Ship Canal Research Articles

Characterization of port dredging waste for potential used as incorporation on materials for civil construction: A case study in Brazil

Port operation activities have been expanding globally, driven by globalization and increased cargo handling. Developing countries, such as Brazil, China, and India, are experiencing a rise in the construction of modern ports. Recently, sustainability concepts have been integrated into maritime transportation, focusing on the construction and management of ports and exploring the reuse of waste generated during operations. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the potential application of the dredging material of port of açu (DMPA), sourced from a new private port in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, in developing sustainable construction materials. The dredged material, collected from the bottom of the shipping canal was physically, chemically, and morphologically characterized to compare its results with the processing and application requirements for alternative materials. A standard method for primary processing was developed, providing deeper insights into the material’s condition. Results indicate that the natural dredged material can be utilized as a filler in interlocking blocks or mortar. Additionally, an alternative processing route involving calcination can enhance the material's reactivity, presenting opportunities for higher-value applications, although the energy costs must be considered. The calcination of 650 °C resulted in a higher pozzolanic index, increasing its reactivity. The study concludes that port dredging waste from this case study has significant potential for use in sustainable building material development.

Impact of new, navigable canal through the Vistula spit on the hydrologic balance of the Vistula lagoon (Baltic Sea)

The object of research - the Vistula Lagoon is one of the two lagoons on the Polish coast, which is of great importance not only from an economic point of view, but also an environmental one. The purpose of the paper is to provide calculations on the current water balance for the Vistula Lagoon, before and after construction of a canal through the Vistula Spit. This is important because the construction of a new connection between the Vistula Lagoon and the Baltic Sea can result in changes in the lagoon's water balance, which in turn cause changes in the Vistula Lagoon biotic and abiotic environment. In addition, we wish to update the estimate of the water exchange between the Vistula Lagoon and the Baltic Sea through the Strait of Baltiysk and to estimate the exchange through the Vistula Spit canal after it is fully open. The main works consisted of researching source materials from various state institutions, which allowed to calculate the water balance of the Vistula Lagoon and perform mathematical modeling. These data include the amount of precipitation and evaporation, the amount of inflow from the catchment, the amount of inflow from polders, underground supply, the amount of inflow and outflow through the Strait of Baltiysk. The largest portion of the water received by a coastal lagoon comes from the adjacent ocean. In this case, it is about 75%. In addition, an array of catchment sources yields 20% of the studied lagoon's water. The Strait of Baltiysk constitutes the main outflow pathway for water exiting the Vistula Lagoon – close to 98% of outflow. Simulations have shown that the construction of the Nowy Swiat ship canal will not alter the water balance in the Vistula Lagoon to a meaningful extent. The problems that may emerge include those related to changes in the local biotic and abiotic environment due at the construction stage or in the period that follows resulting from the disturbance of highly polluted lagoon floor deposits. Thus it may be argued that the new canal is desirable from an economic or flood control point of view, but not from an environmental point of view.

Assessing the results of work on strengthening the soils of the foundation of lock № 5 of the Volga-Don shipping canal and proposals for stabilizing the chamber position

The results of work to strengthen the soil foundation of the chamber of lock № 5 of the Volga-Don Shipping Canal, carried out in 2016–2017, are analyzed. The need to carry out work to strengthen the soil was caused by an increase in the intensity of sedimentation of the central sections of the lock chamber, which began in 2005. To stabilize the chamber position, the technology of two-component jet grouting is implemented. This technology assumes the formation of several longitudinal soil-cement walls in the soils of the lock chamber base, which would transfer the load from the weight of the chamber to the harder clay soils of the water-resistant layer. However, as a result of the work performed, the precipitation intensity has increased. Engineering-geological, hydrological and geophysical studies conducted in 2018–2020 recorded the absence of formed soil-cement elements in the soils of the chamber base. An analysis of the soil samples characteristics taken from the chamber base has showed that a layer of soils of 10–12 m thickness is composed of loess rocks, below which water-resistant clayey rocks lie. Initially, there were several confined and non-confined aquifers in the soils of the lock base, and the creation of a hydroelectric complex and the formation of a level difference between the upper and lower pools led to the formation of a filtration flow with a significant pressure gradient at the base of the chamber. An analysis of the properties and structure of loess soils has showed their predisposition to subsidence, transition to a floating state and liquefaction with an increase in water content. Under the conditions of weak water-saturated loess soils, the supply of a cement mixture into them under significant pressure did not lead to the formation of soil-cement elements. Thus, in accordance with the current regulatory documents, the technical condition of the gateway is defined as pre-emergency, and the security level is defined as unsatisfactory. Methods for reducing the intensity of the chamber sedimentation such as cutting through the loess layer with piles, physical and chemical strengthening of soils and water protection of the massif at the base of the chamber are considered and evaluated.

