European Commission Joint Research Centre Research Articles

The European Flood Alert System – Part 1: Concept and development

Abstract. This paper presents the development of the European Flood Alert System (EFAS), which aims at increasing preparedness for floods in trans-national European river basins by providing local water authorities with medium-range and probabilistic flood forecasting information 3 to 10 days in advance. The EFAS research project started in 2003 with the development of a prototype at the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), in close collaboration with the national hydrological and meteorological services. The prototype covers the whole of Europe on a 5 km grid. In parallel, different high-resolution data sets have been collected for the Elbe and Danube river basins, allowing the potential of the system under optimum conditions and on a higher resolution to be assessed. Flood warning lead-times of 3–10 days are achieved through the incorporation of medium-range weather forecasts from the German Weather Service (DWD) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), comprising a full set of 51 probabilistic forecasts from the Ensemble Prediction System (EPS) provided by ECMWF. The ensemble of different hydrographs is analysed and combined to produce early flood warning information, which is disseminated to the hydrological services that have agreed to participate in the development of the system. In Part 1 of this paper, the scientific approach adopted in the development of the system is presented. The rational of the project, the system�s set-up, its underlying components, basic principles and products are described. In Part 2, results of a detailed statistical analysis of the performance of the system are shown, with regard to both probabilistic and deterministic forecasts.

Application of generalised linear model for time-dependent trend assessment—A case study for the ageing PSA network

The paper presents the results of a case study on “Investigation of component age-dependent reliability models” conducted under European Commission Joint Research Centre Ageing Probabilistic Safety Assessment Network Task 4 activities. Several Generalised Linear Model cases were applied and investigated in relation to both continuous and discrete data. The Fisher's χ 2 minimisation approach was used for goodness of fit testing and parameters elaboration. Finally, uncertainty analysis was done for parameters estimation and model extrapolations. The results were analysed and compared with other approaches. Engineering considerations are beyond the scope of the present study.

Diagnostic assessment of European gross primary production

AbstractWe present an approach to estimate gross primary production (GPP) using a remotely sensed biophysical vegetation product (fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation, FAPAR) from the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) in conjunction with GPP estimates from eddy covariance measurement towers in Europe. By analysing the relationship between the cumulative growing season FAPAR and annual GPP by vegetation type, we find that the former can be used to accurately predict the latter. The root mean square error of prediction is of the order of 250 gC m−2 yr−1. The cumulative growing season FAPAR integrates over a number of effects relevant for GPP such as the length of the growing season, the vegetation's response to environmental conditions and the amount of light harvested that is available for photosynthesis. We corroborate the proposed GPP estimate (noted FAPAR‐based productivity assessment+land cover, FPA+LC) on the continental scale with results from the MOD17+radiation‐use efficiency model, an artificial neural network up‐scaling approach (ANN) and the Lund–Potsdam–Jena managed Land biosphere model (LPJmL). The closest agreement of the mean spatial GPP pattern among the four models is between FPA+LC and ANN (R2= 0.74). At least some of the discrepancy between FPA‐LC and the other models result from biases of meteorological forcing fields for MOD17+, ANN and LPJmL. Our analysis further implies that meteorological information is to a large degree redundant for GPP estimation when using the JRC‐FAPAR. A major advantage of the FPA+LC approach presented in this paper lies in its simplicity and that it requires no additional meteorological input driver data that commonly introduce substantial uncertainty. We find that results from different data‐oriented models may be robust enough to evaluate process‐oriented models regarding the mean spatial pattern of GPP, while there is too little consensus among the diagnostic models for such purpose regarding inter‐annual variability.

Sensitivity analysis in chemical kinetics

The Fifth International Conference on Sensitivity Analysis of Model Output (SAMO 2007) was held from 18 to 22 June 2007 at the Eotvos University (ELTE), Budapest, Hungary. The conference was jointly organized by the Institute of Chemistry of ELTE and the IPSC section of the European Commission Joint Research Centre (Ispra, Italy). The previous SAMO conferences were held in Belgirate, Italy (1995); Venice, Italy (1998); Madrid, Spain (2001); and Santa Fe, NM (2004). Sensitivity analysis investigates how a model depends on its input parameters. SAMO is a series of conferences devoted to the development and applications of sensitivity analysis methods. These methods are widely used in chemistry, physics, biology, engineering, environmental science, nuclear and industrial safety, and economics. At the SAMO 2007 conference, there were 81 participants from 21 countries. The participants presented 8 invited lectures, 28 lectures, and 43 posters. The abstracts of all presented works and the slides of most lectures are available at the conference Web site: http://samo2007.chem.elte.hu/ Chemical kinetics is very closely linked to sensitivity analysis. At the evaluation of kinetic experiments, rate parameters are frequently determined via nonlinear parameter estimation. Sensitivity analysis can be used to identify the influential parameters and to pinpoint the cases when only the ratio or product of the parameters can be determined. In a similar way, sensitivity analysis can be used for experimental design that is to determine the conditions and setup of experiments that provide the most information from a series of mea-

