Most research on the urban sonic environment has been recent. One finding has been that physical noise exposure indices calibrate poorly with human noise response. The vagaries of human response to noise have given impetus to research to isolate the factors that differentiate human response to noise. The present thesis continues this research. The thesis specifies human noise response to occur on three levels: awareness, annoyance, and complaint. The factors that structure each level of noise response are identified in the published Iiterature. Noise awareness is a function of noise exposure. Noise annoyance is a function of noise exposure to a lesser degree. In addition annoyance is structured by attitudes toward the noise source, special interests in its economic benefits and personal susceptibility to noise irritation. Complaint concerning noise involves the previous factors plus an affluence or socio-economic component. The trend as one moves upward in the noise response hierarchy is for the structuring factors to become specific to individuals rather than location. Hence, noise awareness with respect to a stationary noise source will vary spatially, while complaint will be random in space. In testing these premises the author has made use of noise exposure indices for Portland International Airport and a social survey of response in the area surrounding the airport. The noise exposure indices were supplied by the consulting firm of Bolt, Beranek, and Newman Inc. and the social survey was conducted and tabulated by the Center for Population Research and Census at Portland State University. Multivariate methods were used for testing the premises concerning the hierarchical relationships between awareness, annoyance, and complaint.The variables representing awareness, annoyance, and complaint are quantified from the survey data through principle component and factor scores computer programs. The noise awareness measure is selected for greatest emphasis since it underlies to annoyance and complaint. The noise awareness measure is investigated and errors in its measurement are estimated through psychometric methods. Trend surface techniques are used to test the spatial regularity of awareness, annoyance, and complaint. As hypothesized, awareness is regular in space, annoyance less so, and complaint is random. Through multiple regression analysis noise awareness is tested against socio-economic measures, noise exposure measures, attitudes, and special interest. Noise exposure variables account for the largest part of the variation in noise awareness. A trend surface analysis is conducted on the values of awareness predicted by a large number of exposure, attitude, and other variables. The process is repeated for the residual values from the multiple regression. Predicted values are systematic in space but the residual values are largely random. The predicted values are mapped and compared with the actual smoothed awareness response surface. The two maps correspond well. It is concluded that noise exposure corrected for ambient noise levels adequately approximates the noise awareness response surface.

This study analyses the spatial and temporal variability of chlorophyll-a in Chesapeake Bay; assesses the performance of Ocean Color 3M (OC3M) algorithm; and develops a novel algorithm to estimate chlorophyll-a for coastal shallow water. The OC3M algorithm yields an accurate estimate of chlorophyll-a concentration for deep ocean water (RMSE=0.016), but it failed to perform well in the coastal water system (RMSE=23.17) of Chesapeake Bay. A novel algorithm was developed which utilizes green and red bands of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor. The novel algorithm derived the chlorophyll-a concentration more accurately in Chesapeake Bay (RMSE=4.20) than the OC3M algorithm. The study indicated that the algorithm that uses red bands could improve the satellite estimation of chlorophyll-a in the coastal water system by reducing the noise associated with bottom reflectance and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM)

