Auditing the quality of effluent discharges

The public and their elected representatives want to see whether they get Value-for-Money from investment in preventing pollution. For many rivers, the achievement of good water quality is a matter of regulating the discharges from wastewater treatment plants. The effective audit of the quality of such discharges is a good basis for measuring progress in controlling pollution. To prove that control is effective, the techniques which underpin the following tasks must be sound and consistent:

- the standards for rivers must be devised so that the environmental objectives are met with the required reliability; the form of the standards will be constrained by the procedures available to monitor compliance;

- the standards worked out for effluents must have the correct mathematical relation with the river targets, and they too must be consistent with the options available for auditing performance;

- the assessment of compliance must be objective; and,

- statistics used to summarise the performance of a region (or a Nation) must be simple, stable, clear, and consistent with the results for individual sites.

     

Introduction-global to local: Ecological Land Classification

Ecological Land Classification (ELC) is a scientific endeavour which attempts to organize, stratify and evaluate ecosystems (and complexes of ecosystems) for the purposes of land resource management. Since ecosystems themselves are not easily defined in practical terms, ELC is likewise not a trivial concept. Nonetheless, ELC is a prerequisite for ecosystem management and the conservation of biological diversity simply because ecosystems must be described, characterized and spatially-located before they can be managed. Regarding the current status and future direction of ELC, mainly in relation to forest management: 1) approaches to ELC construction and utilization have shifted considerably over the past 2 decades; 2) there appears to be a current consensus regarding basic approaches to ELC; 3) spatial scale is a critical variable that must be addressed by ELCs; 4) ELCs must strive to more directly address management objectives; 5) natural ecosystem functions need to be better integrated within ELC frameworks; and, 6) the need for quality, georeferenced ELC-related data will continue to grow.     

The Use of Artificial Neural Networks for Modeling Color and Chemical Oxygen Demand Removal from Olive Mill Wastewater Using Grape Molasses Soil

Environmental Modeling & Assessment - Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is classified as highly pollutant-containing wastewater that must be treated to an acceptable level before being discharged...     

Distribution, Enrichment and Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Coastal Sediments of Salina Cruz Bay, México

Surface sediment samples collected from the Salina Cruz Bay in the last twenty years, were analyzed for the total available trace elements (Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ni, V, and Zn) to evaluate metal contamination due to possible anthropogenic inputs. Normalization of metals to iron and fine-grained fraction (< 63 μm) indicated relatively high enrichment factors for lead during the last two decades. Sediment Quality Guidelines suggest that lead must be considered as a chemical of potential concern in the marine and estuarine ecosystem. Concentration levels of lead ranged from 5–124 μg/g, while Ni and V below 70 and 30 μg/g, respectively. Geoaccumulation and enrichment factors for the rest of elements show comparable values to those reported for sites with similar activities in the world. Spatial distribution suggests that in addition to harbor activities, a transboundary source for Pb must account for the observed trends.     

Examining professional emergency managers in Korea

Although the number of emergency managers has risen in South Korea (hereafter referred to as Korea) over the years, their role is not yet as defined and noteworthy compared to other professions because of its unidisciplinary approach. This article investigates how Korea has to improve emergency managers' disciplinary approach to ultimately contribute to the goal of effective transnational disaster management. This study uses qualitative content analysis of government policies, college curricula, nongovernmental organizations' (NGOs') emergency-manager certification, and mass media coverage to compare emergency managers' unidisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches. The key tenet is that Korea must change its emergency managers' unidisciplinary approach into a multidisciplinary approach because the former is less effective when dealing with complicated disaster management systems. To achieve this change, the stakeholders must carry out their assigned responsibilities under risk-oriented management. As for the study's international implications, developing nations may consider the enhancement of related educational curricula, collaborative learning, continuous evaluation, disaster awareness, and disaster prevention for the emergency managers' multidisciplinary approach.     

