An AHP-ELECTRE framework to evaluate barriers to green supply chain management in the leather industry

ABSTRACT

The leather-processing industry (LPI) is constantly polluting the environment in Bangladesh. As a result, stakeholders are continuously pressurizing managers working in LPI to embrace green leather-processing activities. Thus, the green concept is attracting significant attention from managers in the Bangladeshi LPI. However, the industry is struggling with many barriers to implementing green supply chain management (GSCM). There are many studies regarding barriers to GSCM. However, those studies failed to show the possible pathways to implement GSCM. This study addresses the gap by evaluating barriers to GSCM considering effective pathways to GSCM. In this study, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is integrated with Elimination Et Choix Traduisant La Realite (ELECTRE-I) method to identify and prioritize the barriers and to rank the possible pathways to implementing GSCM in the leather industry. To accredit the proposed framework, it is implemented on a leather-processing factory in Bangladesh. A sensitivity analysis is performed to inspect the strength of the outcome of this method. The outcome of this study indicates that the high cost of advanced technology is the most important barrier to implement GSCM while green technology and techniques are the most effective pathways to GSCM. The findings of this research will support researchers and practitioners by giving insights on barriers and possible pathways to implementing GSCM.     

Prioritization of applicable drivers for green supply chain management implementation toward sustainability in Thailand

ABSTRACT

It is essential that the green supply chain management (GSCM) implementation is effectively supported by several strategic drivers for successful implementation and sustainability, especially for the ‘green’ start-ups with a sustainability-driven organizational strategy. This study aims to determine and prioritize the applicable drivers for GSCM implementation of sustainable development strategies in the electronics industry in Thailand. The applicable drivers and their priorities are obtained by applying the fuzzy group decision-making approaches including fuzzy Delphi and fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process, based on Thai experts’ perspectives. In this study, three prominent organizational theories, resource-based view, relational view, and institutional theory, are needed to explain the drivers of sustainability and to develop a hierarchical model for prioritization of the drivers. Finally, based on the findings of this study, several recommendations are made that may help to improve the sustainable development in Thailand through more effective implementation of GSCM.     

Is ISO 14001 a gateway to more advanced voluntary action? The case of green supply chain management

Using Japanese facility-level data, we estimate the effects of ISO 14001 certification on the promotion of more advanced practices, namely green supply chain management (GSCM). Our results show that ISO 14001 promotes GSCM practices. Facilities with environmental management systems (EMS) certified to ISO 14001 are 40% more likely to assess their suppliers' environmental performance and 50% more likely to require that their suppliers undertake specific environmental practices. Further, government programs that encourage voluntary EMS adoption indirectly promote GSCM practices. These programs increase the probabilities that facilities will assess their suppliers' environmental performance and require suppliers to undertake specific environmental practices by 7% and 8%, respectively. Combined, these findings suggest that there may be significant but previously unnoticed spillover effects of ISO 14001 and government promotion of voluntary action.     

Arsenic testing field kits: some considerations and recommendations

In recent years field test kits have been largely used to identify arsenic (As) levels in contaminated water sources in Bangladesh, West Bengal (India), and elsewhere in the world to establish whether or not the water is safe. Most of the kits are based on the reaction of arsine gas with some chemical agent to form a coloured complex; the intensity of the colour is compared visually with a colour-coded chart or measured electronically to calculate the concentration of As in the water sample. In this paper, a step-wise review is presented of the analytical process used in the most commonly available As field test kits and the associated shortcomings of each of these kits. We also identify the research gaps for future work to enhance the accuracy and reliability of test results produced by these kits.     

进化毒理学——化学品管理的信息工具？

进化毒理学关注的是污染驱动的种群间遗传分化的驱动因子,机制和结果。焦点问题涉及作为选择压力的化学污染类型,遗传学、表观遗传学和受种群影响的人口统计学,以及可能伴随着快速适应的适宜性代价和交叉抗性。在这一领域,研究人员将环境化学、保护遗传学、种群生物学和毒理学的工具结合起来,以了解受影响群体的稳定性和健康。最近有关进化毒理学的研究展示了多样化的种群适应污染案例（青鳉鱼、绦钩虾属和食蚊鱼）。根据定义,“适应”是通过某些个体和基因型的局部丧失实现的,因此提供了生物多样性丧失的单一证据。化学品管理通常主要通过实验室研究预测评估与化学品暴露相关的风险,进化毒理学则通过提供对种群和群落的影响的直接证据补充了这种方法。最近由环境毒理学和化学学会（SETAC）工作组EVOGENERATE（进化和化学品的多代效应）发起了讨论进化毒理学研究对化学品管理的效用。为了进一步讨论,请学术界、政府和工业界三个部门各派一名代表就下列问题发表意见：[在正文中提供]     

