Government leaders, policymakers, and climate change experts from around the world will gather in the Philippines this week for a high-level dialogue and a series of technical meetings aimed at helping Asia-Pacific countries move toward low-carbon and climate-resilient development paths.
Hosted by ADB, the Climate and Clean Energy Week will consist of two events. The High-Level Dialogue on Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific, to be held 16-17 June, will bring together policy makers to discuss the path forward for the Asia-Pacific region in the face of climate change. The dialogue will be followed by the 4th Asia Clean Energy Forum 2009, from 17-19 June, which will serve as a platform for exchanging experiences and forging new partnerships to advance clean energy solutions in the region.
"Asia's share of greenhouse gas emissions has been growing rapidly over the past two decades and infrastructure investments in the next two decades will have profound impacts on the region’s economy and the global climate,” said ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda. "The Climate and Clean Energy Week is an opportunity to establish the basis for regional economic growth that is more environmentally sustainable, and to discuss priorities for Asia and the Pacific in the lead up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December."
Mr. Kuroda will co-host the high-level dialogue with Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute and Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Philippines' President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Goh Kun, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, will also speak at the dialogue. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will address the participants via video, and Mr. Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, will update participants on progress toward a new global agreement in Copenhagen.
"Open dialogue is critical to achieving the policy, finance and technology solutions needed to address climate change in Asia and the Pacific," said Dr. Pachauri. "Decoupling economic growth from future greenhouse gas emissions is key to the region's future development, and only collective action will help us achieve this."
ADB will use the 4th Asia Clean Energy Forum 2009 to launch its Energy for All Partnership, which aims to provide clean, reliable energy to 100 million people in the Asia and Pacific region by 2015. ADB will also unveil a plan which outlines ongoing and planned responses to climate change in each of its five regions.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
UNEP Signs Agreement To Help Green The Sochi 2014 Olympics
In an effort to green the Sochi Olympics in 2014, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Olympic organizers to help and advise them on making the Games environmentally friendly.
At the signing ceremony on 5 June, Theodore Oben, Chief of the UNEP's Outreach Section, said: "I am sure the memorandum signed today will not only be a written commitment, but will guarantee that during the preparation and staging of Sochi 2014 great strides are made in environmental protection in Sochi and the Krasnodar Region," said
Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of Sochi 2014, added: "Signing this important Memorandum will help ensure Sochi 2014 is able to introduce Green Standards to every level of the Games' preparation and will ensure that the Organizing Committee continues to work with international environment experts to support this."
Sochi, which sits between the balmy shores of the Black Sea and the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains in Russia's Krasnodar Region, is renowned for its pristine setting.
In an effort to preserve this natural beauty, the city in 2008 followed UNEP's recommendation to move the bobsleigh and luge tracks away from the Caucasus nature reserve, which is one of the only mountain areas in Europe that remains virtually untouched by human activity. In changing the venue, organizers stressed that they are committed to creating an "environmental legacy for the future of the region".
"We developed the Sochi 2014 environmental strategy and this will ensure that the ecological situation in the Krasnodar Region is enhanced for generations to come," stressed Chernyshenko at the signing of the agreement.
At the signing ceremony on 5 June, Theodore Oben, Chief of the UNEP's Outreach Section, said: "I am sure the memorandum signed today will not only be a written commitment, but will guarantee that during the preparation and staging of Sochi 2014 great strides are made in environmental protection in Sochi and the Krasnodar Region," said
Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of Sochi 2014, added: "Signing this important Memorandum will help ensure Sochi 2014 is able to introduce Green Standards to every level of the Games' preparation and will ensure that the Organizing Committee continues to work with international environment experts to support this."
Sochi, which sits between the balmy shores of the Black Sea and the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains in Russia's Krasnodar Region, is renowned for its pristine setting.
In an effort to preserve this natural beauty, the city in 2008 followed UNEP's recommendation to move the bobsleigh and luge tracks away from the Caucasus nature reserve, which is one of the only mountain areas in Europe that remains virtually untouched by human activity. In changing the venue, organizers stressed that they are committed to creating an "environmental legacy for the future of the region".
