Environmental Assessment System Research Articles

Assessing Air Velocity Distribution in Three Sizes of Commercial Broiler Houses During Tunnel Ventilation

Abstract. Convective cooling is a critical management strategy for maintaining an environment that promotes production efficiency, thermal comfort, and animal well-being in commercial broiler houses. Variations in house size, design, and equipment configuration contribute greatly to the air velocity distribution within the facility. This study assessed total airflow, air velocity distribution, and quantified the floor area in three facilities experiencing insufficient air velocity for maintenance of production efficiency, thermal comfort, and animal well-being. Test facility 1 was an 18.3 × 170.7 m solid side-wall broiler house, test facility 2 was a 15.24 × 144.8 m solid side-wall broiler house, and test facility 3 was a 12.19 × 121.9 m curtain side-wall broiler house. Total airflow of each facility, measured with a Fan Assessment and Numeration System, was 512,730, 389,495, and 329,270 m3 h-1 for test facilities 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Air velocity distribution patterns were characterized in each house with a Scalable Environment Assessment System (SEAS) and spatial statistics. The air velocity distributions within the test facilities were variable, with notable maxima immediately downstream of the tunnel inlets, which serve as a well-defined vena contracta, and local minima near the leading end of the evaporative pads and the exhaust fans. Equipment within the facilities had an impact on the air velocity distribution by creating reduced cross-sectional areas that resulted in localized increases in air velocity. The percentage of total bird-level floor area in each facility experiencing air velocities below 1.5 m s-1 was 14.3%, 20.7%, and 10.0% for test facilities 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The effective design velocity (Ved) was calculated from total airflow using the measured building cross-sectional area. The Ved measured 2.97, 2.45, and 2.34 m s-1 for test facilities 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Mean cross-sectional air velocity (Vcs) was calculated from SEAS data and normalized using each facility’s Ved to account for differences in building size for comparison. Test facility 1, the largest of the three houses, generated substantially higher Vcs/Ved than test facilities 2 and 3. Test facilities 2 and 3 maintained a larger proportion of Vcs above Ved than test facility 1. Test facility 1 showed 26.5% of the total house length below Ved, while test facilities 2 and 3 had only 20.8% and 17.5%, respectively, of the total house length below Ved. The lower-velocity regions were due to the length of the evaporative cooling pad inlet and the use of tunnel doors, and the exhaust fan placement on the side-walls in test facility 1 created an additional pronounced low-velocity area. Placement of tunnel ventilation fans on the end-wall of the facility, rather than the side-wall, eliminated the low-velocity region at the exhaust end of the facility. Modifications to current practices for broiler production facility construction and evaporative cooling pad inlet installation would be required to minimize the low-velocity region at the inlet end of these facilities. Consideration of house width and physical arrangement of the air inlets, tunnel fans, and internal equipment are critical for improving the uniformity of air velocity in commercial broiler houses. Keywords: Air velocity, Anemometer, Broiler house, FANS, Tunnel ventilation.

콘크리트의 전과정 평가를 위한 기준콘크리트 선정방법 제안 연구

The purpose of this study is to suggest baseline concrete selection method for environmental impact assessment of concrete as part of study on the development of concrete life cycle assessment system. For this purpose, environmental impact was assessed for 6 environmental impact categories including Global Warming Potential(GWP), Abiotic Depletion Potential(ADP), Ozone Depletion Potential(ODP), Acidification Potential(AP), Eutrophication Potential(EP) and Photochemical Oxidant Creation Potential(POCP) using mix design DB used in concrete field. Furthermore, Correlation of baseline concrete has been analyzed by the results with Average, High rank 20% and Mode of environmental impact assessment of concrete. As a result, Baseline concrete Selection method using Mode is judged to be the most proper method at present. Through the analysis of environmental impact of baseline concrete, it is possible to use the indicator as baseline data when environmental friendly concrete assessment system is developed.

