118 Articles found
European Commission, Environment DG Articles
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Anti-fungal compounds: emerging environmental contaminants
Azole fungicides are active ingredients in a range of pharmaceutical and personal care products, and are also used in agriculture. This study reviewed the sources, presence and risks of these compounds in the environment, finding evidence of toxic ...
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Environmental impacts of ocean-energy systems: a life-cycle assessment
Ocean-energy technologies — which harvest renewable energy from the sea — will have a significant role to play in a future low-carbon society. A recent life-cycle analysis of different ocean-energy devices has found that life-cycle ...
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Ozone-depleting substances 2015
Aggregated data reported by companies on the import, export, production, destruction, and feedstock and process agent use of ozone-depleting substances in the European Union Executive Summary Background Chemicals known to harm the ozone layer ...
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Links between noise and air pollution and socioeconomic status
Air pollution and noise pollution have a negative impact on all of society — but some groups are more affected than others. Lower socioeconomic status is generally associated with poorer health, and both air and noise pollution contribute to a ...
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How does living with aircraft noise affect wellbeing? A study of UK airports
Airports are associated with air and noise pollution and may, therefore, reduce the quality of life of local people. This study assessed the link between aircraft noise and subjective wellbeing, using data from 17 English airports. The authors ...
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Enhanced waste-management practices reduce carbon emissions and support lower landfill taxes
Landfill taxes and ‘enhanced waste management’ practices have been introduced to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill and to convert waste into useful products. This study investigated the interplay of these two policy ...
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Resource use and pollutant emissions due to ship recycling in India
The Alang shipbreaking yards in India recycle almost half of all end-oflife ships worldwide. The major activity at the yards is plate-cutting, used to recover steel from ships. This process consumes nearly 29 kg of oxygen and 7 kg of liquefied ...
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Environmental impact of recycling metals from ships: a life cycle assessment
New research has examined three different categories of Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA), each with different goals. The researchers find that overlaps between the three assessments could be combined to create a more comprehensive form of ERA, ...
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Design for recycling: a route to green ship recycling
Ship recycling at the end of a ship’s useful life aims to make the shipping industry more environmentally sustainable and is a major source of employment in developing countries. However, there are associated health, safety and environmental ...
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Air quality assessment in the EU: room for improvement?
Different modelling approaches are used to design and assess air quality plans across Europe. This study assessed the strengths and weaknesses of these different approaches. The researchers conclude that a large variety of models is in use, without ...
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How to choose the most cost-effective methods for improving water quality
Agricultural run-off can contain pesticides, sediment particles and nitrates and is a major threat to the health of the sea. Although there are policy frameworks to reduce run-off water, they often don’t clearly explain how to maximise ...
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Biodegradation of PPCPs in wastewater treatment plants - a Danish case study
The non-restricted production and use of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) has led to their presence in effluents from treatment plants, which can pose a threat to aquatic organisms downstream. This study analysed the breakdown of ...
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How best to address aviation`s full climate impact?
International regulation does not address non-CO2 emissions from aviation, despite their climate-warming effects. This study reports the findings of the AviClim research project, which investigated the feasibility of including CO2 and non-CO2 ...
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Governance of new technologies: recommendations for responsible innovation in nanotechnology
Effective risk governance is important when developing new technologies. This study assessed the approaches to governance of nanotechnology in Europe, based on a comprehensive review of literature and practices, complemented by discussions with key ...
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Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution alter the mutual relationship between corals and algae
phosphorus pollution change the relationship between the pistillata and the algae living inside its tissues, a recent study has found. The researchers say the pollutants, mainly from urban and agricultural discharges, affect algae photosynthesis and ...
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Modelling emissions of perfluorinated chemicals to the Danube River Basin
The emissions of two perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) into the Danube River Basin have been estimated in a test of four different hypotheses regarding the factors affecting those emissions. The results were used to simulate water concentrations for ...
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Circular Economy Package: Questions & Answers
What is the Circular Economy? To ensure sustainable growth for the EU we have to use our resources in a smarter, more sustainable way. It is clear that the linear model of economic growth we relied on in the past is no longer suited for the needs ...
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Risk perceptions are essential in communicating about climate change
Experts and members of coastal communities possess both differences and similarities in how they perceive the risks associated with changes in sea level. A new study, based on interviews with both, has found that future communication about the risks ...
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Disease-causing bacteria made more resilient by standard water disinfection practices
Halogenated nitrogenous disinfection by-products (N-DBPs) in water increase bacterial resistance to antibiotics, new research shows. The study found that a strain of bacteria which can cause disease in humans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, increased its ...
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Thematic Issue: Nanomaterials’ Functionality
Nanomaterials: addressing the challenges, benefiting from the opportunities Some of the deepest challenges we will face in the coming decades derive from the opportunities offered by emerging technological advances. Many of these will improve our ...