Pythagoras project: Development of an innovative training package on Indoor Environment Quality

The aim of the Pythagoras project is the development and assessment of Greek national training material in the sector of indoor environmental quality. The need for education in this specific sector is dictated by the significant indoor environment deterioration and associated health hazards, which are caused by low ventilation levels, combined with the use of many modern building materials that aggravate pollutants emissions. Early in the project, a review is undertaken of the international literature and the syllabuses of foreign research and educational institutions active in indoor environment quality issues. At the same time, the requirements of the Greek educational and broader society, related to issues of indoor pollution and health, are determined. A training methodology is consequently developed, with the objective to optimally cover all the parameters associated with the indoor environment quality, for trainees of various disciplines. The training material is produced both in printed (book) and integrated electronic (e-learning) format. Additionally, four seminars are organized covering the respective sections of the training package. The training package is being assessed both by the trainees but also by international experts in the sector of indoor environment quality

Contribution to the study of the zooplankton community of lake Trichonis (Greece)

The aim of this PhD thesis was the investigation of: • Zooplankton species composition and their spatial and temporal variation of abundance. Samplings were conducted on a monthly basis during a three year period. Additionally, the water's basic physicochemical parameters were recorded in situ while estimations of nutrients and chlorophyll-a concentration were made on water samples collected from different depths. • Diel vertical migration (DVM) of zooplankton. Four seasonal 24hour samplings were conducted. • The role of zooplankton as prey for sand smelt. A. boyeri. Fish and zooplankton samplings were conducted monthly during one annual cycle and the stomach content of sand smelt was examined. In the lake's zooplankton community 36 planktonic invertebrate species were recorded (25 rotifers, 3 copepods, 7 cladocerans and 1 mollusc larva). During the study period, total zooplankton abundance in Lake Trichonis ranged from 4 to 131,9 ind/l. The species composition showed certain differences compared to previous studies, while species indicative of oligotrophic as well as eutrophic conditions were present. The zooplankton showed uniform horizontal distribution, while along the vertical axis it was concentrated mainly in the upper 10 m. For rotifers and cladocerans, vertical separation between the most abundant species was observed. The total zooplankton seasonal dynamics deviated from the unimodal pattern which is characteristic of oligotrophic lakes. Temperature, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll-a concentration seem to mainly affect zooplankton. Lake Trichonis holds the basic characteristics of a warm, monomictic lake while data indicate a tendency of the lake's trophic state towards a higher level. However, the use of trophic state indices shows that it still remains an ecosystem transitioning from oligotrophic to mesotrophic level. DVM patterns were recorded for crustaceans and were more evident during thermal stratification. These phenomena seem to act as a predator avoidance mechanism. The sand smelt was found to feed mostly on the copepod Eudiaptomus drieschi and the cladoceran Diaphanosoma orghidani, while rotifers and copepod nauplii lacked from the diet. Higher vaquity index values were recorded during lower annual zooplankton abundance. A. boyeri showed clear feeding preferences for larger prey. Intense fish larvae consumption was recorded in autumn, possibly resulting to reduction of competition while maximizing energy reserves, as winter approaches.Κατά την παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή μελετήθηκαν: • Η σύνθεση των ειδών του ζωοπλαγκτού της λίμνης Τριχωνίδας, η χωρική κατανομή και χρονική διακύμανση της αφθονίας τους, με μηνιαίες δειγματοληψίες ζωοπλαγκτού από διακριτά στρώματα βάθους για διάστημα τριών ετών. Παράλληλα, καταγράφονταν in situ οι βασικές φυσικοχημικές παράμετροι του νερού και εκτιμήθηκε η συγκέντρωση των θρεπτικών και της χλωροφύλλης-α σε δείγματα νερού από διάφορα βάθη. • Φαινόμενα ημερονύκτιας κατακόρυφης μετανάστευσης (ΗΚΜ) του ζωοπλαγκτού, μέσα από τέσσερις εποχικές εικοσιτετράωρες δειγματοληψίες. • Ο ρόλος του ζωοπλαγκτού ως τροφή για τον κύριο θηρευτή του, την αθερίνα (Atherina boyeri), μέσα από μηνιαίες δειγματοληψίες αθερίνας και ζωοπλαγκτού για διάστημα ενός έτους και ανάλυση του στομαχικού περιεχομένου των ψαριών. Στη ζωοπλαγκτική βιοκοινωνία της λίμνης καταγράφηκαν 36 είδη πλαγκτικών ασπόνδυλων (25 τροχόζωα, 3 κωπήποδα, 7 κλαδόκερα, 1 προνύμφη δίθυρου μαλακίου). Η σύνθεση της παρουσίασε κάποιες διαφορές σε σχέση με το παρελθόν, ενώ καταγράφηκαν είδη «δείκτες» ολιγότροφων αλλά και εύτροφων συνθηκών. Η οριζόντια εξάπλωση του ζωοπλαγκτού ήταν ομοιόμορφη ενώ, στον κατακόρυφο άξονα, βρέθηκε μεγαλύτερη αφθονία στα ανώτερα 10 m. Για τα τροχόζωα και τα κλαδόκερα παρατηρήθηκε κατακόρυφος διαχωρισμός μεταξύ των σημαντικότερων ειδών. Η εποχική διακύμανση της συνολικής ζωοπλαγκτικής αφθονίας απέκλεινε από το μονοακμικό πρότυπο που περιγράφεται για ολιγότροφες λίμνες. Η θερμοκρασία, το διαλυμένο οξυγόνο και η συγκέντρωση της χλωροφύλλης-α είναι οι κυριότεροι παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν την αφθονία του ζωοπλαγκτού στο χώρο και το χρόνο. Η λίμνη Τριχωνίδα διατηρεί τα βασικά χαρακτηριστικά θερμής, μονομικτικής λίμνης, ενώ διαφαίνεται μια τάση αύξησης της τροφικότητάς της. Ωστόσο, οι δείκτες τροφικότητας δείχνουν ότι διατηρείται σε ένα μεταβατικό τροφικό επίπεδο, μεταξύ ολιγότροφου και μεσότροφου οικοσυστήματος. Πρότυπα ΗΚΜ καταγράφηκαν κυρίως για τα καρκινοειδή, τα οποία ήταν πιο εμφανή κατά την θερμοστρωμάτωση και φαίνεται να αποτελούν μηχανισμό αποφυγής της θήρευσης. Κυριότερη τροφή για την αθερίνα είναι τα κωπήποδα Eudiaptomus drieschi και τα κλαδόκερα Diaphanosoma orghidani ενώ τροχόζωα και ναύπλιοι απουσιάζουν από τη δίαιτα. Η αθερίνα εμφάνισε ξεκάθαρες διατροφικές προτιμήσεις, κυρίως για τους μεγαλύτερους σε μέγεθος οργανισμούς. Το φθινόπωρο παρατηρήθηκε έντονη κατανάλωση ιχθυοπρονυμφών, επιτυγχάνοντας έτσι, πιθανώς, μείωση του ανταγωνισμού και αύξηση ενεργειακών αποθεμάτων εν όψη χειμώνα

