Environmental Assessment Approach Research Articles

A new approach for environmental damage assessment pursuant to the European Union Environmental Liability Directive.

The European Union and Member States national laws require competent authorities to promptly and effectively address environmental incidents, noncompliances, and criminal offenses, necessitating thorough planning of investigation and assessment activities. To enhance environmental damage assessments in line with the European Environmental Liability Directive (ELD, 2004/35/EC), the European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL Network) has introduced the Criteria for the Assessment of the Environmental Damage (CAED) framework. This framework, outlined in a Practical Guide, offers a methodological approach to environmental damage assessment (EDA) focusing on three key objectives: case screening, identification of "clues" of damage, and determination of "evidence" of damage. Given the critical importance of structured data collection and evaluation, the CAED project has adopted a Driver, Pressure, State, Impact, and Response (DPSIR) model adapted to environmental damage and developed the Practical Tables. These tables serve as a comprehensive tool for systematically identifying investigative priorities and collecting standardized data and information using a predefined list of qualitative or quantitative indicators. This article provides an overview of the Practical Guide and Practical Tables, collectively referred to as the CAED Toolkit, aiming to establish a common framework for environmental damage assessments among various competent authorities and stakeholders across Europe. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;00:1-10. © 2024 SETAC.

SEA for better climate adaptation in the face of the flood risk: Multi-scenario, strategic forecasting, nature-based solutions

Numerous scholars have warned that many cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) are threatened by severe flood risk, which is often underestimated. Considering this, we provide a scenario-based Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) approach to analyse the roles of adaptation strategies on the environment in response to climate change and flooding risk. Three strategies are proposed including a non-Nature-based Solutions strategy (non-NbS), and two Nature-based Solutions strategies (NbS 1.0 and NbS 2.0). The non-NbS strategy refers to the way of promoting urban development yet no additional environmental concerns. The NbS 1.0 strategy focuses on ensuring arable lands for food security, and the NbS 2.0 strategy acquires further regulations on ecology protection.The analysis consists of two steps. First, this paper simulates the land use scenarios in 2030 and 2050, respectively, following non-NbS and NbS (1.0 & 2.0) strategies. This process is developed based on a patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model, which allows users to explore various future land use scenarios on account of different spatial development strategies, environmental conditions, and socio-economic trends. Second, the study overlays the land use scenarios with potential sea flooding scopes to reveal how different landscapes (e.g., forests and wetlands) are affected by carbon emissions in RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5. Further research is suggested to incorporate the 2020 GDP data to refine the findings of this study and consider the impacts of dykes on flood-prone area mapping.The analysis finds that the NbS (1.0 & 2.0) strategies play an active role in decreasing the future flood risk of built-up areas in the GBA regionally, especially under the high-emission RCP 8.5 projection. However, their impacts vary between cities. (1) The NbS 2.0 strategy is effective in reducing the risk of built-up areas in Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macao, while the effectiveness of the NbS 1.0 strategy is not apparent. (2) The NbS 1.0 and 2.0 strategies are both effective in Dongguan, Guangzhou, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Zhuhai, Zhaoqing, and Zhongshan in reducing the flood risk of built-up areas. In addition, the NbS 2.0 strategy is more productive than the NbS 1.0 strategy either in 2030 or 2050. (3) The NbS 1.0 and 2.0 strategies generate subtle different effects in Foshan in 2030 and 2050. The NbS 2.0 strategy is more productive in 2050, while less productive in 2030. This study provides a comprehensive insight into the distributed flood risk following the non-NbS or NbS strategies in the context of climate change, which is useful to policymakers and urban planners.

