It was illustrated that Zn and Cu at or above 1000 and 800 mg kg^-1 respectively were highly toxic to the earthworm studied. Cu was found to be more toxic to the earthworm than Zn in respect to mortality, growth and reproduction parameters in all three different types of soils. The body burdens of earthworms exposed to metal amended soils increased corresponding to the increased concentrations of amended metals irrespective of soils used. It was found that the BCFs in earthworms decreased with the increased concentrations of metals in soils. The higher BCFs is the indication of uptake of higher proportion metals from soil by earthworms. The highest BCFs was found for Ni followed by Zn and Cu indicated their bioavailability to earthworms. The growth (weight) of the earthworms was most affected by Cu. The combined toxicity of Zn:Ni, Zn:Cu and Cu:Ni to reproduction (cocoon production) of earthworms was mainly antagonistic and to some extent additive in both the Insch and Boyndie soils. Zn was more toxic than Cu to the nematodes as the number of nematodes decreased with the increase of metal amendments to soil. It was also found that the number of nematodes increased at the exposure to some lower doses of Cu and Ni. The joint toxicity of Zn:Ni, Zn:Cu and Cu:Ni on the number of nematodes was mainly antagonistic in both the Insch and Boyndie soils. In some cases the combined toxicity of metals to nematodes was not possible to assess because the threshold level was not reached and also due to irregular and inconsistent data. Cruden Bay soil was more vulnerable than Insch and Boyndie soils in evaluating the toxicity of metals to nematodes. Zn was found to be toxic for the <i>lux</i>-marked bacterial biosensor <i>Escherichia coil</i> HB101 pUCD607 and <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens </i>10586r pUCD607 in different soils.

The present study applied a combined behavioural and attitudinal approach in occupational safety in a Hong Kong-based metal house in Shenzhen, China in an attempt to modify the safety behaviours and attitudes of the workers by means of posted feedback plus goal-setting. To the best of the researcher's knowledge, this is the first study of this type to be attempted in a Chinese industrial setting. A total of 142 respondents from the four departments, namely Heavy Duty, Small Press, Hand Press and Drilling were involved in the survey with a multiple-based line design for an environment where random sampling was impossible. Meanwhile, the study also intended to explore the underlying factors that affected the safety attitudes of the respondents. These factors included influences from traditional culture and religions. A self-constructed observation checklist and a questionnaire adopted from the Health and Safety Executive Report No. 81 (HSE, 1996) on attitude investigation were the major research instruments. Percentaged analysis, ANOVA, T-Test and Fisher Exact Test set at 0.05 level were applied to determine the significance of differences in the workers' behaviours and attitudes before and after the intervention. From the results of the research, it was found that i) there were relationships between the workers' behaviours in occupational safety and posted-feedback plus goal-setting in the Heavy-duty Press, Small Press and Hand Press Departments; ii) there were relationships between the intervention and the workers' attitudes in terms of -'Supervisor Satisfaction' in the Heavy Duty and the Small Press Departments; -'Shop-floor Training' with the Heavy Duty Press and the Small Press Departments; -'Safety Meeting' with the Small Press Department; -' Safety Working Procedures' with the Heavy Duty Press and the Small Press Departments; iii) the results demonstrated that there were relationships between attitudes of the formally trained workers and those of their peer workers without formal training towards occupational safety in terms of -'Supervisor Satisfaction' with the Heavy Duty Press Department; -'Safety Meeting' with the Heavy Duty Press Department; -' Safety Working Procedures' with the Small Press department; iv) there were relationships between workers with self-reported accident rates and those without in terms of their safety attitudes towards -'Supervisor Knowledge' with the Heavy Duty Press Department; -'Shop-floor Satisfaction' with the Heavy Duty Press Department; -'Shop-floor Environment: Hardware' with the Small Press Department. Intervention was related to both the workers' attitudes and their behaviours in work safety in the Heavy-duty Press, the Small Press and the Hand Press departments. Throughout the investigation, no significant change was found with both the respondents' safety behaviours or attitudes in the Drilling Department during the periods when interventions were introduced to other departments. Concerning the controlling factors for the workers' attitudes towards work safety, cultural and religious factors could explain the workers' under-reporting of accidents and injuries. These findings implied that researchers needed to be aware of the tremendous local cultural and religious concerns when applying western rationales to constructing a safety culture in developing countries.

