WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment最新文献

{"title":"IMPORTANCE OF COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES FOR MODERN WASTE-TOENERGY FACILITIES IN COMPLEX GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXTS ORIENTED TO CIRCULAR ECONOMY","authors":"E. Rada, M. Tubino, Marco Schiavon, L. Adami","doi":"10.2495/awp220051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2495/awp220051","url":null,"abstract":"Although circular economy (CE) principles set material circularity, resource efficiency and waste recycling as priority targets to guarantee the sustainable development of future generations, the thermo-chemical valorisation of municipal solid waste (MSW) still plays a fundamental role in the transition towards the final CE targets. As a matter of fact, the waste-to-energy (WtE) sector allows recovering energy from waste, reducing the pressure on MSW landfills and their related potential environmental impacts; however, recovering material for further uses is not excluded in WtE options. Significant improvements have been achieved in the air pollution control of exhaust gases from direct and indirect MSW combustion during the last decades. The efforts focussed on reducing dioxin emissions especially, and this has let other substances emerge as priority pollutants (e.g., heavy metals). In addition, the location of WtE facilities in certain geographical contexts is still potentially critical from the point of view of human exposure and the related health risk; moreover, the public acceptance of WtE plants is still limited, in spite of their recent role in fighting SARS-CoV-2 risks from waste management. The purpose of the present paper is to underline the importance of implementing correct and complete health risk assessment procedures tailored to the exposed population living in the area of influence of a WtE plant. The paper will present two case studies regarding the projects of two WtE plants in a mountainous region, highlighting the critical issues that arose during the environmental impact assessment procedures. The paper will finally suggest possible options to improve the health risk assessment procedure and alternative measures to reduce the expected impacts of the WtE sector on the environment and human exposure. paper is a contribution to solutions to the environmental problems induced by large combustion plants in mountainous regions, like the Alps. To better visualise the potential implications involved, two case studied regarding two waste combustion plants were discussed. A quick method to estimate the carcinogenic potentials of the pollutants released from a source was provided. This method helps define which pollutants should receive priority in a health risk assessment, thus reducing the risk of neglecting key pollutants. The application of a simplified methodology based on the DFs of TSP, which must be calculated from the results of dispersion simulations, may provide indications on the impact expected from single contaminants at ground level and on the benefits achievable when setting specific emission limit values. The present paper also provided insights into a proper application of health risk assessment procedures according to the results of the screening based on the carcinogenic potentials of the pollutants emitted from a plant, on the land use and local diet of the exposed population. Finally, an unconventional WtE scheme ","PeriodicalId":35178,"journal":{"name":"WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42623386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ASSESSMENT OF CUMULUS PARAMETERIZATION SCHEMES IN MODELING METEOROLOGY ASSOCIATED WITH AN AIR POLLUTION EVENT IN THE ANDEAN REGION OF ECUADOR","authors":"R. Parra","doi":"10.2495/awp220011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2495/awp220011","url":null,"abstract":"Air quality results from the interaction between emissions and meteorology. When significant changes occur, such as a sudden drop in temperature, atmospheric stability can persist, promoting air pollution. Between 7 and 9 November 2020, there was a significant drop in temperature in Cuenca (2,500 masl), a city located in the Andean zone in southern Ecuador. At noon, decreases of up to 700 W m –2 and 10°C were recorded in the solar radiation and temperature levels, respectively, compared to the first days of the month. At the same time, increments of around 20 µg m –3 in PM 2.5 hourly concentrations were recorded. Cumulus convection is a process directly related to cloud formation and, therefore, to solar radiation and temperature. We simulated the meteorology from 2 to 11 November 2020, with the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF 4.0.3), with a resolution of 1 km, without cumulus parameterization, and with nine options for this component. Modeling without this parameterization provided acceptable results for solar radiation and temperature. However, this option overestimated wind speed at the surface. Globally, option 10 (Kain–Fritsch Cumulus Potential) presented the best modeling performance. Options 3 (Grell–Freitas) and 6 (Tiedtke) were better or similar than modeling without cumulus parameterization. None of the options adequately modeled the temperature and solar radiation on 9 November 2020, the day on which the lowest values of these variables were observed, suggesting that the model will not provide proper values for days with sudden decreases in solar radiation and temperature. Because most parameterized