Shipping Canals in Transition

<p>Shipping canals have supported maritime traffic and port development for many centuries. Radical transformations of these shipping landscapes through land reclamation, diking, and canalization were celebrated as Herculean works of progress and modernity. Today, shipping canals are the sites of increasing tension between economic growth and associated infrastructural interventions focused on the quality, sustainability, and resilience of natural systems and spatial settlement patterns. Shifting approaches to land/water relations must now be understood in longer political histories in which pre-existing alliances influence changes in infrastructure planning. On the occasion of the 150th Anniversary of the New Waterway (Nieuwe Waterweg), the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus universities PortCityFutures Center hosted an international symposium in October 2022 to explore the past, present, and future of this channel that links Rotterdam to the North Sea. Symposium participants addressed issues of shipping, dredging, and planning within in the Dutch delta, and linked them to contemporary debates on the environmental, spatial, and societal conditions of shipping canals internationally. The thematic issue builds on symposium conversations, and highlights the importance of spatial, economic, and political linkages in port and urban development. These spatial approaches contribute to more dynamic, responsive strategies for shipping canals through water management and planning.</p>

Prospective of an Inland Waterway System of Shipping Canals in Skikda (Algeria)

Sustainable development projects require careful balancing of economic interests and ecological needs. The case of Skikda, a city in northeast Algeria, located on the Mediterranean coast, illustrates the challenges connected with such a development. The ancient city coexists with a young hydrocarbon port and industrial pole that serves as a transfer hub in the flow of petroleum between hinterland and sea. The installation of the port and petrochemical refining plants on the banks of the estuary of the Safsaf River presents many challenges to local citizens and the ecosystem, including pollution of the water system, groundwater, and river water, and damage to the area’s ancient heritage. This study argues that we need new and less polluting forms of intermodality between hinterland and seaport to make urban mobility more sustainable. It asks whether and how the existing rivers and wadis (river channels that are dry except during rainy periods) can be transformed into artificial canals for river navigation to improve the transport fluidity and sustainability of Skikda. To answer this question, the study adopts a prospective approach using the MICMAC scenario method. This approach entails, first, presenting and evaluating the potentialities of the existing rivers of Skikda using QGIS, and second, discussing and proposing scenarios for transforming these rivers into urban waterways, that is, artificial canals for inland navigation. The prospect of inland waterway transport in Skikda may be a radical scenario, yet, despite its hydraulic capacity and advantages, this system is not receiving attention in Algeria. We suggest that water transport can breathe sustainable blue life into a vulnerable industrial port city, transforming its challenges into opportunities.

A New Shipping Canal Through the Vistula Spit as a Political and Transportation Project

In September 2022, a new shipping canal was opened connecting the Polish part of the Vistula Lagoon to the Baltic Sea. Largely political, the project links the lagoon and the port in Elbląg to the southern part of the Baltic, independent of the Russian Federation. In addition, its economic dimension enables the handling of small ships, as well as supporting tourism and yachting without the need to pass through the Russian-controlled Piława Strait. The scale of the new canal is relatively small—one and a half kilometre long and 25 metres wide. Nonetheless, it is sufficient for the navigation of small marine vessels of up to five-metre draft. The shipping canal through the Vistula Split is certainly not as important as the Corinth or North Sea Canals, still, it frees maritime and tourist traffic from Russian jurisdiction. The planned key port in the Vistula Lagoon is the port in Elbląg, a historic city that was once a member of the Hanseatic League, which brought together all the major cities of the Baltic Sea basin in the 14th and 15th centuries. The purpose of this article is to present the project’s historical context, its urban, technical, and shipping solutions, as well as the correlations between the new transport development and its anticipated impact on the environment (including the natural environment). The findings are complemented by a PESTEL analysis which shows the leading trends that are relevant to the implementation of the project in the region. The analysis identified areas that have a significant effect on the social, political, and economic settings of the new canal.

