Life cycle assessment of municipal waste management options.

To date, landfilling remains the most common waste management practice in Greece in spite of enforced regulations aiming at increasing recycling, pre-selection of waste and energy and material recovery. In this study, selected alternative scenarios aiming at minimizing the unused material fraction to be disposed of in landfills are analyzed, using the life cycle assessment methodology. The methodology was applied in the case of municipal solid waste (MSW) management in Athens and Thessaloniki, with a special focus on energy and material balance, including potential global and local scale airborne emissions. Results are given in the form of indices efficiency, effectiveness, environmental and public health impacts. Material flow accounting, gross energy requirement, emergy intensity, emission and release intensity and morbidity or mortality indicators have been used to support the comparative assessment. However, not all options are equally benign to the local environment and to the health of the local population, since both the former and the latter are still affected by non-negligible local emissions. With regard to public health impacts, adverse effects on respiratory health, congenital malformations, low birth weight and cancer incidence were estimated. A significant and not intuitive result is the fact that life cycle analysis produces different conclusions than a simple environmental impact assessment based only on estimated or measured emissions. Taking into account the overall life cycle of both the waste streams and of the technological systems and facilities envisaged alters the relative attractiveness of the solutions considered.

Multi-city comparative PM2.5 source apportionment for fifteen sites in Europe: The ICARUS project.

PM2.5 is an air pollution metric widely used to assess air quality, with the European Union having set targets for reduction in PM2.5 levels and population exposure. A major challenge for the scientific community is to identify, quantify and characterize the sources of atmospheric particles in the aspect of proposing effective control strategies. In the frame of ICARUS EU2020 project, a comprehensive database including PM2.5 concentration and chemical composition (ions, metals, organic/elemental carbon, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) from three sites (traffic, urban background, rural) of five European cities (Athens, Brno, Ljubljana, Madrid, Thessaloniki) was created. The common and synchronous sampling (two seasons involved) and analysis procedure offered the prospect of a harmonized Positive Matrix Factorization model approach, with the scope of identifying the similarities and differences of PM2.5 key-source chemical fingerprints across the sampling sites. The results indicated that the average contribution of traffic exhausts to PM2.5 concentration was 23.3% (traffic sites), 13.3% (urban background sites) and 8.8% (rural sites). The average contribution of traffic non-exhausts was 12.6% (traffic), 13.5% (urban background) and 6.1% (rural sites). The contribution of fuel oil combustion was 3.8% at traffic, 11.6% at urban background and 18.7% at rural sites. Biomass burning contribution was 22% at traffic sites, 30% at urban background sites and 28% at rural sites. Regarding soil dust, the average contribution was 5% and 8% at traffic and urban background sites respectively and 16% at rural sites. Sea salt contribution was low (1-4%) while secondary aerosols corresponded to the 16-34% of PM2.5. The homogeneity of the chemical profiles as well as their relationship with prevailing meteorological parameters were investigated. The results showed that fuel oil combustion, traffic non-exhausts and soil dust profiles are considered as dissimilar while biomass burning, sea salt and traffic exhaust can be characterized as relatively homogenous among the sites.

Monitoring of air pollution levels related to Charilaos Trikoupis Bridge.

Charilaos Trikoupis bridge is the longest cable bridge in Europe that connects Western Greece with the rest of the country. In this study, six air pollution monitoring campaigns (including major regulated air pollutants) were carried out from 2013 to 2015 at both sides of the bridge, located in the urban areas of Rio and Antirrio respectively. Pollution data were statistically analyzed and air quality was characterized using US and European air quality indices. From the overall campaign, it was found that air pollution levels were below the respective regulatory thresholds, but once at the site of Antirrio (26.4 and 52.2µg/m3 for PM2.5 and ΡΜ10, respectively) during the 2nd winter period. Daily average PM10 and PM2.5 levels from two monitoring sites were well correlated to gaseous pollutant (CO, NO, NO2, NOx and SO2) levels, meteorological parameters and factor scores from Positive Matrix Factorization during the 3-year period. Moreover, the elemental composition of PM10 and PM2.5 was used for source apportionment. That analysis revealed that major emission sources were sulfates, mineral dust, biomass burning, sea salt, traffic and shipping emissions for PM10 and PM2.5, for both Rio and Antirrio. Seasonal variation indicates that sulfates, mineral dust and traffic emissions increased during the warm season of the year, while biomass burning become the dominant during the cold season. Overall, the contribution of the Charilaos Trikoupis bridge to the vicinity air pollution is very low. This is the result of the relatively low daily traffic volume (~10,000 vehicles per day), the respective traffic fleet composition (~81% of the traffic fleet are private vehicles) and the speed limit (80km/h) which does not favor traffic emissions. In addition, the strong and frequent winds further contribute to the rapid dispersion of the emitted pollutants.

Benefits on public health from transport-related greenhouse gas mitigation policies in Southeastern European cities.

