Thesis. (M. Tech. (Dept. of Biosciences, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences))--Vaal University of Technology, 2010 / Methods for detecting the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts have been developed and continuous improvement is being done to improve the recovery rate of the target protozoa. Rand Water has adopted their method for isolation and detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts in water from United State Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) Method 1623, 1999. In 2005 changes were made by US-EPA to the Method 1623. A study was done to improve the performance of the Rand Water Method 06 (2007) used for isolation and detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts. Three methods namely: Rand Water Method 06 (2007), US-EPA Method 1623 (2005) and Drinking Water Inspectorate standard operating procedures (2003) were compared and key different steps in the methods were identified (wrist action speed, centrifuge speed, immunomagnetic separation procedures and addition of pre-treatment steps). Different experiments were conducted to verify and evaluate the difference between two wrist action shaker speeds, three different centrifuge speeds, two slightly different immunomagnetic separation procedures and when a pre-treatment step was included in the method. Three different types of water matrices (reagent grade water, drinking water and raw water) were used for the experiments and secondary validation. Data obtained from the experiments and secondary validation was statistically analyzed to determine whether there was a significant difference in the recovery of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts. Secondary validation of the Rand Water Method 06 (2007) was performed by implementing the study experiments‟ findings into the method. The results indicated an increase in the recovery rate of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts when data was compared with the previous secondary validation report. The mean recovery of Cryptosporidium oocysts in reagent grade water samples increased from 31% to 55%, drinking water samples increased from 28% to 44% and raw water decreased from 42% to 29%. The mean recovery of Giardia cysts in reagent grade water samples increased from 31% to 41%, drinking water samples increased from 28% to 46% and raw water decreased from 42% to 32%. Furthermore, even though the recovery rate of raw water decreased the use of pre-treatment buffer reduced the number of IMS performed per sample by reducing the pellet size. Enumeration of microscope slides was also easier as there was less background interference. The optimization of the Rand Water Method 06 (2007) was successful as the recovery rate of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts from water increased. All the changes that were verified and that increased the recovery rate were incorporated into the improved Rand Water Method 06.

L’objectif de la thèse est d’identifier la pertinence des modèles en équilibre général calculable (MEGC) pour analyser la problématique posée par les Accords de Partenariat Économique (APE) entre l’Union européenne et les pays ACP. Une revue de la littérature est d’abord réalisée, puis un modèle en équilibre général calculable (MEGC) à dynamique intertemporelle est construit pour analyser l’impact de l’APE sur un pays spécifique : le Ghana. À partir du constat portant sur la diversité des résultats de simulations, qui dépendent essentiellement de la structure du modèle et des modes de fermeture choisis par le modélisateur, ce travail cherche à mettre en évidence la largeur du faisceau de résultats possibles et l’impossibilité de mettre en avant les bénéfices potentiels qui peuvent être attendus d’un tel accord en s’appuyant simplement sur des MEGC néoclassiques standards. / This work aims to analyze to what extent the use of an applied general equilibrium model (AGE) allows to correctly assess the potential economic impact of EPAs between ACP countries and the European Union. First, a review of the literature is conducted and then an intertemporal dynamic AGE model is built in order to assess the potential impact of EPA on a specific country: Ghana. From the variety of results resulting from the models simulations and depending on hypothesis made on the model structure and the type of closure chosen by the modeler, our work aims to stress the risk of using standard neoclassical Walrasian models to assess the potential benefits of an EPA on ACP countries economy.

