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The importance of the DWP-led review of the controversial area of Employer's Liability Compulsory Insurance (ELCI) is reflected in the number and variety of parties involved in it. HM Treasury, [...]

The article discusses strike of Palestinian teachers in the West Bank government-run school system from February 14-March 13, 2016 to hold the Palestinian Authority to the terms of an agreement between the General Union of Palestinian Teachers (GUPT) and the Ministry of Education. Topics discussed include insufficiency of teachers' salaries, comments from strike committee member Wasfi al-Bargouthi about organization of the strike and police violence and checkpoints as part of repression.

Transport through the soil and vadose zone to groundwater of Escherichia coli, fecal coliforms, and Campylobacterspp. from pasturing of dairy cows was studied on two working dairy farms under a traveling irrigator and a center pivot system. Leachate was collected from 1.5 m depth using a large linear lysimeter over a period of 4 yr after rainfall or irrigation applied using a traveling irrigator. There was little transport of fecal coliforms or Campylobacterfrom irrigation applications of 55 mm. There was some transport of fecal coliforms at applications of 80 mm (corresponding to irrigation plus heavy rainfall) but no detectable CampylobacterWhen fresh cow pats were placed on half of the lysimeter plots with an 80‐mm water application, there was transport of fecal coliforms and Campylobacter, but levels of Campylobacterwere low (≤4 MPN L−1). Groundwater at the farm with center pivot spray irrigation was monitored monthly from September 2001 to June 2007, with 60% of samples being collected from downgradient wells. Escherichia coliwere detected in 5.4 and 2.8% of samples from upgradient and downgradient wells, respectively, at concentrations of ≥1 cfu 100 mL−1Campylobacterwas detected in 0.7% of samples over the study period, with equal percentages from up‐ and downgradient wells. The results indicate minimal impact of dairying at these sites on microbial quality of groundwater as a result of spray irrigation using traveling irrigators at rates of approximately 55 mm every 2 wk or center pivot irrigators at 18 mm every 3 to 4 d.

This experiment investigated bacterial transport from land-applied dairy shed effluent (DSE), via field lysimeter studies, using 2 contrasting irrigation methods. Transient water flow and bacterial transport were studied, and the factors controlling faecal coliform (FC) transport are discussed. Two trials (Trial 1, summer Trial 2, autumn) were carried out, using 6 undisturbed soil monolith lysimeters, 500 mm diameter by 700 mm deep, with a free-draining, Templeton fine sandy loam. DSE with inert chemical tracers was applied at the start of both trials using the same method, followed with repeated 14-day cycles of either flood or spray irrigation of water. A bacterial tracer, antibiotic-resistant faecal coliform, was added to the DSE in Trial 2 only, to distinguish applied FC from external or resident FC. Leachates were collected after each water application (or heavy rainfall when applicable) for enumeration of FC and measurement of tracers. All lysimeters were instrumented for monitoring volumetric water content, matric potential, and soil temperature at 4 depths (100, 250, 450, and 600 mm).The results showed that bacteria could readily penetrate through 700-mm-deep soil columns, when facilitated by water flow. The highest post-water irrigation concentration was 3.4 × 103 cfu/100 mL under flood irrigation, which resulted in more bacterial and Br–leaching than spray irrigation. Trial 2 (autumn) results also showed significant differences between irrigation treatments in lysimeters sharing similar drainage class (moderate or moderately rapid), flood irrigation again gave more bacterial and tracer (Cl–) leaching. In the summer trial, FC in leachate as high as 1.4 × 106 cfu/100 mL, similar to the concentration of DSE, was detected in one lysimeter that had a higher clay content in the topsoil immediately after DSE application, and before any water irrigation. This indicates that applied DSE leached through preferential flow paths without any dilution.Bacterial concentration in the leachate was positively correlated with both volumetric water content and water potential, and sometimes drainage rate. Greater bacterial leaching was found in the lysimeter with rapid whole-column effective hydraulic conductivity, Keff, for both flood and spray treatments. Occasionally, the effect of Keffon water movement and bacterial transport overrode the effect of irrigation. The ‘seasonal condition’ of the soil (including variation in initial water content) also influenced bacterial leaching, with less risk of leaching in autumn than in summer. These findings contribute to our increased understanding of bacterial transport processes on the field scale.

Bacterial transport in unsaturated soils is much less well understood than in saturated conditions, especially for intact soils. This paper aims to investigate the fate and transport of bacteria in intact soils with different water saturations, and particularly the effect of low suction (and hence removal of water flow in the largest macropores). An intact soil column (0.50m diameter by 0.70m depth) with a tension infiltrometer was used to investigate the transport and deposition of Bacillus subtilis endospores (i.e. dormant and persistent bacteria) during saturated and unsaturated flows. Soil porosity and pore size distribution were measured. Porosity decreased with depth and macropores were concentrated in the topsoil. Three tensiometers and a temperature sensor were installed along the soil column to monitor matric suction and temperature. Breakthrough curves for bacteria and chemical tracer Br? at 0 and 0.5kPa suction were obtained during the 3-month leaching experiment. Bacterial breakthrough occurred earlier than the inert chemical tracer, which is consistent with effects of pore size exclusion. Also, saturated flow gave a significantly higher concentration and recovery ratio of leached bacteria, i.e. 51% v. 0.88%. Recovery of Br? in leachate at both suctions reached >85%. The column was destructively sampled for deposited endospores at the completion of leaching. Bacterial deposition was concentrated in the top 0.10m, then decreased abruptly and was relatively constant with column depth, although showing some irregularity at the bottom of the column.