Indoor carbon dioxide concentrations in Croatian elementary school classrooms during the heating season.

Aware that exposure to stuffy indoor air with high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) is associated with higher absenteeism and reduced academic performance in school pupils, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe initiated indoor air quality surveys in schools, including CO2 monitoring, to assess ventilation and exposure to stuffy air. Here we report the findings of the first such survey in Croatia. It was conducted in 60 classrooms of 20 urban and rural elementary schools throughout the country during the heating season.

Dumping and illegal transport of hazardous waste, danger of modern society.

Increasing the production of hazardous waste during the past few years and stricter legislation in the area of permanent disposal and transportation costs were significantly elevated above activities. This creates a new, highly lucrative gray market which opens the way for the criminalization. Of great importance is the identification of illegal trafficking of hazardous waste since it can have a significant impact on human health and environmental pollution.

Efficiency of alkaline hydrolysis method in environment protection.

Development of new technologies for the efficient use of proteins of animal origin, apart from heat treatment in rendering facilities that was used to date, has become the primary goal of the integral waste management system. The emergence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Europe and in the World in the 1990s opened up new questions regarding medical safety and use of meat bone meal in the animal feed, which is produced by processing animal waste. Animal waste is divided into three categories, out of which the first category is high-risk waste.

Green technologies--assumption of economic recovery.

Green technologies include implementation of technological projects in the field of environmental protection through all associated components, such as: waters, soil, air or biodiversity. Hence, such projects potentially become a driving force of new economic momentum in the conditions of post-crisis recovery. In addition, the support of this segment by the institutions of the European Union, either in terms of organization through the establishment of rules and systems for monitoring and control of environmental protection measures, and most importantly in terms of finances, by supporting the development of infrastructure for environmental protection, is today an indisputable category.

Development of the competitive business in the context of environmental legislation in Croatia.

Environmental protection has a key role in the context of crisis management. It is not just about development of the industry of environmental protection and implementation of new ways of management in innovative solutions in solving problems. Important area of improvement is also revision of environmental legislation aiming at simplification and reduction of costs of procedures for the business.

High-risk biodegradable waste processing by alkaline hydrolysis.

Biodegradable waste is by definition degraded by other living organisms. Every day, meat industry produces large amounts of a specific type of biodegradable waste called slaughterhouse waste. Traditionally in Europe, this waste is recycled in rendering plants which produce meat and bone meal and fat.

[Waste management strategy and the role of the environmental protection and energy efficiency fund].

On 14 October 2005, the Croatian Parliament adopted the National Strategy of Waste Management pursuant to Article 8 of the Waste Act. This strategy defines its objectives and the means to reach them, and gives an overview of the current situation in waste management. It seeks to provide a realistic framework for the effective reduction of national waste load and for a sustainable waste management.