Validation of ammonia diffusive and pumped samplers in a controlled atmosphere test facility using traceable Primary Standard Gas Mixtures

We report the determination of ammonia (NH3) diffusive sampling rates for six different designs of commercial diffusive samplers (CEH ALPHA sampler, Gradko diffusion tube, Gradko DIFRAM-400, Passam ammonia sampler,and ICS Maugeri Radiello radial sampler (blue and white turbulence barriers)), together with the validation test results for a pumped sampler (CEH DELTA denuder). The devices were all exposed in the UK's National Physical Laboratory's (NPL) controlled atmosphere test facility (CATFAC). For each of the seven diffusive sampler exposure tests there were traceable concentrations of ammonia (in the range 3–25 μgm−3) generated under well-defined conditions of temperature, relative humidity and wind speed, which are applicable to a variety of ambient monitoring environments. The sampler exposure time at each concentration was 28 days, except for the radial devices, which were exposed for 14 days. The work relied on the dilution of newly developed stable Primary Standard Gas Mixtures (PSMs) prepared by gravimetry in passivated gas cylinders as a method of improving the metrological traceability of ammonia measurements. The exposed diffusive samplers were sent blind to the participants for analysis and the reported NH3 concentrations were then compared against the known reference concentration. From the results for each sampler type a diffusive sampling rate was calculated and compared against the rate used routinely by the participants. Some measurement results were in good agreement with the known traceable reference concentration (particularly for one diffusive sampler design (ALPHA)), while other devices exhibited over-reading and under-reading (each with a clear bias). The new diffusive sampling rates determined in the laboratory study were then applied to measurements in a field comparison campaign, and this was found to deliver an improvement in agreement between the different devices deployed

How to integrate the soundscape resource into landscape planning? A perspective from ecosystem services

In landscape planning and policy-making, environmental sounds have only negative impacts on human health. The natural sounds that promote healthy and supportive environments remain neglected. Although the soundscape concept and approach have considered natural sounds as a resource, the related knowledge has not been employed in landscape planning yet. The purpose of this study is to advance existing state of knowledge to synthesize common preferences for soundscape resources, and then to propose an assessment method for landscape planning. We introduce a planning-oriented soundscape resource evaluation framework to guide a PRISMA systematic literature review. The review includes an in-depth analysis of 74 peer-reviewed journal articles and a meta-analysis for 21 of them. We find that (1) current research has under-explored the soundscape with regard to spatiotemporal evolution, health benefits, and preferences and values; (2) in green spaces, people from different sociocultural contexts exhibit common preferences for soundscape resources. According to these, soundscape formal characters tend towards naturalness, diversity, and appropriateness; (3) exposure to natural sounds does have positive effects on human health and well-being, but the degree of the effects was varied. In addition to birdsongs and water sounds, wind-induced vegetation sounds also have high values. Based on these findings, we suggest basic natural sound scores and categorized indicators for evaluating NSES. It can be implemented in Geographic Information System to produce place-based and comparable results under uncertainty. The results can help landscape planners better consider the contribution of the acoustic environment to human health, well-being, and quality of life, protect the areas of high-quality soundscape resources without actual human uses, and reveal the differences between the actual provision of aesthetic values and demands for nature-based recreation. © 202

How to integrate the soundscape resource into landscape planning? A perspective from ecosystem services

In landscape planning and policy-making, environmental sounds have only negative impacts on human health. The natural sounds that promote healthy and supportive environments remain neglected. Although the soundscape concept and approach have considered natural sounds as a resource, the related knowledge has not been employed in landscape planning yet. The purpose of this study is to advance existing state of knowledge to synthesize common preferences for soundscape resources, and then to propose an assessment method for landscape planning. We introduce a planning-oriented soundscape resource evaluation framework to guide a PRISMA systematic literature review. The review includes an in-depth analysis of 74 peer-reviewed journal articles and a meta-analysis for 21 of them. We find that (1) current research has under-explored the soundscape with regard to spatiotemporal evolution, health benefits, and preferences and values; (2) in green spaces, people from different sociocultural contexts exhibit common preferences for soundscape resources. According to these, soundscape formal characters tend towards naturalness, diversity, and appropriateness; (3) exposure to natural sounds does have positive effects on human health and well-being, but the degree of the effects was varied. In addition to birdsongs and water sounds, wind-induced vegetation sounds also have high values. Based on these findings, we suggest basic natural sound scores and categorized indicators for evaluating NSES. It can be implemented in Geographic Information System to produce place-based and comparable results under uncertainty. The results can help landscape planners better consider the contribution of the acoustic environment to human health, well-being, and quality of life, protect the areas of high-quality soundscape resources without actual human uses, and reveal the differences between the actual provision of aesthetic values and demands for nature-based recreation

