Environmental Assessment Studies Research Articles

Study of Water Environmental Cumulative Risk Assessment Based on Control Unit and Management Platform Application in Plain River Network

As the gradual deterioration of the environment, the method of environmental risk assessment has been developed from basing only on a single source to basing on a cumulative risk source. In accordance with the water environment features of the plain river network area, a cumulative risk assessment system of water environment in the plain river network area was established in this paper, the design process for which could be divided into three step: (1) Control unit divided reasonably was chosen as the basic unit for water quality management. (2) On that basis, according to the characteristics of the plain river network area, the cumulative risk indexes were selected. The index weight is calculated using entropy method and analytic hierarchy process (AHP), which could determine the risk grade of each control unit. (3) The cumulative risk assessment method is coupled to the existing water environment management platform. The platform with a dynamic database can realize the dynamic calculation and visualization of the cumulative risk grade. In this paper, the Zhejiang area of Taihu Basin was selected to be the research target as the typical plain river network area. Thirty-five control units were divided with regional water environment and control section. Taking the data in the year 2011 as example, the proposed cumulative risk assessment method was used to identify the control units in different grades and the results demonstrated that the numbers of high-, medium-, low- and extremely low-risk control units are 13, 12, 5 and 5, respectively. It is necessary to give priority to the high-risk control unit. Therefore, the cumulative risk assessment method based on the control unit provides an essential theoretical basis for reducing the probability of water pollution and reducing the degree of water pollution damage.

Comparison between inductively coupled plasma and X-ray fluorescence performance for Pb analysis in environmental soil samples

Comparison of two conventional analytical techniques such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for measuring Pb concentrations in soil samples was achieved using field and laboratory work. Seventy-three samples were collected from urban areas surrounding the large lead smelter at South Australia, as an indicator of the environment impact of smelter activity. Soil Pb concentrations were determined using hand-held XRF analyser under laboratory conditions. ICP-MS analysis on digested soils (using a microwave-assisted nitric acid digestion-extraction) was applied to validate p-XRF data. The analysis showed that Pb concentrations determined by XRF correlated with high linearity with Pb concentrations determined by ICP-MS measurements (R2 = 0.89). Statistical test (t test) was applied to the data of both methods applied without any significant difference between the two techniques. These results indicated that ICP-MS corroborated XRF for Pb soil measurements and suggests that XRF was a reliable and quick alternative to traditional analytical methods in studies of environmental health risk assessment, allowing for much larger sampling regimes in relatively shorter times and could be applied in the field.

Comparative Geochemical Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollutants among the Mediterranean Deltaic Lakes Sediments (Edku, Burullus and Manzala), Egypt.

The northern coastal-deltaic lakes (Edku, Burullus and Manzala) suffer from serious environmental pollution as they receive agricultural drainage, industrial wastewater as well as sewage effluents directly without any preliminary treatments. Investigation of heavy metals pollutants in coastal lake sediments shows a wide view about the state of pollution not only in the sediments but also in the water of the lakes. It also helps to carry out environmental assessment studies of these lakes in order to make a better management to control the pollution levels. The variation of concentrations in some heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd) with time is discussed and compared with the present work average values of these polluting heavy metals. Certain contamination indices such as the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), the degree of contamination, (DC) and the contamination factor (CF) are used to evaluate the environmental hazards of these lakes. The differences in pollution state among these major deltaic lakes are illustrated and its causes are discussed.

A systematic review of the conceptual differences of environmental assessment and ecosystem service studies of biofuel and bioenergy production

National or supranational policies such as the EU Renewable Energy Directive (EU RED) prescribe both the assessment of the environmental impacts of biofuel and bioenergy production, as well as their impact on ecosystem services (ESS). However, it is not clear what differentiates environmental assessment (EA) and ESS studies. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and compared ESS and EA studies of biofuel and bioenergy production. We focused on topics such as whether both approaches allow for a holistic sustainability assessment of biofuel/bioenergy production, are suitable for practitioners, and which gaps for policymaking they can bridge. The results of the systematic review suggest that ESS studies tend to assess economic and social sustainability more prominently when compared to EA studies. Furthermore, ESS studies often assess ESS bundles and thereby cover multiple environmental impact categories, while EA studies focus more on selected environmental impacts (e.g., GHG emissions, air pollution, water quality and availability), targeting fewer environmental impacts to achieve slightly more feasible and reliable impact assessments (lower uncertainty). EA studies are dominated by life-cycle assessments. Contrastingly, ESS studies rather cover the entire social-ecological dimensions of biofuel and bioenergy production. Due to their systematic approach, they act as an envelope for multiple methodologies that can quantify the sustainability impacts of biofuel and bioenergy production. In this respect, it can be argued that ESS studies could support policymaking bridging some existing gaps such as the underrepresentation of social assessments in the EU RED.