海水石油类分析的影响因素

石油类是衡量海水水质的重要指标,海洋石油的首要污染源是原油泄漏,因此海水石油类的具体成分与原油成分基本一致,主要为弱极性的烷烃、环烷烃和芳香烃。在3种国标分析方法中,紫外分光光度法的应用最为广泛。采用该法分析时,建议统一选择HJ油标准作为标准溶液,透光率90%的正己烷作为萃取剂,标准曲线斜率在斜率控制图内的上下辅助限之内;萃取过程中调节水样p H值2,人工萃取时间120 s,萃取后不能立即分析时,在5℃冰箱内保存不超过2周。     

Inter-relation between environmental monitoring data,human exposure and health effects

To determine whether a population has been affected by a chemical, evidence of exposure must be established. The mere presence of a chemical in the surroundings of a population may not, in all instances, result in actual exposure. Not all such exposures will cause health effects; nor is it always possible to establish that illness has or will result from exposure to chemicals. The inability to establish health effects in humans cannot a priori be translated to mean that a specific chemical is harmless. On the other hand, it must be determined whether health studies would be fruitful. If exposure was so minimal that no health effects are expected, then no health studies should be conducted.     

浅谈水污染事故的应急监测

突发性水污染事故危害大,要求应急监测工作快速、及时和准确,要尽快找到污染发生源.说清污染物的空间和时间变化特征,迁移和变化趋势,污染物的排放总量,现场应急措施的效果等,便于相关人员进一步优化处理措施和试验方案.文章叙述了常见水污染事故的应急监测方法,并讨论了水污染事故应急监测过程中应注意的一些问题.     

废水中有机污染指标监测方法的选择

综合考察了废水中各种有机污染物综合指标的测试对象、干扰、准确度、精确度及其分析测试技术等各种因素 ,对实现其自动化连续测量的影响。针对某些监测技术产生的严重二次污染问题 ,提出了绿色 (清洁 )监测技术的概念。文章认为在重点废水污染源安装在线监测系统实行总量控制的过程中 ,应避免使用造成严重二次污染的 CODCr在线监测仪 ,而应当采用臭氧氧化法在线监测仪 ,或其他综合指标 ,如 TOC     

Monitoring the drastic growth of ship breaking yards in Sitakunda: a threat to the coastal environment of Bangladesh

The vast coastal and marine resources that occur along the southern edge of Bangladesh make it one of the most productive areas of the world. However, due to growing anthropogenic impacts, this area is under considerable environmental pressure from both physical and chemical stress factors. Ship breaking, or the dismantling and demolition of out-of-service ocean-going vessels, has become increasingly common in many coastal areas. To investigate the extent of ship breaking activities in Bangladesh along the Sitakunda coast, various spatial and non-spatial data were obtained, including remote sensing imagery, statistical records and published reports. Impacts to coastal and marine life were documented. Available data show that ship breaking activities cause significant physical disturbance and release toxic materials into the environment, resulting in adverse effects to numerous marine taxonomic groups such as fish, mammals, birds, reptiles, plants, phytoplankton, zooplankton and benthic invertebrates. Landsat imagery illustrates that the negatively impacted coastal area has grown 308.7 % from 367 ha in 1989 to 1,133 ha in 2010. Physicochemical and biological properties of coastal soil and water indicate substantially elevated pollution that poses a risk of local, regional and even global contamination through sea water and atmospheric transport. While damage to the coastal environment of Bangladesh is a recognized hazard that must be addressed, the economic benefits of ship breaking through job creation and fulfilling the domestic demand for recycled steel must be considered. Rather than an outright ban on beach breaking of ships, the enterprise must be recognized as a true and influential industry that should be held responsible for developing an economically viable and environmentally proactive growth strategy. Evolution of the industry toward a sustainable system can be aided through reasonable and enforceable legislative and judicial action that takes a balanced approach, but does not diminish the value of coastal conservation.     

新《大气污染防治法》施行,环境监测数据面临考验

新修订的《中华人民共和国大气污染防治法》确立了超标排污违法的法律地位 ,监测数据将作为实施环境行政处罚的依据。文章从行政处罚、行政复议和行政诉讼三个方面 ,阐述了确保监测数据权威性的重要意义 ;介绍了对废气污染源排放进行监测所存在的问题 ,提出了确保监测数据权威性的建议 ,为环境行政处罚顺利实施提供准确的法律依据。     

Central and East European needs for environmental care

There are some special problems in Central and Eastern European countries connected with environmental assessment, which is a prerequisite for reasonable environmental care. Individual steps of solution of environmental problems are briefly discussed and relevant difficulties are stressed. A new schema is suggested for quality assurance and validity systems of primary data generation and evaluation.The challenge is not so much to discover what must be done to ensure sustainability. The challenge is to discover how to do it.Robert Repetto     

