A Comparison of the Environmental Impact of Different AOPs: Risk Indexes

Today, environmental impact associated with pollution treatment is a matter of great concern. A method is proposed for evaluating environmental risk associated with Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) applied to wastewater treatment. The method is based on the type of pollution (wastewater, solids, air or soil) and on materials and energy consumption. An Environmental Risk Index (E), constructed from numerical criteria provided, is presented for environmental comparison of processes and/or operations. The Operation Environmental Risk Index (EOi) for each of the unit operations involved in the process and the Aspects Environmental Risk Index (EAj) for process conditions were also estimated. Relative indexes were calculated to evaluate the risk of each operation (E/NOP) or aspect (E/NAS) involved in the process, and the percentage of the maximum achievable for each operation and aspect was found. A practical application of the method is presented for two AOPs: photo-Fenton and heterogeneous photocatalysis with suspended TiO2 in Solarbox. The results report the environmental risks associated with each process, so that AOPs tested and the operations involved with them can be compared.

Assessing the environmental impact of water consumption by energy crops grown in Spain

The environmental impact of the water consumption of four typical crop rotations grown in Spain, including energy crops, was analyzed and compared against Spanish agricultural and natural reference situations. The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was used for the assessment of the potential environmental impact of blue water (withdrawal from water bodies) and green water (uptake of soil moisture) consumption. The latter has so far been disregarded in LCA. To account for green water, two approaches have been applied: the first accounts for the difference in green water demand of the crops and a reference situation. The second is a green water scarcity index, which measures the fraction of the soil-water plant consumption to the available green water. Our results show that, if the aim is to minimize the environmental impacts of water consumption, the energy crop rotations assessed in this study were most suitable in basins in the northeast of Spain. In contrast, the energy crops grown in basins in the southeast of Spain were associated with the greatest environmental impacts. Further research into the integration of quantitative green water assessment in LCA is crucial in studies of systems with a high dependence on green water resources.

Low environmental impact bleaching sequences for attaining high brightness level with eucalyptus SPP pulp

The alternatives used for minimizing the usage of chlorine dioxide in bleaching sequences included a hot acid hydrolysis (Ahot) stage, the use of hot chlorine dioxide (Dhot) and ozone stages at medium consistency and high consistency (Zmc and Zhc), in addition to stages with atmospheric hydrogen peroxide (P) and pressurized hydrogen peroxide (PO). The results were interpreted based on the cost of the chemical products, bleaching process yields and on minimizing the environmental impact of the bleaching process. In spite of some process restrictions, high ISO brightness levels were kept around 90 % brightness. Additionally, the inclusion of stages like acid hydrolysis, pressurized peroxide and ozone in the bleaching sequences provided an increase in operating flexibility, aimed at reducing environmental impact (ECF Light). The Dhot(EOP)D(PO) sequence presented lower operating cost for ISO brightness above 92 %. However, this kind of sequence was not allowed for closing the wastewater circuit, even partially. For ISO brightness level around 91%, the AhotZhcDP sequence presented a lower operating cost than the others

Oix-Beget, una pista forestal problemàtica

Característiques del medi natural i humà i principals impactes ambientals de l'ampliació i millorament de la pista forestal Oix-Beget

Estudi de l'evolució dels nivells d'immissió dels contaminant emesos per la incineradora de Campdorà (Girona)

L’ objectiu principal d’ aquest treball és l’ anàlisi de l’ evolució de l’ impacte ambiental produït per l’ emissió de gasos contaminants procedents de la incineradora de Campdorà (Girona). Els gasos contaminants objecte d’ estudi són: partícules de suspensió totals, clorur d’ hidrogen, diòxid de nitrogen, monòxid de carboni i diòxid de sofre. S’ ha realitzat la simulació de la dispersió atmosfèrica dels contaminants emesos per la incineradora de Campdorà mitjançant el programa informàtic ISC-AERMOD View. Com a resultat, s’ obtenen una sèrie de mapes de concentració on es mostren els diferents nivells d’ immissió detectats en la zona objecte d’ estudi. Els resultats mostren com la incorporació de noves tecnologies i tractaments de gasos en la incineradora de Campdorà han representat una reducció dels nivells d’ immissió de la zona, millorant la qualitat de l’ aire i disminuint l’ impacte ambiental que produeixen les emissions contaminants

