Eco-efficiency evaluation of the petroleum and petrochemical group in the map Ta Phut Industrial Estate,Thailand

Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate (MTPIE), located in Rayong province, eastern of Thailand, was developed by the state enterprise, Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, Ministry of Industry, to serve industries that use natural gas as the main raw material development. This research presents the eco-efficiency evaluation of the petroleum and petrochemical group (PP) in the MTPIE. There are 31 factories in the PP group, which can be divided into three categories: upstream, intermediate, and downstream. The eco-efficiency values of the PP group were evaluated according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development recommendations. The comparison of eco-efficiency values between three industrial categories in the PP group demonstrates that factories in the downstream category obtained particularly good eco-efficiency results concerning material consumption, water use, and hazardous waste generation. The eco-efficiency trends of the PP group were simply analyzed by snapshot graph. With the availability of the data on environmental indicator, the water use indicator was selected to be an example indicator for analyzing the eco-efficiency trends of the PP group. The eco-efficiency snapshot concerning the net sale and water use during the year of 2003–2005 showed that the eco-efficiency trends of the PP group in the MTPIE shifted from half eco-efficient in 2004 to fully eco-efficient in 2005. This research can provide a basic framework on eco-efficiency evaluation for the industrial sector in Thailand, which will feed into strategic development, and would enable public participation in the discussion on branch developments and contributions to national trends.     

Geography and Recovery under the U.S. Endangered Species Act

Abstract: The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) defines an endangered species as one “at risk of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” The prevailing interpretation of this phrase, which focuses exclusively on the overall viability of listed species without regard to their geographic distribution, has led to development of listing and recovery criteria with fundamental conceptual, legal, and practical shortcomings. The ESA's concept of endangerment is broader than the biological concept of extinction risk in that the “esthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific” values provided by species are not necessarily furthered by a species mere existence, but rather by a species presence across much of its former range. The concept of “significant portion of range” thus implies an additional geographic component to recovery that may enhance viability, but also offers independent benefits that Congress intended the act to achieve. Although the ESA differs from other major endangered‐species protection laws because it acknowledges the distinct contribution of geography to recovery, it resembles the “representation, resiliency, and redundancy” conservation‐planning framework commonly referenced in recovery plans. To address representation, listing and recovery standards should consider not only what proportion of its former range a species inhabits, but the types of habitats a species occupies and the ecological role it plays there. Recovery planning for formerly widely distributed species (e.g., the gray wolf [Canis lupus]) exemplifies how the geographic component implicit in the ESA's definition of endangerment should be considered in determining recovery goals through identification of ecologically significant types or niche variation within the extent of listed species, subspecies, or “distinct population segments.” By linking listing and recovery standards to niche and ecosystem concepts, the concept of ecologically significant type offers a scientific framework that promotes more coherent dialogue concerning the societal decisions surrounding recovery of endangered species.     

Effectiveness of Scat‐Detection Dogs in Determining Species Presence in a Tropical Savanna Landscape

Abstract: Most protected areas are too small to sustain populations of wide‐ranging mammals; thus, identification and conservation of high‐quality habitat for those animals outside parks is often a high priority, particularly for regions where extensive land conversion is occurring. This is the case in the vicinity of Emas National Park, a small protected area in the Brazilian Cerrado. Over the last 40 years the native vegetation surrounding the park has been converted to agriculture, but the region still supports virtually all of the animals native to the area. We determined the effectiveness of scat‐detection dogs in detecting presence of five species of mammals threatened with extinction by habitat loss: maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), puma (Puma concolor), jaguar (Panthera onca), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), and giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus). The probability of scat detection varied among the five species and among survey quadrats of different size, but was consistent across team, season, and year. The probability of occurrence, determined from the presence of scat, in a randomly selected site within the study area ranged from 0.14 for jaguars, which occur primarily in the forested areas of the park, to 0.91 for maned wolves, the most widely distributed species in our study area. Most occurrences of giant armadillos in the park were in open grasslands, but in the agricultural matrix they tended to occur in riparian woodlands. At least one target species occurred in every survey quadrat, and giant armadillos, jaguars, and maned wolves were more likely to be present in quadrats located inside than outside the park. The effort required for detection of scats was highest for the two felids. We were able to detect the presence for each of five wide‐ranging species inside and outside the park and to assign occurrence probabilities to specific survey sites. Thus, scat dogs provide an effective survey tool for rare species even when accurate detection likelihoods are required. We believe the way we used scat‐detection dogs to determine the presence of species can be applied to the detection of other mammalian species in other ecosystems.     

Influence of humic acid on the sorption of uranium(IV) to kaolin

Safety assessments for radioactive waste disposal require estimations of the migration of radionuclides in soils. The influence of humic acid (HA) on the sorption of uranium in its +4 oxidation state to kaolin has been examined from pH 4 to 8, with HA concentrations of 15–200 ppm. In the absence of HA, 20–40% of the U(IV) was in solution, with more sorption occurring at higher pH. The presence of HA solubilised up to 90% of the uranium with higher solubilities at higher HA concentrations and higher pH values. Uranium sorption was mapped against HA sorption, and it was found that there was a lower level of U(IV) sorption than can be accounted for by just measuring HA sorption. However, this effect got less marked as the pH rose. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the fraction of surface-bound HA is the controlling parameter for modelling in these systems.     

Academic expertise in assisting private companies in the fields of environment and environmental toxicology: the role of individual expertise

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Utilization of coal fly ash in China: a mini-review on challenges and future directions

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Hepatotoxicity of graphene oxide in Wistar rats

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Graphene oxide (GO) has a multitude of applications in areas of nanomedicine, electronics, textile, water purification, and catalysis among others. GO...