Computing sustainable manufacturing index with fuzzy analytic hierarchy process

The growing industrial interest in adopting sustainability programmes has ushered in studies regarding sustainability indicators which have continually flourished in current literature. However, limited attention is given to the development of priority ranking, which is an important input for any adopting firm. This paper presents a hybrid multi-criteria approach in determining priority areas in sustainable manufacturing (SM). Using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to address uncertainty in hierarchical decision-making, this paper determines SM priority strategies and eventually identifies even lower level strategies. The computed sustainable manufacturing index is presented at both the organizational and operational levels for a real case study of an industrial plastic manufacturing firm. This work provides a detailed and transparent hierarchical decision-making approach based on SM framework, the use of which could be valuable to practicing managers across industries in their pursuit of greater sustainability.     

Co-treatment of fruit and vegetable waste in sludge digesters. An analysis of the relationship among bio-methane generation,process stability and digestate phytotoxicity

The co-digestion of a variable amount of fruit and vegetable waste in a waste mixed sludge digester was investigated using a pilot scale apparatus. The organic loading rate (OLR) was increased from 1.46 kg VS/m³ day to 2.8 kg VS/m³ day. The hydraulic retention time was reduced from 14 days to about 10 days. Specific bio-methane production increased from about 90 NL/kg VS to the maximum value of about 430 NL/kg VS when OLR was increased from 1.46 kg VS/m³ day to 2.1 kg VS/m³ day. A higher OLR caused an excessive reduction in the hydraulic retention time, enhancing microorganism wash out. Process stability evaluated by the total volatile fatty acids concentration (mg/l) to the alkalinity buffer capacity (eq. mg/l CaCO₃) ratio (i.e. FOS/TAC) criterion was <0.1 indicating high stability for OLR <2.46 kg VS/m³ day. For higher OLR, FOS/TAC increased rapidly. Residual phytotoxicty of the digestate evaluated by the germination index (GI) (%) was quite constant for OLR < 2.46 kg VS/m³ day, which is lower than the 60% limit, indicating an acceptable toxicity level for crops. For OLR > 2.46 kg VS/m³ day, GI decreased rapidly. This corresponding trend between FOS/TAC and GI was further investigated by the definition of the GI ratio (GIR) parameter. Comparison between GIR and FOS/TAC suggests that GI could be a suitable criterion for evaluating process stability.     

Revisiting the national corporate social responsibility index

This paper relies on Gjølberg’s national corporate social responsibility (CSR) index while its purpose is twofold. First, it seeks to extend the methodological instrument for assessing national CSR and, second, it applies the new approach to a much larger pool of countries (n = 86) in an attempt to provide a global CSR outlook. The emergent picture from the study is one of deficient CSR penetration and wide variation among countries where most of the assessed countries are still lagging in the endorsement of international CSR initiatives and schemes. Findings offer fertile ground to theorists and researchers for a deeper investigation of the national specificity of CSR and to further identify institutional determinants that shape the social responsiveness and self-regulation of business entities. The study has also implications for managers and top executives to consider as it infers that the national background can be influential in the development of a CSR agenda and can condition the level of CSR penetration.     

矿区植被恢复方式对土壤微生物和酶活性的影响

矿区废弃地生态退化形势严峻,生态修复已成为矿区可持续发展的主要措施,土壤微生物和酶活性可作为评价土壤恢复质量的敏感因子.本研究将以山西省安太堡煤矿复垦区作为对象,分析植被恢复方式对土壤微生物和酶活的影响.结果表明,不同植被方式对土壤理化特征、参与氮代谢的3类菌群(固氮菌、硝化细菌和反硝化细菌)和4种酶活性(蔗糖酶、过氧化氢酶、脲酶和多酚氧化酶活)均有显著影响.土壤总氮含量与固氮菌和硝化细菌数量均显著相关,而与反硝化细菌不相关.多酚氧化酶活性与有机碳和总氮含量之间为负相关,而其它3种酶与有机碳和总氮之间呈正相关.通过主成分分析计算综合肥力指标,刺槐-油松混交林土壤综合肥力指标最高,而未复垦综合肥力指标最低.可见,刺槐-油松混交林是晋西北干旱区矿区复垦较为适宜的植被恢复模式.     

桑沟湾表层沉积物性质及对磷的吸附特征

通过研究桑沟湾表层沉积物对磷的吸附动力学曲线和吸附等温线,并结合沉积物的表面电荷性质及磷的形态分析,考察了沉积物对磷的吸附性能和吸附机制.结果表明,桑沟湾表层沉积物对磷的吸附过程包括快吸附过程和慢吸附过程,可用快慢二段一级动力学方程描述,等温线符合Langmuir交叉式模型.夏季沉积物样品的最大吸附量高于春季样品,粒级较小的沉积物吸附能力较强.沉积物样品对磷的最大吸附量Qm在0.047 1~0.123 0 mg·g-1之间,吸附/解吸平衡磷浓度(EPC0)范围在0.059 6~0.192 7 mg·L-1,沉积物充当"磷源"的作用.不同站位表层沉积物中无机磷(IP)是磷在沉积物中的主要赋存形态,吸附后的沉积物样品中弱吸附态磷(Ex-P)、铁结合态磷(Fe-P)明显增加.吸附过程包括物理吸附和化学吸附,以物理吸附为主.     