effects, such as the boundary layer, convection, microphysics, and surface schemes, are closely linked, it is necessary to study their influence. It is also necessary to assess the potential benefit of data assimilation and even the development of dedicated schemes for numerical simulation in the equatorial zone of the Andes.","PeriodicalId":35178,"journal":{"name":"WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45592592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"EVALUATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL STATE USING THE WATER QUALITY INDEX AND FLUVIAL HABITAT INDEX OF THE URBAN BASINS OF PANAMA","authors":"Quiriatjaryn M. Ortega-Samaniego, Andres Fraíz, A. Dominici, Haydee Osorio, A. Ramos‐Merchante, E. Arauz, M. Pachés, I. Romero","doi":"10.2495/awp220081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2495/awp220081","url":null,"abstract":"The evaluation of the ecological status of aquatic ecosystems through indices allows quantifying and assessing the environmental impacts caused by human activities, in order to create a baseline for future adjustments in policies regarding environmental management, both at the level of local governments as nationals, who can collaborate in a better management of water resources. This study was carried out in the urban basins of Panama City, a place with the highest population concentration in the country, specifically in the Matasnillo, Juan Díaz and Pacora Rivers, in order to assess the ecological status using the water quality index (WQI) and the river habitat index (FHI). With the data collected from the samples in the high, medium and low zones, a Kruskall–Wallis Test was applied to determine if there were significant differences between the sampling points and in the season’s characteristics of the tropical climate, the humid and dry, plus a sampling in and transition between both seasons. The results show us that the rivers maintain better conditions in remote areas or with less human impact, indicating that the upper areas of the Matasnillo, Juan Díaz and Pacora Rivers have the best scores in the WQI and FHI, decreasing their score in the middle and lower zones. The low WQI and FHI scores indicate the environmental impact caused by alterations to habitats due to canalization or construction of civil structures that end up modifying the hydrology, reducing the heterogeneity of habitats and the type of substrate, in addition to inadequate waste management, solids and liquids from human settlements, commercial and industrial activities, as well as agricultural areas in the rural perimeter that as a whole exert pressure on these urban basins as they pass.","PeriodicalId":35178,"journal":{"name":"WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44364299","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"USE OF SATELLITE IMAGES TO ESTIMATE URBAN HEAT MAPS","authors":"Ana Gabriela FERNÁNDEZ-GARZA, E. Gielen, J. Palencia-Jimenez","doi":"10.2495/awp220041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2495/awp220041","url":null,"abstract":"There is plenty of evidence about the change in the magnitude of climatic conditions in cities all over the world. It is an important problem especially since a large part of the world’s population resides in cities. Comprehending the behaviour of Urban Heat Island (UHI) is necessary to plan cities that offset the climate change effects and offer greater security and quality of life to its inhabitants. In this way, planners need tools to model the UHI and research how cities interact with it. This paper aims to develop a methodological proposal to characterize UHIs in cities by using image data from the ASTER (Advanced Space Thermal Emissions and Radiometric Refection) satellite sensor. The case study is in the city of Valencia in Spain. It is based on data from three moments, for which day and night information are available for an identical ambit. The results provide six maps of the city of Valencia in a period of 4 years: a day and night one for 25 March 2017, 19 August 2018, and 7 May 2021. Hot and cool spots were detected in the city and the shape of the UHI was characterized. A few indicators were calculated to analyse them and study their evolution over time. Finally, we conclude that the use of image data from ASTER satellite offers a powerful infrastructure, easy and cheap to use, to model UHIs in cities. This methodology can be reproduced in many cities, as ASTER images are available for a large list of countries. This experience can be a useful tool in further study to obtain better knowledge about the relation between urban morphology and UHIs, so plan better cities.","PeriodicalId":35178,"journal":{"name":"WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45414869","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"TOWARDS A CONSENSUS OF EXPERT OPINIONS ON IMPLEMENTING ISO 14001 IN THE ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION SECTORS OF THE UK","authors":"R. Horry, C. Booth, Abdul–Majeed Mahamadu","doi":"10.2495/sdp220281","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2495/sdp220281","url":null,"abstract":"As society places greater emphasis on sustainability and environmental management, particularly within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sectors, it is vital to understand the effectiveness of the tools available to deliver change in these areas. The AEC sectors contribute to a significant impact on the environment, both in terms of materials used and waste