"We developed the Sochi 2014 environmental strategy and this will ensure that the ecological situation in the Krasnodar Region is enhanced for generations to come," stressed Chernyshenko at the signing of the agreement.
Best Environmental Techniques and Practices of Sound Chemicals Management Under the Spotlight at Stockholm Convention Meeting
Regional capacity-building training on Best Available Techniques and Best Environmental Practices (BAT and BEP) and the Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is being held this week in a move to strengthen awareness raising initiatives under the chemicals agenda.
Support will be provided to national delegates from various English-speaking countries in Africa that are parties to the Stockholm Convention on POPs. The five-day training session will target BAT and BEP to minimize the release of POPs from unintentional production. Consequently, this will increase national capacity to manage POPs waste, polychlorinated biphenyl or PCB oils and contaminated equipment in an environmentally sound manner.
The workshop is designed to increase knowledge of national obligations regarding the unintentional emissions of POPs and the ESM of PCBs and POPs waste under the Stockholm Convention. The workshop will showcase an electronic training tool on the Basel Convention POPs waste guidelines to foster understanding of the concepts, principles and standards of BAT and BEP.
"It is critical to raise awareness about the best means of reducing the risks to human health and the environment posed by these chemicals," said Dr. Donald Cooper, Executive Secretary of the Stockholm Convention Secretariat on POPs. Dr. Cooper continued, "Sharing best practices and techniques is one effective means of achieving this objective. POPs are chemicals that do not degrade easily; they can cause cancers and other long-term illnesses; they accumulate in the fatty tissues of animals and humans and travel across the environment to locations far from their release."
POPs are released in combustion during industrial activities and the burning of garbage and other organic wastes and PCBs are oily chemicals used in the electrical industry in transformers and capacitors to reduce heat transfer. These toxic chemicals have a serious and long-term impact on human health and the environment.
A total of 47 representatives from 24 English-speaking African countries will participate in the regional workshop, which takes place from 15 to 19 June 2009 at the United Nations Environment Programme Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
Support will be provided to national delegates from various English-speaking countries in Africa that are parties to the Stockholm Convention on POPs. The five-day training session will target BAT and BEP to minimize the release of POPs from unintentional production. Consequently, this will increase national capacity to manage POPs waste, polychlorinated biphenyl or PCB oils and contaminated equipment in an environmentally sound manner.
The workshop is designed to increase knowledge of national obligations regarding the unintentional emissions of POPs and the ESM of PCBs and POPs waste under the Stockholm Convention. The workshop will showcase an electronic training tool on the Basel Convention POPs waste guidelines to foster understanding of the concepts, principles and standards of BAT and BEP.
"It is critical to raise awareness about the best means of reducing the risks to human health and the environment posed by these chemicals," said Dr. Donald Cooper, Executive Secretary of the Stockholm Convention Secretariat on POPs. Dr. Cooper continued, "Sharing best practices and techniques is one effective means of achieving this objective. POPs are chemicals that do not degrade easily; they can cause cancers and other long-term illnesses; they accumulate in the fatty tissues of animals and humans and travel across the environment to locations far from their release."
POPs are released in combustion during industrial activities and the burning of garbage and other organic wastes and PCBs are oily chemicals used in the electrical industry in transformers and capacitors to reduce heat transfer. These toxic chemicals have a serious and long-term impact on human health and the environment.
A total of 47 representatives from 24 English-speaking African countries will participate in the regional workshop, which takes place from 15 to 19 June 2009 at the United Nations Environment Programme Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
Gentle Giants in Need: International Experts Issue Frankfurt Declaration to Call for Better Protection of Gorillas
Under the title 'Gentle Giants in need' 160 government officials, experts, corporate representatives and conservationists from 20 countries attended a conference in Frankfurt, 9-10 June to mark the UN Year of the Gorilla, a global campaign to help implement the gorilla agreement. In the "Frankfurt Declaration" they highlighted major threats to gorillas and their habitats, as well as the strategies available for the conservation of the second closest relative to humankind.