Правовое регулирование оценки воздействия на окружающую среду в России и за рубежом

The article compares the legal regulation and the law enforcement practice relating to the conduct of environmental assessment in the Russian Federation, procedures for environmental assessment, which is applicable abroad (USA, EU, China). Through the use of historical, comparative legal methods of research concludes that the national system of environmental assessment in the Russian Federation, including the assessment of impact of perspective economic and other activities on environment and ecological examination, is not an effective one and does not meet international standards of environmental assessment. The article analyzes the reasons for the ineffectiveness of environmental assessment in the Russian Federation, identifies the main differences of the Russian model of environmental assessment from their foreign counterparts. The main differences between Russian and foreign models are as follows: stages of the environmental assessment process (no stages of screening and scoping), conduct environmental assessment at the earliest stage of economic activity and at the stage of preparation of project documentation, the lack of methodology for the environmental assessment process, the lack of differentiation of environmental assessment on the individual direction of research, etc. These differences lead to the imperfection and ineffectiveness of environmental assessment in the Russian Federation and need to be addressed. The results can be used in legislative activities in the preparation of draft normative legal acts in the educational activity.

Many roads may lead to Rome: Selected features of quality control within environmental assessment systems in the US, NL, CA, and UK

As there is no one-and-only concept on how to precisely define and establish quality control (QC) or quality assurance (QA) in the making of environmental assessments (EA), this paper presents selected features of international approaches that address quality in EA systems in the USA, the Netherlands, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Based on explanative case studies, we highlight the embedding of specific quality control features within the EA systems, the objectives and processes, and relevant transparency challenges. Such features of QC/QA approaches can be considered in cases where substantial quality control and assurance efforts are still missing. Yet further research needs to be conducted on the efficacy of these approaches, which remains beyond the scope of this study.

Development of a Web-based GIS monitoring and environmental assessment system for the Black Sea: application in the Danube Delta area.

In this paper, the development of a Web-based GIS system for the monitoring and assessment of the Black Sea is presented. The integrated multilevel system is based on the combination of terrestrial and satellite Earth observation data through the technological assets provided by innovative information tools and facilities. The key component of the system is a unified, easy to update geodatabase including a wide range of appropriately selected environmental parameters. The collection procedure of current and historical data along with the methods employed for their processing in three test areas of the current study are extensively discussed, and special attention is given to the overall design and structure of the developed geodatabase. Furthermore, the information system includes a decision support component (DSC) which allows assessment and effective management of a wide range of heterogeneous data and environmental parameters within an appropriately designed and well-tested methodology. The DSC provides simplified and straightforward results based on a classification procedure, thus contributing to a monitoring system not only for experts but for auxiliary staff as well. The examples of the system's functionality that are presented highlight its usability as well as the assistance that is provided to the decision maker. The given examples emphasize on the Danube Delta area; however, the information layers of the integrated system can be expanded in the future to cover other regions, thus contributing to the development of an environmental monitoring system for the entire Black Sea.

Information characteristics of an assessment of the compliance status of environmental friendliness of system objects

In this paper, the necessity for creating new ecological principles in terms of the theoretical analysis and practical implementation of the foundations of sustainable development, implementing a synergetic, entropy-information component in the methodological support of integrated environmental assessment system objects was justified. Supportive comprehensive assessment of environmental quality is provided in the form of integration methods of principal components and comparing identification when using diverse initial information on the characteristics of the system object. A practical application of presented proposals is considered using as an example the study of technologically loaded regional structures using monitoring information.

Characterization and environmental impact analysis of sea land reclamation activities in China

With rapid urbanization and soaring land prices, many coastal cities in China have turned their eyes to the ocean and built airports or factories on reclaimed land. However, sea land reclamation activities have brought about serious environmental impacts. This study therefore combines qualitative and quantitative information to focus on reclamation activities in China and to highlight the major impacts: eco-system damage and geological disasters, and the deterioration of marine environmental quality resulting from polluted air, water, soil, and sediment. The realized and potential environmental damages are substantial. A resultant policy recommendation is for local Chinese governments to limit land reclamation and to strengthen environmental assessment systems, especially in fragile coastal regions containing important oceanic resources such as mangroves and protected wildlife. Our study can also serve as a reference for the better management of land reclamation in densely populated coastal regions of the world.

