An approach to optimise nutrient management in environmental sanitation systems despite limited data

The material flow analysis method can be used to assess the impact of environmental sanitation systems on resource consumption and environmental pollution. However, given the limited access to reliable data, application of this data-intensive method in developing countries may be difficult. This paper presents an approach allowing to develop material flow models despite limited data availability. Application of an iterative procedure is of key importance: model parameter values should first be assessed on the basis of a literature review and by eliciting expert judgement. If model outputs are not plausible, sensitive input parameters should be reassessed more accurately. Moreover, model parameters can be expressed as probability distributions and variable uncertainty estimated by using Monte Carlo simulation. The impact of environmental sanitation systems on the phosphorus load discharged into surface water in Hanoi, Vietnam, is simulated by applying the proposed approach.     

Water quality management worldwide

This article analyzes water quality on a global scale. An overview of the global water supply and demand situation is presented first, including regional and country information, as well as data on selected water use patterns. The focus then shifts to a discussion of water pollution, its various causes, impact, and remedies, with emphasis on legal and administrative solutions. Water pollution control expenditures and the resultant achievements are dealt with in the final third of the article, with projections to 1995. A wide variety of published sources was dovetailed to obtain a composite picture and most likely scenario; this was supplemented with primary interviews by the author conducted in North America, Western and Eastern Europe, and Oceania at the start of the 1980s.     

The Truth about Public Health Protection and Community Sewerage and Water Supply Sanitation in Developing Countries

Since the establishment, following World War II, of the World System, by which the affluent industrialized countries established various international assistance agencies (including the multilateral development banks, UN affiliates, and Bilaterals), these assistance agencies have invested very large sums in helping finance planning and construction of community sewerage and water supply facilities in the developing countries. However, much of this large investment has been ineffective and wasted, primarily because of the lack of understanding by the staff of the assistance agencies that the design criteria for the facilities must be modified to suit the socio-economic status of the developing country. The developing countries are relatively very poor in terms of available finances, hence cannot afford to emulate Western environmental standards and design practices, especially as related to operation and maintenance, hence much simpler approaches must be used. Experiences in several Asian countries are discussed, and a recommendation is made on how to go about resolving this problem.     

INTERNATIONAL DECADE ON DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION1

ABSTRACT: The UN conference on Human Settlements (HABITAT) held in June 1976 at Vancouver, Canada, concluded that nearly two-thirds of the population of the developing world lacked access to safe drinking water and that a larger proportion lacked the means for hygienic human waste disposal. The conference urged governments to give priority to these two areas in their developement process. In March 1977, the UN Water Conference, held at Mar del Plata, Argentina, called for establishing the 1980's as the Decade for Drinking Water and Sanitation. The goal would be to bring clean water and sanitation to all peoples in the world by 1990. Since March 1979, four separate UN bodies have passed resolutions supporting the Decade and calling on all governments to support the Decade's goals. The U.S. Government, other OECD member states, and the private sector must combine to make this Decade a success.     

COST OF WASH HOUSES AND COMFORT STATIONS AT RECREATION AREAS1

ABSTRACT: The cost of sanitary facilities is a major cost item in recreation areas at water resources projects. Often planners wish to analyze the tradeoffs in providing different levels of service at these areas. Cost functions are presented in this paper to enable the planner to make quick comparisons between different types of buildings, sizes, exterior treatments, and number of fixtures.     

Assessing of Environmental Quality in Six Areas in India,Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

Environmental quality for environmental health has been examined visually by describing general conditions and drinking water supply, sanitation and solid waste treatment conditions and practices in six South-East Asian villages with a dense population. The environmental review was supplemented by discussions with local people and political and administrative decision makers. Some drinking water analyses were done in order to show the water quality to the local people. The quality of the general conditions and the conditions and practices of drinking water supply, excreta disposal and solid waste treatment practices have been graded with the grading system presented below. The grading could be done in 1 or 2 days in each area by two persons, of which one was an environmental scientist and the other a social scientist, who also knew the local culture and worked as a translator.     

Planning environmental sanitation programmes in emergencies

Environmental sanitation programmes are vital for tackling environmental-related disease and ensuring human dignity in emergency situations. If they are to have maximum impact they must be planned in a rapid but systematic manner. An appropriate planning process comprises five key stages: rapid assessment and priority setting; outline programme design; immediate action; detailed programme design; and implementation. The assessment should be based on carefully selected data, which are analysed via comparison with suitable minimum objectives. How the intervention should be prioritised is determined through objective ranking of different environmental sanitation sector needs. Next, a programme design outline is produced to identify immediate and longer-term intervention activities and to guarantee that apposite resources are made available. Immediate action is taken to meet acute emergency needs while the detailed programme design takes shape. This entails in-depth consultation with the affected community and comprehensive planning of activities and resource requirements. Implementation can then begin, which should involve pertinent management and monitoring strategies.     

试论冶金企业职业安全卫生评价技术和方法

介绍了安全卫生评价的目的和要求,同时介绍了职业安全卫生评价的方法。     

Effects of deodorants on treatment of boat holding-tank waste

A literature search and survey of Virginia, USA, campgrounds with RV pump-out stations were used to determine whether boat holding-tank deodorant chemicals would have deleterious effects on marina septic systems or package treatment plants. Laboratory studies reported in the literature indicate that these chemical additives could affect septic system function in three ways: (1) active ingredients in the additives can impair sewage degradation in septic tanks, causing sludge buildup and overflow of solids into the drainfield, (2) additive chemicals might enter the drainfield and, in high enough concentrations, reduce the drainfield's ability to degrade waste, or (3) toxic additive chemicals might migrate from the drainfield to ground or surface water. Laboratory studies also show that some ingredients added to holding tanks interfere with functioning of activated sludge treatment process. Experience in the field and in other laboratory studies suggests that factors such as dilution of treated waste with untreated waste and the characteristics of the sewage to be treated can reduce the possibility of damage to septic and activated sludge systems. The campground owners surveyed indicated that they have few problems with their septic systems in spite of the presence of chemical additives in the RV waste. However, most of them practice good septic system maintenance and have devised other means of ensuring that their systems function efficiently. In addition, the survey indicates that most Virginia campgrounds get only seasonal use (as would marinas in Virginia), allowing their systems to recover between peak seasons.     

北方城市垃圾的回收和利用

随着城市垃圾的迅速增长，垃圾污染问题异常尖锐突出，特别是北方城市尤为严重。本文围绕北方城市如何选择合适的垃圾处理技术进行探讨。提出现阶段在大中城市开展综合处理。在小城市采取以卫生填埋为主、堆肥为辅的处理技术，是解决城市垃圾问题的有效途径。