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PubMed2001

Barriers to sustainable water-quality management.

Due to the pressures of increasing population and developing economy all over the world, the present situation of water-quality management is far from satisfactory. To enhance sustainability of water-quality-management systems, in-depth research of the related barriers and the relevant mitigation approaches is desired. In this paper, recent developments, advancements, challenges, and barriers associated with practices of water-quality management were analyzed. A number of related methodologies, applications, and policy considerations were examined. Issues of information support, technology development, system integration, and policy implementation were discussed. Perspectives of sustainable water-quality management in the twenty-first century were investigated, demonstrating many demanding areas for enhanced research efforts, including issues of data availability and reliability, concerns in system complexity and methodology validity, limitations of computer techniques, usefulness of research outputs, difficulties in policy implementation, and necessity of training programs.

Decision Support Techniques↗

PubMed2001

Characteristics of wood ash and influence on soil properties and nutrient uptake: an overview.

Wood industries and power plants generate enormous quantities of wood ash. Disposal in landfills has been for long a common method for removal. New regulations for conserving the environment have raised the costs of landfill disposal and added to the difficulties for acquiring new sites for disposal. Over a few decades a number of studies have been carried out on the utilization of wood ashes in agriculture and forestry as an alternative method for disposal. Because of their properties and their influence on soil chemistry the utilization of wood ashes is particularly suited for the fertility management of tropical acid soils and forest soils. This review principally focuses on ash from the wood industry and power plants and considers its physical, chemical and mineralogical characteristics, its effect on soil properties, on the availability of nutrient elements and on the growth and chemical composition of crops and trees, as well as its impact on the environment.

Hydrogen-Ion Concentration↗

PubMed2006

An evaluation of the role of risk-based decision-making in a former manufactured gas plant site remediation.

Environmental remediation decisions are driven by the need to minimize human health and ecological risks posed by environmental releases. The Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund Sites enunciates the principles of exposure and risk assessment that are to be used for reaching remediation decisions for sites under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Experience with remediation management under CERCLA has led to recognition of some crucial infirmities in the processes for managing remediation: cleanup management policies are ad hoc in character, mandates and practices are strongly conservative, and contaminant risk management occurs in an artificially narrow context. The purpose of this case study is to show how a policy of risk-based decision-making was used to avoid customary pitfalls in site remediation. This case study describes the risk-based decision-making process in a remedial action program at a former manufactured gas plant site that successfully achieved timely and effective cleanup. The remediation process operated outside the confines of the CERCLA process under an administrative consent order between the utility and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. A residential use end state was negotiated as part of this agreement. The attendant uncertainties, complications, and unexpected contingencies were overcome by using the likely exposures associated with the desired end state to structure all of the remediation management decisions and by collecting site-specific information from the very outset to obtain a detailed and realistic characterization of human health risks that needed to be mitigated. The lessons from this case study are generalizable to more complicated remediation cases, when supported by correspondingly sophisticated technical approaches.

Decision Making↗

PubMed2005

Soil erosion and non-point source pollution impacts assessment with the aid of multi-temporal remote sensing images.

Soil erosion associated with non-point source pollution is viewed as a process of land degradation in many terrestrial environments. Careful monitoring and assessment of land use variations with different temporal and spatial scales would reveal a fluctuating interface, punctuated by changes in rainfall and runoff, movement of people, perturbation from environmental disasters, and shifts in agricultural activities and cropping patterns. The use of multi-temporal remote sensing images in support of environmental modeling analysis in a geographic information system (GIS) environment leading to identification of a variety of long-term interactions between land, resources, and the built environment has been a highly promising approach in recent years. This paper started with a series of supervised land use classifications, using SPOT satellite imagery as a means, in the Kao-Ping River Basin, South Taiwan. Then, it was designed to differentiate the variations of eight land use patterns in the past decade, including orchard, farmland, sugarcane field, forest, grassland, barren, community, and water body. Final accuracy was confirmed based on interpretation of available aerial photographs and global positioning system (GPS) measurements. Finally, a numerical simulation model (General Watershed Loading Function, GWLF) was used to relate soil erosion to non-point source pollution impacts in the coupled land and river water systems. Research findings indicate that while the decadal increase in orchards poses a significant threat to water quality, the continual decrease in forested land exhibits a potential impact on water quality management. Non-point source pollution, contributing to part of the downstream water quality deterioration of the Kao-Ping River system in the last decade, has resulted in an irreversible impact on land integrity from a long-term perspective.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2006

Toward integrated environmental management for challenges in water environmental protection of Lake Taihu basin in China.