This thesis describes the use of in situ and laboratory techniques for monitoring of trace metals and master variables in the environment. Chapter 1 presents a general overview of trace metals, their sources, sinks and roles in estuaries and near coastal zones, their general characteristics and the importance of their behaviour in estuaries. Filtration and commonly used analytical methods for trace metals detemriinations in natural waters are also discussed. Chapter 2 highlights the importance of colloids (in the size range 0.2 to 0.4 \im) to membrane clogging and concludes that cojloids account for a significant part of clogging of membrane filters. The aim of this study was to extend earlier studies by examining the trends of filtrate concentrations as a function of filtration volume in riverine and estuarine waters with contrasting matrix composition, over two different seasons. Based on the findings presented in this chapter some metal specific filtration protocols are suggested. Chapter 3 provides an overview of developments in instrument automation that have led to miniaturisation and resulting in manufacture of portable electrochemical instrumentation. Such instrumentation has been used for continuous trace metal measurements from the banks of estuaries and on-board ships. The most recent developments in flow-through cells with a gelcoated Iridium (Ir) micro-electrode array have resulted in submersible in s/Yu voltammetric probes which allow long-term trace metal measurements at sub-nanomolar concentrations in coastal waters. Such In situ probes hold great promise for water quality monitoring. Chapter 4 presents the optimisation and validation of a Voltammetric In situ Profiling (VIP) system for the simultaneous determinations of Cd(ll), Cu(ll) and Pb(ll) in estuarine and coastal waters. The trace metal faction measured by the VIP system is termed 'dynamic' and includes and includes these free ions and small complexes with size smaller than a few nm. Systematic studies in NaNOa and seawater were conducted and these showed that variations in ionic strength, pH and dissolved oxygen did not affect the response of the instrument, whereas an Arrhenius type temperature response was observed. During the work, physical and voltammetric settings of the VIP system were considered and tested in detail in order to achieve the analytical requirements to perform measurements in the laboratory and during in situ deployments^ The VIP instrument has a detection limit (defined as 3cj) in seawater for Cd(II) of 23 pM, Cu(ll) 1.13 nM, and Pb(ll) 23 pM. The accuracy of the VIP system was determined with certified reference material (CRM), showing good agreement. Chapter 5 discusses the results of an international laboratory inter-comparison exercise, in order to verify precision and accuracy of measurements made by 4 laboratories that operate VIP systems located in Plymouth, U.K; Geneva, Switzeriand and Ancona, Italy, using laboratory reference methods as a comparison. Inter-comparison included analysis of Tamar Estuary samples and in situ VIP system measurements in the coastal waters of the Gullmar Fjord, Sweden. Chapter 6 presents the results of field deployment of the automated Voltammetric In situ Profiling (VIP) system for the simultaneous determinations of dynamic Cd(ll), Cu(ll) and Pb(ll) in three estuaries located in the Southwest of England, UK. The VIP instrument allowed the In situ determination of 2-4 samples h'\ In addition, the VIP system measured total filterable (0.4 pm pore size filter) concentrations of Gd(ll) and Pb(ll) in discrete estuarine water samples. Through a series of tidal surveys lasting 7-12 h each and totalling 7 surveys a high resolution data set including speciation information was built up that enabled an interpretation of geochemical processes in the studied estuaries. Chapter 7 shows the results of In situ determination of VIP dynamic metal concentrations in the Po plume arid Adriatic Sea. Concentrations were similar to those previously reported for this coastal sea system. The correlation of the metals with salinity was presented and highlighted the importance of local effluent inputs close to the river mouth for Cd(ll). The data demonstrated that the Adriatic was not heavily contaminated with trace metals. Chapter 8 presents the overall conclusions from the research and makes suggestions for future work.

No description available.

No description available.

