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Projects

The two most extensive  projects solved in TGM WRI are „Research Project 1“ focused on water issues and „Research project 2“ focused on waste issues, which are described below. The short descriptions of all projects solved in TGM WRI can be found here / odkaz na pdf s angl anotacemi všech ukolu.

Research Project 1

Research and Protection of Hydrosphere – research of relationships and processes in water component of the environment, focused on the impacts of human pressures, sustainable use and protection of the hydrosphere, and related legislative tools

The objective of the research project MZP0002071101 is a comprehensive and long-term research of the hydrosphere, with emphasis on relationships and processes in the aquatic component of the environment, impacts of human pressures, sustainable use and protection of the hydrosphere, including the development of related legislative tools and technical measures. The general strategy of the research programme aims to ensure a headstart of general knowledge in the various areas of project investigation. The acquired research results are applied in developing real-world systems for evaluation of phenomena and processes taking place in the environment, individual anthropogenic stresses with classification of their severity and precariousness, in developing guidelines and protective measures, including proposals for mechanisms to direct and ensure correct function of legal tools. Investigation of the project combines laboratory methods and field measurements of significant parameters with measurements and quantification of individual processes taking place within the environment. The research project is planned for the period from 2005 to 2011. To ensure efficient control and organization, the project is structured into sections by topic and into subprojects, 30 of which were investigated in 2010. Since the beginning of 2008, the research programme has been divided into seven topics, as follows:

A – Hydrology,

B – Populations and organisms,

C – Anthropogenic impacts on surface waters,

D – Water and specifically protected nature components,

E – Blanket and diffuse sources of pollution,

F – Legislative tools, systems for balancing, predicting, evaluating and informational purposes,

G – Project coordination and management.

Research Project 2

Waste management research for the protection of environment and sustainable development (prevention and minimization of waste quantity and its assessment)

The project focuses on investigation of both long-term issues and current topics reflecting recent development in the legislation pertaining to waste management and the needs of public administration in that area.

The activities within the projects are organized in several work blocks. The main topics are e.g. biologically degradable wastes and compost and digested material from commercially operated composting plants and biogas stations.

The research of municipal wastewater treatment plant sludge focuses on the determination of the levels of contamination with macro-pollutants – selected residues of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in line with the current developments and research in the area of wastewater treatment sludge in EU member states.

A database of waste processing technologies, intended for waste management professionals, waste producers, and the general public is published at the TGM WRI website.

The flows of selected waste materials are investigated in accordance with new findings

in order to facilitate designing of applicable indicators and limits in line with tests performed, relevant for products made from such waste materials.

Information is collected on the presence and management of waste materials containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs) within the Czech Republic. Investigations focus on the content of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) in sludge, the content of polybrominateddiphenyl ethers (PBDE) from car wreckage processing, the content of the perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from electronic waste processing. Laboratories of the TGM WRI have introduced analytic methods for the determination of the PFOS and PFOA contents.

Long-term research includes monitoring of hazardous substance content in previously non-utilized waste fractions originating from crushed car wreckages and crushed electronic waste that was deposited mostly in landfills.

Research in the area of leaching capacity of waste materials focuses among others on methods of up-flow percolation test for crushed materials in accordance with the standard CEN/TS 14405.

The research project also includes technical verification of landfills: the data collected are classified and subsequently a list of landfill facilities in the Czech Republic was updated.

Research of the registration of contaminated sites is used primarily for refining of the basic central database Contaminated Sites Registration System.

Research and evaluation of old contaminated sites is dedicated mostly to surveys of polluted localities in cooperation with the Czech Environmental Inspection.