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At least 1,351 records · Page 75Linked to original sources

PubMed2004

Initial public perceptions of deep geological and oceanic disposal of carbon dioxide.

Two studies were conducted to gauge likely public perceptions of proposals to avoid releasing carbon dioxide from power plants to the atmosphere by injecting it into deep geological formations or the deep ocean. Following a modified version of the mental model interview method, Study 1 involved face-to-face interviews with 18 nontechnical respondents. Respondents shared their beliefs after receiving basic information about the technologies and again after getting specific details. Many interviewees wanted to frame the issue in the broader context of alternative strategies for carbon management, but public understanding of mitigation strategies is limited. The second study, administered to a sample of 126 individuals, involved a closed-form survey that measured the prevalence of general beliefs revealed in study 1 and also assessed the respondent's views of these technologies. Study results suggest that the public may develop misgivings about deep injection of carbon dioxide because it can be seen as temporizing and perhaps creating future problems. Ocean injection was seen as more problematic than geological injection. An approach to public communication and regulation that is open and respectful of public concerns is likely to be a prerequisite to the successful adoption of this technology.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Risk perception in context: the Savannah River Site Stakeholder Study.

Environmental managers are increasingly charged with involving the public in the development and modification of policies regarding risks to human health and the environment. Involving the public in environmental decision making first requires a broad understanding of how and why the public perceives various risks. The Savannah River Stakeholder Study was conducted with the purpose of investigating individual, economic, and social characteristics of risk perceptions among those living near the Savannah River Nuclear Weapons Site. A number of factors were found to impact risk perceptions among those living near the site. One's estimated proximity to the site and relative river location surfaced as strong determinants of risk perceptions among SRS residents. Additionally, living in a quality neighborhood and demonstrating a willingness to accept health risks for economic gain strongly abated heightened risk perceptions.

Environmental Health↗

PubMed2006

Applying integrated urban water management concepts: a review of Australian experience.

This article explores recent Australian experiences in the application of the concept of integrated urban water management (IUWM) to land development sites through the review of 15 case studies. It discusses IUWM's emergence and comments on the success or otherwise of Australian experience in its application. The understanding of IUWM is maturing within the Australian water industry, an occurrence that has been facilitated by demonstration sites such as those reviewed. Successes include the translation of IUWM concepts into well-functioning operational urban developments, significant reductions in the impact of the urban developments on the total water cycle, and the increasing acceptance of the concept within the water and land development industries. However, there is still room for greater integration of the water supply, stormwater, and wastewater components of the urban water cycle, improved dissemination of knowledge, enhancement of skills in both public and private organisations, and monitoring the performance of systems and technologies.

Australia↗

PubMed2001

Assessing pollution prevention program by QUAL2E simulation analysis for the Kao-Ping River Basin, Taiwan.

Wise and sustainable uses of water resources are essential for an effective river-basin-management planning. Recent management strategy further addresses the fact that quantity and quality of water are closely interrelated, and both must be considered simultaneously for all water resources and water quality management practices. The aim of this paper is to explore the impacts of water resources redistribution and pollution prevention actions between and within river basins simultaneously in South Taiwan. Much emphasis will be placed on assessing the impacts of water transfer over natural boundary to satisfy the needs of industrial development in the Tseng-Wen River system and its resultant influence on the water quality in the downstream area of the Kao-Ping River system where the pollution prevention program is to be implemented. The Kao-Ping River was further characterized hydraulically and environmentally, based on a full investigation of discharges and withdrawals in the river reaches. QUAL2E was successfully calibrated and validated using data collected between 1998 and 1999, and the model was capable of predicting the concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, total phosphate-phosphorus, and ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) for the entire river system. With the aid of QUAL2E simulation model, it shows eliminating the pig farming activities and constructing the sewer systems in the upstream area of Kao-Ping River cannot guarantee the full compliance with water quality standards in the downstream area and water transfer in the upstream area further increases negative impacts on the water quality in the wet season. The predicted situation of water quality in the dry season may even present worse condition. Additional water pollution control policy, such as the use of economic instruments, for controlling and reducing the waste-load of biochemical oxygen demand and ammonia-nitrogen is needed in the Kao-Ping River system in the long run.

