Stakeholders’ participation in regional energy planning processes. Case study from RES H/C SPREAD project

The article briefly describes, through the illustration of four best practices, a successful experience concerning the involvement of external stakeholders in the realization of regional energy plans for the fostering of the renewable energy technologies for heating and cooling in different EU countries. This participatory activity was carried out within the RES H/C SPREAD project (EU Intelligent Energy Program 2014-2016). Project objective was to strengthen the capacity of regional and local authorities for planning in a sustainable development framework

The Application of the External Costs Concept on Innovative Industrial Technologies

Summary The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the growing application of economic techniques in environmental decision making, drawing on analysis carried out for the EC DG Research Ecosit study. A comparison is made of the production and use of loosefills manufactured from expanded polystyrene (derived from fossil fuels) and vegetable starch (a renewable resource derived from corn). This comparison is based on the ExternE methodology, again developed with funding from DG Research of the European Commission. This methodology has been used previously to advise in the development of legislation on air quality, energy policy, waste policy, etc. Results suggest that improved environmental performance of MaterBi is more than enough to offset the difference in price between the two products. Results are of course subject to some level of uncertainty and this will be addressed more deeply in further work, though we believe that the overall conclusion drawn will prove to be robust. Final results from the Ecosit study will be available after November 2002, and will cover a variety of additional case studies to those presented here

PRESSURIZED-LIQUID EXTRACTION FOR DETERMINATION OF IMIDAZOLINONE HERBICIDES IN SOIL

A rapid and simple method has been developed for determination of imidazolinone (IMI) residues in soil. Extraction of the analytes from the soil matrix was performed with a pressurized-liquid-extraction apparatus built in this laboratory. Four different types of soil sample (clay, clay loam, sandy clay loam, and silty loam) were fortified with target compounds at levels of 10 and 50 ng g-1 by a procedure which can mimic weathered soils. The samples were then dried and packed in a 25 cm × 4.6 mm i. d. stainless steel column; this was placed inside a GC oven and extracted by passing an aqueous solution of KCl (0.1 M, 20 mL) through the column at 90°C. Quantification of the analytes in the final extract (50-μL injection) was performed by reversed-phase liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with a TurbolonSpray interface. Recoveries of the analytes were greater than 83% and RSD less than 7%. The method detection limit was in the 1 - 2.5 ng g-1 range in analysis by time-scheduled selected-ion monitoring (SIM)

Sample preparation for determination of macrocyclic lactone mycotoxins in fish tissue, based on on-line matrix solid-phase dispersion and solid-phase extraction cleanup followed by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A new method based on matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) on-line with a solid-phase extraction (SPE) cleanup process followed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) is presented for the determination of 3 macrocyclic lactone mycotoxins in fish tissues: zearalenone, alpha-zearalenol, and beta-zearalenol. The sample was prepared in a device that used a reversed-phase material (C-18) or a normal-phase material (neutral alumina) as a matrix dispersing agent, and a graphitized carbon black cartridge was used for sequential cleanup by SPE. LC/MS/MS was used for selective determination. Isocratic elution with acetonitrile-methanol-water was used for LC separation; for MS/MS, 2 types of interfaces (a pneumatically assisted electrospray ionization interface or an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization interface) were evaluated and compared in terms of the intensity of the total ion current produced by each analyte. The use of highly selective MSPD on-line with SPE for sample preparation before analysis allowed the removal of interfering matrix compounds present in tissue extracts that would otherwise cause severe ionization suppression of zearalenone and its metabolites during the ionization process. Average recoveries at 100 ng/g were between 83 and 103 % with C-18 and greater than or equal to67% with neutral alumina; the relative standard deviations were <11% with C-18 and <18% with alumina. The limits of detection ranged from 0.1 to 1.0 ng/g. Sample preparation is simple to perform, no special technical equipment is required, and solvent volumes are minimal