Ecotoxicological characterization of tannery wastewater in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Tanning industries are one of the main economic activities in Bangladesh. It has been well documented that wastewater discharged from tanneries without appropriate treatment results in detrimental effects on the ecosystem. No ecotoxicity evaluation of any aquatic environment in Bangladesh has been conducted so far. In this study a battery of toxicity bioassays and chemical analysis were carried out from water samples obtained from three sampling points: upstream from discharging site on River Buriganga (S1), raw wastewater effluent (S2), and downstream the discharging sluice gate (S3), in the Hazaribagh tannery area of Dhaka City, Bangladesh. While S1 and S3 water samples did not show significant toxicity in the bioassays tested, S2 exhibited high acute toxicity to the bacterium Vibrio fischeri (15-min Microtox test, EC50 = 9.8%), the higher plant Lactuca sativa (5-day root elongation inhibition test, EC50 = 14.2%), and the microcrustacean Daphnia magna (24-hour mobility test, EC50 = 31.5%). The results suggested that the raw wastewater effluent had detrimental effects on broad spectrum of organisms in the aquatic ecosystem and bacterium was the most sensitive. The chemical analysis revealed that sample S2 contained an extremely high concentration of chromium (47 g l(-1)). Additionally microbiological analysis indicated that the sampling area is impacted by fecal pollution, increasing the environmental health risk for its inhabitants.     

Chemical speciation and potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in volcanic rocks of Southern Qinghai,China

ABSTRACT

Seven volcanic rocks samples were collected from Southern Qinghai to analyze chemical speciation and migration behavior of heavy metals by sequential chemical extraction procedure and column leaching test. The geo-accumulation index, ecological risk index and the risk assessment code were applied to assess the heavy metal pollution and potential environmental effects in this area. Results revealed that the total concentrations of heavy metals did not exceed the background values in soil of this area. Most of the samples produced acid rock drainage. The order of heavy metal migration and transformation sequence in the volcanic rocks of Zhiduo region was Cd?>?Pb?>?As?=?Cu?=?Zn?=?Mn based on the geo-accumulation index and Cd caused heavy pollution, which was also confirmed by the leaching test. Moderate potential ecological risk posed by heavy metals occurred in the study area based on the potential ecological risk index. Cd contributed to most of ecological risk while the remaining heavy metals (except As) exerted medium to high risks to the environment according to the risk assessment code evaluation results. In summary, volcanic rocks possessed potential risks to the surroundings due to potential release of heavy metals. Cd that caused the pollution should be paid special attention.     

Arsenic levels in rice grain and assessment of daily dietary intake of arsenic from rice in arsenic-contaminated regions of Bangladesh—implications to groundwater irrigation

Chronic exposure to arsenic (As) causes significant human health effects, including various cancers and skin disorders. Naturally elevated concentrations of As have been detected in the groundwater of Bangladesh. Dietary intake and drinking water are the major routes of As exposure for humans. The objectives of this study were to measure As concentrations in rice grain collected from households in As-affected villages of Bangladesh where groundwater is used for agricultural irrigation and to estimate the daily intake of As consumed by the villagers from rice. The median and mean total As contents in 214 rice grain samples were 131 and 143 μg/kg, respectively, with a range of 2–557 μg/kg (dry weight, dw). Arsenic concentrations in control rice samples imported from Pakistan and India and on sale in Australian supermarkets were significantly lower (p < 0.001) than in rice from contaminated areas. Daily dietary intake of As from rice was 56.4 μg for adults (males and females) while the total daily intake of As from rice and from drinking water was 888.4 and 706.4 μg for adult males and adult females, respectively. From our study, it appears that the villagers are consuming a significant amount of As from rice and drinking water. The results suggest that the communities in the villages studied are potentially at risk of suffering from arsenic-related diseases.     

Implementation of food frequency questionnaire for the assessment of total dietary arsenic intake in Bangladesh: Part B, preliminary findings

Dietary intake of water and food has been identified as one of the major pathways for arsenic (As) exposure in the rural population of Bangladesh. Therefore, realistic assessment and measurement of dietary intake patterns are important for the development of an accurate estimate of As exposure and human health risk assessment. One important consideration is to identify an appropriate tool for measuring dietary intake. In this study an interviewer-administered Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was implemented to determine age and gender specific dietary intake. The developed FFQ was unique because it developed a synergy between field dietary assessment and As concentration measurements in various environmental media. The resulting integrated database provided an accurate framework for the process of As exposure and human health risk assessment. The preliminary results reported here from the FFQ demonstrated that this technique could be used in rural areas as a tool to assess As exposure and the associated human health risk.     