Laboratory intercomparison study for the analysis of nonylphenol and octylphenol in river water

In support of the implementation of the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD), the European Commission (EC) Joint Research Centre (JRC) organized a laboratory and sampling intercomparison study for the chemical monitoring of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and nonylphenol and octylphenol (NP/OP), priority substances of the WFD, in river water. EU Member State laboratories were invited to analyze a standard solution with unknown concentration levels and a river-water extract, as well as a real water sample from the River Po (Italy). For the standard solution and the river-water extract, good agreement was achieved for five laboratories. Triple-quadrupole liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS 2) and gas chromatography with MS (GC-MS) with or without derivatization proved to be comparable methods for the analysis of NP and OP. Fluorescence detection can also be used to analyze NP and OP, but it is less specific. The results of the River Po water sample showed that some laboratories have problems in analyzing NP at concentration levels below 100 ng/L due to contamination of laboratory blanks. Plastics materials should not be used during extraction and sample preparation.

The consistency approach for the quality control of vaccines

Current lot release testing of conventional vaccines emphasizes quality control of the final product and is characterized by its extensive use of laboratory animals. This report, which is based on the outcome of an ECVAM (European Centre for Validation of Alternative Methods, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, European Commission Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy) workshop, discusses the concept of consistency testing as an alternative approach for lot release testing. The consistency approach for the routine release of vaccines is based upon the principle that the quality of vaccines is a consequence of a quality system and of consistent production of lots with similar characteristics to those lots that have been shown to be safe and effective in humans or the target species. The report indicates why and under which circumstances this approach can be applied, the role of the different stakeholders, and the need for international harmonization. It also gives recommendations for its implementation.

Quality management organisation, validation of standards, developments and inquiries for solid-recovered fuels—An overview on the QUOVADIS-Project

Waste-to-energy solid-recovered fuels (SRFs) are prepared from non-hazardous waste. Their use is regulated under European Union (EU) legislation and requires specifications for commercial or regulatory purposes. SRFs are seen as important contributors to a sustainable EU waste management. Directive 2001/77/EC includes in its scope the production of electricity from biomass, being defined as the biodegradable fraction of products, waste and residues from agriculture, forestry and related industries, as well as the biodegradable fraction of industrial and municipal waste. In this context, the European Commission (EC) gave a mandate to the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) to develop and validate Technical Specification (TS) concerning SRF for energy recovery and to transform these TS into European Standards. To meet these requests, a holistic validation programme covering quality management and the validation exercises for the pre-standards of CEN's Technical Committee on Solid Recovered Fuels (CEN TC 343) was designed and carried out by various members of CEN TC 343, interested non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the EC's Joint Research Centre (JRC). This paper gives an overview about the validation programme called QUOVADIS (from QUality Management Organisation, VAlidation of Standards, Developments and Inquiries for Solid-Recovered Fuels) and the partnership behind it, and highlights some particular aspects in performing the necessary validation work.

The GIS-based SafeAirView software for the concentration assessment of radioactive pollutants after an accidental release