Metallomic mapping of gut and brain in heavy metal exposed earthworms: A novel paradigm in ecotoxicology

This study explored the uptake of lead in the epigeic earthworm Dendrobaena veneta exposed to 0, 1000, and 2500 μg Pb/g soil. The soil metal content was extracted using strong acid digestion and water leaching, and analysed by means of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) to estimate absolute and bioavailable concentrations of metals in the soil. The guts and heads of lead-exposed earthworms were processed into formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded sections for high-resolution multi-element metallomic imaging via Laser Ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS). Metallomic maps of phosphorus, zinc, and lead were produced at 15-μm resolution in the head and gut of D. veneta. Additional 4-μm resolution metallomic maps of the earthworm brains were taken, revealing the detailed localisation of metals in the brain. The Pb bioaccumulated in the chloragogenous tissues of the earthworm in a dose-dependent manner, making it possible to track the extent of soil contamination. The bioaccumulation of P and Zn in earthworm tissues was independent of Pb exposure concentration. This approach demonstrates the utility of LA-ICP-MS as a powerful approach for ecotoxicology and environmental risk assessments.

Bacterial isolation and genome analysis of a novel Klebsiella quasipneumoniae phage in southwest China’s karst area

BackgroundSouthwest China is one of the largest karst regions in the world. Karst environment is relatively fragile and vulnerable to human activities. Due to the discharge of sewage and domestic garbage, the karst system may be polluted by pathogenic bacteria. The detection of bacterial distribution and identification of phage capable of infecting them is an important approach for environmental assessment and resource acquisition.MethodsBacteria and phages were isolated from karst water in southwest China using the plate scribing and double plate method, respectively. Isolated phage was defined by transmission electron microscopy, one-step growth curve and optimal multiplicity of infection (MOI). Genomic sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, comparative genomic and proteomic analysis were performed.ResultsA Klebsiella quasipneumoniae phage was isolated from 32 isolates and named KL01. KL01 is morphologically identified as Caudoviricetes with an optimal MOI of 0.1, an incubation period of 10 min, and a lysis period of 60 min. The genome length of KL01 is about 45 kb, the GC content is 42.5%, and it contains 59 open reading frames. The highest average nucleotide similarity between KL01 and a known Klebsiella phage 6939 was 83.04%.ConclusionsKL01 is a novel phage, belonging to the Autophagoviridae, which has strong lytic ability. This study indicates that there were not only some potential potentially pathogenic bacteria in the karst environment, but also phage resources for exploration and application.

Implementation of the CREED approach for environmental assessments.

Environmental exposure data are a key component of chemical and ecological assessments, supporting and guiding environmental management decisions and regulations. Measures taken to protect the environment based on exposure data can have social and economic implications. Flawed information may lead to measures being taken in the wrong place or to important action not being taken. Although the advantages of harmonizing evaluation methods have been demonstrated for hazard information, no comparable approach is established for exposure data evaluation. The goal of Criteria for Reporting and Evaluating Exposure Datasets (CREED) is to improve the transparency and consistency with which exposure data are evaluated regarding usability in environmental assessments. Here, we describe the synthesis of the CREED process, and propose methods and tools to summarize and interpret the outcomes of the data usability evaluation in support of decision-making and communication. The CREED outcome includes a summary that reports any key gaps or shortcomings in the reliability (data quality) and relevance (fitness for purpose) of the data being considered. The approach has been implemented in a workbook template (provided asSupporting Information), for assessors to readily follow the workflow and create a report card for any given dataset. The report card communicates the outcome of the CREED evaluation and summarizes important dataset attributes, providing a concise reference pertaining to the dataset usability for a specified purpose and documenting data limitations that may restrict data use or increase environmental assessment uncertainty. The application of CREED is demonstrated through three case studies, which also were used during beta testing of the methodology. As experience with the CREED approach application develops, further improvements may be identified and incorporated into the framework. Such development is to be encouraged in the interest of better science and decision-making, and to make environmental monitoring and assessment more cost-effective. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;00:1-16. © 2024 SETAC.

