European Commission Directive Research Articles

National-level Dental Radiological Dose Management

There is growing public concern about patients' radiation exposure from recent medical imaging using ion-izing radiation. While medical radiation exposure has inevitable aspects, efforts to optimize doses in line with the principles of justification and optimization are necessary to maximize diagnostic value with the minimumradiation dose. Diagnostic reference levels have been proposed as a means to achieve optimization, in accordance with ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection) publications 60 and 73, as well as EC (European Commission) Directive 97/43/Euratom. According to Requirement 34 of the 'InternationalBasic Safety Standards' published by the IAEA in 2014, governments are recommended to establish national diagnostic reference levels. According to ICRP Publication 135, issued in 2017, national diagnostic reference levels should be revised regularly, preferably every 3-5 years, and more frequently in the case of technologicaladvancements, such as in the case of CBCT. In South Korea, diagnostic reference levels for various imagingmodalities have been established since 2007. In the field of dentistry, diagnostic reference levels for intraoral and panoramic radiography were established in 2009, and in 2018, diagnostic reference levels for dental CBCT were introduced for the first time. The purpose of this report is to discuss the current national-level patient radia-tion dose management in South Korea and explore its applications

Prosecuting Cybercrimes under International Legal Frameworks: Challenges and Innovations

Combating cybercrime is one of the most relevant areas of the legal community development since the widespread integration of digital technologies into all spheres of human activity demonstrates the need to regulate this sensitive area. The aims: are to study the international legal framework for countering cybercrime, as well as the system of challenges and innovations that exist in the modern world. Study design: 31 items of relevant scientific literature were analysed, which made it possible to comprehensively consider the issues of the article. Place and duration the study: The research took place during the second semester of the 2022-2023 academic years. Methodology: the main methods used in the article were the content analysis, forecasting method, and systematic method. Results: in the article modern interpretations of the term “cybercrime” were defined, certain legal international agreements that counteract its spread (primarily the Budapest Convention as an important current document of modern legal influence) and traces the mechanisms of counteraction and methods of their improvement were examined. Other important legal acts, such as the European Union Directive on the prevention of cyber-attacks on information systems and the European Commission Directive on combating fraud and other financial crimes on the Internet, were also considered. As a result, it was found that there were differences at the interstate level in the organisation of the cooperation, which included multilateral and bilateral agreements. The identified problems included insufficient interaction between the law enforcement agencies of different countries at the relevant stages, as well as the lack of an agreed mechanism for obtaining external data. The conclusions established that close ties at the level of international law enforcement systems aimed at addressing cybercrime issues could be effective in overcoming these difficulties.

Field evaluation of low-cost electrochemical air quality gas sensors under extreme temperature and relative humidity conditions

Abstract. Modern electrochemical gas sensors hold great potential for improving practices in air quality (AQ) monitoring as their low cost, ease of operation and compact design can enable dense observational networks and mobile measurements. Despite that, however, numerous studies have shown that the performance of these sensors depends on a number of factors (e.g. environmental conditions, sensor quality, maintenance and calibration), thereby adding significant uncertainties in the reported measurements and large discrepancies from those recorded by reference-grade instruments. In this work we investigate the performance of electrochemical sensors, provided by two manufacturers (namely Alphasense and Winsen), for measuring the concentrations of CO, NO2, O3 and SO2. To achieve that we carried out collocated yearlong measurements with reference-grade instruments at a traffic AQ monitoring station in Nicosia, Cyprus, where temperatures ranged from ca. 0 ∘C in the winter to almost 45 ∘C in the summer. The CO sensors exhibit the best performance among all the ones we tested, having minimal mean relative error (MRE) compared to reference instruments (ca. −5 %), although a significant difference in their response was observed before and after the summer period. At the other end of the spectrum, the SO2 sensors reported concentration values that were at least 1 order of magnitude higher than the respective reference measurements (with MREs being more than 1000 % for Alphasense and almost 400 % for Winsen throughout the entire measurement period), which can be justified by the fact that the concentrations of SO2 at our measuring site were below their limit of detection. In general, variabilities in the environmental conditions (i.e. temperature and relative humidity) appear to significantly affect the performance of the sensors. When compared with reference instruments, the CO and NO2 electrochemical sensors provide measurements that exhibit increasing errors and decreasing correlations as temperature increases (from below 10 to above 30 ∘C) and RH decreases (from >75 % to below 30 %). Interestingly, the performance of the sensors was affected irreversibly during the hot summer period, exhibiting different responses before and after that, resulting in a signal deterioration that was more than twice that reported by the manufacturers. With the exception of the Alphasense NO2 sensor, all low-cost sensors (LCSs) exhibited measurement uncertainties that were much higher, even at the beginning of our measurement period, compared to those required for qualifying the sensors for indicative air quality measurements according to the respective European Commission (EC) Directive. Overall, our results show that the response of all LCSs is strongly affected by the environmental conditions, warranting further investigations on how they are manufactured, calibrated and employed in the field.

