NEWSBITS |
EcoEng Newsletter 3, December 2000 |
Britain: |
IWA Specialist Group on the Use of Macrophytes in Water Pollution Control |
| as. IWA (the International Water Association) is the host organization of a number of specialist groups which are relevant for ecological engineers. A number of their newsletters are available online. There is for example the "Specialist Group for the Use Of Macrophytes In Water Pollution Control". Their latest newsletter No.22 is from October 2000 and can be downloaded as PDF File at the URL listed below.
The "Macrophyte Newsletter", edited by Paul Cooper, always contains a variety of interesting technical as well as political and social information from the constructed wetlands community and can be highly recommended. You will also find other newsletters of interest on IWA's website. |
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China: |
Conference on Ecological Sanitation in Nanning, 2001 |
| as./uw. In Nanning, Guangxi Province, P.R. China, the first conference on ecological sanitation will be staged in November 2001. Ecological sanitation systems have been the object of research, development and promotion in a number of countries during the 1990s. They are now beginning to be used on a wider scale, particularly in China.
The aims of the conference are to explore possibilities and limitations of ecological sanitation, to demonstrate how the concept can be applied in urban as well as rural environments, and to serve as a link between researchers, practitioners, and municipal authorities. The conference will cover all aspects of ecological sanitation, including environmental protection, disease prevention, soil fertility, technology, costs, and municipal economy as well as issues related to legislation, institutions, gender, acceptability, promotion, and training/education. Info: http://www.wkab.se |
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Germany: |
EcoSan Symposium in Bonn, Oct. 2000 - a Short Digest |
| as. It may be considered a milestone for ecological engineering, that GTZ (a German development corporation) invited about 200 experts to the EcoSan meeting in Bonn (Oct. 30/31, 2000). GTZ is planning to start a new 3 year program titled: "Closing the loop in wastewater management and sanitation".
Maybe for the first time, ecological engineers and representatives of banks (e.g. KfW - Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, Worldbank) and ministries from various countries were sitting in the same room listening to and discussing the same presentations; a unique opportunity to add momentum to the advancement of the field. Although the meeting was considered a success by the organizers, the final word about the new program has not yet been spoken. Stefan Helbling, one of the organizers, stated in his final remarks, that "despite of a wealth of experience" and although he "agreed on the philosophy", there seemed to him "only bits and pieces" available for solving real problems in the developing world. The results of the symposium and further information about the program will be made available on the GTZ-Ecosan website, probably at the beginning of January 2001. |
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Germany: |
10th International Conference on Rainwater Catchment Systems |
| as. This conference will be part of "Rainwater International 2001", in conjunction with the "International Rainwater Fair" and the Forum: "Rainwater Harvesting in Practice". It will take place 10 - 14 September 2001 in Mannheim, Germany. | |
IEES: |
New Archive Editor for EcoEng-online |
| as. Prof. Dr. Marcel Donze of Delft University of Technology (Department of Hydrology and Ecology) in the Netherlands is the new archive editor for EcoEng-online. He has begun to compile information about books, journals and technical reports. I am looking forward to a fruitful and rewarding cooperation. The editor.
Contact M. Donze: m.donze@ct.tudelft.nl |
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India: |
New Book on Waste Recycling and Resource Management in the Developing World |
 as. B.B.Jana, R.D.Banerjee, B.Guterstam and J.Heeb have edited a new book on Ecological Engineering in Developing Countries. The book is the outcome of the International Conference on Ecological Engineering in Calcutta, 1998.
The book sums up applications and techniques appropriate in the developing world, covering solid waste and wastewater management, water resource management, landscape and city planning, environmental impact assessment , technology and modelling for a sustainable environment. Strong emphasis is put on India. For further information or orders please contact Prof. Dr. B.B.Jana, Email: bbj@cal2.vsnl.net.in or bbjana@klyuniv.ernet.in, fax: 091-033582 8282, phone: 091-033 582 6323. You can also order directly by using this order form (PDF, 2,6 kB). The book will be reviewed in the next issue (01/2001) of this newsletter. |
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Switzerland: |
PhD Thesis on Phytoremediation Completed |
| as. Phytoremediation was the focus of Achim Kayser's Ph.D. thesis, which he recently completed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) at Zurich, Switzerland. In the summary he writes: "[...] The general goal of this PhD was to examine the potential of phytoextraction for the clean-up of metal polluted soils in northern Switzerland in more detail, and in particular to investigate the possibility to enhance phytoextraction of metals by addition of acidifying or chelating agents to the soil".
