The assessment of the intensive poultry rearing farms within the context of the IPPC Directive (B)

Poultry production in intensive farms has been steadily increasing since the 1970s. This has occurred through a number of factors including increased feed supply through greater use of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and increased use of supplementary forage feeds. Potentially, the integration of low-protein forage (e.g. maize), to reduce dietary-N concentration, or management practices (e.g. deep layer, cage tier), to reduce excreta to waste, water and soil, can mitigate environmental N emissions and increase efficiency. However, effects of these mitigation practices on resource use efficiency and environmental emissions, such as greenhouse gas emissions and N leaching, are becoming more and more substantial, as the production on wider basis increased. This is one of the reasons for including the large scale poultry farms on the list of the economical activities with significant impact on environment, being subjected to more and stricter regulations. The direct and indirect environmental impacts of poultry farming are currently being investigated by using simulation modelling. The model simulation using a life cycle assessment approach indicates that N fertilizer increases production and economic efficiency but decreases environmental efficiency through predicted increases in N leaching and greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, using forage increases the use of land and production efficiency, with a decrease in N leaching and no increase in greenhouse gas emissions (per capita). A comparison of an average poultry farm applying the Best Available Technologies versus an older technology is provided, together with considerations regarding the mitigation of impacts on various scales

Fizes Watershed, Romania. Population Study MIHĂIESCU Tania*

The paper aims at highlighting the changes that occurred in the population dynamics within the Fizes watershed, a rural area located in the Transylvanian Plain in the northern part of Romania, from 1850 to 2007. While demographic aging is a nationwide phenomenon, it is more pronounced in rural areas because of age-specific migration flows. The rural population is a major source of village development. The area considered in this case study is thought to be one of the least developed in the North West region of Romania, not as a result of a lack of resources but because of a lack of socio-economic development and the predominance of rural settlements. The demographic profile of the Fizes watershed has changed significantly in the analysed period. Socio-economic conditions, throughout the last 50 years, triggered a number of manifest phenomena concluded in a severe population decrease. The continued out-migration of young adults towards the nearby cities, the growing numbers of retirees and the lack of working places, have resulted in rural communities where residents are older. The conclusions of this study are that the population aging and the demographic dependency rate for the Fizes watershed is similar to the trend for most rural areas of Romania. Solving the multitude of typical rural demographic problems calls for establishing long-term and time-stable strategic development policies

LIMS use in laboratory data management

Laboratory data management is a complex process involving both people and information in order to acquire, organize, store and distribute information. Information conversion to knowledge requires the application of many human qualities such as experience, intelligence, intuition and talent; it is not enough to simply acquire and own data, being necessary to have a proper understanding of the data structure and the required qualities to apply a suitable management system. Modern laboratories produce large amounts of data; with the continuous development of new technologies, both the quality and quantity of information is increasing, causing often significant problems and new methods are needed to manage this situation. Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) provides a way of automating part of the laboratory system. As the primary function of most laboratories is to provide validated information under some time constraints and based on that information, allowing customers to make decisions, LIMS can save considerable amounts of time and dramatically improve the level of data access for all individuals involved in a given project; the sooner the user is notified of a problem, the sooner that problem can be fixed and the less the solution will cost. Several of the main benefits identified from current users of LIMS are: analytical data can be obtained instantly being also easily accessible online; large amounts of data can be stored without the need for traditional archiving; improvement of data quality as all the analytical instruments are integrated; automated tracking and management; automated customer reports; automated quality control. All these benefits can lead finally to a general improvement of laboratory efficiency. Despite LIMS have been used for more than twenty years, they still remain difficult to implement successfully. This paper provides a brief description of some of the existing technologies available to date, detailing the benefits that a LIMS can offer, giving finally an approach for the development of a successful LIMS implementation

NOISE POLLUTION IN URBAN AREAS. CASE STUDY – CLUJ-NAPOCA TOWN

Noise is a disturbance to the human environment that is escalating at such a high rate that it will become a major threat to the quality of human lives. In the past thirty years, noise in all areas, especially in urban areas, has been increasing rapidly. There are numerous effects on the human environment due to the increase in noise pollution. Slowly, insensibly, we seem to accept noise and the physiological and psychological deterioration that accompanies it as an inevitable part of our lives. Although we attempt to set standards for some of the most major sources of noise, we often are unable to monitor them. Community awareness of environmental noise has increased and there is a higher expectation for state and local government to reduce noise levels. The present study provides an evaluation of noise pollution in Cluj-Napoca. Equivalent noise levels (L eq) were measured in 10 points (each point measured during 30 min). Measured values were confronted with Romanian legislation allowed limits. The most noise-polluted points in Cluj Napoca were Mănăştur district – traffic circle and Aurel Vlaicu street (at the international airport limit), with measured L eq of 75.5 dB(A) and 75.91 dB(A)

Study Regarding Hydrochemical Classification of the main Lakes from Fizeş Watershed (Romania)

