Forced internalization of external environmental cost: experience of a South African Company

While environmental regulations are designed to ensure that organizations comply with minimum environmental standards, organizations may be compelled to pay penalties if they exceed the set standard. This study provides explanations on the effectiveness of a forced internalization of external environmental cost in a brewery in South Africa. A review of relevant literature indicates the apathy of organizations to internalize environmental costs. To see whether this apathy still holds, this paper uses the contingency theory approach to management accounting to analyze a case study on the effectiveness of forced internalization of brewery wastewater treatment cost by a municipality in South Africa. Findings reveal that the policy forced brewery managers to develop a waste-reduction strategy to improve production efficiency while limiting the volume of brewery wastewater and chemical oxygen demand emissions discharged to municipal waste treatment plant. A significant implication of this study is the forced internalization of wastewater treatment cost and the use of resources more efficiently and sustainably in production by the brewery as a result of the municipality’s policy to demand extra fees when agreed minimum wastewater discharges are exceeded. The importance of this policy is that it brought about improvements to the environmental, social, and economic performances of the brewery. The study suggests that environmental regulators should look beyond mere regulatory and monitoring roles to formulate policies to ensure that organizations take responsibility for external environmental costs they have created.     

Costs of the Wastewater Standard in Pig Production in Mexico

The objective of this article is to address the environmental costs of pig farms in the La Piedad region Mexico, through an analysis of the standard on wastewater discharges to national water bodies. Field work was carried out from April to September 1999; a survey was conducted on 23 farms and samples of wastewater were taken on 11 farms. Pig production is the third most important system in Mexican livestock production. Heterogeneity in production systems, dependence on imported inputs (genetics and feed grains), and weak internalization of environmental costs are the main characteristics of pig production in Mexico. With no specific environmental regulations on intensive livestock activities at the municipal or state levels, Mexican Official Standard 001 on wastewater discharges is the only environmental obligation that pig farms must meet. Standard 001 on wastewater contains the maximum permissible limits for 20 contaminant parameters, and is based on a cost-benefit analysis that points to secondary treatment for the regulation’s economic viability. Investment in treatment systems and the fees that pig producers must pay when they fail to comply with the limits stipulated in the regulation, are estimated assessed as an approach to environmental costs. In order to remain within the limits in the standard, pig farms must invest in tertiary treatment, and that makes meeting the standard unaffordable for this sector.     

Assessing and selecting interventions for river water quality improvement within the context of population growth and urbanization: a case study of the Cau River basin in Vietnam

In this study, a multi-criteria methodology is proposed to identify and prioritize interventions for water quality improvement with the aid of computer simulation models. The methodology can be used to elaborate and compare future socio-economic development scenarios to select the best interventions based on three criteria: (1) ideas of experts and stakeholders about the importance of scenarios, (2) impacts of each scenario on surface water quality in watershed, and (3) benefit–cost analysis for each scenario. A score is computed for each scenario based on a weighted sum technique which enables to take into consideration different level of importance for the three criteria. The methodology is applied to Cau River basin in Vietnam, with the aid of a computer tool, to assess interventions for river water quality improvement within the context of population growth and urbanization. The results show that fast future population growth in upstream has significant impacts. In 2020, an increase of 116 % of the population in Bac Kan town can lead to an increase of 120 and 135 % in BOD₅ and NH₄ ⁺ median concentrations, respectively, with the implementation of a treatment plant for 10,000 people in Bac Kan town. Therefore, the increase of the domestic wastewater treatment plant’s capacity in Bac Kan town, at least twice as the projection of local government, is necessary. These results will help decision makers to select the best interventions for Cau River basin management.     

Impact and cost of measures to reduce nutrient emissions from wastewater and storm water treatment in the German Elbe river basin

As a leading nutrient emitter, wastewater infrastructure harbors significant technical potentials to reduce the water-polluting emissions of phosphorus and nitrogen into the Elbe river basin. From the viewpoint of the central infrastructure, the effluent threshold value of urban wastewater treatment plants could be lowered further by advanced use of denitrification and membrane filtration, and storm water overflows of wastewater and contaminated rainwater from sewers could be treated in retention soil filters. In addition, small-scale wastewater treatment plants, infiltration and reducing or unsealing impervious surfaces could be used as decentralized elements of wastewater or storm water treatment. It can be shown that if the most advanced measures were applied in all wastewater-relevant areas, up to 60% of the phosphorus and 37% of the nitrogen emissions could be avoided. Alongside central wastewater treatment plants, small-scale treatment plants prove to be the most effective and cost-efficient option. To achieve an ecologically acceptable state of the Elbe, however, it may be necessary to employ more costly measures as well.     