Propuesta de plan de manejo de San Miguel de los Baños

Estudi de la localitat de San Miguel de los Baños (Cuba) segons el punt de vista de l’ecoturisme per tal de proposar la zona com a àrea protegida i evitar la seva degradació

Plan de dinamización ecoturística del poblado de Canchacucho y del Santuario nacional del Bosque de Rocas de Huayllay

El pla de dinamització ecoturística del poblat de Canchacucho i del Santuari Nacional del Bosque de Rocas de Huayllay consisteix en buscar una fòrmula que permeti compatibilitzar el desenvolupament turístic i econòmic d'aquesta població amb la conservació dels valors ambientals i culturals de la zona de bosc

Anàlisi de l’ impacte ambiental i humà als espais Xarxa natura 2000 del Solsonès

Aquest projecte estudia la situació actual dels espais Xarxa Natura 2000 del Solsonès amb l’ objectiu de: proposar futures actuacions en el territori, donar propostes de gestió turística sostenible per així assegurar-ne la protecció i establir una base per a la redacció de les directrius de gestió d’aquests espais. Dels espais XN2000 del Solsonès s’han escollit dos: Les Obagues de la Riera de Madrona i el de la Ribera Salada

Diagnóstico socioambiental y plan de ambientalización de la comunidad Huarpe de Huanacache (Mendoza, Argentina)

El estudio consiste en un Diagnóstico socioambiental de la Comunidad Huarpe de Huanacache y un Plan de ambientalización con acciones destinadas a mejorar la calidad de vida de los pobladores. Surge a partir de la propuesta de la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo de participar en el proyecto “Ordenamiento del territorio, turismo y educación desde el paradigma del desarrollo sostenible”

Ecological Footprint Inequality: A methodological review and some results

Scarcities of environmental services are no longer merely a remote hypothesis. Consequently, analysis of their inequalities between nations becomes of paramount importance for the achievement of sustainability in terms either of international policy, or of Universalist ethical principles of equity. This paper aims, on the one hand, at revising methodological aspects of the inequality measurement of certain environmental data and, on the other, at extending the scarce empirical evidence relating to the international distribution of Ecological Footprint (EF), by using a longer EF time series. Most of the techniques currently important in the literature are revised and then tested on EF data with interesting results. We look in depth at Lorenz dominance analyses and consider the underlying properties of different inequality indices. Those indices which fit best with environmental inequality measurements are CV2 and GE(2) because of their neutrality property, however a trade-off may occur when subgroup decompositions are performed. A weighting factor decomposition method is proposed in order to isolate weighting factor changes in inequality growth rates. Finally, the only non-ambiguous way of decomposing inequality by source is the natural decomposition of CV2, which additionally allows the interpretation of marginal term contributions. Empirically, this paper contributes to the environmental inequality measurement of EF: this inequality has been quite stable and its change over time is due to per capita vector changes rather than population changes. Almost the entirety of the EF inequality is explainable by differences in the means between the countries of the World Bank group. This finding suggests that international environmental agreements should be attempted on a regional basis in an attempt to achieve greater consensus between the parties involved. Additionally, source decomposition warns of the dangers of confining CO2 emissions reduction to crop-based energies because of the implications for basic needs satisfaction.