Targeting arsenic-safe aquifers for drinking water supplies

At present, 70 countries worldwide are affected by groundwater contamination by arsenic (As) released from predominantly geogenic sources. Consequently, the As problem is becoming a global issue. The option to target As-safe aquifers, which uses geological, geochemical, hydrogeological, morphological and climatic similarities to delimit As-safe aquifers, appears as a sustainable mitigation option. Two pilot areas, Meghna Flood Plain in Matlab Upazila, representative of Bengal Delta in Bangladesh, and Río Dulce Alluvial Cone, representing a typical aquifer setting in the Chaco-Pampean Plain in Argentina groundwater As occurrence, were compared. In rural Bangladesh, As removal techniques have been provided to the population, but with low social acceptance. In contrast, “targeting As-safe aquifers” was socially accepted in Bangladesh, where sediment color could be used to identify As-safe aquifer zones and to install safe wells. The investigation in Argentina is more complex because of very different conditions and sources of As. Targeting As-safe aquifers could be a sustainable option for many rural areas and isolated peri-urban areas.     

洞庭湖湿地水环境变化趋势及成因分析

采用经典的Mann-Kendall非参数统计检测方法对洞庭湖湿地1991—2009年的水环境重要参数进行了变化趋势分析。结果表明,电导率、COD、BOD5、总氮、总磷、悬浮物呈显著上升趋势,色度、大肠杆菌、硝态氮、铵态氮呈不显著上升趋势,溶解氧呈显著降低趋势,pH、透明度呈不显著降低趋势。可见,洞庭湖湿地水质在逐步下降。突变趋势中,各参数突变时期及次数存在明显差别。除色度有1突变点位于显著信度线（p=0.05）与极显著信度线（p=0.01）之间,其余参数突变点均位于显著信度线之间。以色度和悬浮物突变最频繁,总氮和硝态氮变化最为平缓,其余参数居中。从各参数突变发生的时间可知,水质突变主要发生在1992—1998年。其次,对影响洞庭湖湿地水环境变化的因素进行了分析,得出＂四水＂流域及洞庭湖区工业污染、农业污染（化肥污染、农药污染、水产养殖、畜禽粪便）、生活污染等是导致水环境逐步恶化的主要原因。     

Arsenic bioaccumulation in rice and edible plants and subsequent transmission through food chain in Bengal basin: a review of the perspectives for environmental health

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid that poses serious environmental threats due to its behemoth toxicity and wide abundance. The use of arsenic-contaminated groundwater for irrigation purpose in crop fields elevates arsenic concentration in surface soil and in the plants. In many arsenic-affected countries, including Bangladesh and India, rice is reported to be one of the major sources of arsenic contamination. Rice is much more efficient at accumulating arsenic into the grains than other staple cereal crops. Rice is generally grown in submerged flooded condition, where arsenic bioavailability is high in soil. As arsenic species are phytotoxic, they can also affect the overall production of rice, and can reduce the economic growth of a country. Once the foodstuffs are contaminated with arsenic, this local problem can gain further significance and may become a global problem, as many food products are exported to other countries. Large-scale use of rainwater in irrigation systems, bioremediation by arsenic-resistant organisms and hyperaccumulating plants, and the aerobic cultivation of rice are some possible ways to reduce the extent of bioaccumulation in rice. Investigation on a complete food chain is urgently needed in the arsenic-contaminated zones, which should be our priority in future researches.     

Trace metals accumulation in soil irrigated with polluted water and assessment of human health risk from vegetable consumption in Bangladesh