Greening Business Information Systems

Efficient and effective environmental information processing is a key element for the improvement of an organization‘s environmental performance. Business Information Systems (BIS) are recognized as a tool for the facilitation of collecting, storing, processing and communicating any kind of information. However, there are other benefits that BIS can provide for a company. These benefits are related to the effective use of information, such as support of informed decision-making, increase of overall environmental awareness in an organization and, as a consequence, behavioral change. Therefore, the purpose of study is related to the extension of BIS‘ functionalities through the integration of the environmental information flow. The efficient and effective integration of environmental information flow is pursued by means of application of the multi-disciplinary approach where organizational and cybernetic science and environmental management are combined. Beer‘s Viable System Model and Organizational Information Processing Theory are the main theories used for the assessment of studied information systems and information technology solutions in the purchasing process. The studied IT solutions are deployed in the areas of supplier evaluation, logistics and business traveling. The Environmental Information System Evaluation Framework (EISEF) is the principal outcome of the research work. The research implications are two-fold. The scientific implication is based on the application of the aforementioned theories for the environmental information processing by means of Business Information Systems. According to the results of literature review, a similar approach has not been used before in this field. The practical implications are EISEF itself and recommendations for its use that are also the principal outcomes of research

Physikalische Noxen und ihre Auswirkungen auf die Gesundheit am Beispiel der Exposition gegenüber Umweltlärm