A novel approach for environmental impact assessment of road construction projects in India

The road sector is one of the basic pillars for national economic growth owing to its role in movement of goods and people and can contribute positively towards several sustainable development goals (SDGs). On the other hand, road construction using conventional methods can jeopardize the global progress towards climate action and other environmental related SDGs owing to large raw material requirements, fuel demand and pollution associated with it. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a useful quantitative tool to figure out which products and processes are responsible for majority of road's environmental impact at different stages. This information can then be used to design interventions and adopt alternative materials for improving the environmental profile of roads. However, the application of LCA in road sector in developing countries such as India has been limited owing to unavailability of funds to compile information regarding quantities of all materials used (inventory data) and their environmental characterization factors. Here we present a new approach that connects the publicly available road's bill of quantity (BOQ) and analysis of rates (AOR) documents with national construction materials environmental footprint database to calculate the road footprint. A case study on calculating the environmental impacts of a recently built 43 km state highway road in the Indian state of Gujarat is presented to demonstrate the steps involved in the new approach. The environmental impacts per kilometre of the road section came out to be 6.86 million MJ energy use, 281 tons CO2eq. GHG emissions, 0.013 kg CFC-11 eq. ozone depletion, 2.16 tons SO2eq. acidification, 0.35 tons PO4eq. eutrophication and 0.11 tons ethene eq. of photochemical oxidant formation. Among all life cycle phases, the material production stage contributes the highest to the total environmental footprint of the road section. Of the 52 materials used, bitumen, diesel, coarse/fine aggregate, galvanized iron (GI) pipe, concrete, thermoplastic paint used in road markings and steel corrugated sheet and channel post are responsible for majority of impacts. The template presented can be used in India and other developing countries to evaluate the environmental footprint of existing and future road projects.

A Machine Learning Approach for Environmental Assessment on Air Quality and Mitigation Strategy

Air pollution has a significant impact on environment resulting in consequences such as global warming and acid rain. Toxic emissions from vehicles are one of the primary sources of pollution. Assessment of air pollution data is critical in order to assist residents in locating the safest areas in the city that are ideal for life. In this work, density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) is used which is among the widely used clustering algorithms in machine learning. It is not only capable of finding clusters of various sizes and shapes but can also detect outliers. DBSCAN takes in two important input parameters—Epsilon (Eps) and Minimum Points (MinPts). Even the slightest of variations in the parameter values fed to DBSCAN makes a big difference in the clustering. There is a need to find Eps value in as minimum time as possible. In this work, the goal is to find the Eps value in less time. For this purpose, a search tree technique is used for finding the Eps input to the DBSCAN algorithm. Predicting air pollution is a complex task due to various challenges associated with the dynamic and multifaceted nature of the atmosphere such as meteorological variability, local emissions and sources, data quality and availability, and emerging pollutants. Extensive experiments prove that the search tree approach to find Eps is quicker and efficient in comparison to the widely used KNN algorithm. The time reduction to find Eps makes a significant impact as the dataset size increases. The input parameters are fed to DBSCAN algorithm to obtain clustering results.

Combining approaches for environmental assessment of rehabilitated gold‐mining areas in the Eastern Amazon

AbstractMonitoring key soil and vegetation attributes in mining areas under environmental rehabilitation is essential to ensure that the intervention techniques are effective. There are several approaches to monitoring mining areas and their integration is necessary to process large amounts of information. Thus, this study aimed to (i) assess soil multi‐contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTE) and human health risks; (ii) obtain a soil quality index with soil fertility data; (iii) calculate spectral index; (iv) show rehabilitation status based on vegetation attributes, and (v) compile these indices in a single measure. Four tailings' ponds (TPs), two waste piles (WPs), and an area of native forest from a gold mine in the Carajás National Forest were evaluated. Soil quality and vegetation cover are good in forest areas, with no evidence of PTE contamination. On the other hand, the TPs have poor fertility and vegetation cover, as well as higher levels of PTE. Human health risk indices obtained for all PTE were lower than 1, indicating a low risk to human health. The results of integrating the different indices suggest that the environmental conditions of the WPs are better than those of the TPs, which are still far from the environmental conditions of native areas. Soil attributes and vegetation development in TPs areas could be enhanced by the incorporation of organic materials and fertilizers and by planting species with phytoremediation potential. Finally, the integrative approach of the different indices proved to be useful in assessing the rehabilitation progress of the areas.