Assessing seasonal variation of synthetic musks in beach sands from Oporto coastal area: A case study

Synthetic musk compounds are widely used in the formulation of several cosmetics, personal care and household products. Due to their massive and widespread use, together with some health concerns, they are considered emerging pollutants and have been detected in different environmental compartments.This study focused on the evaluation of the concentration of synthetic musks (five nitro, five polycyclic and one macrocyclic musks) in beach sands, from Oporto coastal area (Portugal), contributing to the enhancement of the knowledge of levels, trends and behaviour of these compounds in this particular matrix. To accomplish this task, a QuEChERS methodology (“Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe”) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was successfully used to determine synthetic musks from beach sand. The chosen methodology proved to be suitable, achieving satisfactory results for precision (relative standard deviation values below 15%), accuracy (average recovery of 97%) and limits of detection (below 38 pg g−1).Synthetic musks were detected in all 45 analysed samples, in concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 27 ng g−1dw. Tonalide (93%), exaltolide (89%) and galaxolide (76%) were the most commonly detected compounds, but also those detected in higher concentrations (up to 27 ng g−1dw). Musk ambrette, moskene, tibetene and xylene were not detected in any of the samples. Higher concentrations were as expected detected in the Summer (total average concentration of 9.21 ng g−1dw), namely in samples from Valadares Sul (29 ng g−1dw), Francelos (25 ng g−1dw) and Castelo do Queijo (25 ng g−1dw).The preliminary environmental risk assessment study based on the determination of hazard quotients revealed that the presence of analysed compounds (tonalide, galaxolide and musk ketone) seems to pose no risk to the studied environmental compartment.

Geochemical Variation and Environmental Assessment of Uranium in the Soil Profile and Ground Water for Kirkuk City/ Northern Iraq

15) sample for the second depth (QB), in addition to (7) sample for ground water (GW) .Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) technology has been used to measure the concentration of Uranium and other elements in these environments by laboratories of Acme company in Canada. The results showed that the average of uranium concentration in the first depth of soil (QA) was (1.672 ppm), and the second depth (QB) was (1.373 ppm), with increasing in surface depth more than the sub surface. The results showed that the average concentration of uranium in the groundwater was (4.256 ppb), and its concentration is less than the permitted values average of ground water (30 ppb). The environmental assessment study of uranium showed that the values of (Igeo) for soil sample occurs within the type uncontaminated to moderately contaminated, and the (CF) is classified as low contamination, while (EF) is reached within type deficiently to minimal enrichment. Size fraction for soil samples showed that the highest uranium concentration occurs in the clay fraction more than silt and sand fractions, respectively.

Life cycle assessment of Canadian egg products, with differentiation by hen housing system type

In order to elucidate the current sustainability profile of the Canadian egg industry, and to support Canadian egg farmers and processors in supply chain management for sustainability objectives, an ISO 14044-compliant environmental life cycle assessment study of egg product supply chains, including differentiation by hen housing system type, was undertaken. It was found that the cradle-to-consumer resource use and emissions attributable to eggs and egg products in Canada are largely determined by a small number of variables. Foremost among these is the composition and amount of feed consumed in breeder flock, pullet and layer facilities – accounting for, on average, 35–81% of impacts at the egg farm gate, depending on the category of resource use or emissions considered. After feed composition and feed conversion efficiency, another critical determinant of supply chain emissions is manure management (17–46% of emissions) – in particular for emissions of acidifying (45%) and eutrophying (46%) compounds. These emissions are influenced by feed composition (i.e. N and P content of feed inputs), feed conversion efficiencies, and manure handling strategies. Industry-level initiatives focused on optimizing nutrient cycling and minimizing losses of N and P may potentially leverage significant improvements in the overall environmental profile of the Canadian egg industry. Sourcing of pullets also made non-trivial contributions (19–23% of impacts, on average, across the housing systems), while contributions related to energy inputs (1–9%) and water inputs (0–17%) were smaller. These observed patterns were quite consistent between conventional cage, enriched, free run and free range production, whereas organic production evinced a different pattern due to the lesser role of feeds in influencing the overall impacts of egg production.Among the five housing technologies considered (i.e. conventional cage, enriched cage, free run, free range, and organic), both the life cycle inventory and impact assessment results suggested quite similar levels of performance between the non-organic systems. Only for organic production were life cycle resource use and emissions significantly different from the other housing systems. Here, the lower observed resource use and emissions intensity of organic eggs (57–80% of impacts compared to the national average) is largely explained by the superior environmental performance of organic feeds compared to conventional feeds rather than differences in egg farm level performance.Shell egg processing and packaging, as well as egg breaking and further processing activities add only small increments to the overall supply chain resource use and emissions associated with Canadian eggs and egg products. The kinds and amounts of packaging used for egg products may, however, present improvement opportunities. Transportation of eggs and egg products to customers is similarly of modest concern in terms of supply chain resource use and emissions.Scenarios modeled in this study to assess the mitigation potential of achieving best reported performance for feed conversion efficiency and rate-of-lay, as well as sourcing organic feeds, suggest that further reducing the industry-average resource and emissions intensity of Canadian egg products by over 50% may be possible.