Regarding to the importance of the ponds is noted an increasing interest in Europe, and also an increase of the awareness on the ponds contribution to biodiversity and proper functioning of the watersheds. Although significant progress was made in establishing generic methodologies of analysis in the purpose of implementing water directive, small water bodies, as lakes and ponds are still insufficient represented. The study area, Fizes watershed, is located in Transylvania Plain, in the northern part of Romania. A distinct characteristic of this watershed is the presence of lake units (natural and artificial). Natural lakes and ponds are a polarizing element, which provides identity for the landscape in Fizes watershed, concentrates the majority of settlements in their close vicinity and also represent a support of economical activities development, from agriculture to tourism. The objective of the present work is to discuss the major ion chemistry of the main lakes from Fizes watershed. Chemical classification also throws light on the concentration of various predominant cations, anions and their interrelationships. Water lake samples were collected from 11 sampling points covering the area during the years 2007 and 2008 and were analyzed for physical-chemical characters. The system of lake units present distinctive physical-chemical characteristics, influenced by local natural conditions, main factors being climate, morphometric characteristics of lakes, vegetation by shadowing, factors which together with biological conditions and anthropic influences shape the quality conditions of the lake waters. Climatic, hydrological and substrate conditions are reflected in the resulting water quality. The lakes located in the upper part of the watershed can be included in the bicarbonate class, while lakes located in the lower part are closer to sulphate waters

Perspectives on the Responsible Consumption of the Water Resources in Romania

The climate change, the greenhouse emissions, the weather extreme events are, in general, accepted as a result of intensive industrialization and of our way of life. Environmentalists use all the communication channels in order to alarm the authorities and the population with regard to the effects that industrialization has on the environment. One such effect is lowering the quantity of limited resources, one of them, perhaps the most important one, is the volume of fresh water on the Globe. Under these circumstances, the authors propose new approaches for lowering the volume of fresh water abstraction and consumption, through reuse of properly treated wastewater in areas where this does not impede optimal functioning of the systems

Assessment of Copper and Lead Biosorption from Aqueous Solutions by Brewer's Yeast

Adsorption of Cu(II) and Pb(II) ions by a non-conventional biosorbent, brewer's yeast (a waste by-product from the brewing industry) was investigated. Copper and lead ions were studied, taking into account their ubiquitous presences in various types of industrial waste waters. In order to determine the adsorption capacity (qe) of copper and lead ions by brewer's yeast, in accordance with the data present in specialty literature, experimental tests regarding the study of the concentrations dynamics of metal ions in synthetic aqueous solutions treated with known quantities of biosorbent were performed. The impacts of various parameters such as contact time, pH and biosorbent dose on the removal efficiency were assessed. The results demonstrate that the brewers yeast adsorption capacity of metals increases with yeast-metal solution contact time, however it appears that adsorption weakens after 60 minutes, proving that the systems reach equilibrium. It was determined that the pH of solutions is one of the important factors in biosorption. The increase of yeast concentration also affects the metal ions adsorption capacity (doubling the yeast concentration causes a decrease of qe values). The optimum results were obtained for the biosorbent concentration of 0.5% and contact time 60 min., copper at pH 6, and lead at pH 5 respectively

Evaluarea fermelor de creştere intensivă a puilor în contextul Directivei IPPC (B)

Producţia fermelor de creştere intensivă a puilor a crescut constant din 1970 până în prezent. Acest lucru s-a datorat mai multor factori dintre care furnizarea sporită a hranei prin folosirea îngrăşămintelor pe bază de azot (N) şi creşterea cantităţii de nutreţ suplimentar. Potenţial, integrarea nutreţului cu proteine în cantitate scăzută (ex. porumb) pentru a reduce dieta cu azot, sau practicile de conducere a fermei (ex. strat de adâncime) pot reduce dejecţiile în apă şi sol, emisiile cu azot şi creşte eficienţa acestor ferme. Oricum, efectele acestor practici de atenuare a resurselor folosite şi emisiile de gaze de seră şi azot, devin din ce în ce mai substanţiale, ca şi creşterea ridicată a producţiei. Acesta este unul dintre motivele pentru care fermele avicole la scară mare sunt incluse pe listele acitivităţilor economice cu un impact semnificativ asupra mediului, fiind subiectul unor reguli din ce în ce mai exigente. Impactul direct sau indirect al fermelor avicole asupra mediului este în mod current investigat folosind modelul de simulare. Pentru această simulare se foloseşte un ciclu de viaţă fix care indică creşterea atât a producţiei de pui cu ajutorul nutreţului cu azot cât şi eficacitatea economică, dar scade eficienţa mediului prin creşterea prezisă a emisiilor gaz de seră şi azot. În contrast, folosind terenurile agricole pentru producţia de furaje şi o producţie eficientă, duc la o scădere a emisiilor de azot şi gaze de seră (per cap de locuitor). În această lucrarea este prezentată şi o comparaţie dintre ferma avicolă aplicând tehnologia cea mai viabilă BAT şi o tehnologie învechită, împreună cu consideraţiile privind atenuarea impactului acestora la diferite scări