Are Existing LCIA Methods Related to Mineral and Metal Resources Relevant for an AESA Approach Applied to the Building Sector? Case Study on the Construction of New Buildings in France

Considering the challenges that mineral and metallic resources represent for the building sector, there is a need to propose decision-support tools to building stakeholders. One of the possibilities could be to integrate an indicator of pressure on mineral resources in an absolute environmental sustainability assessment (AESA) approach, using life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods. This paper will analyze the existing LCIA indicators that can be used to represent the impact on mineral resources of new constructions, with a case study on new buildings in France in 2015. This analysis aims to find out whether the existing LCIA methods dealing with mineral and metallic resources issues are adapted to the specific stakes of the building sector in an AESA approach. The AESA approach considered is the one proposed by Bjørn and Hauschild. Several steps are detailed in this paper. Firstly, bibliographic research was carried out to identify existing LCIA methods related to the mineral resources. Secondly, selection criteria were defined in order to select those LCIA methods relevant for the building sector. Thirdly, the scope of the case study was defined and its inventory analysis was conducted using the Ecoinvent 3.5 database, selecting only the mineral and metallic input flows. Finally, the comparison between the inventory of mineral and metallic flows issued from the inventory analysis and the substances considered in the selected LCIA methods was effected. The results show that none of the existing LCIA methods are compatible with the aim of developing an LCIA indicator for mineral and metallic resources that is compatible with an AESA approach, in particular for the building sector.

The role of institutionalized cooperation in transboundary basins in mitigating conflict potential over hydropower dams

Numerous dams are currently being built, many of them in transboundary basins. This can lead to disagreements and conflicts between riparian states, compromising not only environmental and social sustainability, but also regional stability and peace. Addressing such conflict risks, states have developed legal and governance mechanisms to address the conflict potential around dams, ranging from international water law principles to dam-specific provisions in basin treaties and from basin management plans to environmental impact assessment approaches. This paper assesses whether, how and to what extent such institutionalized governance mechanisms can prevent or mitigate conflict through both a global perspective (based on global datasets on international water treaties and basin organizations) and a case study perspective (conducting an in-depth analysis of three basins the Mekong, Zambezi, and Senegal river basins). It finds that globally there is a shortcoming in institutionalized cooperation mechanisms preventing and mitigating conflict risks over dams, but in those albeit rather few basins where they do exist, they can reduce conflict risks and thus benefit riparian people, ecosystems, and countries. These findings contribute to the broader discourse on the role of international water law and basin organizations in sustainably managing shared water resources and support calls for the strengthening of those.

Explaining the role of land use changes on land surface temperature in an arid and semi-arid metropolitan area with multi-scale spatial regression analysis.

Urban Heat Islands (UHIs), Land Surface Temperature (LST), and Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes are critical environmental concerns that require continuous monitoring and assessment, especially in cities within arid and semi-arid (ASA) climates. Despite the abundance of research in tropical, Mediterranean, and cold climates, there is a significant knowledge gap for cities in the Middle East with ASA climates. This study aimed to examine the effects of LULC change, population, and wind speed on LST in the Mashhad Metropolis, a city with an ASA climate, over a 30-year period. The research underscores the importance of environmental monitoring and assessment in understanding and mitigating the impacts of urbanization and climate change. Our research combines spatial regression models, multi-scale and fine-scale analyses, seasonal and city outskirts considerations, and long-term change assessments. We used Landsat satellite imagery, a crucial tool for environmental monitoring, to identify LULC changes and their impact on LST at three scales. The relationships were analyzed using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Spatial Error Model (SEM) regressions, demonstrating the value of these techniques in environmental assessment. Our findings highlight the role of environmental factors in shaping LST. A decrease in vegetation and instability of water bodies significantly increased LST over the study period. Bare lands and rocky terrains had the most substantial effect on LST. At the same time, built-up areas resulted in Urban Cooling Islands (UCIs) due to their lower temperatures compared to surrounding bare lands. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Dry Bare-Soil Index (DBSI) were the most effective indices impacting LST in ASA regions, and the 30×30 m2 micro-scale provides more precise results in regression models, underscoring their importance in environmental monitoring. Our study provided a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between LULC changes and LST in an ASA environment, contributing significantly to the literature on environmental change in arid regions and the methodologies for monitoring such changes. Future research should aim to validate and expand additional LST-affecting factors and test our approach and findings in other ASA regions, considering the unique characteristics of these areas and the importance of tailored environmental monitoring and assessment approaches.

