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Pan, Jilang. "Environmental risk assessment of inorganic chemicals in mining environment." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/5641.
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Mining is one of the human‟s earliest industrial activities. Indeed early civilizations such as the Bronze Age and Iron Age are named according to their use of metals; the importance of metals is still central to industrialization and urbanization. The enormous quantities of mine waste and tailings generated by mining every year however, are also of concern. The relocation and removal of large quantities of mineral and waste can also release chemicals into the environment especially surface water, groundwater and soil during the mining lifecycle if good mining engineering and mitigation are not performed. To optimise this risk management based on excellent risk analysis is required. The study analysed the mining life cycle, chemicals in the mining environment, current regulations on chemicals in the environment and the development of environmental risk assessment framework with particular focus on the inorganic substances. Chemicals in the mining environment were then grouped into a) the minor constituents of the ore deposits; b) chemicals used in mining such as explosives, leaching chemicals and froth flotation reagents. c) chemicals generated by mining, milling and smelting including Acid mine drainage (AMD) and emissions from smelting and refining. The natural and anthropogenic sources, potential pathways to environmental and human receptors and the implications on human health of key toxic metals and metalloids in the mining context were then evaluated. A new two-tier risk assessment was developed based on the four-step conventional risk assessment framework by the U.S.National Research Council (NRC). Tier 1 involved analysing and evaluating existing data using two new semi-quantitative risk screening and prioritisation procedures, namely Chemicals of Greatest Concern (CGC) and Media of Greatest Concern (MGC). CGC was developed using specific hazardous properties of the inorganic chemicals and their eco-toxicities in the environment. MGC was a system of decomposition using a combination of various decision-making tools such as Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) and Hierarchical holographic modelling (HHM) to facilitate hazard identification and assessment. Tier 2 involved quantitative toxicity assessment, exposure assessment and risk characterisation which were used to quantify the total risk to human health using Monte Carlo simulations (MCS). The tiered risk-based approach developed was evaluated using three cases studies, viz, the Rustenburg platinum (Pt) mine, South Africa; the Lisheen lead (Pb) – zinc (Zn) mine, Ireland and the Richmond copper (Cu) smelter. The results from them were evaluated and compared as a basis for Anglo American plc‟s global strategic decision making. Finally, the strengths and weakness of the methodology developed were evaluated in relation to the application at current operational level. Future methodology refinement and incorporation of organic chemicals were also discussed.
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Wolahan, Mollye A. (Mollye Ann) 1967. "Environmental risk assessment in financial institutions." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/70723.
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Thesis (M.C.P. and S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1999.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-54).
Have the environmental risk assessment policies and procedures instituted by banks been successful in promoting the welfare of the environment? Have these policies and procedures succeeded in protecting banks from environment related liability? This thesis examines the impact of environmental risk management processes on the lending practices of banks. It also evaluates the success of these processes in achieving the goals for which they were implemented. In underwriting environmental risk, financial institutions are primarily concerned with the degree to which they are exposed to liability for the cleanup of a collateralized property. Through this thesis research, it was found that bank lending practices do not address issues of environmental sustainability, such as product and building design, and air and land quality. These issues of environmental sustainability are indirect factors that are not given much weight by the banks since banks are concerned about the direct risk factor of liability. There are three reasons why the lending policies of banks are narrowly focused on direct liability risks: (1) the creation of unlimited liability for banks by federal legislation (2) the focus of banking regulations on this liability and (3) the short time frame that banks use in their credit models. The findings of this research show that banks still have significant sources of direct environmental risk. The regulatory system that has defined the environmental risk factors for banks has proven itself inefficient. Based on the cases presented in this thesis, banks have not decreased the contamination of the properties held in the portfolios. The banks have responded to this regulatory environment by insulating themselves against liability risk. The regulatory environment has created a dead-weight loss to the banking system, where the banks incur costs for addressing environmental liability risk, yet there is little increased benefit to society. A question that arises in reviewing these findings is: if banks are afraid to lend to environmentally contaminated properties because of liability concerns, why haven't other players stepped in fill this void by charging more to the borrowers of these potentially contaminated sites? Other areas of the economy have segmented in reaction to this type of market failure. For example, there is a lending market that targets homeowners who need credit but who have poor credit histories. Why does the market for high-risk environmental loans remain undifferentiated? While the limits of this study preclude offering a comprehensive answer to this question, the initial findings of this study do provide insight and guidelines for further research.
by Mollye A. Wolahan.
M.C.P.and S.M.
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Crabtree, Kristina Dawn 1968. "Risk assessment of viruses in water." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/290659.
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The human health significance of waterborne viruses has previously relied on epidemiological data from documented waterborne outbreaks. It is difficult, however, to assess the risks involved to individuals and communities from exposure to low levels of contamination. Risk assessment is a useful tool in the interpretation of water quality data and can be used to better understand the significance of exposure to low-level contamination of viruses in water. Microbial risk assessment was applied to determine the risks associated with environmental exposure to waterborne coxsackievirus and adenovirus. Annual risks of infection for drinking water were determined to be as high as 10⁻¹ for both coxsackievirus and adenovirus at exposure levels of 0.13 PFU/l and 0.001 IU/l, respectively. A comprehensive cost-of-illness analysis was conducted for three waterborne viruses--Norwalk virus, rotavirus, and non-polio enterovirus--to determine the economic impact of waterborne viruses in the United States. Annual medical costs and productivity losses were estimated in 1993 dollars using actual outbreak information and data from epidemiological studies. It was estimated that $1.1 to $6.9 billion is spent each year in the United States due to these viral illnesses, with potentially $0.39 to $2.4 billion attributable to water. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has initiated the Information Collection Rule (ICR) in which water utilities serving >100,000 people will be required to collect data on the concentrations of specific microorganisms in source and finished water beginning in 1997. Selected water utilities will be required to archive water samples for possible further viral analyses. A risk assessment approach was undertaken to determine which virus would be appropriate for the analyses of the archived water samples. The following viruses were selected based on the nature of the different diseases associated with each, their occurrence in waterborne outbreaks, and their resistance to inactivation by disinfectants: rotavirus, coxsackievirus, hepatitis A virus, adenovirus, Norwalk and Norwalk-like viruses, astrovirus, and hepatitis E virus. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the recommended detection method. The results of these analyses will provide both a database on the occurrence of these viruses in water as well as their susceptibility to water treatment.
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Essiam, Albert K. "Risk assessment for contaiminated sites." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/11555.
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Khilyuk, L. F., and S. M. Krasnitskiy. "Application of risk-assessment methods in environmental problems." Thesis, Київський національний університет технологій та дизайну, 2020. https://er.knutd.edu.ua/handle/123456789/16507.
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Lukhele, Nomagugu Precious. "Site-specific environmental risk assessment for phosphorus runoff." Thesis, University of Limpopo, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/1291.
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Thesis (MSc. Agriculture (Soil Science)) -- University of Limpopo, 2014Phosphorus (P) runoff from agricultural sites and the subsequent loading into surface water bodies contribute to eutrophication. Environmental concerns associated with P loading in soil have motivated the need for the development of a proper tool that will allow farmers to identify agricultural areas or management practices that have the greatest potential to accelerate eutrophication. The objective of the study was to determine the spatial variability of soil test P, soil loss potential of the farm, P application rate and methods, and map P runoff risk across the field. This study was conducted in Vierfontein Boerdery in Kriel, Mpumalanga province, South Africa (longitude 29.11258833 and latitude -26.27104340). The field was under dryland cultivation and planted to yellow maize that was rotated with soybeans. Soil samples were taken at georeferenced locations in a 100 x 100 m grid for soil analysis. Spatial layers of soil P distribution, soil loss potential as well as application rate and method were created in ArcGIS software. These layers were used as input factors in a P index model to identify areas in the farm that are vulnerable to P runoff. Results indicated a variation in soil test P. Although soil test P variation was not statistically different at P≤0.05, variation had both agronomic and environmental implications. This variation could be attributed to differences in site-specific conditions and management practices. Furthermore, soil loss potential across the study site predicted by the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) showed variation with a range of 3-15 tons/ha/yr. This variation was attributed to differences in topographic variations in the study site. There is a need for best management practices that control soil erosion to minimize P runoff into water bodies. KEYWORDS: Eutrophication, Geographic Information System, Phosphorus best management practises, Phosphorus runoff index, Soil erosion, Site-specific management.
