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PubMed2004

Assessment of lichen diversity by index of atmospheric purity (IAP), index of human impact (IHI) and other environmental factors in an urban area (Grenoble, southeast France).

An assessment of air quality in the Grenoble area was made using the index of atmospheric purity (IAP). The survey area was divided into 198 units (0.7 x 1 km), in which 345 average lichen relevés were analyzed according to the Braun-Blanquet method. Each relevé station was characterized in the field by a subjective index of human impact (IHI) calculated according to four local environmental parameters influencing the epiphytic lichen flora: urbanization (urban, suburban or rural area), road traffic (low or high), local developments (stations located within crop fields, green areas, housing sites or car parks), and exposure (trees isolated, in rows or grouped). Eighty-three epiphytic lichen species and two algae were recorded and grouped into three ecological categories defined according to bark type and nutrient needs: nitrophytic, neutrophytic and acidophytic species. IAP values, varying from 5.9 to 71.7, were clustered into five categories in order to produce an air-quality map. The geographical pattern of the IAP map showed no clear connection with local sources of pollution, such as the vicinity of a road or an industrial plant, and was not correlated with annual mean values of SO(2), NO(2) and NO for the years 1994-1997. IAP appeared to be influenced by environmental artificiality as shown by a polynomial trend observed between IAP and IHI, even if IAP values were broadly scattered. Multivariate analysis (canonical correspondence) showed that high IAP values could be observed in stations of "natural" environments at high elevations and in stations of "artificial" environments at low elevations. It was also shown that IAP varied in relation to the relative proportion of ecological groups of lichen relevés: although a majority of neutrophytic species (>50%) with a much lower percentage of nitrophytic species generally characterized high IAP, a predominance of acidophytic or nitrophytic species led to a decrease in the IAP. A correlation between nitrophytic species and artificiality of the environment was also shown. Furthermore, IAP, initially created to characterize atmospheric pollution or atmospheric purity by means of the lichen flora, is shown to be influenced by other parameters such as environmental and landscape factors.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed2004

Sediment accumulation in newly constructed vegetative treatment facilities along a new major road.

The A34 Newbury bypass was opened in England in November 1998. This 15 km of roadway has nine constructed vegetative treatment systems incorporating oil separators, silt traps, grass filters for primary filtration and chemical absorption, reed wetlands for secondary biofiltration, a deep water pool and outflow device to control the rate of water discharge into existing watercourses. Two of these facilities discharge stormwater into the Lambourn sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) river. An evaluation of the heavy metal levels in these two ponds (Ponds J and K) has been undertaken in the 39-month period after the opening of the bypass. Motorway-derived contaminants including Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn were evaluated within pond sediment throughout these treatment facilities. Results reveal that heavy metal levels within the treatment system that possesses a well-established reed bed system decrease rapidly though the facility. It is postulated that the high reed biomass within this facility may be primarily responsible for reducing hydraulic flow thus allowing a greater residence time for sedimentation, filtration and bioaccumulation processes.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed2004

Sustainable development of urban transport systems and human exposure to air pollution.

DAPPLE (Dispersion of Air Pollution and Penetration into the Local Environment, http://www.dapple.org.uk) is a major research project that will provide the understanding necessary to assess the sustainability of urban road transport in terms of exposure to traffic-related air pollution as an alternative to current indicators based on emissions, roadside, or far-from-road air pollution levels. The methodology is described, which combines on-street and laboratory measurement with modelling of the movement of air, vehicles, and vehicle exhaust emissions. The relationship between this kind of assessment and more realistic indicators of sustainability is discussed. The value of large-scale interdisciplinary research in this area is thus demonstrated.

Air Movements↗

PubMed2004

An integrated methodology to assess the benefits of urban green space.

The interrelated issues of urban sprawl, traffic congestion, noise, and air pollution are major socioeconomic problems faced by most European cities. A methodology is currently being developed for evaluating the role of green space and urban form in alleviating the adverse effects of urbanisation, mainly focusing on the environment but also accounting for socioeconomic aspects. The objectives and structure of the methodology are briefly outlined and illustrated with preliminary results obtained from case studies performed on several European cities.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗

PubMed2005

Environmental impact from mountainous olive orchards under different soil-management systems (SE Spain).

