Dairy farms: constraints and recommendations for enhancing health, welfare and food saftey (Workshop results)

Results - It is necessary to improve the information to the public (who are the taxpayer and pay the subsidies) about organic farming as a system, that improves animal health and welfare. - Consumers must get accurate information about the organic products they buy. - Producers should be informed about organic farming before they convert (so they know what to expect): they should be told about the regluations and pointed to the available information about organic farming. - Veterinarians should be informed (part of the teaching curriculum in vet schools) about the holistic system, the importance of preventive health management on organic farms and about alternative treatments. - In communication to the policy makers (the government), organic farming should be presented as a different farming system and not as a conventional system with some alteration

Adsorbent filled membranes for gas separation. Part 1. Improvement of the gas separation properties of polymeric membranes by incorporation of microporous adsorbents

The effect of the introduction of specific adsorbents on the gas separation properties of polymeric membranes has been studied. For this purpose both carbon molecular sieves and zeolites are considered. The results show that zeolites such as silicate-1, 13X and KY improve to a large extent the separation properties of poorly selective rubbery polymers towards a mixture of carbon dioxide/methane. Some of the filled rubbery polymers achieve intrinsic separation properties comparable to cellulose acetate, polysulfone or polyethersulfone. However, zeolite 5A leads to a decrease in permeability and an unchanged selectivity. This is due to the impermeable character of these particles, i.e. carbon dioxide molecules cannot diffuse through the porous structure under the conditions applied. Using silicate-1 also results in an improvement of the oxygen/nitrogen separation properties which is mainly due to a kinetic effect. Carbon molecular sieves do not improve the separation performances or only to a very small extent. This is caused by a mainly dead-end (not interconnected) porous structure which is inherent to their manufacturing process

Diermanagement op biologische melkveebedrijven

Een aantal ervaringen betreffende het diermanagement op de in het project betrokken bedrijven zijn in dit artikel weergegeven

Hoornloos fokken : praktische aspecten bij het opbouwen van een hoornloze veestapel

De biologische melkveehouderij streeft naar een hoog dierenwelzijn en wil de integriteit van de dieren zo min mogelijk aantasten. Maar omdat veel stallen nog niet zijn aangepast aan het houden van dieren met hoorns, moeten de meeste biologische boeren toch onthoornen. Het fokken van hoornloze dieren kan een goede oplossing zijn. Er hoeft dan niet meer onthoornd te worden en aanpassingen aan de stallen zijn ook niet nodig. In dit BioKennisbericht een aantal praktische aspecten van hoornloos fokken op een rij

Preparation of zeolite filled glassy polymer membranes

The incorporation of zeolite particles in the micrometer range into polymeric matrices was investigated as a way to improve the gas separation properties of the polymer materials used in the form of membranes. The adhesion between the polymer phase and the external surface of the particles appeared to be a major problem in the preparation of such membranes when the polymer is in the glassy state at room temperature. Various methods were investigated to improve the internal membrane structure, that is, surface modification of the zeolite external surface, preparation above the glass-transition temperature, and heat treatment. Improved structures were obtained as observed by scanning electron microscopy, but the influence on the gas separation properties was not in agreement with the observed structural improvements

Minder medicijngebruik door natuurlijke weerstand

Diergezondheid begint met een goed en duurzaam bedrijfsmanagement. In de biologische veehouderij is al een aantal jaren op verschillende manieren ervaring opgedaan met geen of zeer beperkt medicijn- en antibioticagebruik. Hoe blijven dieren gezond en bouwen ze een natuurlijke weerstand op? Meer informatie en praktische tips voor het opbouwen van natuurlijke weerstand in dit BioKennisbericht

Conformational behaviour of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) in solution - I: Intrinsic viscosity as a function of temperature

Intrinsic viscosities [η] of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) solutions have been measured as a function of temperature between 60 and 25°C. The solvents were toluene and trichloroethene. In both solvents, the [η]-T curve exhibited a point of inflection in the range 45-35°. This phenomenon is explained as a conformational transition, which is possibly involved in the nucleation process of the solution crystallization of PPO. Assuming constancy of the coil expansion factor αη and the solvent draining over the whole temperature interval, a slight increase of characteristic parameter Cα, with decreasing temperature has been calculated

Conformational behaviour of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) in solution - II. Sedimentation coefficients and permeabilities in the semi-dilute region as a function of temperature

Sedimentation and flotation coefficients of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) solutions have been measured as a function of temperature between 60 and 25°. The solvents were toluene and trichloroethane (TCE). Solvent permeabilities have been calculated from the sedimentation or flotation coefficients. PPO is less permeable to the solvents used than polystyrene of comparable molecular weight is to toluene and cyclohexane. Strong solvation of toluene and TCE by PPO molecules is proposed as an explanation for this finding. The measured permeabilities were used to check an earlier calculation of the change of radius of gyration with temperature from intrinsic viscosity data. A larger decrease in radius of gyration with increasing temperature has been calculated in this way than with the earlier assumption of essentially impermeable polymer coils, i.e. with the assumption of the value 2.5 × 1023 for the universal viscosity paramete

Translating biomonitoring data into risk management and policy implementation options for a European Network on Human Biomonitoring

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The "European Environment & Health Action Plan 2004–2010" originates from the concern of the European Commission on the well-being of individuals and the general population. Through this plan, the Commission has set the objectives to improve the information chain for a better understanding of the link between sources of pollution and health effects, to better identify existing knowledge gaps, and improve policy making and communication strategies. Human biomonitoring (HBM) has been included as one of the tools to achieve these objectives. As HBM directly measures the amount of a chemical substance in a person's body, taking into account often poorly understood processes such as bioaccumulation, excretion, metabolism and the integrative uptake variability through different exposure pathways, HBM data are much more relevant for risk assessment than extrapolations from chemical concentrations in soil, air, and water alone. However, HBM primarily is a stepping stone between environmental and health data, and the final aim should be an integrated and holistic systematic risk assessment paradigm where HBM serves as a pivotal point between environment and health, on the one hand leaning on environmental data to provide detailed information on the sources and pathways of pollutants that enter the human body, and on the other hand clarifying new and existing hypotheses on the relationship between environmental pollutants and the prevalence of diseases. With the large amount of data that is being gathered in the different national survey projects, and which is expected to become available in Europe in the near future through the expected European Pilot Project on HBM, a framework to optimize data interpretation from such survey projects may greatly enhance the usefulness of HBM data for risk managers and policy makers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This paper outlines an hierarchic approach, based on the stepwise formulation of 4 subsequent steps, that will eventually lead to the formulation of a variety of policy relevant risk reduction options.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although the usefulness of this approach still needs to be tested, and potential fine-tuning of the procedure may be necessary, approaching the policy implications of HBM in an objective framework will prove to be essential.</p

In vijf stappen naar een verbeterde diergezondheid

Iedereen streeft naar een gezonde veestapel en probeert zoveel mogelijk ziekten en aandoeningen te voorkomen. Dat is goed voor het welzijn van de koe, het werkt plezierig en het is ook nog eens goed voor de portemonnee. Dit bioKennisbericht geeft vijf praktische stappen om de diergezondheid op een bedrijf structureel te verbeteren