scholarly journals Policies to combat nitrogen pollution in South Asia: Gaps and opportunities

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia Lucy Yang ◽  
N Raghuram ◽  
Tapan Kumar Adhya ◽  
Stephen D. Porter ◽  
Ananta Narayan Panda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Asia ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Nitrogen Pollution ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Policy Action ◽  
Sources Of Pollution ◽  
New Policies

Abstract Assessing and managing nitrogen sustainably is imperative for achieving the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted for 2030. South Asian countries, aware of the environmental and health impacts of nitrogen pollution, regionally as well as globally, piloted the 2019 UN resolution on Sustainable Nitrogen Management, calling for urgent policy action. This paper assists South Asia policy development by providing new insights into nitrogen-related policies in the region; it makes a step-change advance on an existing global analysis and database. We built on available methods to better identify, classify and analyse 966 nitrogen-related policies for the region. We compared the global and regional nitrogen policy landscapes to explain the benefits of a deeper policy assessment. The policies we classified as having ‘higher’ relevance – those with direct reference to nitrogen and/or its potential impacts – represent the current nitrogen policy landscape for South Asia. We show that a small proportion of policies (9%) consider multiple pollution sources, sectors, nitrogen threats and impacts, with integrative policy instruments. 5% of policies also consider both non-point and point sources of pollution, representing standout policies. More such policies with an integrated approach are vital in addressing the complexities of nitrogen pollution. Adapting existing and drafting new policies are both required to deal with other current and emerging nitrogen issues. Our analysis provides evidence for a roadmap for sustainable nitrogen policy in South Asia and beyond and supports efforts to reduce the threats posed by nitrogen pollution to achieve the SDGs.

An Integrated Approach for Identifying Sources of Pollution: The Example of Cadmium Pollution in the Rhine River Basin

1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 61-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Anderberg ◽  
W. M. Stigliani
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Chemical Pollution ◽  
Rhine River ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Diffuse Sources ◽  
Cadmium Pollution ◽  
Sources Of Pollution ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Industrial Metabolism

IIASA' s project, Sources of Chemical Pollution in the Rhine Basin, is a comprehensive analysis of the sources of toxic materials in the Basin 1950–2010. The study employs the concept of industrial metabolism. This approach provides a comprehensive view of production and consumption processes and their effects on the environment. It entails a systematic analysis of all sources of a given material, its pathways through the industrial economy, and the mechanisms by which it is transformed into outputs to be adsorbed and processed by the environment. Losses to air, water and soil are estimated. In this paper we present the results obtained for the historical development of cadmium pollution. The historical evolution of cadmium pollution is more or less representative of the overall trends for the other heavy metals. The results indicate that the Rhine river has experienced a significant decline in the load of cadmium over the last 20 years. Another observed trend is that while the absolute load to the river has decreased, the relative shares of the load contributed by point sources and diffuse sources have been reversed compared to 20 years ago. While point sources dominated emissions in the early 1970s, now diffuse sources are more important. These sources may be more difficult to control, however, since they are much more numerous than point sources, are related to dissipative consumptive uses which cannot be easily monitored or regulated, and in many cases the pathways and sources of emissions have not been identified.

Water and sanitation policies for improving health in South Africa: overcoming the institutional legacy of apartheid

Water Policy ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 627-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edina Sinanovic ◽  
Sandi Mbatsha ◽  
Stephen Gundry ◽  
Jim Wright ◽  
Clas Rehnberg
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
The South ◽  
Financing System ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Sanitation Services ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
New Policies

The burden of water-related disease is closely related to both the socio-economic situation and public health issues like access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene services. Poverty eradication, through improved access to water and sanitation, is the South African government's major priority. This is partly achieved through subsidising the cost of water and sanitation provision to the poor in rural areas. Whilst the new policies have made a remarkable impact on improved access to water and sanitation services, a general problem since the new approach in 1994 has been the lack of integration of policies for water and sanitation and health. This paper analyses the policies concerning rural water supply and sanitation in South Africa. It considers the structure of institutions, the division of responsibilities and legislated and financial capacity of the South Africa's water sector. A more integrated approach for the policies aiming at water access, sanitation and health is needed. In addition, as the local government's capacity to implement different programmes is limited, a review of the financing system is necessary.

scholarly journals A Simple Device for the On-Site Photodegradation of Pesticide Mixes Remnants to Avoid Environmental Point Pollution

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 3593
Author(s):  
Biagio Esposito ◽  
Francesco Riminucci ◽  
Stefano Di Marco ◽  
Elisa Giorgia Metruccio ◽  
Fabio Osti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vibrio Fischeri ◽  
Analytical Data ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Pseudokirchneriella Subcapitata ◽  
Parent Molecule ◽  
Oxidation Processes ◽  
Sources Of Pollution ◽  
Pesticides In Water