ADVANCED, MULTIDISCIPLINARY, INTEROPERABLE DIGITISATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE AND USER-FRIENDLY USE OF THE RESULTS: CASE STUDY OF THE CATHEDRAL OF SANTA MARIA ASSUNTA IN CIVIDALE DEL FRIULI (UD)

Abstract. The Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Friuli Venezia Giulia has recently launched various studies and projects for the reduction of seismic vulnerability and the restoration of the region’s historical architectural heritage which, according to the indications of the Ministry of Culture, must be implemented in an exemplary manner both from a methodological and executive point of view. For the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Cividale del Friuli (UD), innovative solutions were sought right from the preliminary study phases, as well as new methodologies and technologies also in line with the indications of the European Commission (work programme 2018-2020 - LC-EEB-02- 2018: design and development of “kits” to support BIM Authoring for restoration and interventions on existing buildings). The use of relevant technologies such as laser scanners highlights the limitations of solid and/or parametric solid modelling (BIM) processes when applied to the built environment. These limitations arise mainly because the reality of the built environment does not correspond to an ideal geometric model, but has variations and irregularities that are difficult to reproduce through traditional modelling techniques.Within this context, it was essential to adopt innovative 3D modelling techniques, in order to meet the required accuracy of ≤5 mm and to catalogue - accurately and in advance - the architectural, structural and decorative elements present so as to obtain an effective and efficient 3D model. The aim of this work is therefore to present a successful experimentation that can open up new perspectives in the field of threedimensional reproduction of architectural heritage. In particular, the combination of the use of advanced technologies with preventive cataloguing and innovative techniques of participatory 3D modelling (crowdsourcing), in order to obtain advanced 3D models that are highly accurate and informative, as also indicated by the aforementioned European Commission directives.

The Role of the Construction Industry in the Energy Sector

This research paper examines the crucial role of the construction industry in the energy sector, particularly in shaping energy consumption and efficiency. The focus is on the industry's impact throughout the lifecycle of buildings, encompassing design, construction, maintenance, and demolition, with an emphasis on energy efficiency not only during construction but also during the operational phase. The paper highlights the European Commission's directives on building energy performance, aimed at reducing energy consumption through more energy-efficient and materially efficient buildings. The research advocates for a multi-criteria approach in construction, balancing environmental, economic, and functional considerations in building design and operation. It addresses the challenges and negative consequences of energy-saving measures, emphasizing the need for balanced and sustainable building practices. The paper underscores the construction industry's potential in reducing global energy consumption and the importance of legislative incentives for promoting energy-efficient buildings.

