The Toronto Region Sustainability Program: insights on the adoption of pollution prevention practices by small to medium-sized manufacturers in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

The Toronto Region Sustainability Program (TRSP) is a multi-year action-and-results oriented program which provides small to medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SME) (defined as <500 employees at facility level) in the GTA with pollution prevention (P2) technical assistance, coupled with a financial incentive to address the root causes of their pollutants and waste streams and improve their environmental performance. The program has been successful in establishing partnerships with three orders (levels) of government and a third party delivery agent—the Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement (OCETA)—to achieve significant reductions in pollutants/waste generation and to promote the implementation of pollution prevention practices within SME manufacturing facilities. This paper shares insights on how the program works and uses case studies as illustrative examples to highlight the P2 methods adopted, the resulting environmental burden reductions, as well as the value-added benefits to the TRSP clients' business bottom line. Furthermore, this paper outlines the findings of a survey conducted by OCETA to identify TRSP clients' key drivers for program participation, their implementation status, and the challenges encountered in implementing P2 projects. It is hoped that the insights from this paper will expand the boundaries of P2 knowledge within the P2 community, and motivate SMEs in various sectors to incorporate P2 as a sustainable business strategy.     

New approaches to pollution prevention in the healthcare industry

Since the 2000 inception of “Hospitals for a Healthy Environment” (H2E)—a US Environmental Protection Agency and American Hospital Association pollution prevention partnership—the healthcare industry has made a concerted effort to eliminate mercury and reduce other toxics.The Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP), at the University of Minnesota, used H2E tools over the course of two years (2001–2003) to demonstrate the effectiveness of pollution prevention at healthcare facilities. As a result at least 22% of Minnesota hospitals are engaged in documented pollution prevention efforts. Twenty-nine facilities have eliminated 75% of their mercury or are working towards that goal. MnTAP was able to document healthcare facilities that have eliminated 394 lb of mercury, 751 gal of hazardous chemicals and 250,000 lb of solid waste, saving $152,600. MnTAP continues to provide pollution prevention assistance to the healthcare sector.     

Does providing technical assistance for toxics use reduction really work? A program evaluation utilizing toxics use reduction act data to measure pollution prevention performance

The 1989 Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) instituted a preventive approach to chemical pollution and wastes: reducing toxic chemicals at the source through prevention planning, public reporting of chemical input, and fees for chemical use. The act also created the Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance for Toxics Use Reduction (OTA), a voluntary program, to make onsite visits to companies that request assistance. OTA staff review the use of toxic chemicals at the facility, and make recommendations for either using substitutes, or using the chemicals more efficiently. Because TURA requires covered companies (large quantity toxics users) to report chemical input (what they use), output (resulting chemical waste), and a production index, it is possible to measure trends in toxics use relative to production, and waste byproduct per pound of chemical use input. These are uniquely precise measurements of a company's ability to accomplish the form of pollution prevention known as toxics use reduction.From 1993 to 2002, companies used approximately 500 million pounds (227 million kg) less toxic chemicals than they were expected to use, based on past performance. Those companies that received onsite technical assistance visits from OTA made substantially greater improvements in TUR performance than those not visited, and as compared to their own performance after being visited. They reduced an average of 9.4% more toxics use after being visited than before, and the difference was statistically significant. More companies in the visited group made progress than companies not visited, and had greater reductions than those not visited by nearly all measures.The results of two additional studies supported these findings of program effectiveness. One study examined companies that dropped out of the system, and found that those that were visited employed toxics use reduction to achieve below-threshold use amounts more frequently than those that were not visited. The other study, an independent research project using econometric methods to determine the causative relevance of provided assistance, found OTA's service to be an explanatory factor associated with significant toxics use and byproduct reductions.     

Toxics reduction in processes. Some practical examples

Toxics reduction aims at reduced releases of toxic substances. Toxics use reduction (TUR) has been advocated as a simple and effective method of reducing toxic pollution. Here we analyse five cases of process modifications given by companies as examples of toxics reduction. All of the companies mentioned environmental legislation as a reason for toxics reduction and three also mentioned legislation aimed at occupational health and safety as a reason. The methods used for process modification are different. Three stressed input substitution and one product reformulation. These four resulted in toxics use reduction. The fifth company modified the hazardous waste process from disposal to treatment of the waste. In two of the three cases where input substitution was performed, the risks shifted from toxic to inflammable. In two of the three cases where occupational health and safety legislation was mentioned as a reason for process modification, the working environment improved after process modification. In all cases there are still environmental and/or occupational risks after modification. In four of the five cases there were increases in costs. To reach toxics reduction, companies should develop a strategy, a program, goals and an evaluating procedure, the latter also intended to evaluate the risks.     

