Das Projekt "ORKESTRA - Lean Gas Destruction from SWDS and JI Methodology" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von GFA Envest GmbH durchgeführt. It is aimed to convert methane emissions from closed landfills to less harmful carbon dioxide emissions through in-site aeration and the thermal treatment of the outgoing lean gas therewith contributing to mitigating climate change induced by landfill emissions. Landfill emissions are a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions. The oxidation of methane emissions to carbon dioxide emissions could be registered as JI-project under the Kyoto-Protocol and be awarded marketable emission reduction units (ERUs). Through this income source the activity could become economically attractive. In order to be eligible as JI-project the JI-status has to be sought officially according to UNFCCC regulations. This shall be done in the framework of the so-called programmatic CDM approach allowing for summarising an infinite number of single project sites. The services included: 'Baseline Study for JI-projects with the development of a PDD; Proposition of a 'New baseline and monitoring methodology under JI for the aeration and thermal treatment of lean gas from landfills; Development as 'Programme of Activities' under JI; Development of a metering programme; Implementation and assistance of the operation of a plant at selected landfills; Support the registration at the German JI Focal Point; Support the determination as precondition for requesting registration as JI-activity; Publicity: presentation of the project concept to interested parties in Germany and seeking political support; Integration into the existing emission trading system in Europe;
Das Projekt "DFG Trilateral collaboration Deutschland-Israel-Palestine: 'Biotic and abiotic factor affecting biological soil crust formation and recovery in a semiarid dune ecosystem : Gaza and NW Negev'" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Rostock, Institut für Biowissenschaften, Abteilung Pflanzenphysiologie durchgeführt. Sandy soils of the arid/semiarid dune fields of the Palestinian Gaza Strip and the Israeli western Negev are extensively covered by biological soil crusts (BSC), which stabilize the surface and prevent desertification. Political discussions in Israel suggest transferring a large part of this sand belt to the Gaza Strip within a final peace accord. Inappropriate land uses may lead to destruction of the BSC and initiate desertification, as already occurring in parts of the Gaza Strip. In this interdisciplinary project the influence of environmental factors on the vitality, stability and the recovery potential of the BSC will be investigated in order to evaluate the carrying capacity of this fragile landscape, in relation to rainfall, soil and relief conditions. A transect stretching from the Mediterranean coast in the Palestinian Gaza Strip (370 mm rainfall) to 65 km southwards in Israel ( Nizzana , less than 100 mm rainfall) has been selected. The interactions of molecular biological, physiological, physical and soil chemical processes, expressed in specific characteristics of the BSC and the underlying soil, will be assessed from the molecular to the landscape scale.
Das Projekt "International Collaboration in Chemistry: First Principles Multi-Lattice Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulations of NOx Storage Reduction Catalysts" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Technische Universität München, Fakultät für Chemie, Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie durchgeführt. The broad objective of the research is to gain a fundamental understanding of the surface reaction chemistry of exhaust catalysts operating under cycling conditions. Using an integrated theoretical approach we specifically target NOx abatement, with particular emphasis on the appearance and destruction of surface oxide phases as the reactor conditions cycle from oxidative to reductive during the operation of the NOx Storage Reduction (NSR) catalyst system. Methodologically this requires material-specific, quantitative and explicitly time-dependent simulation tools that can follow the evolution of the system over the macroscopic time-scales of NSR cycles, while simultaneously accounting for the atomic-scale site heterogeneity and spatial distributions at the evolving surface. To meet these challenging demands we will develop a novel multi-scale methodology relying on a multi-lattice first-principles kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) approach. As representative example the simulations will be carried out on a PdO(101)/Pd(100) surface oxide model, but care will be taken to ensure a generalization of the multi-lattice first-principles kMC approach to other systems in which phase transformations may occur and result in a change in the surface lattice structure depending upon environmental variables.
