A series of mesoscale burns were conducted in 1998 to assess fire-resistant booms, twelve of these were used to study emissions from diesel oil burns. Extensive sampling and monitoring were conducted to determine the emissions at nine downwind ground stations, one upwind ground station, and at six side stations. Particulates were measured using high-volume samplers and real-time particulate analyzers. Particulate samples in air were taken and analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Water under the burns was analyzed; small amounts of PAHs were found. The burn residue was analyzed for PAHs as well. PAHs were at about the same concentration in the residue than in the starting oil, however, there is a slight differential concentration increase in some higher molecular weight species in the residue. Combustion gases including carbon dioxide, sulphuric acid aerosols, and sulphur dioxide were very low and in some cases undetectable. Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions were measured in Summa canisters. Over 100 compounds were identified and quantified; most concentrations were too low to be considered a health risk. It was concluded that small burns of this size (burn area about 25 m2) are too small to pose a health hazard.
A great deal of information about potential catastrophic global change has emerged through multiple media sources in the past several years, yet little change has been forthcoming from the populace at large. To assess penetration and effect of this information, an inductive qualitative study was performed. Nineteen college-aged men and women from a medium-sized Midwestern university participated in three interviews which asked questions relating to their awareness of global climate problems, population size, and personal resource usage. Nine themes emerged from the data, each suggesting that the individuals interviewed were somewhat aware of current and potential problems, yet showed little concern, and were, overall, not invested in changing their behaviors to address the perceived environmental problems. Further research may include a wider demographic sample and questions designed to assess the psychodynamics of participant responses.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.