A wireless sensor network for urban environmental health monitoring: UrbanSense

Urban areas are generators of environmental emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2), harmful air pollutants and noise, all with the potential to negatively impact the health and wellbeing of its human and non-human inhabitants. There is an urgent need to understand the characteristics of urban areas associated with variability in emissions and the potential for exposure to potential harmful environmental conditions. UrbanSense is a wireless sensor network (WSN) infrastructure designed to monitor environmental conditions at different temporal and spatial scales. The scalable infrastructure includes an extended range outdoor wireless sensing and data aggregation system, a web-based data management and visualization platform, and real-time event-based data stream integration. Sensors monitor changes in carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), noise (LAeq), as well as several meteorological conditions including wind speed and direction, temperature, relative humidity and precipitation. The implementation will provide opportunities for real-time data integration and an analysis system for environmental quality assessment, and may be realized on top of products arising from spatio-temporal (statistical) analyses and remotely-acquired data products such as satellite data. Sensor swapping and co-location with sensors from projects with different aims (traffic volume modelling and human tracking research) will add value for research in transportation planning, environmental regulation and policy and epidemiological studies focused on associations between environmental exposures and health outcomes.

Environmental performance assessment systems in the hotel industry

The present paper, which is conceptually embedded in environmental management theory, focuses on the question of monitoring and reporting environmental performance in the hotel industry. Its principal aim is to analyse the functioning, characteristics, and advantages of the performance assessment systems that are currently used in facilities belonging to international hotel chains. Specifically, the study, drawing on the content analysis technique, substantiates its claims by referring to concrete examples from the hotel industry (Scandic, Marriott International, Inter- Continental Hotel Group, Hilton Worldwide). Crucially, emphasis is placed on the practical problems related to the operation of such tools. The paper concludes by providing a number of recommendations on how to implement and run environmental performance assessment systems in hotels. In this way, it expands a fast-growing research on the practical dimension of hotel operation, thereby being of special interest to hoteliers and hotel managers.

Sustainable Building Assessment Tool in Slovakia

In recent years, the evaluation of building performance in terms of environmental, social and economic aspects has become a topic of discussion in the Slovak Republic. A new Building Environmental Assessment System (BEAS) has been developed at the Institute of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Košice. The main fields and indicators of BEAS are proposed on the base of available information analysis from particular fields and also on the base of our experimental experiences. The proposed indicators respect Slovak standards and rules. Percentage weight of fields and indicators are determined on the basic their significance, according to multi-criteria decision analysis.

Platform of integrated tools to support environmental studies and management of dredging activities

Dredging activities can cause environmental impacts due to, among other, the increase of the Suspended Solid Concentration (SSC) and their subsequent dispersion and deposition (DEP) far from the dredging point. The dynamics of the resulting dredging plume can strongly differ in spatial and temporal evolution. This evolution, for both conventional mechanical and hydraulic dredges, depends on the different mechanisms of sediment release in water column and the site-specific environmental conditions. Several numerical models are currently in use to simulate the dredging plume dynamics. Model results can be analysed to study dispersion and advection processes at different depths and distances from the dredging source. Usually, scenarios with frequent and extreme meteomarine conditions are chosen and extreme values of parameters (i.e. maximum intensity or total duration) are evaluated for environmental assessment. This paper presents a flexible, consistent and integrated methodological approach. Statistical parameters and indexes are derived from the analysis of SSC and DEP simulated time-series to numerically estimate their spatial (vertical and horizontal) and seasonal variability, thereby allowing a comparison of the effects of hydraulic and mechanical dredges. Events that exceed defined thresholds are described in term of magnitude, duration and frequency. A new integrated index combining these parameters, SSCnum, is proposed for environmental assessment. Maps representing the proposed parameters allow direct comparison of effects due to different (mechanical and hydraulic) dredges at progressive distances from the dredging zone. Results can contribute towards identification and assessment of the potential environmental effects of a proposed dredging project. A suitable evaluation of alternative technical choices, appropriate mitigation, management and monitoring measure is allowed in this framework. Environmental Risk Assessment and Decision Support Systems (DSS) may take advantage of the proposed tool. The approach is applied to a hypothetical dredging project in the Augusta Harbour (Eastern coast of Sicily Island–Italy).

우리나라 하천 환경 평가체계의 분석: 생물분야를 중심으로

우리나라 하천 환경 평가체계의 분석: 생물분야를 중심으로

Quality Control for Environmental Policy Appraisal Tools: An Empirical Investigation of Relations Between Quality, Quality Control and Effectiveness

The spectre of regulatory reform carried out in a range of Western countries has generated concern amongst parts of the environmental policy community. Quality and effectiveness are said to be at stake, but empirically there is a dearth of data on the relationship between provisions for quality control and the effects on quality and effectiveness. This research addresses this lacuna by analysing the effects of different quality control provisions in the Netherlands and Denmark for a globally institutionalized environmental appraisal tool—Environmental Assessment (EA). Extensive technical provisions for quality control in the Netherlands have led to it being described as the ‘Rolls Royce’ of EA systems, while in Denmark the polity is expected to take charge of quality control. The effects of quality control are investigated through surveys and in-depth interviews with actors centrally engaged with EA implementation. The results show that quality control provisions are poorly related to the perceived quality and effectiveness of EA. Only the appropriateness of the scope of EA reports is perceived to be strongly related to quality control provisions. The findings are relevant for environmental policy communities concerned with quality control systems and effectiveness of policy appraisal tools and policy-makers contemplating regulatory reforms.

