Day: 4 October 2002

International Business Briefs: software, biofuels, aluminium, UV disinfection

In this week’s International Business Briefs, over 90% of the US’s top water-related engineering firms use software from Haestad Methods; a Canadian company makes strides in developing its biofuels technology; there is to be a major study of ultraviolet light disinfection for large drinking water treatment plants; and could the aluminium industry produce 50% of its products from recycled materials?

Microbes linked to coral reef decay

Microbial communities may be involved in the destruction of coral reefs, new research suggests. Further studies are needed to establish whether, and how, the microbes affect coral, but preliminary results show a relationship between the spread of microbial populations and the decline in coral reefs, suggesting microbial communities could be used as indicators of environmental change.

European Business Briefs: wastewater, UV disinfection, and corporate sustainability

In this week’s European Business Briefs, a 30-year contract for wastewater treatment plants in The Hague, a new UV treatment contract in Germany, and companies are urged to increase profitability by managing environmental impact.

US cities turning up the heat – which could spell trouble for climate change

City temperatures are on the rise, says a new report by US climatologists. On average, US cities have 10 more hot nights a year than 40 years ago, although rural temperatures have remained relatively constant. A separate study suggests heat redistribution from land-use changes could rival greenhouse gas contributions to climate change.

Hole in ozone layer unusually small this year

The seasonal ozone hole over the Antarctic is unusually small this year and has split into two separate holes, two US Government organisations have revealed.

SEPA spots the waste problem

Scotland’s environment watchdog will be carrying out spot checks in Shetland during October to ensure that waste is transported and disposed of properly. Officers from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency will be stopping commercial vehicles carrying waste to check that they meet legal requirements.

Norway guarantees right to environmental information

The Norwegian Government has proposed a new Act that would grant its citizens legal rights to obtain environmental information from public authorities and private enterprises.

Named and shamed – poor efforts on landfill sites

The European Commission has named illegal and mismanaged landfill sites in seven countries across Europe. Greece and Spain share the biggest shame, each with 10 cases of landfill sites that have received public complaints. Italy and Ireland have around half a dozen and the UK, France and Germany have one each. The Commission is now taking legal action for infringements of waste and landfill directives.

‘Singing’ cracks clean combustion

A phenomenon known as ‘singing’ can develop in clean combustors when they are switched on – the cleaner the combustor, the more likely the problem. If not checked, singing can go on to damage the combustor, causing it to be shut down. At a Royal Institution talk, a Cambridge professor outlined her strategy to combat rogue sound waves.

News Release: VRM Pump at Itchen Bank

EMS Industries Ltd has recently commissioned one of it's VRM mechanically powered sludge ram pumps at Severn Trent's Itchen Bank Sewage Treatment Works to transfer sludge from a thickener to a holding tank.

Urban rivers having renaissance

The quality of urban rivers in England and Wales is catching up with that of rural rivers, according to a new study by the Environment Agency. Overall, quality is continuing to improve, with 95% found to have good or fair chemical quality during 2001.

Letter from the Editor: waste and water – the two fundamentals of life

This week in edie news, waste has reared its ugly – and yet potentially useful – head. Luxembourg and the European Commission have asked, when does waste become something more than a smelly nuisance? Cement kilns might know the answer, with their need for cheap and abundant fuel, but the European Court of Justice has yet to decide.

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