Volume 9/Number I/J anuary 1978 t Giant Beach Cleaner Belgian engineer John Quatannens has designed and built a machine which he claims can clean dirty beaches at a rate of up to 5 acres an hour. The giant mobile beach-cleaner (the result of four years work by the 36 year old engineer from Middelkerke) is powered by a 450 hp MAN diesel engine. It scoops up sand which is sifted, impurities as small as a cigarette end removed and the cleaned sand is then deposited back onto the beach. Mr Quatannens built the 23 ton machine in his spare time and now hopes the effectiveness of the proto- type on his home town's beaches will lead to orders or contracts from other coastal authorities. Oil Pollution in the Baltic The worst chronic oil pollution in the world used to occur in the Baltic, where for many years there were regular winter kills of tens of thousands of wildfowl, and it was alleged that the numbers of Long-tailed Duck or Old-squaws Clangula hyemalis in particular had been reduced to a tenth, although the objective evidence for this seems rather tenuous. It is therefore particularly good news that the situation appears to be improving here as it is elsewhere in northwest Europe. Thus for example Gorski, Jakuzum, Nitecki & Petryna report that along the coast of Poland the average number of dead birds has fallen from over ten birds per km in the early 1970s to 3.2 birds per km in 1974-75 (Przegl. zool., 20, 81-87; 21, 20-23). Similarly, Joensen and Hansen report a dramatic decrease in mortality in Danish waters since the great disasters which killed over 30 000 birds in 1972 (Dan. Rev. Game BioL, 10, 31). They attribute the improvement to (1) increasing oil prices combined with improved recycling methods, (2) increased public sympathy with environmental protection, including some of the culprits, and (3) improved control and surveillance. A series of mild winters may also be important, since the birds are more widely scattered in mild weather, while they not only become concentrated in vulnerable places but also suffer more quickly from exposure after they become contaminated in cold weather. W. R. P. BOURNE New Metallic Effluents Study A report prepared for the Commission of the European Communities by l'Association Europ6enne Oc~anique on 'Metallic Effluents of Industrial Origin in the Marine Environment' and methods of measurement and control is now available. The metallic effluents examined were chromium, zinc, cadmium and cyano-metallic com- pounds and among the questions studied were whether industry is likely to be required in the future to adopt more stringent methods to control its own waste and what preventive technology can be developed to minimize the effect of these metallic pollutants. Copies of the report can be obtained, price £18 or US $30, from Graham & Trotman Ltd, 14, Clifford St, Mayfair, London W1X IRD. This company now also has available a new edition of the Directory of Pollution Control Equipment Companies in Western Europe, price (surface mail) £19.50 or US $39. Round-the-World News Israel The Ministry of the Interior is to set up 15 municipal environmental protection units to enable local authorities to make environmentally-sound decisions. This develop- ment which has been strongly advocated by the Environ- mental Protection Service, will equip local councils with the staff and data necessary to deal with environmental problems as they arise and the units will also collate information concerning all aspects of pollution. The units will operate their own monitoring systems of water, air and noise pollution and the supervision of shores, exclusive of bathing beaches, will also fall under their jurisdiction. They will be paying specific attention to the rehabilitation of polluted rivers and streams. 5

Oil pollution in the Baltic

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Volume 9/Number I / J anuary 1978

Giant Beach Cleaner Belgian engineer John Quatannens has designed and built a machine which he claims can clean dirty beaches at a rate of up to 5 acres an hour. The giant mobile beach-cleaner (the result of four years work by the 36 year old engineer from Middelkerke) is powered by a 450 hp MAN diesel engine. It scoops up sand which is sifted, impurities as small as a cigarette end removed and the cleaned sand is then deposited back onto the beach. Mr Quatannens built the 23 ton machine in his spare time and now hopes the effectiveness of the proto- type on his home town's beaches will lead to orders or contracts from other coastal authorities.

Oil Pollution in the Baltic The worst chronic oil pollution in the world used to occur in the Baltic, where for many years there were regular winter kills of tens of thousands of wildfowl, and it was alleged that the numbers of Long-tailed Duck or Old-squaws Clangula hyemalis in particular had been reduced to a tenth, although the objective evidence for this seems rather tenuous. It is therefore particularly good news that the situation appears to be improving here as it is elsewhere in northwest Europe. Thus for example Gorski, Jakuzum, Nitecki & Petryna report that along the coast of Poland the average number of dead birds has fallen from over ten birds per km in the early 1970s to 3.2 birds per km in 1974-75 (Przegl. zool., 20, 81-87; 21, 20-23). Similarly, Joensen and Hansen report a dramatic decrease in mortality in Danish waters since the great disasters which killed over 30 000 birds in 1972 (Dan. Rev. Game BioL, 10, 31). They attribute the improvement to (1) increasing oil prices combined with improved recycling methods, (2) increased public sympathy with environmental protection, including some of the culprits, and (3) improved control and surveillance. A series of mild winters may also be important, since the birds are more widely scattered in mild weather, while they not only become concentrated

in vulnerable places but also suffer more quickly from exposure after they become contaminated in cold weather.

W. R. P. BOURNE

New Metallic Effluents Study A report prepared for the Commission of the European Communities by l'Association Europ6enne Oc~anique on 'Metallic Effluents of Industrial Origin in the Marine Environment' and methods of measurement and control is now available. The metallic effluents examined were chromium, zinc, cadmium and cyano-metallic com- pounds and among the questions studied were whether industry is likely to be required in the future to adopt more stringent methods to control its own waste and what preventive technology can be developed to minimize the effect of these metallic pollutants. Copies of the report can be obtained, price £18 or US $30, from Graham & Trotman Ltd, 14, Clifford St, Mayfair, London W1X IRD. This company now also has available a new edition of the Directory of Pollution Control Equipment Companies in Western Europe, price (surface mail) £19.50 or US $39.

Round-the-World News I s r a e l The Ministry of the Interior is to set up 15 municipal environmental protection units to enable local authorities to make environmentally-sound decisions. This develop- ment which has been strongly advocated by the Environ- mental Protection Service, will equip local councils with the staff and data necessary to deal with environmental problems as they arise and the units will also collate information concerning all aspects of pollution. The units will operate their own monitoring systems of water, air and noise pollution and the supervision of shores, exclusive of bathing beaches, will also fall under their jurisdiction. They will be paying specific attention to the rehabilitation of polluted rivers and streams.