The whole relationship between environmental variables and firm performance: Competitive advantage and firm resources as mediator variables

The examination of the possible direct link between environmental protection and firm performance in the literature has generally produced mixed results. The present paper contributes to the literature by using the resource-based view as a mediating process in this relationship. The study specifically tests whether or not the resource-based view of the firm mediates the positive relationships of proactive environmental management and improved environmental performance with competitive advantage, which also has consequences for financial performance. We also check the possible link between the adoption of a pioneering approach and good environmental management practices. Our findings support that early investment timing and intensity in environmental issues impact on the adoption of a proactive environmental management, which in turn helps to improve environmental performance. The findings also show that a firm's resources and competitive advantage act as mediator variables for a positive relationship between environmental protection and financial performance. This contribution is original because the present paper develops a comprehensive whole picture of this path process, which has previously only been partially discussed in the literature. In addition, this study clarifies a relevant point in the literature, namely that the effect of environmental protection on firm performance is not direct and can vary depending on the sector considered. Whereas competitive advantage in relation to costs influences financial performance in the IPPC law sector, the relevant influence in the hotel sector comes from competitive advantage through differentiation.     

TR-01稠油乳化降粘剂研究

针对河南油田井楼区块稠油,自制TR-01乳化降粘剂,通过实验研究了其降粘性能、稳定性,确定了降粘剂TR-01最佳浓度为0.3%、最佳油水比为70∶30。实验结果表明:TR-01乳化降粘剂对井楼区块油井的普遍适用性较强,具有较好的乳化降粘作用(降粘率达到99%以上),地层水对其降粘效果影响不大。其中的纳米成分能增加对污水中悬浮物的吸附能力和絮凝能力,对油田污水处理起到积极作用。     

宁波市饮用水源地爆发蓝藻水华时微囊藻毒素的污染分析

通过固相萃取净化,建立了超高效液相色谱-串联四极杆质谱法测定水中微囊藻毒素MC-LR和MC-RR的方法,并用该方法监测了宁波市两个饮用水源地爆发蓝藻水华时水体中的微囊藻毒素.监测结果表明,姚江水体中的微囊藻毒素污染水平低,MC-LR和MC-RR没有被检出;梅湖水库水体中MC-RR也未被检出,采取措施后,虽MC-LR有时被检出,但最高时也低于国家标准值(1.0μg/L).     

职业安全绩效指标研究

为了建立企业安全生产长效机制,提高安全管理水平,预防事故的发生,笔者在研究国内外企业安全绩效要素及分类方法的基础上,提出了包含10个一级要素及50个二级要素的企业安全绩效指标体系,并就指标的设立原则、定义、权重的确定和应用进行了阐述示例。同时,也为政府安全监管部门提供了科学决策的依据。     

Sustainable construction--the role of environmental assessment tools

Construction has been accused of causing environmental problems ranging from excessive consumption of global resources both in terms of construction and building operation to the pollution of the surrounding environment, and research on green building design and using building materials to minimise environmental impact is already underway. However, relying on the design of a project to achieve the goal of sustainable development, or to minimise impacts through appropriate management on site, is not sufficient to handle the current problem. The aim for sustainability assessment goes even further than at the design stage of a project to consider its importance at an early stage, before any detailed design or even before a commitment is made to go ahead with a development. However, little or no concern has been given to the importance of selecting more environmentally friendly designs during the project appraisal stage; the stage when environmental matters are best incorporated. The main objectives of this paper are to examine the development, role and limitations of current environmental building assessment methods in ascertaining building sustainability used in different countries which leads to discuss the concept of developing a. sustainability model for project appraisal based on a multi-dimensional approach, that will allow alternatives to be ranked is discussed in detail in the paper.     

Effects of repeated exposure to malathion on growth, food consumption, and locomotor performance of the western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)

Effects of repeated pollutant exposure on growth, locomotor performance, and behavior have rarely been evaluated in reptiles. We administered three doses of malathion (2.0, 20, or 100mg/kg body weight) to western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) over an 81day period. Eight and 23% mortality occurred at 20 and 100mg/kg (p=0.079) and 85% of lizards in the 100mg/kg group exhibited clinical symptoms of poisoning. Growth, food consumption, body condition index, and terrestrial locomotor performance were not significantly influenced by malathion. However, arboreal sprint velocity was significantly reduced in lizards receiving 100mg/kg. Fifty percent of lizards in the 100mg/kg group also refused to sprint in the arboreal setting (p=0.085). Based on these results, arboreal locomotor performance was the most sensitive metric of exposure we evaluated. Further study of compounds such as malathion is warranted due to highly variable application rates and exposure scenarios.     