Soil erosion, runoff and nutrient-loss patterns over a two-year period (1999-2000) were monitored in erosion plots on a mountainside with olive (Olea europaea cv. Picual) trees under three different types of soil management: (1) non-tillage with barley (Hordeum vulgare) strips of 4 m width (BS); (2) conventional tillage (CT); (3) non-tillage without plant strips (NT). The erosion plots, located in Lanjaron (Alpujarras) on the southern flank of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in south-eastern Spain, had 30% slope at an altitude of 565 m and 192 m(2) (24x8 m) in area. The highest erosion and runoff values, ranging from 10.5 to 40.7 t ha(-1) yr(-1) and from 26.5 to 51.5 mm yr(-1), respectively, over the entire study period, were measured under NT. In CT, erosion ranged from 1.0 to 10.4 t ha(-1) yr(-1) and runoff from 6.7 to 15.2 mm yr(-1), while under BS, erosion ranged from 1.7 to 2.4 t ha(-1) yr(-1) and runoff from 19.6 to 20.0 mm yr(-1). It is concluded that the BS and CT reduced the soil erosion by 92% and 78%, with respect to the NT, and the runoff by 49% and 72%, respectively. The total NPK losses (sediments and runoff) from BS averaged 0.87, 0.07 and 0.72 kg ha(-1), from CT 1.82, 0.11 and 0.97 kg ha(-1) and from NT 3.15, 0.29 and 2.45 kg ha(-1), respectively. In addition, nutrient concentrations in the surface runoff were higher than the recommended level for standard water quality for N-NO(3), N-NH(4) and soluble P, particularly from NT and CT. These results support the recommendation of non-tillage with barley strips for sloped agricultural land in order to reduce erosion and pollution.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2005

Retrofitting houses with insulation to reduce health inequalities: aims and methods of a clustered, randomised community-based trial.

This paper describes the purpose and methods of a single-blinded, clustered and randomised trial of the health impacts of insulating existing houses. The key research question was whether this intervention increased the indoor temperature and lowered the relative humidity, energy consumption and mould growth in the houses, as well as improved the health and well-being of the occupants and thereby lowered their utilisation of health care. Households in which at least one person had symptoms of respiratory disease were recruited from seven predominantly low-income communities in New Zealand. These households were then randomised within communities to receive retrofitted insulation either during or after the study. Measures at baseline (2001) and follow-up (2002) included subjective measures of health, comfort and well-being and objective measures of house condition, temperature, relative humidity, mould (speciation and mass), endotoxin, beta glucans, house dust mite allergens, general practitioner and hospital visits, and energy or fuel usage. All measurements referred to the three coldest winter months, June, July and August. From the 1352 households that were initially recruited, baseline information was obtained from 1310 households and 4413 people. At follow-up, 3312 people and 1110 households remained, an 84% household retention rate and a 75% individual retention rate. Final outcome results will be reported in a subsequent paper. The study showed that large trials of complex environmental interventions can be conducted in a robust manner with high participation rates. Critical success factors are effective community involvement and an intervention that is valued by the participants.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Laboratory development and field demonstration of self-sealing/self-healing landfill liner.

The self-sealing/self-healing (SS/SH) barrier concept is based on the principle that two or more parent materials placed in vertical or horizontal layers will react at their interfaces to form insoluble reaction products. These products constitute a seamless impermeable seal, which is resistant to the transmission of leachate and contaminants. A SS/SH liner formulation was developed in the laboratory and demonstrated at the Sudokwon landfill site in South Korea. Laboratory testing results indicated that a seal with a hydraulic conductivity less than 10(-9) m/s formed after two to four weeks of curing at room temperature, and the seal healed itself after it was fractured. The use of the soil from the Sudokwon landfill site instead of sand as the matrix of the parent materials in the SS/SH liner retarded the sealing and healing of the seal, but did not show an obvious effect on the overall sealing and healing capacity of the seal at early stages. The construction and installation of the field demonstration SS/SH liner were carried out in the same way as for a soil cement liner. The quality of the liner was ensured by the enforcement of quality analysis/quality control procedures during installation. A single sealed ring infiltration test was performed on the field demonstration liner 36 days after the installation was completed. The measurement of water infiltration rate indicated that the liner healed after it was fractured. However, the long-term sealing and healing capacity needs to be further investigated.

Environment Design↗

PubMed2005

Laboratory and field testing for utilization of an excavated soil as landfill liner material.

