A capabilities approach to the prioritization of critical infrastructure

As a consequence of the U.S. effort to increase infrastructure security and resilience, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other U.S. federal agencies have identified 16 critical infrastructure sectors that are considered vital to the nation’s well-being in terms of economic security, public health, and safety. However, there remains no articulated set of values that justify this particular list of infrastructure systems or how decision-makers might prioritize investments towards one critical sector over another during a crisis. To offer a more integrated and holistic approach to critical infrastructure resilience, this research employs the capabilities approach to human development, which offers an alternative view of critical infrastructure that focuses on the services that infrastructure provides rather than its physical condition or vulnerability to threats. This service-based perspective of infrastructure emphasizes the role of infrastructure in enabling and supporting central human capabilities that build adaptive capacity and improve human well-being. We argue that the most critical infrastructure systems are those that are essential for providing and/or supporting central human capabilities. This paper examines the DHS designation of criticality from a capabilities perspective and argues for a capabilities basis for making distinctions between those systems that should be considered most critical and those that might be temporarily sacrificed. A key implication of this work is that an across sector approach is required to reorganize existing critical infrastructure efforts around the most valuable infrastructure end-services.     

Assessment of soil washing for heavy metal contaminated paddy soil using FeCl3 washing solutions

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - In this study, soil washing is applied for the remediation of heavy-metal (Pb, Cu and Zn) contaminated paddy soil located near an abandoned mine area. FeCl3...     

Environmental regulation of exploration and mining operations in Asian countries

This paper offers a new perspective on the environmental laws in Asian nations affecting the exploration, mining, and reclamation activities of the mineral resource industry: the perspective of the senior government officials in those countries, whose job is to enforce these new environmental laws. The article presents the results of a 1998 survey of national environmental officials in Asia conducted by the Colorado School of Mines and the Metal Mining Agency of Japan. Officials in 10 diverse countries—Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam—responded to a detailed questionnaire covering applicable laws, agencies, protected areas, covered mineral activities, financial assurance, environmental impact assessment, public involvement, environmental standards, permit and reclamation requirements.
The survey confirms that Asian nations are part of the global trend towards national government regulatory structures that balance mineral development objectives with environmental considerations. The survey also shows developing regulatory systems (some embryonic, some more mature) utilizing a combination of mining and environmental acts, and often an 'insider' perspective of the national officials administering the laws. While that perspective is not without its biases (not least the rigor of enforcement), it may nevertheless be of use in company planning. The emerging regulatory picture contradicts the conventional notion that it is the 'lower' level of regulation in Asia that is attracting foreign direct investment in mining.     

Four Decades of Plant Community Change in the Alpine Tundra of Southwest Yukon,Canada

Repeat measurements from long-term plots provide precise data for studying plant community change. In 2010, we visited a remote location in Yukon, Canada, where a detailed survey of alpine tundra communities was conducted in 1968. Plant community composition was resurveyed on the same four slopes using the same methods as the original study. Species richness and diversity increased significantly over the 42 years and non-metric multidimensional scaling indicated that community composition had also changed significantly. However, the direction and magnitude of change varied with aspect. Dominant species were not replaced or eliminated but, instead, declined in relative importance. Fine-scale changes in vegetation were evident from repeat photography and dendro-ecological analysis of erect shrubs, supporting the community-level analysis. The period of study corresponds to a mean annual temperature increase of 2°C, suggesting that climate warming has influenced these changes.     

Bacterial communities in urban aerosols collected with wetted-wall cyclonic samplers and seasonal fluctuations of live and culturable airborne bacteria

Airborne transmission of bacterial pathogens from point sources (e.g., ranches, dairy waste treatment facilities) to areas of food production (farms) has been suspected. Determining the incidence, transport and viability of extremely low levels of pathogens require collection of high volumes of air and characterization of live bacteria from aerosols. We monitored the numbers of culturable bacteria in urban aerosols on 21 separate days during a 9 month period using high volume cyclonic samplers at an elevation of 6 m above ground level. Culturable bacteria in aerosols fluctuated from 3 CFU to 6 million CFU/L of air per hour and correlated significantly with changes in seasonal temperatures, but not with humidity or wind speed. Concentrations of viable bacteria determined by fluorescence staining and flow cytometry correlated significantly with culturable bacteria. Members of the phylum Proteobacteria constituted 98% of the bacterial community, which was characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing using DNA from aerosols. Aquabacterium sp., previously characterized from aquatic environments, represented 63% of all clones and the second most common were Burkholderia sp; these are ubiquitous in nature and some are potential human pathogens. Whole genome amplification prior to sequencing resulted in a substantial decrease in species diversity compared to characterizing culturable bacteria sorted by flow cytometry based on scatter signals. Although 27 isolated colonies were characterized, we were able to culture 38% of bacteria characterized by sequencing. The whole genome amplification method amplified DNA preferentially from Phyllobacterium myrsinacearum, a minor member of the bacterial communities, whereas Variovorax paradoxus dominated the cultured organisms.     

