Management of chemical substances in a water environment communicating among stakeholders.

With the implementation of Pollutant Discharge and Transfer Register (PRTR) in fiscal 2003, information on the quantity of chemical substances discharged annually from each business is released in Japan. Such information is expected to lead to heightened public concern about the presence of chemical substances in environment. This paper showed the effects of using PRTR data for managing chemical risk in a water environment communicating among stakeholders based on the results of the case study held in Japan. First, it was possible to identify the discharge sources using PRTR and related data for the chemicals such as Zn and NPs which were shown that they had relatively high risks based on the survey in a model area. Second, it was suggested that the chemical risk communication among the stakeholders including people using PRTR and related data would be a good way to encourage environmental activities of businesses, and to build a good relationship among stakeholders including people who have anxiety about chemical risk.     

Managing Surface Water Contamination in Nagoya, Japan: An Integrated Water Basin Management Decision Framework

The water quality of rivers in Japan has received greater attention in recent years due to a number of factors, including human-induced land subsidence and an increase in water demand. Surface waters are adversely affected by high frequency, low level risks (such as the continuous release of hazardous substances) and less frequent, high impact risks (such as the release of chemicals due to natural disasters or industrial accidents). This paper puts forth an integrated Water Basin Management (WBM) decision framework to study the latter: these relatively infrequent, but often catastrophic hazards, are less well-studied than the more familiar high frequency, low level risks. The six main components of this WBM decision framework involve (a) determining possible threats to surface waters; (b) identifying surface waters most at risk to contamination; (c) identifying weaknesses (gaps) in current monitoring systems; (d) using accident analysis to determine proactive WBM; (e) analyzing the temporal-spatial impact of policies on water basins, (f) designing new policies and approaches for integrated WBM. Japan's recently published Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) is used to develop a WBM decision framework for managing surface water contamination in Nagoya, Japan. Participatory surface water management is emphasized in order to achieve a holistic and sustainable WBM decision making process.     

日本水资源开发利用与管理概况

日本水资源的管理和实施由多个政府部门和组织共同完成,"治水与用水分离,多龙管水"是日本水资源管理体制的最大特点。国土交通省负责制定水资源开发与管理政策、水供求计划、库区开发及与其他相关省厅局及机构间的综合政策协调;厚生劳动省负责居民生活用水供应管理;农林水产省负责农业用水供应;经济产业省负责工业供水和水力发电;环境省负责水质与环境保护。日本存在缺水、供水稳定性下降和饮用水安全等问题,其妥善应对水问题的策略包括促进健全水循环、中水回用、现有水利设施的高效利用、复兴与培养水文化、虚拟水战略等。今后日本将更加关注伴随气候变化、全球变暖而来的极端少雨、降雪减少及融雪提前等现象。     

Sediment Contamination in Lake Erie: A 25-Year Retrospective Analysis

Lake Erie sediment surveys were conducted in 1997 and 1998 to characterize spatial and temporal trends in contamination and for comparison with historical levels to assess the degree of improvement in environmental quality since the advent of measures to reduce impacts from sources. These surveys were also designed to assist in identification of possible sources of contamination and areas where contamination exceeded Canadian sediment quality guidelines for protection of aquatic biota. Encouragingly, lakewide contaminant concentrations were found to have significantly decreased from levels observed in samples collected in 1971 in previous Environment Canada surveys. The lakewide average polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) sediment concentrations decreased from 136 ng/g in 1971 to 43 ng/g in 1997. This decreasing temporal trend was also evidenced by contaminant profiles of core samples from all three major basins. There was a lakewide spatial trend in increasing sediment contamination from the eastern basin to the western basin, and from the north-central basin to the south-central basin. Sediments in many areas of Lake Erie still exceeded Canadian Federal and Provincial sediment quality guidelines. However, exceedences of sediment guidelines describing contaminated environments in 1997/98 were largely restricted to the western basin and the southern portion of the central basin. Exceedences of Canadian Sediment Quality probable effects guidelines were most numerous for dioxins and furans (40%) followed by mercury (6%). The Canadian threshold effects guideline for PCBs (34.1 ng/g) and the Provincial lowest effect guideline (70 ng/g) were exceeded at 52% and 22% of the sites, respectively. Mercury, PCBs and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans are responsible for fish consumption advisories in Lake Erie.     