O escopo principal desse projeto foi o de criar um conjunto de ações integradas que permitissem minimizar os impactos de sistemas de saneamento in situ nos recursos hídricos subterrâneo. Sendo as fossas sépticas, mesmo as bem construídas, pouco efetivas onde há alta densidade populacional, foi desenvolvido e aplicado no loteamento Jardim Santo Antônio (situado na APA de Capivari-Monos, Parelheiros) um novo conceito de saneamento in situ: uma fossa alternativa melhorada com uso de barreiras reativas, que possibilitasse a degradação mais eficiente de nitrato e de microorganismos patogênicos. Para a degradação de microorganismos, o material reativo utilizado correspondeu ao BOF (Basic Oxygen Furnace - resíduo de altos fornos de fundição em siderúrgicas) e para a desnitrificação, a serragem. A barreira reativa para remoção de nitrato foi alvo de estudos desse projeto. Desenvolveu-se um questionário de avaliação de risco sanitário para uma área onde foram cadastrados 178 lotes, em um total de 218 poços e 182 fossas. A partir da análise dos dados por Cluster foi possível selecionar um conjunto de perguntas que estivessem mais relacionadas a riscos de contaminação por bactérias e nitrato. Observou-se que a relação entre as características de construção e operação dos poços pouco pode prever a contaminação por nitrato, o que evidencia que sua presença é de caráter regional, fruto de uma ocupação desordenada e densa. Em contrapartida, as perguntas tiveram maior relação com o parâmetro bactérias, o que implica em uma característica local (do poço em si). Antes da implantação da fossa alternativa melhorada, foram realizados experimentos de colunas de sedimentos em laboratório para se testar a eficiência de serragem na degradação de nitrato. Montaram-se 3 colunas: uma só com sedimentos da área, que correspondeu ao branco, e as outras duas com sedimentos e 10cm e 20cm de espessura de uma mistura de serragem (Cedrinho) com areia, respectivamente. Os resultados mostraram uma eficiência de degradação do nitrato de até 96,5% e 99,7% para as colunas de 10cm e 20cm. Foram instaladas duas fossas na área de estudo: a fossa alternativa melhorada com o uso de barreiras reativas (FA) e a fossa controle (FC), equivalente ao esgotamento usualmente empregado pela comunidade (ausência de materiais reativos). Na Fossa Alternativa, estruturada com as barreiras reativas contendo BOF (1m abaixo do tanque receptor do efluente) e serragem (abaixo do BOF, mas separada deste por 1m de pacote arenoso), é possível discriminar certos comportamentos ao longo de suas posições. O BOF que é rico em óxidos de cálcio e ferro confere ao efluente percolante uma condutividade elétrica mais acentuada e um pH muito básico, em torno de 12. Já a barreira com serragem caracterizou-se por concentrações de oxigênio dissolvido mais baixas e presença de C orgânico na forma dissolvida, condições necessárias para a ocorrência da desnitrificação do nitrato gerado perfil acima. No entanto, as concentrações de oxigênio não devem ter sido suficientemente baixas para uma maior eficiência na desnitrificação na barreira de serragem. Além disso, a eficiência pode ter sido comprometida pelo elevado pH que essa barreira foi submetida pelo efluente percolado antes no BOF, o que afetou a capacidade das bactérias desnitrificantes em suas reações metabólicas. Na Fossa Controle, os íons distribuíram-se ao longo do perfil de forma mais regular. A composição dessa fossa representa a fonte em si, com altas concentrações de N-amoniacal e de carbono orgânico dissolvido e baixas concentrações de oxigênio dissolvido. Para esse tipo de cenário, a nitrificação deve ocorrer na zona não-saturada abaixo da fossa, para que depois o nitrato possa alcançar o lençol freático. / The main purpose of this project was to create a set of integrated actions that could minimize impacts of septic systems on groundwater resources. Since the septic tanks, even the well-constructed ones, are not effective on areas where the population density is high, an alternative latrine improved with reactive barriers was developed and applied in Jardim Santo Antônio settlement (Parelheiros, São Paulo, SP). In order to degrade the microorganisms, the reactive material was BOF (Basic Oxygen Furnace) slag from steel producer facilities, and in order to enhance the denitrification, the material of the reactive barrier was sawdust. The sawdust barrier was the main issue in this project. A risk assessment questionnaire was developed and it was applied to an area where 178 residences were evaluated, totalizing 218 water wells and 182 latrines. A Cluster Analysis was used to select the questions that would be related to the risk of contamination by bacteria or nitrate. It was observed that the inapropriated construction and operation of the wells are poorly related to the level of nitrate contamination, what suggests that the nitrate contamination is a more regional problem. On the other hand, it was found a good relationship between the level of bacteria contaminations and the characteristics of construction and operation of the wells, what suggests that this contamination has a local factor. Before the installation of the enhanced septic tank, soil columns breakthrough experiments were conducted in laboratory to test the efficiency of sawdust in nitrate removal. Three soil columns were set up: one filled only with sediments of Jardim Santo Antonio settlement, and another two with the same kind of sediments and sawdust layers introduced with 10cm and 20cm thickness. The results showed an efficiency of sawdust to denitrification of 96,5% and 99,7%, respectively. Two septic tanks were installed in the study area: the alternative latrine enhanced with reactive barriers (AL), and the control latrine (CL), equivalent to the usual tanks founded on the area. In AL, structured with reactive barriers containing BOF (1m below the wastewater tank) and sawdust (under the BOF layer, but first separate from it by 1m of sand package), it\'s possible to discern few parameter behaviors. BOF, which is rich in calcium oxides and iron oxides, incrises the electrical conductivity and the pH of the effluent (~12). The sawdust barrier, in its turn, was characterized by low concentration of dissolved oxygen and by the presence of dissolved organic carbon, essential conditions denitrification ocurrence. The denitrification efficiency of the sawdust barrier was affected by the high pH observed in the effluent that crossed the BOF barrier, which perturbed the denitrifying bacteria performance. In CL, the vertical distribution of the ions was more regular. The samples from this system presented high levels of ammonium and DOC and low values for dissolved oxygen. For this case, the nitrification must happen in the unsaturated zone bellow the tank, so the nitrate formed can reach the groundwater.

The gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) and European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) require n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), for optimal growth and health. Due to the rapid growth of global aquaculture the quantity of marine oils used in aquafeeds has been limited, yet the overall quantity of oil in an aquafeed has increased by the addition of vegetable oil (VO) to supply dietary energy. For aquaculture to continue to grow more fish must be produced with less marine ingredients, yet EPA and DHA must be maintained at levels above fish requirements. This project set out to re-evaluate the requirement for EPA and DHA in gilthead seabream and European seabass. Two dose-response studies were designed and executed where juvenile seabream and seabass were fed one of six levels of EPA+DHA (0.2 – 3.2 % as fed). Biometric data were collected and analysed to determine new requirement estimates for EPA+DHA for fish of two weight ranges (24 – 80 g and 80 – 200 g). The effects of the dietary LC-PUFA gradient on lipid composition and metabolism were also considered.

Ghana's mining sector is a significant contributor to the national economy; however, environmental degradation continues to stigmatize the sector. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore experiences and perspectives of middle managers on how to drive compliance with EPA regulations and standards in Ghana's mining sector. Ajzen's theory of planned behavior was the conceptual framework for this phenomenological study. A purposive sample of 20 middle managers from Ghana's mining sector participated in interviews, which were transcribed and then coded to generate common themes. The primary research question involved exploring factors that promote employee compliance in Ghana's mining sector. Three critical themes that emerged from the study were (a) business benefits of compliance, (b) factors that promote employee compliance, and (c) obstacles to compliance. The implications for positive social change include the potential for community members to experience reduced environmentally related health challenges with concomitant increases in their quality of life

This thesis investigates the effectiveness of Low Impact Development Infrastructure (LIDI) and Green Infrastructure (GI) in reducing flooding resulting from heavy rainfall events and sea-level rise, and in improving stormwater quality in the City of Miami Beach (CMB). InfoSWMM was used to simulate the 5, 10, and 100-year, 24-hour storm events, total suspended solids (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) loadings, and in evaluating the potential of selected LIDI and GI solutions in North Shore neighborhood. Post-development results revealed a decrease of 48%, 46%, and 39% in runoff, a decrease of 57%, 60%, and 62% in TSS, a decrease of 82%, 82%, and 84% in BOD, and a decrease of 69%, 69%, and 70% in COD loadings. SWMM 5.1 was also used to simulate the king tide effect in a cross section in Indian Creek Drive. The proposed design simulations successfully demonstrated the potential to control flooding, showing that innovative technologies offer the city opportunities to cope with climate impacts. This study should be most helpful to the CMB to support its management of flooding under any adaptation scenarios that may possibly result from climate changes. Flooding could be again caused as a result of changes in inland flooding from precipitation patterns or from sea-level rise or both.

<p>The Central African Monetary and Economic Community, known by its French acronym CEMAC (Communaut&eacute / Economique et Mon&eacute / taire de l&rsquo / Afrique Centrale), is one of the oldest regional economic blocs in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of states. Its membership comprises of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. It has a population of over 32 million inhabitants in a three million (3 million) square kilometre expanse of land. The changes in the world economy, and especially between the ACP countries, on the one hand, and the European Economic Community-EEC (hereinafter referred to as European Union (EU)), on the other hand, did not leave the CEMAC region unaffected. CEMAC region, like any other regional economic blocs in Africa was faced with the need to readjust in the face of a New International Economic Order (NIEO). The region which had benefited from preferential access to the EU market including financial assistance through the European Development Fund (EDF) had to comply with the rules laid down in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). This eventually led to a shift in the EU trade policy, in order to ensure that its trade preferences to developing countries were compatible to the rules and obligations of the WTO.</p>

