Environmental Pollution Index Research Articles

Environmental performance and policy regimes: Explaining variations in 18 OECD-countries

Although we are witnessing an increasing interest in the comparative study of environmental pollution in the social sciences, there is sharp disagreement over how the state of the environment and the changes in recent decades should be assessed. Furthermore, the debate on environmental policy has no conceptual focus on societal development. Therefore, the article presents, on the one hand, an index of environmental pollution that integrates the levels of pollution in 1990 and their changes in the 1980s, and, on the other hand, an index that incorporates the ideological aspects of social development. Using this distinction it is possible to identify different paths of societal development in 18 OECD countries. The final part of the article explores various structural, economic, institutional and political characteristics which may be used to explain the different outcomes. The results show that institutional factors are important for a successful environmental performance. However, when it comes to change in policy regime the degree of mobilization of ecological movements and parties is essential.

Vicia faba as a bioindicator of oil pollution

In 1990, the Gulf War caused an unprecedented environmental catastrophe. More than 700 oil wells were set on fire, emitting thousands of tons of oxides of nitrogen, sulfur, soot and oil mist at high temperatures. The blazing oil wells and lakes were the major cause of environmental pollution, damaging flora and fauna throughout Kuwait and the surrounding region. We set up this study in order to investigate whether Vicia faba could be used as a bioindicator of oil pollution. Growth parameters of Vicia faba, such as levels of photosynthetic pigments, proteins, free amino acids, phenols, sugars, biomass, moisture and fatty acids, were studied. Levels of total reducible sugars, phenols, proteins, free amino acids and proline were found to be higher in plants grown in hydrocarbon-polluted soil, compared to those grown in control soil. However, biomass, moisture, pheophytin, the 435/415 nm ratio for chlorophylls and the chlorophyll a/carotenoid ratio, were higher in the plants grown in control soil than those grown in polluted soil. Our results indicate that Vicia faba can be used as a bioindicator of pollution and a ratio of the fatty acid C 20:1 C 18:1 is an important index of environmental oil pollution.

Annual variation of selected trace etals in freshwater lake fish,Abeo Rohita,as an index of nvironmental pollution

Annual variations in the concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and Hg in fish Labeo rohita from Rawal Lake, Pakistan, are reported. The results are reported on mean annual basis, along with statistical parameters such as variance, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis. Mathematical correlation coefficients between pairs of metals are reported at significant level of r = 0.468 (p = 0.000). Maximum concentration was found in the case of Zn (4.807 μg/g, wet weight) and the minimum for Cd (0.003 μg/g, wet weight). Some spurious concentration episodes for Ni, Cr, Cu and As were identified and explained in terms of probable anthropogenic sources. The study revealed that fish alone could not be used as a sole index of environmental pollution and there was a need to include the sediment‐water link to this effect.

Congenital malformations and the environment.

The aim of the work was to search for the correlation between the environmental pollution and the ratio of congenital malformations found in the population of 54,493 newborn infants of three Silesian towns: Bielsko-Biała (situated in the mountains, close to a recreation part of the country), Bytom (situated in the center of an old industrial district, where industry is responsible for very high environmental pollution), and Tarnowskie Góry (situated close to vast woodlands, where very high environmental concentration of heavy metals is caused by an outdated, big zinc plant). In spite of big differences of environmental pollution indices between the three towns, the percentage of major congenital malformations diagnosed within the first three days of extrauterine life was almost identical (1.12% in Bielsko-Biała, 1.3% in Bytom, and 1.1% in Tarnowskie Góry).

Superficial accumulation of heavy metals in near shore marine sediments: an objective index of environmental pollution.

Superficial accumulation of heavy metals in near shore marine sediments: an objective index of environmental pollution.

Mercury in feathers of wild birds from the mercury - polluted area along the shore of the Shiranui Sea, Japan

Total mercury content in the feathers of 95 stuffed, wild birds collected all over the shore of the Shiranui Sea (where Minamata disease occurred in many towns and villages in the 1960's) was measured. They were collected over 25 years, from 1955 to 1980. They showed relatively high mercury levels till the late 1970's, although drainage of waste water containing methylmercury from the Chisso Corporation's Minamata Factory was stopped in 1968. In addition, a strong correlation between feeding habits and mercury content was observed; thus the five groups in order of diminishing mercury content were: fish-eating sea birds (mean ± SD = 7.1 ± 3.7 ppm, n = 14), omnivorous water fowl (5.5 ± 5.6 ppm, n = 17), predatory birds (3.6 ± 2.9 ppm, n = 16), omnivorous terrestrial birds (1.5 ± 1.2 ppm, n = 31), and herbivorous water fowl (0.9 ± 0.4 ppm, n = 17). Mercury content of the feathers of omnivorous terrestrial birds in the Shiranui Sea was exceedingly high compared with those in China and Korea. The findings in the present study suggest that stuffed, wild birds may be a good index of past environmental pollution.

An entropy model of environmental pollution and economic growth

Entropy or its equivalent is adopted as an index of environmental pollution. The problems of environmental pollution and economic growth are related to produce an optimization problem. The existence of an optimal program is shown and some properties of the program are made clear. The properties of the optimal program show that the level of individual welfare cannot increase unless we try to expand the economy by technological innovation or to reduce the population.

A Numerical Study of the Concentration of Some Heavy Metals in Tasmanian Oysters

Inferential techniques of numerical classification and principal coordinate analysis have been used to interpret data obtained on the Zn, Cd, and Cu concentration of 48 samples of oysters, comprising 473 individuals, grown at a variety of places around the Tasmanian coastline. A close association was obtained between proximity to heavily urbanized areas and concentration of metals found, oysters growing nearest urban areas having the highest concentrations of one or more of the metals. It appears that areas for commercial oyster growing should be sought in regions far from centers of urbanization and industrialization. Examination of samples of native oysters could be useful in providing an index or measure of environmental pollution.