Stability of Lead(II) Arsenates

Monatshefte für Chemie - Chemical Monthly - ?Predictions of lead arsenate solubility and thermodynamic stability have been based on the value of the solubility constant for a precipitate...     

A methodology using option pricing to determine a suitable discount rate in environmental management

With the present analysis the authors propose an approach for determining an adequate discount rate in environmental management problems, more specifically radioactive-waste management. It is shown that the classical Black–Scholes pricing formula can be used for determining the adequate present funding to be set-aside for the future. The average funding is equal to the net present value (NPV) of the future costs, including technical-scenario uncertainties. For taking into account the financial uncertainties, the NPV is identified with the strike price of a European put option, and the asset value in the managed fund is identified with the current price. The risk-free rate is the expected return rate of the portfolio. The paper shows that the adequate present funding can be determined for given multi-generational risk levels and an asset allocation by fixing the discount rate and adding a premium to the NPV of future costs.     

An analytical model for reverse automotive production planning and pricing

Automotive shredders need a reverse production planning strategy that includes determining at what price to purchase vehicle hulks from different sources. In this paper, we formulate the automotive reverse production planning and pricing problem in a nonlinear programming model, develop an approximate supply function for hulks when adjacent shredders price independently, and compare two hulk pricing strategies in three trends for ferrous metal and hulk prices: constant, increasing and decreasing. The case study results indicate that adjusting purchase price based on hulk composition in coordination with planning for purchasing, storing and processing can increase net revenue by 7–15%.     

Using expert’s rules as background knowledge in the ClusDM methodology

In complex domains it is usually quite difficult to introduce context information. However, sometimes that information should be taken into account to make decisions, because it provides some relevant knowledge that cannot be expressed using an attribute-value representation. This is the case of the determination of risk of contamination of soils. In this paper, we propose to use conjunctive rules to introduce additional background knowledge to a MCDM sorting method called ClusDM. ClusDM is based on the aggregation of the data with unsupervised clustering techniques. The paper presents a new algorithm to incorporate rules to guide the clustering process in a semi-supervised way. The paper also describes how it works in the case sorting a set of possible contaminated soils, and compares the results obtained by ClusDM when rules are used or not.     

Incentive equilibrium in an overlapping-generations environmental game

We consider two overlapping generations that want to coordinate their strategies of working, consuming and controlling pollution. Since the cooperative solution is not an equilibrium, and hence is not a self-enforcing contract, a mechanism is required to sustain it. We show how incentive strategies, and the resulting incentive equilibrium, could provide such a mechanism. We also derive the conditions that ensure the credibility of these strategies.     

An XPS,ISS and ESR Comparative Study of Eight-Coordination of Copper (II) Ions in the CuTho Compounds

In this study, we attempted to clarify the coordination state and the distribution of copper (II) ions in the CuThO compounds prepared by coprecipitation, by using several physico-chemical techniques in particular, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS).

For atomic ratios Cu/Th ≤ 0.25, the copper (II) species are mainly located near the thoria surface. The Cu2p_3/2 level shows a chemical shift towards the lower binding energy compared to Cu²⁺ ions in CuO and also a net decrease in the intensity of the satellite peak, characteristic of copper (11). A relation between these observations and the covalent character o f Cuzt- 02- bond i s esta- blished. Eightfold coordination of copper (11) i n the thoria lattice i s evident. These conclusions are in good agreement with Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) results.

For a higher atomic ratio (Cu/Th > 0.25), a formation o f copper oxide crystallites i s observed on the thoria surface.     

An insight on sampling,identification, quantification and characteristics of microplastics in solid wastes

Microplastics (MPs) have attracted wide attention all over the world as a remarkable pollutant. While MPs are spreading throughout several complex environmental matrices, various experiments till date have been preliminary concentrate on aquatic ecosystems. Terrestrial sources namely solid waste-origin have remains unexplored, although they contribute largely for aquatic microplastics origin. Simultaneously, terrestrial systems under human activity, like healthcare units, are likely to be polluted by various plastic ingredients. Solid waste MPs sources primarily include sanitary landfilling, food waste, wastewater treatment end-product (sludge), tire wear, textile washing and paint failure. These microplastics caused adverse impacts on ecosystem, environment, and health. Accordingly, the present study addressed solid waste MPs’ occurrence and sources, identification, quantification, characterization, fate, and degradation pathways for developing comprehensive management strategies following the principles of circular economy. In particularly, this paper critically demonstrated solid waste MPs sources, solid waste MPs sampling followed by identification and quantification by adopting combined chemical (e.g., spectroscopy viz., Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy), physical (e.g., microscopy such as transmission or scanning electronic microscopy, TEM or SEM) and thermal analyses. Additionally, the strengths and limitations of each analytical technique are discussed critically with practical aspect. Further, the MPs related national and international regulations or laws and their subsequent relevance to solid waste MPs management with future challenges are discussed very critically. Finally, the outcomes of the review paper will be valuable to different stakeholders for effective policy implementation.     

Comparing frontier methods for economic–environmental trade-off analysis

This paper uses a mechanistic frontier approach as a reference to evaluate the ability of conventional parametric (SFA) and non-parametric (DEA) frontier approaches for analyzing economic–environmental trade-offs. Conventional frontier approaches are environmentally adjusted through incorporating the materials balance principle. The analysis is worked out for the Flemish pig finishing case, which is both representative and didactic. Results show that, on average, SFA and DEA yield adequate economic–environmental trade-offs. Both methods are good estimators for technical efficiency. Cost allocative and environmental allocative efficiency scores are less robust, due to the well-known methodological advantages and disadvantages of SFA and DEA. For particular firms, SFA, DEA and the mechanistic approach may yield different economic–environmental trade-offs. One has therefore to be careful when using conventional frontier approaches for firm-specific decision support. The mechanistic approach allows for optimizing performances per average present finisher, which is the production unit in pig finishing. Conventional frontier methods do not allow for this optimization since the number of average present finishers varies along the production functions. Since the mechanistic production function is based on underlying growth, feed uptake and mortality functions, additional firm-specific indicators can also be calculated at each point of the production function.     

Analysis of thyroid hormones in raw and treated waste water

An analytical method for the quantification of thyroid hormones (3,5,3′,5′-tetraiodo-l-thyronine, 3,3′,5-triiodo-l-thyronine, 3,3′,5′-triiodothyronine, 3,5-diiodothyronine, 3,3′-diiodothyronine) in different water matrices has been developed. The method, consisting of solid phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS), was validated for tap and surface water as well as raw and treated waste water. The limits of quantifications (LOQs) were lowest in tap water, where they ranged from 1.1 to 13.3 ng L⁻¹, and highest in raw wastewater (10.5–84.9 ng L⁻¹). Of the target analytes 3,5,3′,5′-tetraiodo-l-thyronine (T₄) could be quantified in the influent and effluent of a waste water treatment plant (WWTP) in Finland. The study showed that despite a relatively high removal rate during treatment (66%), part of the incoming T₄ will reach the aquatic environment and, due to the high endocrine activity of this compound, further studies are needed in order to assess its environmental fate and impact on natural ecosystems.