Effective pollution prevention in healthcare environments

The integration of pollution prevention (P2) into modern municipal wastewater by-laws has forced discharging facilities to rethink how they select, purchase, process and dispose of chemical products and wastes. This paper focuses on some of the key challenges of P2 planning and toxics reduction in healthcare environments. It will also provide insight and lessons learned by way of a P2 planning case study at one of Toronto's largest multi-facility healthcare institutions and their efforts and successes in complying with the City of Toronto's Sewer Use By-Law P2 Planning requirements. This case study demonstrates how P2 practitioners, facility, housekeeping and procurement managers were successful in leveraging the supply chain to identify non-toxic alternatives for product substitution. As a result, substituted products were effectively and efficiently incorporated into maintenance and operation functions, resulting in the reduction of sanitary effluent discharge levels of toxic surfactants by over 90% within a 2-year period. Such P2 success stories illustrate how effective P2 planning can be achieved with minimal capital cost and without complex ‘end of pipe’ treatment solutions, resulting in rapid cost recovery and tangible environmental benefits within a short time frame.     

Primary prevention for worker health and safety: cleaner production and toxics use reduction in Massachusetts

Worker health and safety and environmental protection are not always considered simultaneously when attempting to reduce or eliminate hazardous materials from our environment. Cleaner Production-Pollution Prevention (CPPP), as primary prevention, has the ability to shift worker health and safety strategies from control to prevention, where exposure prevention precedes exposure control. This paper evaluates the effect of Cleaner Production-Pollution Prevention in the form of toxics use reduction (TUR) on worker health and safety at three printed wire board facilities covered under the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act. In-depth case study analysis, including an assessment of each facility’s health and safety status, explores the root causes of the worker health and safety changes attributable to the TUR interventions. By exploring the relationship between worker health and safety and environmental protection within the corporate structure; we can identify the factors driving companies to reduce toxics both inside and outside of their plants, as a single concern.While traditionally there have been divergent paths of practice for worker health and safety and environmental protection, the two are closely connected. It is important, however, to consider the implications of risk transfer/shifting between the general and work environment. In order to avoid this risk shifting, worker health and safety perspectives and goals must be more clearly incorporated into the Cleaner Production-Pollution Prevention/TUR management system. This study opens a dialog around the effects of environmental intervention programs on worker health and safety. We realize now that while CPPP/TUR reduces exposure to toxic substances in the general environment, it also offers unique opportunities to reaffirm primary prevention principles in the work environment.     

The experiences of four corporate officials managing compliance with the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act

The Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA), one of the original pollution prevention laws, has faced repeated repeal attempts and budget cuts. Yet the Massachusetts toxics use data and other analyses have provided firm indications that the law has actually worked. Though the program has survived it is notable that an approach that both saves money and reduces pollution has been reduced and not expanded. This paper does not attempt to answer the question of why the strategies of TURA have not seen wider application, but offers four stories to illustrate what happens when they are properly applied. The experience of corporate officials who had to comply with TURA, related at a symposium on the occasion of the law’s 20th anniversary, shed light on how a strong pollution prevention law can benefit regulated companies as well as the environment and worker and public health, and provide suggestions, in addition to data and surveys, that TURA-like sets of governance tools should receive wider consideration.     

Assessment of estimated 1990 air toxics concentrations in urban areas in the United States

The 188 air contaminants designated as hazardous air pollutants, or air toxics, under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 are associated with a variety of adverse human health impacts. The US Environmental Protection Agency recently developed estimates of 1990 outdoor concentrations of 148 air toxics for every census tract in the continental United States. This paper compares the results for urban and rural areas, and evaluates the relative contributions of large stationary sources (point sources), small stationary sources (area sources), and mobile sources. The estimated air toxics concentrations in urban areas were typically twice as high as in rural areas. There were more air toxics with modeled ambient concentrations in excess of health benchmarks in urban census tracts than in rural census tracts. Ambient concentrations attributable to area sources alone exceeded health benchmarks in a majority of urban census tracts for several pollutants; similar results were found for mobile sources. For point sources, exceedances of benchmarks generally occurred in fewer census tracts. These results show that reductions in emissions of air toxics from all three types of sources will be necessary to reduce anthropogenic air toxics concentrations to levels below the health benchmark concentrations.     