Lake Taihu is the third largest freshwater lake in China. It serves many social, economic, and ecological purposes in the drainage basin. Unfortunately, the water has been heavily polluted due to rapid industrialization and urbanization during the last two decades. Notwithstanding great efforts made so far to improve the water quality, the environmental situation is still far from being optimistic. The basin and the lake are facing a range of severe environmental challenges: rapid socio-economic development continues to place great pressures on the environment, current pollution control projects have many problems from the viewpoint of effectiveness and efficiency of their implementations, and the non-point sources of pollution such as agricultural fields, for which control is more difficult than for industrial point sources, have become the main contributors to serious eutrophication of the lake. Considering the characteristics of the environmental challenges and problems confronting the basin and the lake, we focus on integrated environmental management (IEM) as a promising and effective approach to overcome these predicaments. Current practices and problems of environmental management in the basin are examined, and potential future developments are discussed. Three aspects of the IEM are emphasized: institutional cooperation, public participation, and internalization of environmental externalities. We think these are the most critical for not only the basin but also for the whole of China to achieve a sustainable society.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2001

The building materials decree: an example of a Dutch regulation based on the potential impact of materials on the environment.

Some 20 years ago Dutch society became very aware of the problem of the increasing production of waste materials and of the need to find solutions. Technical solutions had to be developed and introduced into society. Due to the discovery of many soil pollution problems and other environmental calamities, people asked for clear criteria on which proper and safe solutions could be based. Therefore a large number of environmental aspects had to be taken into account in the developing field of environmental policy. The Dutch building materials decree is one of the steps on the road towards a sustainable society. The decree is based on the soil protection act and the surface water protection act. The decree gives quality criteria for the application and re-use of stony materials and earth used as building materials. No difference is made between primary materials, secondary materials and waste materials. The decree is applicable in case these materials are used in constructions where they are in contact with rain, surface water and ground water (e.g. in embankments, road building, outside walls of buildings, foundations and roofs). For implementation of the decree in the construction industry it was necessary to develop standards, methods for testing and certification schemes. In order to guarantee independent testing and judgement, laboratories had to meet quality standards put forward in an accreditation scheme. Although this legislation does not cover all environmental aspects, it has proved to be an important element in judging the environmental quality of construction materials in a direct or indirect way, and a contribution to the management of waste materials. The question of clear and fair criteria was easily put forward. Answering this question, however, turned out to be a complex task in which a great number of aspects had to be considered and a great many tools had to be developed, checked and thoroughly discussed. In some cases practical choices had to be made in order to prevent an unclear situation continuing too long. After an introduction period of three years, the decree came into full operation on 1 July 1999.

Construction Materials↗

PubMed2001

Workshop 3 (synthesis): innovative processes in small scale agricultural production using water more effectively.

The workshop discussed the possibilities of innovative technologies to increase food production. Most of the concepts discussed are based on rainfall management, conservation and recycling. Simple technologies, adopted to local circumstances, can increase farm yields in small-scale agriculture. Small-scale rainfed agriculture is viable with intelligent utilisation of harvested rainfall. These small-scale technologies need however to be complemented with educational programs, incentives and trade to be broadly adopted and effective. The need for better documentation of results was also raised in the discussion.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2006

Leachate characterization and assessment of groundwater pollution near municipal solid waste landfill site.