执法环境监测数据的有效性审核要点

简述了环境监测数据在环境执法中的证据效力,指出,环境监测数据作为环境执法依据和行政处罚证据时,应对监测机构资质、监测样品、分析方法、仪器设备、质控措施、监测记录及结果等进行有效性审核。结合案例,分析了环境监测资料中存在的问题和改进措施,提出,环境监测数据作为证据资料提交给法庭时,需要所有与此项监测工作有关的资料作为支撑,监测机构在提交监测数据之前必须进行严格的审核和把关,只有合法有效的环境监测数据才具备证据能力,真正服务于环境执法和环境管理。     

Lichen biomonitoring networks in alberta

Lichen biomonitoring of air pollution has developed over a period of about 150 yr. Several valuable techniques now exist which could complement physical/chemical air quality monitoring programmes. The affects of air pollution and acid rain, in areas such as Alberta, where lichens and bryophytes make up a significant portion of the forest vegetation, must be considered important. In addition, bioaccumulation studies can be used to map the areas of heavy metal deposition, estimate actual depositional rates, and check the accuracy of pollutant dispersion models. Lichen biomonitoring techniques must now be calibrated with more glamorous effects on plant physiology, ecosystem processes, cancer incidence, etc.Paper presented at a Symposium held on 20–21 April 1982, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.     

Spatial distribution and transport of heavy metals in soil, ponded-surface water and grass in a pb-contaminated watershed as related to land-use practices

The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial distribution of heavy metal in soil and evaluate the dissolution of metal from soil to ponded-surface water, leaching through soil profiles and metal uptake in grass as related to different land-use practices. The data provided a scientific basis for best-management practices for land use in Khli Ti watershed. The watershed has a Pb-contamination problem from the previous operation of a Pb-ore concentrator and abandoned Zn–Pb mine. Sampling sites were selected from a land-use map, with land-use types falling into the following four categories: forest, agricultural land, residential area and road. Soil, ponded-surface water, grass samples and soil profiles were collected. The study related soil characteristics from different land-use practices and locations with observed metal concentrations in ponded-surface water and soil. High enrichment factors of Pb and As in soil were found. Partitioning coefficient, K_d values were in the order: Cr > Pb > Ni > Cu > Cd > Zn. Soil disturbance from land-use activities including tillage and traffic increased leaching of trace metal from soils. Pb in soil was significantly taken up by grass even though the Transfer Factor, TF values were rather low. Agricultural activities in the watershed must be limited. Moreover, land encroachments in the upper and middle part of the watershed which have high potential of Pb must be strictly controlled in order to reduce the Pb contamination from non-point sources.     

Economic models for climate policy analysis: A critical discussion

Climate policy analysis has come to rely heavily on large‐scale numerical simulation models of increasing complexity, posing a challenge to policy‐makers and other non‐specialists who must interpret and apply the models. This paper provides a “user's guide” to economic models used in climate analysis. We review basic features, underlying design issues, and basic research questions bearing on the models' foundations. We also provide an overview of five such global or world models currently in use.     

环境二(口恶)英类检测分析实验室安全保障和风险管理

二(口恶)英类物质是公众熟知和敏感的环境有毒污染物,检测分析该类物质的实验室须采取严格的安全保障措施,确保检测过程对分析人员和周围环境不产生危害。对环境二(口恶)英类检测分析实验室的设计建设、运行维护和样品检测分析等环节存在的安全风险及应采取的安全保障措施进行了简要说明,为二(口恶)英类实验室的建设及日常管理提供参考。     

Solid waste disposal site selection with GIS and AHP methodology: a case study in Senirkent�CUluborlu (Isparta) Basin, Turkey

The appropriate site selection for waste disposal is one of the major problems in waste management. Also, many environmental, economical, and political considerations must be adhered to. In this study, landfill site selection is performed using the Geographic Information System (GIS), the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), and the remote sensing methods for the Senirkent?CUluborlu Basin. The basin is located in the E?irdir Lake catchment area, which is one of the most important fresh water in Turkey. So, waste management must be regulated in the basin. For this aim, ten different criteria (lithology, surface water, aquifer, groundwater depth, land use, lineaments, aspect, elevation, slope, and distance to roads) are examined in relation to landfill site selection. Each criterion was identified and weighted using AHP. Then, each criterion is mapped using the GIS technique, and a suitability map is prepared by overlay analyses. The results indicate that 96.3% of the area in the basin is unsuitable; 1.6%, moderately suitable; and 2.1%, most suitable. Finally, suitable regions in the basin are determined for solid waste landfill disposal and checked in the field. The selected and investigated regions are considered to be suitable for the landfill.