Budget-Balancing Incentive Mechanisms

A. P. Xepapadeas [J. Environ. Econom. Management20, 113-26, 1991] developed a pollution abatement incentive mechanism that both reduces the information requirements of a regulator and is "budget-balancing," drawing only on the social gains from pollution abatement to encourage firm compliance. This paper demonstrates that, contrary to Xepapadeas, the budget-balancing system of random penalties cannot be used to induce compliance with the regulator′s objectives if firms are risk neutral. However, the mechanism can be successfully applied if firms are sufficiently risk averse [E. Rasmusen, RAND J. Econom.18, 428-435, 1987].     

Geographical distribution of non-PBDE-brominated flame retardants in mussels from Asian coastal waters

Hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), and decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) used as alternatives for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are also persistent in the environment as PBDEs. Limited information on these non-PBDE brominated flame retardants (BFRs) is available; in particular, there are only few publications on environmental pollution by these contaminants in the coastal waters of Asia. In this regard, we investigated the contamination status of HBCDs, BTBPE, and DBDPE in the coastal waters of Asia using mussels as a bioindicator. Concentrations of HBCDs, BTBPE, and DBDPE were determined in green (Perna viridis) and blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) collected from the coastal areas in Cambodia, China (mainland), SAR China (Hong Kong), India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam on 2003-2008. BTBPE and DBDPE were analyzed using GC-MS, whereas HBCDs were determined by LC-MS/MS. HBCDs, BTBPE, and DBDPE were found in mussels at levels ranging from <0.01 to 1,400, <0.1 to 13, and <0.3 to 22?ng/g lipid wt, respectively. Among the three HBCD diastereoisomers, α-HBCD was the dominant isomer followed by γ- and β-HBCDs. Concentrations of HBCDs and DBDPE in mussels from Japan and Korea were higher compared to those from the other Asian countries, indicating extensive usage of these non-PBDE BFRs in Japan and Korea. Higher levels of HBCDs and DBDPE than PBDEs were detected in some mussel samples from Japan. The results suggest that environmental pollution by non-PBDE BFRs, especially HBCDs in Japan, is ubiquitous. This study provides baseline information on the contamination status of these non-PBDE BFRs in the coastal waters of Asia.     

Studies on the influence of natural resource utilization by humans on foraging behavior of honey bees at rural ecosystems

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Human utilization of natural resources acts as a main driver in altering the ecosystem service and functions. Apart from indirect influence, these...     

Participatory Model Calibration for Improving Resource Management Systems: Case Study of Rainwater Harvesting in an Indian Village

While planning resource management systems in rural areas, it is important to consider criteria that are specific to the local social conditions. Such criteria might change from one region to another and are hence best identified using a participatory approach. In this work, we propose a participatory framework to identify such criteria and derive their weights. These identified criteria and their weights are used as parameters to develop a quantitative model for evaluating efficiency of each system. Such a model can serve as a support tool for stakeholders to simulate and analyze “what‐if” scenarios, evaluate alternatives, and select one which best satisfies their requirements. We use existing systems to test the model by comparing efficiencies evaluated by the model to efficiencies perceived by the stakeholders. The model is calibrated by repeating the process until statistically significant correlation is achieved between evaluated and perceived efficiencies. The novelty of the proposed framework lies in treating efficiencies perceived by the stakeholders as the ground truth since they know these systems well and are their ultimate users. The framework is successfully demonstrated using case study of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems in an Indian village. The resulting calibrated model can be used to plan new RWH systems in this region and similar regions elsewhere. The framework can be used to plan other resource management systems in various regions.     

ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF PHOSPHORUS LOADING POLICIES FOR PASTURE LAND APPLICATIONS OF POULTRY LITTER1

ABSTRACT: Non-point source pollution created by agriculture is one of the major issues of intensive production. Recent studies indicate that the eutrophication from agricultural non-point source pollution, especially from phosphorus, is of growing concern. The objectives of this paper are to measure the economic opportunity costs of a proposed phosphorus management policy that targets soils with elevated phosphorus levels and examine the impacts of alternative policies such as Pigouvian taxes on the optimal use of litter. The study focuses on land applications of poultry litter in the Muddy Fork watershed of the Illinois River in Northwest Arkansas. The analysis indicates that restriction of litter applications on soils with elevated phosphorus levels will significantly reduce the net returns generated from forage production, resulting in an environmental policy with a high opportunity cost for producers. An analysis of alternative Pigouvian tax policies shows that a smaller tax per ton of litter applied can achieve the same litter control as that of a larger tax on a per acre basis.     

Correction to: Studies on the influence of natural resource utilization by humans on foraging behavior of honey bees at rural ecosystems

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org10.1007/s11356-021-14573-3     

Soil contamination by brominated flame retardants in open waste dumping sites in Asian developing countries

In Asian developing countries, large amounts of municipal wastes are dumped into open dumping sites each day without adequate management. This practice may cause several adverse environmental consequences and increase health risks to local communities. These dumping sites are contaminated with many chemicals including brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs).BFRs may be released into the environment through production processes and through the disposal of plastics and electronic wastes that contain them.The purpose of this study was to elucidate the status of BFR pollution in municipal waste dumping sites in Asian developing countries. Soil samples were collected from six open waste dumping sites and five reference sites in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam from 1999 to 2007. The results suggest that PBDEs are the dominant contaminants in the dumping sites in Asian developing countries, whereas HBCD contamination remains low. Concentrations of PBDEs and HBCDs ranged from ND to 180 μg/kg dry wt and ND to 1.4 μg/kg dry wt, respectively, in the reference sites and from 0.20 to 430 μg/kg dry wt and ND to 2.5 μg/kg dry wt, respectively, in the dumping sites. Contamination levels of PBDEs in Asian municipal dumping sites were comparable with those reported from electronic waste dismantling areas in Pearl River delta, China.     

Implications of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on polycystic ovarian syndrome: A comprehensive review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a complex multifactorial disorder of unknown pathogenesis in which genetic and environmental factors contribute...     

Hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater uses for agricultural and drinking and groundwater quality of pollution index in the western part of Telangana,South India

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A total of fifty groundwater samples were collected in the western part of Nizamabad district, Telangana State, India. The results obtained were...