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Volume XIII |

The environmental impact of arable land in a protected area of community interest. Case study: ROSCI0123 Măcin Mountains, Romania

Abstract: Plant cultivation activities represent the widest form of environmental agression at global scale. Their sustainability influences the stability of natural ecosystems at local, regional and global level. In this context, the aim of this study is to assess the sustainability of arable land in ROSCI0123 Măcin Mountains using the Pimentel- Eulenstein model. The model takes into account as input data various parameters characterizing the agricultural activities in the whole area occupied by six administrative units (mechanization, chemical treatment, irrigation etc.), this way assesing the energy efficiency and sustainability of crop plants. The results show that the exploitation of arable land in ROSCI0123 Măcin Mountains is done unsustainably in terms of energy efficiency, leading to a medium risk of affecting the valuable environmental components. Under these conditions, improved farming management is a key component in the management of ROSCI0123 Măcin Mountains.

Volume IX |

Indoor Air Quality in Bucharest Housings in the Framework of Present Environmental Changes

Abstract: The indoor air quality represents one of the factors conditioning housing quality in urban residential spaces. The paper analyses the spatial and temporal distribution of parameters defining the indoor air quality from representative housings in Bucharest, correlated with their influence factors. The characterisation of permanent, seasonal and circumstantial influence factors was realised using the US EPA (1991) and WHO (2006) methodologies. Between November 2008 and February 2010 there were applied questionnaires for appreciating the dimension of influence factors inside and outside the housings. In the same time, for determining the values of representative indicators analysing the indoor air quality, measurements were realised in selected housings. From analysing the obtained results, it can be stated that in the indoor habitat of most residential spaces from Bucharest, the quality of air is unsatisfactory, values of human comfort recommended by international legislation being exceeded at indicators such as: volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide or particulate matter. The building’s ventilation systems are mostly dismantled or not functioning, and as a result the thermal isolation of buildings only aggravates these problems as it isn’t compensated with an improvement of the ventilation systems. The significant expansion of areas affected by Sick Building Syndrome, which are economically, ecologically and/or sanitary inefficient, in the framework of recent environmental changes, it requires an integrated approach of problems concerning the air quality management in Bucharest residential spaces.