Climate change is a major environmental threat of our time. Cities have a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions as most of the traffic, industry, commerce and more than 50% of world population is situated in urban areas. Southern Europe is a region that faces financial turmoil, enhanced migratory fluxes and climate change pressure. The case study of Thessaloniki is presented, one of the only two cities in Greece with established climate change action plans. The effects of feasible traffic policies in year 2020 are assessed and their potential health impact is compared to a business as usual scenario. Two types of measures are investigated: operation of underground rail in the city centre and changes in fleet composition. Potential co-benefits from reduced greenhouse gas emissions on public health by the year 2020 are computed utilizing state-of-the-art concentration response functions for PMx, NO2 and C6H6. Results show significant environmental health and monetary co-benefits when the city metro is coupled with appropriate changes in the traffic composition. Monetary savings due to avoided mortality or leukaemia incidence corresponding to the reduction in PM10, PM2.5, NO2 and C6H6 exposure will be 56.6, 45, 37.7 and 1.0 million Euros respectively. Promotion of 'green' transportation in the city (i.e. the wide use of electric vehicles), will provide monetary savings from the reduction in PM10, PM2.5, NO2 and C6H6 exposure up to 60.4, 49.1, 41.2 and 1.08 million Euros. Overall, it was shown that the respective GHG emission reduction policies resulted in clear co-benefits in terms of air quality improvement, public health protection and monetary loss mitigation.

Exposure analysis of accidental release of mercury from compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

Mercury release after breakage of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) has recently become an issue of public health concern, especially in the case of early life infants. Preliminary, screening type calculations have indicated that there is potential for increased intake of mercury vapor by inhalation after breakage of a CFL. Several experimental and computational studies have shown that, when modeling the breakage of a CFL, the room space must be segregated into different zones, according to the potential of mercury vapor to accumulate in them after accidental release. In this study, a detailed two-zone model that captures the physicochemical processes that govern mercury vapor formation and dispersion in the indoor environment was developed. The mercury fate model was coupled to a population exposure model that accounts for age and gender-related differences in time-activity patterns, as well as country differences in body weight and age distribution. The parameters above are used to determine the intake through inhalation (gas phase and particles) and non-dietary ingestion (settled dust) for each age, gender group and ethnicity. Results showed that the critical period for intake covers the first 4h after the CFL breaks and that room air temperature significantly affects the intake rate. Indoor air concentration of mercury vapor may exceed toxicological thresholds of concern such as the acute Reference Exposure Limit (REL) for mercury vapor set by the Environmental Protection Agency of California. Ingestion intake through hand-to-mouth behavior is significant for infants and toddlers, counting for about 20% of the overall intake. Simple risk reduction measures including increased indoor ventilation followed by careful clean-up of the accident site, may limit dramatically the estimated health risk.

[Clinical and capillaroscopic evaluation of chronic uncomplicated venous insufficiency with procyanidins extracted from vitis vinifera]. / Valutazione clinica e capillaroscopica del trattamento dell'insufficienza venosa cronica non complicata con oligomeri procianidolici, estratti da semi di vitis vinifera.

BACKGROUND: The pharmacological treatment of non-complicated chronic venous insufficiency is a current and well-debated topic. The introduction of new products with action on the venous system, improved knowledge on the physiopathology of venous insufficiency and the possibility provided by new analytical instruments, have given new impulse to the consolidation of the clinical value of phlebotonics in this indication. METHODS: In light of this, 24 patients with non-complicated chronic venous insufficiency were treated with oral administration of Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (Pycnogenols-OPC) 100 mg/day. To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the treatment, an instrumental evaluation by optical probe capillaroscope was employed in addition to the traditional subjective clinical parameters: swelling, itching, heaviness and pain. The videocapillaroscope examination was performed at the lower third of the leg and the first toe. Edema in the capillaroscopic field, the number of observable capillaries and the capillary dilatation were the parameter chosen to evaluate the efficacy of treatment. All patients completed the study with no reports of adverse events during the period of observation. RESULTS: The results obtained show a positive clinical response (improved or absent symptoms) in over 80% of patients, with significant improvement of symptoms already evident after the first 10 days of treatment. The mechanism of action of the OPCs explains the rapid reduction of the swelling of the lower limbs and correlated with this are the other evaluable symptoms: heaviness and itching. Particularly striking results were observed for itching and pain which completely disappeared during the course of therapy in 80% and 53% of the patients respectively. Noteworthy is the good correlation between the clinical and instrumental data, with improvement in a total of 70% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained in the course of this clinical experience, with evident improvement already during the first weeks of treatment, the absence of adverse events added to the benefit of a once-a-day administration, justify the use of OPC in the treatment of non-complicated chronic venous insufficiency.

Chronic respiratory symptoms, skin test results, and lung function as predictors of peak flow variability.

We examined how chronic respiratory symptoms, reported in a questionnaire, and results of skin prick tests and spirometry predicted variability in peak expiratory flow (PEF) among 6-12-yr-old children (n = 1,854). After characterization with skin tests and spirometry, children were followed for 2-3 mo during the winter of 1993-1994. Peak expiratory flow was measured daily in the morning and evenings. Children with asthmatic symptoms (wheeze and/or attacks of shortness of breath with wheeze in the past 12 mo and/or ever doctor diagnosed asthma) had a greater variation in PEF than children with dry nocturnal cough as their only chronic respiratory symptom. Similarly, doctor-diagnosed asthma was associated with a greater variation in PEF, also among children with asthmatic symptoms. Peak flow variability increased with an increasing number of symptoms reported in the questionnaire. Atopy, positive skin test reactions to house dust mite and cat and lowered level (as % of predicted) in FEV1 and in MMEF were also associated with an increased variation in PEF. All the differences were observed in both diurnal and day-to-day variation in PEF. In conclusion, chronic respiratory symptoms reported in a questionnaire, spirometric lung function and skin prick test results among asthmatic children predicted variation in PEF measured during a 2-3 mo follow-up. The difference in morning PEF coefficient of variation (CV) between children with asthmatic symptoms and children with cough only was somewhat bigger in girls than in boys. The effect of atopy on morning PEF CV was somewhat bigger in young than in older children.