Challenges and missing links to assess absolute environmental sustainability

The results of the most prevalent environmental lifecycle assessments represent the relative impact on the environment caused by the object being assessed. Hereby, the object is compared to its alternatives (to derive: Which is the better solution?) rather than to the carrying capacities of nature (to determine: Is it ultimately sustainable or not?). This poses a problem for implementing and assessing the progress towards sustainable development. In connection to this, prior research has started categorizing the constitutive research on lifecycle-based absolute environmental sustainability assessments.This paper adds to these efforts and provides a new point of view by categorizing the absolute environmental sustainability assessment approaches within the driver-pressure-state-impact-response framework. Hereby, we focus on the absolute environmental sustainability assessment approaches of (1.) the precedent methods of absolute pressures, and (2.) the state-of-the-art approaches of the impacts on nature. Their common challenges and limitations are discussed, along with a theoretical example. From there, we conclude the proposal of incorporating the absolute environmental sustainability pressure methods into the current discussion on lifecycle-based absolute environmental sustainability assessment approaches. Ultimately, we conclude that further research is required to connect the approaches to the level of application.

An integrated reservoir operation framework for enhanced water resources planning

Climate change induced spatiotemporal variation in global water availability modifies the proposed design criteria of water infrastructure structures like dams and reservoirs. Although reservoir operation is treated as a potential adaptation option, obsolescence of existing operation rules in the climate change scenarios could cause devastating situation through faulty water management practices. Presently onboard simulation–optimization based reservoir operation schemes fail to capture the uncertainty involved in the climate change scenario. Hence, there is a need to identify the limiting application scenario of the existing reservoir operation rule, and subsequently, revise the operation framework to address the future supply–demand uncertainty adequately. This research develops an integrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) (hydrologic), HEC-ResSim (hydraulic), and genetic algorithm (GA) (optimization) based adaptive reservoir operation framework, which is competent enough in accounting the future supply–demand uncertainty. Incorporation of the newly proposed environmental flow assessment approach in the reservoir operation would assist the decision makers in guiding the reservoir release for maintaining the water quality and sustenance of the downstream aquatic species. Certainly, corresponding to the existing operation rules under both the baseline and future climate change scenarios of RCP 4.5 and 8.5, the developed SWAT-HEC-ResSim-GA based reservoir operation scheme could improve the performance of the Kangsabati reservoir with the time and volume reliability estimates of 0.631 and 0.736, respectively. Conclusively, the developed approach in this study could be the best feasible alternative for hydrologic characterization in complex reservoir catchment-command regions with the option for enhanced reservoir planning in global catchment-command regions.

Linking catchment and hydrodynamic models for environmental flow analysis in hypersaline lakes

Abstract This research work proposes a novel method of environmental flow analysis in hypersaline lakes in which the outputs of the hydraulic rating method considering the base flow as a known approach for environmental flow assessment in rivers are analyzed in terms of providing suitable aquatic habitats in the lake by linking a continuous hydrological model and a hydrodynamic model of salinity simulation. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) as a hydrological model was applied to simulate the natural inflow of the lake's ecosystem in the simulated period. Moreover, a hydrodynamic model was applied to simulate the salinity distribution of the lake in the same simulated period. Based on the results of the models and monthly analysis of the environmental flows, both models are robust for simulations. The Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) of both hydrological and hydrodynamic models average more than 0.5, which means that they are reliable for simulating the natural inflow and salinity distribution respectively. Furthermore, outputs indicated that using the hydraulic rating method considering the base flow for assessing the environmental flow of rivers is not able to provide environmental requirements in the lake's ecosystem of the case study.