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND ITS ROLE IN RAISING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PRE-UNIVERSITY EDUCATIONAL SECTOR

The purpose of this study is to reveal the reality of environmental analysis of the situation surrounding the undergraduate education to achieving quality in Sohag governorate through:-internal and external environmental analysis by following standards secondary schools (mission, vision and leadership, the Government and the human and material resources and community participation and ensure quality and accountability), and adopted the current study on descriptive fit it for nature study, and enable researchers to describe and diagnose the actual reality and try to analyze this fact and indicate strengths and weaknesses. The researchers also adopted a forward approach through the use of environmental analysis method (S, W, O, T) to put the proposed scenario. It was set up to identify the study group provided analysis of the internal and external environment to develop strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats surrounding secondary schools from the viewpoint of the sample. The study group consisted of 20 schools in Sohag City through secondary school quality assurance managers (20 quality unit managers), and was in school during the period from 1/1/2015 until 31/12/2015, and one of the most important findings of the study: that there are constraints in applying environmental assessment tools and school improvement plans by undergraduate education institutions and then been conceived proposal for more effective application of environmental assessment tools and study of school improvement plans to try to qualify the pre university education institutions obtain accreditation and quality.

Review of environmental life cycle assessment studies of graphene production

Review of environmental life cycle assessment studies of graphene production

The taxonomic distinctness diversity of fish community in Lake Honghu during the past 50 years

基于洪湖1959-2004年鱼类群落状况的调查研究，应用分类学多样性指数分析洪湖鱼类群落分类学多样性的变动. 结果显示：受江湖阻隔及人为干扰加剧等因素影响，洪湖鱼类种、属的数目在1981年表现出下降的趋势，科以上的分类阶元的数目则在1993年之后明显减少. 对洪湖鱼类组成进行NMDS排序，1959、1964和1981年的鱼类群落组成较为类似，1993和2004年的群落组成则发生了较大的变化. 随着时间推移，分类差异性指数Δ⁺表现出先上升后下降的趋势，而变异分类差异性指数Λ⁺则表现出先下降后上升的趋势，表明随着人为干扰的增加，洪湖鱼类群落的分类学进化树的平均路径长度和均匀度发生了不同程度的变化. 零假设模型显示，5个时期的Δ⁺值都位于置信区间内，而1993和2004年的Λ⁺值却位于置信区间的上方，显示分类学进化树的均匀度显著下降. Δ⁺和Λ⁺值的变化提供了与物种数变化所蕴含的不同信息，在多样性评价研究中可以作为经典多样性指数的补充. 洪湖鱼类Λ⁺值随干扰程度的加剧而增加，表明这一指数在多样性保护和评价中具有良好的应用价值.;Based on the published literatures about fish assemblages in Lake Honghu, we measured the long-term changes in two taxonomic diversity indices (average taxonomic distinctness, Δ⁺ and variation in taxonomic distinctness, Λ⁺) at five periods (1959, 1964, 1981, 1993, 2004) during the half past century. The results showed that the numbers of species and genera declined from 1981, whereas the numbers of families and higher taxa decreased from 1993. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis based on species composition led to a separation of two groups, one grouping 1959, 1964 and 1981, the other gathering 1993 and 2004. Taxonomic distinctness indices displayed a first increase and subsequent decrease of Δ⁺, and a consistent increase of Λ⁺ through time. The five periods all fell within the 95% confidence interval for Δ⁺, but 1993 and 2004 fell significantly above the confidence interval for Λ⁺, indicating a higher unevenness of the distribution of taxa across the taxonomic tree than random expectations. Δ⁺ and Λ⁺ could provide complementary information about the variability of biodiversity in addition to traditional diversity indices, thus we proposed that taxonomic distinctness indices can be used as promising tools in studies of biodiversity and environmental assessment.