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund: Zahlreiche Studien weisen auf adverse Effekte für die Gesundheit durch Exposition gegenüber Umweltlärm hin. Limitation bisheriger Studien ist jedoch vor allem die teils unzureichende Erfassung der Exposition. Ziel war es daher, die Exposition der Teilnehmer gegenüber Umweltlärm mittels individueller Dosimetermessungen objektiv und summativ zu erfassen und Auswirkungen der Exposition auf den Blutdruck der Probanden zu untersuchen. Im Hinblick auf zukünftige Studien wurde in einer Pilotstudie geprüft, ob Videotelefonate via Skype ein geeignetes neues Erhebungsinstrument sind. Methoden: 628 Kinder (Alter: 8-12 Jahre; Teilnahmebereitschaft: 61%), 632 Jugendliche (Alter: 13-17 Jahre; Teilnahmebereitschaft: 58%) und 482 Erwachsene (Alter: 18-65 Jahre; Teilnahmebereitschaft: 40%) aus vier bayerischen Städten nahmen an einer 24-stündigen Dosimetermessung zur objektiven Erfassung der individuellen Lärmexposition teil. Mittels logistischer Regressionsmodelle wurde ein möglicher Zusammenhang zwischen Lärmexposition und Hypertonie berechnet. Für die Pilotstudie zur Testung von Skype wurden 300 junge Erwachsene (Alter: 18-24 Jahre; Teilnahmebereitschaft 19%) aus Landsberg am Lech randomisiert zu einem Interview per Skype oder per Telefon eingeladen. Die Teilnahmebereitschaft und Dauer der Interviews wurde zwischen beiden Methoden verglichen. Ergebnisse: Es zeigte sich eine sehr hohe Lärmexposition in allen Altersgruppen mit mittleren Schallpegeln am Tag von 80,0 dB(A) (Standardabweichung 5,8 dB(A)) bei den Kindern, 76,0 dB(A) (6,2 dB(A)) bei den Jugendlichen und 72,1 dB(A) (6,1 dB(A)) bei den Erwachsenen. Bei den Jugendlichen und Erwachsenen ergab sich zudem ein statistisch signifikanter Zusammenhang zwischen der nächtlichen Lärmexposition und Hypertonie (Odds Ratio=1,49; 95% Konfidenzintervall=1,04-2,13). Im Rahmen der Pilotstudie nahmen statistisch signifikant weniger Probanden an einem Skype-Interview (10%) als an einem Telefon-Interview (22%) teil (pChi2<0,01). Diskussion: Die objektiv gemessene Exposition gegenüber Umweltlärm ist in den bayerischen Städten sehr hoch. Außerdem wurde ein Zusammenhang zwischen der Lärmexposition und dem kardiovaskulären System beobachtet. Eine genauere Ausdifferenzierung dieses Zusammenhangs beispielsweise unter Berücksichtigung des subjektiven Belästigungserlebnis oder besonderer Fokussierung nächtlicher Lärmexposition sollte in zukünftigen Studien vorgenommen werden. Videotelefonate via Skype sind hierbei noch kein geeignetes Erhebungsinstrument in Deutschland.Abstract Background: Numerous studies indicate adverse health effects of exposure to environmental noise. However, insufficient exposure assessment is a major limitation of studies so far. Aims of these analyses were therefore to achieve an objective and summative assessment of study subjects’ exposure to environmental noise using personal noise dosimeters and to investigate potential cardiovascular effects of noise exposure. With respect to future studies, a pilot study tested if videoconference calls via Skype are a feasible tool for data collection. Methods: 628 children (age: 8-12 years; response: 61%), 632 adolescents (age: 13-17 years; response: 58%) and 482 adults (age: 18-65 years; response: 40%) from four Bavarian towns participated in a 24-h dosimeter measurement to objectively assess individual noise exposure. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between noise exposure and hypertension. For the pilot study, 300 young adults (age: 18-24 years; response: 19%) from Landsberg (Bavaria) were randomised and invited to take part in an interview via Skype or phone. Response and duration of interviews were compared between both methods. Results: During daytime mean noise exposure was 80.0 dB(A) (standard deviation 5.8 dB(A)) in children, 76.0 dB(A) (6.2 dB(A)) in adolescents, and 72.1 dB(A) (6.1 dB(A)) in adults. In addition, a statistically significant association between night-time noise exposure and hypertension was observed in the group of adolescents and adults (Odds Ratio=1.49, 95% Confidence Interval=1.04–2.13). Regarding the pilot study, response was statistically significantly lower in Skype interviews (10%) compared to phone interviews (22%) (pChi2<0.01). Discussion: The objectively assessed noise exposure in Bavarian towns is high. Moreover, an association between noise exposure and hypertension was observed. More detailed investigation of this association for example considering subjective annoyance or especially focussing noise exposure during the night should be conducted in upcoming studies. In doing so, Skype calls are not yet a feasible tool for data collection in Germany

Atmospheric Heavy Metal and Nitrogen Deposition Using Mosses as Biomonitors

The Special Issue “Atmospheric Heavy Metal and Nitrogen Deposition Using Mosses as Biomonitors” includes a collection of papers related on aspects of passive moss biomonitoring of air quality in various regions of the world regarding the pollution sources of potentially toxic elements, heavy metal air pollution in the lockdown period due to the COVID-19 pandemic, trends in element atmospheric deposition, and relevance for ecological integrity and human health. Most of the studies were carried out in the framework of the International Cooperative Program on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation and Crops (ICP Vegetation) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)