Leachate and groundwater samples were collected from Gazipur landfill-site and its adjacent area to study the possible impact of leachate percolation on groundwater quality. Concentration of various physico-chemical parameters including heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn) and microbiological parameters (total coliform (TC) and faecal coliform (FC)) were determined in groundwater and leachate samples. The moderately high concentrations of Cl-, NO3(-), SO4(2-), NH4(+), Phenol, Fe, Zn and COD in groundwater, likely indicate that groundwater quality is being significantly affected by leachate percolation. Further they proved to be as tracers for groundwater contamination. The effect of depth and distance of the well from the pollution source was also investigated. The presence of TC and FC in groundwater warns for the groundwater quality and thus renders the associated aquifer unreliable for domestic water supply and other uses. Although some remedial measures are suggested to reduce further groundwater contamination via leachate percolation, the present study demand for the proper management of waste in Delhi.

Chlorides↗

PubMed2006

Decadal geochemical and isotopic trends for nitrate in a transboundary aquifer and implications for agricultural beneficial management practices.

Nitrate contamination of aquifers is a global agricultural problem. Agricultural beneficial management practices (BMPs) are often promoted as a means to reduce nitrate contamination in aquifers through producer optimized management of inorganic fertilizer and animal manure inputs. In this study, decadal trends (1991-2004) in nitrate concentrations in conjunction with 3H/3He groundwater ages and nitrate stable isotopes (delta15N, delta18O) were examined to determine whether BMPs aimed at reducing aquifer-scale nitrate contamination in the transboundary Abbotsford-Sumas aquifer were effective. A general trend of increasing nitrate concentrations in young groundwater (< approximately 5 yr) suggested that voluntary BMPs were not having a positive impact in achieving groundwater quality targets. While the stable isotope data showed that animal manure was and still is the prevalent source of nitrate in the aquifer, a recent decrease in delta15N in nitrate suggests a BMP driven shift away from animal wastes toward inorganic fertilizers. The coupling of long-term monitoring of nitrate concentrations, nitrate isotopes, and 3H/3He age dating proved to be invaluable, and they should be considered in future assessments of the impact of BMPs on nutrients in groundwaters. The findings reveal that BMPs should be better linked to groundwater nutrient monitoring programs in order to more quickly identify BMP deficiencies, and to dynamically adjust nutrient loadings to help achieve water quality objectives.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2003

The Walkerton tragedy --issues for water quality monitoring.

One of the most significant weaknesses in modern day water quality management is the detection of microbiological indicators. Microbial tests are normally conducted off-site, often resulting in long turn-around time, risk of contamination, cross contamination and adulteration. Here Stephen Brown and Moe Hussain present a thought provoking case study where limitations in current analytical technologies for water monitoring had fatal results and discuss new approaches to microbiological monitoring that might prevent similar disasters occurring in the future.

Environmental Monitoring↗

PubMed2005

Managing disposal of water produced with petroleum in Kuwait.

Disposal of water produced with petroleum has been of great interest in Kuwait for the last 20 years. The current problem arose when the Burgan oil field, which is the second largest field in the world, experienced successive increases in the water content of the produced oil. This study introduces a decision-making analysis of the considered alternatives for the disposal of the produced water. Four alternative solutions exist for the industry as practical solutions for the disposal of water produced in Kuwait. The first method utilizes a large number of pits to discharge water. The second alternative depends on discharging water into sealed pits. The third approach to dispose water is by injecting the water underground. The last method is similar to the previous one, but takes into consideration the recovery of reservoir pressure to maintain the rate of oil production. A questionnaire was distributed to 48 experts at the top management level of the petroleum companies and the governmental authority. The data collected considered cost, efficiency, and environmental parameters. Based on the data, a statistical analysis was conducted using the factor analysis method to reduce the number of investigated variables. The analysis concluded that the optimal solution is to use the effluent injection method to discharge water produced with oil in Burgan and similar fields in Kuwait.

Data Collection↗

PubMed2005

Coupling aggressive mass removal with microbial reductive dechlorination for remediation of DNAPL source zones: a review and assessment.