Training for the Indoor Environmental Quality

The aim of the specific paper is to present the methodology followed for the development of a training package in the field of indoor environmental quality. The need for education in this specific sector is dictated by the significant indoor environment problem and associated health hazards as these become evident through a series of studies and measurements. A training methodology is developed and the overall training material is structured in thirteen modules covering all the parameters associated with the indoor environment quality, for trainees of various disciplines. The training modules were evaluated through questionnaires distributed in the framework of indoor environmental quality seminarsJRC.I.2-Chemical assessment and testin

Pythagoras project: Development of an innovative training package on indoor environment quality

Summarization: The aim of the Pythagoras project is the development and assessment of greek national training material in the sector of indoor environmental quality. The need for education in this specific sector is dictated by the significant indoor environment deterioration and associated health hazards, which are caused by low ventilation levels, combined with the use of many modern building materials that aggravate pollutants emissions. Early in the project, a review is undertaken of the international literature and the syllabuses of foreign research and educational institutions active in indoor environment quality issues. At the same time, the requirements of the greek educational and broader society, related to issues of indoor pollution and health, are determined. A training methodology is consequently developed, with the objective to optimally cover all the parameters associated with the indoor environment quality, for trainees of various disciplines. The training material is produced both in printed (book) and integrated electronic (e-learning) format. Additionally, four seminars are organized covering the respective sections of the training package. The training package is being assessed both by the trainees but also by international experts in the sector of indoor environment quality.Presented on