Economic assessment of managing processionary moth in pine forests: a case-study in Portugal

This paper assesses the private and social profitability of current strategies for managing processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) in Portuguese pine forests, looking at economic and environmental costs and benefits. Costs include the expenses for forest treatment and the social costs of threats to human health (dermatitis amongst others); benefits are assessed in terms of both revenue and social benefits such as carbon fixation and recreation. The evaluation was done using Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) as an analytical framework. While this tool is currently applied to forest and environmental assessment and specific applications to pest management strategies are to be found in agricultural economics, rather few attempts have been made in the field of forest pest management. In order to assess and compare with--without options, a case-study was analysed for the Setúbal Peninsula, south of Lisbon, an area where extensive stands of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) grow. The exercise has shown that CBA can be a valuable tool for assessing the economic and social profitability of pest management. The results demonstrate that the loss of revenues in the no-management option is not sufficient to make pest management profitable for private forest owners in the short-term. Conversely, a social profit is gained as pest management minimizes health risks for humans and avoids possible recreational losses.     

CO2 emission driving forces and corresponding mitigation strategies under low-carbon economy mode: evidence from China’s Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region

On account of the background of China’s “new normal” characterized by slower economic growth, this paper analyses the low-carbon economy status quo in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region and empirically investigates the relationship between carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and its various factors for China’s Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region using panel data econometric technique. We find evidence of existence of Environmental Kuznets Curve. Results also show that economic scale, industrial structure, and urbanization rate are crucial factors to promote CO₂ emissions. However, technological progress, especially the domestic independent research and development, plays a key role in CO₂ emissions abatement. Next, we further analyze the correlation between each subregion and various factors according to Grey Relation Analysis. Thereby, our findings provide important implications for policymakers in air pollution control and CO₂ emissions reduction for this region.     

Application of Forensic Techniques for Age Dating and Source Identification in Environmental Litigation

A multitude of forensic techniques are available for age dating and source identification, including corrosion models for underground storage tanks, the commercial availability of a compound, chemical associations with discrete types of manufacturing processes, chemical profiling, proprietary additives, stable isotope analysis, degradation models, biomarkers and contaminant transport models. The selection and use of these techniques in environmental litigation must be thoroughly understood and applied to be effective as forensic evidence. When introduced as scientific evidence, the governing assumptions and quality of the data are critically evaluated and frequently successfully challenged. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of commonly used environmental forensic techniques and their possible applications so that a user can decide which technique or combination of methods is most appropriate for their case.     

A Holistic Approach to Hydrocarbon Source Allocation in the Subtidal Sediments of Prince William Sound,Alaska, Embayments

Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska has an extensive history of human and industrial activity that has produced a complex organic geochemistry record in subtidal sediments of embayments throughout the sound. In addition to contributions from recent oil spills and a regional background of natural petroleum hydrocarbons originating from active hydrocarbon systems in the northern Gulf of Alaska (GOA), pyrogenic and petrogenic PAH were, and continue to be introduced to subtidal sediments at numerous sites of past and present human activities. These sites include villages, fish hatcheries, fish camps and recreational campsites in addition to abandoned settlements, canneries, sawmills, and mines. A holistic approach is used to fingerprint and quantify hydrocarbon contributions from multiple sources in a sediment sample. It involves acquiring a comprehensive understanding of the history of the area to identify potential sources, collection of representative samples, and accurate quantitative analyses of the source and sediment samples for a suite of diagnostic PAH analytes and chemical biomarker compounds. Unlike the deepwater sediments of the sound and GOA, the TOC tool, described elsewhere, does not work as well in some restricted embayments due to their high contents of recent organic matter (ROM). The current study employs a constrained least-squares algorithm to allocate hydrocarbon sources contributing to subtidal sediments collected from PWS embayments in 1991, 1999 and 2000. Results show that sources contributing to the natural petrogenic background are present in the embayments, pyrogenic hydrocarbons including combustion products of diesel are important where human activity was high, and petroleum produced from the Monterey Formation (CA) is present locally. Oil and asphalt shipped from California were widely used for fuel and construction prior to development of the Cook Inlet and North Slope fields. In certain locations that were oiled in 1989, low levels of highly degraded Alaska North Slope crude oil residues attributable to the Exxon Valdez spill remain.     