The infiltration of dense non-aqueous-phase liquids (DNAPLs) into the saturated subsurface typically produces a highly contaminated zone that serves as a long-term source of dissolved-phase groundwater contamination. Applications of aggressive physical-chemical technologies to such source zones may remove > 90% of the contaminant mass under favorable conditions. The remaining contaminant mass, however, can create a rebounding of aqueous-phase concentrations within the treated zone. Stimulation of microbial reductive dechlorination within the source zone after aggressive mass removal has recently been proposed as a promising staged-treatment remediation technology for transforming the remaining contaminant mass. This article reviews available laboratory and field evidence that supports the development of a treatment strategy that combines aggressive source-zone removal technologies with subsequent promotion of sustained microbial reductive dechlorination. Physical-chemical source-zone treatment technologies compatible with posttreatment stimulation of microbial activity are identified, and studies examining the requirements and controls (i.e., limits) of reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes are investigated. Illustrative calculations are presented to explore the potential effects of source-zone management alternatives. Results suggest that, for the favorable conditions assumed in these calculations (i.e., statistical homogeneity of aquifer properties, known source-zone DNAPL distribution, and successful bioenhancement in the source zone), source longevity may be reduced by as much as an order of magnitude when physical-chemical source-zone treatment is coupled with reductive dechlorination.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed1998

An overview of ISS ECLSS life testing at NASA, MSFC.

Numerous components have been developed for use in the International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). Although these components have performed admirably for short-duration subsystem tests, there is little long-range operational (life test) data available. It is important to know not only how long a subsystem is anticipated to perform, but also the problems that can be expected should subsystem components fail. For this reason, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed the ECLSS Life Test program. To date, assemblies and subassemblies that are being or have been tested include the Trace Contaminant Control Subassembly (TCCS), the Vapor Compression Distillation Urine Processor Assembly (VCD-UPA), the Four-Bed Molecular Sieve Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (4BMS-CDRA), and the Solid Polymer Electrolyzer Oxygen Generation Assembly (SPE-OGA). Also included in life testing are noncomponent life test studies. These include the Water Degradation Study and the Biofilm Life Test. The Water Degradation Study looks at water quality changes after exposure to simulated ISS pre-Water Recovery Management (WRM) conditions. The Biofilm Life Test will examine microbial accumulation on surfaces in a simulated ISS water delivery system. This article will briefly review the objectives of each life test program, the results of completed tests, and the major problems observed during the tests.

Air Conditioning↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Composting: a potentially safe process for disposal of genetically modified organisms.

The widespread use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) may result in the release of GMOs into the environment. The potential risks regarding their use and implementation of disposal methods, especially the possibility of novel genes from GMOs being transferred to natural organisms, need to be evaluated and better understood. There is an increasingly accepted public view that GMO products introduced into the environment should be degradable and should disappear after a limited period of time. Due to the risk of possible horizontal gene transfer, disposal methods for GMOs need to address destruction of both the organism and the genetic material. During the last two decades, we have developed a greater understanding of the biochemical, microbiological and molecular concepts of the composting process, such that maximum decomposition may be achieved in the shortest time with minimal negative impacts to the environment. The conditions created in a properly managed composting process environment may help in destroying GMOs and their genes, thereby reducing the risk of the spread of genetic material. When considering composting as a potential method for the disposal of GMOs, the establishment of controlled conditions providing an essentially homogenous environment appears to be an important requirement. An evaluation of composting as a safe option for disposal of GMOs is provided in this review.

Bacteria↗

PubMed2005

Natural recharge to sustainable yield from the barind aquifer: a tool in preparing effective management plan of groundwater resources.

