Application of environmentally conscious manufacturing strategies for an automotive component

Application of appropriate environmentally conscious manufacturing strategies enables the sustainable development of products and processes. Automotive component manufacturers recognise the potential of applying appropriate strategies for attaining Triple Bottom Line benefits. In this context, three strategies such as eco-efficiency, waste minimisation and material efficiency are being applied to minimise environmental impacts associated with the manufacture of automotive products and its associated processes. A case study of an automotive component manufacturing firm has been exemplified. After conducting the study, the potential environmental impact was reduced by 20% and eco-efficiency was improved by 13%. Further, improvements have been observed in terms of overall resource consumption and material efficiency. The overall power consumption was reduced by 18% and weight of the component was reduced by 11%. The study aimed at improving the sustainable performance of product by incorporating green and environmentally friendlier manufacturing practices.

Abbreviations: USEPA: United Nations Environmental Protection Agency; OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; WBCSD: World Business Council for Sustainable Development; Eco-QFD: Environmental Quality Function Deployment; WCED: World Commission on Environment and Development; LCA: Life Cycle Assessment     

Bioaccumulation and depuration of chromium in the selected organs and whole body tissues of freshwater fish Cirrhinus mrigala individually and in binary solutions with nickel

Contamination of aquatic ecosystems with heavy metals has been receiving increased worldwide attention due to their harmful e ects on human health and other organisms in the environment. Most of the studies dealing with toxic e ects of metals deal with single metal species, while the aquatic organisms are typically exposed to mixtures of metals. Hence, in order to provide data supporting the usefulness of freshwater fish as indicators of heavy metal pollution, it has been proposed in the present study to investigate the bioaccumulation and depuration of chromium in the selected organs of freshwater fingerlings Cirrhinus mrigala, individually and in binary solutions with nickel. The results show that the kidney is a target organ for chromium accumulation, which implies that it is also the “critical” organ for toxic symptoms. The results further show that accumulation of nickel in all the tissues of C. mrigala is higher than that of chromium. In addition, the metal accumulations of the binary mixtures of chromium and nickel are substantially higher than those of the individual metals, indicating synergistic interactions between the two metals. Theoretically the simplest explanation for an additive joint action of toxicants in a mixture is that they act in a qualitatively similar way. The observed data suggest that C. mrigala could be suitable monitoring organisms to study the bioavailability of water-bound metals in freshwater habitats.     

Modelling spills of water-reactive chemicals

This paper describes part of a programme of work undertaken at the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) to investigate the behaviour of selected water-reactive chemicals. Following an accidental release, such substances react exothermically with any water present, generating acidic vapours. The STAWaRS (Source Term Assessment of Water Reactive Substances) software was developed for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) by ESR Technology to model this complex process. The aims of the study described here were to provide experimental validation of the heats of hydrolysis used within STAWaRS, and to perform sensitivity studies on selected STAWaRS input parameters.The heat of hydrolysis of acetyl chloride was measured and showed good correlation with the value used within STAWaRS. Some of the variables that influence the severity of acetyl chloride spills are examined, with reference to predictions made by the STAWaRS model. The heats of hydrolysis of titanium tetrachloride previously measured at HSL are also discussed, and the effect of adopting these experimentally derived values for modelling spills is shown for a hypothetical land use planning case. This study demonstrates the importance of using experimentally validated values for STAWaRS input parameters.     

Modeling phosphorus transport in an agricultural watershed using the WEPP model

The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model has been tested for its ability to predict soil erosion, runoff, and sediment delivery over a wide range of conditions and scales for both hillslopes and watersheds. Since its release in 1995, there has been considerable interest in adding a chemical transport element to it. Total phosphorus (TP) loss at the watershed outlet was simulated as the product of TP in the soil, amount of sediment at the watershed outlet, and an enrichment ratio (ER) factor. WEPP can be coupled with a simple algorithm to simulate phosphorus transport bound to sediment at the watershed outlet. The objective of this work was to incorporate and test the ability of WEPP in estimatingTP loss with sediment at the small watershed scale. Two approaches were examined. One approach (P-EER) estimated ER according to an empirical relationship; the other approach used the ER calculated by WEPP (P-WER).The data used for model performance test were obtained from two side-by-side watersheds monitored between 1976 and 1980. The watershed sizes were 5.05 and 6.37 ha, and each was in a corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation. Measured and simulated results were compared for the period April to October in each year. There was no statistical difference between the mean measured and simulated TP loss. The Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient was 0.80 and 0.78 for the P-EER and P-WER methods, respectively. It was critical for both methods that WEPP adequately represent the biggest sediment yield events because sediment is the main driver for TP loss so that the model can adequately simulate TP losses bound to sediment. The P-WER method is recommended because it does not require use of empirical parameters to estimate TP loss at the watershed outlet.     