Human health risk assessment of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in plant tissue due to biosolids and manure amendments,and wastewater irrigation

Amending soil with biosolids or livestock manure provides essential nutrients in agriculture. Irrigation with wastewater allows for agriculture in regions where water resources are limited. However, biosolids, manure and wastewater have all been shown to contain pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Studies have shown that PPCPs can accumulate in the tissues of plants but the risk that accumulated residues may pose to humans via consumption of edible portions is not well documented. This study reviewed the literature for studies that reported residues of PPCPs in the edible tissue of plants grown in biosolids- or manure-amended soils or irrigated with wastewater. These residues were used to determine the estimated daily intake of PPCPs for an adult and toddler. Estimated daily intake values were compared to acceptable daily intakes to determine whether PPCPs in plant tissue pose a hazard to human health. For all three amendment practices, the majority of reported residues resulted in hazard quotients < 0.1. Amendment with biosolids or manure resulted in hazard quotients ≥ 0.1 for carbamazepine, diphenhydramine, salbutamol, triclosan, and sulfamethazine. Irrigation with wastewater resulted in hazard quotients of ≥ 0.1 for flunixin, ketoprofen, lamotrigine, metoprolol, and sildenafil. Many of the residues that resulted in hazard quotients ≥ 0.1 were due to exposing plants to concentrations of PPCPs that would not be considered relevant based on concentrations reported in biosolids and manure or unrealistic methods of exposure, which lead to artificially elevated plant residues. Our assessment indicates that the majority of individual PPCPs in the edible tissue of plants due to biosolids or manure amendment or wastewater irrigation represent a de minimis risk to human health. Assuming additivity, the mixture of PPCPs could potentially present a hazard. Further work needs to be done to assess the risk of the mixture of PPCPs that may be present in edible tissue of plants grown under these three amendment practices.     

环境规制的界定、分类与演进研究

受Chipko运动启发,本文对环境规制的内涵做了重新界定.基于这一界定,将环境规制分为显性环境规制和隐性环境规制,其中,显性环境规制又分为命令控制型环境规制、以市场为基础的激励性环境规制和自愿性环境规制;分析了不同类型环境规制的内涵与特征等,着重提出了隐性环境规制这一全新范畴,并对其涵义、生成与作用模式进行了初步的研究;从规制主体、规制对象、规制成本和效率等方面探讨了不同环境规制闻的联系与区别;研究了环境规制的演变过程.本文的意义在于,对政府而言,对隐性环境规制的探索,可能扩大了政府环保策略的选择与运用空间;对企业来说,则打开了长期为人们所忽略的一个"环境规制黑箱",丰富了人们对企业环境决策变量的认识,为改善和优化企业的环境决策提供了理论基础.     

Conditions for the development of anaerobic digestion technologies using the organic fraction of municipal solid waste: perspectives for Poland

This article outlines problems related to the location of facilities designed to treat the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). Anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities are investigated as a treatment option, while taking into account the aspects of renewable energy generation. This research has been spurred on by the relationship between waste management, energy generation issues and spatial planning procedures. The analysis is focused on urban and semi-urban areas of medium and large cities. One of the most difficult issues associated with siting of waste processing plants is its integration with local infrastructures, avoiding conflicts and negative environmental impacts at the same time. This research aims to analyse possible locations for AD plants fuelled by OFMSW in Poland. Based on the experience gained from other countries and lessons learnt from the analysis of existing facilities in Europe, conditions for the location of this type of waste treatment plants have been defined, with the focus on economic, environmental and social issues. Most likely, the results of the multicriteria decision analysis for siting of municipal solid waste AD plants (M-BIST tool) could be transferred to other countries, especially those with a comparable GDP level and a similar framework for a waste management system.     

