New consumer roles in waste water management

Network-bound systems such as water and energy systems are increasingly confronted with environmental problems that cannot be solved without changing their modes of provision. More than any other flow provided through a network-bound system, the waste water flow comes very close to intimate personal and social life, complicating the introduction of environmental innovations in this sector. Using the concepts of trust and identity, questions concerning changing consumer roles in two cases of Decentralised Sanitation and Reuse Systems in the Netherlands are addressed. In both cases the building of trust within provider networks and between consumers and providers, as well as the possibility for consumers and providers to identify themselves with the aims of the project were key factors determining the success or failure of environmental innovations in waste water flows.     

Trust in Sources of Soil and Water Quality Information: Implications for Environmental Outreach and Education

Public trust in organizations focused on improving environmental quality is important for increasing awareness and changing behaviors that have water quality implications. Few studies have addressed trust in soil and water quality information sources, particularly for both agricultural and nonagricultural respondents of the same watersheds. Surveys in 19 watersheds across five states in the Midwest assessed trust in, and familiarity with, soil and water quality information sources. Overall, respondents most trusted University Extension, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service, while lawn care companies, environmental groups, and land trusts were less trusted. Significant differences in trusted sources were found between watersheds, and between agricultural and nonagricultural respondents across and within watersheds. Among agricultural respondents, a clear relationship exists between familiarity and trust; as familiarity with an organization increases, so too does level of trust. This relationship is less clear‐cut for nonagricultural respondents in this region. We highlight implications of these findings for soil and water quality outreach efforts.     

A choice experiment analysis for solid waste disposal option: a case study in Malaysia

In Malaysia, most municipal wastes currently are disposed into poorly managed 'controlled tipping' systems with little or no pollution protection measures. This study was undertaken to assist the relevant governmental bodies and service providers to identify an improved waste disposal management strategy. The study applied the choice experiment technique to estimate the nonmarket values for a number of waste disposal technologies. Implicit prices for environmental attributes such as psychological fear, land use, air pollution, and river water quality were estimated. Compensating surplus estimates incorporating distance from the residences of the respondents to the proposed disposal facility were calculated for a number of generic and technology-specific choice sets. The resulting estimates were higher for technology-specific options, and the distance factor was a significant determinant in setting an equitable solid waste management fee.     

Re‐thinking water scarcity: Can science and technology solve the global water crisis?

This paper provides examples from the last fifty years of scientific and technological innovations that provide relatively easy, quick and affordable means of addressing key water management issues. Scientific knowledge and technological innovation can help open up previously closed decision‐making systems. Four of these tools are discussed in this paper: a) the opportunities afforded by virtual water trade; b) the silent revolution for beneficial use of groundwater; c) salt water desalination; and finally, d) the use of remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). Together these advances are changing the options available to address water and food security that have been predominant for centuries in the minds of most water decision‐makers.     

From Trust to Trustworthiness: Why Information is not Enough in the Food Sector

The many well-publicized food scandals in recent years have resulted in a general state of vulnerable trust. As a result, building consumer trust has become an important goal in agri-food policy. In their efforts to protect trust in the agricultural and food sector, governments and industries have tended to consider the problem of trust as merely a matter of informing consumers on risks. In this article, we argue that the food sector better addresses the problem of trust from the perspective of the trustworthiness of the food sector itself. This broad idea for changing the focus of trust is the assumption that if you want to be trusted, you should be trustworthy. To provide a clear understanding of what being trustworthy means within the food sector, we elaborate on both the concept of trust and of responsibility. In this way we show that policy focused on enhancing transparency and providing information to consumers is crucial, but not sufficient for dealing with the problem of consumer trust in the current agri-food context.     

WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT OF SKUDAI RIVER1

ABSTRACT: Urban runoff as well as industrial and agricultural discharges have seriously affected the water quality of the Skudai River, Malaysia. A water quality model is developed for simulating BOD and oxygen relationship. The simulated values agree relatively well with survey data taken during low flow conditions. Survey and simulated values show that a pollution abatement program is needed to prevent further deterioration of the river from organic discharges. A systems approach, involving complete analysis of water quality models and environmental control procedures, considering various water use patterns, water quality criteria, and waste input, is essential for solution.     

