Environment, Development and Sustainability - This study examines the sustainability and green banking performance of Indonesian banking sectors from their disclosures in sustainability reports... 相似文献
This article aims to evaluate municipal solid waste (MSW) management schemes in order to promote sustainability and eco-efficiency, core elements in global mitigation strategies in both public and private policies. A discrete event simulation (DES) approach was used to integrate the economic, environmental, and social aspects related to aseptic carton packages (ACP) in Itajuba, Brazil. The simulated scenarios consider three alternatives for disposing ACP: landfills, recycling, and incineration with energy recovery. According to our findings, incineration alternatives are preferred from an eco-efficiency perspective, given the potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions and due to the possibility of energy recover, which reinforces the contribution of this technology to promote sustainability as largely found in the international literature. Given the context of MSW management in Brazil, this represents a significant opportunity to increase the effectiveness of mitigation strategies adopted in the country. Taking into account that this is by far the least applied technology, the authors strongly advocate that global strategies for mitigation consider different approaches to integrate carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reductions related to the entire MSW management system and its alternatives, thus advancing from a waste disposal-oriented system to a life cycle–oriented system.
Methods to monitor contamination of workplaces with antineoplastic drugs have been developed and validated. Cyclophosphamide (CP) was used as a model compound as it is one of the most commonly used antineoplastic drugs. A wipe sampling method to detect contamination with CP at surfaces was developed. A personal air sampling method to sample gas and vapour on solid sorbent tubes and particles with filters was also developed. Wipe and filter samples were extracted and sorbent samples were eluted, all with ethyl acetate. The samples were analysed with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. (2)H(6)-labelled cyclophosphamide was used as an internal standard. The between-day precision was 2-5% for wipe samples, 4-6% for sorbent samples and 3-8% for filter samples. The limit of detection was 0.02 ng CP per sample for the wipe and filter methods and 0.03 ng CP per sample for the solid sorbent method. Wipe sampling on surfaces made of different materials resulted in mean recoveries between 78-106%. The desorption recovery was between 97-102% for the wipe samples, 97% for the sorbent samples and 101% for the filter samples. Samples were stable for up to 2 months at 5 degrees C and -20 degrees C and for about 2 d at room temperature. The developed methods were applied to the measurement of contamination with CP in a hospital pharmacy. Trace amounts of CP, 1.3 and 1.4 ng, were detected on surfaces in the pharmacy. 相似文献
Trace metal concentrations of mercury, cadmium, lead and chromium in Patella caerulea, and Mullus barbatus were investigated to provide information on pollution of Ionian Sea, since these metals have the highest toxic potential. High chromium levels (0.47–0.97 g g–1 ww) were registered in limpet samples collected from two station near the Gulf of Taranto, while elevated concentration of mercury (0.31–1.50 g g–1 ww) were found in mullet specimens from Sicily. The metal concentrations recorded at the clean stations may be considered as useful background levels to which to refer for comparison within the Mediterranean area. On the contrary, the high levels of chromium and mercury found respectively in the areas near the Gulf of Taranto and at Capo Passero being of concern in terms of environmental health need frequent monitoring. 相似文献
The evaluation of certain vascular plants that grow in the city of Madrid as biomonitors of SO2 air pollution in urban environments has been carried out. Total concentration of sulphur in leaves of the chosen higher plants
as well as other parameters in close relation to this contaminant (visible injury symptoms, chlorophyll a- and b-content and
peroxidase activity) have been determined in order to study the spatial distribution and temporal changes in SO2 deposition. Results obtained show that coniferous species such as Pinus pinea, were more sensitive to SO2 atmospheric concentration than leafy species as Quercux ilex subspecies ballota and, in the same way, bush species, such asPyracantha coccinea and Nerium oleander, were more sensitive than wooded species, such as Cedrus deodaraandPinus pinea, respectively. There is a higher accumulation of sulphur in vegetable species located near highways and dense traffic incidence
roads and near areas with high density of population. The minimum values for accumulation of SO2 were registered in winter and spring seasons (from January to April) due to the vegetative stop; while maximum values are
obtained during the summer season (from June to September), due to the stoma opening. The highest increments in sulphur concentration,
calculated as the difference between two consecutive months, are obtained in May and June for all considered species except
forCedrus deodara and Pyracantha coccinea, both species have few seasonal changes during the whole year. Some species are more sensitive to natural washing than others,
showing a decrease in sulphur concentration after rainfall periods. 相似文献
Accumulation of Co, Cu, Cr, Mo, Ni, Pb and Zn was evaluated in a soil profile of an overland flow system used for the post-treatment of urban wastewater. A pilot version of the overland flow system received urban wastewater from five up-flow anaerobic filters filled with bamboo (Bambusa tuldoides) rings. The anaerobic effluent was applied as feed over 18 months at rates varying from 7 to 28 L min(-1), to a vegetated slope length covered with Tifton 85 (Cynodon) sp. grass. Soil and plant samples were collected in triplicate from the top to the bottom of the slope. In addition, the soils were sampled at the depths 0-20 and 20-40 cm. The metal concentrations found in the overall system were compared to those obtained in a control area located at the beginning of the slope onto which nothing was applied. A month of monitoring the urban wastewater of Limeira City (S?o Paulo State, Brazil) showed a drastic change in metals concentration due to the irregular discharge of industrial waste. This irregular discharge introduces Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn into the system used to treat domestic wastewater. The mass balance indicates the accumulation of metals in the soil and the translocation to the plants; also that they could be evapotranspirated, percolated and discharged. 相似文献
Different techniques have been employed in order to evaluate the most efficient procedure for the extraction of selenium from soil as required for speciation. Selenium contaminated sediments from Stewart Lake Wetland, California were used. A strong acid mineralization of the samples gives quantitative total selenium, which is then used to estimate recoveries for the milder extraction methods. The different extraction methodologies involve the sequential use of water, buffer (phosphate, pH 7) and either acid solution (e.g. HNO3 or HCl) or basic solutions (e.g. ammonium acetate, NaOH or TMAH). Pyrophosphate extraction was also evaluated and showed that selenium was not associated with humic acids. The extractants were subsequently analyzed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) with UV (254 and 400 nm) and on-line ICP-MS detection; anion exchange chromatography, and ion-pair reversed phase chromatography with ICP-MS detection. For sequential extractions the extraction efficiencies showed that the basic extractions were more efficient than the acidic. The difference between the acidic and the basic extraction efficiency is carried to the sulfite extraction, suggesting that whatever is not extracted by the acid is subsequently extracted by the sulfite. The species identified with the different chromatographies were selenate, selenite, elemental selenium and some organic selenium. 相似文献