First record in Europe of the Asian gobiid, shimofuri (marbled) goby Tridentiger bifasciatus Steindachner, 1881.

In November 2022, two shimofuri (marbled) gobies Tridentiger bifasciatus Steindachner, 1881 were caught in the Gent-Terneuzen shipping canal, Belgium. It is the first record of the species in Europe. Outside its native distribution area in Japan, China and South Korea, thus far the shimofuri goby has been observed only on the West Coast of the USA, where established populations exist. The introduction vector potentially was ballast water exchange.

The First Head of Works on the Construction of the Volga-Don Canal (on Kamyshenka) Yagan Brekkel and his Activities in Russia in 1695-1698.

The article presents an analysis of historiography devoted to the biography of J. Broeckell, an engineer who in 1697 supervised the construction of the first shipping canal, which was supposed to connect the Volga and the Don through their tributaries Kamyshinka and Ilovlya. The analysis showed that despite the fact that in the XVIII-XX centuries many sources containing reliable information about the activities of J. Broeckell in Russia were introduced into scientific circulation, the authors of works on the history of the construction of the Volga-Don Canal were based mainly not on these sources, but on the book by Englishman John Perry "The State Russia under the present tsar", who led the construction work on Kamyshinka in 1698-1702. In the course of the research, it was possible to establish the main biographical information about Johann Broeckell before his arrival in Russia, to clarify the circumstances of his admission to the tsarist service. Analysis of a wide range of published and archival data allowed us to prove that in 1696 J. Broeckell took part in the Azov campaign, was engaged in the construction of earthworks after the capture of the city by Russian troops. In 1697, under his leadership the canal between the tributaries of the Volga and Don Kamyshinka and Ilovlya was begun to built. At the beginning of 1698, apparently realizing that he would not be able to successfully complete the construction of the canal, J. Broeckell left Russia. At the end of 1698, he was captured by Russian troops while trying to transfer to the service of the Turks.

Medieval Perevoloka and the Construction of the Volga-Don Shipping Canal under Peter the Great

The ancient Cossack portages through the Volga upland — perevoloka — were the main transport communications between the Volga and the Don in the 16th–17th centuries in the area of their maximum convergence. Repeated attempts to construct the Volga-Don shipping canal along one of these portages were made in the Middle Ages but were crowned with success only in Soviet times. This issue has not been sufficiently studied in the scholarhsip. Researchers have written about three old Cossack portages: Kamyshinskii, Dubovskii, and Tsaritsynskii. Practically nothing is known about the Sarpin portage. As a result of the conducted research, the authors of the article come to the conclusion that originally the are between the Volga and the Don was called perevoloka, which was limited to the mouths of the Don rivers — Tsaritsa and Panshinka — and the Volga rivers — Mechetka and Sarpa. It was here that Turkish soldiers in the 16th century tried to build a canal. At the beginning of the 17th century, after the construction of the Tsaritsyn fortress at the mouth of the Tsaritsa river, the Don Cossacks mastered the Kamyshinskii-Ilovlinskii portage, making it the main one and thereby expanding the territory of the portage. Through this portage, Peter the Great made a second attempt to establish the Volga-Don canal between the rivers Kamyshinka and Ilovlia, for which, in order to protect the future waterway between the Volga and the Don, he built the Tsaritsyn line on the perevoloka.

DISTRIBUTION OF SOME PONTO-CASPIAN AND ALIEN COPEPODS (CRUSTACEA, COPEPODA) IN PLANKTON OF THE DON RIVER BASIN

In 2018-2019, the zooplankton was studied in the Don River from the source to the mouth including the Tsimlyansk Reservoir, Volga-Don shipping canal, and the upper part of Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov. Habitats of two Ponto-Caspian species of copepods ( Heterocope caspia and Eurytemora caspica ) and of three alien species, Mediterranean copepod Calanipeda aquaedulcis , a representative of the neritic zone Acartia ( Acanthacartia ) tonsa and East Asian euryhaline Thermocyclops taihokuensis were found. For the first time, the findings of T. taihokuensis were recorded in the Don River upstream and downstream of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir and in water bodies of the Volga-Don shipping canal. It is shown that the Ponto-Caspian Eurytemora caspica inhabits the Don River basin and Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov. The European copepod E. affinis which was previously recorded in the region was not found in the studied areas of the basin. The occurrence (>80% of samples) of the Ponto-Caspian species and Calanipeda aquaedulcis was the highest. A recent invader Thermocyclops taihokuensis reached the maximum abundance (>100 000 ind./m). By an example of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir, it is found that the way of the spread of the Ponto-Caspian and alien species in the Don River basin may be large-scale activities on the introduction of planktonic and benthic invertebrates conducted in the 1950-1970s in order to improve the food supply of valuable fish species. The history of dispersal of the studied copepod species and their population characteristics are discussed.