Bioaccumulation of lead and the influence of chelating agents in Catla catla fingerlings

Lead is a widespread element and one of the persistent and cumulative pollutants of the environment. The present study deals with the bioaccumulation of lead and the influence of chelating agents, meso 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), D-Penicillamine and CaNa₂EDTA in reducing the concentration of lead on the selected organs of Catla catla fingerlings for both acute and chronic exposures by using ICP-AES. It is inferred from the present findings that there was a correlation between environmental conditions and the heavy metal contents of the fish. The highest concentration of lead is found in kidney tissues and the lowest in muscle tissues. The accumulation pattern of lead in the selected organs of Catla catla is: kidney > liver > gill > brain > muscle. Also, it has been found that the treatment of chelating agents, DMSA, D-Penicillamine and CaNa₂EDTA reduces the concentration of lead significantly for both acute and chronic exposures. The results also show that DMSA is the most effective chelator of lead in reducing the body burden of C. catla fingerlings. The observed data further indicate that C. catla could be suitable for monitoring organisms to study the bioavailability of water-bound metals in freshwater habitats.     

Germination tests for assessing biochar quality

Definition, analysis, and certification of biochar quality are crucial to the agronomic acceptance of biochar. While most biochars have a positive impact on plant growth, some may have adverse effects due to the presence of phytotoxic compounds. Conversely, some biochars may have the ability to adsorb and neutralize natural phytotoxic compounds found in soil. We evaluated the effects of biochars on seedling growth and absorption of allelochemicals present in corn ( L.) residues. Corn seeds were germinated in aqueous extracts of six biochars produced from varied feedstocks, thermochemical processes, and temperatures. Percent germination and shoot and radicle lengths were evaluated at the end of the germination period. Extracts from the six biochars had no effect on percent germination; however, extracts from three biochars produced at high conversion temperatures significantly inhibited shoot growth by an average of 16% relative to deionized (DI) water. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons detected in the aqueous extracts are believed to be at least partly responsible for the reduction in seedling growth. Repeated leaching of biochars before extract preparation eliminated the negative effects on seedling growth. Biochars differ significantly in their capacity to adsorb allelochemicals present in corn residues. Germination of corn seeds in extracts of corn residue showed 94% suppression of radicle growth compared to those exposed to DI water; however, incubation of corn residue extracts with leached biochar for 24 h before initiating the germination test increased radicle length 6 to 12 times compared to the corn residue extract treatments. Germination tests appear to be a reliable procedure to differentiate between effects of different types of biochar on corn seedling growth.     

Effects of watershed configuration and composition on downstream lake water quality

We evaluated the relationships between landscape characteristics and lake water quality in receiving waters by regressing four water quality responses on landscape variables that were measured for whole watersheds and three different buffer distances (30, 60, and 120 m). Classical percolation theory was used to conceptualize nutrient pathways and to explain nonlinear responses. The response variables were total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), and Secchi transparency (SD). Landscape data were obtained from satellite image-derived maps of 130 watersheds in Iowa using geographic information systems software. We developed regression models with a stepwise protocol selecting the optimal number of significant explanatory variables. Configuration variables such as contagion, the cohesion of cropland and urban land, and the aggregation index of forest were very important and more important than variables assessing landscape composition (e.g., percentage farmland). Whole watershed models predicted between 15 and 67% of the variability in TN, TP, Chl-a, and SD. Proximity-explicit data offered only slightly improved statistical power over land cover data derived from the entire watershed for variables TN, Chl-a. and SD, but not for TP.     

Effect of acute concentration of zinc on the biochemical contents of brain of Labeo rohita: an FT-IR study

Heavy metal discharges to aquatic environment are of great concern due to their toxicity and accumulative behavior. Zinc is an essential trace element required for different physiological functions and plays important role in cellular metabolism. However, it becomes toxic when elevated concentrations are introduced into the environment. The aim of this work is to analyze zinc induced biochemical changes in the brain tissues of Labeo rohita fingerlings using Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy. Several important features have been observed in the zinc intoxicated brain tissues, namely, altered membrane lipid, altered protein profile and decreased glycogen content, indicating an alteration in the lipid and protein profiles leading to modification in membrane composition. Further, it is observed that the acute exposure to zinc causes some alteration in protein profile with a decrease in α-helix and an increase in random coil structures.     

The Ythan Project: A Case Study on Improving Catchment Management through Community Involvement

Increased participation in resource management decisions by a wide range of stakeholders has been widely advocated, and has recently been formally incorporated into the European Water Framework Directive. However, achieving such participation has generally proved to be problematical. In response to locally perceived needs, a project was set up in the Ythan catchment in northeast Scotland, to undertake catchment management actions with increased public involvement. This paper outlines the methods used to increase public participation in such actions, and some preliminary assessments of the effectiveness of these. The experience of the project and the lessons learnt, including some of the difficulties of ensuring fully representative stakeholder involvement, are discussed in relation to published criteria for public participation in resource management.