Removal of perfluorinated surfactants from wastewater by adsorption and ion exchange——Influence of material properties,sorption mechanism and modeling

Perfluorooctane sulfonate(PFOS) has attracted increasing concern in recent years due to its world-wide distribution, persistence, bioaccumulation and potential toxicity. The influence of sorbent properties on the adsorptive elimination of PFOS from wastewater by activated carbons, polymer adsorbents and anion exchange resins was investigated with regard to their isotherms and kinetics. The batch and column tests were combined with physicochemical characterization methods, e.g., N_2 physisorption, mercury porosimetry, infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, titrations, as well as modeling. Sorption kinetics was successfully modelled applying the linear driving force(LDF) approach for surface diffusion after introducing a load dependency of the mass transfer coefficient βs.The big difference in the initial mass transfer coefficient βs,0, when non-functionalized adsorbents and ion-exchange resins are compared, suggests that the presence of functional groups impedes the intraparticle mass transport. The more functional groups a resin possesses and the longer the alkyl moieties are the bigger is the decrease in sorption rate.But the selectivity for PFOS sorption is increasing when the character of the functional groups becomes more hydrophobic. Accordingly, ion exchange and hydrophobic interaction were found to be involved in the sorption processes on resins, while PFOS is only physisorptively bound to activated carbons and polymer adsorbents. In agreement with the different adsorption mechanisms, resins possess higher total sorption capacities than adsorbents. Hence, the latter ones are rendered more effective in PFOS elimination at concentrations in the low μg/L range, due to a less pronounced convex curvature of the sorption isotherm in this concentration range.     

岩溶地区隧道施工对水环境影响评价指标体系的建立

随着人们环保意识的不断提高,交通隧道施工期对周边水环境的影响也日益受到关注。针对岩溶地区隧道的施工特点建立了隧道施工期对水环境影响的评价指标体系。该体系研究了施工中含污废水排放对地表水体污染以及地下水疏排给隧道周边水资源流失两方面进行评价;指标体系各层指标数量随施工进展与现场情况变化进行增减,以满足施工期不断变化情况对水环境影响大小的准确评估;该指标体系充分考虑到"木桶理论"的原理,明确施工过程中对水环境影响最严重环节,有助于及时采取保护措施。     

中国主要湖泊表层沉积物重金属污染特征与评价分析

为了解我国主要湖泊沉积物中重金属的污染特征,通过搜集整理已公开发表的文献资料数据,分析了我国31个主要湖泊表层沉积物中As、Cd、Cr、Cu、Hg、Ni、Pb和Zn 8种重金属含量的平均值及其分布特征,并运用地累积指数法、潜在生态风险指数法对其污染程度进行评价。结果显示:我国31个湖泊的沉积物中As、Cd、Cr、Cu、Hg、Ni、Pb、Zn平均含量分别为16.39,0.497,6.29,36.89,0.076,35.37,99.52 mg/kg,大部分元素含量平均值的最大值分布区域较为分散。地累积指数评价结果表明:8种重金属的平均污染程度由高到低依次为Cd>Hg>Cu>Zn>As>Ni>Zn>Cr,Cd和Hg在多个湖泊沉积物中达中度到重污染。潜在生态风险指数评价结果表明:8种重金属的潜在生态风险系数从高到低依次为Cd>Hg>As>Cu>Pb>Ni>Cr>Zn。8种重金属的总地累积指数和综合潜在生态风险具有显著的地域差异(P0.05),表明我国主要湖泊具有各自不同的重金属污染特征。     

阜新城区降尘重金属污染及其健康风险评价

为研究阜新市大气降尘重金属分布情况及可能存在的健康风险,于2015年3月—2016年3月对阜新城区(32个采样点)及周边地区(13个对照采样点)进行大气降尘湿法采集,并利用电感耦合等离子体质谱仪(ICP-MS)对降尘中的7种重金属元素(Cr、Ni、Zn、Cd、Pb、As、Cu)含量进行测定.结果表明:① 阜新市大气降尘中重金属含量存在明显差异,表现为w(Zn)＞w(Pb)＞w(Cr)＞w(Cu)＞w(Ni)＞w(As)＞w(Cd). w(Zn)平均值最高,为756.9 mg/kg; w(Cd)平均值最低,为4.8 mg/kg,其他几种重金属含量范围为10~120 mg/kg. ② 城区大气降尘中Cd的背景比值(H)最高,为44.89,其次为Zn(H=11.92),城区大气降尘重金属污染受人为活动影响显著. ③ 地累积指数评价结果显示,Cd为严重-极度污染,Zn为中度-严重污染,Pb、Cu为中度污染,Cr、Ni为轻度污染,As为无污染. ④ 研究区健康风险评价表明,儿童通过3种暴露途径接触Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd、Ni的非致癌健康风险水平均高于成人,Cr、As的非致癌健康风险水平低于成人. ⑤ Cr经呼吸途径对成人的非致癌风险(HQ_inh)达2.53,非致癌风险总值(HI)达3.41,均大于限值(1),表明Cr经呼吸途径对于成人存在非致癌风险,其余6种重金属元素经呼吸途径对于成人的非致癌风险相对较低. ⑥ Cd、Cr、As、Ni经呼吸途径的致癌风险值(10-9~10-7)均低于可接受水平(10-6),表明致癌元素Cd、Cr、As、Ni经呼吸途径对人体可能不具有致癌风险.鉴于研究区大气降尘重金属元素经3种途径对成人、儿童均构成一定非致癌风险,阜新市应当及时加强对海州露天矿、经济开发区及皮革工业园等主要大气颗粒物污染源的排放及监测管控.      

航空装备外场级平均修复时间评估研究

目的探索航空装备部队使用保障阶段维修性指标评估的实施方法。方法构建航空装备外场级平均修复时间评估指标体系,包括评估条件界定、统计准则确定、数据处理方法、评估流程、使用表格等,并结合具体机型进行评价应用。结果该机型飞机整机的累计修复时间为138.5 h,平均修复时间Mct=2.17 h,满足不大于3 h指标要求。结论评估方法系统科学,可为各类装备开展相关维修性评估工作提供方法支持和工程借鉴。