Georgy Nikolaevich Kirpa is an outstanding graduate of the Kharkov Institute of Railway Engineers

The article examines the main milestones in the life and work of Georgiy Mykolayovych Kirpa, Minister of Transport of Ukraine, General Director of the State Administration of Railway Transport of Ukraine. The article reveals the formation of Georgiy Kirpa’s character, his childhood, that was anything but simple. Much attention is paid to G. Kirpa’s training at the Kharkiv Institute of Railway Engineers. The main stages of Georgiy Mykolayovych Kirpa’s activity at the Ukrainian railways have been studied – from a duty officer at the Chop station to the General Director of Ukrzaliznytsia. The article also reveals the challenges that the Ukrainian railway transport faced during the formation of statehood and the role of Georgiy Mykolayovych Kirpa in overcoming the difficulties and establishing effective operation of the Ukrainian railway. A special place in the article is dedicated to the work of G.M. Kirpy as the Minister of Transport of Ukraine, the implementation of large-scale projects, such as the Kyiv-Odessa highway, the Danube-Black Sea shipping canal, the development of high-speed traffic and the renewal of the rolling stock of the Ukrainian railways, the construction of a border outpost on the Tuzla Island and many others. The role of G.M. Kirpa in the construction of social, cultural, spiritual objects in Ukraine is described. The experience of forming an effective team of railway professionals under Georgiy Mykolayovych’s leadership has been studied. The main personal traits of Georgiy Kirpa are shown, which were the key factors to his professional success.

Economic and environmental feasibility of re‐routing the Indo‐Sri Lankan shipping channel: A green initiative of sustainable development

AbstractAs the maritime industry forms the common means of heavy freight transportation, the efficient and strategic management of sea routes from an economic and environmental perspective has become a major concern to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). By applying marine engineering principles and quantifying metrics such as energy efficiency design, index/existing vessel design index, energy efficiency operational index, carbon footprints, fuel consumption, voyage times and emission this study aims to explore the merits of the Indo‐Sri Lankan shipping canal project over the existing route circumnavigating Sri Lanka. The quantification was performed by studying the design and operational indices of marine vessels, based on the metrics considering the major ports in India. The socio‐political, environmental and economic benefits reported in this study advocate the significance of this route to the maritime industry in meeting SDGs.

Geoecological justification of a project of sustainable shipping on a Volga channel section in the Nizhny Novgorod region

Background. The Volga river channel with rapids limiting the navigation parameters of large-tonnage vessels between the cities of Gorodets and Nizhniy Novgorod is considered in the structure of the Unified deep-water system of waterways of the European part of the Russian Federation.Aim. To justify the need to develop design solutions providing sustainable navigation in the limiting river section under study during the entire navigation period.Materials and methods. An analysis of engineering-geological and geoecological conditions of the region, including a limiting channel section of the Volga.Results. The engineering-geological and geoecological conditions of the region were characterized. A brief description of individual project proposals, including two priority construction projects, a low-pressure hydroelectric unit and a ship canal, was provided with a comparative assessment of natural and man-made factors arising during their implementation.Conclusion. The implementation of the project for the construction of the Volgo-Don 2 canal should be an important stage in the development of the Unified deep-water system of waterways in the European part of the Russian Federation. It will replenish the Don River from the Volga in order to improve navigation conditions, land irrigation, water supply to settlements, and power generation.