This paper presents the results of water balance study and aquifer simulation modeling for preliminary estimation of the recharge rate and sustainable yield for the semi arid Barind Tract region of Bangladesh. The outcomes of the study are likely to be useful for planning purposes. It is found from detailed water balance study for the area that natural recharge rates in the Barind Tract vary widely year to year. It may have resulted from the method used for the calculation. If the considered time interval had been smaller than the monthly rainfall, the results could have been different. Aquifer Simulation Modeling (ASM) for the Barind aquifer is used to estimate long-term sustainable yield of the groundwater considering limiting drawdown from the standpoint of economic pumping cost. In managing a groundwater basin efficiently and effectively, evaluation of the maximum annual groundwater yield of the basin that can be withdrawn and used without producing any undesirable effect is one of the most important issues. In investigating such recharge rate, introduction of certain terms such as sustainable yield and safe yield has been accompanied. Development of this area involves proper utilization of this vast land, which is possible only through ensured irrigation for agriculture. The Government of Bangladesh has a plan to develop irrigation facilities by optimum utilization of available ground and surface water. It is believed that the groundwater table is lowering rapidly and the whole region is in an acute state of deforestation. Indiscriminate groundwater development may accelerate deforestation trend. In this context estimation of actual natural recharge rate to the aquifer and determination of sustainable yield will assist in proper management and planning of environmentally viable abstraction schemes. It is revealed from the study that the sustainable yield of ground water (204 mm/y) is somewhat higher than the long-term annual average recharge (152.7 mm) to the groundwater reservoir. The reason behind this is that the rivers within and around the Barind Tract might have played the role of influent rivers.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2001

Sustainable wastewater management for small communities in the Middle East and North Africa.

Accelerated expansion of wastewater services to small communities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is essential in order to address serious concerns over water scarcity and pollution in addition to meeting the demand for convenience and protecting public health. Centralized and conventional wastewater systems are currently the preferred choice of planners and decision-makers in MENA. Water and funding are not available to provide these centralized conventional services to small communities. This paper presents an integrated approach to sustainable wastewater management for small communities in MENA under the severe water resources crisis. The approach calls for a paradigm shift from centralized conventional wastewater systems to decentralized wastewater systems. Management of wastewater in MENA should start at home. Wastewater generation should be reduced through a combination of domestic water conservation measures. On-site systems must be improved and monitored to control pollution and to recover water for non-potable water uses. Should the circumstances not allow the use of on-site systems, wastewater should be transported and managed through a community system applying the principles of decentralized wastewater management and using the settled sewers for wastewater transportation where appropriate. This approach will facilitate the accelerated and sustainable extension of environmentally responsible wastewater services to MENA's small communities. It offers great potential for cost reduction, accommodates the necessary domestic water conservation efforts, reduces freshwater inputs in wastewater transportation thus eliminating unnecessary demand on freshwater, reduces associated environmental risks and increases wastewater reuse opportunities.

Africa, Northern↗

PubMed2002

Effects of sewage sludges contaminated with chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons on sludge-treated areas (soils and sediments).

The fate of PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs in sewage sludges after different management techniques--such as agricultural application, land restoration, and marine disposal--was studied. Changes observed in the concentrations, in the ratio between PCDD and PCDF levels, and in the isomeric distribution suggest the influence of the sewage sludge on the sludge-treated areas (soils and sediments). Whereas land application techniques seem to produce no serious environmental consequences, marine disposal practices produce considerable increases in the levels of contamination in marine sediments.

Environmental Monitoring↗

PubMed1997

Biospheric theory and report on overall Biosphere 2 design and performance.

This article reviews the structural complexity of Biospheres as well as Vernadsky's two laws of biospherics generalized into laws of thermodynamics. The history of designing and building apparatuses to test biospheric hypothesis are summarized: Drs. Shepelev and Gitelson's experiments in Russia, and Space Biospheres Ventures' 10,974 ft3 Test Module and 3.15-acre Biosphere 2 systems. Critical parameters in building Biosphere 2 are outlined: species lists, state descriptors, ecosystems, key variables, closure, and the necessity of observer-managers. Some results of the 2-year Mission One experiment in Biosphere 2 are summarized: human health, light-CO2 coupling, food production, redundancy in maintenance. Change made to the Biosphere 2 system after the first 2-year mission and before the start-up of the second mission are listed. As well, the future of artificial biospheres is considered.

Agriculture↗