An EC project (IC15-CT98-0904 / PL979021) under this title commenced November 1998 courtesy of Dr Jindrich Zahradnik, sadly since deceased. In dedication to his memory overviewed here are contributions from the four partners whose lead investigators appear as authors (plus coordinator as corresponding author) with principals and researchers recognised in cited literature. A website (www.copernicus.aston.ac.uk) has been launched to disseminate major individual components and collaborations facilitated by study exchanges, also envisaged exploitation by industries. Drawing on this material we outline partners' established expertise and its unification under EC umbrella funding. To avoid confusion on due credit for contributions, references are designated by first letters of the above-named authors. At risk of appearing to favour ones' own wares, we humbly refer readers to our cited papers for contextual commentaries.