Spatially-explicit absolute life cycle assessment by multi-regional hybrid modeling: Computational framework

Human activities, environmental impacts, and the provision of ecosystem services vary by region. The existing regional environmental sustainability assessment approaches addressed such regional heterogeneity of inventory data at a single scale (i.e., either process or economy scale). However, depending on regional data availability and the assessment scope, a multiscale modeling approach that integrates existing data and models at various scales needs to be employed. This work introduces a general computational framework for spatially-explicit environmental sustainability assessment based on a multi-regional hybrid modeling approach. The developed framework accounts for regional activities at multiple scales by integrating the existing regional approaches at each scale. Also, the framework integrates the supply of ecosystem services, which vary by region as well, at multiple scales to perform spatially-explicit absolute environmental sustainability assessment. The proposed framework is demonstrated using an illustrative example of corn production in two regions. The results are discussed in comparison to the conventional approaches.

NATURAL HEALING ASSETS EVALUATION SCIENTIFIC APPROACHES

Topicality. The existing conceptual and methodological support was analyzed. Main of them is proposed by international institutions regarding accounting and valuation of natural assets. Arising disproportions in the process of natural healing assets accounting and the applying possibility of the modern approaches of it accounting are considered.Aim and tasks. The aim of the article is to determine the main international trends in the assessment of natural healing assets. The tasks of the article are the systematization of international approaches and the legal basis for the of healing assets accounting, the determination of directions for the natural healing assets evaluation as an element of blue growth, and the identification of the main contradictions in the institutional and legislative and regulatory provisions regarding the management of natural healing assets.Materials and Methods. The theoretical base of the article was developed using the method of theoretical generalization to define the concept of natural healing assets. Environmental and economic assessment approaches were used to identify accounting trends.Research results. The article proves that the income received by the state in the process of extracting natural-healing assets is not income in the pure sense, but is a rearrangement of the portfolio of natural-healing assets, namely the moment when assets from a physical state acquires a monetary equivalent. Income, at the same time, is investment and mutually beneficial cooperation with business entities, which depends on the institutional capacity of countries to diversify.Conclusion. Disproportions have been revealed regarding the accounting of natural healing assets, such as those that are taken into account only in interaction with medical and health services. International achievements in the assessment of natural healing assets were summarized into a single methodological basis for their assessment in monetary terms. We note that today natural healing assets in international practice are calculated only in the form of services provided at resorts or spa centers for treatment, recovery and rehabilitation. Also, disproportions arise in the absence of classification of natural healing assets as basic products, which complicates the process of accounting and evaluation of natural healing assets.

A decision-centric approach for techno-economic optimization and environmental assessment of standalone and grid-integrated renewable-powered electric vehicle charging stations under multiple planning horizons

The automotive sector is undergoing a transitional phase towards electrification with the goal of achieving climate sustainability. Renewable-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure can play a vital role in this paradigm shift. To support and provide a roadmap to this transition, the current study aims to investigate a sustainable planning approach for optimal renewable-powered electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) within institutional premises. A feasibility analysis for multiple renewable-based EV charging station configurations has been carried out based on multi-objective techno-economic and environmental indicators including Levelized cost of energy (LCOE), Net present cost (NPC), and carbon emissions. The proposed planning approach has been applied under Fast charging for private vehicles and on-board charging for Ez-bikes and shuttles (FCOBC) and Medium- charging for private vehicles and on-board charging for Ez-bikes and shuttles (MCOBC). Results reveal that a PV system backed with a utility grid enabling both energy purchase and sale during peak hours and off-peak hours respectively remained the most feasible configuration for EV charging infrastructure experiencing an LCOE of $0.1289/kWh to $0.1262/kWh and $0.1168/kWh to $0.1161/kWh for both FCOBC and MCOBC, respectively. Along with the environmental analysis, a forest absorbing carbon emissions analysis has been performed to provide a policy optimization for the future environmental outlook. Results validations have been undertaken for levelized average tariffs of single point supply (above 66 kV) of different government-owned distribution companies, which indicated the commercial efficacy of the proposed EV charging infrastructure, where the LCOE is lower than the real-time operational tariffs within the region. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is carried out under different uncertainties to check the optimization behavior of proposed systems.