滇池流域水资源综合平衡管理研究

随着滇池治理的进展,在今后一个时期内,恢复滇池饮用水环境功能,成为滇池治理的首要目标和任务。围绕滇池流域水资源供求平衡,采用水资源全要素配置框架下的三次平衡分析理论,从整体上分析了滇池流域水资源供求平衡关系及存在的主要问题,提出了以需求为导向,建立滇池流域水资源综合平衡管理目标和措施。分析表明：在滇池治理的基础上,通过建立滇池流域水资源综合平衡管理体系,落实管理措施,从总量平衡的理论上能够充分发挥引水工程的作用,恢复滇池饮用水环境功能,实现水量、水质供求的综合平衡。建议进一步开展量化分析和模拟实验研究,为在滇池流域实施综合平衡管理提供可靠依据和建议     

Resourceful Utilization of Tannery Wastewater

Abstract

Leather industry is an important light industry in China. Leather making requires a series of chemical treatment. Degreasing, unhairing and chrome tanning wastewaters are the main portions of tannery wastewater. Reclaiming and reusing these wastewaters can eliminate 80% of COD, 75% of BOD, 95% of chromium and 93% of sulfuret, furthermore reduce environment impact, decrease treatment costs, save chemicals and water. Some application methods of wastewater reclamation and reuse for different operations were reported. The suitable reclamation and reuse technologies can enable leather making processes more rational, and realize the recovery and recycle of several chemicals in the tannery. Resourceful utilization of tannery wastewater should mate with renovating production technology, updating equipment, and must be guaranteed sufficiently by environmental protection measures.     

Dairy wastewater treatment using water treatment sludge as coagulant: a novel treatment approach

The dairy industry is among the most polluting industries as it produces large volume of wastewater that may adversely affect the environment if discharged untreated. Dairy wastewater is characterized by high COD, BOD and nutrient levels. In this study, water treatment sludge was used as a coagulant for the treatment of synthetic dairy wastewater in the pH range of 4–10. Turbidity, COD, BOD, TSS and TDS removals from the synthetic dairy wastewater were found to be around 93, 65, 67, 84 and 85%, respectively, at the optimum conditions. Water treatment sludge was found to perform even better than other conventional coagulants used for the same. Results showed that it has the potential to substitute the conventional coagulants partially or fully in the primary treatment of dairy wastewater. The utilization of water treatment sludge at dairy wastewater treatment plants would provide sustainable sludge management and cost-effective dairy wastewater treatment.     

我国排污收费制度及其价格体系的改革

目前,我国现行的单因子超标排污收费制度及其价格体系已不能适应现有的体制变化和日益发展的环境管理需要。本文阐述了尽快建立一个与当今市场机制相适应的、适合我国总量控制要求的多因子收费制度的重要性、迫切性与可行性,实现污染者直接承担其污染行为的全部责任;提出了制定动态、有效的收费价格体系的改革原则、构想与方法。     

Resourceful Utilization of Tannery Wastewater

Leather industry is an important light industry in China.Leather making requires a series of chemical treatment.Degreasing,unhairing and chrome tanning wastewaters are the main portions of tannery wastewater.Reclaiming and reusing these wastewaters can eliminate 80% of COD,75% of BOD,95% of chromium and 93% of sulfuret,furthermore reduce environment impact,decrease treatment costs,save chemicals and water.Some application methods of wastewater reclamation and reuse for different operations were reported.The suitable reclamation and reuse technologies can enable leather making processes more rational,and realize the recovery and recycle of several chemicals in the tannery.Resourceful utilization of tannery wastewater should mate with renovating production technology,updating equipment,and must be guaranteed sufficiently by environmental protection measures.     