Les travaux présentés dans cette thèse concernent le développement de nouveaux outils d'analyse multiparamétrique de type biopuce ou puce électrochimique, appliqués au diagnostic et au contrôle environnemental. Le premier axe de recherche a pour objectif le diagnostic, par la détection de panels d'anticorps marqueurs d'un état pathologique dans le sérum de patients. Dans cette optique, deux systèmes d'immunotests ont été développés, permettant la détection multiparamétrique d'anticorps spécifiques grâce à l'analyse automatisée et haut-débit d'échantillons de sérum. Cette approche s'est basée sur la capture des anticorps cibles par des sondes antigéniques immobilisées selon une matrice de plots sur des membranes constituant les fonds de puits de micro-plaques. La détection des interactions est effectuée par colorimétrie à l'aide d'un marqueur enzymatique. Ces outils ont permis l'analyse de 96 échantillons en moins de trois heures, et ont été mis au point pour deux applications. La première consiste en le diagnostic d'allergies, et la seconde s'intéresse au diagnostic du cancer. La seconde partie des travaux est appliquée au contrôle environnemental par surveillance de l'eau. Des pesticides, toxines et explosifs ont été définis comme composés cibles du test multiparamétrique. Afin de les intégrer dans une matrice de plots, des conjugués sondes ont été synthétisés à partir de ces haptènes. Après criblage et optimisation des conjugués en fonction de leur réactivité et réactivité-croisée avec les anticorps spécifiques, l'outil développé a démontré ses performances analytiques en termes de sensibilité et de sélectivité pour la détection des cibles. Un autre capteur pour la surveillance de l'eau a été développé dans le cadre du projet Européen BONAS. Ce test électrochimique vise à détecter des précurseurs d'explosifs utilisés dans la préparation de systèmes explosifs improvisés, pour la localisation de fabriques de bombes artisanales. La puce mise au point consiste en un réseau d'électrodes sérigraphiées, modifiées par électrodépôt de différents métaux / The work reported in this thesis focuses on the development of new multiplex analytical devices on biochip or electrode microarray format, dedicated to diagnosis and environmental monitoring. The objective of the first research axis is diagnosis, thanks to the detection in patients’ serum of a panel of antibodies, biomarkers of a pathological state. For that purpose, two immunotests have been developed, enabling the multiparametric detection of specific antibodies by automated and high-throughput analysis of serum samples. This approach is based on the antibodies capture by antigens probes immobilized in a matrix of spots on a membrane surface composing the wells bottom of a micro-titer plate. Enzyme-labeled antibodies have been used, providing a colorimetric detection. This device enabled the achievement of the analysis of 96 samples in less than three hours and has been applied to different applications. The first one consists of allergy diagnosis, and the second focuses on cancer diagnosis. The second part of this work is applied to environmental monitoring, through water analysis. Different types of pollutants have been defined as targets: pesticides, toxins and explosives. In order to integrate them in a matrix of probes, different conjugates have been synthesized with these haptens. After screening and optimization of the conjugates through their reactivity and cross-reactivity with the specific antibodies, the developed device demonstrated his analytical performances in terms of sensitivity and selectivity. Finally, for the European Project BONAS, a last sensor based on water analysis has also been developed. This electrochemical microarray aims to detect explosives precursors, used in improvised explosive devices, for the localization of hidden bomb factory. The chip was designed as a screen-printed electrode network, which was modified by different metals electrodeposition

<p>The objectives of this thesis are to assess: to what degree have natural resources deteriorated in a grazing area in northern Namibia, how do perceptions of environmental change held by local stakeholders there, correspond to scientific assessments, and how do these relate to national estimates? Analysis of the process of developing national indicators for monitoring of land degradation concluded that specific indicators should be developed on national level, and in some instances even on local level as there are no universal causes of land degradation. According to farmers overgrazing and low rainfall since the early 1990s cause negative environmental changes in the study area, partly confirming findings from national monitoring. Results also suggest that: less grazing outside the study area, improved access, permanent water supply, and fencing of large areas, also contributed. Results show that improved water supply was the most important factor. Investigation of the influence of permanent water points on grazing resources showed that perennial grasses are replaced by less palatable annual grasses as far as 6 km from water points along a water pipeline. No significant grazing induced changes in grass composition were observed around privately owned wells. Private ownership seems to be a key factor preventing over-utilization of grazing resources around the latter. A remote sensing study using Landsat TM imagery identified bare ground, saltpans and grassland with a fair accuracy. Separation of woodland from shrubland and shrubland from grassland was less accurate using supervised classification. The results show that the soil adjusted vegetation index provides valuable information about variations of green biomass over time in semi-arid environments. However, it is suggested that satellite based investigations should be supported by thorough ground based assessment due to the influence of underlying soil in this environment.</p>