The European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra (Italy) has long been running nuclear installations for research purposes. The Nuclear Decommissioning and Facilities Management Unit (NDFM) is responsible for the surveillance of radioactivity levels in nuclear emergency conditions. The NDFM Unit has commissioned the implementation of a specifically developed decision support system, which can be used for quick emergency evaluation in the case of hypothetical accident and for emergency exercises. The requisites were to be a user-friendly software, able to quickly calculate and display values of air and ground radioactive contamination in the complex area around JRC, following an accidental release of radioactive substances from a JRC nuclear research installation. The developed software, named "SafeAirView", is an advanced implementation of GIS technology applied to an existing MS-DOS mode dispersion model, SAFE_AIR (Simulation of Air pollution From Emissions_Above Inhomogeneous Regions). SAFE_AIR is a numerical model which simulates transport, diffusion, and deposition of airborne pollutants emitted in the low atmosphere above complex orography at both local and regional scale, under non-stationary and inhomogeneous emission and meteorological conditions. SafeAirView makes use of user-friendly MS-Windows type interface which drives the dispersion model by a sequential and continuous input-output process, allowing a real time simulation. The GIS environment allows a direct interaction with the territory elements in which the simulation takes place, using data for the JRC Ispra region represented in geo-referenced cartography. Furthermore it offers the possibility to relate concentrations with population distribution and other geo-referenced maps, in a geographic view. Output concentration and deposition patterns can be plotted and/or exported. In spite of the selected specific databases, the SafeAirView software architecture is a general structure, therefore the decision support system could be easily modified to be applied in a region different from the JRC one. Beside the description of SafeAirView, the present paper presents a statistical evaluation of the software, which has considered three well known tracer experiments: Copenhagen, Indianapolis and Kincaid. The data sets related to these experiments are all included in the so called Model Validation Kit.

Evaluation of the MERIS/ENVISAT FAPAR product

Abstract This paper describes the evaluation and performance of the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) Global Vegetation Index (MGVI) algorithm that is implemented in the MERIS ground segment as the primary land surface product. MGVI output values represent the Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) which acts as an indicator of the presence and state of the vegetation canopy. The retrieval algorithm was optimized to be insensitive to the overlying atmosphere, the underlying soil as well as angular effects, using radiative transfer models. This physically based approach for retrieving land biophysical parameters can be extended to a series of sensors; the resulting algorithms are designed to deliver similar geophysical products that are directly comparable and ultimately generate long time series of FAPAR. After presenting the MGVI algorithm, we analyze actual results by inter-comparing the FAPAR values derived from MERIS to similar products derived from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) that have been generated at the European Commission Joint Research Centre (EC-JRC). The FAPAR products derived from MERIS and SeaWiFS are compared on several dates in 2002 when both instruments simultaneously observed the same geographical regions. The consistency and temporal continuity of the products are then evaluated by comparing the time series of FAPAR values over local sites in Europe during the year 2003 from the two instruments. Finally, multi-annual FAPAR time series obtained by merging MERIS and SeaWiFS products demonstrate the feasibility of monitoring the state of land surfaces with FAPAR products before and after the European drought event in 2003.

IMEP in support of the comparability of measurement results across the Romanian chemical metrology infrastructure

On the basis of quantitative chemical measurements many important decisions are made in support of legislation or in industrial processes or social aspects. For this reason it is important to improve the quality of chemical measurement results and thus make them comparable and acceptable everywhere. The measurement quality is important to enable an equivalent implementation of the European Union regulations and directives across an enlarged EU. In this context, the European Commission–Joint Research Centre–Institute for Reference Materials and Measurement (EC-JRC-IRMM) set up a programme to improve the scientific basis for metrology in chemistry (MiC) in EU candidate countries in the framework of EU enlargement. Several activities were initiated, such as training, fellowships, sponsoring of seminars, conferences and participation in interlaboratory comparisons. To disseminate measurement traceability, IRMM provides through its International Measurement Evaluation Programme (IMEP) an interlaboratory tool to enable the benchmarking of laboratory performance. IMEP emphasizes the metrological aspects of measurement results, such as traceability and measurement uncertainty. In this way it has become a publicly available European tool for MiC. The Romanian Bureau of Legal Metrology – National Institute of Metrology (BRML-INM) actively supports the participation of Romanian authorized and field laboratories in IMEP interlaboratory comparisons. This paper describes the interest of Romanian laboratories participating in this programme, the analytical and metrological problems that became relevant during these exercises and some actions for improvement. The results from Romanian laboratories participating in IMEP-12 (water), IMEP-16 (wine), IMEP-17 (human serum) and IMEP-20 (tuna fish) are presented. To conclude, the educational and training activities at national level organized jointly by the Romanian National Institute of Metrology (INM) and IRMM are also mentioned.

