Environmental Science and Technology Department Annual Report 1996 Environmental Science and Technology Department Annual Report 1996
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DK9700093 DK9700093 Environmental Science and Technology Department Annual Report 1996 Environmental Science and Technology Department Annual Report 1996 Edited by A. Jensen, G. Gissel Nielsen, V. Gundersen, O.J. Nielsen, H. 0stergard and A. Aarkrog Risp National Laboratory, Roskilde, Denmark February 1997 VOL 281 18 Abstract The Environmental Science and Technology Department aspires to develop new ideas and methods for industrial and agricultural production through basic and applied research thus exerting less stress and strain on the environment. The Department endeavours to develop a com petent scientific basis for future production tech nology and management methods in industrial and agricultural production. The research approach in the Department is mainly experimen tal. Selected departmental research activities during 1996 are introduced and reviewed in seven chapters: 1. Introduction, 2. Atmospheric Che mistry and Air Pollution, 3. Gene Technology and Population Biology, 4. Plant Nutrition and Nu trient Cycling, 5. Trace Analysis and Reduction of Pollution in the Geosphere, 6. Ecology and 7. Other Activities. The Department's contribution to national and international collaborative research programmes are presented together with informa tion about the use of its large experimental facilities. Information about the Department's contribution to education and training are in cluded in the report along with lists of publica tions, publications in press, lectures and poster presentations at international meetings. The names of the scientific and technical staff mem bers, visiting scientists, Postdoctoral fellows, Ph D. students and M.Sc. students are also listed. ISBN 87-550-2284-7 ISSN 0106-2840 ISSN 0906-8090 Riso 1997 ? Ris0-R-972(EN) Contents 1 Introduction 5 1.1 The Department of Environmental Science and Technology 5 1.2 Research Programmes 5 1.3 Research Projects 8 1.4 New Strategy and Organisation of the Research at Rise National Laboratory 8 2 Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Pollution 10 2.1 The Gas Phase 10 2.2 The Liquid Phase 14 2.3 Atmospheric Environmental Chemistry 17 2.4 Chemistry of Combustion Products 23 2.5 Development of New and Alternative Fuels 26 3 Gene Technology and Population Biology 33 3.1 Epidemiology and Population Biology of the Powdery Mildew Fungus, Erysiphe gram inis f.sp. hordei 33 3.2 Molecular Biology of the Powdery Mildew Fungus, Erysiphe gram inis f.sp. hordei 39 3.3 Seed Borne Diseases of Barley and Wheat 40 3.4 Disease Resistance in Barley and Wheat 40 3.5 Stress-Related Barley Peroxidases 41 3.6 Genetic Analysis of Resistance to Leptospheria maculans (stat. con. Phoma lingam) in Oilseed Rape and Characterization of Fungal Isolates 43 3.7 Gene Mapping in Barley 43 3 8 Mapping of the Brassica Genomes 45 3.9 Quality of the Barley Grain 45 3.10 Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Plants 47 3.11 Seeds for Educational Purposes 50 4 Plant Nutrition and Nutrient Cycling 51 4.1 Genetical Background for Plant Uptake of Minerals and Organic Compounds 51 4.2 Biogeochemical Cycling of Carbon and Nitrogen in Agro-Ecosystems 52 4.3 Root-Microbe Symbioses 55 4.4 Plant Constituents 63 4.5 Climate Change Experiment 64 5 Trace Analysis and Reduction of Pollution in the Geosphere 67 5.1 Chemical Analysis 67 5.2 Trace Metals in the Geosphere 69 5.3 Organic Matter and Pollution in the Geosphere 71 5.4 Pretreatment and Conversion Processes of Agricultural and Industrial Waste 73 6 Ecology 77 6.1 Biosphere Atmosphere Exchange 77 6.2 Marine Tracers 82 6.3 Radioecological Models 86 6.4 Contamination Physics 100 6.5 Ecophysiology 106 6.6 Radioecology 107 Ris0-R-972(EN) 3 7 Other Activities 111 7.1 Molecular Dynamics and Photochemistry 111 7.2 Dosimetry and Industrial Irradiation 1 12 8 Special Facilities 113 8.1 The RIM1 Field Station 113 8.2 Dyskaergard, the Experimental Farm 113 8.3 Open Top Chamber Facility 113 8.4 Riso Environmental Risk Assessment Facility, RERAF 113 9 Publications 116 9.1 Refereed Journals 116 9.2 Books 1 19 9.3 Printed Abstracts and Proceedings 120 9.4 Research Reports 123 9.5 Other Publications 124 9.6 Presentations (Oral and Posters) 125 10 Papers accepted for Publication 129 11 Education 13 I 111 Titles of Flonour 131 112 Ph D. Theses 131 11.3 M. Sc. Theses 131 114 External Examiners 13 I 11.5 External Teaching and Lectures 132 12 Exchange of Scientists 133 13 Guest Lectures 13 5 14 Committee Membership 136 14.1 National 136 14.2 International 137 15 Seminars and Courses Organized 139 16 Scientific Results and Finances 140 16.1 Scientific Results 140 16.2 Finances 141 17 Personnel 142 17.1 Scientific staff 142 17.2 Technical Staff 