1976 and the author’s data for 1999-2019.Significant variations in the main areas were found due to both the diversity of natural conditions and anthropogenic influence in the areas of large cities and localities. The impact of the construction of hydroelectric power plants, significant economic changes in the Chinese part of the Amur basin, as well as the closure of pulp and paper and microbiological industries in the Russian part of the Amur basin on the long-term dynamics of the content and flow of sulfates is estimated. The maximum content of sulfates in the Amur River was observed after the accident at the Jilin chemical plant in China in December 2005. The influence of major floods on the increase in the flow of sulphates in the winter low-water was established.

Monitoring Effects of Drought on Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Temperate Oak Forests Using Machine Learning Techniques

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Kotlarz ◽  
Katarzyna Kubiak ◽  
Marcin Spiralski
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Drought Stress ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Aerial Images ◽  
Machine Learning Techniques ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
The Impact

Oak is a European tree species highly sensitive to drought. If declining symptoms appear they are often detectable at the crown (such as dieback) enabling monitoring using aerial images and remote sensing methods. Here, we analyzed the impact of short and long-term drought on oaks located in central Poland, between the years of 2014 and 2017. We used leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations measured in the laboratory, aerial images collected in the range of 460-880 nm and machine learning techniques to estimate nutrient concentrations on the > 4000 oaks growing on gleysoil in the study area. We determined a negative impact on N and P concentrations during both types of drought stress (-23% and 19% for N concentration in leaves; -27% and -10% for P concentration in leaves) and an inconsiderable impact on N:P values (3% increase of N:P ration during short and 7% decrease of N:P ration during long-term drought stress). We found that the long-term drought impact was spatially diverse, possibly depending on the presence of drainage ditches and competing species.

Cluster analysis for dispersion patterns near nuclear power plants in South Korea

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyunha Lee ◽  
Chunsil Jin ◽  
Chunji Kim
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Flow Patterns ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Dispersion Patterns ◽  
The Impact

<p>  Clustering analysis using air parcel trajectories is actively used to investigate transport patterns of pollutants. To estimate the impact of nuclide dispersion from nuclear accident, comprehensive information based on long-term meteorological data is required to eatablish a complete and efficient public protection plan. Most of nuclear plants in South Korea are located in a complex terrain near coastal area that involves complicated meteorological phenomenon such as sea breezes and mountain-valley breezes. Robust approach based on long-term climatrological data is required to fully resolve the impacts near Korean nuclear power plants.</p><p>  In this study, we assessed the impacts of potential nuclear accident in South Korea by clustering dispersion patterns using 10-year meteorological data. Flow patterns are clustered using trajectory cluster analysis, and then combined with dispersion simulations to demonstrate the clustered dispersion patterns by each season and nuclear power plant.</p><p>  The long-term meteorological simulations from 2007 to 2016 were used to evaluate the potential impact of nuclear accidents in Korea, and the modeling framework was designed to show the impact map according to the flow patterns near each nuclear power plant. NOAA HYSPLIT modeling additional clustering analysis suggests that two or three cluster patterns for each power plant can be used. A total of 38 flow patterns are classified near the four nuclear plants in the previous season based on a 10-year wind field analysis. Korea has very complex terrain and coastal areas, and more sophisticated modeling efforts are needed to fully understand the more realistic dispersion characteristics of air masses. In terms of space-time resolution, updating land use information for simulation is very important for weather simulation near the surface of Korea.</p><p>  The results of this study can be used as a guideline for constructing a modeling framework for nuclide diffusion simulations, but given these complex simulation configurations, the results demonstrated in the current study are should be interpreted with caution.</p><p> </p>

Long-term safety of the extended SFR - Methodology and conclusions from the SR-PSU project

MRS Advances ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (61) ◽  
pp. 4075-4080
Author(s):  
Fredrik Vahlund
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Safety Assessment ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Surface System ◽  
Radiological Safety ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTSince 1988 the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co. operates a repository for low- and intermediate-level short-lived radioactive waste, SFR, in Forsmark, Sweden. Due to decommissioning of the nuclear power plants additional storage capacity is needed. In December 2014, an application to extend the repository was therefore submitted. One key component of this application was an assessment of post-closure safety of the extended SFR. For this safety assessment, a methodology based on that developed by SKB for the spent nuclear fuel repository was used and the impact of the degradation of repository components, the evolution of the surface system and changes of future climate on the radiological safety of the repository was assessed over a period of 100,000 years. The central conclusion of the SR-PSU safety assessment is that the extended SFR repository meets requirements on protection of human health and of the environment that have been established by the Swedish radiation safety authority for the final disposal of radioactive waste. Furthermore, the design of the repository was shown suitable for the waste selected and the applied methodology suitable for the safety assessment.