This study investigates the feasibility of using a silty soil excavated in highway construction as landfill liner material. The tests were conducted both at laboratory and in situ scales, and the soil was tested in pure and lime treated forms. Different levels of compaction energy were used. For the field study, a test pad was constructed and in situ hydraulic conductivity experiments were conducted by sealed double ring infiltrometers (SDRI). Laboratory testing revealed that while lime treatment improved the shear strength, it resulted in higher hydraulic conductivity values compared to pure soil. It was observed that leachate permeation did not change the hydraulic conductivity of the pure and lime treated samples. Laboratory hydraulic conductivities were on the order of 10(-9) m/s and met the 1.0E-08 m/s criterion in the Turkish regulations, which is one order of magnitude higher than the value allowed in most developed countries. SDRI testing, which lasted for 6 mo, indicated that lime treatment increased the hydraulic conductivity of pure soil significantly in the field scale tests. In situ hydraulic conductivities were on the order of 1E-08 and 1E-07 m/s, and exceeded the allowable value in the Turkish regulations. Undisturbed samples collected from the test pad were not representative of field hydraulic conductivities. Contrary to laboratory findings, higher compaction efforts did not result in lower hydraulic conductivities in field scales. The study verified the importance of in situ hydraulic conductivity testing in compacted liners.

Calcium Compounds↗

PubMed2006

Long-term changes in pollutant load outflows and purification function in a paddy field watershed using a circular irrigation system.

A long-term investigation on the water quality and hydrology was carried out for 8 years and 7 months (from October 1991 to April 2000) in a paddy field watershed using a circular irrigation system. The annual amount of rainfall ranged from 1270 to 2226 mm and it was found that the amount of irrigation water tended to decrease as rainfall increased. Phosphorus and chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations tended to decrease with the river flowing down, whereas nitrogen concentrations showed no significant difference. The annual outflow loads (sum of the net-outflow load during irrigation periods and the outflow load during non-irrigation periods) of total nitrogen (T-N), total phosphorus (T-P), and COD ranged from 13.6 to 75.3 kg ha(-1)yr(-1), -3.55 to 2.21 kg ha(-1)yr(-1), and -24.7 to 48.5 kg ha(-1)yr(-1), respectively. The negative values for T-P and COD loads indicated that the study watershed performed a purification function. The change in annual pollutant loads was primarily attributed to the amount of hydrological water volumes (the annual amount of rainfall or that of rainfall plus irrigation water) for T-N and COD loads and partially for T-P load. In addition, the purification function was related to the hydraulic retention time, and the study watershed allows sufficient retention for pollutant purification for phosphorus and COD contents and partially for nitrogen content.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2004

Changes in health-related behaviours and cardiovascular risk factors in young adults: associations with living with a partner.

OBJECTIVE: To examine changes in cardiovascular risk factors and health-related behaviours in young Australian adults at a stage of transition from the family environment. STUDY DESIGN: Repeated surveys between 9 and 25 years of age in a community-based group that included 569 eighteen-year-olds and 600 twenty-five-year-olds. RESULTS: There were significant increases (P < 0.001 for all variables) in body mass index (BMI) [men 2.5 kg/m2 (2.0); women 1.7 kg/m2 (2.9)], waist girth [men 7.6 cm (6.5); women 4.3 cm (7.2)], BP (systolic/diastolic) [men 5(12)/7(8) mm Hg; women 3(10)/6(7) mm Hg] and in total cholesterol [men 15% increase; women 9%]. The proportion of sedentary behaviour increased from 19% to 39% in men (P < 0.001) and from 40% to 41% (P = 0.801) in women. Cohabitation was associated with significantly greater increases in BMI, waist circumference, and total cholesterol, associated with dietary change in women and decreased physical activity in men. In mothers, waist girth increased by 8.0 cm (0.1) compared with 3.5 cm (0.6) in women without children (P = 0.003), and physical fitness decreased [-0.5 W/kg (0.4) vs. 1.2 W/kg (0.2), respectively; P = 0.001]. CONCLUSION: Encouragement of a healthy lifestyle, particularly physical activity, should be a priority in this age group, particularly among newly cohabiting couples and in young mothers.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Perceived Neighborhood Environments and physical activity in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: There is a reason to believe that physical environments variables play an especially important role in the level of physical activity. Few studies have examined the association between environmental variables and level of physical activity in adolescents. OBJECTIVES: This study aims were: (1) to evaluate differences in perceived neighborhood environment according to physical activity level and (2) to determine which, if any, perceived neighborhood environmental variables were associated with reported physical activity levels in an adolescent population. METHODS: The sample comprised of 1123 adolescents, which were classified according to physical activity levels into actives (n = 589) and non-active (n = 534). A questionnaire assessed Perceived Neighborhood Environments. Physical activity was assessed by questionnaire and used as the dependent variable. RESULTS: More active children were reported to more significantly (P < 0.05) agree with the importance of the accessibility of shops, the social environment, neighbors with recreational facilities, and aesthetics. Logistic regression analysis showed that aesthetic (OR = 1.302; P = 0.05) and recreational facilities (OR = 1.297; P = 0.05) domains were related to being physically active. CONCLUSIONS: Some perceived neighborhood environmental attributes were found to be associated with level of physical activity in adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Impact of preschool environment upon children's physical activity and sun exposure.

