Groundwater Nitrogen Pollution and Assessment of Its Health Risks: A Case Study of a Typical Village in Rural-Urban Continuum, China

Protecting groundwater from nitrogen contamination is an important public-health concern and a major national environmental issue in China. In this study, we monitored water quality in 29 wells from 2009 to 2010 in a village in Shanghai city, whick belong to typical rural-urban continuum in China. The total N and NO3-N exhibited seasonal changes, and there were large fluctuations in NH4-N in residential areas, but without significant seasonal patterns. NO2-N in the water was not stable, but was present at high levels. Total N and NO3-N were significantly lower in residential areas than in agricultural areas. The groundwater quality in most wells belonged to Class III and IV in the Chinese water standard, which defines water that is unsuitable for human consumption. Our health risk assessments showed that NO3-N posed the greatest carcinogenic risk, with risk values ranging from 19×10−6 to 80×10−6, which accounted for more than 90% of the total risk in the study area

Effects of two contrasting canopy manipulations on growth and water use of London plane (Platanus x acerifolia) trees

Aims: Two contrasting canopy manipulations were compared to unpruned controls on London plane trees, to determine the effects on canopy regrowth, soil and leaf water relations. Methods: ‘Canopy reduction’, was achieved by removing the outer 30 % length of all major branches and ‘canopy thinning’, by removing 30 % of lateral branches arising from major branches. Results: Total canopy leaf areas recovered within two and three years of pruning for the canopy-thinned and reduced trees respectively. Canopy reduction increased mean leaf size, nitrogen concentration, canopy leaf area density and conserved soil moisture for up to 3 years, whereas canopy thinning had no effects. Another experiment compared more severe canopy reduction to unpruned trees. This produced a similar growth response to the previous experiment, but soil moisture was conserved nearer to the trunk. Analysis of 13C and 18O signals along with leaf water relations and soil moisture data suggested that lower boundary layer conductance within the canopy-reduced trees restricted tree water use, whereas for the canopy-thinned trees the opposite occurred. Conclusions: Only canopy reduction conserved soil moisture and this was due to a combination of reduced total canopy leaf area and structural changes in canopy architecture

The Right to Family Reunification of a Refugee

Magistrsko diplomsko delo obravnava problematiko postopka združitve družine, s katerim se srečajo begunci, če želijo s svojo družino ponovno zaživeti v novi državi. Ponovno najti svojo družino in se združiti je ena najbolj perečih tem v zvezi z begunci zlasti zato, ker se je v zadnjih letih močno povečalo število beguncev in posledično število prošenj za združitev družin. Z združitvijo se beguncu omogoča uresničitev temeljnih človekovih pravic, med katere spada pravica do družinskega življenja. Spodbujanje združitve z družino podpirajo številni mednarodni, regionalni in nacionalni viri, pomembno vlogo pa ima tudi UNHCR. Ta se zavzema za mehanizme za združitev družine, ki so hitri in učinkoviti ter opozarja na problematiko, ki se pojavlja tako v zakonodaji kot v praksi držav članic. Zaradi tako imenovane begunske krize je čedalje bolj v ospredju nacionalni interes javne varnosti in javnega reda držav članic, ki svoje interese branijo v upravnih in sodnih postopkih ter zaostrujejo pogoje za združitev. Direktiva 2003/86/ES o pravici do združitve z družino je posebno pozornost posvetila beguncem in določila ugodnejše pogoje za uveljavljanje njihove pravice do združitve. Kljub temu so države članice obveznosti iz Direktive implementirale ozko, kar je vodilo do neusklajenih nacionalnih zakonodaj in praks sodišč. Na problematiko in kolizijo interesov je opozorilo Sodišče Evropske Unije in Evropsko Sodišče za človekove pravice, ki vedno znova poudarjata pomen človekovih pravic, ki v državi pribega pripadajo beguncu ter, kljub nacionalnim interesom držav članic, preko sodne prakse ustvarjajo ugodnejše pogoje za združitev.This master thesis deals with the issues of family reunification procedure which refugees in a new country are faced with. Finding your family again and being reunited is one of the most topical issues in relation to refugees. The number of asylum applicants strongly increased from 2015 to 2017. Consequently, there also increased the number of applications for family reunification which allows a refugee the realization of his fundamental human right as the right to family life. Promotion of activities concerning family reunification is supported by a number of international, regional and national legal sources, as well as UNHCR. The latter has an important role since it seeks to promote mechanisms for family reunification that are rapid and effective and warns about the problems, which are occurring in both, legislation and in practice of the member states. Due to the so-called refugee crisis, there is an increase of the protection of public security and public order of the member states, which are defended in administrative and judicial procedures, and are consequently tightening the conditions for the reunification. Directive 2003/86/EC on the right to family reunification devoted a special attention to refugees and set out more favourable conditions to exercise their right. Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights have pointed out the issues through a series of cases, where they over and over again stress the importance of human rights, that belong to a refugee in the country of flight and, despite the national interests of the states, through case law create more favourable conditions for family reunification

Sterowanie nawodnieniami za pomocą technologii czujników wilgotności gleby

Water is a sensitive and limited resource, mainly in intensively used agricultural areas in Austria , where groundwater is used as drinking water as well as for irrigation purposes. In order to guarantee a sustainable use of irrigation water, soil water measurement devices can be used to optimise irrigation, which means that controlling the soil water content in the entire root system may prevent water stress due to water deficiency on the one hand, and over wetting on the other hand. Furthermore, losses of nutrients due to leaching can be avoided. Several research studies on that topic were initiated during the last few years. The soil water status on selected fields planted with different crops (onions, carrots, sugar beets, sweet maize, zucchini) was monitored continuously by FDR (Frequency Domain Reflectometry) soil water measurement devices. Sensors in different depths measure the plant water uptake in the root zone under standard irrigation practices on different sites and different soils, respectively. The deepest sensor is installed to avoid deep percolation caused by over irrigation. By means of these data, irrigation could be regulated based on the actual plant water requirements to keep the soil water content within an ideal range for crop development.W pracy omówiono tematykę ciągłego pomiaru uwilgotnienia gleby z wykorzystaniem najnowszej technologii informatycznej. Podano zarówno podstawy teoretyczne, jak też zagadnienia praktyczne. Opisana technologia polega na zastosowaniu reflektometrów w domenie częstotliwości FDR - wilgotnościomierzy wykorzystujących pomiar pojemności elektrycznej. Urządzenie to umożliwia sterowanie nawodnieniami oraz ciągłe monitorowanie ilości wody magazynowanej w danym czasie w profilu glebowym na określonej głębokości (zasięg 0-80 cm). Przedstawiono wieloletnie wyniki doświadczeń polowych w Austrii, uzyskane na obiektach, na których stosowano metodę sterowania nawodnieniami upraw polowych oraz warzyw w latach 2001-2006. Omówiono dwa różne systemy monitorowania wilgotności gleby w celu sterowania nawodnieniami: Sentek EnviroScan: dane mogą być ładowane w trybie odbioru (do własnego komputera) lub przez modem GSM - ten system wykorzystano w uprawie cebuli, cukinii, kukurydzy pastewnej, marchwi oraz buraków cukrowych; Przekaźnik typu Adcon - zastosowany w uprawie ziemniaków, buraków cukrowych, cebuli, marchwi drobnej oraz fasoli, z czujnikami EasyAG-Sentek umieszczonymi na głębokości 10, 20, 30 i 50 cm. Badania udowodniły, że można zmniejszyć straty wody w nawodnieniach rolniczych dzięki ciągłemu monitorowaniu uwilgotnienia gleby na kilku głębokościach