produced. They are also seen as being environmentally negative. Therefore, the use of ISO14001 is of increasing importance in terms of demonstrating a commitment to working towards being more sustainable within their operations. Therefore, the aim of this study is to reveal the opinions of an expert panel of environmental management professionals working within the AEC sectors on the benefits and barriers of implementing ISO14001. A Delphi study was conducted, which consisted of two rounds (Round–1 involved n=15 participants; Round–2 involved n=9 participants). The participants were asked to independently rank 145 statements (comprising: n=86 benefits; n=59 barriers), across n=17 categories, which were derived from ISO 14001 and AEC literature. After two survey rounds and weighted average analysis, the results reveal the highest ranked benefits are: (i) improved relationships with stakeholders, (ii) tender requirement, (iii) community participation, (iv) industry standards, (v) efficient operations, (vi) employee environmental awareness, (vii) cost savings through energy efficiency and (viii) improved environmental performance; whilst the highest ranked barriers are: (i) open to public scrutiny, (ii) costs involved, (iii) top management commitment towards implementation (iv) lack of link to EIA, (v) public not interested; (vi) lack of support to assist staff; and (vii) legal compliance. However, unlike previous Delphi studies that have sought to gather consensus, most participants in this study were unwilling to shift their opinions towards a shared middle–ground. Therefore, whilst the survey results enlighten our appreciations of ISO14001 implementation within the AEC sectors, they also indicate significant differences in opinion by different environmental management professionals.","PeriodicalId":35178,"journal":{"name":"WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41415295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"DETERIORATION OF HERITAGE SHOPHOUSES TURNED INTO HOSTELS IN PHUKET OLD TOWN, THAILAND, DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC","authors":"Supavadee Jingjitra Astruc","doi":"10.2495/sdp220341","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2495/sdp220341","url":null,"abstract":"In the past decade, the hostel industry was popular in Thailand especially in Phuket due to the growth of tourism. The heritage shophouses in Phuket Old Town were turned into hostels to serve backpackers and other tourists fascinated with local culture. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 caused an economic crisis in the tourism industry, causing the industry in Phuket to become sluggish. This paper aims to find the factors in the shutdown of some Phuket shophouse hostels during the pandemic, resulting in the deterioration of the heritage buildings and the deserted old town. The research method is to survey the number of operating and closed heritage shophouse hostel operations in Phuket Old Town. The social and economic issues were analysed by using in-depth interviews of selected hostel owners, relevant people, and secondary data. The study found that restrictions on tourism imposed by the relevant authorities causes a shortage of budget to run the business and renovate the properties. The closed shophouse hostels cannot get the government support because they had not registered for a hotel license. To get a hotel license, the hostels must renovate the buildings according to the relevant Ministerial Regulations. However, the regulations did not consider the existing elements and structures of heritage buildings;they affect the values and authenticity of the buildings and the Old Town, prompting the deterioration of these places. As a result, to preserve architectural and historic values of Phuket shophouses and to keep the building in use, a new approach of adaptive reuse in hostels should be provided following the relevant regulations for the safety and comfort of the building users, and the local activities.","PeriodicalId":35178,"journal":{"name":"WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48306557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"INVESTIGATING SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN THE USA","authors":"Anusha Vaddiraj Pallapu, K. Andrews","doi":"10.2495/sdp220151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2495/sdp220151","url":null,"abstract":"Sustainability is a major concern in economic growth in developing and developed countries. Small and medium enterprises have become major pillars for economic growth. These have many economists, planners and administrators considering sustainable business growth as well as sustainable strategies for economic growth in any region or country. Because small-scale businesses became a major source of income in local communities that directly affects cities growth from local communities to regional and onto country growth. Therefore, this current research aims to understand and assess the conceptual foundation of sustainable development theory that focuses on business sustainability solutions for SMEs. The purpose of the study is to assess various sustainable strategies used by business owners to impact and meet challenges faced in day-to-day business cycles to fulfill the needs of future generations. This research is seen to be significant and important with respect to its theoretical and practical contributions. The qualitative research obtained to understand in-depth experiences, perceptions and opinions and