scholarly journals LONG-TERM CHANGES IN THE PRESIPITATION AT THE BLACK SEA COAST OF THE CAUCASUS

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 161-167
Author(s):  
A.V. Parfenova ◽  
◽  
L.V. Dashkevich ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Black Sea ◽  
Coefficient Of Variation ◽  
Meteorological Station ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
The Caucasus ◽  
Modern Period ◽  
Black Sea Coast ◽  
Long Term Changes ◽  
Sea Coast

Long-term changes in the amount of precipitation on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus according to data of the hydro-meteorological stations Anapa, Tuapse and Sochi are considered. The observation data analysis of for the selected periods revealed an increase in the average yearly precipitation from the beginning of the twentieth to the beginning of the twenty-first centuries for all hydro-meteorological stations with a slight decrease in the coefficient of variation. Seasonal changes in precipitation regime are pronounced in the region. The highest increase in seasonal precipitation was noted at the Anapa hydro-meteorological station for winter, then for spring and autumn. At the Tuapse and Sochi hydro-meteorological stations also tended to increase precipitation in spring and autumn, but was noted a slight decrease in winter in the modern period. At the same time, for all seasons such growth is provided mainly by an increase in the minimum seasonal values (for all stations), as well as maximum ones in spring (for all stations) and autumn (hydro-meteorological station Anapa). In modern period relative to the twentieth century it is possible to note a slight decrease in the coefficient of variation in winter and spring (for all hydro-meteorological stations), and an increase in summer (for hydro-meteorological stations Anapa and Tuapse). The redistribution of precipitation by seasons was revealed from the beginning of the twentieth to the beginning of the twentyfirst centuries. The most significant changes affected the hydro-meteorological station Tuapse: the share of autumn and spring precipitation increased from 25 to 31 % and from 18 to 22 %, respectively, while the share of summer precipitation decreased from 26 to 18 %. The share of winter precipitation increased from the first to the third selected periods (from 30 to 35 %), after which it decreased to 29 % in the modern period.

scholarly journals LEGALIZATION OF GAMING BUSINESS AND HOTEL INDUSTRY: POINTS OF CONTACT

2020 ◽  
pp. 119-133
Author(s):  
Andrii Ivanov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Hotel Industry ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Economic Problems ◽  
Nature Park ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Scientific Achievements

Socio-economic problems and long-term discussions in Ukrainian politics and business about finding new models of profits from the hotel industry have put on the agenda the issue of increasing regional revenues and replenishing the budget of Ukraine through the introduction of gaming hotels and development of special entertainment areas.Despite significant scientific achievements and revealed problems in the hotel industry, today it is extremely important to assess the impact of legalization of gambling in Ukraine on the functioning of hotel enterprises. Therefore, the main task in presenting the material of the article is to assess the possible ways of development of the hospitality industry of Ukraine due to the official permission to conduct gambling business in hotels.The gambling business existed in Ukraine until 1917, after which it was banned until 2009. In autumn 2010, the draft law of Ukraine «On Gambling» was developed, but it was not adopted by the parliament due to the need to finalize and clarify it with a focus on world experience of interaction of gambling zones with the authorities and to separate gambling from bookmaking. The draft of this bill partly belonged to the measures to ensure Ukraine's preparation for Euro-2012. In 2020, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the bill No2285-d «On state regulation of the organization and conduct of gambling», which will enter into force in 2021.Analyzing the many years of global experience in gambling, we can conclude that in this legal activity of gambling establishments at hotels will have more advantages than disadvantages.One of the projects announced by the leadership of Ukraine is called «Danube» and is planned to be implemented in part on the territory of the national nature park «Tuzla estuaries» and adjacent recreational areas of Odessa region. The 500-hectare project between Lake Sasyk and the Black Sea envisages the construction of a 10 km embankment, more than 80 hotels with 150 to 1,000 rooms, the creation of 5,000 jobs, and the arrangement of a venue for festivals and a gaming zone. The resort is planned as a year-round (figure) and provides for the construction of the first hotels in 2022, and the appearance of the first million tourists − in 2025, 6 million tourists are projected in 2030. The first investment from scratch will be $ 2.5 billion. USA. According to our research, this project is very risky and can lead to the destruction of the nature of the national nature park. In the case of the actual implementation of this project requires extremely serious economic calculations, which must involve scientists from different sectors of the economy.