Analysis of regulatory process for the implementation of smart metering in Brazil

The expansion of smart metering technology worldwide has represented a change in the energy sector, as it incorporates new technologies for energy consumption. In Brazil, this topic has been contributing to the formation of a regulatory framework regarding new technologies and to the technological training of the national industry. However, the country still needs to overcome some challenges in this sector regarding, for example, energy loss and the lack of interoperability among power metering systems and equipment. In Europe, some countries are in an advanced process of smart metering implementation since they have created all the regulatory and technological foundation needed to support this advancement. This article brings as novelty the analysis of different generations of smart meters in order to classify the existing technologies in Brazil. Given the advanced position of some countries in Europe in the deployment of smart meters, the study also aims to analyze the Brazilian regulatory process aimed at smart metering from the various European Commission measures and directives, as well as some initiatives practiced in specific countries, such as Italy and the United Kingdom. In addition, the study aims to compare the minimum functionalities of the European Union’s measurement system with the Distributed Measurement System (DMS) used in Brazil. These analyses aim to identify the level of smart metering in Brazil and present the best practices adopted in Europe to contribute to the formation of public policies aimed at the dissemination of smart metering in the country.

Integrating environmental noise considerations into public policy: the case of Ireland

European Commission Directive (EU) 2020/367 describes how harmful effects from environmental noise exposure are to be calculated for ischemic heart disease (IHD), high annoyance (HA), and high sleep disturbance (HSD) for road, rail, and aircraft noise under the Environmental Noise Directive's (END) strategic noise mapping process. It represents a major development in understanding the extent of exposure from transport-based environmental noise given it is a legal requirement for all EU member states from the 2022 reporting round. It also has the potential to accelerate the development of stronger noise-health policies across the EU. While this development is to be welcomed, there are a number of basic noise-health policy applications that first need to be implemented in the Irish case if the noise-health situation is be accurately assessed and if public health is to be adequately protected. In order to address this requirement the following paper presents concrete policy and practice recommendations as well as an evaluation of the current application of noise management policy in Ireland which is administered to protect the public from the harmful effects of environmental noise. This paper provides guidance on how noise-health considerations can be integrated into key relevant areas of Irish policy including healthcare, the environment, transportation, and planning.

Utilization of Active Distribution Network Elements for Optimization of a Distribution Network Operation

Electricity Distributions Networks (DNs) are changing from a once passive to an active electric power system element. This change, driven by several European Commission Directives and Regulations in the energy sector prompts the proliferated integration of new network elements, which can actively participate in network operations if adequately utilized. This paper addresses the possibility of using these active DN elements for optimization of a time-discrete network operation in terms of minimization of power losses while ensuring other operational constraints (i.e., voltage profiles and line currents). The active elements considered within the proposed optimization procedure are distributed generation units, capable of reactive power provision; remotely controlled switches for changing the network configuration; and an on-load tap changer-equipped substation, supplying the network. The proposed procedure was tested on a model of an actual medium voltage DN. The results showed that simultaneous consideration of these active elements could reduce power losses at a considered point of operation while keeping the voltage profiles within the permitted interval. Furthermore, by performing a series of consecutive optimization procedures at a given time interval, an optimization of network operations for extended periods (e.g., days, months, or years) could also be achieved.

Mandatory Financial Disclosure and M&A Activity

Taking advantage of the implementation of the European Commission directives on the financial reporting of private firms, we explore the impact of mandatory financial disclosure on mergers and acquisitions. We find robust evidence that the volume of private firms becoming the target in M&A deals is positively correlated with mandatory disclosure. The analyses of deal characteristics and post-deal performance confirm our interpretation that financial disclosure increases M&A activity by reducing asymmetric information and uncertainty.