Sterols indicate water quality and wastewater treatment efficiency

As the world's population continues to grow, water pollution is presenting one of the biggest challenges worldwide. More wastewater is being generated and the demand for clean water is increasing. To ensure the safety and health of humans and the environment, highly efficient wastewater treatment systems, and a reliable assessment of water quality and pollutants are required. The advance of holistic approaches to water quality management and the increasing use of ecological water treatment technologies, such as constructed wetlands and waste stabilisation ponds (WSPs), challenge the appropriateness of commonly used water quality indicators. Instead, additional indicators, which are direct measures of the processes involved in the stabilisation of human waste, have to be established to provide an in-depth understanding of system performance. In this study we identified the sterol composition of wastewater treated in WSPs and assessed the suitability of human sterol levels as a bioindicator of treatment efficiency of wastewater in WSPs. As treatment progressed in WSPs, the relative abundance of human faecal sterols, such as coprostanol, epicoprostanol, 24-ethylcoprostanol, and sitostanol decreased significantly and the sterol composition in wastewater changed significantly. Furthermore, sterol levels were found to be correlated with commonly used wastewater quality indicators, such as BOD, TSS and E. coli. Three of the seven sterol ratios that have previously been used to track sewage pollution in the environment, detected a faecal signal in the effluent of WSPs, however, the others were influenced by high prevalence of sterols originating from algal and fungal activities. This finding poses a concern for environmental assessment studies, because environmental pollution from waste stabilisation ponds can go unnoticed. In conclusion, faecal sterols and their ratios can be used as reliable indicators of treatment efficiency and water quality during wastewater treatment in WSPs. They can complement the use of commonly used indicators of water quality, to provide essential information on the overall performance of ponds and whether a pond is underperforming in terms of stabilising human waste. Such a holistic understanding is essential when the aim is to improve the performance of a treatment plant, build new plants or expand existing infrastructure. Future work should aim at further establishing the use of sterols as reliable water quality indicators on a broader scale across natural and engineered systems.

A spatial explicit agent based model approach to evaluate the performance of different monitoring options for mortality estimates in the scope of onshore windfarm impact assessments

Despite the environmental benefits associated with wind energy, studies have confirmed the occurrence of significant levels of bat and bird fatalities at windfarms, which raise concerns about the long-term effects of these infra-structures on these populations. Reliable estimates of windfarm fatalities are fundamental for accurate environmental assessment studies and supporting management actions. A spatially explicit agent-based model (ABM) was developed to investigate how searcher “controlled” variables, i.e., different field monitoring protocols, monitoring periods and periodicities influence the success of carcasses detection in field trials and estimator accuracy. Different rates of bat mortality due to collision, scavenger pressures and habitat complexity were simulated in order to reproduce variable conditions that might take place at onshore wind facilities. Based on our findings we propose a reduction in the monitoring periods and a shortening in the periodicity of searches in order to reduce bias in the estimations and increase the confidence limits of impact assessments associated with mortality estimates at onshore windfarms.

Feasibility Study for The Setting Up of a Safety System for Monitoring CO2 Storage at Prinos Field, Greece