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Laituri, Melinda Jean. "Risk, equity and environment: A methodology for conducting an Environmental Equity Assessment." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/186147.
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This dissertation examines the relationship between risk and equity as manifested in the environment--in particular, what is the relationship of risk to social, political and economic processes. To accomplish this, I have developed a methodology, an Environmental Equity Assessment (EEA), by which to examine disproportionate impacts of environmental stress. This research acknowledges the fact that problems of environmental pollution are linked not only to business and industry practices but to issues of social justice. This dissertation is designed to contribute to a better understanding of the relationships between risk and equity, environmental philosophy and social justice, and to devise alternative methods to define and analyze risk, and help create equitable policy options and considerations. The methodology is applied to a case study related to water quality in Tucson, Arizona. The case study is primarily illustrative; it brings into focus the relationship between risk, equity and environment, providing a venue for the implementation of an Environmental Equity Assessment (EEA).
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Filipsson, Monika. "Uncertainty, variability and environmental risk analysis." Doctoral thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för naturvetenskap, NV, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-11193.
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The negative effects of hazardous substances and possible measures that can be taken are evaluated in the environmental risk analysis process, consisting of risk assessment, risk communication and risk management. Uncertainty due to lack of knowledge and natural variability are always present in this process. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate some tools as well as discuss the management of uncertainty and variability, as it is necessary to treat them both in a reliable and transparent way to gain regulatory acceptance in decision making. The catalytic effects of various metals on the formation of chlorinated aromatic compounds during the heating of fly ash were investigated (paper I). Copper showed a positive catalytic effect, while cobalt, chromium and vanadium showed a catalytic effect for degradation. Knowledge of the catalytic effects may facilitate the choice and design of combustion processes to decrease emissions, but it also provides valuable information to identify and characterize the hazard. Exposure factors of importance in risk assessment (physiological parameters, time use factors and food consumption) were collected and evaluated (paper II). Interindividual variability was characterized by mean, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis and multiple percentiles, while uncertainty in these parameters was estimated with confidence intervals. How these statistical parameters can be applied was shown in two exposure assessments (papers III and IV). Probability bounds analysis was used as a probabilistic approach, which enables separate propagation of uncertainty and variability even in cases where the availability of data is limited. In paper III it was determined that the exposure cannot be expected to cause any negative health effects for recreational users of a public bathing place. Paper IV concluded that the uncertainty interval in the estimated exposure increased when accounting for possible changes in climate-sensitive model variables. Risk managers often need to rely on precaution and an increased uncertainty may therefore have implications for risk management decisions. Paper V focuses on risk management and a questionnaire was sent to employees at all Swedish County Administrative Boards working with contaminated land. It was concluded that the gender, age and work experience of the employees, as well as the funding source of the risk assessment, all have an impact on the reviewing of risk assessments. Gender was the most significant factor, and it also affected the perception of knowledge.Negativa effekter orsakade av skadliga ämnen och möjliga åtgärder bedöms och utvärderas i en miljöriskanalys, som kan delas i riskbedömning, riskkommunikation och riskhantering. Osäkerhet som beror på kunskapsbrist samt naturlig variabilitet finns alltid närvarande i denna process. Syftet med avhandlingen är att utvärdera några tillvägagångssätt samt diskutera hur osäkerhet och variabilitet hanteras då det är nödvändigt att båda hanteras trovärdigt och transparent för att riskbedömningen ska vara användbar för beslutsfattande. Metallers katalytiska effekt på bildning av klorerade aromatiska ämnen under upphettning av flygaska undersöktes (artikel I). Koppar visade en positiv katalytisk effekt medan kobolt, krom och vanadin istället katalyserade nedbrytningen. Kunskap om katalytisk potential för bildning av skadliga ämnen är viktigt vid val och design av förbränningsprocesser för att minska utsläppen, men det är också ett exempel på hur en fara kan identifieras och karaktäriseras. Information om exponeringsfaktorer som är viktiga i riskbedömning (fysiologiska parametrar, tidsanvändning och livsmedelskonsumtion) samlades in och analyserades (artikel II). Interindividuell variabilitet karaktäriserades av medel, standardavvikelse, skevhet, kurtosis (toppighet) och multipla percentiler medan osäkerhet i dessa parametrar skattades med konfidensintervall. Hur dessa statistiska parametrar kan tillämpas i exponeringsbedömningar visas i artikel III och IV. Probability bounds analysis användes som probabilistisk metod, vilket gör det möjligt att separera osäkerhet och variabilitet i bedömningen även när tillgången på data är begränsad. Exponeringsbedömningen i artikel III visade att vid nu rådande föroreningshalter i sediment i en badsjö så medför inte bad någon hälsofara. I artikel IV visades att osäkerhetsintervallet i den skattade exponeringen ökar när hänsyn tas till förändringar i klimatkänsliga modellvariabler. Riskhanterare måste ta hänsyn till försiktighetsprincipen och en ökad osäkerhet kan därmed få konsekvenser för riskhanteringsbesluten. Artikel V fokuserar på riskhantering och en enkät skickades till alla anställda som arbetar med förorenad mark på länsstyrelserna i Sverige. Det konstaterades att anställdas kön, ålder och erfarenhet har en inverkan på granskningsprocessen av riskbedömningar. Kön var den mest signifikanta variabeln, vilken också påverkade perceptionen av kunskap. Skillnader i de anställdas svar kunde också ses beroende på om riskbedömningen finansierades av statliga bidrag eller av en ansvarig verksamhetsutövare.
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Duan, Hongxia. "Social process of environmental risk perception, preferences of risk management and public participation in decision making a cross-cultural study between the United States and China /." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1133463917.
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Morris, Jane Fiona. "Risk assessment of contaminated land." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.326527.
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Pokhrel, Lok R., and Phillip R. Scheuerman. "Ecological Risk Assessment of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2012. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2962.
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Pokhrel, Lok R., Brajesh Dubey, and Phillip R. Scheuerman. "Ecological Risk Assessment of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2012. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2951.
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Albering, Harmina Jannette. "Environmental health risk assessment evaluation of some default assumptions /." [Maastricht : Maastricht : Universiteit Maastricht] ; University Library, Maastricht University [Host], 1998. http://arno.unimaas.nl/show.cgi?fid=8395.
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Arbaban, Esfahani Elham. "Environmental Risk Assessment of Nonylphenol Spillage in Göta Älv." Thesis, Högskolan i Borås, Institutionen Ingenjörshögskolan, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hb:diva-19077.
