Green supply chain management in the chemical industry: structural framework of drivers

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) is to improve the quality of supply chain management strategies and environmental performance. As per current statistics, the chemical industry is growing fast in Bangladesh. In order to compete for global competition, GSCM is essential in this sector. This paper proposes a systematic approach of structural framework whose aim is to enhance the probability of constructive implementation of GSCM in the field chemical industry in Bangladesh. Therefore, this framework evaluates the appropriate interrelationship along with the drivers of GSCM in the chemical industry. In total, eight drivers were finalized from an associated literature review with the help of survey and by taking expert opinions via the Delphi methodology. In addition to MICMAC analysis, the driving and the dependence powers for all the drivers were determined. Moreover, the structural frameworks for the drivers were developed by means of total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) technique. As a result, the findings indicate that the most significant driver was supplier pressure and willingness and the most important barrier was high cost. Finally, the main objective of this research is expected to help industrial managers to evaluate and understand the critical areas where they should emphasize to implement GSCM in the chemical industry.     

Preliminary evidence that copper inhibits the degradation of DDT to DDE in pip and stonefruit orchard soils in the Auckland region,New Zealand

Orchards (n=13) were sampled as part of a larger survey investigating agrichemical residues (pesticides and trace elements) in cropping soils in the Auckland region, New Zealand. SigmaDDT concentrations in orchard soils ranged from <0.03 to 24.41 mg kg(-1). DDT (o,p'- and p,p'-) comprised at least 40% of the SigmaDDT residues in 67% of orchards in which DDT residues were detected. There was a highly significant negative correlation (-0.924, P<0.001) between copper concentration (21-490 mg kg-1) and the ratio of DDE:DDT (0.4-5.2) in pip and stonefruit orchard soils. In further investigations involving five pip and stone fruit orchard sites and one grazing paddock it was found that soil respiration and the ratio of soil microbial carbon to soil carbon (%Cmic/Org-C) in orchard soils decreased with increasing copper concentration. These findings are consistent with the conclusion that elevated soil copper concentrations in pip and stone fruit orchard soils in the Auckland region may have reduced the ability of the indigenous soil microbial community to degrade DDT to DDE     

Mobilization kinetics of heavy metals from contaminated river sediment of northern Taiwan by complexing agents

A laboratory experiment was used to investigate the mobilization kinetics of heavy metals from the sediment of a contaminated river located in northern Taiwan with varied concentrations of NTA and EDTA. We found that there were two stages of desorption in the mobilization of heavy metals from the sediment. As the concentrations of NTA and EDTA ranged 0–3.9 x 10^‐4M (0–100mg/l) and 0–2.7 x 10^‐4M (0–100mg/l) respectively, the mobilization percentages of heavy metals were proportional to the logarithm values of the concentrations of NTA and EDTA. The physical meaning of the multiple first‐order reaction was significant for the actual condition, but occasionally, it had more errors for Cu and Zn in the initial phase. The two‐constant model was most appropriate for describing the rates of mobilization of Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cr. The agreement between the diffusion model and the experimental data was satisfactory for Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cr only in the initial 5 h.     

Characteristics of heavy metal absorption of river bed sludge components

Chronic inhalation of aerosols of different Cd compounds by rats gave sufficient evidence that inhaled Cd is a lung carcinogen in rats. In contrast, the evidence in humans has been termed limited that inhaled Cd causes lung cancer in occupationally exposed humans. In order to assess the carcinogenic potential of ambient air concentrations of Cd, the accumulated dose of Cd in lung tissue from a rat inhalation study was modelled taking into account deposition and retention of Cd in the lung. A lung Cd—cancer incidence relationship could then be established, and an equivalent human exposure could be calculated using man specific pulmonary Cd retention and deposition data for Cd containing particle sizes in the ambient air. Linear interpolation to low doses showed that the pulmonary carcinogenic risk from inhalation of environmental airborne Cd is generally very low, but may reach about 1 × 10^‐4 in polluted industrialized areas. Combined exposures to Cd plus other carcinogens or air pollutants may increase the risk considerably. Cd in cigarette mainstream smoke was estimated to contribute less than 5 % of the total lung cancer risk from smoking cigarettes. However, the influence of co‐exposure to other compounds in cigarette smoke is not known and should be taken into account.