Ecology

  2012 MAY 18 - (VerticalNews.com) -- Researchers detail in "Acute effects of electromagnetic fields emitted by GSM mobile phones on subjective well-being and physiological reactions: A meta-analysis," new data in Environmental Research. "The potential effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) emitted by GSM mobile phones on subjective symptoms, well-being and physiological parameters have been investigated in many studies. However, the results have been ambiguous," scientists writing in the journal The Science of the Total Environment report ...read more

  2012 MAY 18 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "In order to compare the quantitative risk assessment (QRA) methods for land use planning and licensing used in France, the United Kingdom, The Netherlands and the Walloon Region of Belgium, a benchmark exercise was performed. Based on a description of a fictitious LPG storage plant, INERIS from France, HSE from the United Kingdom, the Faculte Polytechnique de Mons from the Walloon Region of Belgium and the RIVM from The Netherlands used their own quantitative risk assessment approach to perform the exercise," investigators in Verneuil en Halatte, France report ...read more

  2012 MAY 18 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "A survey was carried out both inside and outside the Ancona Harbour (northern Adriatic Sea) in May 2009 to study the effects of some stressors on macrozoobenthos. Relevant organic enrichment and significantly high heavy metal and PAHs content characterized the internal muddy sediments, whereas sand dominated outside," investigators in Ancona, Italy report.

  "Higher values of density were recorded outside the port, while no differences were observed in terms of species richness and diversity. Sand and zinc together explained almost 51% of the variation in the species data. Sand-bottom species dominated the external sites. Most of these species are sensitive to the contaminants and their absence inside the port was likely related to the contaminant contents. Inside the harbour most of the species were positive indicators of pollution," wrote A. Spagnolo and colleagues, National Research Council ...read more