Environmental Odour

Environmental odour is perceived as a major nuisance by rural as well as urban populations. The sources of odourous substances are manifold. In urban areas, these include restaurants, small manufacturing trades, and other sources, which might cause complaints. In the suburbs, wastewater treatment plants, landfill sites, and other infrastructures are the expected major odour sources. These problems are often caused be the accelerated growth of cities. In rural sites, livestock farming and the spreading of manure on the fields is blamed for severe odour annoyance. In fact, environmental odours are considered to be a common cause of public complaints by residents to local authorities, regional, or national environmental agencies. This Special Issue of Atmosphere will address the entire chain, from the quantification of odour sources, abatement methods, the dilution in the atmosphere, and the assessment of odour exposure for the assessment of annoyance. In particular, this Special Issue aims to encourage contributions dealing with field trials and dispersion modeling to assess the degree of annoyance and the quantitative success of abatement measures

Determinants for the market diffusion of renewable energy technologies - An analysis of the framework conditions for non-residential photovoltaic and onshore wind energy deployment in Germany, Spain and the UK

The deployment of renewable energy (RE) technologies for electricity generation is a central element of the European energy and climate strategy and was laid down in binding targets on EU-level. The actual RE technology diffusion is, however, shaped by the framework conditions and support measures implemented in the individual EU Member States. This dissertation aims at contributing to a more integrated view of the influencing factors (determinants) for the deployment of RE technologies. To this end, a conceptual framework is drawn up to assess the boundary conditions for RE diffusion from the RE developer’s perspective. The framework is operationalised using a composite indicator (CI) approach and applied in a diffusion model to allow the anticipation of possible future technology deployment. The thesis concentrates on two mainstream RE technologies, namely onshore wind and non-residential PV, and focuses on European countries. Within the analysis, particular emphasis is placed on providing a holistic assessment of the impact of economic and non-economic determinants on the diffusion of RE technologies at national level. The assessment aims at understanding RE developers’ preferences and rationalities regarding the overall framework conditions for RE deployment in order to identify the drivers for and barriers to technological change and to facilitate efficient policy design and regulatory transformation. The most relevant diffusion determinants from the viewpoint of RE project developers are identified through literature research and moderated expert workshops. The relative relevance of the determinants in the diffusion process is then assessed based on an EU-wide questionnaire that resulted in the collection of >200 datasets. Building on this broad empirical basis, a composite indicator (CI) is developed for the diffusion of non-residential PV and wind onshore. The CI provides a transparent framework for the quantification of the diffusion determinants and allows an evaluation and benchmarking of national RE frameworks. In a further step, the CI is integrated in a diffusion model which enables projections of possible future market developments under different configurations of the national RE framework. This modelling approach applies and further develops established logistic models of technology diffusion. The overall approach is validated by applying it to three case study countries: Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Data collection in these case study countries involved, among others, semi-structured interviews with 31 RE experts. The different regulatory framework conditions in the three countries lead to 3 different CI results and projected technology diffusion. The results verify the robustness of the approach and the applicability of the concept to different national contexts. The findings of this thesis contribute to the methodological and empirical basis for understanding and modelling technology diffusion processes in general and RE technology diffusion in particular. The approach developed in this thesis further improves the scientific basis for the evaluation of RE support policies and can contribute to RE targets being achieved in an efficient and sustainable way

Vergleichende Ökobilanzierung der semi- zentralen Hauswärmebereitstellung aus Holzreststoffen