Comprehensive management of chemical substances in a water environment using PRTR data.

The annual quantity of discharge of 354 chemical substances from each business has been released based on PRTR law in Japan since 2003. MLIT and municipalities should be responsible for managing chemical risk in public water bodies through communication with stakeholders, such as the public and businesses. However, it is economically difficult to measure the discharge loads and behaviour of all chemical substances and reveal which substances should be particularly managed in each basin. NILIM has begun studies on survey methods to understand the discharge and behaviour of chemical substances in each basin based on PRTR information, and to conduct risk management of chemical substances in cooperation with stakeholders such as the public and businesses. We selected 30 chemical substances, such as those listed or nominated in environmental criteria and endocrine disrupters, collected the volume of discharge of chemical substances from public and industrial wastewater treatment plants using PRTR information, and surveyed their behaviour in the river in the model area. As a result, the discharge of 12 chemical substances were reported in PRTR, and 17 substances were detected in the river. Some inorganic compounds were detected intensively near discharge sites reported in the PRTR. But some organic compounds and endocrine disrupters, such as oestrone, were detected although their discharge was not reported in the model area in the PRTR. It suggested that PRTR information is useful to identify hot spots, but further study is needed to understand the discharge of chemical substances from small businesses, farmland and houses.     

Environmental impact assessment and control of pharmaceuticals: the role of environmental agencies.

In 2005, the new legislation for pharmaceuticals came into effect. Since then environmental risk assessments are required for all new marketing authorisation applications. The German Federal Environment Agency has been assessing the environmental impact of 136 veterinary and 134 human pharmaceuticals. The authorisation of pharmaceuticals has shown that the authorisation of some groups of substances have to be combined with risk mitigation measures. Environmental risks may also arise from those pharmaceuticals which were authorised before the environmental risk assessment was added to the requirements of authorisation. Four examples of "existing" pharmaceuticals, i.e. diclofenac, ethinyl estradiol, ivermectin, and florfenicol are highlighted in this article. Risk management options for veterinary and human pharmaceuticals are discussed.     

城市供水水源地水质健康风险评价

环境健康风险评价是当今环境科学领域十分关注的重要课题。在简要介绍水环境健康风险评价基本方法的基础上，建立了健康风险评价模式，并根据某市供水水源地水质实测资料，进行分析与评价。结果表明：(1)基因毒物质由饮水途径所致健康危害的个人年风险按大小排列为Cr6+>As>Cd，而躯体毒物质的个人年风险按大小排列为Pb>CN>酚>NH3>Hg，但前组的影响远大于后组；(2)饮用水源各类污染物所致健康危害的个人年总风险2000年为6.53E-05，超过国际辐射防护委员会(ICRP)推荐的最大可接受值5.0E-05a-1，远远超过瑞典环保局、荷兰建设和环境部推荐的最大可接受水平1.0E-06a-1。结论对城市供水水源风险管理和水环境保护措施的制定具有参考价值。     

Runoff characteristics of highway pollutants based on a long-term survey through a year.

Highway pollutants generated mainly from traffics are repeating accumulation, raise, drift and move on the highways. Some of them are removed by road cleanings done regularly, the others are flushed by stormwater into receiving water. The objectives of this study are to survey characteristics of the highway pollutants, and to quantify their behavior on the highways. The study area is a part of Meishin Expressway running through the main island of Japan. Surveys on pollutant runoff from the highway were done for all storm events through one year from December 2004 to November 2005. For the surveys, samples were collected by continuous water sampling during storm events. And chemical substances in each sample such as SS, TOC, TN, TP, heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for each class of particle size were measured. Using the results of the survey, characteristics of pollutant runoff during storm events were examined. And it cleared the basic unit loads for the highway pollutants throughout a year. As a result, some significant knowledge for the environmental management of highway pollution has been obtained.     