Trace metals accumulation in soil irrigated with polluted water and human health risk from vegetable consumption was assessed based on the data available in the literature on metals pollution of water, soil, sediment and vegetables from the cites of Bangladesh. The quantitative data on metal concentrations, their contamination levels and their pollution sources have not been systematically gathered and studied so far. The data on metal concentrations, sources, contamination levels, sample collection and analytical tools used were collected, compared and discussed. The USEPA-recommended method for health risk assessment was used to estimate human risk from vegetable consumption. Concentrations of metals in water were highly variable, and the mean concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu and As in water were found to be higher than the FAO irrigation water quality standard. In most cases, mean concentrations of metals in soil were higher than the Bangladesh background value. Based on geoaccumulation index (I _geo) values, soils of Dhaka city are considered as highly contaminated. The I _geo shows Cd, As, Cu, Ni, Pb and Cr contamination of agricultural soils and sediments of the cities all over the Bangladesh. Polluted water irrigation and agrochemicals are identified as dominant sources of metals in agricultural soils. Vegetable contamination by metals poses both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to the public. Based on the results of the pollution and health risk assessments, Cd, As, Cr, Cu, Pb and Ni are identified as the priority control metals and the Dhaka city is recommended as the priority control city. This study provides quantitative evidence demonstrating the critical need for strengthened wastewater discharge regulations in order to protect residents from heavy metal discharges into the environment.     

Structure and Operation of a Bushmeat Commodity Chain in Southwestern Ghana

Abstract:  The bushmeat trade is perceived as a major threat to wild animal populations in the tropics. Little is known of how the trade is organized, however, or of the actors involved in it, impeding the development of effective conservation policy. We investigated the structure and operation of a bushmeat commodity chain in West Africa that supplies a typical urban market, the city of Takoradi in southwestern Ghana. Data were collected from January through February 2000, describing 2430 bushmeat transactions encompassing 17 different taxa from 70 different actors, through a combination of direct observation and semistructured interviews. Five different types of actor traded along the commodity chain: commercial hunters, farmer hunters, wholesalers, market traders, and chopbar (cafe) owners. Bushmeat was traded freely among all these actors, although the primary trade route for terrestrial mammals was from commercial hunters via wholesalers to chopbars. In contrast, invertebrates were only traded by farmer hunters, market traders, and chopbars. Wholesalers captured the largest per capita share of the market (4% of all sales were handled by each wholesaler), whereas the most important vendors were chopbars, which as a group made 85% of all bushmeat sales to the public. Variation in the price of bushmeat was largely explained by transport costs and taste preferences. Transport costs were most significant for hunters and greatest on long journeys involving large loads. Nevertheless, hunters obtained the greatest income per kilogram of bushmeat sold of all actor groups. Our results suggest that there is no single best entry point along the bushmeat commodity chain for conservation intervention. On the contrary, the successful monitoring and management of the bushmeat trade is likely to require a multiactor approach that encompasses most or all actor groups.     

上海市不同工业类型土壤重金属含量差异性分析

为揭示不同工业类型土壤重金属含量的差异性,研究以上海市为例,选取机械制造、化工、印染三种污染较为严重的工业类型,进行实地采样分析.结果表明,上海工业土壤重金属元素As、Cr、Cu、Pb、Zn没有超过国家土壤环境质量二级标准,但Ni的平均值达到75.23 mg·kg~(-1),是国家土壤环境质量二级标准的1.5倍;以上海市土壤背景值为评价标准,除As外,各元素单因子污染指数均大于1,由高到低依次为:Ni,Zn、Pb,Cu,Cr,As;印染企业、机械制造、化工企业综合污染指数均大于2,属于中度污染,污染程度由高到低依次为:印染企业,化工企业,机械制造,表现出明显的累积趋势.相关分析和因子分析表明,元素Pb、Cu和Zn有相似来源,Cr和Ni有相似来源,As为另一来源;前两类元素含量远高于对应元素背景值,超标率均在90%以上,来源主要受人为活动影响;As元素含量与背景值相当,来源主要与成土母质有关.通过对比分析发现,Cr、Ni来源主要与机械制造和化工等企业污染排放有关;印染企业生产过程中污染物的排放可能是Pb、Cu、Zn的主要来源;各类型企业土壤均存在多个元素累积,呈现出复合污染的趋势.     

Mobilization of arsenic in groundwater of Bangladesh: evidence from an incubation study

The extensive extraction of arsenic (As)-contaminated groundwaters for drinking, household and agricultural purposes represents a serious health concern in many districts of Bangladesh. This laboratory-based incubation study investigated the sources and mechanisms of As mobilization in these groundwaters. Several incubation studies were carried out using sediments collected from the Bangladesh aquifer that were supplemented, or not, with different nutrients, followed by an analysis of the sediment suspensions for pH, ORP (oxidation-reduction potential), EC (electrical conductivity) and As and Fe(ΙΙ) concentrations. In the substrate-amended sediment suspensions incubated under anaerobic environment, there was a mobilization of As (maximum: 50–67 μg/l) and Fe(ΙΙ) (maximum: 182 μg/l), while the ORP value decreased immediately and drastically (as much as −468 mV to −560 mV) within 5–6 days. In the sediment suspensions incubated under control and aerobic conditions, no significant As mobilization occurred. The simultaneous mobilization of As and Fe(ΙΙ) from sediments is a strong indication that their mobilization resulted from the reduction of Fe oxyhydroxide by the enhanced activity of indigenous bacteria present in the sediments; this phenomenon also provides insights on the mobilization mechanism of As in groundwater. The concentrations of As in the sediments used in the incubation studies were strongly linked to the gradients of redox potential development that was stimulated by the quantity of organic nutrient (glucose) used. The penetration of surface-derived organic matter into the shallow aquifer may stimulate the activity of microbial communities, thereby leading to a reduction of iron oxyhydroxide and As release.     

