Application of the analytic hierarchy process to select characterization and risk-based decision-making and management methods for hazardous waste sites

Environmental managers at U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) installations overseas are faced with the challenge of managing contaminated sites at these installations with little information on the extent of contamination or the risk posed by the site. In this regard, DoD managers overseas encounter a situation quite similar to the situation faced by decision makers in the U.S. who are managing brownfields. Innovative site characterization and risk-based decision-making methods, which are currently being developed for expeditious application at brownfield sites in the U.S., may also be appropriate for application at overseas DoD sites. In this paper, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used by DoD decision makers to evaluate and rank innovative site characterization technologies and risk-based decision-making and management methods, for use at installations in Korea. Results indicate that for sites with high potential risk the decision makers preferred site characterization technologies that produce data of high quality and a method that can be used to establish credible risk-based remediation goals. This study provides a framework for applying characterization technologies and risk management to poorly characterized contaminated sites in developing countries, where resources for remedial actions may be limited.     

Temperature-Dependent Persistence of Human Norovirus Within Oysters (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea virginica</Emphasis>)

This study characterizes the persistence of human norovirus in Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) held at different seawater temperatures. Oysters were contaminated with human norovirus GI.1 (Norwalk strain 8FIIa) by exposing them to virus-contaminated water at 15 °C, and subsequently holding them at 7, 15, and 25 °C for up to 6 weeks. Viral RNA was extracted from oyster tissue and hemocytes and quantitated by RT-qPCR. Norovirus was detected in hemocytes and oysters held at 7 and 15 °C for 6 weeks and in hemocytes and oysters held at 25 °C for up to 2 and 4 weeks, respectively. Results confirm that NoV is quite persistent within oysters and demonstrate that cooler water temperatures extend norovirus clearance times. This study suggests a need for substantial relay times to remove norovirus from contaminated shellfish and suggests that regulatory authorities should consider the effects of water temperature after a suspected episodic norovirus-contamination event.     

Headwater streams: neglected ecosystems in the EU Water Framework Directive. Implications for nitrogen pollution control

The European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to achieve the “good status” of waters by 2015, through monitoring and control of human impacts on “bodies of surface water” (BSWs), discrete elements for quality diagnosis and management. Headwater streams, however, are frequently neglected as they are not usually recognised as BSW. This poses limitations for the management of river catchments, because anthropogenic impacts on headwaters can constrain the quality of downstream rivers. To illustrate this problem, we compared nitrate levels and land use pressures in a small agricultural catchment with those recorded in the catchment in which it is embedded (Ega), and in the Ebro River Basin (NE Spain) comprising both. Agriculture greatly influenced water nitrate concentration, regardless of the size of the catchments: R² = 0.91 for headwater catchments (0.1–7.3 km²), and R² = 0.82 for Ebro tributary catchments (223–3113 km²). Moreover, nitrate concentration in the outlet of a non-BSW small river catchment was similar to that of the greater downstream BSW rivers. These results are of interest since, despite representing 76% of the length of the Ega catchment hydrographical network, only 3.1% of the length of the headwater streams has been identified as BSWs. Human activities affecting headwater streams should therefore be considered if the 2015 objective of the WFD is to be achieved.     

Falls prevention through community intervention – A Swedish example

In order to control and reduce fall-related injuries, particularly among women over the age of 55, a safety management and falls prevention campaign was structured and implemented during 2006–2007 in the small industrial town of Södertälje, Sweden. A local campaign was launched to recruit falls prevention agents, to inform key target groups in the local community, and to educate older people about fall risks. A survey showed that the campaign had a greater impact among professionals with a special relation to fall risk than among the general population. Medical records were used in the evaluation of the outcomes. The results show that between 2005 and 2007 there was a drop of fractures related to falls in the council: an overall drop of 16.7% in the population; among men 55 or older a drop of 12%, among women 55 or older a drop of 15%, among home-dwelling women 55 or older a drop of 5.7% and among women in special accommodation a drop of 44.4%. Expressed in terms of years lost to disability (YLD), the overall drop in hip fractures treated at the local hospital between 2005 and 2007 was 48%. A comparison with National medical records for the same period shows the drop for the intervention area to be much larger than that for Sweden as a whole, although the effect was not statistically significant. The study demonstrates the advantages of a broad, community-based approach to injury prevention.     

Evaluating safety management and culture interventions to improve safety: Effective intervention strategies

The Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment provided subsidy over the period 2004–2008 to a number of companies to introduce changes aimed at reducing accidents by changing their safety culture and aspects of their safety management. As part of the programme a scientific evaluation was set up to assess the effectiveness of the interventions in 17 of the projects, covering 29 companies. Before and after studies were made of the companies, documenting the state of their safety management and risk control efforts and their accident rates before the intervention, the changes made over the study period and the resulting changes in a range of measures aimed at assessing the success of the changes. The analysis led to a categorisation of the projects according to their degree of success.This paper describes the patterns of interventions distinguishing between successful and not successful projects and discusses the mechanisms lying behind them. Interventions bringing about constructive dialogue between shop-floor and line management, providing motivation to line managers and strengthening the monitoring and learning loops in the safety management system (SM) appeared more successful. The amount of energy and creativity injected by top managers and, above all, by the coordinator (safety professional) appeared also to be a distinguishing factor.     

Inherent occupational health assessment during basic engineering stage

Each year more people die from work-related diseases than are killed in industrial accidents. Therefore it is essential to evaluate occupational health aspect during the process design. Early evaluation of safety, health, and environmental (SHE) performance is advantageous, since the opportunities to make the process inherently benign are greater and the cost therefore lower. The methods for occupational health assessments need to be tailored to specific design stages, since the data availability is changing as the design proceeds. In this paper, an index-based method called the Occupational Health Index (OHI) is presented for the basic engineering stage. The OHI is the final of the three methods in series proposed for health assessment in development and design stages. The OHI is based on the information available in piping and instrumentation diagrams (PIDs) and the plot plan. Four health aspects are considered; chronic inhalation risks to noncarcinogens and carcinogens, acute inhalation risk, and dermal/eye risk. The index is demonstrated on separation system of a toluene hydrodealkylation process. The assessment results allow the level of occupational health risks to be evaluated, the sources of exposures be detected, and corrective actions taken in a focused way.