Implementation of the expert decision system for environmental assessment in composite materials selection for automotive components

Conventional materials selection system was replaced with sophisticated software tools by rapid changing technology. The growing environmental concerns and regulations widely among the industry, especially in automobiles, force us to explore the natural fiber materials as a replacement for synthetic materials which is in common use. As a result of extensive research and development, new natural fiber reinforced composite materials are emerging and the database of materials growing exponentially. The decision of selecting optimized materials was complicated, as it involves diversified choice of materials, coupled with various influencing criteria for the selection process. To abstain from deciding inappropriate materials, the technology of expert system software tools can help us in the appropriate materials selection. The objective of this research was to explore the implementation of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) using the expert choice software tool for deciding optimum natural fiber reinforced composite materials by considering main criteria and sub-criteria in the hierarchical model. The final judgement was performed with different scenarios of sensitivity analysis, giving priority to the environmental factors and sustainability. The result shows that the natural fiber composite material hemp and polypropylene gained the higher rank in the selection process and almost compliant with the requirements of industrial product design specification and can be recommended to automotive component manufacturers to enforce green technology.

A program-level management system for the life cycle environmental and economic assessment of complex building projects

Climate change has become one of the most significant environmental issues, of which about 40% come from the building sector. In particular, complex building projects with various functions have increased, which should be managed from a program-level perspective. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a program-level management system for the life-cycle environmental and economic assessment of complex building projects. The developed system consists of three parts: (i) input part: database server and input data; (ii) analysis part: life cycle assessment and life cycle cost; and (iii) result part: microscopic analysis and macroscopic analysis. To analyze the applicability of the developed system, this study selected ‘U’ University, a complex building project consisting of research facility and residential facility. Through value engineering with experts, a total of 137 design alternatives were established. Based on these alternatives, the macroscopic analysis results were as follows: (i) at the program-level, the life-cycle environmental and economic cost in ‘U’ University were reduced by 6.22% and 2.11%, respectively; (ii) at the project-level, the life-cycle environmental and economic cost in research facility were reduced 6.01% and 1.87%, respectively; and those in residential facility, 12.01% and 3.83%, respective; and (iii) for the mechanical work at the work-type-level, the initial cost was increased 2.9%; but the operation and maintenance phase was reduced by 20.0%. As a result, the developed system can allow the facility managers to establish the operation and maintenance strategies for the environmental and economic aspects from a program-level perspective.

A comparative study of environmental performance between prefabricated and traditional residential buildings in China

Prefabrication technology has been heavily promoted by the Chinese government due to its potential to improve construction quality and productivity. However, there is an urgent need to assess the environmental performance of prefabrication technology to identify whether it is an effective method that is conducive to sustainable development. This study considered two typical residential projects using the two technologies to conduct a fair comparison between prefabrication technology and cast-in-situ technology. Various measuring methods, including content analysis, face-to-face interviews and on-site measurements, were used for data collection. Environmental impact (EI) categories selected for the study included resource depletion, energy consumption and construction waste discharge. Two life cycle assessment (LCA)-based models, the construction environmental performance assessment system (CEPAS) and the building health impact assessment system (BHIAS), were integrated to measure the EI of the two construction technologies based on three damage categories, namely, ecosystem damage, resource depletion and health damage. Finally, social willingness to pay (WTP) was applied to integrate the damage categories for comparisons. The results indicated that the sample prefabricated residential building (PRB) construction was more efficient in energy use, with a 20.49% reduction in total consumption compared to the sample traditional residential building (TRB) construction. The use of prefabrication demonstrated a certain degree of advantages in EI, including a 35.82% reduction in resource depletion, a 6.61% reduction in health damage and a 3.47% reduction in ecosystem damage. Prefabrication technology was more environmentally friendly because of its advantages in reducing damage to the environment compared with traditional cast-in-situ construction technology.