An investigation was conducted to identify factors associated with traffic accident involvement and traffic casualty involvement of road users in Scotland. This was done to determine to what extent accident and casualty involvement are related, and so assist policy-makers in the allocation of scarce resources. Traffic accident involvement was identified for Scottish-resident vehicle drivers. Traffic casualty involvement was identified for vulnerable road users, particularly child pedestrians. Traffic accident rates were determined from information provided by approximately one thousand Scottish-resident drivers who completed an extensive questionnaire on driving behaviours. Their personal characteristics, socio-demographic data, and information on attitudes to road safety issues, were also provided. This broad investigation revealed that traffic accident involvement was found to be associated with personal characteristics, driving behaviour, and attitudes to road safety issues. There is no evidence of any area effect on accident involvement of Scottish drivers, in terms of the administrative area in which they live, the relative level of affluence/deprivation of the area, or the population density of the area. A detailed statistical analysis of STATS19 traffic accident data was conducted to determine casualty rates for different groups of road user in Lothian, Scotland, for the years 1991-97. This involved the development of a unique index of multiple deprivation suitable for both urban and rural areas. Traffic casualty rates were found to be positively associated with the level of deprivation and the population density at postcode sector level. Analysis of injury-accident data identified that personal characteristics are also associated with casualty involvement for children aged 0-15 years old. As with accident involvement, the influence of behavioural and attitudinal factors on casualty involvement needs to be examined. A significant finding from this study is that traffic accident risk and traffic casualty risk are not associated with the same factors. Place of residence is significant in determining casualty risk, but has no significant effect on accident risk. Implications from this research are discussed and suitable recommendations are made.

Urban freshwater ponds are bodies of water that sustain a diversity of higher plants, vertebrates, invertebrates, amphibians and algae. The importance of ponds in the enhancement of diversity in urban habitats is little understood due to a lack of available knowledge of the processes and interactions that operate within the biotic components of these small aquatic ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to explore the use of algae as indicators of the biotic and abiotic challenges that occur in Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and to investigate the relationships between algal population dynamics, and stress physiology and water chemistry and quality. An output of this study is the recommendation of management strategies which support the sustainable enrichment of diversity in SUDS. A longer-term consideration is to explore the potential for developing algae as potential phytoremediators in SUDS ponds. Three ponds were studied in Duloch Park, Dunfermline, Fife. Water quality and algal distribution studies indicated that excessive nutrient loads from surface water runoff, caused the ponds to become eutrophic during most of the course of the study. The ponds were particularly impacted by periodic inputs of suspended solids, road salts, and runoff from construction sites and soil erosion incidents. <i>Cladophora glomerata</i> (filamentous blanket weed) was the major algal species present in the ponds and was thus selected as the key indicator organism throughout the study. Due to the short pond retention times, planktonic microalgal populations were extremely low despite adequate nutrient supplies being available. Chlorophyll <i>a/b</i> ratios for <i>C. glomerata</i> fell below the normal chlorophyll ratio of 2.6:1 indicating excessive exposure to high irradiance. A relationship may also exist between the decline in <i>C. glomerata</i> abundance and heavy metal accumulation in the sediments, competition effects due to excessive plant growth of <i>Phragmites australis</i> and duckweed and pond turbidity. At the biochemical level the investigation of a total antioxidant assay (based on the chemical reagent ABTS) was developed for <i>C. glomerata</i> to assess sub-cellular stress responses as markers of environmental change. Fluctuations in total antioxidant activity were assigned to combinations of biotic and abiotic stress, life cycle changes and turbidity impacts within the ponds. More detailed studies of individual antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione-stransferase) demonstrated that <i>C. glomerata</i> had increased SOD activities. Enzymes associated with the removal of toxic H₂O₂ were detected in samples from specific locations and time frames. Depletion in protective non-protein and protein bound SH groups in certain pond samples indicated a significant level of oxidative stress possibly caused by xenobiotics. High levels of glutathione reductase activity were detected in all <i>C. glomerata</i> samples suggesting efficient enzyme recycling. It is proposed that this helps protect algal cell membranes from further oxidative damage. As sampling of algae from ponds is restricted to seasonal growth patterns and availability of algal mats an <i>in vitro</i> assay was devised to detect oxidative markers of stress ( OH) <i>in vitro</i>. This was developed using the microalga <i>Euglena gracilis</i> and comprised a non-destructive gas chromatographic technique. Experiments were constructed to simulate xenobiotic stresses <i>in vivo</i>. Cells exposed to high iron and salt concentrations at levels similar to those detected in the ponds, demonstrated high antioxidant activities, suggesting that algae and specifically <i>E. gracilis</i> may be a suitable candidate for phytoremediation programmes in SUDS. The study concludes by presenting an integrated scheme demonstrating the importance of understanding SUDS biotic components at environmental, physiological and biochemical levels. Using this scheme recommendations for improving pond management strategies are made with a view to maximising the biological potential, diversity and sustainability of SUDS ponds in the Scottish urban landscape.