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Environmental concern due to handling of hazardous chemicals is growing. This issue drawsstakeholder attentions more than before to risks associated with accidental spillage in industryor traffic. This study aims at addressing the risks resulting from the spillage of one metrictonne nonylphenol from an imaginary traffic accident.The environmental risk assessment approach outlined in this study attempts to address theconcern for the potential impact of hazardous substances on the environment by examiningboth exposures and effects of such incidents on the structure and function of the ecosystem.Nonylphenol has been selected as the discharged contaminant in this thesis for these reasons.It is an organic liquid with low vapour pressure. It is not produced in Sweden. About 2400tonnes are imported yearly. It is mainly used for making nonylphenol ethoxylates, which havea wide use as detergents, emulsifiers, lubricants and additives in a variety of industries. It isreleased from the ethoxylates in waste water. There are some published reports on its toxicityas well as endocrine property to species.In this study the exposure concentrations are predicted through developing a multimedia fateexposuremodel for the Göta älv fresh water ecosystem. It is a dynamic version of QMXfugacitymodel applicable for river basins. This fate model is integrated with a simplified foodweb model in order to quantify the extent of nonylphenol concentration in organisms.Moreover the dose response correlation derived from the most validated experimental studiesis utilized to estimate Predicted No Effect Concentration for aquatic ecosystem.The probability of accidental spillage of nonylphenol is extremely low and is not part of thisstudy. On the other hand the consequence of spillage affecting the ecosystem is treated fromseveral aspects, mainly by using the PEC/PNEC ratio. In the aquatic ecosystem pelagic (freewater) and benthic (bottom zone) organisms are studied.Estimated risk concerning the spillage suggests that acute toxicity among pelagic organisms isplausible up river especially in the Trollhättan region. However sub-lethal effects such asreproduction and growth inhibition will probably be observed all along the river with mostconcern in up river. In the sediment phase the benthic organisms are shown to be put at riskfor a prolonged period of time and organisms may suffer from chronic toxicity. In addition thesediment acts as a sink for contaminant with potential release of the hazardous substance.However, it is difficult to predict a full extent of adverse consequences. But it seems that sublethaleffects on benthos and consequent side effects on other populations should beconcluded as the most important direct consequence of a nonylphenol spillage.Uppsatsnivå: D
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Walker, Samantha Dawn. "Environmental risk assessment and human pharmaceuticals : limitations and future improvements." Thesis, University of Westminster, 2012. https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/8z9vw/environmental-risk-assessment-and-human-pharmaceuticals-limitations-and-future-improvements.
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A cocktail of human pharmaceuticals contaminate surface waters worldwide in the ng-μgl-1 range. Adverse effects on non target organisms including endocrine disruption and alterations in behaviour and growth have been reported. All new pharmaceuticals require an environmental risk assessment (ERA) prior to market authorisation. The aims for this research were to (1) assess the limitations of the current ERA by comparing crude and refined predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) used in ERAs with measured environmental concentrations (MECs) from the literature; (2) interview key people working in the field of risk assessment and ecotoxicology of pharmaceuticals in order to establish expert opinion in the area; (3) to establish whether bioinformatics databases can be used as a potential tool to aid ecotoxicological tests for use in ERAs. The scientific literature was data mined for environmental concentration data and compared with calculated PECs for ten pharmaceuticals carbamazepine, diclofenac, 17α ethinyl estradiol, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, paracetamol, propranolol, tamoxifen and Trimethoprim. An engagement exercise through questionnaire based interviews with representatives of regulatory bodies, water companies and pharmaceutical companies as well as academics involved in ecotoxicology was undertaken to establish experts’ views on pharmaceutical risk assessment and management. A genomic search for human drug target homologues in aquatic species for the ten selected pharmaceuticals was undertaken. Molecular docking experiments on two pharmaceuticals, diclofenac and ibuprofen were carried out for human drug target homologues in Daphnia pulex, (water flea) Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout), Salmo salar (Atlantic salmon) and Danio rerio (zebra fish). The current environmental risk assessment may be insufficient to protect the aquatic environment. PECs can underestimate MECs due to the simplicity of the calculations and the assumptions underpinning them. The interviewees regarded the exposure assessment of the ERA including the PEC calculation as inaccurate and recommended using exposure modelling computer software as a potential solution. The bulk of the scientific literature had substantial deficiencies in the reporting of environmental data; setting reporting standards for peer reviewed journals may make such data more useful for regulators and policy makers. Interviewees felt that the current ecotoxicity tests would benefit from a more intelligent approach incorporating the mode of action of the drug. The bioinformatics results show that protein drug targets are highly conserved in some aquatic organisms but not others. The molecular docking results indicate that the cyclooxygenase (COX 2) primary drug target homologues are probably functional in O.mykiss, S.salar and D.rerio but not D.pulex. It appears from this data that bioinformatics and molecular docking indeed may be a useful tool to aid ecotoxicology tests by informing choice on relevant chronic test endpoints and directing sensitive species selection. Such techniques might contribute to more appropriately targeted ecotoxicity testing. Interviewees felt that the 10 ngl-1 action limit was an inappropriate mechanism to trigger ecotoxicological tests. The pharmaceuticals data analysis shows that many existing pharmaceuticals regularly exceed the 10 ngl-1 action limit for ecotoxicological assessment. A system of prioritisation is required to assess the need for retrospective risk assessment of these medicines. This thesis provides an original analysis of the current environmental risk assessment of human pharmaceuticals and makes recommendations for improvements. A novel application of molecular docking utilizing the mode of action of the pharmaceutical has the potential to aid and direct ecotoxicological tests.
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Bell, Marnie A. (Marnie Allison) 1977, and Beth A. 1977 Manoogian. "Site and risk assessment in Providence, RI." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/80638.
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Thesis (M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2000."June 2000."
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-88).
by Marnie A. Bell and Beth A. Manoogian.
M.Eng.
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Salter, Edward Robert Edmund. "Holistic environmental assessment of oil and gas field development." Thesis, Heriot-Watt University, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10399/1228.
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This study has developed a new life-of-field, goal orientated process of analysis called Holistic Environmental Assessment (HEA). HEA assesses the total environmental risk associated with a proposed oil and gas field development. It prioritises environmental risks and identifies cost effective strategies to reduce them. For the first time the process was applied to a real 'case study' field development programme to test its effectiveness. The application identified that it is a useful tool to help design eco-efficient and costeffective oil and gas field developments. Furthermore, it was discovered that much of the information required by HEA could be obtained in a quick and user-friendly format. The new assessment process was developed after a review of the interaction of the offshore oil and gas industry with the environment, and techniques employed to evaluate this interaction. The review identified that the industry interacts with the environment in a number of different ways, and that the level of interaction transgresses the boundaries of sea, air and land locally, regionally and internationally. Legislation and public concern demand no damage to the environment from offshore oil and gas field exploration and development. UK environmental legislation and people's expectations for environmental performance are in a state of change. This change, coupled with the uncertainty over how resilient the environment is to perturbation, and the increasing risk of environmental liability presents a need for operators to clearly manage environmental information and assess total environmental risk. It was discovered that Environmental Assessment, Lifecycle Analysis and Cost Benefit Analysis, when used separately, failed to assess total environmental risk, but when used in combination under the HEA process could. Many organisations, such as the British Medical Association, European Oilfield Speciality Chemicals Association, the Royal Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (Norway) and Shell Expro, now recognise that a holistic approach is essential to assess total environmental risk. The author proposes that HEA would be effective as a software tool to analyse different environmental risk mitigation systems. This would facilitate the identification of a system that steers an operator towards the triple bottom line of Sustainable Development.
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Newbury, Brian. "Integrated health, safety and environmental management systems." Thesis, University of South Wales, 2000. https://pure.southwales.ac.uk/en/studentthesis/integrated-health-safety-and-environmental-management-systems(6a947bb5-bda0-4466-9cb6-f02ad514cb9a).html.
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The continued rise in accident and ill health statistics throughout the member states of the European Union indicate that the standards of occupational health, safety and environmental control require further improvement to minimise the current level of loss. Management systems are regarded as an effective means of reducing this loss by continuously improving standards. Whilst there is much discussion and debate about the possibilities of integrating management systems, at present, there are no national or international published integrated management standards, although some multi-national companies have introduced their own internal integrated standards. The research explored the development of an integrated health, safety and environmental (HSE) management system within a range of industrial organisations. This included the development of tools for successful implementation of integrated systems, specifically for significance review, risk assessment and auditing. Resources and accreditation constraints precluded exhaustive testing of all clauses within the proposed integrated management standard. However, analysis of key aspects of the standard revealed: 1. The introduction and use of separate health, safety and environmental (HSE) management systems improved the standards of risk control within organisations. 2. Organisations perceived that there were clear business advantages in some form of integration of existing standards. 3. The developed integrated HSE standard was technically possible in the area of policy development, process operations, working instructions and documentation. However, the integration of risk assessment and audit tools gave limited advantages compared to existing separate systems. 4. The proposed integrated HSE standard complied with both individual European member states national legislative requirements and European/World-wide management standard criteria. In summary this thesis represents an original contribution to the field of integrated management systems. The thesis also identifies areas of further work that will increase the knowledge base, scope of application of the work carried out.