Animal Husbandry↗

PubMed2004

Sustainable sludge management--what are the challenges for the future?

Sewage sludge is a serious problem due to the high treatment costs and the risks to environment and human health. Future sludge treatment will be progressively focused on an improved efficiency and environmental sustainability of the process. In this context a survey is given of the most relevant sludge treatment options and separate treatment steps. Special attention is paid to those processes that are simultaneously focused on the elimination of the risks for environment and human health and on the recovery or beneficial use of the valuable compounds in the sludge such as organic carbon compounds, inorganic non-toxic substances, phosphorus and nitrogen containing compounds. Also, a brief assessment is given of the specific future technological developments regarding the various treatment steps. Furthermore, it is discussed how to assess the various pathways which can lead to the required developments. In such an assessment the technical and economic feasibility, the environmental sustainability, the societal acceptance and the implementation route are important factors. The optimal approach also strongly depends on the local and regional situation of concern and the relevant current and future boundary conditions.

Carbon↗

PubMed2004

An innovative sludge management system based on separation of primary and secondary sludge treatment.

An innovative sludge management system based on separation of treatment and disposal of primary and secondary sludge is discussed with reference to a sewage treatment plant of 500,000 equivalent person capacity. Secondary sludge, if treated separately from primary sludge, can be recovered in agriculture considering its relatively high content of nitrogen and phosphorus and negligible presence of pathogens and micropollutants. One typical outlet for primary sludge is still incineration which can be optimised by rendering the process auto thermal and significantly reducing the size of the incineration plant units (dryer, fluidised bed furnace, boiler and units for exhaust gas treatment) in comparison with those required for mixed sludge incineration. Biogas produced in anaerobic digestion is totally available for energy conversion when sludge treatment separation is performed, while in the other case a large proportion may be used as fuel in incineration, thus reducing the net electric energy conversion from 0.85-0.9 to 0.35-0.4 MW for the plant considered.

Bioelectric Energy Sources↗

PubMed2006

Report on waste dump sites around Bangalore.

The present work aims at identifying, locating and quantifying the industrial and domestic waste dump sites located in and around Bangalore urban and rural districts of Karnataka state, India. Bangalore has a population of 6 million and has more than 2000 industries working at various industrial estates and other locations around the city. It was reported that about 1500 tons of municipal waste per day is being generated from Bangalore city. Studies reveal that there is no scientific treatment and disposal facility for scientific management of the waste generated. The waste from industries and community areas is disposed in an unscientific manner at several open dump sites across the city. There are more than 60 dump sites consisting of both municipal and industrial waste existing in and around Bangalore city; the locations are totally unhygienic. Based on the experience gained from field visits, physical observation of the waste disposed, quantity and nature of the waste disposed, each site was given with a grading based on polluting potential of the site. For selected sites, ground water samples were collected from nearby surface or bore wells and analysed for possible contamination. From the study, it was found that the site needed immediate attention and comes under severe impact category of 27 numbers and that of medium and low impact are 18 and 6 numbers, respectively. The disposal sites have got tremendous potential of spreading the epidemics/diseases to the people living in their immediate vicinity and at nearby places.

Cities↗

PubMed2001

An innovative approach for locating and evaluating subsurface pathways for nitrogen loss.

Fundamental watershed-scale processes governing chemical flux to neighboring ecosystems are so poorly understood that effective strategies for mitigating chemical contamination cannot be formulated. Characterization of evapotranspiration, surface runoff, plant uptake, subsurface preferential flow, behavior of the chemicals in neighboring ecosystems, and an understanding of how crop management practices influence these processes are needed. Adequate characterization of subsurface flow has been especially difficult because conventional sampling methods are ineffective for measuring preferential flow of water and solutes. A sampling strategy based on ground-penetrating radar (GPR) mapping of subsurface structures coupled with near real-time soil moisture data, surface topography, remotely sensed imagery, and a geographic information system (GIS) appears to offer a means of accurately identifying subsurface preferential flow pathways. Four small adjacent watersheds draining into a riparian wetland and first-order stream at the USDA-ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD are being studied with this protocol. The spatial location of some preferential flow pathways for chemicals exiting these agricultural watersheds to the neighboring ecosystems have been identified. Confirmation of the pathways is via examination of patterns in yield monitor data and remote sensing imagery.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2003

Sedimentation retention basin utilization for best management practice.