The worldwide increase in the number and use of agrochemicals impacts nearby soil and freshwater ecosystems. Beyond the excess in applications and dosages, the inadequate management of remnants and the rinsing water of containers and application equipment worsen this problem, creating point sources of pollution. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as photocatalytic and photo-oxidation processes have been successfully applied in degrading organic pollutants. We developed a simple prototype to be used at farms for quickly degrading pesticides in water solutions by exploiting a UV–H2O2-mediated AOP. As representative compounds, we selected the insecticide imidacloprid, the herbicide terbuthylazine, and the fungicide azoxystrobin, all in their commercial formulation. The device efficiency was investigated through the disappearance of the parent molecule and the degree of mineralization. The toxicity of the pesticide solutions, before and during the treatment, was assessed by Vibrio fischeri and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata inhibition assays. The results obtained have demonstrated a cost-effective, viable alternative for detoxifying the pesticide solutions before their disposal into the environment, even though the compounds, or their photoproducts, showed different sensitivities to physicochemical degradation. The bioassays revealed changes in the inhibitory effects on the organisms in agreement with the analytical data.

scholarly journals An Integrated Approach to a Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) Indicator for the Food Production–Consumption Chain

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Erisman ◽  
Allison Leach ◽  
Albert Bleeker ◽  
Brooke Atwell ◽  
Lia Cattaneo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Chain ◽  
Nitrogen Use Efficiency ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
National Scale ◽  
Nitrogen Use ◽  
Use Efficiency

Reducing nitrogen pollution across the food chain requires the use of clear and comprehensive indicators to track and manage losses. The challenge is to derive an easy-to-use robust nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) indicator for entire food systems to help support policy development, monitor progress and inform consumers. Based on a comparison of four approaches to NUE (life cycle analysis, nitrogen footprint, nitrogen budget, and environmental impact assessment), we propose an indicator for broader application at the national scale: The whole food chain (NUEFC), which is defined as the ratio of the protein (expressed as nitrogen) available for human consumption to the (newly fixed and imported) nitrogen input to the food system. The NUEFC was calculated for a set of European countries between 1980 and 2011. A large variation in NUEFC was observed within countries in Europe, ranging from 10% in Ireland to 40% in Italy in 2008. The NUEFC can be used to identify factors that influence it (e.g., the share of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in new nitrogen, the imported and exported products and the consumption), which can be used to propose potential improvements on the national scale.

scholarly journals Hauled liquid waste as a pollutant of soils and waters in Poland

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-122
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Karczmarczyk
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
System Analysis ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Liquid Waste ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Wastewater Management ◽  
Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Sources Of Pollution

Abstract Hauled liquid waste as a pollutant of soils and waters in Poland. Improperly maintained holding tanks are often underestimated source of contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water. As a rule, wastewater stored in holding tanks, should be transported and treated in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). There are 2,257,000 holding tanks in Poland, located mainly in rural areas. The article presents the results of analysis of wastewater management in 20 rural and urban-rural communes, which were chosen at random from the total number of 2,174 communes in Poland. The only criterion of commune selection was total or partial lack of sewerage system. Analysis of the collected data showed that on average only 27% of liquid waste from holding tanks ended at the WWTPs. The median is even lower and amounts to 17.5%. More than 4,000 Mg of P and 26,000 Mg of N is dispersed in the environment in uncontrolled manner. Those diffuse point sources of pollution may be one of the reasons in the difficulty of achieving of good ecological status of rivers and affect the quality of the Baltic Sea.

scholarly journals Presence of Pathogens and Indicator Microbes at a Non-Point Source Subtropical Recreational Marine Beach

2009 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 724-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir M. Abdelzaher ◽  
Mary E. Wright ◽  
Cristina Ortega ◽  
Helena M. Solo-Gabriele ◽  
Gary Miller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Point Source ◽  
High Tide ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Fecal Coliforms ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Ocean Water ◽  
Solar Insolation ◽  
Sources Of Pollution ◽  
Water Detection

