Mapping of urban material degradation from available data

An assessment study of air quality and metallic material degradation was carried out in the Sarpsborg/Fredrikstad region in 1982–83. Based on air quality modelling, the developed dose-response function for steel was also modelled and mapped for the region (Haagenrud et al., 1985). This type of modelling can now be improved. In the UN ECE International Cooperating Programme for Materials dose-response functions for a range of materials and mapping procedures based on the” critical/acceptable load” concept have been developed. By using these functions and procedures together with the available air quality data and dispersion models the corrosion is modelled and mapped for Oslo for 1985 and 1993. The corrosion modelling in the ArcView geographical information system is presented in the ENSIS integrated environmental surveillance and information system as a new ENSIS CORROSION module. Integrated in the ENSIS CORROSION module is also information from the recently completed digitalized building register GAB, containing all buildings in Norway. Application of such mapping for cost benefit assessments and maintenance planning is discussed.     

Metals in small Norwegian lakes: Relation to atmospheric deposition of pollutants

Water chemistry data from 165 lakes in Norway are discussed in relation to contribution from long-range transported air pollutants. Concentrations of lead and antimony in terrestrial mosses are used to express the relative contribution from long range transport to each lake. The contents of Al and Zn in lake water and of ‘excess’ SO₄ in low Ca lakes show high correlations with the relative heavy metal deposition values from moss analysis. The ‘excess’ SO₄ in low Ca lakes correlates strongly with Al and too a lesser extent with Mn and Fe. It is suggested that the lake water levels of Al and Mn, and even to some extent Fe, are significantly affected by acidic precipitation enhancing the leaching of these metals from mineral matter in soils and sediments. In the case of Zn, airborne supply to the lakes and their catchments appears to strongly affect the water content.     

Femtosecond Dynamics of Excited-State Evolution in

Time-resolved absorption spectroscopy on the femtosecond time scale has been used to monitor the earliest events associated with excited-state relaxation in tris-(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II). The data reveal dynamics associated with the temporal evolution of the Franck-Condon state to the lowest energy excited state of this molecule. The process is essentially complete in approximately 300 femtoseconds after the initial excitation. This result is discussed with regard to reformulating long-held notions about excited-state relaxation, as well as its implication for the importance of non-equilibrium excited-state processes in understanding and designing molecular-based electron transfer, artificial photosynthetic, and photovoltaic assemblies in which compounds of this class are currently playing a key role.     

Acidification in Norway — Status and trends

Surface and ground water monitoring in Norway is designed to give a regional coverage with most of the stations in areas with acidification and some stations in unpolluted areas that give background values. Surface water (weekly sampling) and precipitation (daily measurement) are monitored at 6 calibrated catchments, 5 located in southern Norway and 1 in northernmost Norway close to the Russian border. Ground water (weekly sampling) is monitored in 4 reservoirs in Southern Norway. 73 lakes located all over Norway are surveyed each fall. Nineteen rivers in western and southern Norway are monitored by monthly sampling. All sites are considered sensitive to acidification and are chosen to minimise the effects of anthropogenic catchment based impacts. Results from the monitoring over the period 1980–1994 show that there is a reduction of sulphate of about 25–35% in surface waters which is related to a 30–45% reduction in sulphate concentration in precipitation. An improvement in water quality as measured as increase in ANC has only been apparent since 1990. Due to heavy seasalt episodes in the most coastal catchments like Birkenes and the rivers in western Norway, there has been no improvement of ANC since 1980. Deposition of nitrogen has not changed over the last 10 years, and there is no change in the levels of nitrate in the monitored surface waters.     

Coupled nitrification-denitrification associated with liquid manure in a gel-stabilized model system

Summary Following the application of liquid manure to soil, the development of the two processes, nitrification and denitrification, was studied in a two-phase model system. A saturated mixture of manure and soil, stabilized with silica gel, was overlain by an aerobic soil phase. Profiles of the redox potential pH, inorganic N, dissolved organic C, nitrification and denitrification potentials, and phospholipid concentrations for an estimate of microbial biomass were measured during a 20-day period. NH ₄ ⁺ diffusing into the aerobic soil was oxidized within 10 mm of the interface, but with only a small accumulation of NO ₂ ^- and NO ₃ ^- . It was estimated that N equivalent to approximately 70% of the NH ₄ ⁺ originally present in the manure was lost through coupled nitrification-denitrification. The potentials for nitrification and denitrification increased 40-and 20-fold, respectively, around the interface. Maximum values were recorded after 14 days. Within 0–5 mm of the anaerobic zone, apparent generation times for NH ₄ ⁺ -oxidizing bacteria of 1.1–1.8 days were estimated between day 1 and day 7. The phospholipid concentration profiles suggested that the biomass within 2 mm on either side of the interface was stimulated throughout the 20-day period.     

