A. Ramirez

Long term and equilibrium factor indoor radon measurements

This paper presents the annual radon gas concentrations obtained during the 1994–1995 monitoring campaign using passive electret system (type E-PERM). Radon levels were measured in 154 single family dwellings, in normal occupancy conditions (open house condition) in the metropolitan zone of Mexico City. At the same time radon monitoring was performed outdoors. The results show the general log-normal distribution of integrated indoor radon concentration with an annual indoor mean of 3.8 pCi·l−1. The seasonal variations show the minimum mean values in the summer season which are 39% lower than that in autumn. Equilibrium factors (F) were measured in 12 typical houses both in autumn and winter using a continuous working level monitor for short-lived radon decay products and H-chamber loaded with a short term electret (HST, E-PERM) for radon gas. The obtained total mean equilibrium factors are:F=0.41±0.17 andF=0.29±0.04 for indoor and outdoor, respectively. A quality program was also improved.

Gamma radiation and radon levels in Mexico City dwellings

Gamma exposure rate and radon levels were measured in 75 single-family dwellings in Mexico City in order to correlate them with local environment. Radon monitoring was performed both indoors and outdoors using a continuous working level monitor for short-lived radon decay products; the gamma exposure rate was measured using CaSO4: Dy+PTFE. The results obtained show a log-normal distribution. The mean indoor radon concentration is lower than 45 Bq/m3 and the mean indoor gamma exposure rate was 11.29 μR/h.

X-Ray fluorescence analysis of dry deposit samples in Mexico City

Eighteen metallic elements were analyzed in dry deposit samples bymeans of X-ray fluorescence, atomic absorption spectrometry and plasma emissionspectrometry. Samples were obtained in 10 monitoring stations, covering Northeast,Northwest, Center, Southeast and Southwest areas of the Metropolitan Zoneof Mexico Valley (MZMV). The collection periods were two months during endsummer and autumn seasons in 1999 using an automatic sampler, placed at one-meterheight. Metallic element concentrations and the enrichment factors allowedus to classify elements having a common source: anthopogenic, like Pb, Zn,Cu , etc, natural (soil derived elements), like K, Ca, etc. Some correlationwas established between the obtained results and parameters such as the samplingplace, season, wind direction and soil composition in a single area.

Teaching Multinational, Multidisciplinary Sustainable Product Development

This paper describes a multinational program aimed at teaching processes and methods for sustainable product development using multidisciplinary project-based teams. The foundation course teaches processes for designing sustainable products and services, metrics and evaluation methods through a combination of lectures, project work, and examination of actual business cases. It is to be followed by courses on green manufacturing and pre-commercialization planning. The program features bi-national collaboration between the U.S. and Mexico, motivated by our shared vision for the development of sustainable solutions in a global context. The exploratory foundation course of the program, Design for Sustainability, was taught in Fall 2007 at the University of California at Berkeley with students and faculty members from 14 disciplines and three institutions: University of California at Berkeley (UCB), the California College of the Arts (CCA) in San Francisco, and the National University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City. This paper describes the course content, project experiences, faculty evaluation and student lessons learned from the foundation course as well as a proposed three-phase strategy for future program development.

Applying a Design Process to Create a Reduction Platform of GHG in Industries

This paper describes the final results of a project aiming at addressing climate change by creating a GHG reduction platform for businesses with carbon management needs in global markets. The project was carried out during a New Product Development course in a bi-national program between The University of California at Berkeley (UCB) and the National University of Mexico (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, UNAM) in Mexico City. The program features collaboration between the Engineering and Design Schools at UNAM and Engineering and Business Schools at UCB and the College of Architecture CCA. The project, The Carbon Collaborative (TCC) is aimed at consolidating and managing the wide variety of policies and instruments created by governments and environmental organizations to mitigate climate change, and the anthropogenic gas emissions emitted by industry in particular in the US and Mexico. Based on a web platform TCC will provide companies with information on carbon legislation and a centralized location to find transparent and certified methodologies for carbon emission assessment. The differences between the US and Mexican markets lead to advantages for each part. The US market is full of developed consulting enterprises, which is not the case in the Mexican arena, giving to TCC the opportunity of being pioneers to regulate and manage large and small emitters, government environmental agencies and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) companies.Copyright

Metallic pollutants in Mexico Valley

Pollution has reached critical levels in the Metropolitan Zone of Mexico Valley. Concerned about, the Faculty of Chemistry has been performing environmental studies since 1995. This work presents the distribution and evolution of metallic pollutants in the Metropolitan zone of Mexico Valley. Samples consisted in aerosol filters (classified as total solid particles and respirable particles) as well as dry fallout. Samples were collected in several areas of the Mexico Valley, in different seasons along successive years. Metallic elements were determined by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), X-ray fluorescence, and others techniques. Simultaneously, total solid particles (TSP) and respirable particles (RP) were determined by gravimetry. Elemental analysis of samples and matrix correlation allow us to establish some contaminant sources as well as relationship between concentration and relevant parameters.