Environmental equity in a sunbelt city: the spatial distribution of toxic hazards in Phoenix,Arizona

Abstract

This paper examines the spatial distributions of industrial facilities emitting toxic substances in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan region. The analysis relies on geographic information system mapping of hazardous facilities listed in the Environmental Protection Agency's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) to assess the spatial distribution of polluting industries in relation to the demographic composition of host neighborhoods. The research addresses four questions: (1) Are there differences between the socioeconomic characteristics of neighborhoods with and without polluting industrial facilities? (2) Is there a relationship between the volume of toxic chemicals released from industrial facilities and the socioeconomic characteristics of host neighborhoods? (3) Is there a relationship between the toxicity of the chemicals released from industrial facilities and the socioeconomic characteristics of those living in proximity? (4) Do alternative methods for determining the distribution of potentially affected populations produce different observed patterns of environmental inequities? The study concludes that there is a clear pattern of environmental inequity in Phoenix based on the location and volume of emissions of TRI facilities. Analysis of the toxicity of emissions found a more equal distribution of risk, reflecting the suburbanization of high-technology industries into predominantly white middle-class communities.     

Disaster risk reduction and the evolution of physical development regulation

In 1984 the Mitigation Implementation Conference recognized the need for effective management of urban development in terms of building standards and land-use zonation. In the intervening 25 years, significant progress has been made in the development of building codes and hazard mapping for disaster risk reduction; however, the failure to promulgate, implement and enforce regulation of development has resulted in the dramatic expansion of exposure and risk. It is now necessary to re-assess regulatory policy and practice. New approaches to regulatory compliance must be explored, including participatory regulation and reliance on cultural and religious bases for individual commitment to community safety.     

农业职业安全与健康分析研究

我国农业产业化经营已步入持续发展和提高的新阶段,农业生产维护中的安全与健康问题应给予更高的关注。本文对农业机械维护和基础设施维护中存在的风险与危害及其对健康的影响进行了描述与分析,提出了预防措施。     

基于层次-模糊评价法的山区油气管道地质灾害易发性研究

针对山区油气管道地质灾害的基本特征,将层次分析与模糊综合评价相结合,建立起可用于山区管道地质灾害易发性评价的层次-模糊评价模型;并从自然因素、管道敷设状况、灾害活动和设计与误操作四个方面建立山区油气管道地质灾害易发性评价体系.首先依据专家经验构造各层影响因素的判断矩阵,并利用层次分析法求出各影响因素的权重集,然后对山区油气管道地质灾害易发性进行多级模糊综合评价,最终根据评价结果确定山区油气管道地质灾害易发性等级.通过具体实例检验了本文所建立评价方法的应用效果.     

液化石油气容器受热下蒸气爆炸及影响因素的研究

液化石油气的生产、储运过程中,由火焰加热引发的蒸气爆炸事故屡有发生,并常相继导致其他类型的爆炸。分析了蒸气爆炸的危害特性,研究了影响蒸气爆炸的因素,对火灾的预防和扑救具有一定实用意义。     

Towards an Integrated Approach to Natural Hazards Risk Assessment Using GIS: With Reference to Bushfires

This paper develops a GIS-based integrated approach to risk assessment in natural hazards, with reference to bushfires. The challenges for undertaking this approach have three components: data integration, risk assessment tasks, and risk decision-making. First, data integration in GIS is a fundamental step for subsequent risk assessment tasks and risk decision-making. A series of spatial data integration issues within GIS such as geographical scales and data models are addressed. Particularly, the integration of both physical environmental data and socioeconomic data is examined with an example linking remotely sensed data and areal census data in GIS. Second, specific risk assessment tasks, such as hazard behavior simulation and vulnerability assessment, should be undertaken in order to understand complex hazard risks and provide support for risk decision-making. For risk assessment tasks involving heterogeneous data sources, the selection of spatial analysis units is important. Third, risk decision-making concerns spatial preferences and/or patterns, and a multicriteria evaluation (MCE)-GIS typology for risk decision-making is presented that incorporates three perspectives: spatial data types, data models, and methods development. Both conventional MCE methods and artificial intelligence-based methods with GIS are identified to facilitate spatial risk decision-making in a rational and interpretable way. Finally, the paper concludes that the integrated approach can be used to assist risk management of natural hazards, in theory and in practice.     

Risk and vulnerability indicators at different scales:: Applicability, usefulness and policy implications

This paper outlines selected approaches to measuring risk and vulnerability to hazards of natural origin using indicators and indices. It discusses their applicability, usefulness and policy implications. Indicators and indices have been developed on different scales and for different purposes. The paper will briefly introduce three global approaches to disaster-risk identification and will juxtapose them with one local approach in order to examine the differences concerning the functions and the purpose of the assessment as well as their impact for policy development. In contrast to an earlier comparative analysis of the three global disaster-risk indicator programmes by Mark Pelling in 2004, which focused primarily on the methodologies used, this paper places more emphasis on aspects of applicability and policy implications and outlines challenges and limitations of the different approaches. Since the assessment and mapping of human vulnerability is less developed than hazard assessment work [Pelling M., 2004. Visions of Risk: A Review of International Indicators of Disaster Risk and its Management. UNDP—Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BRCP), Geneva], this paper focuses in greater depth on how the approaches capture vulnerability. Conclusions will be formulated on how to further enhance vulnerability identification, particularly at the sub-national level.     

城市重大危险源免疫机制研究

为了更好地管理和控制城市重大危险源,在建立城市重大危险源的应急管理网络模型的基础上,利用生物免疫系统网络和城市重大危险源管理网络的相似性,采用生物免疫系统的相关理论和方法,对城市重大危险源的免疫机制进行了研究;根据城市重大危险源应急管理网络模型和城市重大危险源免疫机制,建立城市重大危险源应急网络的免疫模型,为加强对我国城市重大危险源的管理提供策略和方法。     

铁路轨道施工工艺及职业病危害因素分析

调查铁路轨道施工工艺及施工过程中职业病危害因素,对铁路轨道施工现场进行职业卫生学调查及工作场所职业病危害因素检测。结果表明,铁路轨道施工现场部分岗位接触的矽尘/其他粉尘、水泥粉尘、电焊烟尘、锰及其化合物、手传振动和噪声是职业病主要危害因素,建议加强铁路轨道施工作业个体防护。