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Pizzol, Lisa <1978>. "Spatial and regional risk assessment in decision support systems for environmental risk management." Doctoral thesis, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10579/1001.
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Environmental risks are traditionally assessed and presented in non spatial ways although the spatial relations between the risk assessment components and the spatial distribution of the risk assessment variables strongly influence exposure estimations and hence risks. According to the scale of the problem, two different spatial risk assessments approaches can be identified: site-specific spatial risk assessment and regional risk assessment. In the present Ph.D. thesis the first approach applies geostatistic interpolation methods for mapping the distribution of contaminants concentration in order to support the risk-based zoning of the site. It was implemented in DESYRE (DEcision Support sYstem for the REqualification of contaminated sites) and applied to the Porto Marghera case study. At regional scale, an innovative methodology integrating a relative risk approach and spatial analysis was developed to select sites at regional scale where a preliminary soil investigation is required first. It was implemented in SYRIADE (Spatial decision support sYstem for Regional rIsk Assessment of DEgraded land) and applied to the Upper Silesia case-study.Tradizionalmente nella valutazione dei rischi per l’uomo e per l’ambiente, le relazioni spaziali tra le componenti dell’analisi di rischio e la distribuzione spaziale delle variabili coinvolte non vengono adeguatamente considerate, sebbene esse influiscono sulla valutazione dell’esposizione e quindi del rischio. In base alla scala di analisi, si possono identificare due approcci di analisi di rischio (AR): l’AR spaziale sito-specifica e l’AR regionale. Nella presente tesi di dottorato è stata sviluppata una procedura di AR spaziale sito-specifica che utilizza metodi di interpolazione spaziale per ottenere delle mappe di distribuzione della contaminazione al fine di supportare la zonizzazione del sito sulla base dei livelli di rischio. A scala regionale è stata sviluppata una metodologia innovativa che integra un approccio di AR relativo con analisi spaziali, per selezionare i siti dove le attività di caratterizzazione sono urgentemente richieste. Le due metodologie sono state implementate rispettivamente in DESYRE (DEcision Support sYstem for the REqualification of contaminated sites) e in SYRIADE (Spatial decision support sYstem for Regional rIsk Assessment of DEgraded land) e applicate al sito di Porto Marghera e alla regione dell’Upper Silesia.
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Assarsson, Karin. "Environmental exposure assessment of metals from reclaimed land in Halmstad harbour : Sweden Part of an environmental risk assessment." Thesis, Högskolan i Halmstad, Miljövetenskap, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-28829.
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The harbour land fill in Halmstad has been described in the news as one of the most polluted areas in Halland County based on the a survey from the Swedish environmental protection agency. In order to identify the extent and severity of the situation several environmental investigations have been performed in this area. This report is based on available data from investigations and environmental reports from WSP, Höganäs AB, HEM and Halmstad municipality. This investigation focus on an “Area C” within the land fill where the main land fill material is i.a. slag from a steel work, construction waste, dredge spoil, waste from glass production and a casting shop. Of these material the focus have been on the metal rich slag from the steel work and its possible environmental impact. The environmental exposure of Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, Zn, Ni, Mo and V have been calculated as an annual load from Area C. Unfortunately the data available for this investigation has not been complete, e.g. slag concentration data with corresponding leachate data was only obtained for one year. The groundwater data and land fill metal concentrations have been measured only once. This made it impossible to investigate e.g. annual variations like ageing effects of the material or weather variations, variation in the properties of the deposed slag material and statistical significance in differences could not be calculated. Further characterisation of the land fill would be worthwhile in order to be able to draw some conclusions. Calculations of the environmental load has been performed based on concentration in the slag, the land fill, the leachate data of the slag and groundwater concentrations. A model has been developed to calculate the weighted land fill metal concentration. The partitioning coefficient, Kd; between soil and liquid has been calculated and used to estimate the environmental load. It was assumed that the groundwater data was the most reliable data, which indicated that the exposure may be higher than from common soil, especially for Pb and Mo. Relating the environmental exposure values with guideline values based on MKM (less sensitive land use)-land using HQ (hazard quotient) indicates a decreasing risk in the order Pb>V>Mo. However, the exposure is well below that from MKM soil which could be assumed, according to Swedish environmental protection agency guideline values, to be an acceptable exposure.
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Orvos, David R. "Environmental risk assessment of a genetically-engineered microorganism, Erwinia carotovora." Diss., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/54256.
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Environmental use of genetically-engineered microorganisms (GEMs) has raised concerns over potential ecological impact. Development of microcosm systems useful in preliminary testing for risk assessment will provide useful information for predicting potential structural, functional, and genetic effects of GEM release. This study was executed to develop techniques that may be useful in risk assessment and microbial ecology, to ascertain which parameters are useful in determining risk and to predict risk from releasing an engineered strain of Erwinia carotovora.
A terrestrial microcosm system for use in GEM risk assessment studies was developed for use in assessing alterations of microbial structure and function that may be caused by introducing the engineered strain of E. carotovora. This strain is being developed for use as a biological control agent for plant soft rot. Parameters that were monitored included survival and intraspecific competition of E. carotovora, structural effects upon both total bacterial populations and numbers of selected bacterial genera, effects upon activities of dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase, effects upon soil nutrients, and potential for gene transfer into or out of the engineered strain.
No significant difference was found in survival of the engineered strain as compared to its wildtype parent. Both strains survived for over two months in microcosms. The effects of both strains upon populations of total bacteria and selected bacterial genera were determined; while some effects upon community structure were observed, they were not significant.
The engineered strain was not found to be a superior competitor compared to its parent; three different doses of engineered and wildtype strains were used. ln addition, neither strain affected activities of dehydrogenase or alkaline phosphatase in soil. Likewise, no effects were observed upon the nutrients monitored.
However, transfer of the kanamycin resistance gene that had been inserted into the engineered E. carotovora strain may have occurred. Five species of indigenous bacteria displayed kanamycin resistance 15 days after being exposed to the engineered Erwinia. DNA from these strains was isolated, purified, and hybridization experiments executed to determine if any homology existed between these DNAs and the kanamycin resistance gene that had been inserted into E. carotovora. Using biotin-Iabeled probes and Iow-stringency washing conditions, homology was observed. However, before gene transfer can be proven, additional studies, including amplification and sequencing, may be required.
Although a simple microcosm design was employed, it yielded sufficient information to conclude that release of the engineered Erwinia carotovora will not affect any of the microbial measures of integrity that were studied in a manner different from that of the wildtype. Effects upon plant material and other higher taxa will be the focus of future studies.Ph. D.
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Mitra, Amlan. "Developing an integrated risk management system in emergency management process /." This resource online, 1992. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-12232009-020038/.
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Sinclair, Philip. "The assessment of environmental systems : a participatory case study in waste management." Thesis, University of Surrey, 2002. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/843400/.