In the Declaration delegates appeal to governments, the international community and industrial companies to enhance activities to reduce threats to the remaining gorilla populations in the wild, which can contribute to peace-making and prosperity in Central Africa.
Although gorillas are protected by law in every one of the ten African range states, they are hunted for their meat, which is sold at local markets and abroad. Enforcement of wildlife laws is necessary to control the bushmeat trade. 1 million tons of bushmeat is harvested every year in the Congo Basin alone. The Frankfurt Declaration calls upon the international community and national authorities to enforce laws regulating the taking and trading of gorillas, including the wider bushmeat trade.
Diseases are also a major threat to gorillas, in particular the ebola virus. They can be transmitted through close contact with humans. Tourism however needs to be controlled by national park authorities, which control permits issued for gorilla ecotourism.
Natural resource exploitation can be accelerated by armed conflict, especially when affected local people depend on these resources for food, shelter and income. As a result, addressing mining and other exploitation of natural resources such as coltan, uranium and gold as a major cause for armed conflicts, is central to peace keeping missions and development in the region.
Second only to elephants, gorillas by dispersing seeds, play a key role in maintaining the African rainforests and hence the world's climate. Conserving forests does not only contribute to preserving ecosystems but also underpins efforts to mitigate climate change, reduces poverty and ensures a sustainable supply of energy.
Expanding human settlements and commercial exploitation of forests increases the demand for energy resources. Experts are calling for a comprehensive approach to reducing deforestation along the entire value chain of wood for energy, in which the forestry industry should play a pivotal role. The protection of biodiversity and climate change, poverty alleviation as well as sustainable use of natural resources are closely interlinked. Forests inhabited by gorillas provide ecosystem services and livelihoods to local communities.
Given the huge complexity of the interactions, scientists advocate a comprehensive approach to be undertaken by governments, the scientific community and the industrial companies operating in the Congo Basin to protect forests within their management plans.
Ian Redmond, Ambassador of the UN Year of the Gorilla, said: "The Frankfurt Declaration is an important statement of common purpose and good intent. Its success will depend on the signatories to commit to their pledges."
Gorillas and their habitats have the potential to support post-conflict reconstruction efforts and advance long-term regional economic development through ecotourism. A gorilla can generate indirectly US$ 4 million during its life time. In Rwanda and Uganda tourism has developed into the leading contributor to the national economy exceeding the tea and coffee exports.
Serapio Rekundo, Ugandan Minister for Tourism said: "The total revenue of Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks increased by almost 80% between 2005 and 2008. In addition to providing a boost to the national economy, gorilla tracking can even support wildlife conservation in other Protected Areas."
Robert Hepworth, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Bonn Convention (UNEP/CMS) said: "We must use all the means at our disposal to halt threats to gorillas and preserve forests as carbon sinks. Local communities need our support as guardians of these animals using revenues from gorilla tours. Following the focus on the conservation of mountain gorillas preventing them from extinction, we need to expand this approach to the lowland gorillas and to other migratory animals. "
The conference has been held to mark the UN Year of the Gorilla and the 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. Co-organisers include the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the Frankfurt Zoological Society and Frankfurt Zoo.
Notes to Editors
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP / CMS or Bonn Convention) develops inter-governmental agreements and action plans for the protection of endangered migratory animals and ensures its implementation. In June 2008, the international CMS Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and their Habitats entered into force. It provides a legal framework that will reinforce and integrate conservation efforts and has been signed by six of the ten gorilla range states so far.
Supporting the implementation of the Gorilla Agreement is the overarching goal of the Year of the Gorilla 2009.Together with its partners, the UNEP / UNESCO Partnership for the survival of great apes (GRASP) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the Bonn Convention 2009 at year of the gorilla says.
