Implementing environmental with other standardized management systems: Scope,sequence, time and integration

The aim of this article is to analyze how the implementation of the environmental management system (EMS) in accordance with the ISO 14001: 2004 standard has been carried out in organizations having more than one standardized Management System (MSs). In particular, four implementation aspects will be discussed, namely the different management system standards (MSSs) used for registration, for example ISO 14001, ISO 9001, OHSAS 18001, ISO 27001 and SA 8000, the order in which they were implemented, the time required for each implementation, as well as the scope of integration of these MSSs into a single Integrated Management System (IMS).In order to do so, some of the results of a survey carried out in 176 organizations registered to, at a minimum, both ISO 14001: 2004 and ISO 9001: 2000 standards for environmental and quality management, respectively, are presented. As one of the few existing empirical studies regarding the integration of multiple MSs, this research reveals the importance of the different possibilities which organizations can opt for when considering EMS implementation. For example, while most respondents implemented ISO 9001 before ISO 14001, others did so simultaneously or even applied ISO 14001 first. Furthermore, although a large majority of organizations integrated their EMS with additional standardized MSs, a small percentage did not. Apart from illustrating the survey outcomes, the article contains a detailed case analysis of four specific organizations with high environmental awareness that have implemented quality and other standardized MSs.     

Baseline levels of bioaerosols and volatile organic compounds around a municipal waste incinerator prior to the construction of a mechanical-biological treatment plant

New waste management programs are currently aimed at developing alternative treatment technologies such as mechanical–biological treatment (MBT) and composting plants. However, there is still a high uncertainty concerning the chemical and microbiological risks for human health, not only for workers of these facilities, but also for the population living in the neighborhood. A new MBT plant is planned to be constructed adjacently to a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) in Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain). In order to evaluate its potential impact and to differentiate the impacts of MSWI from those of the MBT when the latter is operative, a pre-operational survey was initiated by determining the concentrations of 20 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and bioaerosols (total bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, fungi and Aspergillus fumigatus) in airborne samples around the MSWI. The results indicated that the current concentrations of bioaerosols (ranges: 382–3882, 18–790, 44–926, and <1–7 CFU/m³ for fungi at 25 °C, fungi at 37 °C, total bacteria, and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively) and VOCs (ranging from 0.9 to 121.2 μg/m³) are very low in comparison to reported levels in indoor and outdoor air in composting and MBT plants, as well in urban and industrial zones. With the exception of total bacteria, no correlations were observed between the environmental concentrations of biological agents and the direction/distance from the facility. However, total bacteria presented significantly higher levels downwind. Moreover, a non-significant increase of VOCs was detected in sites closer to the incinerator, which means that the MSWI could have a very minor impact on the surrounding environment.     

Morphometric variables of honeybees Apis mellifera used in ecotypes characterization in Argentina

The honeybee Apis mellifera has evolved in different environments and has developed different ecotypes. The objective of the Honeybee Genetic program in Argentina (MeGA) is to select honeybees adapted to different regions in the country using an important number of colonies as base population. In the last years, morphometric analyses are being incorporated into the Program as a tool for characterization of genetic materials; this fact has motivated the present work. A random sample of honeybee workers (250) was taken from 30 colonies situated in different regions in the country. The proboscis, right hind leg, right forewing and hind wing were placed on a slide and the following variables were measured: length and width of forewing and hind wing, different angles and length of wing veins, the length of the tibia, femur and metatarsi, the width of the metatarsi and the length of the proboscis. Thirty morphometrical variables were analyzed and the distribution and relation between them were recorded.     

Environmental performance evaluation of agro-industrial innovations – part 1: Ambitec-Life Cycle,a methodological approach for considering life cycle thinking

As sustainability considerations increasingly dominate the technology development debate worldwide, practical approaches to assess environmental performance of innovations have been warranted. The present study (Part 1) introduces Ambitec-Life Cycle, a method derived from Ambitec-Agro for considering life cycle thinking in the environmental performance evaluation (EPE) of agro-industrial innovations. An agro-industrial innovation case study related to residue recycling is presented, revealing steps in the product life cycle where opportunities are best for technological improvements. In Part 2 (this issue) of this study, a methodological approach for considering the environmental vulnerability of watersheds and to integrate this analysis in EPE methods is presented. This approach is applied to Ambitec-Life Cycle and to the same residue case study, allowing the identification of performance indicators with greater potential to cause impacts at the studied watersheds.     

An approach for determining air pollution monitoring sites

EC Directive 2008/50/CE on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe specifies the obligations of Member States regarding fixed measurements of atmospheric pollutants in areas where maximum concentration levels exceed the lower assessment threshold. However, indications as to the siting of atmospheric monitoring stations are less precise and sometimes confusing. Campaigns to measure benzene and other volatile organic compounds in Murcia in 2007 and 2008 revealed that the areas where measurements coincided with the mean concentration for the whole city were always practically the same. Consequently, we propose a method for siting atmospheric monitoring stations in cities for which emission sources remain steady throughout the year, as is the case for cities in most southern European countries, where the most important emission source is traffic. The method is particularly useful for towns in which only one fixed measuring point is compulsory and should help local authorities in making correct decisions in this context.     

Time-Consistent Equilibria in Common Access Resource Games with Asymmetric Players Under Partial Cooperation

Given a differential game, if agents have different time preference rates, cooperative (Pareto optimum) solutions obtained by applying Pontryagin’s maximum principle become time inconsistent. We derive a set of dynamic programming equations in continuous time whose solutions are time-consistent equilibria for problems in which agents differ in their utility functions and also in their time preference rates. The solution assumes cooperation between agents at every time. Since coalitions at different times have different time preferences, equilibrium policies are calculated by looking for Markov (subgame perfect) equilibria in a (noncooperative) sequential game. The results are applied to the study of a cake-eating problem describing the management of a common property exhaustible natural resource. The extension of the results to a simple common property renewable natural resource model in infinite horizon is also discussed.