Equity-focused health impact assessment: A tool to assist policy makers in addressing health inequalities

In Australasia (Australia and New Zealand) the use of health impact assessment (HIA) as a tool for improved policy development is comparatively new. The public health workforce do not routinely assess the potential health and equity impacts of proposed policies or programs. The Australasian Collaboration for Health Equity Impact Assessment was funded to develop a strategic framework for equity-focused HIA (EFHIA) with the intent of strengthening the ways in which equity is addressed in each step of HIA. The collaboration developed a draft framework for EFHIA that mirrored, but modified the commonly accepted steps of HIA; tested the draft framework in six different health service delivery settings; analysed the feedback about application of the draft EFHIA framework and modified it accordingly. The strategic framework shows promise in providing a systematic process for identifying potential differential health impacts and assessing the extent to which these are avoidable and unfair. This paper presents the EFHIA framework and discusses some of the issues that arose in the case study sites undertaking equity-focused HIA.     

A modular approach to Integrated Assessment modeling

In this paper, we present a new approach to model coupling that probably forms the methodological basis of a new generation of Integrated Assessment models. This approach respects the knowledge and expertise that is embodied in existing models and encourages their gradual evolution. Modularity is the guiding principle. Our approach is distinguished by the way modules are coupled which is based on an interplay of a job control module, a numerical coupling module, and a couple of stand-alone functional modules. The numerical coupling module - the core component - serves to treat the feedbacks between the functional modules. A first implemented example that couples an economic and a climate module by means of a two-phase meta-optimization is presented here. The algorithm and mathematical structure behind are discussed as well as important features such as convergence behavior and reliability.     

一次监测值用于水质评价的研究

以2003年长江和淮河水系为例,通过计算各个评价项目的单月监测值分别与季均值和年均值的相对误差及其分布,以及水质类别相同的断面比例,认为对于旬报、月报短期水质评价,采用一次监测的数据评价水质是可靠的;对于季报和年报中、长期水质评价,采用一次监测数据评价的可靠程度较差,应采用2次或2次以上的监测数据平均值进行评价。     

地表水环境质量定性评价

针对目前缺乏统一的地表水环境质量定性评价准则的现状,根据我国主要水体的污染程度,提出了断面、河流、水系水质定性评价方法。     

Environmental benchmarks vs. ecological benchmarks for assessment and monitoring in Canada: Is there a difference?

Environmental benchmarks are widely used in Canadian environmental assessment as a standard against which to monitor air or water quality in response to human activities in the environment. Recent work in Canada has developed the concept of ecological benchmarks as a complement to environmental benchmarks. However, implementation of ecological benchmarks may be challenging. This paper presents an analogy between ecological benchmarks and the more commonly used environmental benchmarks, as an attempt to increase understanding and use of ecological benchmarks in resource management, assessment, and monitoring. Ecological benchmarks, and their corresponding indicators, will be challenging to identify and use. However, through the use of the principles of adaptive management, effective ecological indicators and benchmarks can be established. Although it is essential that ecological benchmarks are site-specific, the analogy and general principles outlined here are applicable to assessment and monitoring in any part of the world.     

Assessing protected area effectiveness using surrounding (buffer) areas environmentally similar to the target area

Many studies are based on the assumption that an area and its surrounding (buffer) area present similar environmental conditions and can be compared. For example, in order to assess the effectiveness of a protected area, the land use/cover changes are compared inside the park with its surroundings. However, the heterogeneity in spatial variables can bias this assessment: we have shown that most of the protected areas in Mexico present significant environmental differences between their interior and their surroundings. Therefore, a comparison that aims at assessing the effectiveness of conservation strategies, must be cautioned. In this paper, a simple method which allows the generation of a buffer area that presents similar conditions with respect to a set of environmental variables is presented. The method was used in order to assess the effectiveness of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, a protected area located in the south-eastern part of Mexico. The annual rate of deforestation inside the protected area, the standard buffer area (based upon distance from the protected area only) and the similar buffer area (taking into account distance along with some environmental variables) were 0.3, 1.3 and 0.6%, respectively. These results showed that the protected area was effective in preventing land clearing, but that the comparison with the standard buffer area gave an over-optimistic vision of its effectiveness.     

中俄界河--黑龙江水环境分析与评价

采用“有机污染综合评价法”对黑龙江干流上、中游江水水质进行分析评价,分析与评价结果表明,黑龙江总体水质较好,主要污染物为高锰酸盐指数。     

密云水库上游河流底栖动物群落结构与水质评价

于2013年5月至10月对密云水库上游河流中大型底栖无脊椎动物(以下简称底栖动物)进行了采样调查。结果表明,采集到的底栖动物隶属于4门10纲16目45科,其中以节肢动物种类最多,占总数的80%,且水生昆虫占总数的67%,出现频率最高的是节肢动物门蜉蝣目蜉蝣科的昆虫,出现频率达87%;从分布来看,白河流域采集到的底栖动物种类最多、密度最高,而潮河流域采集到的底栖动物生物量最大;以底栖动物为指示生物的水质评价结果显示,密云水库上游河流中50%采样点的水质为Ⅰ级(清洁),其余50%为Ⅱ级(轻微污染),水质整体较好,与现场生境调查和水质监测的结果相吻合。     

尾矿库溃坝风险评价方法的研究进展

溃坝风险评价作为管理者开展尾矿库风险管理的重要手段,对减少和防止尾矿库溃坝事故的发生,保障其安全运行具有重要意义。因此,进行尾矿库溃坝风险评价相关理论和方法的研究非常必要。通过大量的文献调研和分析,较系统回顾和总结了中国尾矿库溃坝风险评价方法的运用现状,并对不同方法存在的问题和局限性进行了探讨。在此基础上,指出了尾矿库溃坝风险评价未来的研究方向。     

贵州遵义高坪水源地岩溶地下水重金属污染健康风险初步评价

健康风险评价是定量描述污染物对人体健康产生危害的重要方法. 对贵州省遵义市高坪水源地岩溶地下水21个采样点中Cd,Cr,Pb和Cu的含量进行了调查研究,并应用目前美国环境保护局(USEPA)推荐的健康风险评价模型,对该地岩溶地下水中重金属所引起的健康风险做出初步评价. 结果表明:研究区内丰水期健康危害的个人致癌风险最大值为3.52×10-5 a-1,没有超过国际辐射防护委员会(ICRP)推荐的通过饮水途径最大可接受风险水平(5.00×10-5 a-1);枯水期各采样点的个人致癌风险值为10-8～10-7 a-1,远低于ICRP推荐的最大可接受水平. 丰水期的健康风险明显大于枯水期,重金属Cr是产生风险的主要污染物.