Assessment OF SURFACE WATER QUALITY at Large Watershed Scale: Land‐Use,Anthropogenic, and Administrative Impacts

Understanding the impacts that influence water quality is critical to the development of best management practices at the large watershed scale. This study describes the spatiotemporal variation in surface water quality and identifies their main impact in the Haihe River basin, China. Multivariate statistical techniques are applied to analyze the similarities among the sampling sites and to identify the main pollution sources in surface water. Results show that: (1) the basin can be clustered into two regions, water quality being better in the mountainous vs. plain regions; (2) water quality improves due to implementation of a strict state policy on environmental pollution control, prodded by the hosting of the Olympic games in the cities of Beijing and Tianjin; and (3) agricultural and residential land uses as well as livestock‐breeding are the main sources affecting water quality in the mountainous regions, whereas rural waste discharge — including domestic waste sewage, human and animal feces, and solid waste — significantly influences water quality in the plain regions. The waste discharge of industrial factories may be a significant source of water pollution in the plain regions. Results indicate that the environmental management from pollution sinks and sources, long‐lasting legal framework, and adequate economic incentives should be improved to optimize the large‐scale watershed management under the background of the rapid development of countries like China.     

Consumer Attitudes Towards the Development of Animal-Friendly Husbandry Systems

Recent policy developments in the area of livestock husbandry have suggested that, from the perspective of optimizing animal welfare, new animal husbandry systems should be developed that provide opportunities for livestock animals to be raised in environments where they are permitted to engage in “natural behavior.” It is not known whether consumers regard animal husbandry issues as important, and whether they differentiate between animal husbandry and other animal welfare issues. The responsibility for the development of such systems is allocated jointly between farmers, regulators, different actors in the food chain, and consumers. This research focuses on understanding consumer attitudes and preferences regarding the development and introduction of such systems, to ensure that they are acceptable to consumers as well as producers, regulators, and scientists. Consumer perceptions of animal welfare and animal husbandry practices were evaluated using quantitative consumer survey, which focused on two animal husbandry issues – farmed pigs and farmed fish. Following pilot work, 1000 representative Dutch consumers were sampled about their attitudes to either pig or fish husbandry. The results indicated that consumers think about animal welfare in terms of two broad categories related to their health and living environment, but do not think about welfare issues at a more detailed level. Greater concern was expressed about the welfare of pigs compared to fish. Consumer trust in labeling also emerged as an important issue, since consumers need to trust different food chain actors with responsibility for promoting animal welfare, and are reluctant to consider the details of animal husbandry systems. As a consequence, a transparent, enforceable, and traceable monitoring system for animal welfare friendly products is likely to be important for consumers.     

A Water Allocation Decision‐Support Model and Tool for Predictions in Ungauged Basins in Northeast British Columbia,Canada

Pressures on water resources due to changing climate, increasing demands, and enhanced recognition of environmental flow needs result in the need for hydrology information to support informed water allocation decisions. However, the absence of hydrometric measurements and limited access to hydrology information in many areas impairs water allocation decision‐making. This paper describes a water balance‐based modeling approach and an innovative web‐based decision‐support hydrology tool developed to address this need. Using high‐resolution climate, vegetation, and watershed data, a simple gridded water balance model, adjusted to account for locational variability, was developed and calibrated against gauged watersheds, to model mean annual runoff. Mean monthly runoff was modeled empirically, using multivariate regression. The modeled annual runoff results are within 20% of the observed mean annual discharge for 78% of the calibration watersheds, with a mean absolute error of 16%. Modeled monthly runoff corresponds well to observed monthly runoff, with a median Nash–Sutcliffe statistic of 0.92 and a median Spearman rank correlation statistic of 0.98. Monthly and annual flow estimates produced from the model are incorporated into a map‐ and watershed‐based decision‐support system referred to as the Northeast Water Tool, to provide critical information to decision makers and others on natural water supply, existing allocations, and the needs of the environment.     