knowledge of owners. This study practically contributes by developing the assessment framework comprising the environmental, social and economic strategies specifically to measure the sustainability strategies and provide detailed suggestions about how small business can stay successfully in business for the long-term in United States.","PeriodicalId":35178,"journal":{"name":"WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47080171","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENT RAIL FREIGHT TRANSPORT","authors":"J. Vleugel, F. Bal","doi":"10.2495/sdp220071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2495/sdp220071","url":null,"abstract":"Rail freight transport is a key economic activity; many businesses and people rely on it. It should be available when needed and efficient in use. There are however factors that may reduce the availability and quality of a rail freight service offering. A distinction can be made between what may be called systemic factors, like congestion, accidents and technical failures, and external factors like weather conditions and natural disasters. Rail infrastructure managers and users of rail services have learned from experience to anticipate or adapt to systemic factors. They are, to some extent, also able to cope with certain weather conditions. A rather different situation occurs when the weather becomes more extreme and less predictable. Water management systems are usually not developed for excess amounts of rain and hence will fail. Terrestrial water can turn into a devastating flood that may (temporarily) incapacitate railway infrastructure. With this (partially) out of service, freight trains have to be rerouted. This may lead to severe delays, additional costs and externalities, in particular more emissions. This paper deals with the question: What are options for governments to make rail freight transport more resilient to disruptions triggered by climate change, while limiting the externalities caused by rerouting? The paper is an extension of earlier research on this topic. Methods used in the research were a case study, the data of which were fed into a simulation model, which was used to estimate route length, fuel consumption and emissions. The main outcome of the study is that there are interesting options to make rail freight transport networks more resilient. In order to reap their benefits, interoperability should be improved considerably.","PeriodicalId":35178,"journal":{"name":"WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47102652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"GEODIVERSITY AND BIODIVERSITY FOR CONCEPTUAL SYNTHESIS","authors":"Gricelda Herrera-Franco, Jhon Caicedo-Potosí, P. Carrión-Mero","doi":"10.2495/sdp220321","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2495/sdp220321","url":null,"abstract":"The earth changes by various physical, chemical, climatic, and geological factors. These processes have allowed for diversity in both geological and biological environments on the planet. Geological diversity allowed life and its diversity in different environments and ecosystems. This study aims to analyse geodiversity and biodiversity using informetric tools to know their relationship and interaction and research trends in this area. The systematic methodology is four steps: (i) topic and information preparation in Scopus and WoS; (ii) data processing in Bibliometrix-RStudio and VOSviewer; (iii) visualisation of results; and (iv) interpretation of results. The results show that geodiversity enabled different ecosystems and life. Therefore, the main conclusion of this study is that biodiversity is on geodiversity, allowing for diverse ecosystems around the world, promoting geo-eco-tourism development under nature conservation criteria.","PeriodicalId":35178,"journal":{"name":"WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment","volume":"76 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69095429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CIVIC DISCOURSE AND SPACE ACTIVATION AS A COLLABORATIVE CITY-BUILDING PROCESS","authors":"Emily Kloppenburg, B. Martins, Cindy Nachareun, Rebecca Poschmann, F. Neuhaus","doi":"10.2495/sdp220061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2495/sdp220061","url":null,"abstract":"With tactical urbanism, we utilize a method that involves citizens by taking a hands-on approach to the city-building process. The undertaken, short-term transformation through co-created projects builds on existing individual and collective identities. Applying tactical urbanism to the public realm will shift current perceptions of a space from a service to a collaborative venture that enables engagement for all persons. Together, a NEXT Calgary is created. The outreach for this project focuses on the public and civic discourse, specifically addressing the conversations about the built environmental in Calgary, AB. This paper will provide examples on how tactical urbanism was implemented across Calgary whether through little surprises woven into the urban fabric or how the project allowed Calgarians to (re)connect with the everyday. There are two angles to this approach. One is the public perspective and how the public related to the work, and the other angle is the official perspective of how bodies and the city have grudgingly come along the journey.","PeriodicalId":35178,"journal":{"name":"WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42824224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}