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The methodological framework for informed decision-making known as Environmental Systems Assessment (ESA) is derived from, and is shown to contain, the existing tools of Risk Assessment, Decision Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Communication is identified as a problem within ESA. A panel process in local waste management between a UK Council, its local lay public and experts illustrates a new methodological implementation of ESA in which risk, decision analytic and life cycle information were all present in parallel and in different forms. These included an innovative and interactive multimedia CD-ROM tailored to the locality (known as 'WOMBLE') and the WISARD software developed with, among other bodies, the Environment Agency of England and Wales. The communications and information in the process are evaluated by social research, the learning of the participants is assessed and it is shown that while a number of significant actions were agreed upon, individual preferences were still stable and significantly different. The potential of the approach is assessed.
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Wandall, Birgitte. "Influences on toxicological risk assessments." Licentiate thesis, Stockholm : Filosofi och teknikhistoria, Kungliga Tekniska högskolan, 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-4365.
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Nalianda, Karumbaiah D. "Impact of environmental taxation policies on civil aviation - a techno-economic environmental risk assessment." Thesis, Cranfield University, 2012. http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/8355.
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Sustainability of the aviation industry, as any other industry, depends on the elasticity of demand for the product and profitability through minimising operating costs and hence assessing and understanding the interdependency and effects of environmentally optimised solutions and emission mitigation policies, is paramount.
The contribution to knowledge, from this research, is the development and application of assessment methodologies to better understand the effects that future potential environmental taxation may have on the adaptation of optimised “greener” operations and novel technologies. These studies are undertaken using a Techno-economic Environmental Risk Assessment approach (TERA).
The first methodology introduced to assess optimised operation methods (based on operating cost analysis), demonstrated that carbon taxation has limited effect if applied in isolation. Increasing it to extreme levels, apart from resulting in an increase in operational costs and raising governmental revenues, may not necessarily result in influencing an airline operator’s operational strategy to move to greener solutions. Instead, an application of a taxation level, commensurate to global standards, coupled with an improved air traffic management system, would allow aircraft to fly closer to their design efficiency and hence aid in reducing the environmental impact.
The second methodology introduced (based on an operating and investment cost analysis) allows the assessment of the economic viability of a new technology in comparison to a conventional technology, when considered in terms of relative increase in acquisition price and maintenance costs, for various emission taxation and fuel price scenarios. A study undertaken as a ‘proof of concept’, comparing a Counter Rotating Open Rotor (CROR) aircraft with a conventional aircraft, indicates that at a current fuel price and no carbon taxation, despite being demonstrated as a highly fuel efficient technology, a relative increase in acquisition price and maintenance costs in comparison to the conventional aircraft, could render the CROR technology, economically unviable. The work further demonstrates that for the CROR technology to be economically beneficial, a simultaneous introduction of emission taxes may be required.
The study shows that in order to achieve lower environmental impact, the implementation of taxation with the introduction of greener technologies will evidently increase the cost of civil aviation operation. This research subsequently identifies the following questions, more of a ‘political and socio-economic nature’, to consider as part of further work.
If taxes above the global industry standards are introduced for the aviation industry, and they are higher in comparison to those applied on some other carbon intensive sectors, will it raise questions on equity of treatment?
If taxation is introduced, airline operators and the ticket price paying passengers being amongst the key stakeholders in the aviation industry, will such high pricing as demonstrated be practical for long term sustenance?
Will policies be driven by the fact that they will be aimed as a trade-off between achieving global sustenance of the industry and achieving environmental gain?
Will high taxation as demonstrated, have global acceptance or will it have to be compromised, based on the growth potential or GDP of a country/ region?
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Hay, Wilson Lesly Isabel. "A spatial environmental risk assessment methodology for risk-based decision making at large, complex facilities /." Full text (PDF) from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International, 2000. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/fullcit?p3004279.
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Solberg-Johansen, Bente. "Environmental life cycle assessment of the nuclear fuel cycle." Thesis, University of Surrey, 1998. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/772/.
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Natale, Elisabetta. "Dam break risk assessment in Baker Valley (Chilean Patagonia)." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/53069.
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Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2009.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-59).
An hydroelectric project was proposed by HidroAysen Company in the Aysen Region of Chilean Patagonia. It consisted of the installation of five hydroelectric power stations, two on Rio Baker and three on Rio Pascua, with an average annual energy production of 18,430 GWH. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) presented by HidroAysen lacked of a dam failure impact assessment, crucial to prevent or minimize the impact of unexpected flooding caused by a dam failure. A dam break risk assessment was performed for the so called Baker 2, a proposed concrete gravitational dam located on the Rio Baker, upstream the small community of Caleta Tortel, an area of concern for potential flooding. Using ORSA Code, software developed by a research collaboration between the University of Pavia and the University of Rome - La Sapienza (Italy), a computational model was performed to simulate the flood wave propagation associated with a dam break failure scenario. The areas subject to flooding were mapped on the digital elevation model (DEM) of the surface topography.
by Elisabetta Natale.
M.Eng.
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Collins-Webb, Gail Julie. "The UK packaging regulations and performance measures in environmental management systems." Thesis, Brunel University, 2001. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/5760.
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The measurement of industries' environmental performance is evolving as society strives towards the ideal of sustainability. Environmental performance indicators within different industries are being developed in order that industry can measure and evaluate performance and report on their level of environmental protection to different stakeholders. Although there are many studies of environmental performance measures, they have tended to focus on those that apply to manufacturing or 'dirtier' industries. This is mainly because environmental legislation, a major driver of environmental programmes in companies, has targeted these industries. Recent legislation on packaging has focused, for the first time, on environmental impacts that are pertinent to all industry sectors alike. This has given rise to an industry-wide set of environmental performance measures for packaging and packaging waste. This 'producer responsibility' legislation has marked the turning point as more legislation is formulated at the European and national level to holistically tackle the environmental impacts of product life-cycles. Current research has concentrated on the development of performance measures for a service-orientated business that is subject to legislation concerning packaging waste, using ICL (International Computers Limited) plc. as a case study example. Particular attention has been given, in this research, to the identification of EPIs and their integration into an ISO 14Q01 certifiable environmental management system for the purposes of demonstrating continuous improvement. A risk assessment methodology is applied to demonstrate the effects of business constraints in the decision-making process regarding environmental programmes. The impacts of the UK Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 on the organisation and the necessary steps that the-company has had to take in order to comply with the legislation have been examined. From this study a compliance methodology has been developed and it has been demonstrated how an organisation can achieve compliance and conserve valuable resources for improving its environmental performance. Finally, a survey has been carried out in order to assess the impacts of the UK Packaging Regulations on the environmental performance of industry. From this study a model has been developed for the application of EPIs to guide policy makers in the formulation of environmental legislation and the implications for future producer responsibility legislation.
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Smith, David A. "An integrated approach to evaluating the environmental impact following a radiological dispersal event." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1148312072.
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Mújica, Chacín Marelys Josefina. "Environmental risk assessment in the mediterranean region using artificial neural networks." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/84044.
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Los mapas auto-organizados han demostrado ser una herramienta apropiada para la clasificación y visualización de grupos de datos complejos. Redes neuronales, como los mapas auto-organizados (SOM) o las redes difusas ARTMAP (FAM), se utilizan en este estudio para evaluar el impacto medioambiental acumulativo en diferentes medios (aguas subterráneas, aire y salud humana). Los SOMs también se utilizan para generar mapas de concentraciones de contaminantes en aguas subterráneas simulando las técnicas geostadísticas de interpolación como kriging y cokriging. Para evaluar la confiabilidad de las metodologías desarrolladas en esta tesis, se utilizan procedimientos de referencia como puntos de comparación: la metodología DRASTIC para el estudio de vulnerabilidad en aguas subterráneas y el método de interpolación espacio-temporal conocido como Bayesian Maximum Entropy (BME) para el análisis de calidad del aire.
Esta tesis contribuye a demostrar las capacidades de las redes neuronales en el desarrollo de nuevas metodologías y modelos que explícitamente permiten evaluar las dimensiones temporales y espaciales de riesgos acumulativos.
