Critical success factors of sustainable manufacturing practices in Malaysian automotive industry

The purpose of this study is to examine the critical success factors of sustainable manufacturing practices (SMPs) in Malaysian automotive industry. The questionnaires were designed and distributed to the 50 respondents. The pilot study sample consists of 26 respondents from 50 questionnaires, with an average response rate of 52%. The results of reliability analysis show that social responsibility is critical factor influencing the direct SMPs implementation success. By implementing SMPs in Malaysian automotive industry, it can assist company to improve the quality of management. Thus, this study recommends that the future research explore the influence of SMPs on sustainable performance in Malaysian automotive industry.     

Natural radioactivity in refractory manufacturing plants and exposure of workers to ionising radiation

This paper shows the results of a survey carried out at some refractory manufacturing plants. During the first part of the survey, the concentration of natural radioactivity in raw materials and end-products, coming from four plants, was assessed. Several raw materials and, as a consequence, some end-products as well have shown activity concentrations exceeding a few hundreds of Bq kg⁻¹ of ²³⁸U and ²³²Th. In some important raw materials, such as bauxite and corundums, a remarkable radioactive disequilibrium was observed; this is probably due to the high temperature processes undergone by these materials. The second part of the survey focussed on the measurements of ambient equivalent dose rates, airborne dust concentrations and radon indoor. On the basis of results obtained, the effective dose for the standard worker was estimated. Two different types of refractory plants were investigated. Effective doses for both plants were lower than 1 mSv y⁻¹.     

城镇化进程中用水量增长的门槛效应与动态作用机制分析

城镇化是发展中国家21世纪的主要发展趋势,在很大程度上主导着人口、经济和产业结构等各方面的转变,成为拉动用水量增长的关键因素。城镇化进程中城镇居民收入、人口结构、人口密度和人力资本等因素的变化,使得城镇化并非表现为线性发展规律,最终导致用水量也存在相应的门槛效应并呈现阶段性增长特征。本文首先对我国各地区城镇化水平和用水量进行统计分析,从地区层面直观描述我国城镇化水平和用水量的变化特征,然后采用面板门槛模型研究城镇化、城镇居民人均收入、人力资本、城市人口密度和人口年龄结构对于用水量的门槛效应,搜寻在城镇化进程中各人口因素对用水量影响的门槛点并分析阶段性变化特征,最后结合PVAR模型研究城镇化进程中各人口因素对用水量的动态影响和作用机制。门槛回归结果发现:城镇化对用水量的影响具有明显的阶段性特征,分别以城镇化和人均收入为门槛变量,超越门槛点后城镇化对用水量的弹性系数分别呈现先升后降的倒"U"型和先降后升的正"U"型变化趋势;以人力资本为门槛变化量,城镇化对用水量的拉动作用则不断减弱。脉冲响应结果显示:城镇化对用水量具有长期且稳定的正向冲击,而居民收入和人口年龄结构对用水量的正向冲击则逐渐收敛于零,人口密度和人力资本对用水量均具有负向冲击,且人口密度的负效应不断增强,而人力资本的负效应不断减弱。方差分解的结果表明,目前我国用水量的增长受自身的影响较大,除年龄结构外,人口密度、居民收入、人力资本和城镇化也具有小规模的贡献程度。     

Energy consumption analysis of ABS plastic parts injected in a hybrid injection moulding machine

The energy analysis of injection moulding processes is influenced by complex interactions amongst the moulded part, its material, the injection machine, the process parameters and the environmental conditions. The availability of energy usage analyses that comprehend information on specific materials and machine kind is limited. This paper reports a study that estimates and analyses the power usage profile (PUP), the specific energy consumption (SEC), and the energy distribution at an operation level of two different injected parts made of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and produced in a hybrid injection moulding machine. The methodology followed by the authors incorporates an experiment carried out in an industrial facility. A large sample size, and data-acquisition and data post-processing processes to obtain an accurate PUP and SEC are used. A breakdown of the energy consumed by the injection moulding process of the parts studied at an operation level using Sankey diagrams is discussed. The study results are used to identify strategies to reduce the energy consumed by the processes. The methodology employed, and the strategies reported could be used with other plastic parts regardless of the material and machine used. The results reported are new experimental data useful input for theoretical models.     