Geological storage of CO2 in subsurface geological structures can mitigate global warming. A comprehensive safety and monitoring system for CO2 storage has been undertaken for the Prinos hydrocarbon field, offshore northern Greece; a system which can prevent any possible leakage of CO2. This paper presents various monitoring strategies of CO2 subsurface movement in the Prinos reservoir, the results of a simulation of a CO2 leak through a well, an environmental risk assessment study related to the potential leakage of CO2 from the seafloor and an overall economic insight of the system. The results of the simulation of the CO2 leak have shown that CO2 reaches the seabed in the form of gas approximately 13.7 years, from the beginning of injection. From that point onwards the amount of CO2 reaching the seabed increases until it reaches a peak at around 32.9 years. During the injection period, the CO2 plume develops only within the reservoir. During the post-injection period, the CO2 reaches the seabed and develops side branches. These correspond to preferential lateral flow pathways of the CO2 and are more extensive for the dissolved CO2 than for the saturated CO2 gas. For the environmental risk assessment, we set up a model, using ArcGIS software, based on the use of data regarding the speeds of the winds and currents encountered in the region. We also made assumptions related to the flow rate of CO2. Results show that after a period of 10 days from the start of CO2 leakage the CO2 has reached halfway to the continental shores where the “Natura” protected areas are located. CO2 leakage modelling results show CO2 to be initially flowing along a preferential flow direction, which is towards the NE. However, 5 days after the start of leakage of CO2, the CO2 is also flowing towards the ENE. The consequences of a potential CO2 leak are considered spatially limited and the ecosystem is itself capable of recovering. We have tried to determine the costs necessary for the creation of such an integrated CO2 monitoring program both during the CO2 injection phase as well as during permanent storage. The most prevalent solution consists of purchasing both seismic equipment and Echosounder systems as well as privileging a monitoring system, which uses selected boreholes. The necessary period required for monitoring the study area is at least 20 years after the end of the CO2 storage period at Prinos. To the overall monitoring time, we should also add a further 20 years that are required for the injection phase as well as 12 years for the storage phase. The operating costs for monitoring the CO2 amount to 0,38 $/ton CO2 and the total cost for EOR at Prinos amounts to 0,45 $/ton CO2.

The need of hypothesis-driven designs and conceptual models in impact assessment studies: An example from the free-living marine nematodes

The literature on the use of marine nematodes as bioindicators of anthropogenic impact is extensive. Nevertheless, review studies have reported a high degree of variability among results and no consistent overall pattern has so far emerged. This lack of congruence might be partially because hypotheses formulation in environmental assessment studies has been largely inductive or abductive and not deductive or hypothesis-driven. In the present study, we emphasize the need of using hypothesis-driven designs and conceptual models in impact assessment studies. Hypotheses for individual and population level studies can be derived from the dynamic energy budget model (DEB). By means of differential equations, DEB model can infer whether a stressor promotes a shift in energy allocation along the life history of the individuals. For community/assemblage level studies, the predictions of the dynamic equilibrium model (DEM) for species richness is presented and extended for abundance, evenness, taxonomic distinctness, and changes in assemblage structure and sample dispersion. While it is predicted that species richness peaks at intermediate levels of disturbances and enrichment, evenness decreases with increasing disturbances and reducing enrichment/pollutant concentrations. Based on DEM,enrichment and pollutants may promote change in community structure by favoring the tolerant species, while physical disturbances may promote sample dispersion as a result of unselective mortality. Finally, we discuss the benefits of using niche-based models to select the indicator species, instead of using classical ordination methods, twinspan and similarity percentage analysis. The selection of indicator species have to be independent from the other species and must consider the set of environmental conditions. The use of conceptual models to select the best ecological indicators is highly recommended. It allows a logical way of testing for causalities and of scaling the different studies for comparisons.

MONITORING SEABIRDS AND MARINE MAMMALS BY GEOREFERENCED AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Abstract. The assessment of anthropogenic impacts on the marine environment is challenged by the accessibility, accuracy and validity of biogeographical information. Offshore wind farm projects require large-scale ecological surveys before, during and after construction, in order to assess potential effects on the distribution and abundance of protected species. The robustness of site-specific population estimates depends largely on the extent and design of spatial coverage and the accuracy of the applied census technique. Standard environmental assessment studies in Germany have so far included aerial visual surveys to evaluate potential impacts of offshore wind farms on seabirds and marine mammals. However, low flight altitudes, necessary for the visual classification of species, disturb sensitive bird species and also hold significant safety risks for the observers. Thus, aerial surveys based on high-resolution digital imagery, which can be carried out at higher (safer) flight altitudes (beyond the rotor-swept zone of the wind turbines) have become a mandatory requirement, technically solving the problem of distant-related observation bias. A purpose-assembled imagery system including medium-format cameras in conjunction with a dedicated geo-positioning platform delivers series of orthogonal digital images that meet the current technical requirements of authorities for surveying marine wildlife at a comparatively low cost. At a flight altitude of 425 m, a focal length of 110 mm, implemented forward motion compensation (FMC) and exposure times ranging between 1/1600 and 1/1000 s, the twin-camera system generates high quality 16 bit RGB images with a ground sampling distance (GSD) of 2 cm and an image footprint of 155 x 410 m. The image files are readily transferrable to a GIS environment for further editing, taking overlapping image areas and areas affected by glare into account. The imagery can be routinely screened by the human eye guided by purpose-programmed software to distinguish biological from non-biological signals. Each detected seabird or marine mammal signal is identified to species level or assigned to a species group and automatically saved into a geo-database for subsequent quality assurance, geo-statistical analyses and data export to third-party users. The relative size of a detected object can be accurately measured which provides key information for species-identification. During the development and testing of this system until 2015, more than 40 surveys have produced around 500.000 digital aerial images, of which some were taken in specially protected areas (SPA) of the Baltic Sea and thus include a wide range of relevant species. Here, we present the technical principles of this comparatively new survey approach and discuss the key methodological challenges related to optimizing survey design and workflow in view of the pending regulatory requirements for effective environmental impact assessments.

