An input-output analysis of environmental preservation

A well-established criterion for determining the growth potential of an economy, the technology of which can be represented by a nonnegative indecomposable square matrix, is examined critically. The concept of growth upon which this criterion is established is shown to be ambiguous since the environmental repercussions of economic activity are completely ignored. Assuming that this economy possesses an antipollution technology which has hitherto been ignored, an alternative criterion to gauge growth potential in the presence of complete environmental preservation is proposed. The magnitude of the uniform rate of profit which must obtain when the economy ignores the environment if a policy of environmental preservation is to be deemed technically feasible is calculated. Finally, a number of factors which would facilitate the implementation of a policy of environmental preservation are discussed.     

Development of some natural matrix standards — Progress report

Substantial progress has been made in the production of environmental level, natural matrix, radioactivity standards of soil of low organic and low carbonate content, and of human lung and human liver. This is in response to the deliberations of the 1977 ICRM meeting at which the need for such standards was voiced and the criteria suggested. The soil samples have been reduced to optimum particle size and are ready for blending and standardization. A ten year supply of this standard should be ready in a year or less. Reducing the dried lung and liver to less than 74 μm has proven formidable because of the natural fat and oil content. Using cyrogenic milling techniques more than three quarters of the total mass of each has been reduced to the desired particle size; the balance will either be reduced or removed and we can then proceed to the final standardization.     

The impact of urbanization on tropical mangroves (Fortaleza,Brazil): Evidence from PAH distribution in sediments

This investigation represents the first environmental diagnosis of the distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments from a tropical mangrove in Fortaleza, northeastern Brazil. Sediment cores from six sampling stations in the Cocó and Ceará Rivers were retrieved in June-July 2006 to determine 17 priority PAHs. The total PAH concentrations (Σ_PAHs) ranged from 3.04 to 2234.76 μg kg^?1(Cocó River) and from 3.34 to 1859.21 μg kg^?1 (Ceará River). These levels are higher than those of other cities with more industrial development. PAH concentrations did not reach probable effect levels (PELs). However, from 4.5 to 87.5% of individual PAH concentrations can occasionally cause adverse biological effects for aquatic organisms. The PAH molecular ratios indicate that the PAHs in the sediment core were derived mainly from petroleum, wood, and charcoal combustion (pyrogenic source), and that atmospheric deposition and urban runoff may serve as important pathways for PAH input to the sediment. Clearly, the Σ_PAHs in sediments collected in the Cocó and Ceará Rivers indicate that ongoing pollution is more severe than past pollution.     

Preliminary assessment of CO2 geological storage opportunities in Greece

This paper provides a preliminary assessment of the suitability of Tertiary sedimentary basins in Northern, Western and Eastern Greece in order to identify geological structures close to major CO₂ emission sources with the potential for long-term storage of CO₂. The term “emissions” refers to point source emissions as defined by the International Energy Agency, including power generation, the cement sector and other industrial processes. The Prinos oil field and saline aquifer, along with the saline formations of the Thessaloniki Basin and the Mesohellenic Trough have been identified as prospective CO₂ geological storage sites. In addition, a carbonate deep saline aquifer occurring at appropriate depths beneath the Neogene-Quaternary sediments of Ptolemais-Kozani graben (NW Greece) is considered. The proximity of this geological formation to Greece's largest lignite-fired power plants suggests that it would be worthwhile undertaking further site-specific studies to quantify its storage capacity and assess its structural integrity.     

Inexact fuzzy-stochastic constraint-softened programming – A case study for waste management

In this study, an inexact fuzzy-stochastic constraint-softened programming method is developed for municipal solid waste (MSW) management under uncertainty. The developed method can deal with multiple uncertainties presented in terms of fuzzy sets, interval values and random variables. Moreover, a number of violation levels for the system constraints are allowed. This is realized through introduction of violation variables to soften system constraints, such that the model’s decision space can be expanded under demanding conditions. This can help generate a range of decision alternatives under various conditions, allowing in-depth analyses of tradeoffs among economic objective, satisfaction degree, and constraint-violation risk. The developed method is applied to a case study of planning a MSW management system. The uncertain and dynamic information can be incorporated within a multi-layer scenario tree; revised decisions are permitted in each time period based on the realized values of uncertain events. Solutions associated with different satisfaction degree levels have been generated, corresponding to different constraint-violation risks. They are useful for supporting decisions of waste flow allocation and system-capacity expansion within a multistage context.