Environmental data resources

Anthony J. Buonicore, M.Ch.E., P.E., Diplomate AAEE, CEO, Environmental Data Resources, Inc. Member, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Air and Waste Management Association (Section 25, Waste Management)... 

The selection of variables is of central importance for the outcome of a system comparison on environmental and resource use impacts. The ideal variable or set of variables respectively provides information and describes the state of environmental phenomena with certain significance. Thus, applying a set of variables should make it possible to monitor and assess the state of the environment, to identify changes and trends, to transmit scientific data to become relevant for policy, and to evaluate already implemented policy measures. The concept of environmental indicators is broadly accepted as an adequate tool. Accordingly, an indicator is defined as a parameter or a value derived from parameters, which indicates the state of the environment with significance extending beyond that which is directly associated with a parameter value. A parameter s definition in this context is a property that is measured or observed (OECD 1994). Fieri et al. (1996) states that the purposes of indicators are as follows ... 

Table 4-27 Rating of the Importance of environmental and resource use effects of organic farming according to country specific expert opinion. Mean data from 18 countries 89...

As an important source of information, the United Nations Environment Programme Environmental Data Report [4] prepared by GEMS/MARC in cooperation with the World Resources Institute, Washington, DC, and the United Kingdom s Department of the Environment, is referenced in the chapter. As an example of data from the latter UNEP report, concentrations of mercury, cadmium, and lead in surface layers of nearshore sediments are presented in Table 1.1. 

Hakansson, C. (2008) A new valuation question analysis of and insights from interval open-ended data in contingent valuation. Environmental and Resource Economics, 39(2) 175-188. 

The United Nations Environment Program and the Society for the Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry provide a Web site with information on LCA including approaches for capability development, methodologies, data, resources, and impacts. The Life Cycle Initiative includes LCA publications and manual. The goal of the initiative is to enable people around the world to use LCA more frequently and efficiently. The Life Cycle Initiative can establish a global network of LCA experts to establish and manage best practices of LCA across multiple industries and product sectors (Life Cycle Initiative 2013). 

Lunar polar locations may have environmental and resource advantages over equatorial sites and may enable future lunar mission to meet the goals laid out in the National Vision for Space Exploration. The challenges associated with human access to the polar regions are understood. With data from futme robotic missions and advanced human mission capabilities and technologies, we should be able to address and overcome these challenges. 

After the scope of the assessment has been defined, environmental data are gathered from all links in the production chain. This phase is called the inventory and results in a body of data regarding resource and energy use, emissions to air and water, and waste. Based on the collected data, an evaluation can then be made of total enviromnental impact. This is called environmental impact assessment. LCA... 

The monograph on zinc is a valuable general reference on zinc technology (3). Furthermore, detailed descriptions of extractive processes, resource data, and environmental- and energy-related papers from symposia of the Metallurgical Society of the AIME are a rich source of information (4—7). 

When more in-depth analysis of environmental fate is required, the analyst must select the modeling procedure that is most appropriate to the circumstances. In general, the more sophisticated models are more data, time, and resource intensive. 

Discussions and interviews with the task experts can be supplemented with observations of their actual performance, for example, taking notes on certain aspects of the task or taking video or audio recordings. Observational techniques can reveal information that may be difficult to acquire in any other way. Detailed physical task performance data can be recorded, and major environmental influences (e.g., noise, light, interruptions) can all be faithfully represented. Observations can also provide an insight into the way that the team members communicate, allocate job responsibilities, and make use of operating procedures and other resources. 

EL = emissions level ERA = Environmental Protection Agency HSDB = Hazardous Substances Data Bank lARC = International Agency for Research on Cancer IRIS = Integrated Risk Information System NIOSH = National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health OEL = occupational exposure limit OSHA = Occupational Safety and Health Administration PEL = permissible exposure limit RAC = reference air concentration REL = recommended exposure limit RCRA = Resource Conservation and Recovery Act RfD = reference dose TLV = threshold limit value TWA = time-weighted average WHO = World Health Organization... 

The earher the information on resource efficiency is used in synthesis design, the more efficient process development wiU be. Therefore, appropriate metrics are initially applied to a choice of literature protocols and prehminary experimental data. As knowledge about the process increases, for example, during scale up, it is successively fed into the mass balance. In addition, environmental impacts associated with the mass balance can be evaluated. 

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