한국과 홍콩의 공동주택 친환경 인증제도의 비교분석 연구

In line with the recent public concern on the environmental issues in building industry, there has been a rise in demand for a healthy, sustainable housing environment in South Korea. In order to achieve a healthy environment in residential buildings, considerable efforts have been made in a wide range of sectors. Among others, the development of the certification schemes to promote environment-friendly planning and building construction is remarkable. In urban South Korea, recently built houses tend to be significantly high-rise, high-density buildings. Global warming has brought about drastic climate change and continued to increase the average annual temperature year by year. These changes should be well reflected on the government's implementation of the building environmental assessment system. For guidance, therefore, this study looks to the case of Hong Kong which is well known for high-density housing development and subtropical climate conditions. It compares the features of the green building certification schemes for newly developed multifamily housing in two regions, namely HK-BEAM in Hong Kong and G-SEED in South Korea. Based on the findings, it argues that the G-SEED implementor should have expanded roles in providing training programs and follow-up services in collaboration with the certification authorities. It is also argued that G-SEED professionals should be involved in the early stages of design processes, and training programs and licence systems to produce green building professionals should be developed. Finally, it points out that the assessment indicators should be more detailed and diversified.

Understanding green and sustainable construction in Lagos, Nigeria: Principles, attributes and framework

The research examined the concepts, principles and attributes in understanding sustainable and green construction as well as current practices and challenges in Lagos, Nigeria using both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. The sample frame is the total number of built industries registered and practising professionals in Lagos. A total number of 85 respondents were randomly selected for study from each group. A 5-point likert scale was used to assess respondents’ judgement on the identified social, economic, bio-physical and technical indicators. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were also conducted with professional groups to corroborate the primary information. For a wider coverage, three different construction sites were selected to reflect income neighbourhoods-Lekki (high income), Yaba (medium income) and Bariga (low income). Data Collected were analysed using the mean item score. A multi- stage framework based on environmental assessment and management systems for construction projects was utilised. Research findings indicate that the most important factors considered for sustainable construction with their mean item scores are quality of working conditions (0.852), strengthening and enforcement of relevant laws and regulations (0.872), encouraging construction waste management (0.819), and design for flexibility and adaptability. Results from the FGDs indicate that the current practice on sustainable construction does not take into consideration integrated design process, acoustic and visual comfort in the planning and construction of sustainable projects. The research therefore, concludes that government should improve existing laws to enhance quality of working life, education, training as well as knowledge management for all stakeholders in sustainable construction. Key Words : Sustainable construction, Green construction, Construction industry, Framework

RATING OF INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IN SYSTEMS OF SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT OF BUILDINGS

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) has an important impact on health and wellbeing of building users. In order to maintain an acceptable IEQ, policies, strategies and guidelines on achieving the required IEQ have been developed. Control and evaluation of indoor air factors is needed for ensuring the sufficient air quality. Impact of emmisions from building materials, furnishings and HVAC systems to indoor air quality should be included in the assessment of indoor environmental quality. In many systems for sustainability assessment of buildings is put a great emphasis on indoor environmental quality. This paper provides an overview of sustainability assessment systems for rating of indoor environmental quality. The criteria included in LEED, BREEAM and other well known systems for assessment of indoor environmental quality are presented. Building environmental assessment system (BEAS) developed for application in Slovakia is also introduced. Worldwide used rating systems were based on the development of BEAS. This is multi-criteria system contained six main fields such as site selection and project planning; building construction; indoor environment; energy performance; water and waste management. System consist from 53 indicators of assessment.

国外战略环境影响评价制度的借鉴意义

战略环境影响评价制度克服了传统的建设项目环境影响评价制度的不足之处。考察美国、日本和瑞典的战略环境影响评价制度和特点，研究借鉴国外战略环境影响评价相关制度的先进经验，对我国战略环境影响评价制度尚待完善的不足方面提出相应的改进建议。 Strategic environmental impact assessment system overcomes the inadequacies of the traditional construction project environmental impact assessment system. Investigating the strategic environmental assessment system and characteristics of the United States, Japan and Sweden, we comparatively studied the advanced experience of the foreign strategic environmental assessment system, and made the appropriate recommendations and suggestions for the deficiencies of China’s current strategic environmental impact assessment system.