Analysis and evaluation of methodologies to assess technical urban water systems.

The paper reports on the methodology and findings of a recent project on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management. The Ministry is seeking procedures for combining ecological and economic criteria to assess which technical urban water alternatives shall receive funding. To this end the current decision making process (DMP) for implementing urban water alternatives in Austria has been analyzed and compared with the situation elsewhere, e.g. in Sweden. The DMP entails specific requirements on assessment, whence the most common decision aid methodologies, ranging from LCA-based to multi-criteria methods, have been described and evaluated from an environmental, economic, legal and practical point of view, turning out recommendations to the Ministry. Their main points are: First the DMP should be kept as simple as possible in order to make it transparent. Second the aggregation of different criteria groups should and can be avoided. Therefore the stakeholders should not be allowed to make trade-offs. Finally clear objectives need to be stated.     

Application of integrated environmental management through the preparation of an environmental action programme: Case study from the Songkhla Lake Basin in southern Thailand

The concepts and principles for integrated environmental management (IEM), which is based on a strategic and participatory approach to environmental and regional planning, has been successfully applied to a large lake system in the southern region of Thailand. The application was achieved through the Danish Cooperation for Environment and Development funded project ‘Environmental Management in the Songkhla Lake Basin’ (EmSong Project) in the Office of Environmental Policy and Planning within the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment. Through the application of the methods and tools for IEM, including the use of a participatory and strategic planning approach, and the establishment of a comprehensive database and an integrated surface water model for the lake system, an environmental action programme (EAP) has been developed. This action programme, which is based on a broad consensus at the local and regional level, includes vision and mission statements, resource objectives and strategies for management from an economically and ecologically important lake system in Thailand. The operational part of the EAP is a project catalogue, which contains immediately needed projects described to an international pre‐feasibility level. The former is the tangible output of the EmSong Project. A more intangible output from the EmSong Project is committed and informed local and regional government and community‐based organizations.     

Passive samplers for chemical substance monitoring and associated toxicity assessment in water

The European legislation, and in particular the Water Framework Directive requires the development of cost efficient monitoring tools that can provide the required information for the assessment of water contamination. Passive sampling methods represent one of the novel tools that have a potential to be used in various regulatory monitoring programmes aimed at assessing the levels of chemical pollutants. These methods are particularly interesting for sampling polar organic pollutants in water because they provide representative information of the water quality over extended time periods (days to weeks) in environments with fluctuating contaminant concentrations. This is achieved by integrative sampling of pollutants over the whole sampler deployment period. These tools can be coupled to toxicity testing using bioassays that give information on toxic and ecotoxic hazards associated to substances that are present, these substances being identified or not. In this study the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) was used in surface water to evaluate the water contamination by polar organic compounds and their potential toxicity.     

The first introduction of reclaimed wastewater to dry-farming field in Okinawa Island, Japan.

Reclaimed wastewater (RWW) will be introduced to the first large-scale irrigation project for dry-farming on Okinawa Island, Japan. The wastewater reclamation for agricultural use sounds attractive to the water resource management. Since there are no specific standards for the RWW irrigation, the monitoring and other demonstrative experiments have been conducted using the experimental reclamation facility, which is based on the criteria "Title22". The experiments showed that the existing system is sufficient to meet the above criteria of pathogens, protozoa and viruses, and the concentrations of hazardous chemicals are lower than the environmental standards in Japan. In addition, several laboratory soil column experiments were conducted to address the environmental issues. An increase of denitrification due to the continuous irrigation was observed. Salt and nitrate accumulation in the surface soil was observed as well. We can conclude that the RWW of the above facility assures the safety for human health, and further research based on environmental issues is needed in addition to an integrated risk assessment and communication.     

Drainage basin security of hazardous chemical fluxe in the Yodo River basin.

