Environmental impacts of cooling system on Abou Qir bay

This study was conducted to evaluate the impacts of cooling water on cooling system of Abou Qir Power Plant and on the receiving Abou Qir Bay. Abou Qir Power Plant is a conventional steam electric power plant located in Alexandria Governorate, Egypt. Water and biota samples were collected monthly from cooling water and Abou Qir Bay over a year. Heavy metals, radionuclide, anions and total hydrocarbons were analyzed in the samples using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis [INAA], Gamma-ray Spectrometry [GS], Ion Selective Electrodes [ISE] and Gas Chromatography [GC]. The results revealed that the characteristics of inlet cooling water had a tendency to be corrosive to the cooling system. The outlet cooling water complied with Environmental Law 4/1994 in all measured parameters except phosphate, ammonia and total petroleum hydrocarbons. On the other hand, samples from all sites had the lowest annual total count of algae in winter and highest count during summer. There are -ve correlation's between algae and heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and radioactivity. Algae correlated highly significantly [p<0.01] with Pb, Cu, Ni, total petroleum hydrocarbons, dissolved petroleum hydrocarbon and uranium. Anabaena Sp. [blue green algae] and Euglina Sp.[flagellate] had highly significant [p<0.01] -ve correlation with heavy metals and natural radioactivity. The accumulation percentage of heavy metals by algae ranged from 22% to 37%, and the highest percent was for uranium and the lowest was for chromium. It is recommended to optimize the addition of polyphosphate inhibitor at inlet cooling water to inhibit corrosion in the cooling system and to avoid increase of Anabaena Sp. in the outlet, and to avoid enhancing algae growth that has a great tendency to accumulate heavy metals, and good housekeeping to avoid oil spills containing hydrocarbons from the power plant to sea water

Assessment of primary school environment in the eastern zone of Alexandria

The aim of this study was to assess the physical environmental hazards, together with their impacts on health status of the children. 15 primary mixed schools and the new 5 post-earthquake schools were included in this study. From these schools 100 classes were examined. Assessment of the school and class environmental with the review of the medical records of the pupils were performed. The results showed that the condition of school sanitation was unsatisfactory where the water supply was far from the satisfactory standard in all schools. Also, sewage disposal was completely unsatisfactory in both groups of schools either for the number of students/W. Cs or for the maintenance, illumination and ventilation. Even refuse disposal was inadequate in old schools more than newly constructed ones, it is noticed that the increased number of student/desk was the most important predictor of health problems beside the bad level of ventilation and cleanliness of the classroom. Regarding the noise pollution, the results showed that the outside environment had a considerable effect on noise level in the classrooms more than the inside environment