<p>A variety of radiation sources exist at the Department of Radiology and the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge. Radiation sources can also be found in areas outside of these departments due to the wide use of mobile xray machines and fluoroscopic c-arm equipment and also due to the movement of patients that have received diagnostic or therapeutic doses of radionuclides.</p><p>In a proposal for a new legislation from the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI), which was later issued as legislation SSI FS 2005:6, the effective doses of the general public from a practice using ionising radiation need to be kept below stated limit of 0.1 mSv/year. This project was performed to verify the dose limit for individuals of the general public in the above mentioned practices.</p><p>Long-term measurements with TL-dosimeters were utilised to carry out the environmental monitoring of the areas throughout the Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine. To assess the contribution of ionising radiation from rooms housing mobile fluoroscopic c-arm equipment to surrounding areas, a tissue equivalent phantom of size (30×30×20 cm3) was employed to simulate a patient and the scattered radiation was monitored by using area monitors, such as portable proportional counters. The annual effective doses were calculated in terms of personal dose equivalent as well as ambient dose equivalent monitored using TL-dosimeters and area monitors, respectively. The stated limit of 0.1 mSv/year to the general public was verified by risk analysis.</p><p>An attempt to create a method for determining the amount of radiation shielding in terms of lead equivalence in walls, doors, protective glasses of manoeuvre rooms and cupboards of diagnostic x-ray labs was also performed using a radiation point source of 99mTc and a NaI scintillation detector. Depending on the accuracy in the measurements the amount of lead deviated slightly from the expected 2 mm value based on the former legislation SSI FS 1991:1.</p>

<p>This thesis reports the results of biomarker measurements in three environmental monitoring projects. In the first project, which was part of the Swedish national environmental monitoring, biomarkers were measured annually in female perch (<i>Perca fluviatilis</i>) in two background areas in the Baltic Sea during 1988–2000, resulting in a unique 13-year series of measurements. The most important results were a strong decreasing temporal trend in the gonadosomatic index (GSI) and a strong increasing temporal trend in the hepatic ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity in the Baltic Proper. In the second project, biomarkers and concentrations of classic pollutants were measured in female perch in the Stockholm recipient 1999–2001. This was the first time a large city was investigated as a point source of pollution, and the gradient was longer and included more stations than customary. Severe pollution conditions in central Stockholm were indicated by the poor health status of the perch: retarded growth, decreased frequency of sexually mature females, low GSI, disturbed visceral fat metabolism, increased hepatic EROD activity, decreased muscle acetylcholinesterase activity, increased frequency of hepatic DNA adducts, and a high concentration of biliary 1-pyrenol. Muscle ΣDDT and ΣPCB were measured as pollution indicators and were 10–28 respectively 12–35 times higher than the background levels in perch from the Baltic Proper. In the Stockholm archipelago two superimposed gradients were found. Whereas the response of several biomarkers consistently decreased with increasing distance from central Stockholm, the response of others first decreased from Stockholm to the middle archipelago and then increased to the open Baltic Sea. The latter biomarkers included the frequency of sexually mature females, GSI, hepatic EROD activity, and hepatic DNA adducts. In the third project, potential toxicity from munitions on the seafloor, at a dumpsite in the Stockholm archipelago, was analysed by the nanoinjection of sediment extracts into newly fertilised rainbow trout (<i>Oncorhynchus mykiss</i>) eggs, followed by the measurement of biomarkers in the developing larvae. No biological effects of the dumped munitions were found. The same stations in the Stockholm archipelago as in the second project were investigated as a positive control. The results of the three projects agreed well, which demonstrated the continuous pollution of the Baltic Sea and the severe pollution conditions and adverse biological effects in central Stockholm. Further investigations are urgently needed to identify which pollutants or other factors are causing the observed biological effects, both in the background areas in the Baltic Sea and in the Stockholm recipient.</p>