О РЕЗУЛЬТАТАХ СОПОСТАВЛЕНИЯ ПРОЕКТОВ КАНАЛОВ "ЕВРАЗИЯ" И "ВОЛГО-ДОН2" ПО ОСНОВНЫМ ТЕХНИЧЕСКИМ ПАРАМЕТРАМ

The purpose of this article is to compare major infrastructure projects of the water transport connection between the Caspian Sea and the Azov-Black Sea basin –the «Eurasia» canal and the «Volgo-Don 2» canal on the following parameters of comparison: the height of the watershed, the length of the canals, water supply of canals, the conditions and intensity of navigation. The need to build a new shipping canal is due to the projected increase in the volume of cargo transportation from the Caspian Sea that will cause difficulties in the existing Volgo-Don canal. The authors of the study have analyzed and summarized the research materials containing information about the design decisions on the «Eurasia» canals and the second branch of the Volgo-Don shipping canal. Realization of the project canal «Eurasia» will significantly decrease the delivery time of cargoes, including oil from the Caspian Sea and Central Asian countries to the Black and Azov sea; cut the cost of transportation between these regions in comparison with transportation by «VDSC2» (by reducing the length of the waterway); increase in the strategic plan the reliability and safety of water transport links of the two seas basins on parallel directions; create conditions for socio-economic and industrial development of the canal region s. adjacent to the track. In the case of «VDSC-2», the following prospects for construction are highlighted: to ensure the passage of the additional cargo flow expected in connection with the growth of industrial production in Russia in recent years and the corresponding increase in the traffic of industrial and agricultural goods by water transport; to strengthen Russia’s political and economic infl uence on the countries of the southeast region and the European community; to intensify the development of the domestic shipbuilding to create a specialized fl eet for effi cient operation in the conditions of international transportation on internal and external waterways; to increase capacity and, consequently, the economic efficiency of the operation of international transport corridors «North-South» and «East-West».

Shipping canals on the downstream migration route of European eel (Anguilla anguilla): Opportunity or bottleneck?

AbstractMigrating fish species are worldwide in decline due to several global changes and threats. Among these causes are man‐made structures blocking their freshwater migration routes. Shipping canals with navigation locks play a dual role in this. These canals can serve as an important migration route, offering a short cut between freshwater and the sea. In contrast, the navigation locks may act as barriers to migration, causing delays and migration failures. To better understand these issues for downstream migrating fish, we studied the behaviour of European eels (Anguilla anguilla) in the Albert Canal at two scales. The mid‐scale contained a 27‐km canal pound confined by two navigation lock complexes, in which we released and tracked 86 silver eels. The small scale was a 200 × 150 m area just in front of the most downstream complex of the canal pound, where we analysed the behaviour of 33 eels in relation to the flow field resulting from a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. This paper discusses the factors influencing fish behaviour, and the relation between these behaviours on both scales. On the mid‐scale, migration efficiency resulted from a combination of intrinsic behaviour and flow in the canal pound. Also on the small scale, intrinsic behaviour influenced the success to pass the navigation lock. Increasing the flow would create more attraction and passage opportunities and hence facilitate migration through shipping canals, but only if this flow guides the fish through safe passage routes.

Distribution of Eurytemora caspica Sukhikh & Alekseev, 2013 (Copepoda, Calanoida) in the water reservoirs of the Volga and Don river basins

Abstract The zooplankton composition of the Volga, Kama and Don rivers was studied in the summers of 2015-2018. The copepod Eurytemora caspica Sukhikh & Alekseev, 2013, recently isolated from the group of species contained in Eurytemora affinis, represents a widespread (50-100% of samples) and relatively abundant (maximum abundance up to 18 × 103 ind./m3) species. It is found in the Lower and Middle Volga from the city of Astrakhan to the mouth of the Kama River, in the Kama River to the upper reaches of the Kama reservoir, in the lower and middle sections of the Don River within the Tsimlyansk reservoir, as well as in the reservoirs of the Volga-Don shipping canal. In the Kama River, E. caspica was discovered by the author for the first time in 2016. In other habitats, it was previously identified as Eurytemora affinis (Poppe, 1880), although this particular species was not found in any of the analysed samples. The distribution features and habitat conditions of Eurytemora caspica in the rivers of the basins of the Caspian and Azov seas are discussed.