The Year of the Gorilla (YoG) is a joint initiative of the UNEP-CMS, the UNEP/UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Great Ape Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). CMS has 110 governments supporting as Parties
In the Declaration delegates appeal to governments, the international community and industrial companies to enhance activities to reduce threats to the remaining gorilla populations in the wild, which can contribute to peace-making and prosperity in Central Africa.
Although gorillas are protected by law in every one of the ten African range states, they are hunted for their meat, which is sold at local markets and abroad. Enforcement of wildlife laws is necessary to control the bushmeat trade. 1 million tons of bushmeat is harvested every year in the Congo Basin alone. The Frankfurt Declaration calls upon the international community and national authorities to enforce laws regulating the taking and trading of gorillas, including the wider bushmeat trade.
Diseases are also a major threat to gorillas, in particular the ebola virus. They can be transmitted through close contact with humans. Tourism however needs to be controlled by national park authorities, which control permits issued for gorilla ecotourism.
Natural resource exploitation can be accelerated by armed conflict, especially when affected local people depend on these resources for food, shelter and income. As a result, addressing mining and other exploitation of natural resources such as coltan, uranium and gold as a major cause for armed conflicts, is central to peace keeping missions and development in the region.
Second only to elephants, gorillas by dispersing seeds, play a key role in maintaining the African rainforests and hence the world's climate. Conserving forests does not only contribute to preserving ecosystems but also underpins efforts to mitigate climate change, reduces poverty and ensures a sustainable supply of energy.
Expanding human settlements and commercial exploitation of forests increases the demand for energy resources. Experts are calling for a comprehensive approach to reducing deforestation along the entire value chain of wood for energy, in which the forestry industry should play a pivotal role. The protection of biodiversity and climate change, poverty alleviation as well as sustainable use of natural resources are closely interlinked. Forests inhabited by gorillas provide ecosystem services and livelihoods to local communities.
Given the huge complexity of the interactions, scientists advocate a comprehensive approach to be undertaken by governments, the scientific community and the industrial companies operating in the Congo Basin to protect forests within their management plans.
Ian Redmond, Ambassador of the UN Year of the Gorilla, said: "The Frankfurt Declaration is an important statement of common purpose and good intent. Its success will depend on the signatories to commit to their pledges."
Gorillas and their habitats have the potential to support post-conflict reconstruction efforts and advance long-term regional economic development through ecotourism. A gorilla can generate indirectly US$ 4 million during its life time. In Rwanda and Uganda tourism has developed into the leading contributor to the national economy exceeding the tea and coffee exports.
Serapio Rekundo, Ugandan Minister for Tourism said: "The total revenue of Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks increased by almost 80% between 2005 and 2008. In addition to providing a boost to the national economy, gorilla tracking can even support wildlife conservation in other Protected Areas."
Robert Hepworth, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Bonn Convention (UNEP/CMS) said: "We must use all the means at our disposal to halt threats to gorillas and preserve forests as carbon sinks. Local communities need our support as guardians of these animals using revenues from gorilla tours. Following the focus on the conservation of mountain gorillas preventing them from extinction, we need to expand this approach to the lowland gorillas and to other migratory animals. "
The conference has been held to mark the UN Year of the Gorilla and the 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. Co-organisers include the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the Frankfurt Zoological Society and Frankfurt Zoo.
Notes to Editors
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP / CMS or Bonn Convention) develops inter-governmental agreements and action plans for the protection of endangered migratory animals and ensures its implementation. In June 2008, the international CMS Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and their Habitats entered into force. It provides a legal framework that will reinforce and integrate conservation efforts and has been signed by six of the ten gorilla range states so far.
Supporting the implementation of the Gorilla Agreement is the overarching goal of the Year of the Gorilla 2009.Together with its partners, the UNEP / UNESCO Partnership for the survival of great apes (GRASP) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the Bonn Convention 2009 at year of the gorilla says.
The Year of the Gorilla (YoG) is a joint initiative of the UNEP-CMS, the UNEP/UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Great Ape Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). CMS has 110 governments supporting as Parties
Monday, June 15, 2009
Boy or girl? In lizards, egg size matters
Whether baby lizards will turn out to be male or female is a more complicated question than scientists would have ever guessed, according to a new report published online on June 4th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. The study shows that for at least one lizard species, egg size matters.