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Ågerstrand, Marlene. "From Science to Policy : Improving environmental risk assessment andmanagement of chemicals." Doctoral thesis, KTH, Filosofi, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-105225.
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A complex process like risk assessment and the subsequent risk management decision makingshould be regularly evaluated, in order to assess the need to improve its workings. In this thesisthree related matters are addressed: evaluation of environmental risk management strategies,evaluation of environmental risk assessments, and how ecotoxicity data from the open scientificliterature can be used in a systematic way in regulatory risk assessments. It has resulted in thefollowing: a publically available database with ecotoxicity data for pharmaceuticals (Paper I); anevaluation and review of the Swedish Environmental Classification and Information System forpharmaceuticals (Papers II and III); a comparison of current reliability evaluation methods and areliability evaluation of ecotoxicity data (Paper IV); and an improved reliability and relevancereporting and evaluation scheme (Paper V).There are three overall conclusions from this thesis:(1) Ecotoxicity data from the open scientific literature is not used to the extent it could be inregulatory risk assessment of chemicals. Major reasons for this are that regulators prefer standarddata and that research studies in the open scientific literature can be reported in a way that affectstheir reliability and the user-friendliness. To enable the use of available data more efficiently actionsmust be taken by researchers, editors, and regulators. A more structured reliability and relevanceevaluation is needed to reach the goal of transparent, robust and predictable risk assessments.(2) A risk assessment is the result of the selected data and the selected methods used in theprocess. Therefore a transparent procedure, with clear justifications of choices made, is necessaryto enable external review. The risk assessments conducted within the Swedish EnvironmentalClassification and Information System for pharmaceuticals vary in their transparency and choice ofmethod. This could come to affect the credibility of the system since risk assessments are notalways consistent and guidelines are not always followed.(3) The Swedish Environmental Classification and Information System for pharmaceuticalscontribute, in its current form, to data availability and transparency but not to risk reduction. Thesystem has contributed to the general discussion about pharmaceuticals’ effect on the environmentand made data publicly available. However, to be an effective risk reduction tool this is not sufficient.QC 20121119
MistraPharma
Formas - Evaluation of the Swedish Environmental Classification and Information System for Pharmaceutcals.
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Björklöf, Katarina. "Genetically modified Pseudomonas associated with plants : aspects for environmental risk assessment." Helsinki : University of Helsinki, 2002. http://ethesis.helsinki.fi/julkaisut/mat/bioti/vk/bjorklof/.
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Lundkvist, Markus. "Accident Risk and Environmental Assessment : Development of an Assessment Guideline with Examination in Northern Scandinavia." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala : Department of Social and Economic Geography, Uppsala University, 2005. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-5849.
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Ali, Mohammad Wijayanuddin bin. "Development of risk assessment framework for major accident hazards to the environment." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.267203.
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Jacques, Margaret (Margaret Rose). "Microbial risk assessment for recreational use of the Malden River." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/99600.
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Thesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2015.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 47-49).
The Malden River is located in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts. The River has a long history of abuse and neglect stemming from urbanization and industrial activity along the River and in the surrounding areas. Community groups, however, are advocating restoration of the Malden River to a healthy and thriving ecosystem that also provides a viable outdoor recreational area for the local community. There is concern, however, that bacterial concentrations are at levels that can cause excess gastrointestinal illness to recreational users. As part of assessing this issue, I performed a recreational risk assessment based on microbial concentration data from water quality sampling performed by the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). A significant difference in the bacterial data from the two organizations, in which samples are taken approximately one mile from each other, was found. This indicated the possibility of significant bacterial variability in the River and, therefore, risk was calculated separately for each data set. The Wiedenmann (2007) dose response model was used to analyze risk; however, not all site-specific parameters were known. Overall risk, risk after significant rainfall, and seasonal risk were all analyzed. Using the Wiedenmann risk model, I determined that after 0.5 inches of rain in 72 hours, exposure associated with primary and secondary recreation causes the incremental risk to double. The overall and seasonal risk analysis showed that the risks associated with the MyRWA sampling location were consistently at least twice that of the MWRA location.
by Margaret Jacques.
M. Eng.
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Deihl, Susan Margaret. "The use of risk assessment in US environmental protection agency regional operations." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/29841.
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Pokhrel, Lok R., Brajesh Dubey, and Phillip R. Scheuerman. "Pharmaceuticals in the Aquatic Environment: A Critical Appraisal of Uncertainty and Knowledge Gaps in Human Health Risk Assessment." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2011. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2882.
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Buie, John Cary. "Relative Risk Assessment for Cape Hatteras National Seashore." W&M ScholarWorks, 1996. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539617707.
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Okorie, Ikechukwu Alexander. "Determination of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and an assessment of environmental health risk from environmental matrices." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2010. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/1502/.
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A former industrial site now used for recreational activities was investigated for total PTE content, uptake of the PTEs by foraged fruits and mobility of the PTEs using single extraction such as HOAc and EDTA. In order to evaluate the health risks arising from ingestion of the PTE contaminated soil, the oral bioaccessibility using in vitro physiologically based extraction test (PBET) and tolerable daily intake (TDI) or mean daily intake (MDI) was used. The PBET simulates the transition of the PTE pollutants in the soil into human gastrointestinal system while the TDI or MDI is the mass of soil that a child would require to take without posing any health risk. In addition to the former industrial site, an investigation of the urban road dust from Newcastle city centre and its environs was undertaken with the view to looking into the PTE content, oral bioaccessibility and the platinum group elements (PGEs). Optimized microwave procedure was applied to 19 samples obtained from a former industrial site (St Anthony's lead works) in Newcastle upon Tyne. Of the range of PTEs potentially present at the site as a consequence of former industrial activity (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn), the majority of top soil samples indicated elevated concentrations of one or more of these PTEs. In particular, data obtained using either inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) or flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) indicates the high and wide concentration of Pb on the site (174 to 33,306 mg/kg). Comparing the resulting PTEs data with UK Soil Guidelines Values (SGVs) suggests at least parts of the site represent areas of potential human health risk. It was found that Pb soil values exceeded the SGV on 17 out of the 19 sampling sites; similarly for As 7 out of 19 sampling sites exceeded the SGV. While for Cd and Ni the soil levels were below the stated SGVs. Samples of foraged fruits collected from the same site were also analysed for the same PTEs. The foraged fruit was gathered over two seasons along with samples of soil from the same sampling areas, acid digested using a microwave oven, and then analysed by ICP-MS. The foraged fruits samples included blackberries, rosehips and sloes which were readily available on the site. The concentration levels of the selected elements in foraged samples varied between not detectable limits and 24.6 mg/kg (Zn). Finally, the soil-to plant transfer factor was assessed for the 7 elements. In all cases, the transfer values obtained were below 1.00,except Cd in 2007 which is 1.00, indicating that the majority of the PTE remains in the soil and that the uptake of PTE from soil to plant at this site is not significant. The determination of total or pseudo total PTE content of soil is often insufficient to assess the risk to humans. A range of extraction protocols were applied to the 19 samples urban topsoils, and report on the correlations between pseudo total PTE content and results obtained following a physiologically-based extraction procedure (oral bioaccessibility), EDTA and HOAc extraction protocols (reagent-specific available fraction), for a broad range of PTEs (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn). Results of the single-reagent extraction procedures did not, in general, provide a good indication of oral bioaccessibility but shows positive correlation with the pseudo total PTE content. The bioaccessibility data shows that considerable variation exists both spatially across the site, and between the different PTEs, but correlates well with the pseudo-total concentrations for all elements (r2 exceeding 0.8). One of the main objectives of this work is to show the role of bioaccessibility in generic risk assessment. Comparison of the pseudo-total PTE concentrations with SGV or generic assessment criteria (GAC) indicated that all of the PTEs investigated need further action, such as receptor exposure modelling.