Approaches to the artificial impoundment and theoretical design of sedimentation retention basin are reviewed with particular attention to best management practice (BMP) to control agriculture and surface runoff. Sediments retention basins are the small version of farm pond used where a criteria of farm pond is not met. Such basin traps the pollutants and suspended solids prior to entry into streams and lakes. The study is focused with special reference to the assessment and control of non-point source pollution (NPSP) from the sub-basin area of Tai Lake in the Xishan County of Wuxi City of China. The author suggested two different approaches to conduct this study including theoretical design for sedimentation retention basin and computation of flow, sediment transport and deposition during the artificial impoundment of retention basin for BMP's utilization. Theoretical design will provide a useful function as a first line defense against the movement of sediments and transport of pollutants into the Tai Lake while the assessment of sediments deposition will help to make its proper use and periodic cleanup.

Agriculture↗

PubMed1999

Calculation of human health risk-based screening levels (RBSLs) for petroleum.

Hazardous waste site managers and regulators can decide easily whether site contamination requires remediation to protect human health, but defining the extent of cleanup is often an enormous challenge. When is the site clean enough for human access and use? Risk assessment tools can be used to help answer this question. One can calculate chemical-specific risk-based screening levels (RBSLs) in environmental media (e.g. soil, water, and food) that correspond to "acceptable" levels of risk. RBSLs can be calculated for individual chemicals and chemical mixtures, specific to various exposure pathways. In calculating RBSLs, one must account for the fact that people may be exposed to more than one chemical by more than one exposure pathway. Fate and transport models may be needed to predict how people might become exposed to site contamination in the future. Examples RBSLs for non-cancer effects are calculated to illustrate the utility and limitations of RBSLs for making risk-based decisions at petroleum release sites.

Carcinogens↗

PubMed2005

Sustainable management of leakage from wastewater pipelines.

Wastewater pipeline leakage is an emerging concern in Europe, especially with regards to the potential effect of leaking effluent on groundwater contamination and the effects infiltration has on the management of sewer reticulation systems. This paper describes efforts by Australia, in association with several European partners, towards the development of decision support tools to prioritize proactive rehabilitation of wastewater pipe networks to account for leakage. In the fundamental models for the decision support system, leakage is viewed as a function of pipeline system deterioration. The models rely on soil type identification across the service area to determine the aggressiveness of the pipe environment and for division of the area into zones based on pipe properties and operational conditions. By understanding the interaction between pipe materials, operating conditions, and the pipe environment in the mechanisms leading to pipe deterioration, the models allow the prediction of leakage rates in different zones across a network. The decision support system utilizes these models to predict the condition of pipes in individual zones, and to optimize the utilization of rehabilitation resources by targeting the areas with the highest leakage rates.

Decision Making↗

PubMed2002

Lesson learned from Co-60 accident in Thailand.

The causes and consequences of a Co-60 radiation accident in Samutprakarn Province, Thailand, were scrutinized to learn lessons aimed at preventing future radiation accidents. "Orphan sources" may end up in scrapyards. An out-of-use Co-60 medical teletherapy source, left unattended in a disused parking area belonging to a Medical Dealer, was stolen and sold to a scrap dealer in Samutprakarn Province at the end of January 2000. Because of its valuable appearance, a number of workers in the scrap trade who were not aware of radiation hazards managed to dismantle all parts. The Co-60 source was removed and left unshielded among pieces of scrap metal in the yard of the scrap shop. Some workers immediately became sick. Eighteen days later when they went to a local hospital their symptoms were recognized as radiation sickness and the incident was reported to the Office of Atomic Energy for Peace (OAEP) in Thailand. The unshielded source, with an estimated activity of 15.7 TBq (425 Ci), was retrieved soon after by an emergency team and placed in safe storage at the OAEP premises. Ten victims developed radiation sickness symptoms, of which three died soon after the accident. The accident alarmed the public, and has raised national concerns. The accident is similar in some ways to the 1987 radiation accident at Goiania, Brazil, involving a Cs-137 radiotherapy source. If not properly disposed of orphan radiation sources can lead to serious injury or even death. The accident highlights the need for security of spent high activity sources and the importance of regulatory controls.