<p>The European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD), with initiatives to manage surface water resources, has increased the need for fast and inexpensive methods for monitoring conditions in streams. The objective of this thesis is to assess the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) of epilithic material to become such method. NIRS, which is a technique that is commonly used in industry for process monitoring and quality control of products, registers the chemical properties of organic material on a molecular level. Epilithic material, i.e. the layer of dead and alive material that covers stone surfaces in streams, is continuously influenced by the stream water that flows over it, and it has the potential to integrate chemical and biological conditions over time. The temporal integration is a significant factor, since conditions in streams can change within hours or days. The thesis consists of two published papers. In the first paper a new sampler for epilithic material, the Stone Brusher, was described and the performance evaluated. The Stone Brusher is designed to take qualitative or semi-quantitative samples of epilithic material from stones at 7–50 cm water depth. The epilithic material is dislodged from the stone surface with a rotating brush enclosed in a chamber, and the material is drawn up directly into the sample bottle with an air-cylinder. The operator takes a sample quickly and without putting hands into the water. The sampler is made of plastic, stainless steel and aluminium and weighs 3.1 kg. It is designed to meet the demand for standardized sampling for research and environmental monitoring and to improve working conditions for sampling personnel. The equipment allows sampling from surfaces of bedrock and large stones that cannot be lifted from the bottom. Using data of near-infrared spectroscopy and diatom analyses, this new sampler was evaluated in comparison to the toothbrush method, a primitive method which is the current standard in EU. The results indicate that the Stone Brusher reduces sampling variability compared with the toothbrush method.</p><p>In the second paper, the Stone Brusher was used to collect epilithic material from 65 sites (42 uncontaminated and 23 contaminated) from streams in the widespread mining area called the Skellefte-district in Västerbotten, northern Sweden, in order to test the hypothesis that impact on the epilithic material caused by emissions from mining and mining-related industries can be detected using NIRS. The epilithic material was filtered onto glass fibre filters, measured by NIRS, and the results were modelled using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The NIRS approach was evaluated by comparing it with the results of chemical and diatom analyses of the same samples. Based on PCA, the NIRS data distinguished contaminated from uncontaminated sites and performed slightly better than chemical analyses and clearly better than diatom analyses. Of the streams designated a priori as contaminated, 74 % were identified as contaminated by NIRS, 65 % by chemical analysis and 26 % by diatom analysis. Unlike chemical analyses of water or of epilithic material samples, NIRS data reflect biological impacts in the streams. Given that, and the simplicity of NIRS-analyses, further studies to assess the use of NIRS of epilithic material are justified. NIRS has the potential to become a fast method for screening in regions where large numbers of streams occur to find impacted streams or as a routine method for temporal monitoring in selected streams for early detection of environmental impact, similar to process monitoring in industry.</p>

Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires states to assess and list all streams that do not meet water quality criteria for their designated use classes. In Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) uses macroinvertebrate surveys to assess the condition of streams designated for “fish and aquatic life” and the progress of targeted waterbodies toward meeting established standards for sediment. As of yet, no substrate metric has been established to monitor water quality or to document progress toward water quality improvement with respect to fish and aquatic life in Tennessee. A substrate metric that could be efficiently measured and would represent the needs of aquatic species would be valuable for monitoring streams with known sediment impairment to detect water quality improvement. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate the relationships between riffle substrates and benthic macroinvertebrate data, provided by TDEC; (2) assess the potential use of substrate metrics as a monitoring tool for benthic habitat status; and (3) examine variation in riffle substrates over time in the Ridge and Valley Ecoregion of Tennessee. Bed and interstitial sediment were characterized at sites corresponding with TDEC macroinvertebrate sampling stations. Bed sediment characteristics were significantly correlated with benthic macroinvertebrate data; however, interstitial fines yielded no significant correlations with benthic macroinvertebrate data. Substrate metrics did not differ significantly between varying levels of impairment; however, they did differ significantly when all impaired sites were combined into a single impairment group. The lack of significant differences between varying classes of reach impairment suggests that substrate metrics may not be able to distinguish impairment at the level necessary for monitoring impairment. However, substrate metrics may be of potential use in monitoring sites where impairment is less ambiguous. To investigate change in riffle substrate over time, three sites were monitored over the course of a year. Preliminary observations showed little change in riffle substrate during the study period, suggesting that seasonal restrictions on substrate surveys are unneccessary.

