This study was conducted in order to compare and evaluate a variety of ammonia (NH3) measurement techniques for determination of ambient gas phase concentration and evaluation of system fluxes. This was accomplished by measuring NH3 emitted from area sources within two dairies, one located in south-central Idaho and another in central California. The measurement techniques utilized included: an array of passive diffusion samplers, a single annular denuder system, a single or paired Fourier transform infrared spectrometer(s) (FTIR), a paired (upwind and downwind) set of differential optical absorption spectrometers (DOAS), and a portable wind tunnel in conjunction with a chemiluminescence monitor. The concentrations measured were manipulated by methods of inverse modeling using the ISCST3, AERMOD, and WindTrax models to yield estimated emission rates for individual sources, as well as an overall dairy emission rate. Furthermore, a comparison of the different techniques took place, and it was concluded that in the context of measuring agricultural area sources, the spectroscopy techniques, FTIR and DOAS, were likely the most desirable systems. This conclusion was based on the systems' ability to yield high precision, path integrated concentration measurements that do not require actual collection of sample. However, as long as a proper deployment scheme is utilized, the passive diffusion samplers also offered a viable option, especially when funding is limited.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / In Africa as well as in the world, South Africa plays an important role in the mining industry which dates back almost 120 years. Mining activities in South Africa mainly take place in Gauteng Province. Every year millions of tons of rocks are taken from underground, milled and processed to extract gold. Uranium is one of the minerals which is mined as a by-product of gold. The uranium bearing tailings are then placed on large dumps which are usually one or more kilometres in diameter in the environment. There are approximately 250 gold mine tailings dumps covering a total area of about 7000 ha. These gold mine tailings dumps contain considerable amounts of radium (226Ra) and have therefore been identified as large sources of radon (222Rn). Radon release from these tailings dumps pose health concerns for the surrounding communities. This study reports on the 222Rn soil-gas concentrations and exhalations measurements which were conducted at a non-operational mine dump (Kloof) which belongs to Carletonville Gold Field, Witwatersrand, South Africa. Radon soil-gas concentrations were measured using a continuous radon monitor (the Durridge RAD7). The radon soil gas concentration levels were measured at depths starting from 30 cm below ground/air interface up to 110 cm at intervals of 20 cm. These radon soil-gas measurements were performed at five different spots on the mine dump. The concentrations recorded ranged from to kBq.m-3. Furthermore, thirty four soil samples were taken from these spots for laboratory-based measurement. The soil samples were collected in the depth range 0-30 cm and measured using the low-background Hyper Pure Germanium (HPGe) -ray detector available at the Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory (ERL), iThemba LABS, Western Cape Province. The weighted average activity concentrations in the soils samples were Bq.kg-1, Bq.kg-1 and Bq.kg-1 for 238U, 40K and 232Th, respectively. 1 26 23 472 7 308 5 2551 18 The activity concentration of 40K and the decay series of 238U and 232Th for the top 30 cm of the accessible parts of the mine dump were measured using the MEDUSA (Multi-Element Detector for Underwater Sediment Activity) -ray detection system which was mounted on the front of a 44 vehicle, 0.6 m off the ground. The spectra acquired by the MEDUSA system were analysed and the activity concentrations were extracted using the Full Spectrum Analysis approach. The average activity concentrations obtained were 25975 Bq.kg-1 for 40K, 30940 Bq.kg-1 for 238U series and 185Bq.kg-1 for 232Th series for 2002 survey while 26075 Bq.kg-1 for 40K, 31040 Bq.kg-1 for 238U series and 20 5 Bq.kg-1 for 232Th series were recorded for 2010 survey. Moreover, a novel technique by means of the MEDUSA -ray detection system was utilised to map radon exhalation from the Kloof mine dump. In this technique the 214Bi concentration in the top 30 cm of the dump, which is used as a proxy for the 238U or 226Ra concentration, is measured even though there is not secular equilibrium between the radium and bismuth because radon has escaped. The actual activity concentrations of 40K and 226Ra are obtained from soil samples which were collected, sealed and measured in the laboratory settings after attaining secular equilibrium since radon gas does not escape. By comparing the ratios of the activity concentrations of the 214Bi obtained in the field using the MEDUSA -ray detector system to the activity concentrations of the 214Bi obtained in the laboratory using the HPGe -ray detector system yields a reasonable radon exhalation for a particular location in the mine dump. In this case it is assumed that the 40K and 232Th series activity concentrations are not or hardly affected by radon exhalation. By applying this new technique an average normalised radon flux of 0.120.02 and 0.120.02 Bq.m-2.s-1 were obtained for 2002 and 2010 surveys, respectively. The electrets and the IAEA standard formula were also utilised to calculated radon fluxes yielding 0.060.02 and 0.120.02 Bq.m-2.s-1 respectively.