Tracing the colonization process of non-native gobies into a large river: the relevance of different dispersal modes

Ponto-Caspian gobies have invaded many river systems in the northern hemisphere, but their colonization patterns often remain unrecognized at the early stages of invasion. Here, we analyzed the ongoing invasion of the round goby Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814) in the Elbe River (Germany) by combining literature research with electrofishing and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling. Along the surveyed 517 km, abundances peaked in the upper and lower sections, while low or no goby abundances were detected in the middle section. Combining the results of the field survey and literature data, we inferred four dispersal modes, jointly appearing during the colonization. (1) Human mediated transport, which was responsible for the initial colonization of the tidal Elbe and for a jumpy expansion to the upstream sections. (2) Fast downstream colonization, which was particularly observed for juvenile individuals. (3) Slow upstream migration, which was also recorded for another goby species, the bighead goby Ponticola kessleri (Günther, 1861) and (4) Lateral invasion via a major shipping canal in the middle river section. The eDNA analyses generally supported these conclusions and showed a high sensitivity and thus increased detection strength at low goby densities. Our study showed that the location of the first occurrence, as well as the dispersal mode, strongly determines the invasion process of non-native gobies.

Altered surface hydrology as a potential mechanism for subsidence in coastal Louisiana

Abstract. The natural wetlands of coastal Louisiana are experiencing rapid subsidence rates averaging 9±1 mm yr−1. Recent measurements based on GPS data and CRMS surface elevation tables (SETs) have shown that most of the subsidence is shallow and occurs in the uppermost 5 meters. Sources of subsidence and the origin of their spatial variability are strongly debated. Here we use CRMS SETs together with historic maps of coastal Louisiana to explore two hypotheses: (i) shallow subsidence is a result of accommodation created by (long-term) deep subsidence processes and self-weight consolidation, and (ii) changes in marsh hydrology (groundwater and surface water flows) have led to a recent increase in shallow subsidence. First, we find that, although self-weight consolidation would result in generally high observed shallow subsidence rates, it does not explain the rates nor the spatial variability of the CRMS SET data. Second, based on historic maps, we find that shallow subsidence rates are significantly higher for CRMS sites where shipping canals have reduced their distance to the marsh edge. This is potentially a result from increased sediment deposition, but CRMS data also show altered groundwater levels near the marsh edge. We find some indication that prolonged periods of low water could have led to increases in effective stresses that explain some of the rapid rates of shallow subsidence observed along Louisiana's coastline.

Inhalation and Dietary PCB Exposures in Urban and Rural Cohorts of U.S. School Children and their Mothers

PDS 62: Chemicals and metals: exposure and biomarkers, Johan Friso Foyer, Floor 1, August 28, 2019, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Background: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent man-made compounds that are carcinogenic, neurotoxic, immunotoxic, and act as endocrine disrupters. The AESOP Study is a rural and urban, community-based, prospective cohort study that assesses airborne and dietary exposures to all 209 PCBs and 72 OH-PCB metabolites in adolescent school children and their mothers. Methods: Exposures and risk factors were assessed through demographic, health, dietary (DHQ2), occupational and activity questionnaires and measurements of blood, urine, DNA, air, and food. We repeatedly evaluated indoor and outdoor air concentrations of PCBs from participants’ homes and from two rural and four urban schools over multiple seasons and years. The urban schools were located near a PCB-contaminated shipping canal off Lake Michigan. Air, blood and food samples were analyzed for PCBs using GC/MS-MS. Whole blood and surficial soil samples were analyzed for toxic metals using ICP-MS. Results: Concentrations of PCBs inside schools were 1−2 orders of magnitude higher than outdoors and were generally higher than in homes. Congener air profiles differed between schools and indicated the PCB sources as both legacy Aroclors and non-Aroclors from building materials. PCBs and OH-PCBs in the serum of the children showed enrichment of lower-chlorinated congeners compared to their mothers. Breast feeding was found to significantly decrease PCBs in mothers and increase PCBs in children who were breast fed. Modeling dietary intake and inhalation exposures (apportioning airborne exposures by time and location from activity logs) revealed that some children’s PCB inhalation exposure exceeded their exposure through diet, especially for the lower-chlorinated and more volatile PCBs. The AESOP study also showed that inhalation at school dominates children’s PCB inhalation exposures. Conclusions: To enhance children’s environmental health, air concentrations of PCBs in U.S. schools should be assessed in order to identify high-exposure locations and prioritize schools for replacement or repurposing.

Relaciones China-América Central: el caso de Nicaragua y el proyecto del canal interoceánico

Este trabajo analiza la relación entre China y Nicaragua, haciendo hincapié en el proyecto del canal interoceánico, recobrando algunas consideraciones teóricas sobre la dinámica capitalista. Además, hacemos un racconto histórico sobre las intenciones de abrir un canal en Nicaragua, y un análisis del proyecto canalero y su relación con China.