Fuzzy synthetic evaluation of treated wastewater reuse for agriculture

Reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) for agriculture is in practice in many countries. TWW reuse requires wastewater collection, treatment and recycling, which is associated with cost as well as risk to human and ecological systems. In contrast, it can increase agricultural production and reduce environmental risks by reducing wastewater discharge into the natural environment. In Saudi Arabia, where available water resources are extremely limited, TWW reuse can save significant amount of non-renewable groundwater used in agricultural development, which is a strategic goal for the country. In this paper, a multicriteria decision-making approach was developed where cost, risk, benefits and social acceptance of TWW reuse were considered to be the main criteria. A multistage hierarchy risk management model was constructed for this evaluation. Fuzzy synthetic evaluation technique was incorporated where fuzzy triangular membership functions were developed to capture uncertainties of the basic criteria. The analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the relative importance of various criteria at different hierarchy levels. This study indicated that TWW reuse could have positive impact on agriculture, risk reduction and groundwater conservation.     

A quantitative water resource planning and management model for an industrial park level

This paper introduces an integrated water management model at the industrial park level. It suggests four approaches to water management: first, direct water reuse among users; second, water reuse among users by blending with freshwater; third, water reuse between users and a wastewater treatment plant; and fourth, groundwater recharge by reclaimed wastewater or other feasible applications in order to optimize the overall water efficiency. The model results in a comprehensive management methodology for optimizing water resources within an industrial park, seeking potential water reuse among industries, and incorporating the size and cost of reclaimed wastewater delivery systems. A case study is employed to test the model’s feasibility. An economic analysis of the optimized water use network is also carried out, showing the potential water and cost savings.     

Environmental fate of alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates--a review

Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) are widely used surfactants in domestic and industrial products, which are commonly found in wastewater discharges and in sewage treatment plant (STP) effluents. Degradation of APEs in wastewater treatment plants or in the environment generates more persistent shorter-chain APEs and alkylphenols (APs) such as nonylphenol (NP), octylphenol (OP) and AP mono- to triethoxylates (NPE1, NPE2 and NPE3). There is concern that APE metabolites (NP, OP, NPE1-3) can mimic natural hormones and that the levels present in the environment may be sufficient to disrupt endocrine function in wildlife and humans. The physicochemical properties of the APE metabolites (NP, NPE1-4, OP, OPE1-4), in particular the high K(ow) values, indicate that they will partition effectively into sediments following discharge from STPs. The aqueous solubility data for the APE metabolites indicate that the concentration in water combined with the high partition coefficients will provide a significant reservoir (load) in various environmental compartments. Data from studies conducted in many regions across the world have shown significant levels in samples of every environmental compartment examined. In the US, levels of NP in air ranged from 0.01 to 81 ng/m3, with seasonal trends observed. Concentrations of APE metabolites in treated wastewater effluents in the US ranged from < 0.1 to 369 microg/l, in Spain they were between 6 and 343 microg/l and concentrations up to 330 microg/l were found in the UK. Levels in sediments reflected the high partition coefficients with concentrations reported ranging from < 0.1 to 13,700 microg/kg for sediments in the US. Fish in the UK were found to contain up to 0.8 microg/kg NP in muscle tissue. APEs degraded faster in the water column than in sediment. Aerobic conditions facilitate easier further biotransformation of APE metabolites than anaerobic conditions.     

Analysis of priority pollutants at a primary aluminum production facility

This paper investigated the source of priority pollutants, assessment of the wastewater treatment plant, and priority pollutant removal efficiency for a single Soderberg-type primary aluminum plant.Forty-eight hour composite samples were collected from the following streams: (1) plant intake water; (2) wastewater from the primary air pollution control system (gas stream cooling water and wet ESPs); (3) secondary air pollution control system (room ventilation wet scrubber liquor); (4) paste plant briquette cooling water; and (5) final effluent after the wastewater treatment plant.Wastewater from the primary air pollution control system entered a conventional chemical coagulation (using slacked lime) — clarification plant. Clarified water from the clarifier was combined with the other three wastewater streams and flowed into a settling lagoon with a 20-h hydraulic retention time. Clarified lagoon water was finally discharged to the river.The principal source of organic compounds in the wastewater was from the primary and secondary air pollution control systems and results from the volatilization of petroleum coke and pitch in the Soderberg anode. Wastewater treatment plant removal efficiencies of greater than 85% were achieved for the majority of the organic priority pollutant species detected.     