The plants used in the study were Alyssum murale and Thlaspi caerulescens, two metal hyperaccumulators, and Brassica juncea, Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco), Salix viminalis (a willow species), Helianthus annuus (sunflower) and Zea mays (corn) - five plant species known for their high biomass but not for hyperaccumulation. The metals in question at the test site were Zn, Cd and Cu. Elemental sulphur was used for artificial acidification wheras NTA was chosen to investigate the potential of chelators and metal-solubilizing agents. Kayser's experiments showed that it is possible to enhance soluble heavy metal concentrations in soils and to increase metal uptake by plants both by sulphur and NTA addition to the soils. However, the effects were markedly reduced in the field, compared to pot experiments. Kaysers conclusion is rather disillusioned: "[..] Phytoextraction is currently not sufficiently effective to provide a feasible option for the clean-up of the three soils within reasonable time and [..] it needs further improvement, especially with respect to metal uptake rates of plants". The PhD thesis (lots of Megabytes...) can be downloaded at: http://www.ito.umnw.ethz.ch/SoilProt/staff/kayser/kayser.html |
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Switzerland: |
Fish Decline in Switzerland - New Joint Project |
| as. In the last two decades, catches of freshwater fish have gone down considerably in Switzerland. At the same time, fish health has become increasingly impaired, notably at and downstream of sewage outlets. The fish decline has been associated with endocrine disruptors in the wastewater, such as hormones or substances mimicking hormones.
In 1999 the Swiss joint project "Fischnetz" has been started, to research the causes for this decline. Detailed information about the progress of "Fischnetz" can be found on http://www.fischnetz.ch [in German]. The issues of "Fischnetz Info", the project newsletter, are available as PDF-downloads [in French and German] on that website. More information on endocrine disruptors and their effects in Europe can also be found on the website of COMPREHEND, a European Union funded project started in 1999 (see http://www.ife.ac.uk/comprehend) |
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Switzerland: |
Brochure to Assist Decision Makers on Extensive Wastewater Treatment |
| as. The new brochure was recently compiled by the Centre for Applied Ecology Schattweid (Switzerland) to assist decision makers in developing countries on questions related to extensive wastewater treatment. The construction and operational principles of soil filters are described in the brochure. Their economic, institutional, legal and socio-cultural aspects are also outlined. The brochure includes also a short comparison of soil filters with other extensive treatment methods, and a list of questions to consider when faced with the need to select a wastewater treatment system. However, it is not a design manual.
Distributed by: |
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USA: |
Ecological Engineering Opportunities at Ohio State University |
| jm. The Ecological Engineering program at Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio, USA) is seeking talented and motivated students to pursue the study and design of natural systems that provide societal services and benefits to nature.
New faculty members have been hired to propel the growth of this emerging field at Ohio State. The current faculty and areas of expertise include:
Financial support may be arranged for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing both engineering and environmental science degrees. We encourage interested students to contact one of the professors with a common area of expertise to learn about current projects and studying Ecological Engineering at Ohio State University.
For more information on Ecological Engineering education see also Newsletter 2/2000. |
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USA: |
American Ecological Engineering Society Soon to be Formed |
| as. A new society tentatively called "American Ecological Engineering Society" (AEES) is going to be formed in 2001, according to a note by Mark Brown (University of Florida) and Bill Mitsch (University of Ohio) in the "Macrophyte Newsletter" No. 22, Oct. 2000. Activities are going to include a home page, a newsletter and annual meetings in North America. For further details, please send an email to ecoeng@osu.edu | |
WWW: |
Pedosphere.com - an Interactive Textbook on the Web |
| as. Pedosphere.com is an interactive introduction to soil science and soil resources on the internet. It is an excellent example how the web could be utilized in the future for distance teaching in environmental science: One resource - worldwide availability.
Some shortcomings are: There's a strong focus on Canadian soils. The added value of the internet could be utilized better with interactive modules. here, Pedosphere.com could be extended to its benefit. |
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| © 2000, International Ecological Engineering Society, Wolhusen, Switzerland |