Towards integrating production and consumption to reduce consumer food waste in developed countries

Abstract

Literature analysing reasons for Consumer Food Waste (CFW) revealed that it cannot be reduced to consumer behaviour alone. In fact, CFW should not be conceptualised as the problem but as a symptom of a food system that oversupplies and encourages consumerism. This research focuses on preventing CFW in the United Kingdom (UK), as a representative of a developed country, by improving the traditional food provisioning system to better integrate production and consumption. To achieve this, five stages are identified to design a sustainable product service system (PSS) capable of supporting consumers to better manage their food operations: (1) strategic analysis of current food provisioning system, (2) exploring system level innovations leading to minimisation of CFW, (3) refinement and selection of PSS, (4) designing the most promising PSS from an environmental, economic and social perspective, and (5) evaluating designed PSS. This paper considers the first of these stages, reviews reasons for and existing solutions to CFW, and provides a strategic analysis of the current food provisioning system to identify characteristics that could be exploited within a new PSS. Initial investigations reveal applicability of PSS concept to the food provisioning system and potential for reduction of CFW if core causes are addressed.     

老年人旅游消费与影响因素关联度分析——基于京津冀地区2006-2013年面板数据

我国现阶段65岁以上老年人享有较好的社会保障体系,具有一定的物质基础和精神需求,对出行旅游具有强烈的欲望.在我国人口老龄化趋势逐渐加重的驱使下,刺激老年人出行旅游能够极大的促进消费,带动内需增长.为了科学制定拉动老年人旅游的政策措施,本文从《中国统计年鉴》(2006-2013年)中选取65岁以上人口比、老年抚养比、城镇人口比重、城镇基本养老保险基金支出、文盲人口占15岁及以上人口、接受高等教育人数、以及地区最终消费支出作为主要的比较指标;从《中国旅游统计年鉴》(2006-2013年)中选取65岁以上旅游人数比与65岁以上人口旅游消费支出作为主要参考指标,分别对相关数据进行了灰色关联分析.分析结果显示,选取的比较指标与参考指标之间呈现了中等以上强度的关联性,关联度均在0.6以上,65岁以上人口、老年抚养比、城镇人口比重相对2个参考指标关联度最强,城镇人口数量与受教育情况业是影响65岁以上旅游人数的重要因素,分析结论可以作为国家和地方政府在制定养老产业相关政策时的重要参考.本研究的最后,提出了完善社会福利保障体系和旅游业法律法规,提高养老保险水平,保障老年人旅游市场安全及制定差异化价格战略等措施.     

Intake of uranium and radium-226 due to food crops consumption in the phosphate region of Pernambuco--Brazil

The phosphate region located in the Northeast of Brazil covers an area of approximately 150 km long with an average width of 4 km, along the coast of the states of Pernambuco and Paraíba. The inhabitants of this area are exposed to natural radioactivity levels higher than the background values recorded in the literature, mainly due to the presence of uranium and its decay products in the phosphatic sediments. The main aim of this study was to determine the activity concentration of uranium and (226)Ra in foodstuffs cultivated in this area, where the phosphate mineral has been extracted. The activity concentrations found for uranium and (226)Ra in the foodstuffs analyzed varied from 13 to 186 mBq kg(-1) (wet weight), with a mean value of 46 mBq kg(-1) and from 43 to 2209 mBq kg(-1) (wet weight), with a mean value of 358 mBq kg(-1), respectively. The annual intake of these radionuclides, for rural residents, was 7.45 Bq for uranium and 69.3 Bq for (226)Ra.     