皮革行业化学品的管理现状

皮革工业是我国具有综合优势的传统产业,然而皮革加工过程使用的大量化学品也会带来一定的健康和环境风险,制革环保问题已成为制约我国皮革行业持续发展的关键因素。综述了国内外对皮革及其制品中残留的化学品和对制革工业排放污染物中化学品安全管理的相关法规、标准和限量要求;总结了我国皮革行业化学品管理的发展现状与存在问题;提出皮革化学品风险管理已成为行业发展的必然要求。     

Microplastics pollution in Bangladesh: current scenario and future research perspective

ABSTRACT

Microplastics are emerging environmental pollutants that have gained tremendous scientific interest in recent years. These micropollutants are omnipresent both in the terrestrial and aquatic environments posing a deleterious threat to the ecosystem and biodiversity. So, it is important to develop a deep understanding of the environmental fate and potential adverse impacts of microplastics on the aquatic and terrestrial environments. By critically reviewing the previously published scientific literature, the present synthesis briefly outlines the characteristics, occurrence and potential toxic effects of microplastics on terrestrial and aquatic biota. The article also focuses on some innovative approaches for sustainable remediation of macroplastics as well as microplastics. Since the concept of microplastics pollution has yet in its infancy in Bangladesh, this synthesis provides an overview of the current scenario of microplastics pollution and some future research recommendations in the context of Bangladesh which might be helpful to the novice researchers of this field.     

Efficient arsenic depollution in water using modified maize powder

This article reports the synthesis of an efficient, low-cost material from maize powder to depollute arsenic-contaminated water. Arsenic is toxic for humans and other organisms even at low concentrations. The most well-known and severe case of arsenic poisoning through drinking water has been found in India and Bangladesh. Numerous inorganic materials have been tested for the removal of arsenic from water bodies over the last two decades. However, all such materials have several disadvantages such as unpredictable arsenic ion removal, high cost and the generation of toxic sludge that is often more difficult to manage. Alternatively, organic material from agricultural waste may be modified to enrich functional groups responsible for As sorption and, in turn, used to depollute contaminated waters. Here, Zea mays cob powder has been modified to remove arsenic species from water. Two modified materials were produced: an aminated maize powder and a thiolated maize powder. Amination was done using epichlorohydrin and dimethylamine. Thiolation was done using thioglycolic acids. Amination increased As (III) sorption from 70 to 75.8 % and As (V) sorption from 85 to 94.42 %, compared with unmodified maize powder. Thiolation increased As (III) sorption from 70 to 81.7 % and As (V) sorption from 85 to 90 %. Amination increased usability cycles from 3 to 5. Thiolation increased usability cycles from 3 to 6. The novel modified maize biosorbent has enough potential for the development of a low-cost technological pre-treatment step, prior to high-tech chemical treatments.     

An overview of flood mitigation strategy and research support in South Asia: implications for sustainable flood risk management

South Asia faces increasing flooding risks due to climatic and socio-economic changes. Various measures have been adopted by the governments of the countries in this region. However, these measures are not adequate to protect the vulnerable communities from ever-increasing flood losses. This study assesses the policy and planning processes and flood-related scientific research in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Based on a systematic review, a comparison of the existing flood management systems of the three countries is undertaken, and a framework for sustainable flood management in the region is suggested. Insights from the literature show that Bangladesh has been able to develop an effective governance structure to address flood hazards, while Pakistan’s approach to flood management planning is found to be largely inadequate. This inadequacy is mainly attributed to missing links in policy formulation and planning processes, along with a lack of institutional coordination. The results of the literature analysis reveal poor support from scientific research focusing on flooding issues in the case of Pakistan, while Bangladesh and India seem to have benefited from research support in formulating their flood management strategies. Based on these findings, an alternative framework is suggested, emphasizing the need to enhance institutional linkages, community participation and evidence-based research.