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalents (TEQs) in sediment from the Hyeongsan River, Korea

Sediment, pore water and water samples from the Hyeongsan River, Korea were analyzed for several classes of halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (HAHs) and their dioxin-like activities were evaluated using the in vitro H4IIE-luc bioassay. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and biphenyls (PCBs) were detected in sediments from all six sampling locations with mean concentrations of 2.8 x 10(2) pg/g, 190 pg/g, and 61.4 ng/g, dw, respectively. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were predominated by 4-6 ring compounds with concentrations in the range of 5.30-7680 ng/g, dw. Chemical profiles of target analytes in sediment and water samples revealed that there was a gradient of concentrations along the river from upstream to downstream, which suggested that the primary source was a wastewater reservoir adjacent to a sewage treatment plant (STP). TEQs derived by summing the product of concentrations of individual congeners by their respective relative potencies (REPs or TEFs) ranged from 4.3 x 10(-1) to 1.1 x 10(3) pg/g, dw. Raw Soxhlet extracts from all six sampling locations induced significant dioxin-like responses in the H4IIE-luc bioassay. TCDD-EQs derived from H4IIE bioassay ranged from 7 x 10(-3) to 1.5 x 10(3) pg/g, dw, which were significantly correlated with TEQs (r2 = 0.994, p < 0.05). Among the three Florisil fractions tested, PCDD/Fs in fraction (F2) induced the greatest magnitude of response (range: 24-83%-TCDD-max.) in the H4IIE-luc assay. Comparison of the TEQ and TCDD-EQ suggested little non-additive interaction between fractions and AhR-active and inactive compounds. Concentrations of individual congeners as well as TEQs and TCDD-EQs suggest inputs from the industrial center waste stream in the Hyeongsan River.     

Protocol for early detection and evaluation of inhibitory wastewater using combined aerobic respirometric and anaerobic batch techniques.

Faced with the task of treating significant volumes of complex industrial wastewaters, the biological components of municipal wastewater treatment plants are operating under the risk of toxic or inhibitory contaminants from the industrial effluents that may be detrimental to their operation. This might lead to undesirable effluent toxicity and/or result in permit violations. Therefore, there is a need for upset early warning systems that can protect full-scale plants from toxic or inhibitory constituents in the incoming wastewaters. This study focused on the development of a protocol for rapid detection of potentially toxic inhibitory or toxic wastewaters using combined aerobic respirometric and anaerobic batch techniques. Aerobic respirometers equipped with automated data acquisition systems were used as potential early warning devices. The inhibition effect on carbon and nitrogen oxidation was assessed. The degree of inhibition was evaluated as the concentration causing 50% reduction in microbial activity, which was estimated by an inhibition model. Anaerobic toxicity assays were also conducted to evaluate the inhibitory effects of the toxic compounds to anaerobic inocula obtained from a master culture reactor fed with ethanol. The developed protocol for early detection of toxicity was validated using wastewater samples from a biotechnology industry and a food processing industry, and pure chemicals such as furfural and phenol. Varying degrees of sensitivity were observed in the study when different groups of microorganisms, wastewater samples, and chemicals were tested. The comparison of aerobic and anaerobic inhibition suggested the importance of using both aerobic and anaerobic cultures to maximize the necessary sensitivity of the protocol.     

Catalytic oxidation for air pollution control

Bench-scale experiments have been conducted to evaluate a series of titania-supported Pt-Pd (as oxides) catalysts in the presence and absence of MoO₃ and Fe₂O₃ additives for their effectiveness in the complete catalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air likely to be found in waste gases. Under oxidizing conditions, all of the catalysts promoted the complete oxidation of VOCs to CO₂ and H₂O. 99 % Conversion was achieved with a C₂H₄-C₂H₆ gas mixture in air at temperatures between about 160–450 °C and at a space velocity of 20,000 h^?1. Oxidation activity for the titania supported catalysts were found to decrease in the order Pt-Pd-Mo-Fe > Pt-Pd-Mo > Pt-Pd-Fe > Pt-Pd. However, the addition of MoO₃ and Fe₂O₃ increase the catalyst activity and reduce the reaction temperature for the complete destruction. Ageing was also performed in order to study the stability of the most active catalyst. Pt-Pd-Mo-Fe (as oxides) on titania catalyst is effective in oxidizing a wide range of volatile organic compounds at relatively low temperatures (220–405 °C) and and at a space velocity of 40,000 h^?1 and is resistant to poisoning by halogenated and amine volatile organic compounds.     

Ecology of marine fouling organisms at Eastern Johore Strait

Marine biofouling causes problems to marine structure and obstructs condenser tubes in cooling systems which use sea water as the coolant. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the seasonal ecology of biofouling organisms such as the green mussel, Perna viridis, the dominant fouling species in the Eastern Johore Straits at the Senoko Power Station. The spawning time and its relationship with environmental conditions were studied. The physical, chemical and biological conditions of the sea at Senoko were monitored for a year. Settling slides were used to study the fouling succession in different monsoon seasons. The study showed that there were two main spawning peaks for the green mussel and that these peaks occurred during the intermonsoon months of November and April. These peaks were also correlated with the bimodal patterns for salinity, dissolved oxyen, bivalve veliger larval density and total plankton biomass of the Eastern Johore Strait water. Succession patterns were similar during the two monsoon seasons, however, the rate of fouling was probably greater during the southwest monsoon months. It is therefore advisable that the control or reduction of biofouling in Eastern Johore Strait should take into account the seasonal fluctuations and spawning of the fouling organisms.