Public health benefits of compliance with current E.U. emissions standards for municipal waste incinerators: a health risk assessment with the CalTox multimedia exposure model

The Angers municipal solid waste incineration plant, in operation since 1974, was upgraded in 2000 to comply with new European standards. This article discusses the risks associated with past and present emissions from the incinerator and its nearby furnace. Emissions of SO(2), HCl, particulate matter, lead, mercury, cadmium and dioxins were studied. We characterised the risks associated with exposure via inhalation and ingestion of locally grown products, before and after the upgrade. Emissions were estimated from regulatory measurements, and ambient air concentrations estimated with a Gaussian dispersion model. The CalTox multimedia model was used to calculate concentrations in the food chain. Food intake rates came from a nationwide survey. Inhalation exposure to respiratory irritants produced a hazard ratio less than 1 in all scenarios, except for SO(2) in the immediate neighbourhood of the incinerator, before the change in furnace fuel and in case of high-pressure weather conditions. The individual excess risk of cancer was less than 10(-6) and the hazard ratios for metals were less than 1. Before compliance, the average dioxin exposure attributable to the incinerator accounted for roughly one quarter of the average total exposure from traffic and other combustion activities. Although the corresponding hazard ratio was less than 1, the individual lifetime excess risk, assuming no change in emissions, was 2 x 10(-4). After compliance, all hazard ratios and future individual lifetime excess risks appear minimal. These results are consistent with environmental data and other studies, but many uncertainties remain, such as intermedia transfer coefficients for dioxins. Nevertheless compliance has vastly reduced the probability of health effects.     

Influence of olive mill wastewater in composting and impact of the compost on a Swiss chard crop and soil properties

The suitability of olive mill wastewater (OMW) for composting was studied by the addition of this liquid waste to a mixture of cotton gin waste and sewage sludge, and its composting was compared with that of another pile of similar composition, but without olive mill wastewater. Both piles were composted by the Rutgers static pile system in a pilot plant. To study the effects of both composts on plant yield and soil properties, a plot experiment was carried out with Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla). Five treatments were applied: mineral fertiliser and two doses (30 and 60 tons ha(-1)) of both composts. The olive mill wastewater addition produced a compost with lower organic matter and nitrate concentrations, higher electrical conductivity, and a stabilised and humified organic matter similar to that of the compost produced without olive mill wastewater. The olive mill wastewater compost application to soil did not injure plants, producing a similar plant yield to both compost without olive mill wastewater and inorganic fertiliser. Also, the accumulation of potentially toxic heavy metals in plants cultivated with organic or mineral fertilisers did not reveal significant differences. The olive mill wastewater compost application to soil also improved the chemical and physicochemical properties of the soil.     

Comprehensive study of endocrine disrupting compounds using grab and passive sampling at selected wastewater treatment plants in South East Queensland, Australia

Chemical (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, GC-MS) and biological (E-Screen assay) analyses were used to determine the concentrations of 15 endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and estrogen equivalent (EEq) in grab and passive samples from five municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in South East Queensland, Australia. EEq concentrations derived by E-Screen assays for the grab samples were between 108-356 ng/L for the influents and < 1-14.8 ng/L for the effluents with the exception of one effluent sample which was at 67.8 ng/L EEq. The EDC concentrations and EEq values for the passive samples were several times lower than those of the grab samples: a decrease probably caused by, but not limited to biofouling, low flow rate, biodegradation and temperature which can progressively reduce the uptake of compounds into the sampler. At this stage, grab sampling is the most reliable method for field monitoring; nevertheless, passive sampler is a useful sampling tool but the method requires more research to ensure that the information obtained can be interpreted appropriately. Although alkylphenols and phthalates were detected at higher concentrations in the wastewater samples as compared to natural hormones, the environmental risk may be negligible as their estrogenic potencies are several orders of magnitude lower than that of the natural estrogens. In most wastewater samples, the natural estrogens contributed to 60% or more of the EEq value. Removal efficacy of most estrogenic and xenoestrogenic compounds from the conventional activated sludge or biological nutrient removal (BNR) WWTPs monitored in this study was in the range of 80-> 99%. The efficiency of the WWTPs in removing estrogenic activity was > 95%. The EEqs of the E-Screen and those calculated from the results of extensive chemical analyses using the estradiol equivalency factors were comparable for most of the WWTPs samples.