Cell cultures are grown in special incubators ensuring appropriate culture conditions for cell survival. The introduction of the diploma thesis is dedicated to the cultivation of cells in vitro and description of sensors, especially designated for the sensing of gas concentration. The main essence of this work is a project and realization of the monoclimatic incubation chamber for the incubation of cell cultures with the opportunity to observe them under a confocal microscope. Another part of this work is dealing with the project and application of autonomous sensing system and regulation of gas concentration (O2 and CO2) in the chamber. The nal part of thesis is dedicated to the presentation of the project correctness verication of the incubation chamber.

We used the self-organizing maps (SOMs) method on eight models that participated in the Coupled model intercomparison project phase 5 (CMIP5) and two different greenhouse gases (GHG) concentration experiments. The SOMs were created from the winter 500 hPa horizontal temperature flux for each model. The clustering by the SOM revealed that in addition to the three flux pathways found in reanalyses (Pacific, Atlantic and Siberian/continental pathway), superpositions of these occur for the free running climate models, which develop their dynamic more freely than the reanalyses. It was found that the general structure of fluxes is indirectly dependent on the GHG concentrations, as the derived results from SOM patterns are different between the two GHG concentrations. It is suggested that flux patterns change from stable cyclonic motion over the north pole to flux pathways that feature more meridional fluxes through the North Atlantic and North Pacific into the Arctic. / Die Methode der Self-Organizing Maps (SOMs) wurde auf acht CMIP5-Modelle mit jeweils zwei verschiedenen Treibhausgasszenarien angwendet. Die SOMs wurden für jedes Modell und jede der beiden Modelläufe für den horizontalen Temperaturfluss in 500 hPa im Winter erstellt. Zusätzlich zu den aus der Analyse von Reanalyse-Daten erwarteten drei Transportwegen (pazifisch, atlantisch und sibirisch/kontinental) wurden Überlagerungen dieser gefunden. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die grundsätzliche Struktur der Transporte indirekt abhängig von der Treibhausgaskonzentration ist. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass sich die generelle Struktur des atmosphärischen Transports von einer stabilen zyklonalen Bewegung über dem Nordpol sich zu Transporten verschiebt, welche meridionale Transporte über den Nortdatlantik und den Nordpazifik in die Arktis führen.

В работе поднимается проблема экологического мониторинга воздуха около промышленных предприятий. Разработана информационно-управляющая система, включающая: устройство для определения концентрации вредных веществ в воздухе и передачи данных, беспилотный летательный аппарат (БПЛА) для проведения мониторинга, программный модуль для обработки полученных данных. Оперативное определение состояния окружающей среды с помощью устройства экологического мониторинга совместимого с БПЛА позволит снизить риск ухудшения здоровья рабочих, а также позволит предупредить утечки опасных газов, в том числе взрывоопасных. / The paper raises the problem of environmental monitoring of air near industrial enterprises. An information and control system has been developed, including: a device for determining the concentration of harmful substances in the air and transmitting data, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for monitoring, a software module for processing the received data. Operational determination of the state of the environment using an environmental monitoring device compatible with the UAV will reduce the risk of deterioration of workers' health, and will also prevent leaks of dangerous gases, including explosive ones.