Cense: a tool to assess combined exposure to environmental health stressors in urban areas.

This paper describes the structure of the Combined Environmental Stressors' Exposure (CENSE) tool. Individuals are exposed to several environmental stressors simultaneously. Combined exposure represents a more serious hazard to public health.

Bridging the gap between traffic generated health stressors in urban areas: predicting xylene levels in EU cities.

Many citizens live, work, commute, or visit traffic intensive spaces and are exposed to high levels of chemical health stressors. However, urban conurbations worldwide present monitoring "shortage" - due to economical and/or practical constraints - for toxic stressors such as xylene isomers, which can pose human health risks. This "shortage" may be covered by the establishment of associations between rarely monitored substances such as xylenes and more frequently monitored (i.

Building statistical associations to forecast ethylbenzene levels in European urban-traffic environments.

Emission from road traffic has become the most important source of local air pollution in numerous European cities. Epidemiological research community has established consistent associations between traffic-related substances and various health outcomes. Nevertheless, the vast majority of urban areas are characterised by infrastructure's absence to routinely monitor chemical health stressors, such as ethylbenzene.

Depth of manual dismantling analysis: a cost-benefit approach.

This paper presents a decision support tool for manufacturers and recyclers towards end-of-life strategies for waste electrical and electronic equipment. A mathematical formulation based on the cost benefit analysis concept is herein analytically described in order to determine the parts and/or components of an obsolete product that should be either non-destructively recovered for reuse or be recycled. The framework optimally determines the depth of disassembly for a given product, taking into account economic considerations.

Measuring combined exposure to environmental pressures in urban areas: an air quality and noise pollution assessment approach.

This study presents a methodological scheme developed to provide a combined air and noise pollution exposure assessment based on measurements from personal portable monitors. Provided that air and noise pollution are considered in a co-exposure approach, they represent a significant environmental hazard to public health. The methodology is demonstrated for the city of Thessaloniki, Greece.

A web-based Decision Support System for the optimal management of construction and demolition waste.

Wastes from construction activities constitute nowadays the largest by quantity fraction of solid wastes in urban areas. In addition, it is widely accepted that the particular waste stream contains hazardous materials, such as insulating materials, plastic frames of doors, windows, etc. Their uncontrolled disposal result to long-term pollution costs, resource overuse and wasted energy.

Electronic waste management cost: a scenario-based analysis for Greece.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is recognized as a priority waste stream internationally, mostly due to their volume and hazardousness. This paper presents an analysis for the quantification of WEEE management cost for Greece, taking into consideration scenarios for reverse logistics network's development and WEEE volume scenarios. Transportation cost, which represents a major cost element for any reverse logistics network, is modelled with the use of mathematical programming, targeting towards the optimization of locations for the development of required intermediate storage infrastructures.

Optimising reverse logistics network to support policy-making in the case of Electrical and Electronic Equipment.

Due to the rapid growth of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) volumes, as well as the hazardousness of obsolete electr(on)ic goods, this type of waste is now recognised as a priority stream in the developed countries. Policy-making related to the development of the necessary infrastructure and the coordination of all relevant stakeholders is crucial for the efficient management and viability of individually collected waste. This paper presents a decision support tool for policy-makers and regulators to optimise electr(on)ic products' reverse logistics network.

Decision support system for the optimal location of electrical and electronic waste treatment plants: a case study in greece.

Environmentally sound end-of-life management of Electrical and Electronic Equipment has been realised as a top priority issue internationally, both due to the waste stream's continuously increasing quantities, as well as its content in valuable and also hazardous materials. In an effort to manage Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), adequate infrastructure in treatment and recycling facilities is considered a prerequisite. A critical number of such plants are mandatory to be installed in order: (i) to accommodate legislative needs, (ii) decrease transportation cost, and (iii) expand reverse logistics network and cover more areas.

Decision support system for the evaluation of urban air pollution control options: application for particulate pollution in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Development of strategies to control urban air pollution is a complex and multi-disciplinary process involving a wide range of scientists with different expertise and interests. This paper presents an integrated assessment methodological scheme for the evaluation of air pollution control measures that are put forward in order to reduce sufficiently air pollution levels in urban areas. Forming long-term, efficient air pollution control strategies requires knowledge of the costs associated with their implementation, the emission inventories and emission reductions to be achieved, as well as the concentration variations that represent air quality levels in the area examined.

Air quality status in Greater Thessaloniki Area and the emission reductions needed for attaining the EU air quality legislation.

This paper aims at imprinting the urban air quality status and assessing the impact of various emission reduction scenarios on the photochemical and particulate matter air pollution levels in the Greater Thessaloniki Area, Greece. In particular, it is investigated under which conditions compliance with the EU air quality legislation can be achieved. For this purpose, the Ozone Fine Structure model is applied for a full calendar period (reference year 2002), as well as for specific scenarios, corresponding to predefined emission reductions for 2010.