Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins and Dibenzofurans Emissions from Transportation

Measurement of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) was performed in order to complement the set of known emission factors. Methodology for gasoline engines emission factors determination that uses POPs concentrations measured in exhaust gasses, limited pollutants emission factors (carbon monoxide CO, nitrogen oxides NOx and hydrocarbons HC) and other compounds (carbon dioxide CO2) was elaborated. Empirical value of exhaust gasses production announced by specialists of TUV SUD was used for diesel. Emission factors of four vehicle-fuel systems were determined particularly 11 congeners of Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins (PCDDs), 34 congeners of Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and their toxic equivalents (TEQ) for each of the measured system. TEQ PCDD/F congener profile typical for POPs sources from transportation was compiled on the basis of measured data

Project Spens - Sustainable Pavement for European New Member States

This paper represents the main results of work package 5 of the SPENS project (Sustainable Pavements for European New Member States) that was focused on assessment of the impact of roads on the environment and where the Faculty of Civil Engineering of University of Zilina was the most active and closely cooperated with CDV.Collaborative international project was focused on particulate matter (PM) production due to mechanical abrasion of road pavements. PM (and noise emission) was captured next to roads with different pavement types (stone mastic asphalt and asphalt concrete) by middle volume samplers with consequent gravimetric analysis of each exposed filter. The content of organic and inorganic pollutants fixed to PM was determined to characterise the PM composition. Dust fall measurements including mass and chemical composition determination in road tunnels with different pavements (cement concrete and asphalt concrete) were done to determine the pavement abrasion contribution to overall PM emissions in tunnels

Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Prevalence in Aerosol and Spiders’ Webs in Karst Caves: Low Risk for Speleotherapy

A total of 152 aerosol and spider web samples were collected: 96 spider’s webs in karst areas in 4 European countries (Czech Republic, France, Italy, and Slovakia), specifically from the surface environment (n = 44), photic zones of caves (n = 26), and inside (aphotic zones) of caves (n = 26), 56 Particulate Matter (PM) samples from the Sloupsko-Sosuvsky Cave System (speleotherapy facility; n = 21) and from aerosol collected from the nearby city of Brno (n = 35) in the Czech Republic. Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) were isolated from 13 (13.5%) spider’s webs: 5 isolates of saprophytic NTM (Mycobacterium gordonae, M. kumamotonense, M. terrae, and M. terrae complex) and 6 isolates of potentially pathogenic NTM (M. avium ssp. hominissuis, M. fortuitum, M. intracellulare, M. peregrinum and M. triplex). NTM were not isolated from PM collected from cave with the speleotherapy facility although mycobacterial DNA was detected in 8 (14.3%) samples. Temperature (8.2 °C, range 8.0–8.4 °C) and relative humidity (94.7%, range 93.6–96.6%) of air in this cave were relatively constant. The average PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentration was 5.49 µg m−3 and 11.1 µg m−3. Analysed anions (i.e., F−, Cl−, NO2−, SO42−, PO43− and NO3−) originating largely from the burning of wood and coal for residential heating in nearby villages in the surrounding area. The air in the caves with speleotherapy facilities should be monitored with respect to NTM, PM and anions to ensure a safe environment