Recent high profile food safety incidents in the United Kingdom have shaken consumer confidence in food products. Consumer perception of risk is seen to be very relevant to food safety issues. The impact of this perceived risk on purchase behaviour is also critical to the development of risk management strategies by authorities responsible for public health and the food industry. Focusing on fresh chicken meat products, this study explored the relationship between food risk characteristics, consumer perception of food safety related risk, consumer purchase behaviour and actions that can be taken to reduce the exposure to food risk. Following an extensive literature review, an exploratory study in the form of face-toface interviews was carried out to clarify the main concerns of food hazards, and to identify the items of perceived consequent loss and risk reducing strategies adopted by consumers. The findings were verified through a quantitative survey of 200 respondents. The data was presented in the form of Structural Equation Modelling, and analysed by the LISREL 8.30 statistical package. The results showed that consumer risk perception was affected by a range of risk characteristics, such as consumer concern about the severity of the food risk, and the potential long-term adverse effect on future generation and environment. The main elements of perceived loss associated with food safety were health, financial, time, lifestyle and taste losses, and these were shown to have a negative effect on purchase likelihood. Two other risk characteristics namely, perceived knowledge and own control of the food risk were found to be linked directly and positively to consumer purchase likelihood. Risk reducing strategies such as branded product, product quality assurance and product information adopted by consumers were identified and found to be consistent with the marketing strategies used by the food industry. These risk-reducing strategies have a negative relationship with consumer risk perception. This study presented empirical evidence for characterising types of food risks and explains how food risks and risk reducing strategies affect consumer risk perception as well as purchase likelihood. Consequently, two quantitative consumer food purchase models were developed. These models can help the government and the food industry to identify key factors to develop systematic strategies for risk management and risk communication in order to allocate resources efficiently and effectively. They can also use these models to measure the effectiveness of their risk management policy in the times of concern about food safety. This study recommends further research to apply these models in other types of food products and other types of risk, such as chemical risk, and technological risk, in particular for those risks which are beyond the control of consumers. The differences in risk perception between cultures and socio-economic groupings should be explored further. This is a valid topic for further research and provides potential benefits for consumers and food industry as a whole.

No description available.

Im Zeitraum von 2010 bis 2012 wurden Fragestellungen zu Voliere-(VO) und Kleingruppenhaltungssystemen (KG) für Legehennen durch einen vom BMEL geförderten Forschungsverbund untersucht. Das LfULG untersuchte die Stallluft und Emissionen in jeweils zwei Ställen dieser Systeme. Dabei wurden Herdengrößen kleiner und größer 15.000 Hennen abgebildet. Neben Lufttemperatur und Luftfeuchte wurden luftgetragene Stallraumlasten (Gase, Stäube und mikrobielle Bestandteile) in der Stall- und Abluft untersucht und Ableitungen für die Emissionen erarbeitet sowie Managementempfehlungen abgeleitet. Im Ergebnis wurden für Ammoniak 23 bzw. 26 g (KG) und 71 bzw. 67 g (VO), für Gesamtstaub 35 bzw. 37 g (KG) und 246 bzw. 128 g (VO), für Bakterien 10 11 kbE (KG) und 10 12 kbE (VO) sowie für Endotoxine 10 8 EE (KG) und 10 9 EE (VO) als Emissionsfaktoren je Tierplatz im Jahr ermittelt.