Barry, S. C., Hayes, K. R., Hewitt, C. L., Behrens, H. L., Dragsund, E., and Bakke, S. M. 2008. Ballast water risk assessment: principles, processes, and methods. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 121–131. Two methods of assessing the risk of species introduction by ballast water are discussed, species-specific and environmental similarity assessments, each for alignment with four proposed principles of risk-based resource management: (i) society accepts that low risk scenarios exist; (ii) risk assessment is capable of identifying low risk scenarios; (iii) risk mitigation strategies exist; and (iv) mitigation costs are less than the cost of performing risk assessment. All four principles were met in some circumstances for both methods. Species-specific ballast water risk assessment is best suited to situations where the assessment can be restricted to a limited set of harmful species on journeys within bioregions where ballast water is a small component of natural genetic exchange. Environmental similarity risk assessment is appropriate for journeys that start and end in locations which have very little or no natural genetic exchange, such as journeys between non-contiguous bioregions. Because a large number of species are not assessed individually, environmental match assessments necessarily will be restricted to fundamental variables such as temperature and salinity. A number of bioregion classifications have been identified in the world’s oceans, some of which at a scale that may be appropriate for ballast water management. The suitability of any particular classification, however, needs further examination.
Objectives:The aims of the study were to investigate the feasibility and preliminary outcome of a Norwegian web-based self-help application for vestibular rehabilitation (VR) among patients with high symptom burden of chronic dizziness fulfilling the criteria for persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD). Materials and methods:The web application consists of six weekly online sessions, with written information and video presentations. It is self-instructive and freely available on NHI.no (https://nhi.no/for-helsepersonell/vestibular-rehabilitering/). Ten consecutive patients referred to a neurologic outpatient clinic for chronic dizziness were included. They signed informed consent forms and were examined at inclusion and after three months. State of health and symptom burden were recorded using Vertigo symptom score (VSS), Niigata symptom score (NPQ), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and health-related quality of life score (EQ5D-5L). Experiences with the program were measured using a semi-structured interview at the end of the study.Results: Nine out of ten patients completed the program. The findings suggest that the web application was easy to use, instructive and educatable. Challenges were the load of exercises, motivation to continue training during relapses and performing the body rolling on the floor. Participants had high symptom burden (VSS mean 32.9) and long duration of symptoms in years (mean 11.5). The participants improved on average 6.9 points on the VSS score.Conclusions: This web application for chronic dizziness appears to be feasible and may reduce symptoms in patients who have struggled with serious and long-lasting dizziness.
This paper presents the initial results of a research project initiated by Conoco Norway, Inc. (CNI) late in 1989. The objective of the project is to develop a screening protocol for determining the potential environmental impacts of five types of chemicals typically used in offshore oil and gas production operations in the North Sea. The protocol includes tests for determination of bioaccumulation potential, oil-water distribution factor, biodegradation potential, and toxicity. When fully developed, the protocol represents one possible approach to implementing the proposed PARCOM standard testing program. Only the results for the bioaccumulation potential and oil-water distribution factor are presented here. For determination of bioaccumulation potential, the High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is recommended. The oil-water distribution factor can be determined by surrogate parameters as total organic carbon (TOC), UV-absorption or gas chromatography (GC). This factor is critical in sample preparation and evaluation of the environmental fate and effect of oilfield chemicals. Both acute and chronic toxicity should be taken into consideration for evaluation of toxicity. The ratio between the highest likely concentration of the chemical in the environment (Potential Environmental Concentrations - PEC) and the lowest concentration, at which harmful effects are likely to be observed (Minimum Adverse Effect Concentration - MAEC) gives the size of the apparent margin of safety.
Cost/environmental benefit comparisons of different produced water disposal options were performed for the Draugen platform on the Norwegian ContinentalShelf. Comparison of the environmental risk for the year of maximum water production, as well as the integrated environmental risk for the predicted lifetime of the field was made for the different produced water disposal options. Discharges of natural constituents, as well as residual production and injection chemicals in produced water were included in the risk assessment. High level cost environmental benefit evaluations have been carried out. A Base Case, meeting the present oil in water discharge permit was defined. Differences in cost/environmental benefit of the potential disposal options were quantitatively compared to the Base Case. Uncertainties in the figures are discussed. The work presented here is one of the inputs to the Draugen produced water disposal programme. Feasibility studies will develop more reliable cost and performance data. Decisions on future produced water disposal at Draugen will be based on the final results and recommendations in the produced water programme. An approach has also been suggested and used for weighting potential long-term effects of the discharges. This provides important additional information to the risk assessment results. Introduction The Draugen platform operated by A/S Norske Shell E&P (Exploration and Production) is located on Haltenbanken, an environmental sensitive area on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The platform is located at a 250 m water depth. Oil production started October 1993 and is predicted continuing until year2012. Seawater injection was initiated in 1994 to maintain the pressure in the reservoir. Water production started on a continuous basis in 1998. In September1999, 2% water cut was reached. The water cut in later field life is expected to reach ~88%. The maximum water production is expected in year 2006 (35–40 000m3/day). As the water production increases, it is expected that the existing produced water system will not meet the present discharge quality requirement(40 ppm oil in water - OIW). A produced water programme was initiated in 1998 to meet future environmental and technical challenges. Cost and performance efficiency of different disposal options have been evaluated. Environmental risk over the predicted lifetime of the Draugen field was determined for the different disposal options using the internationally accepted PEC/PNEC (PEC: Predicted Environmental Concentration, PNEC: Predicted No Effect Concentration) approach for the different natural constituents and residual chemicals present in the produced water. Several different produced water disposal options were evaluated. The presently available risk assessment methodologies are only feasible for evaluating environmental risk over a relatively short time-span. An alternative approach has therefore been proposed for evaluating the potential long-term effects of the discharges (open sea risk assessment).
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