At the source: the origins of the Massachusetts toxics use reduction program and an overview of this special issue

This special edition of the Journal of Cleaner Production celebrates the twentieth anniversary of a piece of legislation that has special significance to the environmental movement - the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act of 1989 (TURA). Most of the papers in this issue were presented at a symposium to commemorate the twentieth anniversary that was held on November 4, 2009.Much has been written about the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Program. It has been heralded as a major pollution prevention success story. It has been lauded as a premier American example of the precautionary principle in action. It has been condemned by the American chemical industry trade association as “bad for the chemical industry”. And it has been praised by the Ford Foundation and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government as an award-receiving example of innovation in government (Harvard Kennedy School, 2005).Looking back now to some twenty years ago—back to the early origins of the program concept—it can be seen both as a landmark breakthrough in international chemicals policy, and as a fairly conventional next step in the political evolution of Massachusetts environmental policy.Where did this idea come from? How did it develop? How were pieces put together? Why did Massachusetts adopt such an idea into law? And how did the idea change during the early years of implementation? This paper provides a brief history of the development of the concept of toxics use reduction and the process by which it was drafted into law in Massachusetts, followed by an introduction to the articles included in this special edition and their assessment of TURA - past, present, and future.     

京津冀典型区域地下水污染风险评价方法研究

地下水污染风险评价是开展京津冀地区地下水污染防控工作的基础,对于保障京津冀地下水环境安全至关重要.为了有针对性地开展京津冀地区地下水污染防控工作,以京津冀地区内某典型区域为研究区,提出了一种基于HYDRUS-2D软件的地下水污染风险评价方法,并以研究区内特征污染物硝酸盐为对象进行地下水污染风险评价.结果表明:①研究区内地下水污染荷载主要受垃圾填埋场分布影响,其次为工业源和农业面源;②包气带结构类型不变的情况下,污染源荷载的变化只会导致进入含水层中的污染物浓度不同,不会改变包气带硝酸盐折减系数;③污染源类型、包气带介质岩性及厚度是造成研究区内地下水硝酸盐污染风险评价存在差异的主要原因.研究显示,采用基于HYDRUS-2D软件的地下水污染风险评价方法,能够有效地降低地下水污染评价过程中的主观性,对于确定京津冀地区地下水污染重点防控区域,提高地下水环境管理水平具有重要的参考价值.      

广西“十二五”主要污染物总量减排现状分析与探讨

实施污染物总量减排是中国环境管理和污染控制的重大举措,“十二五”后期仍是中国环境保护的重点内容,为此科学分析和制定有效的减排对策措施意义重大。通过总结广西“十二五”前三年总量减排工作现状及实施成效,从大气污染物减排、城镇污水处理、畜禽养殖污染防治、机动车氮氧化物控制、环境监管能力建设等方面分析存在问题,提出科学合理的减排对策建议：第一,突出污染减排倒逼作用;第二,严格环境准入;第三,狠抓大气污染物减排;第四,加强环保基层能力建设;第五,加强环境监管能力建设。     

种植业面源污染防控技术发展历程分析及趋势预测

种植业对农业面源污染贡献不容小觑.已有治理技术并不在少数,但受技术参数模糊和技术应用效果不明朗等因素的影响,现阶段技术应用和污染治理效果不理想.对此,本研究基于近20年国内外种植业面源污染防控的发表论文,明确种植业面源污染防治技术的体系框架,梳理技术的发展历程,比较不同方向技术对生产投入、产量及污染物排放的作用效果,对新时期下我国植业面源污染防控的发展前沿趋势作出预判.本研究构建了源头削减、过程拦截和养分回用这3个领域以及栽培、生态沟渠和尾/废水等14个方向的技术体系.结果发现,源头削减领域获得了最高关注度,研究方向多且热度仍在不断提升;我国对其中肥料方向技术的研究集中度较高.相比之下,过程拦截和养分回用领域的技术较为单一和欠缺.养分利用效率提升、转运过程调控和土壤添加剂使用将是种植业面源污染防控未来的主要着力点和抓手.农田基础设施的配套及后端净化体系的构建,将有助于集成、耦合多领域技术,进一步确保种植业面源污染防控的作用效果.     