"We were astonished," said Richard Shine of the University of Sydney. "Our studies on small alpine lizards have revealed another influence on lizard sex: the size of the egg. Big eggs tend to give girls, and small eggs tend to give boys. And if you remove some of the yolk just after the egg is laid, it's likely to switch to being a boy, even if it has female sex chromosomes; and if you inject a bit of extra yolk, the egg will produce a girl, even if it has male sex chromosomes."
In many animals, the sex of offspring depends on specialized sex chromosomes. In mammals and many reptiles, for instance, males carry one X and one Y chromosome, while females have a pair of X chromosomes. In contrast, animals such as alligators depend on environmental cues like temperature to set the sex of future generations.
The new findings add to evidence that when it comes to genetic versus environmental factors influencing sex determination, it doesn't have to be an either/or proposition. In fact, Shine and his colleagues earlier found in hatchlings of the alpine-dwelling Bassiana duperreyi that extreme nest temperatures can override the genetically determined sex, in some cases producing XX boys and XY girls. His group had also noticed something else: large lizard eggs were more likely to produce daughters and small eggs to produce sons.
Despite the correlation, Shine said he had assumed that the association was indirect. In fact, his colleague Rajkumar Radder conducted studies in which he removed some yolk from larger eggs, more likely to produce daughters, to confirm that assumption.
"We were confident that there would be no effect on hatchling sex whatsoever," Shine said. "When those baby boy lizards started hatching out, we were gob-smacked." Shine thinks there will be much more to discover when it comes to lizard sex determination.
"I suspect that the ecology of a species will determine how it makes boys versus girls, and that our yolk-allocation effect is just the tip of a very large iceberg," he said.
"We were astonished," said Richard Shine of the University of Sydney. "Our studies on small alpine lizards have revealed another influence on lizard sex: the size of the egg. Big eggs tend to give girls, and small eggs tend to give boys. And if you remove some of the yolk just after the egg is laid, it's likely to switch to being a boy, even if it has female sex chromosomes; and if you inject a bit of extra yolk, the egg will produce a girl, even if it has male sex chromosomes."
In many animals, the sex of offspring depends on specialized sex chromosomes. In mammals and many reptiles, for instance, males carry one X and one Y chromosome, while females have a pair of X chromosomes. In contrast, animals such as alligators depend on environmental cues like temperature to set the sex of future generations.
The new findings add to evidence that when it comes to genetic versus environmental factors influencing sex determination, it doesn't have to be an either/or proposition. In fact, Shine and his colleagues earlier found in hatchlings of the alpine-dwelling Bassiana duperreyi that extreme nest temperatures can override the genetically determined sex, in some cases producing XX boys and XY girls. His group had also noticed something else: large lizard eggs were more likely to produce daughters and small eggs to produce sons.
Despite the correlation, Shine said he had assumed that the association was indirect. In fact, his colleague Rajkumar Radder conducted studies in which he removed some yolk from larger eggs, more likely to produce daughters, to confirm that assumption.
"We were confident that there would be no effect on hatchling sex whatsoever," Shine said. "When those baby boy lizards started hatching out, we were gob-smacked." Shine thinks there will be much more to discover when it comes to lizard sex determination.
"I suspect that the ecology of a species will determine how it makes boys versus girls, and that our yolk-allocation effect is just the tip of a very large iceberg," he said.
Studies from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya have provided new information about environmental monitorin
According to a study from Kalyani, India, "We assessed the potential of fluoride (F) contamination in drinking groundwater of an intensively cultivated district in India as a function of its lithology and agricultural activities. Three hundred and eight groundwater samples were collected at different depths from various types of wells and analyzed for pH, EC, NO3-N load and F content."
