The risks of risk-based regulation: insights from the environmental policy domain

Risk-based regulation has become increasingly popular in recent years. Proponents argue that it facilitates robust governance, contributing to efficient and effective use of regulatory resources and delivering interventions in proportion to risk. Critics contend that the challenges of operationalising risk-based governance mitigate its potential benefits. In this paper we start by considering what we mean by risk-based governance and discuss some of the factors shaping the adoption of such strategies. We then consider the development and operation of risk-based approaches in the environmental policy domain, focusing specifically on the regulation of contaminated land and radioactive waste. We argue that whilst risk-based approaches can offer important benefits, they face a range of epistemic, institutional and normative challenges that can play an important role in shaping the way that organisations manage both risks to society and their own institutional risks. This has profound implications for achieving regulatory objectives and, for this paper, the environmental outcomes that the regulations are designed to deliver.     

Recycling contaminated soil as alternative raw material in cement facilities: Life cycle assessment

Volcanic soil can be used to remove metals from wastewaters. Once used, it is disposed in landfills. The utilization of this material in the cement industry as an alternative raw material was evaluated using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. This possibility has been studied from an environmental point of view in a Chilean cement facility, representative of the current operation state of art, including both technical and economic analysis. Two scenarios were compared: Scenario 1, which corresponds to the existing cement production process, and Scenario 2, which represents cement production using spent volcanic soil. With the exception of the categories of carcinogens (C) and minerals (M), the comparative results are favourable to Scenario 2, specially regarding to the category of ecotoxicity (E), mainly due to the avoided landfilling emissions of the volcanic soil. When considering the damage assessment, damage to human health (HH), ecosystem quality (EQ) and resources (R) are lower in Scenario 2. In addition, sensitivity analyses were performed to study the influence of particular parameters (i.e., transport of spent volcanic soil, CO₂ emissions from the clinkerization process and heavy metals leaching from the spent volcanic soil) on the results of the assessment. The use of alternative raw materials (in this case, spent volcanic soil), which present the advantage to be wastes from other technical systems, appear to allow the development of cement production in a more sustainable way, slightly improving the economy of the process. The spent volcanic soil can be treated with zero cost for the wastewater treatment plant with savings of 0.23€ for each tonne of clinker production. Establishing a sound management way for the spent volcanic soil could foment its possible use as mineral adsorbent in industrial wastewater treatment facilities.     

热碱水溶液清洗－气浮分离对原油污染土壤的处理

针对落地原油的回收及土壤污染治理问题，提出了用热碱水溶液清洗－气浮分离的处理方法，获得了比较理想的结果。实验中考察了清洗过程的反应温度、清洗时间、液固比、碱浓度及气浮温度和气浮时间等各种影响因素，得到了适宜的处理工艺条件。在此处理条件下，可使含稠油１２．５％的模拟含油土壤的油去除率达到９２．５％～９３．５％，土壤中残留含量降至０．９％～１．０％．提出的处理方法，能原消耗较低，碱剂费用仅为７元／ｔ（ｔ土）左右，且可以回收洗脱出来的原油。     

Determining the influence of the physicochemical parameters of urban soils on As availability using chemometric methods: A preliminary study

An initial exploration was conducted using mathematical and statistical methods to obtain relevant information about the determination of the physicochemical parameters capable of controlling As uptake by ryegrass grown on contaminated topsoils.Concentrations of As in the soils were from 10 to 47 mg/kg,mainly in the As(V) form(57%–73%).Concentrations of As in water extracts were very low(61–700 μg/kg).It was suggested that As(Ⅲ) was mainly in the uncharged species and As(V) in the charged species.Chemometric methods revealed that the values of the ratio As(Ⅲ)/As(V) depended on the assimilated-phosphorus,the pseudo-total and water-extractable Fe contents and the soil p H.Arsenic concentrations measured in ryegrass shoots ranged from 119 to 1602 μg/kg.Positive linear correlations were obtained between As in ryegrass shoots and water extractable-As.The transfer coefficient of As correlated well with the ratio assimilated-phosphorus/Fe-oxides.As(Ⅲ)uptake by the shoot of ryegrass was controlled by the organic matter and Fe-oxide contents.     

基于风险管控的污染地块修复模式概述

基于风险管控的理念,结合风险产生的3要素(污染源、暴露途径和风险受体),分别介绍了污染地块治理修复的多种可选修复模式。在多层次风险防控的思路下构建污染地块的修复模式,可以为污染地块的安全利用提供多样化的解决方案。     

典型砒霜厂污染场地重金属污染特征及环境风险评价

以某个砒霜厂旧址为研究对象,分析场地的重金属污染特征。结果表明,该场地受到砷、铜、铅、镉和锌等重金属污染,其中,砷污染指标超过评价标准值达7 199倍;基于《展览会用地土壤环境质量评价标准(暂行)》条件下,采用RBCA模型计算砷、镉、铜、锌对人体健康的环境风险,结果表明,该场地砷超过了致癌风险指数标准限值-6(10)及非致癌危害商标准限值(1),说明砷具有很大的环境风险;采用IEUBK模型计算铅对人体的健康风险,结果表明,铅也具有一定的环境风险。因此,该污染场地在开发利用过程中需要对环境风险区域进行治理修复后才能使用。     

我国杀虫剂类POPs污染场地的类型与污染控制对策分析

POPs污染场地作为潜在的POPs污染源,必须予以妥善管理。杀虫剂类POPs作为《斯德哥尔摩公约》首批的12种POPs物质中的绝大多数,其污染场地的管理是我国POPs污染场地管理的重点所在。本文分析了我国的杀虫剂类POPs污染场地的成因、类型、存在现状及管理现状,着重剖析了我国可适用于POPs污染场地的管理体系所存在的问题,在此基础上提出了加强我国POPs污染场地管理与控制的对策,指出了重点研究方向。     

工业城市污染土壤评估方法的初步研究与应用

建立了一套适用于工业城市污染土壤的评估方法,该方法把生态毒理指标与传统的化学指标结合起来作为衡量土壤污染程度的手段,同时考虑土地的再利用性质对场地的污染程度进行分级。应用该方法对沈阳市部分石油污染场地进行了评估。     

A hybrid fenton oxidation-microbial treatment for soil highly contaminated with benz(a)anthracene

In order to mitigate the strong microbial resistance of benz(a)anthracene [B(a)A] in soil, a hybrid treatment of Fenton oxidation followed microbial culture was carried out. Based on optimal Fenton oxidation, i.e., 1.0 ml of ethanol, 0.2 ml of 0.5 M Fe²⁺, and 0.3 ml of 30% H₂O₂ per 1 g of 500 mg B(a)A/kg soil, about 43% of B(a)A-7,12-dione was generated during oxidation of 97% B(a)A. When the comparative biodegradability between B(a)A-contaminated soil and B(a)A-contaminated soil after Fenton oxidation was examined, it was found that 98% of B(a)A-7,12-dione degraded after 63 d in comparison with only 12% of B(a)A over the same period; results demonstrating that Fenton oxidation enhances biodegradability of B(a)A through B(a)A-7,12-dione.     

造纸厂废碱液污染土的环境岩土工程研究

分析了我国造纸厂废碱液的组成成分，受污染土的环境岩土工程特性和污染机理，介绍了污染土地区的岩土工程勘察内容，评价以及一些主要的治理措施。