Assessing audit impact and thoroughness of VCS forest carbon offset projects

Voluntary markets transacted over $66 million USD of forest carbon offsets in 2016, according to Forest Trends, and over 99% of those offset projects were audited to a standard, primarily the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). We provide a table characterizing all 70 validated and verified forest carbon projects employing the VCS version 3.0 currently-in-use (December 2011–July 2017). We also examine two separate aspects of the audit process––impact and thoroughness––to assess the effectiveness of the costly audit process, which can consume up to one-third of offset revenue. Audit impact we measure in terms of reduction in the number of offsets from ex ante estimated to ex post approved. Audit thoroughness we measure both directly in terms of the number of auditor hours worked per project and also indirectly in terms of the total number of Corrective Action Requests (CARs)/Non-Conformity Reports (NCRs) auditors prescribe. In terms of impact, we find that Afforestation/Reforestation/Restoration (A/R/R) and Improved Forest Management (IFM) projects, though only constituting 5% of total verified offsets, demonstrate significant (p < = 0.05) reductions from ex ante estimated to ex post approved offsets, likely because auditors can easily scrutinize carbon stocks/emission factors for the commercial tree species involved in these project types. In terms of thoroughness, we find that higher ex ante estimates correlate with more total auditor hours worked and total CARs/NCRs prescribed for three of four project activity types, likely because auditors perceive larger ex ante projects as higher risk. We conclude with recommendations for the VCS to empower auditors to scrutinize carbon stocks/emissions factors from avoided deforestation projects, and also to continue to flag high ex ante projects as higher risk.     

Determination of 27 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in water: The benefit of isotope dilution

• Isotope dilution method was developed for the determination of 27 PPCPs in water. • The established method was successfully applied to different types of water samples. • The correction effect of corresponding 27 ILSs over 70 d was investigated. • Benefit of isotopic dilution method was illustrated for three examples. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are a unique group of emerging and non-persistent contaminants. In this study, 27 PPCPs in various water samples were extracted by solid phase extraction (SPE), and determined by isotope dilution method using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem triple quadruple mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS). A total of 27 isotopically labeled standards (ILSs) were applied to correct the concentration of PPCPs in spiked ultrapure water, drinking water, river, effluent and influent sewage. The corrected recoveries were 73%–122% with the relative standard deviation (RSD)<16%, except for acetaminophen. The matrix effect for all kinds of water samples was<22% and the method quantitation limits (MQLs) were 0.45–8.6 ng/L. The developed method was successfully applied on environmental water samples. The SPE extracts of spiked ultrapure water, drinking water, river and wastewater effluent were stored for 70 days, and the ILSs-corrected recoveries of 27 PPCPs were obtained to evaluate the correction ability of ILSs in the presence of variety interferences. The recoveries of 27 PPCPs over 70 days were within the scope of 72%–140% with the recovery variation<37% in all cases. The isotope dilution method seems to be of benefit when the extract has to be stored for long time before the instrument analysis.     

原油油气职业卫生标准研究

我国目前尚未制订原油油气卫生标准,多数引用溶剂汽油卫生标准,研究表明原油油气毒性较溶剂汽油大,为保障油运装卸作业人员的健康,科学地监测与控制油气污染,确定合理的作业环境,制订原油油气卫生标准是十分必要的。该研究通过色-质联用分析,表明原油蒸气成份大多为C9以下烷烃、环烷烃及少量的芳香烃。采用大、小鼠为对象的急性毒性实验研究,获得大庆、胜利、渤海3种原油油气的LC50分别为49.54g/m3、77.54g/m3、417.50g/m3;亚慢性毒性实验研究表明,原油油气对动物神经系统的影响较为突出。现场劳动卫生学调查统计表明油轮、油码头作业人员,除了在装船、装罐作业状态下受到较大油气浓度危害外,大部分时间处于100mg/m3以下油气浓度环境,但长期从事油运装卸作业,表现出一定的健康异常,其主要症状是神衰症候群发生率明显增高,植物神经功能障碍,血象异常,其次为心率、心电图的改变等。根据上述研究结果,该研究认为原油装卸贮运作业场所原油油气时间加权平均容许浓度确定为100mg/m3(以总烃计)较为适宜。     