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Wong, Wang. "Risk assessment of exposure to lead : comparison between Shanghai, China and Birmingham, UK." Thesis, Imperial College London, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/7604.
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Olds, Zachary M. "Development of a Risk-Based Assessment Tool for PFAS Contaminated Sites." University of Dayton / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1591097697982026.
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Ricciu, Marta. "Advanced techniques for Environmental Risk Assessment within the Oil & Gas sector." Master's thesis, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, 2019.
Find full textAbstract:
Oil and gas installations in sensitive areas with harsh environmental conditions may require improved risk monitoring, assessment, and management in order to prevent and limit the damage caused by accidental hydrocarbon spills in the sea. This issue is a priority when the installation under examination is located in an area defined as sensitive.
The present work deals with a real reference case study, an offshore installation located in the Barents Sea, which represents a relevant example of innovative facility operating offshore in the Arctic sensitive region.
Hydrocarbon process leaks are a major contributor to offshore risk. The scenarios that may develop from the Process area of this installation have been selected through the application of a leak frequency model and the modeling of the safety barriers.
The Process Leak for Offshore installation Frequency Assessment Model estimates the topside process leak frequencies for use in Quantitative Risk Analysis of fire and explosion at installations located on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. It is based on the assumption that the leak frequency is proportional to the number of each type of equipment.
The performances of the safety barriers have been used as QRA parameters.
The environmental risk is evaluated through an exposure-based analysis, based on duration, rate and amount of the release as well as oil drift simulation. This step has been carried out thanks to the SINTEF’s software OSCAR – Oil Spill Contingency and Response.
The level of estimated risk is then compared with the stringent tolerability criteria to which installations located in sensitive areas are subjected. Further information about the impact on the ecosystem is given by the EIF factor related to different release categories.
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Khanna, Vikas. "Environmental and Risk Assessment at Multiple Scales with Application to Emerging Nanotechnologies." The Ohio State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1245316311.
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Elom, Nwabueze. "Human health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from environmental matrices." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2012. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/15594/.
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In assessing human health risk of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), it is not the concentration of PTEs in the environmental matrices that is of greatest concern but the fraction that is absorbed into the body via the exposure pathways. The determination of this fraction (i.e. the bioaccessible fraction) through the application of bioaccessibility protocols is the focus of this work. The study investigated human health risk of PTEs (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni and Zn) from oral ingestion of soil / dust, inhalation of urban street dust and air-borne dust (PM10). To assess health risk via oral ingestion of soil and dust, total PTEs were determined in twenty nine soil samples collected from children’s playing fields and ninety urban street dusts collected from six cities. Analysis of total PTE content in these samples via ICP-MS revealed high Pb concentrations (> 450 mg/kg) in 3 playground soils and 32 urban street dusts. Detailed quantitative risk assessment (DQRA) carried out in the playgrounds showed that no significant possibility of significant harm exist in the playgrounds. The concentration of Pb from a particular dust sample based on 50 mg/day ingestion rate that a child might possibly ingest to reach the estimated tolerable daily intake was calculated and it exceeded the tolerable daily intake for oral ingestion in 4 cities. The bioaccessible PTEs were determined both in the soil and dust samples using the Unified BARGE method and the result showed that in all the samples, the PTEs solubilised more in the gastric phase than in the intestinal phase. A new method has been developed; simulated epithelial lung fluid (SELF) and was used to assess the respiratory bioaccessibility of Pb from inhalable urban dust (<10 µm). Low bioaccessibility (<10 %) was recorded in all the samples analysed.
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Zuccarello, Pietro. "Study of Sicilian Surface Freshwater Catchments for Environmental and Peoples Risk Assessment." Doctoral thesis, Università di Catania, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10761/4109.
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Due to the population growth, urbanization and economic development, demand for freshwater in urban areas is increasing throughout Europe. At the same time, climate change and pollution are also affecting the availability of water supplies. Sicily, a southern island of Italy, suffers from a growing strong water scarcity and drought. The freshwater basins of Sicily are not well characterized and classified. In last decades, in Sicilian freshwater surface reservoirs several Planktothrix rubescens and Microcystis aeruginosa blooms have reported. A further actual worldwide problem for all surface freshwaters basins is the increasing of heavy metals concentrations in their waters.
Aims of this research doctoral project were: a) perform a census of Sicilian natural and artificial freshwater basins and identify which of these are suitable for use for drinking purposes; b) carry out a risk assessment related to presence of Microcystins and heavy metals (As, Pb, V, Cd, Al); c) evaluate the waters toxicity through ecotoxicological bioassays and verify if they would be sensitive and reliable to investigate on toxicity of mixtures of heavy metals and Microcystins.
It was carried out the monitoring of 15 surface basins, among the 30 existing in Sicilian territory, through seasonal chemical, physical and microbiological analysis of the waters such as required by Italian law, the Legislative Decree 152/2006. Moreover, it was performed speciation of cyanobacteria community, cell counting, and PCR analysis. Finally, it was carried out acute (V. fischeri), subacute (T. platyurus) and chronic (D. magna) ecotoxicological assays.
There is much reassurance about quality chemical status of basins. In fact, there are no heavy metals above the reference values. Only Aluminum and Iron are present often in large concentration. The high levels of total nitrogen and phosphorus give information about the inflow of partially or completely untreated urban and rural wastewater in all basins.
However, in 50% of examined dams, there were the presence of several cyanobacteria species. In particular, it was detected cyanobacteria bloom in Disueri in period between July and September 2017. Microcystis sp. and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii were detected (108 and 107 cell/L, respectively) and by mid-August were replaced by Anabaenopsis sp. and Plankthotrix rubescens, still growing in mid-September (107 and 106 cell/L, respectively). MCs concentrations in every samples were low, in agreement with the lack of qualitative amplification of the mcyE gene.
The distance biplot of PCA showed that Disueri, Pozzillo, Trinità and Arancio dams are located near together and are strongly influenced by N, Fe, Al, V, Mn, F, Mn, Cl, pH, Ca and Nitrite. In recent past, all these dams were currently affected by harmful algal bloom.
V. fischeri and D. magna assays seem to respond to the number of cyanobacteria cells rather than toxins concentrations. Instead, T. platyurus assay show a significant positive relationship between MCs concentrations measured by ELISA test.
In conclusion, the chemical quality of Sicilian surface freshwaters catchments is good and it could be improved it with a better treatment and management of wastewaters got into the surface waters. Concerning the Microcystins contamination, since in every analyzed sample the concentration was below the WHO reference value for drinking waters (1 ug/L) it seems not to be a high and worrying risk for human and environmental health in the brief time.
The simultaneous execution of V. fischeri and T. platyurus bioassays could favor the monitoring of waters both economically and technically.
PCA analysis seems to be reliable to be used as predictive models for cyanobacteria growth.
Finally, respecting these describes condition, it would be possible the use of waters of all monitored basins as drinking after an adequate treatment according to Italian Legislative Decree 152/2006.
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LABAGNARA, DAVIDE. "Environmental and occupational risk assessment and management in tunnelling and underground projects." Doctoral thesis, Politecnico di Torino, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11583/2544372.
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Construction is one of Europe’s biggest industries, providing jobs for nearly 13 million people. This represents nearly 8 % of the working population in Europe (only the public sector and retail employ more).
It is also one of the most hazardous industries. More construction workers are killed, injured or suffer health impairments than in any other industry, and one of the most critical section in the construction sector is the underground construction.
In particular the effect on workers’ health is of serious concern. It is difficult to be precise about the true scale of the health problem, but all studies indicate the problem is huge. Every year many thousands of workers suffer from work related diseases. These include musculoskeletal disorders, noise induced hearing loss, skin diseases, and other diseases as a consequence of exposure to noxious substances.
Additionally, the economic costs of poor safety and health are vast. One national study estimates that they typically account for up to 8.5% of a construction project’s costs.
