Indoor carbon dioxide concentrations in Croatian elementary school classrooms during the heating season.

Aware that exposure to stuffy indoor air with high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) is associated with higher absenteeism and reduced academic performance in school pupils, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe initiated indoor air quality surveys in schools, including CO2 monitoring, to assess ventilation and exposure to stuffy air. Here we report the findings of the first such survey in Croatia. It was conducted in 60 classrooms of 20 urban and rural elementary schools throughout the country during the heating season. Measurements of CO2 levels showed that all 60 classrooms exceeded the international guidelines of 1938 mg/m3. Mean CO2 concentrations ranged from 2771 to 7763 mg/m3. The highest concentration measured in urban schools was 7763 mg/m3 and in rural schools 4771 mg/m3. Average CO2 levels were higher in continental schools (3683 mg/m3) than the coastal ones (3134 mg/m3), but all demonstrate poor ventilation during the heating season all over Croatia.

Efficiency of alkaline hydrolysis method in environment protection.

Development of new technologies for the efficient use of proteins of animal origin, apart from heat treatment in rendering facilities that was used to date, has become the primary goal of the integral waste management system. The emergence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Europe and in the World in the 1990s opened up new questions regarding medical safety and use of meat bone meal in the animal feed, which is produced by processing animal waste. Animal waste is divided into three categories, out of which the first category is high-risk waste. Alkaline hydrolysis is alternative method for management of animal by-products not intended for human diet and imposes itself as one of the solutions for disposal of high-risk proteins. The paper will present the analyses of animal by-products not intended for human diet treated in laboratory reactor for alkaline hydrolysis, as one of the two recognized methods in EU for the disposal of this type of material and use in fertilization.

Dumping and illegal transport of hazardous waste, danger of modern society.

Increasing the production of hazardous waste during the past few years and stricter legislation in the area of permanent disposal and transportation costs were significantly elevated above activities. This creates a new, highly lucrative gray market which opens the way for the criminalization. Of great importance is the identification of illegal trafficking of hazardous waste since it can have a significant impact on human health and environmental pollution. Barriers to effective engagement to prevent these activities may vary from region to region, country to country, but together affect the ability of law enforcement authorities to ensure that international shipments of hazardous waste comply with national laws and maritime regulations. This paper will overview the legislation governing these issues, and to analyze the barriers to their implementation, but also try to answer the question of why and how this type of waste traded. Paper is an overview of how Croatia is prepared to join the European Union in this area and indicates the importance and necessity of the cooperation of all of society, and international organizations in the fight with the new trend of environmental crime.

Development of the competitive business in the context of environmental legislation in Croatia.

Environmental protection has a key role in the context of crisis management. It is not just about development of the industry of environmental protection and implementation of new ways of management in innovative solutions in solving problems. Important area of improvement is also revision of environmental legislation aiming at simplification and reduction of costs of procedures for the business. This paper discusses problems of business sector in Croatia related to transposition of demanding environmental EU regulation, it suggests improvements such as simplification of special waste management systems, of environmental impact assessments processes, environmental permitting etc. The paper considers revision of environmental protection not by lowering environmental standards, but by introducing transparent and compromising models between business and environmental protection, based on sustainable development, with control mechanisms which don't impact functioning of business sector (and its competitiveness), therefore allowing successful protection of environment and its renewable and non-renewable resources.

Green technologies--assumption of economic recovery.

Green technologies include implementation of technological projects in the field of environmental protection through all associated components, such as: waters, soil, air or biodiversity. Hence, such projects potentially become a driving force of new economic momentum in the conditions of post-crisis recovery. In addition, the support of this segment by the institutions of the European Union, either in terms of organization through the establishment of rules and systems for monitoring and control of environmental protection measures, and most importantly in terms of finances, by supporting the development of infrastructure for environmental protection, is today an indisputable category. The aim of the research is to show the potential of green technologies in the initiation of economic activities based on content analysis of the collected literature, as well as to determine the correlation between green technologies and environmental protection and the measures for the reduction of the impact of energy sector on the greenhouse gas emissions.

High-risk biodegradable waste processing by alkaline hydrolysis.

Biodegradable waste is by definition degraded by other living organisms. Every day, meat industry produces large amounts of a specific type of biodegradable waste called slaughterhouse waste. Traditionally in Europe, this waste is recycled in rendering plants which produce meat and bone meal and fat. However, feeding animals with meat and bone meal has been banned since the outbreaks of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). In consequence, new slaughterhouse waste processing technologies have been developed, and animal wastes have now been used for energy production. Certain parts of this waste, such as brains and spinal cord, are deemed high-risk substances, because they may be infected with prions. Their treatment is therefore possible only in strictly controlled conditions. One of the methods which seems to bear acceptable health risk is alkaline hydrolysis. This paper presents the results of an alkaline hydrolysis efficiency study. It also proposes reuse of the obtained material as organic fertiliser, as is suggested by the analytical comparison between meat and bone meal and hydrolysate.

[Waste management strategy and the role of the environmental protection and energy efficiency fund]. / Strategija gospodarenja otpadom i uloga Fonda za zastitu okolisa i energetsku ucinkovitost.

On 14 October 2005, the Croatian Parliament adopted the National Strategy of Waste Management pursuant to Article 8 of the Waste Act. This strategy defines its objectives and the means to reach them, and gives an overview of the current situation in waste management. It seeks to provide a realistic framework for the effective reduction of national waste load and for a sustainable waste management. This Strategy defines 15 major waste flows which are in concordance with the EU practice. It also defines waste management buildings and plants, and looks into the remediation of municipal waste landfills. According to the Strategy, waste management will be present on all levels of administration: from national to local, and will include all areas of production, consumption, and everyday life. Founded on the EU's general principles of waste management, this Strategy provides the ideal framework for a sustained waste management in Croatia by the year 2025. Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund is one of the key administration bodies within the waste management system. It collects taxes for motor vehicles, for sulphur and nitrogen oxide pollution sources, for environmental hazardous and non-hazardous industrial waste load, and for the use of the environment. The Fund participates in the ongoing municipal landfill remediation projects and programmes all over Croatia (currently 161 landfills are being remedied) and helps to establish new regional and county waste management centres. It co-finances clean production technology projects, projects whose aim is to reduce the emission of harmful gases, projects for reusable energy sources and for more efficient use of energy, projects for remediation of unregulated municipal landfills, projects for primary recycling, and projects for biodiversity landscapes. According to an estimate, the implementation of the National Strategy of Waste Management will cost over 24 billion Croatian kunas (about 3.3 billion Euros). Beside national and local revenues, the Fund will play a key role in carrying this burden.