中国金属矿产的消费强度与回收潜力分析

从中国金属资源安全的角度来看,优化战略性金属矿产的供应结构,降低一次矿产的对外依存度,通过合理的政策导向有效地增加中国城市矿产开发效率,挖掘废旧金属的回收和利用潜力,是实现矿产资源安全保障的重要前提。本文以铁、铜、铝等三种金属矿产为例,采用美国、英国、法国、德国、日本等五个工业化国家及中国1949—2015年的面板数据,通过构建消费强度、回收密度和寿命分布函数分析了工业化五国金属消费和报废金属回收的历史规律,预测了2016—2030年中国三种金属消费和报废回收的变化趋势。结果显示:(1)五个工业化国家铁、铜、铝金属的消费强度经历了快速上升、平台缓降和较快下降的过程,而回收密度则经历了缓慢上升、较快增长和快速增长的三个阶段,在消费强度与回收密度的第三阶段呈现"脱钩"特征;(2)中国铁、铜、铝三种金属的消费强度大幅增加主要是集中在2000年以后,2015年我国铁、铜、铝的消费强度分别为540 kg/人、8 kg/人和23 kg/人,回收密度分别只有100kg/人、0.5 kg/人和3 kg/人,除铁、铝的消费强度进入平台下降期外,铜消费强度和三种金属回收密度仍处于增长的第一阶段;(3)预计2030年,中国铁、铜、铝的消费强度将分别为450 kg/人、9 kg/人和20 kg/人,仍处在平台缓慢下降阶段,回收密度将分别增加到220kg/人、3 kg/人和5 kg/人,回收密度与消费强度比例分别达到49%、33%和25%。通过对比可知,中国未来社会报废金属回收潜力巨大,如果能加以有效政策引导,加快回收利用,可大大缓解中国战略性金属的安全保障压力。     

Impacts of climate change on surface water quality in relation to drinking water production

Besides climate change impacts on water availability and hydrological risks, the consequences on water quality is just beginning to be studied. This review aims at proposing a synthesis of the most recent existing interdisciplinary literature on the topic. After a short presentation about the role of the main factors (warming and consequences of extreme events) explaining climate change effects on water quality, the focus will be on two main points. First, the impacts on water quality of resources (rivers and lakes) modifying parameters values (physico-chemical parameters, micropollutants and biological parameters) are considered. Then, the expected impacts on drinking water production and quality of supplied water are discussed. The main conclusion which can be drawn is that a degradation trend of drinking water quality in the context of climate change leads to an increase of at risk situations related to potential health impact.     

城镇化对工业能源消费的门槛效应研究——以长江经济带省份为例

高效能源利用是推动工业发展,进而促使城镇格局演化的重要催化剂,同时城镇化的高速发展对工业能源的消费结构和利用效率提出了进一步的要求,这必将影响到低碳城市建设和环境保护等生态责任目标的实现。选取2003—2012年长江经济带11个省份(直辖市)的相关数据,运用门槛模型对城镇化率、城镇居民人均总收入、能源工业投资、工业总产值、城市人口密度、产业结构等影响工业能源消费的因素进行分析,重点研究城镇化率和工业能源消费的非线性关系和相应的地区差异。结果表明:(1)长江经济带城镇化发展存在着明显的地区差异,上海、浙江等东部地区城镇化发展速度和水平明显优于云南、贵州等中西部地区。云南和贵州2012年的城镇化率远远低于2003年上海、浙江的城镇化率,显示出长江上游和下游之间存在着巨大的发展水平差距。(2)城镇化对工业能源消费存在显著的门槛效应,以城镇化率为门槛变量,存在两个结构变化点,分别为36.9%和48.3%。(3)在第一个门槛点前,城镇化对工业能源消费起抑制作用,前期城镇化的发展导致资源和人口的集聚效应明显,资源的利用效率和配置效率得到提升,从而抑制工业能源消费。在越过第二个门槛点后,城镇化对工业能源消费起正向作用,此时工业的发展和生活消费水准的提升对能源消费提出了更多的要求。最后为促进长江经济带城镇化和工业低碳化的协调发展,提出以下建议:加快长江经济带沿线各省份联动发展,缩小城镇化发展差异;针对城镇化率和工业能源消费的非线性关系,采取相应的措施引导和控制工业能源消费的变化趋势;协调城镇化进程和地区工业能源消耗,促进城镇化的健康发展。     

