Radiocaesium is an isotope that can enter the food chain after having been absorbed by plants from soil. Our ability to predict the consequences of an accidental release of 137Cs depends mainly on the level of understanding of the mechanisms involved in 137Cs interactions with different components...

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) plays an important role in the framework of the efforts aiming at the formulation of a complete water resources management. In our paper this issue is examined in an integrated way. The following issues are particularly examined : the notion of the EIA in...

More than 73% of the electrical power requirements of Greece are generated in lignite-fired power plants. Greece is the thirteenth largest coal and the fifth largest lignite producer in the world. The lack of domestic high-rank coals makes necessary to use low quality lignite for power generation in...

The paper describes the development of a fast and easy-to-use qualitative tool for preliminary assessments of urban air quality related to road traffic. The tool is particularly aimed at the ability and budget of local government. It uses a novel interaction matrix-type methodology combined with...

The EU Directives and legislation by worldwide environmental authorities impose constantly lower levels for the airborne pollutant emissions of internal combustion engines towards the goal of zero emission vehicles. During the last decade, engine manufacturers, refiners and fuel companies invest...

Urban air quality nowadays is one of the major environmental issues, due to its impact to various health problems, caused by the daily exposure of the population in dangerous air pollutants. The highest levels of air pollutants are usually observed in street canyons, emitted by urban traffic. To...

Probability density functions (pdf) have been used in the analysis of the distribution of pollutant data, for examining the frequency of high concentration events. There have been very few studies on the concentration distribution of PM in urban areas. The distribution of PM concentrations has an...

Salinity is a common problem in Greek islands, especially, during the summer period when the saltwater intrusion becomes more severe due to extensive over pumping. In the past few years, the industrial zone of the City of Herakleio in Crete appears to have an increasing water demand as result of the...

The objective of this study was to provide a quantitative description of the impact of converting tropical forests into pastures for cattle grazing in terms of the sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations at the outlet of a river basin located in North West Costa Rica. The Soil and Water...

The subject of this article is the estimation of quantitative (hydrological) and qualitative parameters in the catchment of Ronnea (1800 Km2, located in south western Sweden) through the application of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). SWAT is a river basin model that was developed for the...

The understanding of marine eutrophication in semi enclosed areas due to agricultural runoff, assumes a more integrated approach taking into account the agricultural watershed, seasonal patterns of soil nutrients, rates of erosion and vegetation types. In the present case study in the Gulf of Geras...

The assessment of the applicability and suitability of potential measures and instruments is crucial in the strategic planning of water resources management. This paper presents a methodology founded on scenario analysis for assessing potentially applicable water management options in a regional...

This paper presents a step-by-step methodological approach for the development and evaluation of strategies for water deficient regions. The primary focus of the approach followed was the mitigation of water stress, while applying the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management and the EU...

Greece is a typical Southern European country in which the agricultural sector is the major consumer of water, a fact that has potential impacts on the water resources efficient allocation and management. The record-high percentage of the agricultural water use at the national level, together with a...

Metal pollution can have adverse effects on human health but also on environment. Usually, risk is assessed on the basis of the total concentration of a trace metal in soils and sediments. Nevertheless, for checking the short and long-term true environmental impact of a trace element, one of the...

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is a procedure used as an analytical tool for the evaluation of the environmental impact caused by a material, a manufacturing process or product. For an end product, LCA requires both the identification and quantification of materials and energy used in all stages of the...

Undoubtedly, sun is the cleanest energy source. Specific systems are needed however for the collection and transformation of solar energy and the manufacturing processes of such systems, as well as the production of the raw materials required, are associated with impacts to the environment. As a...

Firing range activities have been proven to adversely impact the environment. The main concern in small arms firing ranges (SAFRs) is the fate and transport of heavy metals from bullets and bullet fragments accumulating in soil with lead (Pb) being the primary contaminant. Frequently however...

An investigation was carried out in Olokemeji Forest Reserve (Nigeria) to examine the impact of farming activities on the vegetation of the reserve. The 5,888 hectare forest reserve was divided into three zones for the purpose of this study. They are natural forest (zone 1), plantation (zone 2) and...