从环境规划视角分析中国治污减排与经济发展关系研究

针对从环境规划视角分析中国治污减排与经济发展关系问题,本文从中国“九五”计划之前,探讨了改革开放以来30多年来的治污减排工作,重点探讨了近二十年的五年计划,从五年环境规划的视角分析了中国治污减排从工业“三废”治理、企业达标排放、污染物总量控制到环境质量改善和风险防范的历程,并从治污减排与经济发展演进关系的角度,对各时期治污减排的工作重点,尤其是五年环境保护规划的关注点进行介绍与评述。     

滨海地区畜禽养殖户污染防治意愿影响因素及其响应机理—以盐城市为例

养殖户污染防治意愿是采取畜禽养殖污染物处理方式的基础。明确滨海地区养殖户污染防治意愿的关键因素,辨析污染防治意愿形成机理,对制定有效政策有着重要意义。以盐城市为例,基于121份调查问卷,运用结构方程分析养殖户污染防治意愿的形成机制与影响机理。结果表明：（1）个体特征、社会影响及感知、养殖户健康风险感知对于污染防治意愿有直接正向影响;（2）个体特征对养殖户环境风险感知、健康风险感知有正向影响,与社会影响及感知有共变关系,并通过这些因素间接影响养殖户污染防治意愿;（3）养殖户健康风险感知是影响滨海地区畜禽养殖污染防治意愿最主要的因素,借助路径：养殖对于人体健康影响的感知→健康风险感知→养殖户污染防治意愿可以有效提高区域养殖污染防治。     

我国大气污染协同防控理论框架初探

我国大气污染防治工作在“十三五”期间取得了可喜成绩,PM_2.5浓度及重污染天数大幅降低,与此同时,我国城市地区臭氧(O₃)污染问题凸显,说明我国大气污染格局发生了深刻变化. 当前,PM_2.5与O₃成为影响我国城市和区域空气质量的主要因子,二者的协同控制是我国持续改善空气质量的焦点,也成为我国“十四五”期间大气污染防治工作的重点. 本文通过对国内外PM_2.5和O₃协同控制进展的梳理,总结我国大气复合污染协同治理的现状与挑战,从协同防控目标、核心协同任务、重点支撑保障等角度提出大气复合污染协同治理的理论框架,并对我国PM_2.5与O₃协同控制工作提出以下几点建议:①坚持科学精准治气;②坚持综合系统治气;③坚持严格依法治气;④坚持多维协同治气.      

How the Toxics Use Reduction Act continues to promote clean production Internationally

The Massachusetts’ Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) of 1989 set an important milestone in the roadmap to Clean Production. The Act’s focus on a clear definition, methodology, and mandatory planning requirements have proved successful in getting companies in Massachusetts to reduce their use of toxic chemicals in manufacturing processes. Such results are inspirational for government officials and advocacy groups attempting to reduce toxic emissions in their communities and set progressive chemicals use policies. This paper will summarize three initiatives where TURA was a catalyst and continues to impact international chemicals policy: the Sewer Use By-law in Toronto, Canada; the European Union’s REACH chemicals legislation and the international campaign by Greenpeace in Asia and Latin America to achieve zero discharge of hazardous substances into rivers. The example of Toronto and REACH show how one or more essential aspects of TURA were incorporated into legislation. In the case of REACH TURA’s requirement of mandatory planning became an important example and NGO demand during the formation of Europe’s new chemicals regulation and resulted in the first substitution assessment planning requirement in EU wide legislation. Work is now ongoing to promote TURA type legislation in Latin America and Asia. However the ability to transfer the TURA framework to regions with inadequate government oversight and cheap disposal costs is seriously hampered. Although NGO campaigns in Asian and Latin America advocate zero discharge of hazardous emissions through toxics use reduction and elimination, much training and accountability will be needed within government and companies to understand the benefits of toxics use reduction and actually implement all or parts of the TURA framework. The Toxics Use Reduction Act came into force in 1989 with high environmental awareness, an engaged citizenry and a responsive government entity. Perhaps these are the same conditions that must exist for its successful transference to industrializing countries.     

大气污染防治综合决策支持技术平台典型城市应用研究

以典型城市济南市为研究对象,利用大气污染防治综合决策支持技术平台(简称“技术平台”)综合评估了济南市《2018年大气污染治理“十大措施”实施方案》(简称“‘十大措施’”)的实施效果,并进一步基于特定空气质量目标〔济南市2018年ρ(PM_2.5)、ρ(O₃)同比2017年分别下降20%、8%〕开展大气污染防治策略寻优及费效评估.结果表明:①“十大措施”实施后,SO₂、NO_x、VOCs、一次PM_2.5减排率分别为39%、24%、42%、41%,该情景在2017基准年气象条件下可使济南市2018年ρ(PM_2.5)同比下降19%,新增治污成本约4.70×108元,效益-成本比约1.40;单位减排成本最低的本地扬尘源减排对ρ(PM_2.5)下降的贡献率最大,建议济南市下一阶段应进一步强化扬尘源减排.②经过策略寻优,反算得到了SO₂、NO_x、VOCs、一次PM_2.5的减排率分别为46%、20%、42%、60%的优化策略,该策略下的新增治污成本约4.69×108元;对比“十大措施”,优化策略提高了SO₂和一次PM_2.5的减排率,降低对O₃具有负贡献的NO_x减排率,满足空气质量目标的同时又尽可能地降低了治污成本,将效益-成本比提升至1.88.技术平台在济南市的初步成功应用,为济南市下一阶段的大气污染防治提供基于实证的科学依据;同时对其在我国城市逐步推广具有重要示范意义,可有效支撑大气污染防治综合科学决策制定.      