Important issues in select European Union countries’ criminal environmental law in compliance with Directive 2008/99/EC

This article analyzes issues in criminal environmental law in Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany, which implemented the provisions of the European Commission Directive 2008/99/EC. The provisions of this directive changed the scope of protection of environmental resources in these countries’ penal codes to varying extents. These three countries have been relatively successful in comprehensively implementing criminal directive provisions. This included changes in the special protection of Natura 2000 sites and ozone depleting substances. Legal systems are generally based on prevention and risk assessment, and the basic conditions of criminal responsibility for environmental crimes include “significant damage, causing damage to the health of another or animals and plants, damage to other property and also water, air, soil and environmental components which have significant value”. Additional aspects include environmental damage over larger areas and restoration costs. However, the greatest current problem is the vague definition of conditions of criminal responsibility, which makes it difficult to enforce legislation. The following postulates de lege ferenda were formulated: clarify the premises for offenses against the environment, specify the costs of remedying environmental damage, define critical emission standards for environmental crime, as well as specify activities in protected areas that threaten objects. This article emphasizes that an increased and better definition of the conditions of criminal responsibility for environmental crimes enacted by EU countries may contribute to more effective enforcement of infringements of environmental protection law.

Hidden Formaldehyde Content in Cosmeceuticals Containing Preservatives that Release Formaldehyde and Their Compliance Behaviors: Bridging the Gap between Compliance and Local Regulation

Background: Many personal care products, and particularly cosmetic products, contain preservatives that release formaldehyde. These are potentially harmful to consumer health, especially considering that the levels of formaldehyde in some products are hidden and excessive. Objectives: To study the formaldehyde levels of preservatives in personal care products and cosmetics on the UAE market and determine the extent of compliance with health and safety requirements. Methods and Materials: Sixty-nine personal care and cosmetic product samples from the UAE market were collected and prepared to determine their formaldehyde content. According to the Second European Commission Directive 82/434/EEC of 2000 and as per the Gulf Technical Regulation, Safety Requirements of Cosmetics and Personal Care Products in GSO 1943:2016, quantitative analyses were performed to identify and quantify the content of formaldehyde as free formaldehyde. Results: With a maximum permissible limit of ≤0.2% w/w, the average formaldehyde content was found to be 0.083 with a 95% CI (0.039–0.13). Nine of the tested personal care and cosmetic products exceeded the recommended formaldehyde level, corresponding to 13% of all samples. None of these samples listed the free formaldehyde content or formaldehyde releaser. Conclusion: Applying good manufacturing practices (GMP), education, and regulatory control to improve the regulation and inspection of cosmetics containing formaldehyde releasers as preservatives, conducting research, and reporting the adverse side effects are highly recommended. There is an urgent need to monitor the incidence of skin sensitivity resulting from the use of cosmetics containing formaldehyde releasers as preservatives.

NEFINANCIJSKO IZVJEŠTAVANJE U HOTELIJERSTVU – ANALIZA IZVJEŠTAVANJA VEZANOG UZ ZAPOSLENIKE

Due to many social and environmental challenges in the last decade, many companies recognized the importance of non-financial reporting to provide complete overview of its performance and socially responsible behaviour. Furthermore, for some companies the obligation of non-financial reporting has been institutionalized by European commission directives. This paper explores the extent of non-financial reporting regarding employment-matters in hospitality industry in Croatia. Research objective of the paper is to assess the type and amount of information regarding employment and human resource management related issues disclosed by hospitality industry companies listed on Zagreb Stock Exchange. Research results indicate that the quantity of disclosed information increased after implementing EU directives on non-financial reporting, but there is still room for improvement. It is expected that hospitality industry companies will disclose even more employee-related indicators in the future due to the importance they give to their human resources and the importance of such indicators is further discussed in this paper.

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Pollution Monitoring with Sentinel-5P Satellite Imagery over Europe during the Coronavirus Pandemic Outbreak