The Ecuadorian páramo is characterized by unique soil properties that allow the ground to hold large amounts of water. These páramo grasslands support Andean cities and communities as a source of water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural use. Although recent research has suggested that changes in land use can decrease the amount of water and affect the water-holding capabilities of the soil, the hydrologic effects of different land uses, including burning for livestock grazing and pine planting for carbon credits, are currently under debate. This research tested hypotheses about moisture-related properties of páramo soils under different land uses at two study areas in Ecuador. Bulk density, volumetric water content, water retention, and general physical properties were identified and compared between sites at those study areas. Soil structure differed between pine sites and other sites at both study areas, and moisture consistency differed between pine and other sites at the Mazar Wildlife Reserve. Volumetric water content values were high (mean of 86% at one Mazar site) but the pine sites contained less water by volume than the other sites. Water retention data showed that the surface horizons of all sites at both study areas require more pressure to release moisture than the subsurface horizons. Compared to other sites studied, the pine sites from both study areas have lower gravimetric water contents at saturation through -6.0 kPa. Different burning regimes do not appear to affect soil properties, in-situ moisture content, or water-retention capacity. The introduction of pine plantations in the páramo at both study areas appears to have lowered soil moisture contents and reduced bulk density in the soil profile. This research adds to a growing group of studies that show that changes in land management can affect the hydrological properties of soils.

The European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD), with initiatives to manage surface water resources, has increased the need for fast and inexpensive methods for monitoring conditions in streams. The objective of this thesis is to assess the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) of epilithic material to become such method. NIRS, which is a technique that is commonly used in industry for process monitoring and quality control of products, registers the chemical properties of organic material on a molecular level. Epilithic material, i.e. the layer of dead and alive material that covers stone surfaces in streams, is continuously influenced by the stream water that flows over it, and it has the potential to integrate chemical and biological conditions over time. The temporal integration is a significant factor, since conditions in streams can change within hours or days. The thesis consists of two published papers. In the first paper a new sampler for epilithic material, the Stone Brusher, was described and the performance evaluated. The Stone Brusher is designed to take qualitative or semi-quantitative samples of epilithic material from stones at 7–50 cm water depth. The epilithic material is dislodged from the stone surface with a rotating brush enclosed in a chamber, and the material is drawn up directly into the sample bottle with an air-cylinder. The operator takes a sample quickly and without putting hands into the water. The sampler is made of plastic, stainless steel and aluminium and weighs 3.1 kg. It is designed to meet the demand for standardized sampling for research and environmental monitoring and to improve working conditions for sampling personnel. The equipment allows sampling from surfaces of bedrock and large stones that cannot be lifted from the bottom. Using data of near-infrared spectroscopy and diatom analyses, this new sampler was evaluated in comparison to the toothbrush method, a primitive method which is the current standard in EU. The results indicate that the Stone Brusher reduces sampling variability compared with the toothbrush method. In the second paper, the Stone Brusher was used to collect epilithic material from 65 sites (42 uncontaminated and 23 contaminated) from streams in the widespread mining area called the Skellefte-district in Västerbotten, northern Sweden, in order to test the hypothesis that impact on the epilithic material caused by emissions from mining and mining-related industries can be detected using NIRS. The epilithic material was filtered onto glass fibre filters, measured by NIRS, and the results were modelled using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The NIRS approach was evaluated by comparing it with the results of chemical and diatom analyses of the same samples. Based on PCA, the NIRS data distinguished contaminated from uncontaminated sites and performed slightly better than chemical analyses and clearly better than diatom analyses. Of the streams designated a priori as contaminated, 74 % were identified as contaminated by NIRS, 65 % by chemical analysis and 26 % by diatom analysis. Unlike chemical analyses of water or of epilithic material samples, NIRS data reflect biological impacts in the streams. Given that, and the simplicity of NIRS-analyses, further studies to assess the use of NIRS of epilithic material are justified. NIRS has the potential to become a fast method for screening in regions where large numbers of streams occur to find impacted streams or as a routine method for temporal monitoring in selected streams for early detection of environmental impact, similar to process monitoring in industry.