Cost-effectiveness analysis of the seamistTM borehole liner system

SEAMIST^TM is an innovative technology that facilitates measurements of contaminants in both vertical and horizontal boreholes. The essence of SEAMIST^TM is an airtight membrane liner pneumatically emplaced inside the borehole and maintained with positive pressure. Sampling ports, absorbent collectors, and various in-situ measuring devices can be fabricated into the liner. Small instruments and cameras can be guided through the borehole to obtain real-time data. This article reports on the cost and performance effectiveness of this new technology. In this report, SEAMIST^TM is evaluated as a tool for obtaining data on volatile organic compounds, semivolatile organic compounds, other water-borne contaminants, and radionuclides. SEAMIST^TM is also compared to traditional borehole casing, to conventional soil vapor probes, and to conventional pore-fluid collecting lysimeters. The most cost- and performance-effective applications of SEAMIST^TM are shown to be those applications for which multiple characterization requirements can be combined into one SEAMIST^TM membrane system.     

Integrating environmental impact assessment with master planning: lessons from the US Army

The US National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires agencies to consider environmental impacts in the early stages of planning and decision-making. Despite this mandate, agencies typically conduct EIA for projects, rather than for earlier and more strategic decisions, such as plans. This research investigated the extent to which a large federal agency, the US Army, has integrated NEPA analyses with master planning for their installations. Using in-depth case studies of 16 installations, we investigated how and why EIA was (or was not) integrated with planning, and identified the factors that promote or impede integration. Typically, integration has been regarded as concurrence, meaning that the EIA and planning processes are conducted together. Results of this research show, however, that integration can occur, even if the NEPA documents and master plans are not concurrently prepared. In this sense, integration can be viewed as the influence of the EIA process on agency planning and decision-making. Results also indicate that regulations are only one factor, and that several other factors influence the extent of integration, such as agency leadership and organizational incentives. Lessons from this study can help improve both the integration and the substantive implementation of EIA.     

旅游与 21世纪地方议程

应联合国环境规划署技术、工业与经济司 ( UNEP DTIE) 的要求 , 一项旨在确定由地方职权部 门草拟并贯彻的当地 21世纪议程中旅游所处地位的调查研究 1已经完成 . 这次的调研 , 部分吸 收了一些地方社区 2的经验 , 这些社区旅游活动层次各不相同 , 但是都采用了本地 21世纪议程 .     

Compost mixture influence of interactive physical parameters on microbial kinetics and substrate fractionation

Composting is a feasible biological treatment for the recycling of wastewater sludge as a soil amendment. The process can be optimized by selecting an initial compost recipe with physical properties that enhance microbial activity. The present study measured the microbial O₂ uptake rate (OUR) in 16 sludge and wood residue mixtures to estimate the kinetics parameters of maximum growth rate μ_m and rate of organic matter hydrolysis K_h, as well as the initial biodegradable organic matter fractions present. The starting mixtures consisted of a wide range of moisture content (MC), waste to bulking agent (BA) ratio (W/BA ratio) and BA particle size, which were placed in a laboratory respirometry apparatus to measure their OUR over 4 weeks. A microbial model based on the activated sludge process was used to calculate the kinetic parameters and was found to adequately reproduced OUR curves over time, except for the lag phase and peak OUR, which was not represented and generally over-estimated, respectively. The maximum growth rate μ_m, was found to have a quadratic relationship with MC and a negative association with BA particle size. As a result, increasing MC up to 50% and using a smaller BA particle size of 8–12 mm was seen to maximize μ_m. The rate of hydrolysis K_h was found to have a linear association with both MC and BA particle size. The model also estimated the initial readily biodegradable organic matter fraction, MB₀, and the slower biodegradable matter requiring hydrolysis, MH₀. The sum of MB₀ and MH₀ was associated with MC, W/BA ratio and the interaction between these two parameters, suggesting that O₂ availability was a key factor in determining the value of these two fractions. The study reinforced the idea that optimization of the physical characteristics of a compost mixture requires a holistic approach.     

Beryllium natural background concentration and mobility: a reappraisal examining the case of high Be-bearing pyroclastic rocks

Beryllium is widely distributed in soils at low levels, but it can also occur naturally in higher concentrations in a variety of materials exploited for many industrial applications. Beryllium is also one of the most toxic natural elements and is known to be a human carcinogen. A concise account of the literature data on baseline concentrations of Be in soils illustrates the possibility of worldwide presence of areas with a high natural background concentration of Be (up to 300 mg/kg), the crustal abundance of which is generally estimated to be in the range 2–6 mg/kg. Nevertheless, the number of available data is rather limited in comparison with those about other toxic elements such as Pb, Cd and Cr. This has probably caused the choice of low values of concentration level as the reference for the definition of soil contamination: these values are not always realistic and are not applicable to large areas. As a case study, we report and analyse a diffuse, unusually high (up to 80 mg/kg, average approximately 20 mg/kg), natural occurrence of beryllium in loose and poorly consolidated pyroclastic layers related to the Pleistocene activity of the Vico volcano. Additionally, the analysis of Be leachability has been carried out, providing evidence of a not negligible mobility in contrast with the scarce data presented in the literature that usually indicate beryllium as an element with low mobility in oxidising surface environmental conditions. This research marks the beginning of a possible reappraisal of beryllium geochemical behaviour and background levels, providing more realistic reference values for risk assessment and land management.     

Perspectives on Salmon Feed: A Deliberative Assessment of Several Alternative Feed Resources

The future of salmon aquaculture depends on the adoption of alternative feed resources in order to reduce the need for fish meal and fish oil. This may include resources such as species from lower trophic levels, by-products and by-catch from fisheries and aquaculture, animal by-products, plants, genetically modified (GM) plants, nutritionally enhanced GM plants and products from microorganisms and GM microorganisms. Here, we report on a deliberative assessment of these alternative feed resources, involving 18 participants from different interest groups within Norwegian salmon aquaculture. The participants defined a broad range of appraisal criteria concerning health and welfare issues, economical issues, environmental issues, and knowledge and social issues. A number of uncertainties, in the form of incomplete knowledge, diverging opinions, and context specific factors were identified when the participants evaluated the alternatives. Our findings support the need for more research on the suitability of alternative feed resources for farmed salmon. Additionally, the study underlines the importance of facilitating deliberative assessments in order to map the plurality of perspectives and explore qualitative aspects of uncertainty. Such initiatives improve the information base upon which decisions on future feed resources for farmed salmon are made.