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of the main air quality pollutants of concern in many urban and industrial areas worldwide, and particularly in the European region, where in 2017 almost 20 countries exceeded the NO2 annual limit values imposed by the European Commission Directive 2008/50/EC (EEA, 2019). NO2 pollution monitoring and regulation is a necessary task to help decision makers to search for a sustainable solution for environmental quality and population health status improvement. In this study, we propose a comparative analysis of the tropospheric NO2 column spatial configuration over Europe between similar periods in 2019 and 2020, based on the ESA Copernicus Sentinel-5P products. The results highlight the NO2 pollution dynamics over the abrupt transition from a normal condition situation to the COVID-19 outbreak context, characterized by a short-time decrease of traffic intensities and industrial activities, revealing remarkable tropospheric NO2 column number density decreases even of 85% in some of the European big cities. The validation approach of the satellite-derived data, based on a cross-correlation analysis with independent data from ground-based observations, provided encouraging values of the correlation coefficients (R2), ranging between 0.5 and 0.75 in different locations. The remarkable decrease of NO2 pollution over Europe during the COVID-19 lockdown is highlighted by S-5P products and confirmed by the Industrial Production Index and air traffic volumes.

First Report of Cherry Virus Turkey in Sweet Cherry in Greece

The number of viruses identified in sweet cherry has been constantly increasing over the last few years, following the broad application of high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Some of these were reported to cause leaf symptoms and yield reduction. In 2009 to 2013, surveys were performed on sweet cherry orchards located in northern Greece for the presence of Betaflexiviridae viruses using generic and specific molecular assays (Foissac et al. 2005). Sanger sequencing of a generic reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) product originated from a sample collected from a symptomless sweet cherry (cv. Ferrovia) revealed a virus sequence sharing 75% nucleotide (nt) similarity with a highly conserved portion of the betaflexivirus polymerase gene. Total RNA, extracted with the TRIzol reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) from leaves of this sample, was subjected to HTS analysis on an Illumina Hi-seq 4000 platform (Novogene, Tiangen, China). The run, after quality control, yielded 26,002,319 of 150-nt-long paired-end reads. De novo assembly of these reads using Geneious Prime 2019.2.3 and Velvet and subsequent BLAST analysis (BLASTn/x) of 82 contigs revealed, apart from several known sweet cherry viruses (cherry virus A, Prunus virus F, little cherry virus 1), the presence of a newly described Robigovirus species. More specifically, the BLAST results revealed that eight de novo contigs ranging from 277 to 2,287 nt long were similar to the sequence of the recently reported cherry virus Turkey (CVTR) (Caglayan et al. 2019). The nearly complete genome sequence consisting of 8,362 nt (99.5%) of the Greek CVTR isolate (CVTR-C18GR, accession no. MT043307) was reconstructed using iterative mapping of the reads to the de novo contigs, with 4,690 reads mapped in total and Sanger sequencing of RT-PCR amplicons to fill the sequence gaps. Similarity analysis of the CVTR-C18GR sequence with the full virus sequences from GenBank CVTR-BUR12 (MK600387) and CVTRAZQ (MH177869) showed 90.47 and 90.60% nt identities, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed the clustering of C18GR with other CVTR isolates. To investigate for the virus presence in Greece, primers F2Rob (5′-GTCAGAGAGAGGTATCTATGTC-3′) and RT1Rob (5′-CAGGCTGTTCATAACCT-3′), which amplify 577 nt of CVTR replicase, were designed. Sixty-six samples from sweet cherry trees showing no virus-like symptoms were collected from various orchards and screened for the presence of CVTR. Eight of them were found to be infected with the new virus. Sanger sequencing of sample C11GR amplicon confirmed the presence of CVTR in Greek fields (96% nt similarity with C18GR, accession no. MT043308). Sequence similarity between C11GR and C18GR isolates was also high (97% nt) in partial TGB2, TGB3, and CP genomic regions amplified with primer pair 7006 F (5′-GAAAAGTGATTATTCAGCRCCAGT-3′) and 7708 R (5′-CTTTCACCCACTCATCACCTATCTCC-3′) (accession no. MT461407). This is the first report of this virus in Greece, thus extending the information on its geographical distribution. Robigoviruses cause variable symptoms and diseases in sweet and sour cherries, and for that reason they are included in the European Commission Directive concerning official inspections (2019/2072/EU). Additional screenings are necessary to evaluate the presence and impact of CVTR in sweet cherry orchards in Greece.