ABSTRACT Swimming in ocean water, including ocean water at beaches not impacted by known point sources of pollution, is an increasing health concern. This study was an initial evaluation of the presence of indicator microbes and pathogens and the association among the indicator microbes, pathogens, and environmental conditions at a subtropical, recreational marine beach in south Florida impacted by non-point sources of pollution. Twelve water and eight sand samples were collected during four sampling events at high or low tide under elevated or reduced solar insolation conditions. The analyses performed included analyses of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) (fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, and Clostridium perfringens), human-associated microbial source tracking (MST) markers (human polyomaviruses [HPyVs] and Enterococcus faecium esp gene), and pathogens (Vibrio vulnificus, Staphylococcus aureus, enterovirus, norovirus, hepatitis A virus, Cryptosporidium spp., and Giardia spp.). The enterococcus concentrations in water and sand determined by quantitative PCR were greater than the concentrations determined by membrane filtration measurement. The FIB concentrations in water were below the recreational water quality standards for three of the four sampling events, when pathogens and MST markers were also generally undetectable. The FIB levels exceeded regulatory guidelines during one event, and this was accompanied by detection of HPyVs and pathogens, including detection of the autochthonous bacterium V. vulnificus in sand and water, detection of the allochthonous protozoans Giardia spp. in water, and detection of Cryptosporidium spp. in sand samples. The elevated microbial levels were detected at high tide and under low-solar-insolation conditions. Additional sampling should be conducted to further explore the relationships between tidal and solar insolation conditions and between indicator microbes and pathogens in subtropical recreational marine waters impacted by non-point source pollution.

An ageing well collaboration: opportunity or wicked problem

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-27
Author(s):  
Lois Marjorie Hazelton ◽  
Laurence Murray Gillin ◽  
Fiona Kerr ◽  
Alison Kitson ◽  
Noel Lindsay
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Wicked Problem ◽  
Wealth Creation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Collaborative Structure

Purpose Within the “wicked” concept of ageing, this paper aims to primarily model an integrated approach to identifying and evaluating opportunities that deliver innovative outcomes in Ageing Well Practice, Health and Economic Policy and Research Actions using a collaborative and entrepreneurial mindset. The strategic focus is on a “Boomer” (user)-driven and facilitated Network – that brings together health professionals, research specialists, technologists, ageing well providers, “encore” career specialists, life-style providers, community groups, wealth creation specialists and industry innovators to streamline the progression of identified concepts to valued users and markets and enhance the economy. Design/methodology/approach Using the unit of analysis for innovation, i.e. the “added-value” as perceived by the user and not simply a product or a technology, the identified “opportunity-outcome” will embed a new service concept or intervention, which embraces and promotes ageing well, independent living or resident-centred care in the community and delivers direct and indirect economic benefits. Findings The authors model a point of differentiation in facilitating existing ageing well policies in the community, through a focus on an integrated and multi-dimensional collaborative framework that can deliver user value and contributes to community and economic benefits. Research limitations/implications Generalising results without a commercial business case from this single strategic viewpoint requires caution. The positive outcomes from this innovation collaborative concept can be used to guide further policy development and business investment in ageing well needs. Practical implications Such an integrated innovation collaborative structure provides the capacity to identify ageing well opportunities, to contract enterprises, both SMEs’ and larger companies, for development of the opportunities into user-valued outcomes, to network venture resources and deliver these outcomes to a sustainable market of ageing well citizens. Social implications The Ageing Well Innovation collaborative framework identifies practical ways to integrate new concepts of ageing participation to be realised by the increasing number of “Boomers”. It provides a self-managing process for linking individuals, public and private parties to maximise information and ideas flow, and engagement of the skilled resources in the Boomer group. Originality/value The innovation collaborative structure proposed is not simply novel but is a targeted focus on entrepreneurship and innovation applied strategically to the needs of ageing boomers and community needs. The added-value is in the demonstrated enhancement to effective innovation outcomes in community ageing and the economy.

A qualitative evaluation of the role of simulation in policy development for service improvement

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Blanks ◽  
Nicholas Woodier ◽  
Bryn Baxendale ◽  
Mark Fores ◽  
Lynn Fullerton
Keyword(s):  
Drug Administration ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Direct Injection ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Service Improvement ◽  
Semistructured Interview ◽  
Training Requirements ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
New Policies

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of simulation-based techniques to prospectively assess developing polices prior to implementation.MethodsA self-selected sample of nursing staff from a local, acute hospital reviewed a draft intravenous drug administration policy before simulating drug administration of either an infusion or direct injection. The participants completed a postsimulation questionnaire regarding the new policy and simulation, took part in a semistructured interview and were observed during the simulation with their consent.Results10 staff attended the simulation. The emergent themes identified a wide range of factors relating to the everyday usability and practicalities of the policy. There were issues surrounding inconsistent language between different clinical teams and training requirements for the new policy.ConclusionSimulation, using simple scenarios, allows the safe evaluation of new policies before publication to ensure they are appropriate for front-line use. It engages staff in user-centred design in their own healthcare system.

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