Facilitating substance phase‐out through material information systems and improving environmental impacts in the recycling stage of a product

The amount of electrical and electronic products is increasing rapidly, and this inevitably leads to the generation of large quantities of waste from these goods. Some of the generated e‐waste ends up in regions with sub‐standard recycling systems and may be processed under poor conditions. During uncontrolled incineration, halogenated dioxins and furans can be generated from brominated and chlorinated compounds in the products. In order to reduce the health and environmental risks involved in the recycling stage of the life cycle of electronics, an effective design‐for‐environment process must be established during the product development phase. Knowledge of the chemical substances in the product is crucial to being able to make informed decisions. Through full knowledge of the material content of procured components, phase‐outs of unwanted substances, such as halogenated substances, can be performed in an effective manner. Therefore, information is the key to success in phasing‐out substances; facilitating compliance of legal provisions for manufacturers of electrical and electronic devices; and improving the environmental footprint of products as they reach the end of the life cycle. After an introduction to the challenges of electronics waste management, this paper describes supply chain information systems and how they are used to facilitate substance phase‐outs in the electronics industry. Sony Ericsson has been working with phase‐outs of unwanted substances since it was founded in 2001. Through the introduction of a material declaration system that keeps track of all substances in the components used in the company's products, Sony Ericsson has been able to replace unwanted substances to improve environmental impacts at the recycling stage of a product.     

Managing the cooling capacity of the upper rhine: A case study

In most industrialized countries, environmental standards exist which prescribe the maximum allowable man-made increase in water temperature of a river. Together with flowrate and weather conditions, these standards determine the rate at which waste heat may be discharged into a river at any moment. Power generating stations with variable cooling systems can adjust their heat discharge into the river in compliance with environmental standards and by doing so exert an influence on power generation capacity. In this paper, a scheme is developed that allows a chain of power stations discharging into the same river to operate their cooling systems such that the output of total electricity is maximized and water temperature standards are accomodated. The optimum balance between stations is determined through dynamic programming. From the results of a simulation model using historical data, simple decision rules for day-to-day operation are abstracted. These rules are based solely on the river flow rates at each power station.     

Public registers of environmental information: an assessment of their role

Considerable importance is attached to the role of the public in environmental matters as consumers, investors, lobbyists and electors. To involve the public in safeguarding the environment it is necessary to capture their interest and to inform them. This paper assesses the contribution of registers of environmental information as one way of informing the public. It draws together the findings of three separate pieces of research into the use of public registers (including water registers, planning registers, local air pollution control registers and waste registers) undertaken in the last seven years. The registers are assessed in terms of their contribution in promoting public reassurance, agency accountability, industrial responsibility and public participation.     

Creating successful partnerships with hazardous waste providers

Baxter Healthcare's Cardio Vascular Group (CVG) has formed a partnership with Advanced Environmental Technical Services (AETS, formerly called AETC), an 18-year-old environmental services company based in Flanders, New Jersey. With annual revenues of nearly $100 million, AETS is the largest privately owned environmental service company of its kind. Creating a partnership with providers of hazardous waste services has become necessary for many companies that find themselves downsizing and focusing their limited resources on their core businesses. More than merely waste haulers, hazardous waste management companies are being called on to train employees, develop environmental budgets, and even serve as on-site waste managers. AETS and Baxter Healthcare's CVG have created such a partnership and have successfully reduced Baxter's hazardous waste production by 56 percent since 1992. The lessons learned from this partnership are reported in this article.     

精细化工厂污水排放控制措施

中原油田天然气产销总厂精细化工一厂为了实施清洁化生产,对污水外排从控制污水产生入手,采取了改冷却水一次排放为循环利用、化学处理改善水质及提高水的循环利用率等一系列措施,投入改造资金5万余元,将污水日排放量由1200 m3降到50 m3 ,且实现达标排放,取得了较好的经济效益和环境效益。     

Vermicomposting: A sustainable tool for environmental equilibria

Improperly managed organic waste constitutes a serious environment threat across the globe. This has led to a worldwide struggle to strike a balance between the rapid generation of such wastes and protection of the environment. With the unique advantages of lower operational and maintenance costs compared with other waste management technologies, the use of vermicomposting to manage organic wastes has been increasing rapidly in recent years. Still, some factors (e.g., characteristics of substrate composition before and after treatment) are in need of additional, specific studies so that researchers can better understand the metabolism involved in the process. Vermicomposting provides employment opportunities as it protects the environment, augmenting crop productivity when it is used as a fertilizer supplement and helping to maintain ecological balance. Thus, vermicompost plays an important role in the circular economy. This article provides an overview of the research activities that have been conducted on the use of vermicomposts to remove pollutants from the soil, in wastewater treatment, and in organic waste recycling throughout the world. Circular economic assessment has revealed that vermicomposting technology is usually feasible except in certain cases. Most other methods of waste disposal lead to soil deterioration, toxic effects, and increased pollution affecting land, air, water, and living beings, in addition to the sometimes considerable expense of their implementation. Thus, an eco‐friendly method that removes waste in one step is needed. Determining the long‐term performance and sustainable operation of vermicomposting systems still poses a challenge, however, as treatment performance is affected by design parameters, operational conditions, and environmental factors. This article summarizes the factors influencing pollutant removal through the vermicomposting process. Finally, this article highlights additional research that should be conducted on these issues to improve the performance of vermicomposting.     