The creation of underground space has significant impact on quality of life, working conditions, employment and environment. Innovative use of underground space will have a great impact. European Union policies include an upgrading of the Trans European road network (TREN), in order to improve interstate transport. This implies the construction of a significant number of tunnels (approx. 2100 km of tunnels will have to be constructed in Europe by the year 2030).
Underground space will be increasingly used to alleviate pressing problems that will confront the European society in the next 20 years: traffic congestion, increasing urbanization (mega cities), lack of space and pollution of air and water.
In Italy, the construction of rail and road tunnels through the Alps and the Apennines is very important in terms of connection and moreover, the requirements of transport systems, for civil use spaces and for innovative service networks is one of the reasons for the increase of underground works in urban areas more densely populated.
The hydrogeological, geological, operational and environmental criticalities as met in such geological structures can nevertheless require increased care in the aforesaid situations.
Projects under construction have further highlighted the importance of tunnels for the elimination of traditional surface, territorial and environmental constraints, but also for the necessary acquisition of consensus through the most comprehensive analysis and management of risks related to the effective fulfilment of such projects, in order both to meet the needs of the end users, and to preserve the dwellers and environmental safety conditions in terms of correct sustainable development.
The most important changes in such a point of view occurred since the end of the last century, and suggest the need of a more effective and comprehensive approach to the concept of infrastructure. For this purpose it is nowadays required a horizontal approach, whereby different disciplines (technical, structural, architectural, environmental, financial and occupational safety) can interact and mutually stimulate in order to face the complex issues of underground works project.
For these reasons, the designer's role becomes crucial to develop underground projects that respect a sustainable development approach; designer must know innovative and advanced technologies, materials and procedures, aimed at optimizing the economical, environmental and social development.
Even the public client, responsible for government priorities and objectives of the intervention, is fundamental for the orientation of the operational choices of designers and builders of infrastructures.
In fact, especially in the last decade, a number of guidelines and recommendations were issued by International, European and Italian authorities, the most effective of them based on the introduction of the prevention in the design phase and on a quality based risk management.
The design and construction of underground operations require by the Designer and Contractor/s a decision making based on multiple factors (environmental, technological, etc.) that have specific characteristics and particular criticalities, far more than other industrial contexts, since they are often characterized by considerable uncertainty in their definition during the development of the project.
In this context the Designer must identify the best option among several available solutions -which have different implications in terms of technical, operational, environmental and financial risks- while the Contractor/s must make a constant check on the preservation of design conditions, in order to control the validity of work and environmental safety requirements.
Furthermore, for maintaining the correct safety conditions, it is of primary importance the application of Hazard Identification Techniques referring to different design solutions, and the definition of suitable confidence limits in order to provide the work manager with suitable instruments to constantly evaluate the yard situation and to avoid the overcoming of the aforesaid limits.
The PhD research project has therefore to cover the most common criticalities encountered in tunnelling and underground works projects such as:
- the presence of pollutants, and in particular carcinogenic minerals, such as, for example, the crystalline silica, which is recognized class A1 carcinogen (carcinogenic certain to humans) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer -IARC- since 1997 (and reaffirmed by the same organization in 2011) and the types of fibrous silicate included in the formal definition of asbestos, which there is no discussion on the ascription to the class A1;
- the design and management of the construction yard: the presence of limited working spaces, the high concentration of high power machinery and the use of iterative work cycles, together with reduced time for the excavation, make mandatory the need to plan the interference among concomitant operations in order to prevent accident;
- the control of the safety conditions: it is of primary importance the application of Hazard Identification Techniques referring to the choice of suitable confidence limits in order to make available for the work manager the instruments to constantly evaluate the yard situation to avoid the overcoming of the aforesaid limits and referring to the choice of equipment and procedures to minimize accidents at work.
Taking into account the best available techniques, the principles of Quality and Prevention through Design approach, the PhD research has also set criteria for the identification and evaluation of the above mentioned criticalities in order to develop an expert system, finalized to make available an integrated system to optimize the economic, environmental and operational safety for the underground works activities in order to proceed rationally to choose the best solution.
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Dixon, Cameron Chaffee. "Microbial risk assessment for recreational use of the Kranji Reservoir, Singapore." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/51567.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2009.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-72).
The Public Utilities Board of Singapore is responsible for management of the Kranji drinking water reservoir and wishes to open the reservoir for recreational water use as part of their "Active, Beautiful, and Clean Waters Programme". A field campaign was conducted at the Kranji Reservoir to determine the microbial water and sediment quality of the reservoir for use in a model that predicts the risk of gastrointestinal illness due to recreational use of the reservoir. Water samples were collected at seven locations throughout the reservoir and sediment samples were collected at two locations located near the shore. The samples were then analyzed for Enterococci concentrations using a most probable number method. The measured geometric mean concentrations found during the field campaign were 13.3 Enterococci colony forming units (CFU) per 100 ml water and 1400 Enterococci CFU per gram sediment. Based on the strengths and weaknesses of available statistics-based risk models, a model by Wiedenmann was chosen based on the flexibility of the model and the quality of the underlying epidemiological study. Using the model, no-observed-adverse-effect-level guideline concentrations of 25 Enterococci CFU per 100 ml for swimming, 51 Enterococci CFU per 100 ml for kayaking and 860 Enterococci CFU per gram sediment for wading were calculated. Based on all available bacterial measurements of the Kranji Reservoir, an interim geometric mean guideline of 25 Enterococci CFU per 100 ml water and 860 Enterococci CFU per gram sediment is suggested.
(cont.) Single-sample maximums for a monitoring program should be set to 96 Enterococci CFU per 100 ml water and 2,500 Enterococci CFU per gram sediment. These guidelines should be applied to the area of the reservoir open to recreation, which should be restricted to the northern main section of the reservoir. Entry and exit from the reservoir and wading should be restricted to a smaller area of shoreline until more sediment samples are taken to determine safe entry and exit areas. Final geometric mean and single-sample maximum guidelines should be based on a study of the pathogen-to-indicator-bacteria ratios in the Kranji Reservoir.
by Cameron Chaffee Dixon.
M.Eng.
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Park, Allison (Allison Minjung). "Microbial risk assessment for recreational use of the Kallang Basin, Singapore." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/90154.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2014.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 68-72).
The water quality in the Kallang Basin, Singapore, was analyzed in order to determine how safe the waters are for recreational users, specifically focusing on dragon-boat racers. The Public Utilities Board of Singapore has been managing reservoirs under the "Active, Beautiful, and Clean Waters Programme" in order to help the public recognize the value of their scarce water sources. Therefore, microbial risk assessments were conducted on locations along the Kallang Basin to analyze any diurnal or spatial differences in probabilities of illness, and establish guideline geometric mean concentrations. Samples were collected at four different locations along the Kallang Basin every four hours during a 48-hour period. Samples were then analyzed for Enterococci and E. coli using most-probable-number methods. Adenovirus was analyzed by Liu (2014) using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Based on the Wiedenmann et al. (2006) statistics-based risk model, no-observed-adverse-risk levels or guideline geometric-mean levels were established at 128 colony forming units (CFU) / 100 mL for Enterococci and 697 CFU/ 100 mL for E. coli. Based on these guideline geometric-mean concentrations, all of the stations exceeded the tolerable illness level for indicator bacteria at certain times, with peak concentrations at 7:00 A.M. and 11:00 A.M. However, for adenovirus, the probabilities of illness did not exceed the tolerable level based on appropriate dragon-boat racer ingestion rates. Statistical analysis showed that a high correlation existed between adenovirus concentrations and E. coli concentrations. Future studies should analyze specific locations along the Kallang Basin that contribute to high concentrations of indicator bacteria and viruses.
by Allison Park.
M. Eng.
50
Tilt, Bryan D. "Risk, pollution and sustainability in rural Sichuan, China /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/6573.
Full text