An investigation of bistatic calibration techniques

Several popular bistatic calibration techniques are investigated and comparisons made between the relative merits of the various techniques. The analysis addresses sensitivity to object alignment error, sensitivity to polarization impurity, and ease of implementation. Both theoretical concepts and practical considerations are discussed based on measurements accomplished at the European Microwave Signature Laboratory of the European Commission Joint Research Center, Ispra, Italy. This facility has the capability to produce far-field fully polarimetric precision bistatic measurements in a 30-cm-diameter quiet zone, suitable for comparing different calibration methods.

Methylmercury in tuna: demonstrating measurement capabilities and evaluating comparability of results worldwide from the CCQM P-39 comparison

Six metrology institutes (NMIs) representing at the Comite International des Poids et Mesures (CIPM) 4 Member States of the Metre Convention and 2 international organisations, and 8 “expert” laboratories selected outside CIPM have compared their capabilities to quantitatively measure methylmercury (MeHg) in a prepared tuna material containing approximately 4.3 mg kg−1 Hg. This comparison was the object of the CIPM–Comite Consultatif pour la Quantite de Matiere (CCQM) Pilot Study 39, organised by the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), from the European Commission—Joint Research Centre. Beside the test material itself, a bottle of the BCR-464 tuna Certified Reference Material (CRM) and an ampoule of IRMM-670, a 202Hg isotope enriched MeHg candidate isotopic CRM, were distributed to all participants, who were free to apply the measurement strategy of their choice. Four, including 1 NMI, relied on external calibration or the method of standard additions, whereas the other 10 implemented an isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) approach and chose to use the IRMM-670 for their measurements. Alkaline digestion at room temperature (with manual shaking) or high temperature (under sonication, oven or hot plate conditions) was employed by most participants, with hydrochloric acid leaching the second most popular choice. Alkylation (4 phenylations, 4 ethylations and 3 propylations) in the aqueous phase was preferred by a large majority over butylation by the Grignard reaction. All participants were requested to estimate the uncertainty associated with their results and 9 out of 14 stated relative combined uncertainties below 6% (k = 2). Despite this apparent consensus, the perception of which factor caused the largest contribution to this estimation differed among participants because of the differences in the analytical methodologies deployed but also because of wide differences of the concepts of uncertainty estimation. The ‘mixture mode’ (MM) median, calculated also from the measurement uncertainties stated by the participants, was 1.967 ± 0.204 × 10−5 mol kg−1 (95% confidence). Twelve of the results were re-grouped within a range of less than 0.3 × 10−5 mol kg−1 (MM median = 1.967 ± 0.162 × 10−5 mol kg−1, 95% confidence): they nearly all (1 exception) overlapped with each other within k = 2 stated uncertainties. For the other 2 results the uncertainty seemed to have been particularly underestimated as they lay, respectively, at more than 20% above and less than −40% below the overall average. The relative standard deviation of the results of 9 laboratories out of the 10 that applied IDMS was about 2.6%. It can be assumed from the degree of equivalence shown by 12 out of 14 study participants that, at present, laboratories worldwide are potentially able to supply accurate results for MeHg in fish-type matrices (containing about 2 × 10−5 mol kg−1) within ±10% uncertainty. This encouraging outcome permitted scheduling of a follow-up CCQM-K43 key comparison for a lower MeHg content level in salmon tissues.

Determination of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and chlorinated pesticides in a fish tissue standard reference material.

The concentrations of a wide range of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides in a fish tissue Standard Reference Material (SRM) have been determined using multiple methods of analysis. This material, SRM 1946, Lake Superior Fish Tissue, was recently issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and complements a suite of marine environmental natural-matrix SRMs that are currently available from NIST for the determination of organic contaminants such as aliphatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), PCBs, and chlorinated pesticides. SRM 1946 is a fresh tissue homogenate (frozen) prepared from filleted adult lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush namaycush) collected from the Apostle Islands region of Lake Superior. SRM 1946 has certified and reference concentrations for PCB congeners, including the three non- ortho PCB congeners, and chlorinated pesticides. Certified concentrations are available for 30 PCB congeners and 15 chlorinated pesticides. Reference concentrations are available for 12 PCB congeners and 2 chlorinated pesticides. In addition, SRM 1946 is characterized for additional chemical constituents and properties: fatty acids, extractable fat, methylmercury, total mercury, selected trace elements, proximates, and caloric content. The characterization of chlorinated compounds is described in this paper with an emphasis on the approach used for the certification of the concentrations of PCB congeners and chlorinated pesticides. The PCB congener and chlorinated pesticide data are also compared to concentrations in other marine natural-matrix reference materials available from NIST (fish oil, mussel tissue, whale blubber, and a second fresh frozen fish tissue homogenate prepared from filleted adult lake trout collected from Lake Michigan) and from other organizations such as the National Research Council Canada (ground whole carp), the International Atomic Energy Agency (fish homogenate), and the European Commission Joint Research Centre [fish oils (cod and mackerel) and mussel tissue].