Avaluació de l’ estat ambiental de la Riera d’Aubi i propostes de millora

Aquest projecte pretén desenvolupar una proposta d’índexs ambientals per a l’avaluació de l’estat ecològic de la riera de l’Aubi; avaluar l’estat ambiental, classificar els diferents trams, identificar els punts crítics i definir les propostes de millora ambiental per a la riera d’Aubi. La riera de l’ Aubi es troba entre els termes municipals de Mont-ras, Palafrugell i Palamós, a les comarques del Baix Empordà i Gironès

Avaluació de l’ Impacte ambiental i social del projecte “Tucarán-Resort”

Aquest projecte analitza i avalua els impactes ambientals i socials que causarà en el marc del municipi de Vielha e Mijaran (Val d’Aran) la reobertura de les pistes d’esquí de la Tuca i el Resort que hi va associat, un cop el projecte “Tucarán Resort” sigui una realitat

Previsió d'impactes en el medi físic, derivats de l'explotació de les formacions geològiques d'interés per a la producció d'àrids, a la zona del curs mitjà del Riu Fluvià (La Garrotxa)

Potential mining of the pliocene and quaternary geological formations for the aggregate production along the medium course of the Fluvil river is likely to be carried out through gravel pits. The most significant environmental impacts are envisaged to occur during site preparation and extraction of aggregate. Several environmental impacts types have been considered: variation of water table, reduction of soil and vegetation, development of unbalanced land-forms and deterioration of landscape

Ecologia y distribucion de Senecio pterophorus (Compositae) en la Peninsula Iberica.

En este trabajo se describen el área de distribución y el número de poblaciones de la especie sudafricana Senecio pterophorus DC. en Cataluña, única área de la Europa continental de donde hasta ahora se conoce. Esta especie coloniza ambientes perturbados, como lechos de ríos, márgenes de carreteras y áreas forestales perturbadas, siempre que no haya limitación por la luz y la humedad. En los hábitats riparios y ruderales las poblaciones son más estables y densas, con un gran número de individuos de diversas clases de edad, mientras que en ambientes forestales las poblaciones suelen contar con pocos individuos adultos distribuidos de forma dispersa. Senecio pterophorus presenta, además, una acusada plasticidad morfológica en relación con el hábitat, de modo que en ambientes riparios y ruderales los individuos desarrollan un porte esférico, de menor tamaño, y unas hojas más pequeñas que en ambientes forestales, donde el porte de las plantas es más alargado y el tamaño de las hojas mucho mayor. Esta especie, en creciente expansión, debe ser considerada una planta invasora en la Península Ibérica, ya que ha aumentado considerablemente el número de sus poblaciones en un período relativamente corto. Además, se sugiere que S. pterophorus puede llegar a ser una amenaza para la conservación de la diversidad de especies y de hábitats naturales autóctonos, como ocurre en Australia, donde desplaza a las especies nativas e incluso se hibrida con otras especies de Senecio.

Assessment of the water chemistry and the macroinvertebrate community changes produced during the creation of the new Llobregat river mouth (Barcelona, NE Spain)

In 1999, a set of coordinated projects and investments whose principal objective was to transform Barcelona into one of the main distribution points of southern Europe resulted in the relocation of the Llobregat River mouth. The mouth was relocated by draining the old river mouth and constructing a new one. The aim of this study was to characterise the physico-chemical properties and the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities of the new river mouth and to monitor the changes experienced by the estuarine environment during its creation. A sampling point was established in the river 1.8 km upstream from its connection with the new mouth, and two sampling points were established in the new mouth. Samples of water and macroinvertebrates were collected every two months from May 2004 to June 2005, covering the periods before (from May to September 2004) and after (from September 2004 to June 2005) the new mouth was connected to the river and the sea. During the period before its connection to the river and the sea, the new mouth was functionally similar to a lagoon, with clear waters, charophytes and a rich invertebrate community. After the connection was completed, seawater penetrated the river mouth and extended to the connection point with the river (approximately 3.9 km upstream). An increase in conductivity from 4-6 mS cm 1 to 24-30 mS cm 1 caused important changes in the macroinvertebrate community of the new mouth. An initial defaunation was followed by a colonisation of the new mouth by brackish-water and marine invertebrate species. Due to its design (which allows the penetration of the sea) and the decreased discharge from the lower part of the Llobregat River, the new mouth has become an arm of the sea