BACKGROUND: The physical qualities of outdoor environments are important to trigger healthy behavior in children. We studied the impact of outdoor environments upon spontaneous physical activity and exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation in 4- to 6-year-old children at 11 preschools in Stockholm county. METHODS: In May-June 2004, pedometry and measurement of UV radiation were carried out on 197 children from 11 preschools in Stockholm county. Outdoor environments differed regarding vegetation, topography, space, and education. Ambient global UV radiation data were collected, free sky, and ground surface assessed. Arrival, in- and outdoor stay, and departure were recorded. For analysis, linear mixed model analysis was applied. RESULTS: In environments with trees, shrubbery, and broken ground, the mean step count/min was 21.5, and mean exposure to UV radiation as fraction of available UV during play outdoors 14.6%. In delimited environments with little vegetation, the mean step count/min was 17.7 and mean exposure fraction to UV radiation 24.3% (P < 0.001, crude). Step/min range was 8.9-30.0 (girls) and 8.8-37.2 (boys), UV radiation exposure range 4-60% (no difference between genders). CONCLUSION: Spacious preschool environments with trees, shrubbery, and broken ground trigger physical activity and yield sun protection in outdoor play. As many children attend preschool, access to such environments is recommended in community architecture.

Child↗

PubMed2006

Association of access to parks and recreational facilities with the physical activity of young children.

OBJECTIVE: To determine associations of the neighborhood and home television environments with young children's physical activity. METHOD: 32 boys and 27 girls age 4 to 7 years wore accelerometers for 3 weekdays and 1 weekend day. The number of televisions in the home and television watching of the child were monitored using TV Allowance units for 3 weeks. A geographic information system was used to measure neighborhood environment variables. RESULTS: Hierarchical regression analysis was used to predict physical activity, initially controlling for sex, age, socioeconomic status, adiposity, and child television watching in step 1. In step 2, the number of televisions did not significantly increase the amount of variability accounted for in the prediction of physical activity. In step 3, housing density and the interaction of housing density by sex accounted for an incremental 12% (p < 0.05) of the variability and in step 4 percentage park plus recreation area accounted for a further 10% (p < 0.05) of the variability. Greater housing density predicted increased physical activity of boys, but not girls. CONCLUSION: Neighborhoods with increased proximity between homes and a greater proportion of park area are associated with greater physical activity in young children.

Body Mass Index↗

PubMed2002

Multidisciplinary in-depth investigations of head-on and left-turn road collisions.

To enhance traffic safety, a multidisciplinary Road Accident Investigation Team was established in Denmark for a 2-year trial period. The objective was to conduct in-depth investigations of specific types of accidents, and to identify effective preventive measures. The team consisted of a road engineer, a vehicle inspector, a police superintendent, a psychologist and a physician. Seventeen serious head-on collisions as well as 17 left-turn collisions were analysed. In collecting data, police reports were supplemented by the team's investigation of accident sites and vehicles involved, and interviews were carried out with the involved road users and witnesses. The drivers, to whom the accident factors were primarily related in the head-on collisions, were characterised by their conscious risk-taking behaviour. They were all males; several of them were under age 40 and had earlier traffic and/or drug convictions. The main accident factors were excessive speed, drunk driving and driving under the influence of illegal drugs. In the left-turn accidents, the most common accident factors were attention errors, and it was also noted that elderly drivers ( > 74) were over-represented. The synergy effect of working as a multidisciplinary team proved fruitful. It resulted in a more precise knowledge of the road accident circumstances and of contributing factors leading up to the accidents. Due to the great demand on resources, only a limited number of accidents could be analysed, but the results provide a basis for further and more targeted research.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed2002

Pedestrian risk decrease with pedestrian flow. A case study based on data from signalized intersections in Hamilton, Ontario.