Das Projekt "The South Moresby Controversy (1974-1993) - stories about the resource conflict over logging on Haida Gwaii, Canada" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Bern, Historisches Institut, Abteilung für Wirtschafts-, Sozial- und Umweltgeschichte durchgeführt. In my Phd-study, I examine the resource conflict over industrial logging in the South Moresby area on Haida Gwaii (former Queen Charlotte Islands) from 1974 to 1993. On this remote archipelago on British Columbias west-coast, a fierce dispute over logging practices, land rights, Aboriginal land claims and environmental issues had emerged in the face of devastating logging practices were not only threatening to destroy large parts of Moresby Island but also resulted in the destruction of salmon streams. The two major natural resources available on the islands were at stake during the 'war in the woods.' Together with environmentalist, the Haida First Nation successfully fought for the preservation of Gwaii Haanas (South Moresby Island) with blockades, protests, environmental campaigns, lobbying and legal action. The area is now protected as the 'Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve.-' Using a cultural approach combining aspects of 'storytelling,' the 'cultural memory' and 'actor-network-theory' (ANT), the core question arises whether the (Western) dualisms between 'nature' and 'culture' and between 'fact' and 'fiction' should be dissolved. Latour argues that such dualisms and even the separation between the human and non-human world (i.e., the world of things) do not exist. Assmann claims that we do not necessarily remember what has really happened', but what was repeatedly told us to have happened. Along with Thomas King, J. Edward Chamberlin and William Cronon, I stress the point that stories - fictitious or based on facts - do matter. The effect of stories on the way we understand our past, might often be more important than that of 'hard' facts: Stories shape both a societys concept of the past and its present identity. Canada, with its heterogeneous population, is a particularly interesting place to conduct research about different concepts of 'nature' and culture'. Analyzing the different stories that evolved around South Moresby, and taking into account diverging messages of native and non-native stories, offers a new perspective on similar resource conflicts that continue to exist and arise all over the world.
Das Projekt "Meso-Scale Modeling and Field Studies of Mobilization and Transport of Semi-Volatile Air Pollutants" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Institut für Chemie- und Bioingenieurwissenschaften, Gruppe Umwelt- und Sicherheitstechnologie, durchgeführt. Das Hauptziel dieses Projekts ist es, ein verbessertes Verständnis für eine bestimmte Klasse von Schadstoffen, die sogenannten mittelflüchtigen organischen Verbindungen (Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds, SOC), zu entwickeln. Typische SOCs sind polychlorierte Biphenyle, das Insektizid DDT, aber auch bromhaltige Flammschutzmittel. Das Projekt umfasst eine Kombination von Feldmessungen von SOC-Konzentrationen mit einer Beschreibung der Verteilung dieser Schadstoffe in der Umwelt durch Computermodelle. Die Modelle beschreiben den Austausch von SOCs zwischen Luft, Boden und Gewässern, ihren Transport mit der Luft und ihren Abbau durch chemische Reaktionen. Mit Hilfe der Computermodelle soll bestimmt werden, woher die gemessenen SOCs stammen, und die relative Bedeutung von lokalen und entfernten Quellen hinsichtlich der beobachteten Konzentration von SVCs in der Schweiz soll erfasst werden. Diese Resultate unterstützen politische und technische Bestrebungen, welche die Reduktion von Schadstoffemissionen, die Erhöhung der Luftqualität und die Vermeidung von Kontaminationen durch weitere SVC-Substanzen zum Ziel haben. Kontext und Bedeutung des Projekts SOCs verteilen sich in der Umwelt auf verschiedene Medien wie Luft, Wasser, Böden und Vegetation, und sie wechseln durch eine Vielzahl von Austauschprozessen zwischen diesen Umweltmedien hin und her. Verschiedene Quellen können Ursache der Anreicherung von SOCs in der Umwelt sein, beispielsweise industrielle Schmier- und Lösungsmittel, Konsumgüter wie Brandschutzmittel in Möbeln und elektronischen Geräten, Insektizide und Pestizide, die in der Landwirtschaft gebraucht werden, und Verbrennungsprozesse in Auto- oder Lastwagenmotoren. SOCs, welche in der Umwelt persistent sind, können besonders problematisch sein, da sie sich im Gewebe von Tieren und Menschen anreichern und ein Niveau erreichen können, welche die Gesundheit der Lebewesen gefährden. Alle zwölf 'Persistent Organic Pollutants' (POPs), welche von der Stockholm Convention verboten wurden, sind persistente SOCs. SOCs können mehrere Zyklen aus Verdunstung von Bodenoberflächen oder Wasserkörpern, Transports mit dem Wind und erneuter Deposition in anderen Gebieten durchlaufen. Diese Fähigkeit der SVCs, von der Erdoberfläche in die Luft und umgekehrt von der Luft zurück zur Erdoberfläche zu wechseln, erlaubt es ihnen, über weite Distanzen hinweg transportiert zu werden und sich in Gebieten zu verteilen, die von den eigentlichen Quellregionen, wie Siedlungen, Industriegebieten und landwirtschaftliche Regionen, weit entfernt sind. In diesem Forschungsprojekt werden wir mit Partnern aus England (Lancaster) zusammenarbeiten, mit deren Hilfe wir in der Stadt Zürich SOCs in der Luft über einen Zeitraum von mehreren Tagen hinweg messen werden.
