Wirtschaftsstrafrecht: Plage oder Gewinn für den Standort Deutschland?

Die Fachtagung „Wirtschaftsstrafrecht: Plage oder Gewinn für den Standort Deutschland?“ war eine überaus erfolgreiche Kooperationsveranstaltung der Bucerius Law School und der Behörde für Justiz und Gleichstellung. Dieser Tagungsband fasst die Beiträge der Tagung, die im September 2012 in Hamburg an der Bucerius Law School stattfand, zusammen. Wie schon die Fachtagung soll auch der vorliegende Tagungsband dem Ziel dienen, Wissenschaft und Praxis im Bereich des Wirtschaftsstrafrechts zusammenzubringen

Interactive Effects of Climate Change with Nutrients, Mercury, and Freshwater Acidification on Key Taxa in the North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative Region

The North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative LCC (NA LCC) is a public–private partnership that provides information to support conservation decisions that may be affected by global climate change (GCC) and other threats. The NA LCC region extends from southeast Virginia to the Canadian Maritime Provinces. Within this region, the US National Climate Assessment documented increases in air temperature, total precipitation, frequency of heavy precipitation events, and rising sea level, and predicted more drastic changes. Here, we synthesize literature on the effects of GCC interacting with selected contaminant, nutrient, and environmental processes to adversely affect natural resources within this region. Using a case study approach, we focused on 3 stressors with sufficient NA LCC regionspecific information for an informed discussion. We describe GCC interactions with a contaminant (Hg) and 2 complex environmental phenomena—freshwater acidification and eutrophication. We also prepared taxa case studies on GCCand GCC-contaminant/nutrient/process effects on amphibians and freshwater mussels. Several avian species of high conservation concern have blood Hg concentrations that have been associated with reduced nesting success. Freshwater acidification has adversely affected terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the Adirondacks and other areas of the region that are slowly recovering due to decreased emissions of N and sulfur oxides. Eutrophication in many estuaries within the region is projected to increase from greater storm runoff and less denitrification in riparian wetlands. Estuarine hypoxia may be exacerbated by increased stratification. Elevated water temperature favors algal species that produce harmful algal blooms (HABs). In several of the region\u27s estuaries, HABs have been associated with bird die-offs. In the NA LCC region, amphibian populations appear to be declining. Some species may be adversely affected by GCC through higher temperatures and more frequent droughts. GCC may affect freshwater mussel populations via altered stream temperatures and increased sediment loading during heavy storms. Freshwater mussels are sensitive to un-ionized ammonia that more toxic at higher temperatures. We recommend studying the interactive effects of GCC on generation and bioavailability of methylmercury and how GCC-driven shifts in bird species distributions will affect avian exposure to methylmercury. Research is needed on how decreases in acid deposition concurrent with GCC will alter the structure and function of sensitive watersheds and surface waters. Studies are needed to determine how GCC will affect HABs and avian disease, and how more severe and extensive hypoxia will affect fish and shellfish populations. Regarding amphibians, we suggest research on 1) thermal tolerance and moisture requirements of species of concern, 2) effects of multiple stressors (temperature, desiccation, contaminants, nutrients), and 3) approaches to mitigate impacts of increased temperature and seasonal drought. We recommend studies to assess which mussel species and populations are vulnerable and which are resilient to rising stream temperatures, hydrological shifts, and ionic pollutants, all of which are influenced by GCC

Survivorship of juvenile surf clams Donax serra (Bivalvia, Donacidae) exposed to severe hypoxia and hydrogen sulphide

Toxic "sulphide eruptions" sporadically occur in the highly productive inshore regions of the central Namibian Benguela upwelling system. The surf clam Donax serra (Röding, 1798) dominates the intertidal and upper subtidal of large exposed sandy beaches of southern Africa and its recruitment seems to be affected by sulphide events. The reaction of juvenile surf clams to low oxygen concentrations and sulphide occurrence (0.1 mmol l-1) was examined by in vitro exposure experiments in a gas-tight continuous flow system. After 2 h of hypoxic- and hypoxic-sulphidic conditions clams moved to the sediment surface, aiding their passive transport to areas with more favourable conditions. The clams showed a high sulphide detoxification capacity by oxidising the penetrating hydrogen sulphide to non-toxic thiosulphate. Moreover, juvenile D. serra switched to anaerobic energy production, indicated by the significant accumulation of succinate and, to some extent, alanine. Test animals were not able to reduce their energy requirements enough to withstand long periods of exposure, leading to a median survival time (LT50) of 80 h under hypoxic sulphide incubation. In conclusion, natural "sulphide eruptions", especially those with a large spatial and temporal extension, have to be considered as an important factor for D. serra recruitment failures. Hydrogen sulphide is assumed to be a potential community structuring factor

Methods to quantify groundwater pollution by airborne organic compounds and heavy metals. Diffuse Input of Chemicals into Soil and Groundwater

Groundwater pollution due atmospheric deposition was investigated applying a mass balance concept at the catchment scale. A simple mass balance (input/output) was used to quantify overall natural attenuation of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Cd) and phthalates (DMP, DBP and DEHP) in two forested catchments in SW Germany (Seebach and Denzenberg valley). Decreasing concentrations from rainwater to groundwater, sorption rates of mostly more than 60% comparing input and output fluxes and preferential accumulation in the upper soil horizon confirmed the atmospheric origin of the heavy metals and phthalates investigated as well as the role of soils as a major sink for these pollutants. Sorption under equilibrium conditions would lead to lower groundwater concentrations than monitored, implying an additional non-equilibrium transport of the pollutants through the unsaturated zone by preferential flow. We recommend catchment area studies to assess the long-term risk of groundwater pollution due to diffusive atmospheric deposition of contaminants with high persistence