中国典型资源型地区能源消耗与经济增长动态关系研究

随着国内外经济环境的复杂变化,中国资源型地区经济结构转型困难加剧。对资源型地区能源消耗与经济增长之间的关系进行研究,可以帮助该类型地区厘清经济发展过程中的能源消耗现状,对于优化资源型地区经济转型之路具有重要现实意义。本文以中国典型资源型地区山西省、黑龙江省、吉林省、辽宁省为例,选取1985—2014年数据,利用格兰杰因果分析对研究区能源消耗与经济增长之间的动态关系进行了研究。研究结果表明:1山西省表现出从经济增长到能源消耗的单向因果关系,黑龙江省与辽宁省表现出从能源消耗到经济增长的单向因果关系,吉林省表现出能源消耗与经济增长的双向因果关系;2山西省、黑龙江省、辽宁省都表现出从煤炭消耗到经济增长的单向因果关系,吉林省表现出煤炭消耗到经济增长的双向因果关系;3典型资源型地区都表现出从能源消耗到煤炭消耗的单向因果关系。4资源型地区转型务必将落实供给侧改革摆在发展首位。山西省应在提高能源使用效率的基础上选择集约化、低载能的新兴产业,黑龙江省与辽宁省应加大新能源的开发与产业化进程,产业应向高端装备制造业、现代服务业等产品附加值高、能源消耗少、环境污染小的产业转型,吉林省的重工业发展要以油气能源替代煤炭资源,在降低产业能耗的同时加速扶持已经相对成熟的替代产业,减少产业转型对于地区经济产生的负面影响。     

Human health effects of residual carbon nanotubes and traditional water treatment chemicals in drinking water

The volume of industrial and domestic wastewater is increasing significantly year by year with the change in the lifestyle based on mass consumption and mass disposal brought about by the dramatic development of economies and industries. Therefore, effective advanced wastewater treatment is required because wastewater contains a variety of constituents such as particles, organic materials, and emulsion depending on the resource. However, residual chemicals that remain during the treatment of wastewaters form a variety of known and unknown by-products through reactions between the chemicals and some pollutants. Chronic exposure to these by-products or residual chemicals through the ingestion of drinking water, inhalation and dermal contact during regular indoor activities (e.g., showering, bathing, cooking) may pose cancer and non-cancer risks to human health. For example, residual aluminium salts in treated water may cause Alzheimer's disease (AD). As for carbon nanotubes (CNTs), despite their potential impacts on human health and the environment having been receiving more and more attention in the recent past, existing information on the toxicity of CNTs in drinking water is limited with many open questions. Furthermore, though general topics on the human health impacts of traditional water treatment chemicals have been studied, no comparative analysis has been done. Therefore, a qualitative comparison of the human health effects of both residual CNTs and traditional water treatment chemicals is given in this paper. In addition, it is also important to cover and compare the human health effects of CNTs to those of traditional water treatment chemicals together in one review because they are both used for water treatment and purification.     

Minimal models and agroecological policy at the regional scale: An application to salinity problems in southeastern Australia

A minimal dynamical systems model that couples agricultural activity, native vegetation, and hydrological processes is developed to explore policy options regarding regional-scale soil and water salinization in southeastern Australia. The analysis suggests that although considerable revegetation is required to restore catchment water balance, the current value of water in uses other than agriculture is too low for revegetation to be economically viable. In contrast, groundwater pumping generates significant short-term gains by preventing soil salinization but is not a viable long-term solution. Thus, effective salinity management policy must include mechanisms to increase the value of water in uses other than irrigated agriculture to achieve sufficient long-term revegetation. These results are robust over a wide range of parameter values and thus provide a basis for policy action in the face of uncertainty about groundwater flow characteristics.     