Cobalt Radioisotopes↗

PubMed2006

Improving environmental risk management through historical impact assessments.

A historical contaminant impact assessment was conducted at 48 heavy manufacturing facilities located in 20 different states for a U.S.-based company. The facilities evaluated were industrial manufacturing sites that operated for as long as 100 yr and used several types of hazardous substances, including solvents and degreasers, oils and other petroleum products, paints and pigments, and heavy metals. The purpose of conducting the impact assessment was to provide direction and guidance on future environmental objectives and pollution prevention initiatives. The impact assessment involved examining historical investigative and remediation costs since 1985, types of contaminants, subsurface geology, hydrology, and regulatory requirements. The results reveled that 85% of the historical environmental costs were associated with hexavalent chromium and chlorinated solvents. Other contaminants, such as oils and other petroleum products and other heavy metals, were far more commonly detected but only accounted for the remaining 15% of costs. The results also indicated that the costs are also strongly associated with the type of geologic environment to which the chemicals were released. As a result of these findings, an aggressive pollution prevention program has been initiated to eliminate the use of those contaminants that are especially expensive to remediate and to develop stronger and more effective engineering controls at facilities located in sensitive ecological areas.

Aluminum Silicates↗

PubMed2005

Multiple-event study of bioretention for treatment of urban storm water runoff.

Bioretention is a novel best management practice for urban storm water, employed to minimize the impact of urban runoff during storm events. Bioretention consists of porous media layers that can remove pollutants from infiltrating runoff via mechanisms that include adsorption, precipitation, and filtration. However, the effectiveness of bioretention in treating repetitive inputs of runoff has not been investigated. In this study, a bioretention test column was set up and experiments proceeded once every week for a total of 12 tests. Through all 12 repetitions, the infiltration rate remained constant (0.35 cm/min). All 12 tests demonstrated excellent removal efficiency for TSS, oil/grease, and lead (99%). For total phosphorus, the removal efficiency was about 47% the system removal efficiency ranged from 2.3% to 23%. Effluent nitrate concentration became higher than the influent concentration during the first 28 days and removal efficiency ranged from 9% to 20% afterward. Some degree of denitrification was apparently proceeding in the bioretention system. Overall, the top mulch layer filtered most of TSS in the runoff and prevented the bioretention media from clogging during 12 repetitions. Runoff quality was improved by the bioretention column.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2005

Nitrogen fluxes on catchment scale: the influence of hydrological aspects.

In two catchment areas with altogether eight subcatchments characterising different site-specific situations the interaction between anthropogenic activities (e.g. agriculture, nutrition and waste water management), nitrogen emissions and in stream loads as well as concentrations were studied in detail. Groundwater is the most important pathway for nitrogen inputs into surface waters. Denitrification in the soil/subsurface/groundwater system controls the amount of this input to a high extent. Key factors influencing this process are organic carbon availability, geology, precipitation and groundwater recharge rates as well as residence time in groundwater. The MONERIS emission model is a useful tool to quantify these relationships on (sub-)catchment scale. Areas where concentrations in groundwater (e.g. nitrate) tend to be higher due to little dilution with water and might be problematic in respect to limit values for drinking water, are much less relevant in respect to the loads transported to river systems and receiving seas, than regions with high precipitation. In cases with high water availability mainly high loads transported downstream and finally to the receiving sea are a considerable problem. Within a region mainly areas close to river systems contribute to nitrogen discharges to the river system because of the short residence times of the groundwater from these areas and--related to this--a lower influence of denitrification in the groundwater.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2005

Spatial distribution of iron oxidation in the aerobic cells of the Wheal Jane Pilot Passive Treatment Plant.