The Yodo River basin consists of three major tributary basins (and other small river basins) namely Uji, Katsura and Kizu, which overlap respectively Shiga, Kvoto and Nara prefectures' administrative areas. Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan, drains water through the Uji river. The water quality of the lake, in terms of BOD, continuously improved over the last decade. However, the quality in terms of COD did not show any improvement in spite of a large amount of infrastructure finance being introduced. Eutrophication of the lake still continues, showing no improvement in the nitrogen concentration level. Non-point as well as point source control is not strong enough. There is a gap between BOD and COD evaluations of the lake water quality. Hazardous chemical fluxes are estimated based upon PRTR reports of Japan (2001). PCBs are still discharged into the lake, although the report of Shiga Prefecture showed zero discharge. Dace fish monitoring clearly showed that PCB contamination of the fish had not changed since the 1980s in spite of a ban on use and production of PCBs in the 1970s. There is still leakage of PCBs into the lake. The major exposure of dioxins to Japanese is fish rather than meat and eggs. The risk of water contamination must take into consideration not only drinking water safety but also ecological magnification of food chains in water. The ecological health aspect of hazardous chemicals is also important, such as organotins with imposex of sea snails. Finally, public participation in hazardous chemical management is very important using the method of risk communication based upon the annual report of PRTR in Japan.     

Chemical stress induced by copper: examination of a biofilm system.

Biofilm systems have been widely used in wastewater treatment plants. However, little information is available on the impact of toxic chemicals on the performance of fixed film systems. This study was aimed at evaluating the impact of copper on a biofilm system by examining a variety of parameters, including reactor pH, DO, substrate concentrations, secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and copper removal and accumulation. The microbial communities in the biofilms were also examined using automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA). Four rotating drum biofilm reactors were used to produce biofilms. One reactor was used to produce biofilms under copper free conditions; while the others were used to produce biofilms grown under three different copper contamination levels, namely 100 ppb, 200 ppb, and 500 ppb, for a prolonged period. The following results were obtained: (1) biofilm reactor performance was not significantly impacted as demonstrated by the pH, DO, substrate removal, and total solids in the effluent; (2) however, copper contamination inhibited EPS production in the biofilms; (3) copper removal efficiencies of 25-31% were obtained for the three copper contamination levels studied; (4) fixed films functionalized as a reservoir to accumulate more copper over time; and (5) copper contamination selected for specific species that were able to tolerate this stress and that may contribute to its remediation.     

Experience with the antibiotic resistance analysis and DNA fingerprinting in tracking faecal pollution at two lake beaches.

Posting or closing of swimming beaches because of faecal contamination is a widespread problem reported in many locations. In a risk-based approach to this problem, the risk to swimmers' health is assessed by field monitoring of indicator bacteria and the associated risks are managed by source controls and other remedial measures. In risk assessment, great advances have been made in recent years with the introduction of microbial source tracking (MST) techniques. Two such techniques, antibiotic resistance analysis and DNA fingerprinting, were applied in a study of causes of faecal contamination at two lake beaches in Toronto, Ontario. Both methods identified bird faeces as the dominant sources of E. coli. Coping with this type of pollution presents a major environmental challenge.     

Quantification of dioxin in the sieved fraction of river sediment.

Dioxin pollution of aquatic sediments has been one of the important environmental problems in Japan. Grain size distribution and organic constituents may play important roles in dioxins contents in sediments, which have not been well investigated. This paper aims to quantify dioxins (PCDDs/Fs and co-PCBs) in sieved surface sediment fractions obtained from Kizu and Sumiyoshi Rivers in Osaka, Japan. The samples were prepared and analyzed following the 'Manual of the Survey and Measurement of Dioxins in Sediment' (Environment Agency of Japan, 2000). The results showed that TEQ concentrations of dioxins increased with decreasing grain size in sediment fractions. Sediment fractions with less than 20 microm grain size showed the highest dioxin contents. Dioxins with five and six chlorine atoms dominated other congeners in less than 20 microm fractions. The dioxin TEQ concentrations increased with total organic carbon (TOC), total carbon (TC), ignition loss (IL), total sulphur and nitrogen contents in the sediment fractions. Thus, reporting dioxin contents in sediments without considering grain size distribution may be erroneous, and conventional sedimentation and separation techniques might not be useful for treating contaminated sediments. This information can be useful for effective remediation of dioxin-contaminated sediments.     