Das Projekt "Kontinuierliche Bestimmung von N2O Isotopomeren in Umgebungsluft mittels Quantenkaskadenlaser-Absorptionspektrometrie" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt, Abteilung Luftfremdstoffe,Umwelttechnik durchgeführt. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a stratospheric ozone depleting substance and one of the four most important greenhouse gases. Its major sink, stratospheric destruction, is well quantified, but the global budget is rather uncertain due to a limited understanding of the dominant N2O sources. The study of the three main stable isotopes (14N15N16O / 15N14N16O / 14N14N16O) is a powerful way to trace the biogeochemical cycle of N2O. Absorption spectroscopy in the mid-infrared is potentially the most powerful, direct method to distinguish between all relevant N2O isotopes because of their characteristic rotational-vibrational transitions. It allows the determination of both the N2O concentration and the isotope ratios (d15Na and d15Nb). However, up to now isotope measurements with the required precision of less than 1 per mille for d15N were only possible at N2O concentration levels that are too high for environmental or atmospheric applications. Based on our latest improvements in laser spectroscopy, we expect a precision for d15N of 0.1 percent at 90 ppm of N2O in a compact and field-deployable quantum cascade laser isotope spectrometer (QCL-IS). While this is adequate to study many biological and technical processes, we also intend to develop a liquid nitrogen-free, fully-automated preconcentration unit. This unit will then be coupled to the QCL-IS to allow continuous ambient air measurements (ca. 320 ppb N2O) with a time resolution of 15 minutes. Studies based on the concentration of individual N2O isotopes and their ratio could significantly enhance our understanding of the global N2O budget. The key to this is source characterization, allocation and quantification of important processes, e.g. soil nitrification/denitrification, waste water treatment and combustion, which will become more accessible because of the novel analytical tool. Furthermore, the preconcentration unit and its coupling to QCLAS is a technique with a wide potential, since it might be used for other trace gases or isotopes with concentrations that are too low for currently available spectroscopy.
Das Projekt "Erstellung eines Externalitaetenmodelles im Rahmen des Stadtentwicklungsplanes fuer die Agglomeration Wien" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Wirtschaftsuniversitaet Wien, Interdisziplinaeres Institut fuer Raumordnung, Stadt- und Regionalentwicklung durchgeführt. Die Zielsetzung des Modells besteht in der Analyse und Simulation von - den Auswirkungen von sozio-oekonomischen politischen sowie damit verbundenen technologischen Entwicklungen auf die Menge und Zusammensetzung atmosphaerischen Emission (Emissionsmodell) - der atmosphaerischen Diffusions- und Transformationsprozesse (Diffusionsmodell) - der Auswirkungen der Deposition verschiedener Schadstoffe auf Oekosysteme, Materialien - Gebaeude und den Menschen, sowie die Reaktion der Menschen (in verschiedenen) Funktionen, die den Feedback zum Emissionsmodell darstellen (Immissionsauswirkungsmodell).
Das Projekt "Water Detoxification Using Innovative vi-Nanocatalysts (CLEAN WATER)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos durchgeführt. Objective: The concept of the project is based on the development of innovative nanostructured UV-Visible photocatalysts for water treatment and detoxification by using doped TiO2 nanomaterials with visible light response. The project aims at an efficient and viable water detoxification technology exploiting solar energy and recent advances in nano-engineered titania photocatalysts and nanofiltration membranes for the destruction of extremely hazardous compounds in water. To this aim, the UV-vis responding titania nanostructured photocatalysts will be stabilized on nanotubular membranes of controlled pore size and retention efficiency as well as on carbon nanotubes exploiting their high surface area and unique electron transport properties to achieve photocatalytically active nanofiltration membranes. This will be the crucial component for the fabrication of innovative continuous flow photocatalytic-disinfection-membrane reactors for the implementation of a sustainable and cost effective water treatment technology based on nanoengineered materials. Comparative evaluation of the UV-visible and solar light efficiency of the modified titania photocatalysts for water detoxification will be performed on specific target pollutants focused mainly on cyanobacterial toxin MC-LR and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC) in water supplies as well as classical water pollutants such us phenols, pesticides and azo-dyes. Particular efforts will be devoted on the analysis and quantification of degradation products. The final goal is the scale up of the photocatalytic reactor technology and its application in lakes, tanks and continuous flow systems for public water distribution.
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