Fast 40 Prozent des Endenergieverbrauchs in Deutschland wurde 2008 gebraucht um Raumwärme und Warmwasser für Wohngebäude bereitzustellen. Um die Umweltlasten zu senken und fossile Ressourcen zu schonen, muss eine Umstrukturierung der Wärmeversorgung erfolgen. Daher sorgen gesetzliche Rahmenbedingungen dafür, dass in Zukunft Wohngebäude besser gedämmt werden, sowie vermehrt durch erneuerbare Energien und über Wärmenetze versorgt werden. Dabei ist der nachwachsende und speicherbare Rohstoff Holz ein attraktiver Energieträger, der jedoch aufgrund begrenzter Potenziale möglichst effizient eingesetzt werden muss. Ein Anschluss der Wohnhäuser über ein Wärmenetz ist attraktiv, da größere Heiz(kraft)werke effizienter betrieben werden können als Einzelheizungen. Die bessere Wärmedämmung der Häuser steht jedoch oft im Gegensatz zum Anschluss an ein Wärmenetz, welches am effizientesten arbeiten kann, wenn viel Wärme auf kleinem Raum abgenommen wird. Daher muss bei Wärmenetzneubauten sorgfältig geprüft werden, ob sie ökonomisch und ökologisch sinnvoll sind. In dieser Arbeit werden die Umweltwirkungen der holzbasierten semi- zentralen Hauswärmeversorgung für unterschiedliche Siedlungstypen untersucht. Dabei bedeutet semi- zentral, dass über das Wärmenetz nicht mehr als 500 Abnehmer versorgt werden und die Wärmeerzeuger mit bis zu 5 MWth sich in Kundennähe befinden. Neben einem Holzheiz(kraft)werk als Grundlast kommt in holzbasierten Wärmenetzen ein Spitzenlastgaskessel zum Einsatz. Als Methode um die potentiellen Umweltwirkungen der Wärmebereitstellung zu erfassen kommt eine Ökobilanz nach ISO 14040/44 zum Einsatz. Dabei wird, anders als bei den bisher vorhandenen Ökobilanzen, auch der Bau und Betrieb der Wärmenetze miteinbezogen. Obwohl die Umweltwirkungen der holzbasierten semi- zentralen Wärmeversorgung stark durch die Wärmebereitstellung dominiert werden zeigt sich, dass eine Betrachtung der Umweltlasten beim Wärmeerzeuger nicht ausreichend ist. Eine Variation der Rahmenbedingungen hat ergeben, dass es zwei Haupteinflussfaktoren auf die Umweltwirkungen der holzbasierten semi- zentralen Wärmeversorgung gibt. Neben der Wärmebereitstellung im Heiz(kraft)werk hat auch der Siedlungstyp einen großen Einfluss, denn je nach Siedlungstyp variieren die Wärmeabnehmer und die Netzstruktur, und damit auch die Wärmeverluste und der Anteil der Wärme der aus Holzreststoffen produziert wird, sehr stark. Der Einsatz von Kraft-Wärme-Kopplungsanlagen ist durch ihre bessere Brennstoffnutzung sowohl ökologisch als auch ökonomisch vorteilhaft. Aufgrund der großen Variation der Wärmeverluste zwischen Einfamilienhäusern mit 23 Prozent und großen Mehrfamilienhäusern mit 4 Prozent schneiden die größeren Abnehmer immer besser ab. Da bei der Holznutzung weniger Treibhausgasemissionen, ein geringerer Ozonabbau und weniger fossile Ressourcen gegenüber der Gasnutzung anfallen, ist ein höherer Holzenergieanteil vorteilhaft. Allerdings treten dann auch erhöhte Feinstaubemissionen auf. Eine Überprüfung der Wirtschaftlichkeit hat zudem gezeigt, dass eine Umstellung auf eine holzbasierte semi- zentrale Hauswärmeversorgung für Mehrfamilienhäusersiedlungen ökonomisch realisierbar ist. Holzbasierte semi- zentrale Netze in Einfamilienhäusersiedlungen lohnen sich ökonomisch jedoch oft nicht. Ein Vergleich der holzbasierten semi- zentralen Wärmeversorgung mit der heute vorherrschenden dezentralen Nutzung von Erdgas zeigt ein großes Potenzial zur Reduktion von Treibhausgasen, Ozonabbau und fossilen Ressourcen bei Nutzung der holzbasierten Variante. Allerdings steigen die Feinstaubemissionen stark, Sommersmog, Versauerung, terrestrische Eutrophierung und teilweise auch die aquatische Eutrophierung leicht an. Lediglich durch die Nutzung eines Holzvergaser- Blockheizkraftwerkes können die Feinstaubemissionen verringert werden. Ähnliches gilt auch für ein holzbasiertes zentrales Wärmenetz. Auch bei der dezentralen Wärmeversorgung aus Holz sinken Treibhausgase, Ozonabbau und fossile Ressourcennutzung, jedoch steigen die Feinstaubemissionen extrem stark an. Sie liegen über 1.000 Prozent über denen der dezentralen Gasnutzung