The Power of Innovation and Strategic Sustainability Positioning: A Survey of the Mining Sector in Brazil

This study investigates the relationship between the power of innovation and the sustainability strategies of companies involved in the minerals extraction sector in Brazil. The study included companies associated with the Brazilian Mining Institute, and it used research surveys to gather data. Analysis of the survey data revealed that companies with highly intensive characteristics in regard to innovation and environmental activities (environmental management activities) also display offensive, or proactive, strategies for pursuing sustainability.     

Economies of size and density in municipal solid waste recycling in Portugal

The recycling of municipal solid waste has a remarkable importance in the preservation of the environment and the welfare of the society. However, it is also important that this service can be provided with efficient costs. This paper aims to search for economies of output density and economies of size in the selective collection and recycling activities in Portugal and to identify the size the utilities should have to become more cost efficient. The sample comprises all Portuguese recycling utilities operating in the wholesale segment in the period 2006–2010. The results show that the Portuguese recycling utilities should increase the quantities of municipal solid waste for recycling (especially glass and paper) and also become larger to dimensions corresponding to a supply of 400–550 thousand inhabitants. With the increasing amount of glass collected, utilities are simultaneously struggling to fulfill the targets established by the European legislation and explore the existing economies of output density. The results also show that the management of these services carried out by private companies and the use of incineration (by utilities) seem to reduce the costs of utilities while the regulation of these services and the composting of waste held by utilities tend to increase costs.     

Influence of the current density on the electrochemical treatment of concentrated 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride solutions on diamond electrodes

This paper focuses on the influence of the current density treatment of a concentrated 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMImCl) solution on an electrochemical reactor with a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode. The decrease in the total organic carbon (TOC) and the BMImCl concentration demonstrate the capability of BDD in oxidizing ionic liquids (ILs) and further mineralizing (to CO₂ and NO₃ ^?) more rapidly at higher current densities in spite of the reduced current efficiency of the process. Moreover, the presence of Cl^? led to the formation of oxychlorinated anions (mostly ClO₃ ^? and ClO₄ ^?) and, in combination with the ammonia generated in the cathode from the nitrate reduction, chloramines, more intensely at higher current density. Finally, the analysis of the intermediates formed revealed no apparent influence of the current density on the BMImCl degradation mechanism. The current density presents therefore a complex influence on the IL treatment process that is discussed throughout this paper.     

Are renewable energy policies upsetting carbon dioxide emissions? The case of Latin America countries

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The impact of renewable energy policies in carbon dioxide emissions was analysed for a panel of ten Latin American countries, for the period from 1991...     

Integration of ozonation and an anaerobic expanded granular sludge bed reactor for micropollutant removal from sewage

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Conventional sewage treatment systems are generally not designed to remove micropollutants, requiring the development of new technologies, such as the...     

Ecotoxicity of imidacloprid to soil invertebrates in two tropical soils with contrasting texture

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Imidacloprid is one of the most commercialized insecticides in agriculture in the world, with a broad spectrum of action. However, little is known...     

Mandating interlocks for fully revoked offenders: the New Mexico experience

OBJECTIVE: In New Mexico, between July 1999 and December 2002, the installation of an ignition interlock was an optional judicial sanction for second and third driving-while-impaired (DWI) offenders. This is a study of the recidivism of 437 offenders who were convicted and installed interlocks for an average of 322 days during that period. METHODS: The comparison group was a stratified random sample (N = 12,554) of the 20,949 offenders who were convicted during the same period but did not install interlocks. DWI arrest and conviction data for all study participants were received from the Motor Vehicle Department's Citation Tracking System. RESULTS: Only 11 (2.5%) of the interlock offender group were rearrested for DWI while interlocks were installed, whereas 1,017 (8.1%) of the comparison group were rearrested during an equivalent 322-day period. Survival graphs and Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were used to compare the interlock and noninterlock groups during installation, after installation, and for the entire period up to December 2004. Results indicate a reduction in recidivism of 65% during installation. After removal, there was no significant difference in recidivism rates in a 3-year follow-up period. Following all offenders for 4 years, including both the period while the interlock was installed and the period after its removal, indicates that the difference in recidivism achieved during installation, though not increased, is maintained, so at the end of 4 years, interlock users still have lower total recidivism than nonusers. CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of interlock effectiveness reported here is similar to those in other published studies with comparable samples.     

Coastal protection structures in Tarawa Atoll, Republic of Kiribati

In the context of rapid population growth and urbanization, atoll countries have engaged in reclamation works and in the construction of coastal defences to extend inhabitable areas and reduce the threats posed by coastal erosion and flooding. Despite their major role in asset protection, coastal structures are still poorly documented. However, a better knowledge of the characteristics of these structures (location, type, condition, management status, etc.) would facilitate the establishment of consistent construction and maintenance programmes, and also contribute to a better understanding of shoreline changes. To address this need, this paper provides an assessment of coastal structures on Tarawa Atoll in Kiribati. The results highlight the abundance of structures, mostly seawalls (94.7 % of the total), which stretch along 29 % of the coastline. The protected shoreline decreases from urban (53.9 % at Bairiki) to rural islands (27.3 % at Buota), in proportion to population pressure. The occurrence and height of structures are greater on windward, ocean shores than on lagoon shores. Seawall condition is better in rural islands, compared to urban and semi-urban areas. The observed differences in the characteristics and physical condition of coastal structures mainly reflect differences in the management status of structures and the availability of building materials and funding. More generally, the occurrence and characteristics of coastal structures are strongly correlated to population densities, land-use dynamics and shoreline mobility. At some locations, the failure of coastal protection highlights the seriousness of the problems raised by land-use practices in Tarawa.     

Morphological responses and tolerance of a tree native to the Brazilian Cerrado Astronium fraxinifolium Schott to boron toxicity

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The indiscriminate use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides can lead to boron contamination of the soil. Decontamination in general is expensive and...