Browsing by Author "Kniewald, G."

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Large scale air monitoring: Biological indicators vs. air particulate matter
(2000) Rossbach, M.; Jayasekera, R.; Kniewald, G.
Large scale air monitoring: lichen vs. air particulate matter analysis
(Elsevier, 1999) Rossbach, M.; Jayasekera, R.; Kniewald, G.; Thang, N.H.
Biological indicator organisms have been widely used for monitoring and banking purposes for many years. Although the complexity of the interactions between organisms and their environment is generally not easily comprehensible, environmental quality assessment using the bioindicator approach offers some convincing advantages compared to direct analysis of soil, water, or air. Measurement of air particulates is restricted to experienced laboratories with access to expensive sampling equipment. Additionally, the amount of material collected generally is just enough for one determination per sampling and no multidimensional characterization might be possible. Further, fluctuations in air masses have a pronounced effect on the results from air filter sampling. Combining the integrating property of bioindicators with the world wide availability and particular matrix characteristics of air particulate matter as a prerequisite for global monitoring of air pollution is discussed. A new approach for sampling urban dust using large volume filtering devices installed in air conditioners of large hotel buildings is assessed. A first experiment was initiated to collect air particulates (300–500 g each) from a number of hotels during a period of 3–4 months by successive vacuum cleaning of used inlet filters from high volume air conditioning installations reflecting average concentrations per 3 months in different large cities. This approach is expected to be upgraded and applied for global monitoring. Highly positive correlated elements were found in lichens such as K/S, Zn/P, the rare earth elements (REE) and a significant negative correlation between Hg and Cu was observed in these samples. The ratio of concentrations of elements in dust and Usnea spp. is highest for Cr, Zn and Fe (400–200) and lowest for elements such as Ca, Rb, and Sr (20–10).
Marine specimen banking – Archive and pollution control for the 21st century
(Inderscience Publishers, 2000) Rossbach, M.; Jayasekera, R.; Kniewald, G.
The oceans have in the past been extensively used as disposal sites for various kinds of waste. The world ocean – being the final sink for many natural and anthropogenic substances – is a "labile" ecosystem, which is and has for a long time been the focal point of extensive interdisciplinary research. Measurements of heavy metals and a suite of various chemical compounds in the marine environment have mostly been carried out on limited scales, within national (or regional at best) monitoring programmes (e.g. the Mussel Watch programme in the USA, or the North Sea or Baltic survey by the Northern European countries). Most of these actions were restricted to coastal waters and estuaries, which are more severely impacted by pollution than the open ocean. A long-term systematic investigation of human impact on the oceans of the world (along the global currents, the Gulf Stream or El Nino and verging on the main shipping trails) would ideally require a central survey station accompanied by an extensive banking facility capable of handling a large volume of various marine samples. As biological specimens seem to be a category highly suitable for collection and processing for analysis, one of the aims of a Marine Environmental Specimen Bank (MESB) should be to focus on such samples. Storage of authentic materials is not only valuable for real-time monitoring and basic research activities but also opens the possibility for long-term trend evaluation through retrospective analysis of well-characterised samples taken according to stringent sampling protocols.