Cumulative effect assessment in Canada: a regional framework for aquatic ecosystems

Sustainable development of the aquatic environment depends upon routine and defensible cumulative effects assessment (CEA). CEA is the process of predicting the consequences of development relative to an assessment of existing environmental quality. Theoretically, it provides an on-going mechanism to evaluate if levels of development exceed the environment's assimilative capacity; i.e., its ability to sustain itself. In practice, the link between CEA and sustainable development has not been realized because CEA concepts and methods have developed along two dichotomous tracks. One track views CEA as an extension of the environmental assessment (EA) process for project developments. Under this track, stressor-based (S-B) methods have been developed where the emphasis is on local, project-related stressors, their link with aquatic indicators, and the potential for environmental effects through stressor-indicator interactions. S-B methods focus on the proposed development and prediction of project-related effects. They lack a mechanism to quantify existing aquatic quality especially at scales broader than an isolated development. This limitation results in the prediction of potential effects relative to a poorly defined baseline state. The other track views CEA as a broader, regional assessment tool where effects-based (E-B) methods specialize in quantification of existing aquatic effects over broad spatial scales. However, the predictive capabilities of E-B methods are limited because they are retrospective, i.e., the stressor causing the effect is identified after the effect has been measured. When used in isolation, S-B and E-B methods do not address CEA in the context necessary for sustainable development. However, if the strengths of these approaches were integrated into a holistic framework for CEA, an operational mechanism would exist to better monitor and assess sustainable development of our aquatic resources. This paper reviews the existing conceptual basis of CEA in Canada including existing methodologies, limitations and strengths. A conceptual framework for integrating project-based and regional-based CEA is presented.     

Optimal Timing to Adopt an Environmental Policy in a Strategic Framework

In this paper, the problem of optimal timing, when to adopt an environmental policy in a strategic framework is considered. Using real options theory and some basic tools of game theory, we show that, under certain assumptions, a country behaving strategically should wait longer before adopting such a policy than if it behaves unstrategically or within a larger entity. Such a postponed decision is sub-optimal as regards to the environment protection.     

天然石材产品放射性水平及其防护管理

简介了我国天然石材产品中放射水平、分类控制使用的现状以及应用天然石材装饰室内所致辐射对人体健康产生的不良影响，提出了加强对天然石材产品使用过程中的监督、监测和管理的建议。     

“入世”对我国环境监测工作的影响及对策初探

加入 WTO后 ,我国环境监测工作将面临重大的挑战和机遇 ,文章初步分析了入世对我国环境监测工作的正负面影响以及现存的若干问题 ,积极探索了环境监测工作的新战略和新思路 ,提出了创建新体制和适应新形势的对策。     

Forest Health Assessment and Monitoring – Issues for Consideration

Part of this paper has been prepared for the lecture Forest Health Assessment-Criteria,Methods and Problems given by the author at the UIMPuniversity course Sanidad Forestal en el Bosques Mediterraneos yTemplados. Implicacion de la Contaminacion Atmosferica y del Cambio Global, held in Valencia, Spain, October, 1995. Assessment and monitoring of forest health representsa key point for environmental policy and for the management ofenvironmental resources. With the renewed interest in assessment andmonitoring of forest health generated by the suspected occurrence ofa widespread forest decline in Europe and North America, manyactivities have been undertaken: however, some questions should beconsidered and clarified when attempting to estimate forest health.Particularly, the objective(s) of the assessment and monitoringprogram should be carefully identified. Identification of a program‘stask has a number of implications and consequences: it implies adefinition of what concept of forest health (forest ecosystem health,forest health or forest trees health?) is assumed, what will be thetarget entity to be monitored, and therefore the identification of therelevant assessment questions and assessment endpoints.Consequences concern the definition of the spatial scale (frominternational to landscape and plot scale monitoring) and ecologicalcoverage (from single species population to population ofecosystems) of the program, which can have a considerable influenceon the choice of the proper sampling strategy and tactic, as well ason the most suitable methods, indicators and indices to be used.Although much of the work in the field of forest health and airpollution has concentrated on surveys on crown transparency anddiscoloration, there is an entire range of methods, indicators andindices developed to assess the health status of forests. The decisionas to which ones should be used will depend on the aim of theprogram and on economic and practical considerations. A furtherconsideration concerns the time span of the program, but anydecision in this field is subject to many limitations due to difficultiesin predicting future monitoring needs. All these points should becarefully considered and implemented according to a rigorousQuality Assurance procedure since any decision will influence futurework for many years.     

共振光散射技术在环境分析中的应用

共振光散射技术是一项在普通荧光分光光度计上进行测量的光散射技术,文章简要介绍了光散射现象,共振光散射的基本原理并作了定量基础讨论,对共振光散射技术在环境分析中的应用作了初步研究。     

悬浮物对三峡水库水质测定结果的影响

以长江寸滩断面和嘉陵江大溪沟断面水样为测定样品,探讨了悬浮物对三峡水库水质测定结果的影响,提出在三峡水库水质监测中,应对经0.45μm滤膜过滤的滤液进行指标测定,同时测定悬浮物含量,并对悬浮物进行组分分析;建议在地表水环境质量标准中,纳入悬浮物项目。     

地面水环境质量评价的有时序多目标决策方法

将有时序多目标决策方法应用于地面水环境质量优势的比较，介绍了决策方法的原理和评价步骤。实例分析表明该方法计算过程简便，分辨率高，排序结果与实际环境质量状况相符合。     

酸性法测定高锰酸盐指数加热时间的选择

酸性法测定高锰酸盐指数，会因实验条件的差异产生不同的结果。对不同加热时间，加热方式等因素进行了试验，结果表明加热时间以水浴加热沸腾３０ｍｉｎ或电炉直接加热８ｍｉｎ为宜。     

关于模糊数学在环境质量综合评判中“最大隶属度”原则不适用性的讨论

通过对模糊数学在环境质量综合评判中的分析，指出“最大隶属度”原则的不适用性，并根据环境质量分级所存在的固有关系提出改进的方法。