Monitoring metal and persistent organic contaminant trends through time using quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) collected from the Niagara River

Historically, the Niagara River received the discharge of persistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals from municipal and industrial outfalls and hazardous waste landfills. American and Canadian governments have coordinated investigations of chemicals entering the river and initiated remedial measures and monitoring programs with a goal to reduce loadings of toxic chemicals to the river. This study, a component of the Ontario Ministry of Environment Mussel Biomonitoring Program, compares contaminant concentrations in quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) collected from nine locations in the Niagara River in 1995 and 2003 to assess anticipated changes in tissue concentrations of contaminants in response to ongoing remedial efforts by government agencies and local industries. The concentrations of persistent organic compounds (e.g., PCBs, hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorobutadiene, octachlorostyrene) in quagga mussels in 2003 were lower than concentrations measured in 1995, consistent with a decrease in reported mean annual concentrations of these compounds in water. Significant differences in total PCB concentrations in mussels between stations (F = 4.6; P < 0.001) suggested sources of PCBs on the American side of the upper Niagara River. In general, highest concentrations of persistent organic compounds were found downstream of the Occidental Chemical Corporation Buffalo Avenue facility suggesting local sources of these contaminants notwithstanding remedial efforts. In contrast, metal concentrations in quagga mussels in 2003 were similar to concentrations found in 1995 and to values reported in the literature for mussels collected from industrialized areas in the Great Lakes. Overall, our results suggest that remedial efforts to improve water quality in the Niagara River have been successful.     

Estimating environmental pollution by xenobiotic chemicals using QSAR (QSBR) models based on artificial intelligence

An attempt was made to construct QSAR (Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships) or QSBR (Quantitative Structure-Biodegradation Relationships) formulae and models for predicting biodegradability of chemicals in aqueous aerobic environment with machine learning (ML) tools of artificial intelligence (AI). Inverse of biodegradability is environmental persistence, from which possible dynamics of soil, groundwater and water pollution can be inferred. We tried to predict the biodegradability with several programs that can learn from examples and construct decision or regression trees and/or can construct equations. Besides the given basic topological properties, the main contribution was inclusion of connectivity indices. Above all, normalization of properties to molecular weight or the number of carbon atoms significantly improved prediction. The obtained results are comparable (or better) to the best achieved results with other approaches. Contrary to the statistical methods, ML tools present the information (learned knowledge) in a compact, easily understandable man’ner which can help identify and understand the key properties of chemicals and mechanisms important for assessing biodegradation (and thus possible environmental contamination) from chemical structure only.     

Benthic invertebrate assemblage changes in an urban bay of Lake Ontario: 1990 to 2012

Invasions by dreissenid mussels and the round goby have altered the makeup of benthos in many areas of the Great Lakes complicating the use of benthic invertebrate composition as an indicator of environmental conditions. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) has been monitoring the composition of benthos at nearshore stations since the 1990s. The interactive influences of environmental change and invasive species have been evident in areas of the Toronto Waterfront such as Humber Bay (HB), an area of intensifying urbanization. Dreissenid mussels were first detected in HB in 1994, became abundant in 2000, and were followed by the round goby in 2005. Both invasions overlapped with increasing population density in the watershed and efforts to reduce pollutant and nutrient inputs. Benthic invertebrate diversity increased post-dreissenids, with densities of gastropods and amphipods increasing during peak mussel abundance (2000–2003). Dreissenid abundance declined after 2005, and snails (Valvatidae) disappeared, corresponding with increasing goby abundance. Abundance of sphaeriid clams declined over the monitoring period. Water clarity increased and the chlorophyll a level declined in the mid-1990s, before dreissenids were abundant at the site. Trophic conditions inferred from invertebrate composition shifted from oligotrophic in 1990 to mesotrophic and back to oligotrophic in 2012. There was little change in sediment quality other than a subtle increase in clay and fine silt at the primarily silty site. The trajectory of changes in the benthos was more strongly correlated with the dreissenid and goby invasions than changes in environmental quality.     