A unique database provided information on pedestrian accidents, intersection geometry and estimates of pedestrian and vehicle flows for the years 1983-1986 for approximately 300 signalized intersections in Hamilton, Ont., Canada. Pedestrian safety at semi-protected schemes, where left-turning vehicles face no opposing traffic but have potential conflicts with pedestrians, were compared with pedestrian safety at normal non-channelized signalized approaches, where right-turning vehicles have potential conflicts with pedestrians. Four different ways of estimating hourly flows for left- and right-turning vehicles were explored. Hourly flows were estimated for periods of 15 min, hours, two periods a day (a.m. and p.m.) and the 'daily' period (7 h). Parameter estimates were somewhat affected by the time period used for flow estimation. However, parameter estimates seem to be affected far more by the traffic pattern (left- or right-turning traffic), even though approaches were selected such that the situation for left- and right-turning turning traffic was similar (no opposing traffic, no advanced green or other separate phases and no channelization). Left-turning vehicles caused higher risks for pedestrians than right-turning vehicles. At low vehicular flows right turns and semi-protected left turns seemed to be equally safe for pedestrians. When risks for pedestrians were calculated as the expected number of reported pedestrian accidents per pedestrian, risk decreased with increasing pedestrian flows and increased with increasing vehicle flow. As risk decreases with increasing pedestrian flows, promoting walking will have a positive effect on pedestrian risk at signalized intersections.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed2002

The role of ambient light level in fatal crashes: inferences from daylight saving time transitions.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the size of the influence of ambient light level on fatal pedestrian and vehicle crashes in three scenarios. The scenarios were: fatal pedestrian crashes at intersections, fatal pedestrian crashes on dark rural roads, and fatal single-vehicle run-off-road crashes on dark, curved roads. Each scenario's sensitivity to light level was evaluated by comparing the number of fatal crashes across changes to and from daylight saving time, within daily time periods in which an abrupt change in light level occurs relative to official clock time. The analyses included 11 years of fatal crashes in the United States, between 1987 and 1997. Scenarios involving pedestrians were most sensitive to light level, in some cases showing up to seven times more risk at night over daytime. In contrast, single-vehicle run-off-road crashes showed little difference between light and dark time periods, suggesting factors other than light level play the dominant role in these crashes. These results are discussed in the context of the possible safety improvements offered by new developments in adaptive vehicle headlighting.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed2003

Applying the random effect negative binomial model to examine traffic accident occurrence at signalized intersections.

Poisson and negative binomial (NB) models have been used to analyze traffic accident occurrence at intersections for several years. There are however, limitations in the use of such models. The Poisson model requires the variance-to-mean ratio of the accident data to be about 1. Both the Poisson and the NB models require the accident data to be uncorrelated in time. Due to unobserved heterogeneity and serial correlation in the accident data, both models seem to be inappropriate. A more suitable alternative is the random effect negative binomial (RENB) model, which by treating the data in a time-series cross-section panel, will be able to deal with the spatial and temporal effects in the data. This paper describes the use of RENB model to identify the elements that affect intersection safety. To establish the suitability of the model, several goodness-of-fit statistics are used. The model is then applied to investigate the relationship between accident occurrence and the geometric, traffic and control characteristics of signalized intersections in Singapore. The results showed that 11 variables significantly affected the safety at the intersections. The total approach volumes, the numbers of phases per cycle, the uncontrolled left-turn lane and the presence of a surveillance camera are among the variables that are the highly significant.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed2003

Factors influencing injury severity of motor vehicle-crossing pedestrian crashes in rural Connecticut.

The ordered probit model was used to evaluate the effect of roadway and area type features on injury severity of pedestrian crashes in rural Connecticut. Injury severity was coded on the KABCO scale and crashes were limited to those in which the pedestrians were attempting to cross two-lane highways that were controlled by neither stop signs nor traffic signals. Variables that significantly influenced pedestrian injury severity were clear roadway width (the distance across the road including lane widths and shoulders, but excluding the area occupied by on-street parking), vehicle type, driver alcohol involvement, pedestrian age 65 years or older, and pedestrian alcohol involvement. Seven area types were identified: downtown, compact residential, village, downtown fringe, medium-density commercial, low-density commercial, and low-density residential. Two groups of these area types were found to experience significantly different injury severities. Downtown, compact residential, and medium- and low-density commercial areas generally experienced lower pedestrian injury severity than village, downtown fringe, and low-density residential areas.

Alcohol Drinking↗