煤矿本质安全特征及管理方法研究

分析国内煤矿本质安全管理研究现状及存在问题,进一步讨论煤矿本质安全的内涵。探讨近年来我国煤矿事故发生的致因与根源,指出人的行为安全是我国煤矿本质安全的主要特征。通过研究我国煤矿事故的控制管理,选择事故率作为我国煤矿本质安全判别的参考标准;分析我国煤矿生产的现状与差异,提出了对我国煤矿的本质安全性进行分类判别的思想;从深入开展煤矿安全管理理论研究、加强煤矿安全管理立法、建立煤矿安全管理标准和有效组织机制等方面提出了实现煤矿本质安全的管理策略。     

长江、嘉陵江(重庆段)源水有机提取物的类雌激素活性评价

为了解长江、嘉陵江(重庆段)源水有机提取物的类雌激素活性，分别于夏季和冬季采用GDX—120大孔树脂对位于城区上、中、下游5个断面长江、嘉陵江(重庆段)源水进行有机物的浓缩提取。用体外MCF—7细胞增殖试验检测有机提取物的类雌激素活性。结果显示，源水有机提取物均具有类雌激素活性。其类雌激素活性中、下游均高于上游，丰水期高于枯水期。     

宁波-舟山海域入海污染物环境容量研究

在宁波-舟山海域数值模拟潮流场的基础上,建立了该海域各污染源的响应系数场,计算了主要污染源COD、无机氮和活性磷酸盐的分担率场,及各污染源和控制单元的环境容量.研究结果将为该海域入海污染物总量控制提供科学依据.     

中国淘汰滴滴涕的环境影响分析

目前中国仍在生产滴滴涕(DDT),并以其为原料生产三氯杀螨醇作为杀虫剂使用.为评价淘汰DDT对于中国生态环境的影响,采用情景分析的方法,估算了在采取不同的淘汰策略下土壤中DDT残留浓度的变化,以此来评价淘汰DDT的环境影响.与基线情景相比,三种控制情景下DDT的累积生产量都有不同程度的减少,相应土壤中的残留浓度也有不同的下降,且淘汰的速度越快土壤中DDT浓度下降的幅度越大.     

浙江省环境保护及相关产业现状分析及发展思路

通过对浙江省环境保护及相关产业现状的调查,基本摸清了当前全省环境保护产品、资源综合利用、环境保护服务和洁净产业等4个方面的发展情况,并从规模、地域、产业结构和效益等方面对其当前发展中存在的问题进行了全面分析,找出其发展过程中存在的问题.结合当前浙江"生态省"建设的现状,提出了浙江省环保相关产业发展的对策和思路,为决策和管理部门提供环境保护及相关产业健康快速发展的科学参考.     

论我国非煤矿山安全生产标准体系构建思路

本文分析了我国目前非煤矿山安全生产标准体系建设的现状及存在的主要问题,阐述了建立一套科学、合理、完善的标准化体系对我国非煤矿山安全生产行业的重要意义;并根据非煤矿山安全生产标准体系建设的现状提出了我国非煤矿山安全生产标准体系建设的思路和基本框架,为今后非煤矿山安全生产标准体系建设提供一定基础。     

Baseline levels of PCDD/Fs in soil and herbage samples collected in the vicinity of a new hazardous waste incinerator in Catalonia,Spain

The construction in Constantí (Catalonia, Spain) of a new hazardous waste incinerator (HWI), which is the first one in Spain, finished in 1999. In order to determine the temporal variation (1996–1998) in the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in the vicinity of the new HWI, 40 soil and 40 herbage samples were collected (1998) at the same sampling points in which samples had been taken two years before (1996). Each sample was analyzed for PCDDs and PCDFs by high resolution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry. In the 1996 survey, PCDD/F concentrations in soils ranged from 0.13 to 24.20 ng I-TEQ/kg (d.m.), with median and mean values of 0.67 and 1.68 ng I-TEQ/kg (d.m.), respectively. In the present study, PCDD/F concentrations ranged from 0.12 to 17.20 ng I-TEQ/kg (d.m.), with a median value of 0.75 ng I-TEQ/kg (d.m.) and a mean value of 1.59 ng I-TEQ/kg (d.m.). In turn, in the present study PCDD/F concentrations in vegetation ranged from 0.14 to 2.01 ng I-TEQ/kg (d.m.) (median and mean values: 0.23 and 0.31 ng I-TEQ/kg, respectively), while in the 1996 survey PCDD/F concentrations ranged from 0.24 to 1.22 ng I-TEQ/kg (d.m.) (median and mean values: 0.53 and 0.61 ng I-TEQ/kg, respectively). According to the present (1998) and the previous (1996) levels of PCDD/Fs found in soils and vegetation, the area under potential influence of the new facility shows a rather low contamination by these compounds. The current results should be useful to establish the environmental impact of the HWI.