"A typical litholog was constructed and database on fertilizer and pesticide uses were also recorded for the district. The water samples were almost neutral in reaction and non-saline in nature with low NO3-N content (0.02 to 4.56 mu g mL(-1)). Fluoride content in water was also low (0.01 to 1.18 mu g mL(-1)) with only 2.27% of them exceeding 1.0 mu g mL(-1) posing a potential threat of fluorosis. On average, its content varied little spatially and along depth of sampling aquifers because of homogeneity in lithology of the district. The F content in these samples showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.12, P = a parts per thousand currency sign0.05) with the amount of phosphatic fertilizer (single super phosphate) used for agriculture but no such relation either with the anthropogenic activities of pesticide use or NO3-N content, pH and EC values of the samples was found," wrote M.C. Kundu and colleagues, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya.
The researchers concluded: "The results suggest that the use of phosphatic fertilizer may have some role to play in F enrichment of groundwater."
"A typical litholog was constructed and database on fertilizer and pesticide uses were also recorded for the district. The water samples were almost neutral in reaction and non-saline in nature with low NO3-N content (0.02 to 4.56 mu g mL(-1)). Fluoride content in water was also low (0.01 to 1.18 mu g mL(-1)) with only 2.27% of them exceeding 1.0 mu g mL(-1) posing a potential threat of fluorosis. On average, its content varied little spatially and along depth of sampling aquifers because of homogeneity in lithology of the district. The F content in these samples showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.12, P = a parts per thousand currency sign0.05) with the amount of phosphatic fertilizer (single super phosphate) used for agriculture but no such relation either with the anthropogenic activities of pesticide use or NO3-N content, pH and EC values of the samples was found," wrote M.C. Kundu and colleagues, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya.
The researchers concluded: "The results suggest that the use of phosphatic fertilizer may have some role to play in F enrichment of groundwater."
Research from P. Jamwal et al broadens understanding of environmental monitoring
Physical, chemical and microbiological efficiencies of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) located in Delhi's watershed in context of different treatment technologies employed in these plants have been determined. There were in all seventeen STPs treating domestic wastewater which were studied over a period of 12 months," scientists in New Delhi, India report.
"These STPs were based on Conventional Activated sludge process (ASP), Extended aeration (Ex. Aeration), physical, chemical and biological removal treatment (BIOFORE) and oxidation pond treatment process. Results suggests that except ''Mehrauli'' STP which was based on Extended aeration process and ''Oxidation pond'', effluents from all other STPs exceeded FC standard of 10(3) MPN/100 ml for unrestricted irrigation criteria set by National river conservation directorate (NRCD). Actual integrated efficiency (IEa) of each STP was evaluated and compared with the standard integrated efficiency (IEs) based upon physical, biological and microbiological removal efficiencies depending upon influent sewage characteristics," wrote P. Jamwal and colleagues.
The researchers concluded: "The best results were obtained for STPs employing extended aeration, BIOFORE and oxidation pond treatment process thus can be safely used for irrigation purposes."
Jamwal and colleagues published their study in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (Efficiency evaluation of sewage treatment plants with different technologies in Delhi (India). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2009;153(1-4):293-305).
"These STPs were based on Conventional Activated sludge process (ASP), Extended aeration (Ex. Aeration), physical, chemical and biological removal treatment (BIOFORE) and oxidation pond treatment process. Results suggests that except ''Mehrauli'' STP which was based on Extended aeration process and ''Oxidation pond'', effluents from all other STPs exceeded FC standard of 10(3) MPN/100 ml for unrestricted irrigation criteria set by National river conservation directorate (NRCD). Actual integrated efficiency (IEa) of each STP was evaluated and compared with the standard integrated efficiency (IEs) based upon physical, biological and microbiological removal efficiencies depending upon influent sewage characteristics," wrote P. Jamwal and colleagues.
The researchers concluded: "The best results were obtained for STPs employing extended aeration, BIOFORE and oxidation pond treatment process thus can be safely used for irrigation purposes."
Jamwal and colleagues published their study in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (Efficiency evaluation of sewage treatment plants with different technologies in Delhi (India). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2009;153(1-4):293-305).
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