Assessing inhalatory and dermal exposures and their resultant health-risks for workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contained in oil mists in a fastener manufacturing industry

This study first assessed workers' inhalatory and dermal exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contained in oil mists. Then, their resultant lung cancer and skin cancer risks were estimated. Finally, control strategies were initiated from the health-risk management aspect. All threading workers in a fastener manufacturing plant were included. 16 inhalatory and 88 dermal PAH exposure samples were collected. Results show that the inhalatory gas phase total PAH exposure level (8.60x10(4) ng/m(3)) was much higher than that of particle phase (2.30x10(3) ng/m(3)). Workers' mean inhalatory exposure level (8.83x10(4) ng/m(3)) was lower, but its corresponding 1-sided upper 95% confidence level (UCL(1,95%)=1.02x10(5) ng/m(3)) was higher than the time-weighted average permissible exposure level (PEL-TWA) regulated in Taiwan for PAHs (1.00x10(5) ng/m(3)). The mean whole body total PAHs dermal exposure levels was 5.44x10(6) ng/day and the top five exposed surface areas were lower arm, hand, upper arm, neck, and head/front. The estimated lifetime skin cancer risk (9.72x10(-3)) was lower than that of lung cancer risk (1.64x10(-2)), but both were higher than the significant risk level (10(-3)) defined by the US Supreme Court in 1980. The installation of a local exhaust ventilation system at the threading machine should be considered as the first priority measurement because both lung and skin cancer risks can be reduced simultaneously. If the personal protection equipment would be adopted in the future, both respiratory protection equipment and protective clothing should be used simultaneously.     

Effect of heat waves on morbidity and mortality due to Parkinson's disease in Madrid: A time-series analysis

BackgroundParkinson's disease (PD) is one of the factors which are associated with a higher risk of mortality during heat waves. The use of certain neuroleptic medications to control some of this disease's complications would appear to be related to an increase in heat-related mortality.ObjectiveTo analyse the relationship and quantify the short-term effect of high temperatures during heat wave episodes in Madrid on daily mortality and PD-related hospital admissions.MethodsWe used an ecological time-series study and fit Poisson regression models. We analysed the daily number of deaths due to PD and the number of daily PD-related emergency hospital admissions in the city of Madrid, using maximum daily temperature (°C) as the main environmental variable and chemical air pollution as covariates. We controlled for trend, seasonalities, and the autoregressive nature of the series.ResultsThere was a maximum daily temperature of 30 °C at which PD-related admissions were at a minimum. Similarly, a temperature of 34 °C coincides with an increase in the number of admissions. For PD-related admissions, the Relative Risk (RR) for every increase of 1 °C above the threshold temperature was 1.13 IC95%:(1.03–1.23) at lags 1 and 5; and for daily PD-related mortality, the RR was 1.14 IC95%:(1.01–1.28) at lag 3.ConclusionOur results indicate that suffering from PD is a risk factor that contributes to the excess morbidity and mortality associated with high temperatures, and is relevant from the standpoint of public health prevention plans.     

Connotation and principles of ecological compensation in water source reserve areas based on the theory of externality

Understanding the connotation and principles of ecological compensation in water source reserve areas is the basis and guarantee for establishing and improving the ecological compensation mechanism of water source reserve areas. First, this paper reviews the three stages of ecological compensation research progress. Based on the review, using the theory of externality, the ecological environment system of water source reserve areas is then analyzed. This paper argues that the connotation of ecological compensation in water source reserve areas is a kind of institutional arrangement, which is designed to internalize externalities. Finally, based on the understanding of the connotation of ecological compensation in water source reserve areas, five principles for establishing and improving the ecological compensation mechanism are proposed, including the principle of fairness and justice, the principle of equivalence of equality and responsibility, the principle of flexibility and effectiveness, the principle of “earmark funds, and implementation by law,” and the principle of government compensation supplemented with market compensation.     