MONITORING SEABIRDS AND MARINE MAMMALS BY GEOREFERENCED AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

The assessment of anthropogenic impacts on the marine environment is challenged by the accessibility, accuracy and validity of biogeographical information. Offshore wind farm projects require large-scale ecological surveys before, during and after construction, in order to assess potential effects on the distribution and abundance of protected species. The robustness of site-specific population estimates depends largely on the extent and design of spatial coverage and the accuracy of the applied census technique. Standard environmental assessment studies in Germany have so far included aerial visual surveys to evaluate potential impacts of offshore wind farms on seabirds and marine mammals. However, low flight altitudes, necessary for the visual classification of species, disturb sensitive bird species and also hold significant safety risks for the observers. Thus, aerial surveys based on high-resolution digital imagery, which can be carried out at higher (safer) flight altitudes (beyond the rotor-swept zone of the wind turbines) have become a mandatory requirement, technically solving the problem of distant-related observation bias. A purpose-assembled imagery system including medium-format cameras in conjunction with a dedicated geo-positioning platform delivers series of orthogonal digital images that meet the current technical requirements of authorities for surveying marine wildlife at a comparatively low cost. At a flight altitude of 425 m, a focal length of 110 mm, implemented forward motion compensation (FMC) and exposure times ranging between 1/1600 and 1/1000 s, the twin-camera system generates high quality 16 bit RGB images with a ground sampling distance (GSD) of 2 cm and an image footprint of 155 x 410 m. The image files are readily transferrable to a GIS environment for further editing, taking overlapping image areas and areas affected by glare into account. The imagery can be routinely screened by the human eye guided by purpose-programmed software to distinguish biological from non-biological signals. Each detected seabird or marine mammal signal is identified to species level or assigned to a species group and automatically saved into a geo-database for subsequent quality assurance, geo-statistical analyses and data export to third-party users. The relative size of a detected object can be accurately measured which provides key information for species-identification. During the development and testing of this system until 2015, more than 40 surveys have produced around 500.000 digital aerial images, of which some were taken in specially protected areas (SPA) of the Baltic Sea and thus include a wide range of relevant species. Here, we present the technical principles of this comparatively new survey approach and discuss the key methodological challenges related to optimizing survey design and workflow in view of the pending regulatory requirements for effective environmental impact assessments.

UV filters induce transcriptional changes of different hormonal receptors in Chironomus riparius embryos and larvae

Organic ultraviolet (UV) filters are emerging contaminants that are ubiquitous in fresh and marine aquatic systems due to their extensive use in cosmetics, plastics, paints, textiles, and many other industrial products. The estrogenic effects of organic UV filters have been long demonstrated in vertebrates, and other hormonal activities may be altered, according to more recent reports. The impact of UV filters on the endocrine system of invertebrates is largely unknown. We have previously reported that some UV filters may affect ecdysone-related genes in the aquatic insect Chironomus riparius, an ecotoxicologically important model organism. To further analyze other possible effects on endocrine pathways, we first characterized four pivotal genes related with hormonal pathways in insects; thereafter, these genes were assessed for alterations in transcriptional activity after exposure to 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4MBC) or benzophenone-3 (BP-3), two extensively used sunscreens. We found that both chemicals disturbed the expression of all four genes analyzed: hormonal receptor 38 (HR38), methoprene-tolerant (Met), membrane-associate progesterone receptor (MAPR) and insulin-like receptor (INSR), measured by changes in mRNA levels by real-time PCR. An upregulatory effect at the genomic level was detected in different developmental stages. Interestingly, embryos appeared to be more sensitive to the action of the UV filters than larvae. Our results suggest that the risk of disruption through different endocrine routes is not negligible, considering the significant effects of UV filters on key hormonal receptor and regulatory genes. Further effort is needed to develop environmental risk assessment studies on these pollutants, particularly for aquatic invertebrate model organisms.

