Mercury: The good, the bad, and the export ban

We analyze the bipartisan call to ban US exports of commodity mercury. An export ban can generate positive environmental benefits by increasing the scarcity of mercury in developing economies where significant toxic releases occur. We show, however, that a direct mercury purchase and retirement policy can achieve the same foreign environmental goals without adverse impacts on domestic environmental quality. We present qualitative and quantitative evidence that highlight the potential inefficiencies of a mercury export ban as a method of achieving environmental objectives.     

Minimization of water use and wastewater contaminant load

This communication describes a project concerning the minimization of water use and wastewater contaminant load in an industrial setting. The location was a plant manufacturing cast aluminum parts for the automotive industry. The water used for industrial purposes was some 16 000 m³/yr with COD values sometimes higher than 5000 mg O₂/l. After a preliminary assessment, a global reduction in industrial water consumption of 33%, by means of re-circulation of the aqueous solution used for de-molding was achieved, implying a 95% reduction in de-molding solution. To minimize water use even further, recommendations to the company included a revision of the refrigeration closed-circuit and a better control of water used for general services.     

北京市社区生活垃圾分类收集实效调查及其长效管理机制研究

对北京市600个分类示范试点社区进行垃圾分类收集现状调查,并基于调查数据分析得出,目前试点社区分类正确率和投放正确率均不高,知晓率是影响分类正确率和投放正确率的重要因素,知晓率根据知晓深度分成两个等级,分别为75.6%和15.5%,而社区大多数居民约60.1%垃圾分类知晓程度保持在一个初级水平,24.4%居民不知道垃圾分类,分类正确率和投放正确率较低,分别为4.5%和31.2%,宣传、教育的力度和深度不够,也未形成有效监管机制.居民对社区垃圾分类建议得出,认为应该加强分类知识宣传的居民最多,占36.84%;其次认为加强垃圾分类正确投放监督的比例也达到35.39%.总体认为软实力建设应提高的居民占90%以上.因此,提出持续采用多种媒介提高垃圾分类宣传力度和深度,并结合多种培养方式引导居民参与操作实践.此外,构建软硬结合的垃圾分类评价指标体系,建立完善操作强的监管机制,长期持续对居民进行督促,并将垃圾分类作为社区管理工作中的一项重要考核指标,整体提高行政管理水平.     

COST MINIMIZATION OF NUTRIENT REDUCTION IN WATERSHED MANAGEMENT USING LINEAR PROGRAMMING1

ABSTRACT: Linear programming is applied to identify the least cost strategy for reaching politically specified phosphorus and total suspended solids reduction targets for the Fox-Wolf river basin in Northeast Wisconsin. The programming model uses data collected on annualized unit reduction costs associated with five categories of sources of phosphorus and total suspended solids discharge in each of the 41 sub-watersheds in the basin to determine the least cost management strategy. Results indicate that: (1) cost-effective nutrient reduction requires careful selection of geographic areas and source categories to address throughout the watershed; (2) agricultural sources are the most cost-effective to address in the basin; and (3) care should be exercised in setting nutrient reduction targets, given that there are likely to be significantly increasing marginal costs of nutrient reduction; the model predicts that lowering the most restrictive target by 33 percent would cut reduction expenditures by about 75 percent. Policy implications of the model include support for the investigation and potential development of institutional arrangements that enable cost-effective nutrient reduction activities to occur, such as the creation of an agency with authority over a given watershed, coordinated watershed management activities, or nutrient trading programs.     

Korea's policy instruments for waste minimization

This paper considers the current status of waste generation and waste treatment trends, and introduces a wide variety of policy instruments for waste minimization at every stage of economic activity in Korea, i.e., production, distribution, and consumption. At each stage, the Korean government has imposed a policy mix of direct regulations and economic incentives. These policy instruments have made definite contributions to a reduction of waste generation and an increase in the recycling rate. Despite these fruitful outcomes, there are still some shortcomings with respect to efficiency and equity. Among other aspects, this paper examines three representative economic incentives – the charge system, the volume-based-collection fee system, and the deposit–refund system – and identifies shortcomings in each. Some suggestions are made for the creation of better systems of economic incentives. However, many experts insist that this kind of piecemeal change in each policy instrument is not enough to achieve the ultimate goal of resource circulation and an environmentally friendly society, especially in Korea, which is a country with little land, a high population density, and a high economic growth rate. Among experts, special emphasis is placed on the activation of recycling industries to achieve these goals. Received: April 2, 2001 / Accepted: September 10, 2001     

城市道路降雨径流中悬浮颗粒特性及其全过程削减探讨

道路表面尤其是交通活动频繁的城市道路表面,能够通过汽车尾气排放、轮胎和路面磨损以及油脂的渗漏等累积大量的悬浮颗粒等污染物质,其中悬浮固体颗粒在城市路面降水径流污染物中占很高的比重。文章分析径流中悬浮颗粒的特性,详细分析了它与其它污染物的关系和它在水中的去除特性,以及径流冲刷对其形成的规律,为径流污染全过程控制提供参考,对径流污染的工程控制和非工程管理都能提供帮助。认为悬浮颗粒全过程削减对径流污染物的全过程控制起着极为重要的作用,是径流污染物全过程削减的主要途径之一。     

城市社区生活垃圾减量化的集成技术研究

针对我国城市社区垃圾管理中分类收集程度不足、厨余垃圾高水分含量的问题,研究了社区人工分类混合垃圾、厨余垃圾简易机械压缩、压缩后厨余垃圾和渗滤液的资源化利用相结合的集成技术模式.研究表明,生活垃圾的人工分拣效率为36.8kg/h,随分拣熟练程度提高而增加.社区分拣出的厨余垃圾有机质含量高达44.693%,营养元素N、P、K的含量分别为2.586%、0.649%和1.274%,C/N为17.427,而重金属含量仅为从混合垃圾集中分选出的可堆肥原料的0.07～0.82倍.厨余垃圾压缩脱水后含水率仍高达78.7%,影响后续堆肥效果.采用生物稳定和稀释的渗滤液浇灌凤仙花具有一定的肥效,植株干重是清水浇灌的1.46～2.94倍.基于社区人工分拣的集成技术模式可减排垃圾产生量的52.6%.     

电镀工业污染最小化技术

通过分析电镀行业工艺现状,总结了电镀工业废水的产生,特性,现有的治理措施及存在的问题,提出了更新原料,减少用水量及提高回收率污染最小化技术的方案。事实证明,实行污染最小化技术是电镀行业减小污染排放,提高经济效益切实可行的方法。