Alternative Control Policies for Water Quality Management: An Experimental Economics Approach

Problems of deteriorating water quality and the prospects of large invest ments for treatment facilities have motivated government decision makers to seek more cost-effective means to manage water quality. The most preferred policy advocated by economists is based on economic incentives. But the response of water quality managers to a particular incentive system cannot be predicted a priori . Before any incentive system is implemented, its effectiveness must be evaluated. Mathematical programming models have been used for this purpose. Experimental economics provides an alternative mechanism for testing the effectiveness of such a system. It can also help identify the necessary parameters of incentive-based systems. The objective of this paper is to describe the results of an experiment for evaluating the effectiveness of managing water quality under two different policies: a command and control policy; and a transferable discharge permit (TDP) policy. A review of previous research on the effectiveness of TDP systems is provided along with arguments supporting the use of experimental economics to investigate these problems. The particular experiments developed for this research along with the experimental procedures are described. Key results and observations from the experiments are presented.     

GAME-THEORETIC ANALYSES OF ENFORCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS1

ABSTRACT: Game-theoretic models are developed for describing and analyzing the inspection and enforcement process, especially as it relates to environmental laws and regulations in North America. Based on these models, systems using irrevocable control orders can be compared to those relying on court determination of guilt and punishment. The cost-effectiveness of environmental enforcement can be systematically assessed in terms of factors such as the private gains for violators, the costs of inspection, penalties, and the social value of deterring violations. The policy implications of the analysis, especially with reference to environmental protection, are emphasized.     

Time series analysis of elemental and isotopic data from biomineralized whale tissue

A temporal record of environmental conditions is often contained within accretionary biological tissue. These records can provide knowledge of the environmental conditions that existed at the time the tissue was formed. In this study, we look at trace element concentrations and isotopic ratios of carbon and nitrogen as contained in baleen from bowhead whales in the eastern and western Arctic Ocean. Time series techniques, including maximum likelihood method and likelihood ratio tests, are applied to analysis of data and inference about their mean structures.     

耕作和混合农业体系未来植物养分利用的前景和挑战

在不污染环境的情况下生产足量的健康食品对未来世界农业是一个严重挑战.瑞典"21世纪的食物"研究计划已经研究了可持续耕作体系的经济的、环境的以及社会的各个方面,本文列举了瑞典"21世纪的食物"研究计划以及其它相关的国际研究计划中注重改善养分利用效率的一些研究,特别是氮和磷.它表明有许多可持续性解决养分利用效率的方法,有些很复杂,但有些就很简单.政府政策包括津贴、研究和技术以及公众对耕作方式的认可,所有这些都与制定这些解决方法结合在一起.需要知识转让的参与式途径,这样科学家、政策决策者、农场主、顾问以及消费者们可以交流信息,一起构建可持续的耕作体系.     

Chemistry and adsorption-desorption properties of manganese oxides deposited in Forehill Water Treatment Plant,Grampian, Scotland

Manganese oxide coatings on sand particles within filtration beds from a water treatment plant in Grampian, Scotland were examined to determine their control on metal mobility. This study first sought to characterise the oxides, notably their mineralogy and metal content, to provide a foundation for studies on the adsorption of dissolved metals from the treated water by the oxides. The oxides were examined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and analysed by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). These techniques showed the oxide coatings were amorphous but uniformly distributed over each sand grain. The oxides were selectively removed from the sand grains prior to analysis by AAS using a hydroxylamine hydrochloride selective leaching method. The compositional range of the extracts was 100–150 mg L⁻¹ Mn; 30–55 mg L⁻¹ Fe; 17–56 mg L⁻¹ Ca; 4.6–7.0 mg L⁻¹ Ni; 4.6–6.8 mg L⁻¹ Zn and 1.3–5.7 mg L⁻¹ Mg. When these results are expressed as mg of metal per mg of Mn, the metal content of the oxides is remarkably uniform: 0.25–0.37 mg Fe; 0.14–0.35 mg Ca; 0.035–0.042 mg Ni; 0.035–0.040 mg Zn; 0.01–0.04 mg Mg. The greatest metal concentrations were consistently found in the upper 3 cm of the filtration bed, and these decrease with increasing depth. After the beds are cleaned a more uniform distribution of metals occurs throughout the bed. The metals taken up by the manganese coating are retained over a wide pH range with the exception of Ca and Mg which desorb to a significant extent. The percentage of calcium and magnesium lost from the coating ranges from 30–94%, the amount being dependent on the final pH of the solution. The presence of manganese oxide in the filtration beds appears to be advantageous in terms of removal of transition metals from the treated water.     

Spatial distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polybrominated biphenyls in lake trout from the Laurentian Great Lakes

Concentrations of two types of brominated flame-retardants (BFRs); polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) were determined in a single age class of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) collected from the Laurentian Great Lakes in 1997. Mean concentrations of total PBDE were highest in samples from Lake Ontario at 95+/-22 ng/g wet weight (ww) or 434+/-100 ng/g lipid weight (lw) while the lowest concentrations were observed in Lake Erie lake trout (27+/-8.6 ng/g ww, 117+/-37 ng/g lw). In all samples, the predominant PBDE congeners were 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47), 2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99), and 2,2',4,4', 6-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-100), which are the primary components of the commonly used penta-BDE formulation flame retardant. Lake trout collected from Lake Huron had the highest concentrations of PBBs (3.1+/-1.7 ng/g ww, 15+/-8.5 ng/g lw), while the lowest levels were detected in fish from Lake Superior (0.25+/-0.13 ng/g ww, 1.7+/-0.89 ng/g lw). In all lake trout samples, 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromobiphenyl (BB-153), a major constituent of the flame-retardant FireMaster BP-6, was the predominant PBB congener.     

Concentration, size distribution, and dry deposition rate of particle-associated metals in the Los Angeles region

Daily averaged atmospheric concentrations and dry deposition fluxes of particulate metals were measured seasonally at six urban sites and one non-urban coastal site in the Los Angeles region using a conventional total suspended particulate matter (TSP) filter, surrogate surface deposition plates, and a Noll Rotary Impactor (NRI), which provides information about particle size distribution in four size ranges above 6 μm. With the exception of the non-urban site, particulate metal concentrations and deposition fluxes were remarkably uniform spatially and temporally. At all sites there were significant metal concentrations on particles greater than 10 μm, a commonly used upper limit for many air quality monitoring studies, and these large particles were estimated to be responsible for most of the deposited mass of metals. Annual averaged values of deposition rates measured with a surrogate surface were in good agreement with values estimated using theoretical deposition velocities in conjunction with measured size-segregated particle concentrations. Image analysis of particles deposited on NRI stage A, which collects all particles greater than 6 μm, indicated nighttime metal concentrations and deposition at the non-urban coastal site was higher than in the day time due to offshore advection of urban air associated with the diurnal land breeze. Measured enrichments of crustal elements and metals were correlated, indicating efficient mixing of natural and anthropogenic material from different sources, hypothesized to be the result of cyclical resuspension and deposition of dust by moving vehicles and wind.