基于流域分析方法的湖泊水污染综合防治研究

鉴于流域思想在水污染防治中应用的重要性和必要性,提出了以流域保护方法、流域分析和景观生态学相关理论为基础的流域分析方法该方法将湖泊-流域水污染综合防治的主要内容界定为4部分:子流域划分与污染负荷预测,"源-途径-末端-汇"的污染防治工程和管理方案体系设计,备选技术方案的提出和方案优选,污染负荷的削减率计算和综合方案设计.以四川省邛海流域为例,在将流域划分为6个子流域的基础上,对TP入湖污染负荷进行了计算和预测,并识别出各子流域内污染物的贡献率,分区提出了以水土流失防治、点源和面源控制、河道生态修复、河流入湖口治理和内源疏浚为主体的污染防治方案,该方案可削减TP 22.5 t·a-1,达到了预期目标.     

辽河流域非点源污染空间特征遥感解析

应用遥感技术研究了辽河流域非点源污染发生特征.将环境卫星遥感数据耦合非点源(non-point Source,NPS)污染负荷估算模型,探索基于遥感像元尺度的非点源污染估算方法,目的是分析2010年辽河流域非点源污染特征,从而明确非点源污染的重点防治区和防治措施,为辽河流域水环境污染防治提供技术支持.结果表明,2010年辽河流域总氮排放量为10.3万t,总磷排放量为0.68万t,化学需氧量排放量为13.1万t,氨氮排放量为1.8万t;目前,对于辽河流域主要的非点源污染类型为农业面源;2010年辽河流域面源污染对水质污染的贡献率表现为总氮67.4%,总磷76.4%,化学需氧量39.4%和氨氮21.9%;空间分布上辽河流域的南部是污染最严重的地区,其次是东北部.本研究结合遥感技术发展了以遥感像元为基本模拟单位的非点源污染负荷估算方法,明确了2010年辽河流域的非点源污染产生量和空间分布特征,为辽河流域污染治理防治工作提供了理论依据.     

2001—2020年天津市大气污染特征的演变与防治历程

近20年来,随着经济社会的快速发展与污染防治工作的不断深入,我国大气污染特征发生显著变化,特别是京津冀及周边城市空气质量显著改善,大气污染特征与来源构成出现结构性变化,十分有必要对这20年来大气污染的演变历程加以梳理总结. 本文选取北方特大工业城市——天津市为研究对象,基于20年来连续监测数据与相关统计学方法,结合天津市历年大气颗粒物源解析结果,总结了该地区大气污染特征的演变过程. 结果表明:天津市环境空气质量在过去20年出现明显好转,大气污染类型由燃煤扬尘为主的一次混合型逐渐演变为O₃与PM_2.5为代表的二次复合型. 历年源解析结果表明,天津市2020年秋冬季二次硫酸盐贡献率比2011年同期减少了74.1%,燃煤贡献率则下降了31.6%;扬尘和机动车尾气尘贡献率分别从2011年的17.7%和19.9%降至2020年的15.8%和18.2%;而2020年二次硝酸盐贡献率比2011年增长了63.3%. 过去20年天津市重大污染防治措施的有效性分析表明,能源结构调整和“双散”替代使煤炭消耗量减少,PM_2.5浓度下降与煤炭消耗量减少呈显著相关〔偏相关系数(R)=0.879,P<0.05〕;粗颗粒(PM_2.5~10)浓度下降与绿化覆盖率增加呈显著相关〔偏相关系数(R)=?0.859,P<0.05〕;大规模取缔中小燃煤锅炉及脱硫除尘等重大举措的实施,使得SO₂浓度显著下降〔秩相关系数(r_s)=?0.958 6,P<0.05〕. 研究显示,近20年来大气污染防治减排措施的实施使得天津市环境空气质量明显改善,未来要紧密结合国家“双碳”战略,进一步优化产业与能源结构,实现空气质量的持续改善.