An assessment of toxicity in profundal lake sediment due to deposition of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants from the atmosphere

A Tier I Sediment Ecological Risk Assessment of profundal lake sediment contaminated by diffuse pollution of heavy metals and POPs deposited from the atmosphere was completed. The concentrations of seven heavy metals and four groups of POPs (OCs, PCBs, PAHs, PBDEs) were determined in the profundal sediment of ten lakes in the United Kingdom and two sediment toxicity tests completed (chironomid survival and emergence and cladoceran survival and reproduction). The results showed that around half the lakes are at least moderately contaminated by Pb, Zn, Cd, As and PAHs deposited from the atmosphere and the toxicity quotient suggests that the contaminants of concern are Pb, As and PAHs, and not the other metals nor OCs and PCBs. There was toxicity in the sediment of four of the lakes. The Probable Effect Concentration Quotient values indicated that metals in the sediments of Scoat Tarn, Agden Reservoir and Llyn Llagi were likely to be responsible for the laboratory toxicity found in these lakes, with PAHs also contributing in Agden Reservoir.     

江西省城市化进程中资源消耗特征及响应分析

选取能源消费总量、总用水量和城市建成区面积作为江西省资源消耗的指示性指标，在对其城市化进程中资源消耗特征分析的基础上，采用计量经济学的方法。对城市化作用的资源消耗响应情景进行了模拟。研究显示：①随着城市化进程的推进，江西省资源消耗特征表现并不一致。其人均能源消耗、人均建成区面积扩张有着与全国类似的逐步增长的态势，但其人均值都低于全国人均水平；而人均用水量则与全国一样呈现下降趋势，但江西省人均用水量一直都高于全国平均水平。②格兰杰因果分析发现，江西省城市化水平变化是人均能源消费增长和人均建成区面积扩张的格兰杰因果原因，人均建成区面积扩张也是城市化水平提高的格兰杰因果原因；而城市化水平变化与人均用水量下降互不为格兰杰因果原因。进一步的脉冲响应函数模拟表明：在江西省城市化进程中，城市化水平的提高对人均能源消费具有正的冲击效果；而人均建成区面积扩张对城市化具有先正后负的响应情景。     

Drinking water quality: An in vitro approach for the assessment of cytotoxic and genotoxic load in water sampled along distribution system

An in vitro approach was performed to assess the quality of drinking water collected at two treatment/distribution networks located near the source (Plant #1) and the mouth of River Po (Plant #2). The water was sampled at different points of each distribution network, before (raw water) and after the chlorine dioxide disinfection, and in two points of the pipeline system to evaluate the influence of the distribution system on the amount and quality of the disinfection by-product. Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of water extracts were evaluated in human peripheral lymphocytes and Hep-G2 cells by the use of the micronucleus (MN) test and Comet assay. Raw water samples of both plants induced cytotoxic effects, but not the increases of MN frequency in Hep-G2 cells and in human lymphocytes. Increases of DNA damage in human leukocytes was detected by Comet assay for raw water of Plant #2 at concentration ≥ 0.25 Leq/mL. The disinfection process generally has reduced the toxicity of water samples, even if potential direct DNA-damaging compounds have been detectable in drinking water samples. The proposal approach, if currently used together with chemical analysis, can contribute to improve the monitoring drinking water.     

Activities of Po and Pb in the water column at Kuala Selangor, Malaysia

Natural radionuclides, such as ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb were measured in the water samples collected from six stations at Kuala Selangor, Malaysia. Results for ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb in dissolved and particulate phases have showed the difference in distribution and chemical behavior. The fluctuation activities of ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb depend on wave action, geology and degree of fresh water input occurring at study areas and probably due to different sampling dates. The distribution coefficient, K_d, values of ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb ranged from 2.0 × 10³ l g⁻¹ to 265.15 × 10⁵ l g⁻¹, and from 3.0 × 10³ l g⁻¹ to 558.16 × 10⁵ l g⁻¹, respectively. High K_d values of ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb indicated that a strong adsorption of ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb onto suspended particles, and the sinking of both nuclides on the seabed at study locations were controlled by the characteristics of suspended particles.