WATER QUALITY ALLOCATED COST FOR MULTIPURPOSE RESERVOIRS1

ABSTRACT: Low flow augmentation from multipurpose reservoirs may yield significant water quality benefits. Cost allocation assigns a portion of reservoir expense to water quality consumers, waste water dischargers who benefit from increased receiving flow. Whereas such allocation currently is not authorized for Federal projects, the procedure is increasingly appropriate for efficient multiobjective management. Waste water treatment costs, multipurpose reservoir costs, and water quality are modeled for Oregon's Willamette River. Water quality is expressed as a function of treatment and augmentation levels. Treatment cost necessary to achieve a given water quality without augmentation less treatment cost with augmentation is an alternative cost of water quality maintenance. With a cost allocation procedure, this alternative cost is used to determine water quality's share of reservoir cost. Under current conditions, water quality beneficiaries could be charged approximately seven percent of annualized reservoir expense. This charge is one-fourth the expense of additional treatment facilities required were augmentation not provided.     

Joint submissions,output related payments and environmental co-operatives: Can the Dutch experience innovate UK agri-environment policy?

This paper describes three relatively recent innovations in the Dutch agri-environment programme which have helped nature management to be contiguous with natural features allowing the landscape to be managed whole rather than piecemeal—and thus generate higher quality and greater scope in environmental management. The first two, joint submissions by neighbouring farmers and payments related to the level of environmental output delivered, are scheme innovations. The third, Environmental Co-operatives (EC)—clubs of neighbouring farmers that inter alia co-ordinate and help manage the scheme innovations—is an institutional innovation. None has an equivalent in the UK. Evidence from interviews with farmer and non-farmer members, policy makers, academics and other interested parties show the role EC play in overcoming some of the postulated problems of the two scheme innovations. Not all the problems have been overcome, and cost-benefit analyses have not been conducted, nevertheless there is sufficient evidence to suggest that these innovations have benefited all actors involved: farmers, the government, the environment and the rural economy. Analysis of UK agri-environment policy using actor network theory (ANT) suggests the UK government will need to show similar levels of trust in and commitment to the farming community before these innovations could be introduced in the UK.     

Disentangling technological innovations: a micro-econometric analysis of their determinants

On the basis of a unique firm-level dataset from the German manufacturing sector, this paper empirically examines the determinants of environmental and non-environmental product and process innovations. The micro-econometric analysis with multivariate probit models points to an extremely high relevance of R&D activities for all technological innovation types, as well as to the relevance of a few market pull factors. The estimation results additionally reveal the importance of organisational measures for environmental product and process innovations. In this regard, not only certified environmental management systems, but also specific process- and product-related environmental organisational measures and even general organisational measures, such as the certification of a quality management system according to ISO 9001, play a crucial role. The estimation results therefore suggest the encouragement of firm-internal R&D activities and organisational measures by (environmental) policy in order to stimulate environmental technological innovations, which are able to both limit the environmental burden and contribute to the technological modernisation of the economy.     

Streamflow Depletion Modeling: Methods for an Adaptable and Conjunctive Water Management Decision Support Tool

Groundwater pumping depletes streamflow, which can have significant ecological impacts depending on the magnitude of depletion relative to environmental flow needs. Streamflow depletion estimates from groundwater pumping have been quantified using both analytical and numerical methods, but are not routinely compared to environmental flow needs or used in practical water management tools. Decision support tools that incorporate groundwater dynamics are becoming increasingly necessary for water managers as groundwater regulations become more important in environmental policy, particularly concerning the preservation of environmental flow needs. We develop and apply methods for a web‐based decision support tool for conjunctive groundwater and surface water management, demonstrated using a case study watershed in British Columbia, Canada. Open‐source data are analyzed with a combination of spatial algorithms and previously developed analytical models, such that the tool can be applied to other regions. Streamflow depletion estimates are calculated in four regions in the largely undeveloped Bulkley Valley, British Columbia. Our transparent methodology has geographic and data input flexibility which is a significant improvement on currently existing water management tool methods.