pH值调控柠檬酸污泥厌氧发酵产酸及碳源潜力研究

以柠檬酸废水厌氧颗粒污泥为接种物,在不同pH值调控条件下开展柠檬酸生产废水剩余活性污泥厌氧发酵产酸研究.通过对发酵液挥发性脂肪酸(VFAs)、有机质、氮磷和污泥脱水性能的分析,探讨了柠檬酸污泥厌氧产酸机制.结果表明,pH≥10的碱性条件更有利于有机质的溶出从而促进VFAs的产生.三维荧光光谱分析发现在恒定pH值下腐殖酸(HA)和富里酸(FA)会大量溶出降低VFAs的产量.初始pH=10是柠檬酸污泥厌氧产酸的最佳p H值,发酵4d的VFAs浓度最高达(6681.47±126.82)mgCOD/L,是文献报道中市政污泥产酸量的近2倍,其中乙酸占比49.8%,发酵后产酸功能菌Chloroflexi、Bacteroidota的相对丰度分别由初始的9.52%、10.87%增至16.84%、14.39%,污泥归一化毛细吸水时间(nCST)为(11.34±0.27)s·L/g,脱水性能良好,发酵液TP浓度为(20.45±0.33) mg/L.研究表明,利用柠檬酸剩余活性污泥碱性厌氧发酵产酸作为污水处理过程中的外加碳源具有较大潜力.     

江苏省空气质量预报准确度及改进方法分析

介绍了江苏省重污染天气监测预报预警系统以及大气重污染预警会商流程,将2015年13个地级市的模式预报、人工预报结果分别与实际观测值进行比较。结果表明:人工预报更准确,PM_(2.5)日均值、臭氧日最大8 h平均值、AQI 3个指标人工预报和实况的相关性分别比模式预报高出12.8%、0.3%、11.4%,平均标准误差(MNE)分别低20.7%、3.1%、23.1%。依据国家空气质量预报技术指南评分办法,对各市2015年全年空气质量级别为"良"时进行评分。通过开展07∶00预报更新,使2015年上半年空气质量预报级别得分平均提高了0.9分,全年级别得分平均提高了2.6分;通过改进模式预报参数,使PM_(2.5)日均预报值、臭氧日最大8 h平均预报值、AQI预报值和实际观测值的相关性比上年同期分别提高26.0%、5.0%、33.9%,MNE分别降低3.6%、31.3%、7.6%。     

高效液相色谱-电喷雾离子源-串联三重四极杆质谱法分析地表水中高氯酸盐

建立了高效液相色谱-电喷雾离子源-串联三重四极杆质谱(HPLC-ESI-MS/MS)测定地表水中高氯酸盐的方法。以Dionex IonPac AG20阴离子交换柱为分析柱,弱碱性的0.056%氨水/5 mmol/L乙酸氨为流动相,1.0 mL/min的流速,电喷雾负离子模式电离,MS/MS串联质谱为检测器,多反应监测(MRM)模式检测高氯酸盐。方法检出限达0.043μg/L,线性范围为0.2~50μg/L,线性相关系数为0.999 4,含量分别约为2、6、30μg/L的实际样品进样10次得到的相对标准偏差分别为2.47%、4.55%、0.49%,样品加标回收率在80%~109%,将该法与US EPA method314.0进行比对,结果基本吻合。     

Assessing health impacts in complex eco-epidemiological settings in the humid tropics: Modular baseline health surveys

The quantitative assessment of health impacts has been identified as a crucial feature for realising the full potential of health impact assessment (HIA). In settings where demographic and health data are notoriously scarce, but there is a broad range of ascertainable ecological, environmental, epidemiological and socioeconomic information, a diverse toolkit of data collection strategies becomes relevant for the mainly small-area impacts of interest. We present a modular, cross-sectional baseline health survey study design, which has been developed for HIA of industrial development projects in the humid tropics. The modular nature of our toolkit allows our methodology to be readily adapted to the prevailing eco-epidemiological characteristics of a given project setting. Central to our design is a broad set of key performance indicators, covering a multiplicity of health outcomes and determinants at different levels and scales. We present experience and key findings from our modular baseline health survey methodology employed in 14 selected sentinel sites within an iron ore mining project in the Republic of Guinea. We argue that our methodology is a generic example of rapid evidence assembly in difficult-to-reach localities, where improvement of the predictive validity of the assessment and establishment of a benchmark for longitudinal monitoring of project impacts and mitigation efforts is needed.