Trials and tribulations : 2003-2008 & the way forward

EIONET is a collaborative network of the European Environment Agency and its Member Countries, connecting National Focal Points in the EU and accession countries, European Topic Centres, National Reference Centres, and Main Component Elements. These organisations jointly provide the information that is used for making decisions for improving the state of environment in Europe and making EU policies more effective. EIONET is both a network of organisations and a electronic network (e-EIONET).peer-reviewe

A GIS model-based assessment of the environmental distribution of g-hexachlorocyclohexane in European soils and waters

The MAPPE GIS based multimedia model is used to produce a quantitative description of the behaviour of γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH) in Europe, with emphasis on continental surface waters. The model is found to reasonably reproduce γ-HCH distributions and variations along the years in atmosphere and soil; for continental surface waters, concentrations were reasonably well predicted for year 1995, when lindane was still used in agriculture, while for 2005, assuming severe restrictions in use, yields to substantial underestimation. Much better results were yielded when same mode of release as in 1995 was considered, supporting the conjecture that for γ-HCH, emission data rather that model structure and parameterization can be responsible for wrong estimation of concentrations. Future research should be directed to improve the quality of emission data. Joint interpretation of monitoring and modelling results, highlights that lindane emissions in Europe, despite the marked decreasing trend, persist beyond the provisions of existing legislation. An spatially-explicit multimedia modelling strategy was applied to describe the historical distribution of γ-HCH in European soils and surface waters

Effect of feed pressure and long-term separation performance of Pebax-ionic liquid membranes for the recovery of difluoromethane (R32) from refrigerant mixture R410A

The R410A refrigerant blend (GWP = 2088), a near azeotropic and equimass mixture of difluoromethane (R32, GWP = 675) and pentafluoroethane (R125, GWP = 3500), has been included in the HFC phase down road map established worldwide. In this context, the recovery of value-added R32 from R410A using membrane technology would be a breakthrough in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector, given that conventional distillation cannot be applied to this separation. For the first time, this work has taken advantage of the combination of ionic liquids and polymeric membranes for the separation of the constituents of the R410A mixture. Results show a remarkable improvement in terms of R32 permeability and R32/R125 selectivity in the composite membranes containing 40 wt % [C2mim][SCN] (αR32/R125 up to 14.5) and [C2mim][BF4] (αR32/R125 up to 11.0) with respect to the neat polymer membranes (αR32/R125 up to 6.9). Besides, the long-term stability was successfully tested for 25 days under high pressure conditions (7 and 12 bar), which makes these composite membranes excellent candidates for the development of membrane-based R32 separation and recovery processes.This research is supported by Project KET4F-Gas – SOE2/P1/P0823, which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund within the framework of Interreg Sudoe Programme, and Project PID2019-105827RB-I00, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain). The authors acknowledge the collaboration of Dr. Rosario Benavente (Institute of Polymer Science and Technology-CSIC) to perform the DSC experiments. Dr. Fernando Pardo, acknowledges the post-doctoral fellowship (FJCI-2017-32884, ‘Juan de la Cierva Formación’) from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities

Relationship between green space-related morphology and noise pollution

Green spaces have been proved to have a positive effect on traffic noise pollution in the local scale; however their effects have not been explored on the urban level. This paper investigates the effects of green space-related parameters from a land cover viewpoint on traffic noise pollution in order to understand to what extent greener cities can also be quieter. A triple level analysis was conducted in the agglomeration, urban and kernel level including various case study cities across Europe. The green space parameters were calculated based on land cover data available in a European scale, while traffic noise data were extracted from online noise maps and configured in noise indices. In the first level 25 agglomerations were investigated, six of which were further analyzed in the urban and kernel levels. It was found that the effect of green spaces on traffic noise pollution varies according to the scale of analysis. In the agglomeration level, there was no significant difference in the cluster of the higher green space index and the percentage of people exposed in the lowest (55-59 dB(A)) or the highest noise band of more than 70 dB(A). In the urban level it was found that lower noise levels can possibly be achieved in cities with a higher extent of porosity and green space coverage. Finally, in the kernel level a Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) analysis was conducted for the identification of correlations between noise and green. Strong correlations were identified between 60% and 79%, while a further cluster analysis combined with land cover data revealed that lower noise levels were detected in the cluster with higher green space coverage. At last, all cities were ranked according to the calculated noise index

Livestock Versus “Wild Beasts”: Contradictions In The Natural Patrimonialization Of The Pyrenees

The Pyrenees are becoming an environmental reservoir. The acute human depopulation experienced during the twentieth century and the progressive appropriation of large parts of the mountainous territory by the state in order to implement conservation policies have resulted in the return, via reintroduction or natural regeneration, of bears, wolves, beavers, river otters, marmots, mouflon, feral goats, and deer, among other species. This development, however, has not occurred without social and scientific controversy and leads to questions about territorialization and governmentality. Herders perceive wild animals as unregulated public property subsidized by the work of the local populace. Agriculturalists see their fields trespassed on a daily basis by animals they cannot kill because of their protected status. Ranchers, under extremely strict sanitation regulations, see their animals coming into contact with these unchecked wild populations. The work and living space of the mountain communities has fallen under the jurisdiction of external institutions and constituencies that value conservation and ecotourism above local subsistence.Peer reviewe