Recovery of an urbanised estuary: Clean-up, de-industrialisation and restoration of redundant dock-basins in the Mersey

For much of the 20th century, the Mersey in North West England was one of the worst polluted estuaries in Europe. Water from a range of polluting industries plus domestic sewage was discharged into the Mersey Catchment and Estuary. Recovery came through a concerted clean-up campaign and tightening environmental regulations, partly driven by European Commission Directives, coupled with de-industrialisation from the 1970s onward. Recovery of oxygen levels in the Estuary led to the return of a productive ecosystem. This led to conservation designations, but also concerns about transfer of pollutants to higher trophic levels in fish, birds and humans. As part of urban renewal, ecosystems in disused dock basins were restored using mussel biofiltration and artificial de-stratification, facilitating commercial redevelopment and creation of a tourist destination. The degradation and recovery of the Mersey from peak-pollution in the mid-20th century is put in the context of wider environmental change and briefly compared to other systems to develop a hysteresis model of degradation and recovery, often to novel ecosystems.

Rapid and Low Cost Determination of Total Mercury in Cat Foods by Photochemical Vapor Generation Coupled to Atomic Absorption Spectrometry.

A rapid and low-cost method for determination of total mercury (THg) in cat food was developed based on photochemical vapor generation (PVG) coupled to cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS). Cat food samples with ingredients based on tuna fish and other seafood were investigated. Organic acid precursor and concentration for radical generation and Hg photoreduction, sample UV irradiation time, and carrier gas flow were optimized. Highest PVG efficiency was achieved using 10% v v-1 formic acid, 4-s UV irradiation time, and a carrier gas flow of 50mLmin-1. The calibration function presented a correlation coefficient of 0.99. Accuracy was confirmed by analysis of Certified Reference Materials with recoveries of 93-110% and relative standard deviation lower than 6%. Under optimized conditions, a procedural detection limit of 0.28μgkg-1 was obtained. Determination of THg in 10 samples of cat food purchased in local markets revealed a concentration range of 0.035-0.388mgkg-1. Highest concentrations were found in cat foods. Only one sample presented a concentration close to the regulatory limit of the European Commission Directive. Assuming the estimated daily food intake (EDI) calculated in a range of 0.0021 to 0.023mg of THg per day per kg body weight, it is concluded that it remains below that considered lethal for cats. The methodology is efficient, simple, low cost, and fit for purpose.

A Comprehensive Artificial Sweat Study for Quantitation of Nickel and Other Inorganic Elements Released from Imitation Earrings Purchased in Istanbul Market.

Element sensitization is frequent cause of allergic contact dermatitis, and Ni is the main reason for this condition owing to daily use of different Ni-containing items. European Union established a limit of 0.2μg/cm2/week Ni release for the items by the Ni Directive in 2004.The aim of this study was to determine the amount of element release of imitation earrings sold in different points of Istanbul with different prices and consider the element release levels including 29 trace and toxic elements. After calculation of released nickel amounts, 31.80% of earrings (71 of 223) were observed over the limit of European Commission Directive's migration limit. Minimum and maximum nickel release amounts were found as 0.21 and 30.11μg/cm2/week, respectively, and mean level was found 3.24μg/cm2/week among 71 positive earrings. Results showed that essential part of imitation earrings used especially by women release nickel particles over the European Commission Directive's migration limit. In addition, other elements such as Cu, Cr, and Co were found to be in the structure of the imitation earrings, as well as high amounts of toxic element Pb.