Resistance to benzimidazole anthelmintics in small strongyles (Cyathostominae) of horses in Denmark.

This study was undertaken to establish whether anthelmintic resistance was present in nematode parasites of horses in Denmark. Sixteen horse farms were selected for faecal egg count reduction (FECR) tests to measure the efficacy of the anthelmintic used. Resistance to benzimidazole anthelmintics was found on 13 of the 16 farms, with FECR values ranging from 80.0% to -101.3%. On the remaining 3 farms FECR was 100.0%, 99.3% and 97.2%. Results of a questionnaire study on anthelmintic usage, parasite control measures and management practices showed that horses in this study were treated on average 7.1 times/year. Horse owners changed between preparations of drugs but almost only within the same class of anthelmintics. Nine owners gave an anthelmintic treatment to purchased horses before they were introduced on the farm. On 14 farms, the same paddock was grazed every year and the average stocking rate was estimated to be 2.4 horses/ha. Strategies to avoid development of anthelmintic resistance are discussed and recommendations of parasite control on horse farms are presented.     

A case-control study of risk factors in light Taenia saginata cysticercosis in Danish cattle.

Risk factors in light T. saginata cysticercosis in cattle herds were investigated in a case-control study. The case group consisted of farms from which cattle with low-grade cysticercosis had been detected at slaughter. The control group consisted of farms where no cases were detected during the same period. The major risk factor identified was allowing cattle access to drink from streams carrying effluent from sewage treatment plants (odds ratio = 3.6). Spreading of septic tank sludge through deliberate or accidental mixing with animal slurry, deposition of sewage sludge, and proximity to railways, camping sites or sewage treatment plants seemed to be of minor importance.     

Extreme acidification in small catchments in southwestern Norway associated with a sea salt episode

During heavy storm events in January 1993 in the coastal areas of south-western Norway, a sea salt episode created extreme acidification in the afforested Svela catchment. Stream-water chloride increased sharply to eight times the normal concentration and the non-marine Na concentration was calculated to ?208 μeq L^?1. Negative values indicate that Na was retained in the soil profile. By ion-exchange processes this was largely compensated by an increase in stream-concentrations of Al and H⁺. Concentrations of inorganic monomeric Al increased from about 20 to 200 μeq L^?1 and pH decreased from 4.90 to 4.45. Due to the low pH and the dramatic increase in inorganic monomeric Al the water toxicity for aquatic organisms increased. Acidification associated with the storm was also observed in a forested and a non-forested catchment, but never reached the levels of the afforested catchment. The extra vulnerability of afforested catchments may be due to their ability to intercept larger amounts of sea salts than areas less dominated by dense tree stands. Although both pH and Al went back to normal levels for the area after 3–4 months the Na/Cl-relationship in cumulated transport values indicated a longlasting effect (> 2 years) on the soil profile. Reloading the soil profile with Al and H⁺ back to prestorm values will affect the catchments ability to mobilize these ions during future sea salt episodes. More frequent episodes will probably result in less acid and Al-rich stream-water during the episodes than documented here due to incomplete reacidification of the soils.     

Equine corneal stromal abscesses: An evolution in the understanding of pathogenesis and treatment during the past 30 years

The last 30 years have seen many changes in the understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of equine corneal stromal abscesses (SAs). Stromal abscesses were previously considered an eye problem related to corneal bacterial infection, equine recurrent uveitis, corneal microtrauma and corneal foreign bodies in horses. They were more commonly diagnosed in horses living in subtropical climatic areas of the world. Therapeutic recommendations to treat equine SAs were historically nearly always a medical approach directed at bacteria and the often associated severe iridocyclitis. Today the pathogenesis of most equine SAs appears to be more often related to fungal inoculation of the anterior corneal stroma followed by posterior migration of the fungi deeper into the corneal stroma. There is also now an increased incidence of diagnosis of corneal SAs in horses living in more temperate climates. Medical and surgical treatments are now directed towards elimination of fungal and bacterial infections, reduction and replacement of diseased corneal stroma, and suppression of iridocyclitis. If the abscess and anterior uveitis do not respond satisfactorily to medical therapy, full thickness or split thickness lamellar keratectomy to remove the fungal hyphae and diseased stroma, followed by transplantation of healthy corneal allografts has a high rate of success in speeding healing and preserving sight. This paradigm shift in the ability to diagnose and institute therapy for corneal SAs in horses has evolved over the last 30 years, and is the focus of this paper.