A tall tower flux measurement setup was established in metropolitan Houston, Texas, to measure trace gas fluxes from both anthropogenic and biogenic emission sources in the urban surface layer. We describe a new relaxed eddy accumulation system combined with a dual-channel gas chromatography - flame ionization detection used for volatile organic compound (VOC) flux measurements in the urban area, focusing on the results of selected anthropogenic VOCs, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX), and biogenic VOCs including isoprene and its oxidation products, methacrolein (MACR) and methyl vinyl ketone (MVK). We present diurnal variations of concentrations and fluxes of BTEX, and isoprene and its oxidation products during summer time (May 22 - July 22, 2008) and winter time (January 1 - February 28). The measured BTEX values exhibited diurnal cycles with a morning peak during weekdays related to rush-hour traffic and additional workday daytime flux maxima for toluene and xylenes in summer time. However, in winter time there was no additional workday daytime peaks due mainly to the different flux footprints between the two seasons. A comparison with different EPA National Emission Inventories (NEI) with our summer time flux data suggests potential underestimates in the NEI by a factor of 3 to 5. The mixing ratios and fluxes of isoprene, MACR and MVK were measured during the same time period in summer 2008. The presented results show that the isoprene was affected by both tail-pipe emission sources during the morning rush hours and biogenic emission sources in daytime. The observed daytime mixing ratios of isoprene were much lower than over forested areas, caused by a comparatively low density of isoprene emitters in the tower's footprint area. The average daytime isoprene flux agreed well with emission rates predicted by a temperature and light only emission model (Guenther et al., 1993). Our investigation of isoprene's oxidation products MACR and MVK showed that both anthropogenic and biogenic emission sources exist for MACR, while MVK was strongly dominated by a biogenic source, likely the isoprene oxidation between the emission and sampling points.

La consommation de poisson et de mammifères marins représente une source importante d’acides gras oméga-3 connus pour leurs effets bénéfiques sur le développement des fonctions cérébrales et notamment, sur le développement du système visuel. Afin de tester l’hypothèse selon laquelle l’exposition prénatale aux acides gras oméga-3 a des effets bénéfiques à long terme, nous avons examiné les fonctions visuelles chez des enfants Inuits d’âge scolaire exposés à de grandes quantités d’oméga-3 durant la période de gestation. Des enfants Inuits (n = 136; moyenne d’âge = 11.3 ans) du nord du Québec (Nunavik) ont participé à cette étude. Un protocole de potentiels évoqués visuels (PEVs) utilisant des stimuli en couleur et en mouvement a été employé afin d’appréhender les réponses parvo- et magnocellulaires respectivement. Les concentrations d’acide docosahexaénoïque (ADH) ont été mesurées à la naissance à partir du sang de cordon ombilical et au moment du testing, reflétant ainsi les expositions pré- et post-natales. Les relations entre les niveaux sanguins d’ADH et les PEVs ont été examinées à l’aide d’analyses de régression multiples, en tenant compte des contaminants environnementaux et d’autres variables potentiellement confondantes. Aucune association significative n’a été trouvée en ce qui concerne les stimuli de mouvement. Cependant, après ajustement pour les covariables, les concentrations d’ADH à la naissance étaient associées à une latence plus courte des composantes N1 et P1 des PEVs couleur. Notre étude démontre, pour la première fois, des effets bénéfiques de l’exposition prénatale à l’ADH sur le système parvocellulaire à l’âge scolaire. / Fish and sea mammals consumption is an important source of omega-3 fatty acids, known for their beneficial effects on human brain development. Several lines of evidence indicate that omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial especially for the development of the visual system. However, the long-term effect of prenatal exposure to omega-3 fatty acids on human visual development is unknown. This question was addressed using visual evoked potentials (PEVs) to study a cohort of school-age Inuit children (n = 136; mean age = 11.3 years old) from Arctic Quebec (Nunavik) who received high levels of omega-3 intake during gestation. PEV protocols using color and motion-onset stimuli were used to assess the parvocellular and magnocellular responses, respectively. Concentrations of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA were measured at birth in the umbilical cord and at the time of testing, reflecting pre- and post-natal exposure, respectively. Relations between omega-3 and VEPs were assessed by multivariate regression analyses, taking into account environmental contaminants and other potential confounding variables. No significant associations were found with motion-onset VEPs. However, after adjustment for covariables, cord blood concentrations of DHA were associated with a shorter latency of the N1 and P1 components of the color VEPs. Our study suggests beneficial effects of DHA on the visual parvocellular system at school age. This is the first study supporting the longlasting beneficial effects of prenatal exposure to DHA.

<p>The Central African Monetary and Economic Community, known by its French acronym CEMAC (Communaut&eacute / Economique et Mon&eacute / taire de l&rsquo / Afrique Centrale), is one of the oldest regional economic blocs in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of states. Its membership comprises of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. It has a population of over 32 million inhabitants in a three million (3 million) square kilometre expanse of land. The changes in the world economy, and especially between the ACP countries, on the one hand, and the European Economic Community-EEC (hereinafter referred to as European Union (EU)), on the other hand, did not leave the CEMAC region unaffected. CEMAC region, like any other regional economic blocs in Africa was faced with the need to readjust in the face of a New International Economic Order (NIEO). The region which had benefited from preferential access to the EU market including financial assistance through the European Development Fund (EDF) had to comply with the rules laid down in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). This eventually led to a shift in the EU trade policy, in order to ensure that its trade preferences to developing countries were compatible to the rules and obligations of the WTO.</p>