A participatory improvement activity of the EC-JRC to improve metrology in chemistry in EU candidate countries

In 2000, the European Commission-Joint Research Centre, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (EC-JRC-IRMM) set up a project to improve the scientific basis for metrology in chemistry (MiC) in EU candidate countries. Several activities were initiated (training, fellowships, sponsoring seminars, conferences and participation in the International Measurement Evaluation Programme – IMEP). A particular initiative, discussed here, was to assist each of the national measurement institutes of these countries to write a status report on MiC. Most importantly, the report was intended to be the end-product of a process to document the current status of MiC. Intentionally, this process involved not only the providers of services in MiC but all the major stakeholders in this activity (e.g. major field laboratories, accreditation bodies, regulatory bodies, educators, professional bodies). The status reports are intended to be the first step of the future improvement process. In those countries where writing of the status reports has been started (Slovenia, Poland, Bulgaria and Estonia) the first signs are that this process leads to better co-operation and particularly a better understanding of what the future role and activities of each of these stakeholders should be.

Making Better Environmental Decisions: An Alternative to Risk Assessment

Review: Making Better Environmental Decisions: An Alternative to Risk Assessment By Mary O’Brien Reviewed by Xavier E. Gros European Commission Joint Research Centre, The Netherlands O'Brien, Mary. Making Better Environmental Decisions; An Alternative to Risk Assessment. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2000. 352 pp. ISBN 0-262-65053-3 (softcover). US$22.95 Recycled, chlorine-free paper Greed, self-interest, lack of education and lack of respect for the environment are among the main causes of pollution and environmental contamination. Industrial development is still driven by cost considerations regardless of escalating pollution. The future of the planet and its inhabitants appears pretty gloomy. But Mary O'Brien does not only write about what's wrong, she also suggests alternatives and strategies to make things right. Well-written, jargon-free, easy to read, Making Better Environmental Decisions makes risk assessment and its alternatives accessible to a large audience. There is no doubt that this book will upset supporters and beneficiaries of risk assessment. But then again, that is what is intended. Making Better Environmental Decisions is divided into three sections. In the first, the author concentrates on identifying the weaknesses of risk assessment. Its abuses and impact on the environment are illustrated through numerous case studies. O'Brien reveals how, based on current approaches to risk assessment, governments have authorized companies to contaminate the air, poison wildlife, pollute groundwater, etc., to such an extent that one may question the value of risk assessment, its supposed impartial approach, and most of all why there have been so few actions to fight environmental abuses, and, finally, why an even smaller number of actions have succeeded. Alternatives to risk assessment are proposed in section two. O'Brien demonstrates that risk assessment of certain industrial processes is often performed without considering existing environmentally friendly options. These greener alternatives to more polluting technologies are very rarely considered or adopted without active support of the population and direct involvement of citizens at a local, national or international level. The third and last section deals with making the shift to alternatives assessment. The barriers against alternatives assessment are highlighted and potential actions to be taken are proposed. This section is rather dubious. It seems that all the vigor and exertion used in the first two parts