Ressourcen- und Schadstoffmanagement in der Abfallwirtschaft: Die steigende Bedeutung der Recyclingprozesse am Beispiel der bromierten Flammschutzmittel

KURZFASSUNG Für das Beispiel der bromierten Flammschutzmittel (BFS), einer Klasse von Substanzen, die sehr wertvolle Material-Eigenschaften besitzen, deren Vertreter aber als zukünftige POP-Substanzen gehandelt werden, wird die Bedeutung der Abfallwirtschaft und der Recycling-Prozesse aus Schadstoffsicht beleuchtet. Die Ausführungen sollen dazu beitragen, dass neben dem Ressourcenmanagement (Wertstoffnutzung) auch ein Schadstoffmanagement erfolgt und mehr Wissen über die Effizienz von Recycling-Prozessen und die Qualit?t von Sekund?rressourcen erarbeitet wird. Zus?tzlich wird unterstrichen, dass Gesamtsystembetrachtungen zur Optimierung des Ressourcenmanagements und für die Problemanalyse und Definition von Ma?nahmen zur Risikoreduktion unerl?sslich sind. Dies ist wichtig, um den immer h?her werdenden Anforderungen bezüglich Qualit?tsstandards an Produkte von KundInnen- und KonsumentInnenseite auch bezüglich Schadstoffgehalte gerecht zu werden. Nur so kann langfristig verhindert werden, dass Schadstoffe für die Aufrechterhaltung von Material- oder Stoffkreisl?ufen im Ressourcenmanagement ein limitierender Faktor werden und langsam in die Umwelt emittieren. Statt ein potenzielles Langzeitproblem für Mensch und Umwelt zu erzeugen, k?nnen Schadstoffe so in die geeigneten letzten Senken gelenkt werden.

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Management of resources and hazardous substances in waste management: The rising importance of recycling processes. The case study of brominated flame retardants

SUMMARY In modern consumer societies, stocks of materials such as consumer products are still increasing. Additionally, world wide production of chemical substances used in these products in order to fulfil functional aims is still growing, too. Many of these chemicals present a potential threat to human beings and to the environment. In order to avoid human exposure and emissions to environment, waste management and especially the performance of recycling processes becomes more important. This is discussed for the example of selected brominated flame retardants (BFR) and electrical and electronic waste (e-waste). BFR is a group of high production volume chemicals that are used to reduce the flammability of plastic products, enabling them to fulfil the stringent fire regulations of electrotechnology, vehicle construction and building technology. The properties of some BFR are typical for persistent organic pollutants (POP), and these substances are suspected of being carcinogenic and of having oestrogenic activity. The paper points out (a) that beside resource management (secondary resource material production) also the management of hazardous substances has to be taken seriously into account and (b) more knowledge about the technical and environmental performance of recycling processes as well as quality standards of secondary resource composition has to be established. Additionally it is demonstrated that an overall system ("cradle to grave") approach is needed to optimize resource management as well as to detect potential risks and define adequate risk reduction measures. This is important in order to fulfil the steadily increasing quality standards for consumer products to satisfy customers and consumers regarding hazardous chemical contents, too. In a long term perspective it is essential to keep persistent hazardous substances out of material cycles. Otherwise, they may become a limiting factor for resource management and promote to human exposure and emissions to the environment. Instead of generating a log term future problem for human and environment, it is essential to direct these substances into the adequate final sinks. For English readers more details are available in papers and reports by MORF et al. (see literature).