The wetland cells of the Wheal Jane Pilot Passive Treatment Plant (PPTP) were designed to promote aerobic oxidation and precipitation of iron which could exceed a concentration of 100 mg l-1 in the raw mine water. The largest investment of land area was to the wetland (also called aerobic) cells and it was important to understand the processes of oxidation and precipitation of iron so that the performance of this part of the pilot passive treatment plant (PPTP) could be managed efficiently. The results of a high-resolution sampling programme on the distribution of Fe(II) within the first wetland cell of each treatment system are described. Comparison of inflow and outflow concentrations of iron adequately described the performance of the lime-dosed (LD) system. However, precipitation of iron in the anoxic limestone drain (ALD) and lime-free systems (LFS) was more efficient. On average, about 90% of the iron present in the inflow was removed using only 50% and 33% of the first aerobic cells of the ALD and LFS systems, respectively. As the concentration of iron approached 20 mg l-1, the rate of oxidation slowed considerably. This was probably due to be due to low pH levels caused by hydrolysis of Fe(III). With the introduction of passive pH control mechanisms, there was capacity to increase the volume of mine water treated by the ALD and LDS systems by 10 and 15 times, respectively, but it is uncertain as to whether or not other aspects of the passive treatment system would have sufficient capacity to deal with the increased volumes of mine water.

Calcium Carbonate↗

PubMed2005

Simulation of pulp mill wastewater recycling after tertiary treatment.

The aim of this work is to study the possibilities of effluent recycling in a bleached Kraft pulp mill, for a better water management. To avoid problems associated with effluent recycling (corrosion, odors, loss in pulp and paper quality), wastewaters have to be treated before recycling. This study is particularly focused on organic matter removal. Several treatments are applied on a biological secondary effluent: adsorption on activated carbon, coagulation with ferric chloride or alum sulfate, precipitation with lime, ozonation and catalytic ozonation. These techniques are compared in terms of COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) removal. Catalytic ozonation is finally chosen as the most effective solution to achieve 50% of COD removal in the effluent. The characteristics of the effluent treated according to this technique are then used to simulate the impact of its reuse in the process for pulp production. The study is focused on the changes in these parameters in the various stages of bleaching and final washing when water is replaced by the wastewater treated or directly issued from the wastewater treatment plant. The simulation demonstrates the need of a tertiary treatment to eliminate COD in order to avoid possible reactant overconsumption and decrease in pulp brightness. Chloride and sulfate ions which could cause corrosion should also be removed.

Alum Compounds↗

PubMed2006

Restoration of marine coastal ecosystem health as a new goal for integrated catchment management in Tolo Harbor, Hong Kong, China.

This article demonstrates why it is necessary to have the restoration of marine coastal ecosystem health as a new goal for integrated catchment management in the coastal area of Tolo Harbor. The present goal of integrated catchment management (ICM) in the Tolo Harbor is based on water quality objectives. The performance of the ICM plan, the Tolo Harbor Action Plan (THAP), was evaluated using marine coastal ecosystem health indicators including both stress and response indicators. Since the implementation of THAP in 1988, some significant reductions in pollution loading have been observed: reduction of 83% of biological oxygen demand load and 82% of total nitrogen between 1988 and 1999. There has also been an improvement in the health of Tolo Harbor's marine coastal ecosystem as evidenced by trends in physical, chemical, and biological indicators, although reverse fluctuations in some periods exist. However, such improvement can only be considered as the first sign of complete ecosystem health restoration, because ecosystem health covers not only physical, chemical, and biological aspects of an ecosystem, but also ecosystem service functions. The findings support the need to take the restoration and protection of marine coastal ecosystem health as a new goal rather than using water quality objectives. Steps necessary to further improve Tolo Harbor's marine coastal ecosystem health are also discussed.

Animal Husbandry↗