The New Earth Reader: The Best of Terra Nova

Review: The New Earth Reader: The Best of Terra Nova By D. Rothenberg and M. Ulvaeus (Eds.) Reviewed by Xavier E. Gros European Commission Joint Research Centre, The Netherlands Rothenberg, David., & Marta. Ulvaeus (Eds.). The New Earth Reader: The Best of Terra Nova. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1999. 208 pp. ISBN 0-262- 18195-9 (hardcover). US$24.95 This is one of these books that you can take up on any page and find something well worth reading. The New Earth Reader achieves what its editors claim; i.e. … a larger, more encompassing view of nature, the environment, and nature writing itself. The New Earth Reader is the first volume of the Best of Terra Nova's book series dedicated to a specific theme, namely the earth. Forthcoming titles are expected to deal with water, air, and fire. This publication, that collects sixteen essays and interviews from the first ten issues of the journal Terra Nova, succeeds in reconciling the human and natural worlds. The New Earth Reader contains the right balance of essays and interviews, harmonized with high quality photographs. This makes it suitable for a large audience, and not just for scholars. Next, the writings are clear and refreshing, with topics range from skyjacking to surviving a crocodile fight. Finally, it offers readers the diversity of the earth within a heterogeneous environmental literary structure. Readers will share authors' personal experiences in the wilderness, learn about bioregionalism, explore human and animal behaviours in their living environment, and partake of dreams, hopes and expectations of making our world a better place. Bikram Narayan Nanda and Mohammad Talib report in an ingenious way about power, oppression, and industrial pollution in an Indian village. By focusing on political corruption and industrial development without account for the environment, they give a concerned vision on human degradation and exploitation. In their essay, a factory's fumes are perceived as a living entity that feeds on the human natural environment. Reminiscent of the novel Germinal by Emile Zola (1840-1902), they reveal the power of glorified capitalism and the fight of villagers to preserve their habitat. Their story reads as a call for desperate measures and international help. On a different topic, author Charles Bowden provides an insight into human endurance in an urban Mexican jungle, where alcohol, violence, and drugs are daily features. Others discuss environmental changes, ecology, wildlife protection policies, and more.

Diagnostic of the conservation state of antique Italian paintings on panel carried out at the Laboratorio di Restauro dell'Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, Italy with ESPI-based portable instrumentation

The aim of this work was to use non-destructive optical measurement techniques to assess the conservation state of ancient Italian paintings and to experiment outside of the laboratory with the most recent ESPI (electronic speckle pattern interferometry) portable instruments developed within the Photonic Technologies and Diagnostic Laboratory of the European Commission Joint Research Centre of Ispra, Italy. The measurements described here took place at the Laboratori di Restauro dei Dipinti dell'Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, Italy. The technique detects hardly visible and invisible defects on paintings on panel during the restoration phase and allowed the production of both qualitative and quantitative data, owing to its high resolution and sensitivity to thermal deformation. The system used allowed the inspection of a larger area (400×300 mm) in comparison to that reported in literature concerning continuous wave portable ESPI systems applied in the conservation field.

Metrology in chemistry: Part II. Future requirements in Europe

The paper (Parts I and II) reports the results of a survey carried out to assess the current situation in the field of metrology in chemistry within Europe and to identify future needs for work at the European level. Responses to a questionnaire covering 17 economic sectors and distributed to 17 countries plus the European Commission Joint Research Centre (EC JRC), together with input from a project group, EURACHEM and EUROMET, provided the basis of the study. Part I covers the protocol for the study and reports current activities. Part II reports suggestions for future work, a strategy for metrology in chemistry and recommendations for the EC Fifth Framework Programme.

Metrology in chemistry: Part I. Current activities in Europe

The paper (Parts I and II) reports the results of a survey carried out to assess the current situation in the field of metrology in chemistry within Europe and to identify future needs for work at the European level. Responses to a questionnaire covering 17 economic sectors and distributed to 17 countries plus the European Commission Joint Research Centre (EC JRC), together with input from a project group, EURACHEM and EUROMET provided the basis of the study. The questionnaire responses clearly indicated that only a minority of countries had clearly defined responsibilities for policy, funding and technical leadership. Similarly only a small number of countries was able to provide any information about levels of funding. Nonetheless, a variety of work is in progress and in some countries the effort is considerable. In other countries discussion is in progress and /or work is beginning. Part I covers the protocol for the study and reports current activities. Part II reports suggestions for future work, a strategy for metrology in chemistry and recommendations for the EC Fifth Framework Programme.

Natural Hazards Monitoring:Forest Fires, Droughts And Floods - The Example Of European Pilot Projects

This paper reviews the subject of naturalhazards and the use of existing remote sensing systemsin the different phases of disaster management forsome specific natural hazards: forest fires, droughtsand floods. It centers on the applicability of remotesensing for increasing preparedness, providing earlywarnings, monitoring the hazards in real time, andassessing the damage so that relief can be provided. Comparison of the information provided by existingsystems and that needed for operational use of remotesensing in disaster management is also addressed. Thecapability of some of the future sensors to complywith the needs in the field of natural hazards isdiscussed. In this context current pilot projectscarried on at the European Commission Joint ResearchCentre are presented.