On the distribution of impulsive sound events for environmental noise assessment

The noise levels of impulsive sounds are subject to variation, mostly due to changes in the meteorological situation which have a strong influence on the noise propagation. For environmental noise assessment studies the variation in the single events levels as well as the long term (averaged) level should be considered. To calculate these one can use a number of variations for the atmospheric absorption and the excess attenuation, alongside with histograms of for instance the wind speed and wind directions. Just recently, a new approach has been enforced in the Netherlands to assess the sound from shooting ranges. Details on this calculation method will be given in which meteorological classes are used to account for varying wind speed and temperature gradients. This method makes it also possible to describe the distribution of occurring sound exposure levels around shooting ranges. The distribution of impulsive sounds is further illustrated with data obtained from projects carried out on: long range prop...

LCA and LCC of the world’s longest pier: a case study on nickel-containing stainless steel rebar

Built in 1941, the Progreso Pier was the first concrete structure in the world built with nickel-containing stainless steel reinforcement. The Pier has been in service for over 70 years without any significant repair or maintenance activities. The aim of this study was to understand the environmental and economic implications of selecting nickel-containing stainless steel reinforcement using the Progreso Pier as the case study. A combined environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) study was conducted. The analysis considered the potential environmental impacts and the net present cost of the stainless steel reinforced structure from cradle to grave and compared it to the same structure using conventional carbon steel. The results indicated that while using stainless steel reinforcement resulted in a marginally higher environmental impact after initial construction, this is offset by the increased service life and, hence, less frequent maintenance and reconstruction activities. Relative to the as-built stainless steel reinforcement design, the environmental impacts of the carbon steel reinforced design are between 69 and 79 % higher over the analysis period. Similar observations were made for the other investigated impact categories. The cost implications of using stainless steel reinforcement show economic benefits that are complementary to the environmental benefits. Similar to the LCA, the service life benefits outweigh the higher unit costs for stainless steel, assuming a discount rate of 0.01 % as the baseline scenario. The carbon steel reinforced design has a net present cost that is 44 % higher than the as-built stainless steel reinforcement design. The crossover point for the two designs occurs at year 50, which corresponds to the reconstruction activity. A sensitivity analysis shows that the results and conclusions are sensitive to the choice in discount rate: Rates 3 % and lower produce net present costs that are lower for the as-built design; rates 4 % and higher produce net present costs that are lower for the alternative design. The study demonstrates how LCA and LCC are complementary tools that can be used in decision-making for sustainable construction. The Progreso Pier exemplifies the importance of considering the entire life cycle with service life and recycling as well as long-term life cycle impacts of infrastructure projects from an environmental and economic perspective.

Environmental Impact Assessment of Improper Dumping of Municipal Solid Waste in Salem City, Tamilnadu, India

Salem City is one of the hundred cities selected under the Smart Cites Mission Program by the Government of India and positioned at sixth place out of twelve selected Smart Cities in Tamil Nadu State with an area of 100 sq.km and a population of 8,51,577. It generates around 335 MT per day of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) at a rate of 393 gram per capita per day. At present the entire solid waste generated from the city has been dumped in an unscientific manner in Erumapalayam Landfill area of 28 acres which is located 12 km away from the city. The open dumping of Salem City MSW in the landfill area due to without liners and without a leachate management facility causes groundwater pollution and as well as saturation of an existing landfill site. Hence, in the present study an attempt has been made to quantify the impacts on land and water environments due to improper disposal of Salem city MSW in and around the Erumapalayam Landfill through an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study. From the detailed investigation of the water quality analysis of ground water in and around the dumping yard, it was found that the ground water was not suitable for drinking at places within 1000m radius of the landfill and this was exclusively due to the infiltration of leachate from the dumping yard which caused the ground water pollution. Similarly, the Environmental Impact Assessment study on soil environment revealed that the top soil layer is not polluted due to the improper dumping of MSW in the landfill area at present, nevertheless if the prevailing situation continues, it will affect the soil fertility in the near future.