Determination of 10 particle-associated multiclass polar and semi-polar pesticides from small streams using accelerated solvent extraction

A new analytical method using accelerated solvent extraction was developed for the determination of 10 particle-associated polar and semipolar pesticides. In addition, six deuterated analogues of the target compounds were evaluated as internal standards. The method yielded acceptable accuracy (73–103% recovery) and precision (<25% relative standard deviation) for eight compounds. Using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) as cleanup step resulted in higher recoveries compared to solid phase extraction (SPE) cleanup.

Deuterated standards with 10 or more deuterium atoms performed well as internal standards concerning similar recovery and correlation with the target analytes.

The method was employed to extract particle-associated pesticides from 16 streams located in an area with intense agriculture in France. Acetochlor, pirimicarb, tebuconazole, fenpropidin, -endosulfan and chlorfenvinphos were detected at concentrations up to 1 mg kg⁻¹ dry weight. A comparison with aquatic toxicity data indicated potential risk to the benthic fauna exposed to these concentrations of pirimicarb, -endosulfan and chlorfenvinphos.

We suggest that the method presented here be used for the extraction and quantitation of particle-associated polar pesticides.     

水体中高锰酸盐指数的流动注射分析方法

研究了用流动注射分析技术测定水体中高锰酸盐指数。使用新发明的耐腐蚀恒流泵、低记忆高效混合器、不存留气泡流通池等部件,通过高温高压,缩短消解时间,从而建立了一种可用于无人值守的自动在线快速监测水体中高锰酸盐指数的分析方法。     

跨界水体联合监测中总磷测定的问题探讨

研究了不同分析方法、去浊度手段和预处理方式对地表水总磷测定的影响。结果表明:钼酸铵分光光度法在跨界水体联合监测中较连续流动分析法、氯化亚锡还原光度法、孔雀绿-磷钼杂多酸分光光度法更为适用;在水样没有色度的情况下,采用浊度-色度补偿法和离心法都能有效消除浊度干扰,相对误差±10%;预处理方式的不同是导致各监测单位测定结果可比性差的最关键因素。     

大气固定污染源低浓度颗粒物采样及分析技术研究进展

简述了我国现阶段大气固定污染源颗粒物监测中遇到的问题及低浓度颗粒物采样与分析技术研究的必要性,归纳了国外低浓度颗粒物采样分析技术要点,包括大体积采样、滤筒上游采样设备堆积颗粒物的回收、有效称重步骤的确立等,并对我国开展低浓度颗粒物采样及分析技术研究提出了相关建议.     

A device for sampling the mud‐water interface in eutrophic lakes and bogs for residue analysis

Abstract

A tubular device has been developed making it possible to obtain layered samples of loosely aggregated, flocculent material from bogs or eutrophic lakes. The samples are up to 50 cm long and 15 cm in diameter. The sampler is free from protuberances and intact, layered samples can be taken. The tubular part of the sampler is about 85 em long, the walls of the lower 25‐cm portion harbouring a pneumatic closing mechanism which is controlled from above the water surface. An extendible handle for manipulating the sampler and for guiding it into place, is fastened to the upper end of the sampling tube. The performance and the operation of the sampler in the field are described.     

Treatment of risk in environmental impact assessment

Risk assessment and environmental impact assessment have developed as separate traditions. While environmental impact assessment is a broad field that includes all activities that attempt to analyze and evaluate the effects of human and related actions on the environment, risk assessment has been concerned with the relatively well-defined regulatory problems and employs formal quantitative analysis of the probability of specific undesired events, such as cancer. Risk analytic approaches, particularly the explicit treatment of uncertainty, can significantly contribute to environmental assessments. This article discusses the type and sources of uncertainty in environmental assessments, techniques for their quantification, and ways to use uncertainty estimates to calculate probabilities of effects or probabilities of exceeding environmental standards and to determine the need for mitigation or additional research.This article was presented at the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis, Task Force Meeting on Risk and Policy Analysis under Conditions of Uncertainty, Laxenburg, Austria, November 1985.