143 17.3 Office Staff 144 17.4 Ph D. Students 144 17.5 M. Sc. Students 144 17.6 B Sc Students 144 17.7 Apprentices 144 18 Acronyms 145 4 Ris0-R-972(EN) 1 Introduction 1.1 The Department of Environmental 1.2 Research Programmes Science and Technology 1.2.1 Atmospheric Chemistry and Research Objectives Air Pollution The Department is engaged in research to establish the scientific basis for new methods in The effect of human activity on the global at industrial and agricultural production. Through mosphere has become increasingly evident during basic and applied experimental research, the the last decades. Changes in the atmospheric Department aspires to develop methods and composition and chemistry influence both local, technology for industrial and agricultural produc regional and global climate. tion, exerting less stress on the environment. The goals of research, on natural and anthro pogenic influences on the atmosphere, are to Approach understand the role of the different forcing The Department's expertise spans a wide range of functions. Understanding the fundamental pro subjects including atmospheric chemistry, chemi cesses is absolutely essential in building a cal kinetics in the liquid and gas phase, geoche predictive capability of these forcings. The mistry, geochemical modelling, hydrochemistry, complete atmospheric degradation for each analytical chemistry, process chemistry, plant individual compound must be known in order to molecular biology, plant pathogenicity, plant quantify known, and as yet unknown, potential genetics, population biology, plant nutrition, atmospheric environmental problems. nutrient cycling, ecophysiology, marine and The new substitute compounds, the HFCs, terrestrial ecology, radioecology and tracemetal have been shown to be environmentally accept ecology. able. New fire-fighting agents and new solvents The results of research and development are will be investigated for their environmental disseminated internationally to companies, insti acceptability. A study of alternative fuels and tutions, organizations and public authorities additives will be a major part of our future through scientific publications, research reports, research. Global warming potentials, GWPs, are lectures and posters at scientific - and other used to characterize the relative contributions to professional meetings, personal communication radiative forcing. GWPs are provided from model with collaborators and through teaching courses calculations and depend largely on the atmos at universities. pheric lifetime and the infrared absorption The research and development activities in the spectrum of a species. Atmospheric research aims Department are planned for three years and at establishing a firm scientific basis for sensible reassessed every year. The research activities are and effective legislative measures, to reduce the mainly funded directly from the government or industrial and agricultural impact on the atmos from National Science Research Councils. How pheric environment. In order to model and predict ever, national and European research program changes in the atmospheric composition, it is mes, private foundations and commercial con essential to develop a better understanding of the tracts also make substantial contributions to the chemical processes in the atmosphere. Deposition total budget of the Department. Scientific results of airborne pollutants can give rise, either to and finances can be seen in Chapter 16. direct injuries to plants and animals, or to indirect damage through bio-accumulation in ecosystems Riso-R-972(EN) 5 Research activities include basic atmospheric plants and weeds, and between crop plants and chemistry, gas kinetics, determination of the pathogens. influence of atmospheric processes, determina Studies of plant population biology are neces tion of primary and secondary pollutants, sary to predict the consequences of using new transport and dispersion of air pollutants and the genotypes possessing transgenes. Introgression of effect of air pollution on trees, crop plants and genes from crop plants to their wild relatives is terrestrial ecosystems. being studied to assess the risks of releasing genetically modified plants Further, the evolutio 1.2.2 Gene Technology and Population nary processes imposed by interactions between Biology crop plants and wild plant species are being studied. Oilseed rape and wild Brassica species The Department aims to establish the scientific are used as model systems for these studies. basis for breeding crop plants with new and Experiments in population biology and theore stronger resistance to diseases and with improved tical studies of interactions between populations nutrient efficiency Crop plants, highly resistant are important in the understanding of the ecosy to diseases and efficient in nutrient uptake, are a stems.