Supporting Environmentally Conscious Consumer Sales Law by Life-cycle Thinking

The circular economy is a core approach driving innovative economic solutions. Although the legal system should support the development of such an economy, scientific methods to assess the environmental impact of legal rules are lacking. Legislators and scholars have highlighted consumer law as an area requiring ecologically efficient solutions. This research aims to design a method to calculate environmental costs related to the exercise of remedies for nonconforming goods under a consumer sales contract. Various environmental impact assessment approaches are reviewed to identify those which can be used when designing a method for calculating the environmental impact of legislative provisions. The Life Cycle Thinking is applied and the Life Cycle Assessment method is chosen and used to compare different remedy-scenarios, that is, when the consumer chooses repair, replacement, price reduction or termination. A formula is devised to determine which remedies should be prioritized and whether it is possible to design an eco-friendly hierarchy of remedies in consumer sales law. Though it proved impossible to design a rigid hierarchy of remedies, which would be optimal in every scenario from the perspective of environmental costs generated as a result of the consumer exercising the rights for non-conforming goods, the environmental costs of exercising each of the rights under the remedies available to the consumer can be assessed not only in concreto but also in abstracto allowing for formulation of specific recommendations for legislator.

A spatial interpolation approach for environmental assessment of aquaculture effects on water quality of Pagasitikos Gulf (Eastern Mediterranean)

The impact of fish farming on the physicochemical and biological parameters of the water column was investigated between July and October 2021, in Pagasitikos Gulf. For this purpose, a sampling strategy based on Geographical Information System (GIS) was developed and a grid of 28 sampling stations was created for in situ measurements. The method of spatial interpolation and especially the Radial Basis Function (RBF) was used to estimate the spatial distribution of DO, chl α and nutrients by means of GIS. General Linear Model (GLM) analysis showed significant differences for all measured parameters except for NO3. Nutrients remained at low concentrations without exceeding the permitted limits for eutrophication and welfare of cultivated organisms. GIS exhibited high usefulness for data analysis, with further studies warranted for its optimization on applications related to the environmental impact of fish farming.

Modeling probability density functions of instantaneous velocity components at the pedestrian levels of a building array by Gram–Charlier series

Probability density distributions (PDFs) of wind speeds at pedestrian levels are required to predict gusts for wind environment assessments. However, the time-series data are extremely large in data volume for calculating the PDFs. Therefore, we applied the Gram–Charlier series (GCS) to the dataset of the flow fields at the pedestrian level around a simplified block array obtained by a large-eddy simulation to analyze the probability density and low-occurrence strong wind speeds. PDFs are predicted using the GCS-nth model, in which the distribution is modified from the Gaussian distribution by incorporating third to nth-order moments. The GCS can estimate the skewed PDFs of pedestrian winds and more accurately predict the percentile values compared to a Gaussian distribution. In addition, at most locations, the higher-order GCS estimates the probability densities and percentiles more accurately than the lower-order models. In contrast, the accuracy of GCS-6th is not always better than that of GCS-5th or lower models in some locations because of the large values of the coefficient in the polynomial function that modifies a Gaussian distribution. This study proves that using GCS to predict PDFs from statistics is a newly discovered and useful approach for wind environmental assessment.