scholarly journals Influence Of Urbanization On Ecological Status Of River In Amhara Region, Ethiopia 2019

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melsew Setegn Alie
Keyword(s):  
Water Samples ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Working Party ◽  
Significant Degree ◽  
Biotic Index ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
P Value ◽  
Physical Habitat ◽  
Ecological Disturbance ◽  
Water Ecology

AbstractIntroductionUrbanization is one of the main causes for environmental problems due to the introduction of pollutants into water bodies. Lahi is crossing fintoselam. This river has long been used for a variety of purposes including source of public water supply, small scale irrigation, bathing, washing, animal watering, sand and stone dredging and recreation.ObjectiveTo assess the influence of Finoteselam town on ecological status of Lahi riverMethodsThe assessment were assessed using physicochemical parameters, physical habitat assessment, biotic indices /metrics, human activity by observation as well as macroinvertabretes samples from eleven sampling sites coded S1 to S11 along the river using the standard procedures. The assessments were involved in-situ measurements and collection of water samples in April 2019 then, analyzed the water samples in laboratory.ResultsThe biological analysis reveals a notable reduction of the diversity macroinvertabrates in the downstream direction where the minimum was at midstream sites. Upstream has significantly better macroinvertabrates assemblage than midstream (p-value<0.05). Physical habitat evaluation scores varied from 43 at S8 to 173 at S1 and relatively lower score were recorded at midstream sites. Low % of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera with high family biotic index and high % of Diptera with low biological monitoring working party also indicated water ecology deteriorated mainly at midstream sites. Multivariate analysis of classical analysis, canonical correspondence analysis and none metric multidimensional scaling also indicated ecological deterioration at midstream sites mainly at S5, S6, S7 and S8.ConclusionMidstream was relatively more polluted than upstream due to influence of pollutant from Finoteselam town. The ecological status of upstream segments of the river is very good with slight organic pollutions, and at midstream is poor and significant degree of organic pollutions; whereas the status of the downstream is fair with fairly substantial water pollution showing moderate ecological disturbance. In general, midstream the sampling stations show the deterioration in water ecology and thus necessitated a need for mitigation measure to save the Lahi.

scholarly journals A General-Purpose Biotic Index to Measure Changes in Benthic Habitat Quality across Several Pressure Gradients

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 654
Author(s):  
Céline Labrune ◽  
Olivier Gauthier ◽  
Anxo Conde ◽  
Jacques Grall ◽  
Mats Blomqvist ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Status ◽  
Benthic Fauna ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Biotic Index ◽  
Benthic Habitat ◽  
The North ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Status Assessment ◽  
Good Ecological Status ◽  
The Impact

Realistic assessments of the ecological status of benthic habitats, as requested by European directives such as the Water Framework Directive and the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive, require biotic indices capable of detecting anthropogenic impact without having preliminary knowledge of the occurring pressures. In this context, a new general-purpose biotic index (GPBI) based on the deviation of benthic macrofauna community composition and structure from a valid reference (i.e., good ecological status) is proposed. GPBI is based on the assumption that as a site becomes impacted by a pressure, the most sensitive species are the first to disappear, and that stronger impacts lead to more important losses. Thus, it explicitly uses the within-species loss of individuals in the tested station in comparison to one or several reference stations as the basis of ecological status assessment. In this study, GPBI is successfully used in four case studies considering the impact of diversified pressures on benthic fauna: (1) maerl extraction in the northern Bay of Biscay, (2–3) dredging and trawling in the North Sea, and (4) hypoxic events at the seafloor in the Gullmarfjord. Our results show that GPBI was able to efficiently detect the impact of the different physical disturbances as well as that of hypoxia and that it performs better than commonly used pressure-specific indices (M-AMBI and TDI). Signal detection theory was used to propose a sound good/moderate ecological quality status boundary, and recommendations for future monitoring are also provided based on the reported performance of GPBI.

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