Life Cycle Assessment as a Tool for Low Waste Building Systems, Case Study Building External Wall

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is defined as decision making method for buildings from “cradle to grave”. Considering the fact that the construction industry produces 38% of total waste and 40% of total CO2 emissions and uses 50% of all natural resources, according to EIB 2015, the building industry has to change this way of thinking to the concept “cradle to cradle”. According to European Commission (Directive 2008/98/EC 2008), the first and preferred option is waste prevention and the second option are other types of recovery. The waste should be prevented in the design phase and LCA should help a lot in this stage. The main goal of this paper is to show how the LCA can be used as a tool in design phase to help decision process in building design of one of the building systems and make that part circular and, if possible, without waste. External wall, as one of the systems of a building, is taken as case study in its different materialization to show LCA use in the construction waste elimination in building practice. The external wall is the system of a building which is the most exposed to external factors, as weather conditions and human. Very often, the wall is damaged before other systems of a building. Hence the design and building of external walls that produce less waste, is a huge step in construction waste management. The LCA software is used to compare two chosen case studies. The first one is prefabricated wooden wall for low energy houses. The second one is the wooden wall made for Green Design Centre in Mostar in 2018. The first results show that in the second case study, the wall made for reversible and transformable building, and designed according to circular building principles, has better chances to last longer, and produce less waste during its transformations and aging. The paper shows main principles for designing the low waste wooden walls and also some remarks how to upgrade the software to be more helpful in the design phase of the wall systems.

New approaches to solar Advanced Oxidation Processes for elimination of priority substances based on electrooxidation and ozonation at pilot plant scale

Abstract The main objective of this work is to compare various Advanced Oxidation Processes based on solar photo-Fenton at circumneutral pH (by adding EDDS as iron complexing agent), such as solar photo-electro-Fenton process and solar ozonation in combination with Fenton like processes (O3/Fe2+/H2O2, O3/Fe3+/H2O2 and Solar/Fe3+/O3/H2O2), for the elimination of four microcontaminants (MCs) (Terbutryn, chlorfenvinphos, pentachlorophenol and diclofenac) at 200 μg/L each and in different water matrices. These compounds were selected as Priority Substances listed in European Commission directives (2013/39/EC and 2008/105/EC Directives). Research was carried out at pilot plant scale in a 30 L electrochemical system (cells made by an anode of boron-doped diamond thin film on a niobium mesh (Nb-BDD) and a carbon-polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) GDE as the cathode), a 20 L ozone reactor and three different solar photoreactors (39 L, 45 L and 120 L) based on compound parabolic collectors (CPC) and connected to the non-solar oxidation systems. Results showed successful elimination of at least 80% of MCs for all the technologies tested. However, solar photo-Fenton at circumneutral pH showed better performance than solar photo-electro-Fenton and even electro-Fenton processes. In addition, the combination of ozone with solar radiation showed promising results since almost a complete elimination of MCs was attained with a significant lower ozone consumption than when applying ozone in the dark (with or without the assistance of Fenton´s reagent).

Assessment of temporary hearing changes related to work as a bartender

Noise in entertainment industry often reaches high sound pressure levels. Nevertheless, the risk of hearing loss in this sector is insufficiently recognized. The aim of this study was the assessment of the relationship between noise exposure and temporary threshold shifts (TTS) for people working as bartenders at a variety of entertainment venues. The study comprised a total of 18 bartenders (mean age was 25±7 years old) employed at a music club (N = 8), pub (N = 5) and discotheque (N = 5). Personal dosimeters were used for determining noise levels and frequency characteristics. Hearing was evaluated by pre- (before work) and post-exposure (up to 15 min after the end of work) pure tone audiometry. Hearing tests were carried out for bartenders during 2 or 3 sessions while working on weekends. The mean personal noise exposure level normalized to a nominal 8-hour working day was 95 dBA, above 4 times higher than the accepted legal limit. The TTS values (10 dB HL or more) were significant at 4 kHz for both ears for 77% of bartenders. People working as bartenders represent a professional group with an increased risk of hearing loss. Raising awareness of this fact and implementing hearing protection programs in this group of workers is urgently needed, in line with the European Commission Directive (EU Directive 2003/10/EC). Med Pr. 2019;70(1):17-25.