scholarly journals The Use of Plants for Remediation of Metal-Contaminated Soils

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 9-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andon Vassilev ◽  
Jean-Paul Schwitzguebél ◽  
Theo Thewys ◽  
Daniël van der Lelie ◽  
Jaco Vangronsveld
Keyword(s):  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Environmental Contaminants ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Emerging Technology ◽  
Plant Roots ◽  
Metabolic Diversity ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Fundamental Research ◽  
Micro Organisms

The use of green plants to remove, contain, inactivate, or degrade harmful environmental contaminants (generally termed phytoremediation) is an emerging technology. In this paper, an overview is given of existing information concerning the use of plants for the remediation of metal-contaminated soils. Both site decontamination (phytoextraction) and stabilization techniques (phytostabilization) are described. In addition to the plant itself, the use of soil amendments for mobilization (in case of phytoextraction) and immobilization (in case of phytostabilization) is discussed. Also, the economical impacts of changed land-use, eventual valorization of biomass, and cost-benefit aspects of phytoremediation are treated. In spite of the growing public and commercial interest and success, more fundamental research is needed still to better exploit the metabolic diversity of the plants themselves, but also to better understand the complex interactions between metals, soil, plant roots, and micro-organisms (bacteria and mycorrhiza) in the rhizosphere. Further, more demonstration experiments are needed to measure the underlying economics, for publicacceptance and last but not least, to convince policy makers.

scholarly journals The Chemistry of Stress: Understanding the ‘Cry for Help’ of Plant Roots

Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 357
Author(s):  
Muhammad Syamsu Rizaludin ◽  
Nejc Stopnisek ◽  
Jos M. Raaijmakers ◽  
Paolina Garbeva
Keyword(s):  
Root Exudate ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Plant Roots ◽  
Plant Tissues ◽  
Biotic And Abiotic Stresses ◽  
Primary And Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Cry For Help ◽  
Micro Organisms ◽  
Qualitative Changes

Plants are faced with various biotic and abiotic stresses during their life cycle. To withstand these stresses, plants have evolved adaptive strategies including the production of a wide array of primary and secondary metabolites. Some of these metabolites can have direct defensive effects, while others act as chemical cues attracting beneficial (micro)organisms for protection. Similar to aboveground plant tissues, plant roots also appear to have evolved “a cry for help” response upon exposure to stress, leading to the recruitment of beneficial microorganisms to help minimize the damage caused by the stress. Furthermore, emerging evidence indicates that microbial recruitment to the plant roots is, at least in part, mediated by quantitative and/or qualitative changes in root exudate composition. Both volatile and water-soluble compounds have been implicated as important signals for the recruitment and activation of beneficial root-associated microbes. Here we provide an overview of our current understanding of belowground chemical communication, particularly how stressed plants shape its protective root microbiome.

Predicting Psycho-educational Problems in Childhood

1978 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard S. Adelman
Keyword(s):  
State Of The Art ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Health Maintenance ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Assessment Procedures ◽  
Mass Identification ◽  
Ethical Perspectives

Presented are (1) a brief synthesis of several key conceptual and methodological concerns and some ethical perspectives related to identification of psycho-educational problems and (2) conclusions regarding the current state of the art. The conceptual discussion focuses on differentiating prediction from identification and screening from diagnosis; three models used in developing assessment procedures also are presented. Methodologically, the minimal requirements for satisfactory research are described and current problems are highlighted. Three ethical perspectives are discussed; cost-benefit for the individual, models-motives-goals underlying practices, and cost-benefit for the culture. The current state of the art is seen as not supporting the efficacy of the widespread use of currently available procedures for mass screening. Given this point and the methodological and ethical concerns discussed, it is suggested that policy makers reallocate limited resources away from mass identification and toward health maintenance and other approaches to prevention and early-age intervention.

Sustainable Distribution Design: Contrasting Disposable, Recyclable, and Reusable Strategies for Packaging Materials Using a Total Cost Analysis With an Illustration of Milk Distribution

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sri Satya Kanaka Nagendra Jayanty ◽  
William J. Sawaya ◽  
Michael D. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Packaging Materials ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Specific Product ◽  
Cost Structures ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Total Cost Analysis ◽  
Plastic Containers

Engineers, policy makers, and managers have shown increasing interest in increasing the sustainability of products over their complete lifecycles and also from the ‘cradle to grave’ or from production to the disposal of each specific product. However, a significant amount of material is disposed of in landfills rather than being reused in some form. A sizeable proportion of the products being dumped in landfills consist of packaging materials for consumable products. Technological advances in plastics, packaging, cleaning, logistics, and new environmental awareness and understanding may have altered the cost structures surrounding the lifecycle use and disposal costs of many materials and products resulting in different cost-benefit trade-offs. An explicit and well-informed economic analysis of reusing certain containers might change current practices and results in significantly less waste disposal in landfills and in less consumption of resources for manufacturing packaging materials. This work presents a method for calculating the costs associated with a complete process of implementing a system to reuse plastic containers for food products. Specifically, the different relative costs of using a container and then either disposing of it in a landfill, recycling the material, or reconditioning the container for reuse and then reusing it are compared explicitly. Specific numbers and values are calculated for the case of plastic milk bottles to demonstrate the complicated interactions and the feasibility of such a strategy.

The Determinants of Program Success and Failure

1981 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold Wolman
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Evaluation Research ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Program Performance ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Program Success ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTRecent social science research – particularly evaluation research and cost-benefit analysis – has produced a substantial and very useful literature on the impact of public policy and on the relationship of program inputs to outputs and outcomes. However, the explicit focus of these analytic techniques on impacts and outcomes does not systematically yield useful information on why programs have been successes or failures. Policy-makers faced with an evaluation of program success or failure obviously need to know something about the why question if they are to make needed adjustments in the program or carry the lessons of one program to other areas. This article attempts to present a comprehensive framework for explaining and understanding program performance. It is meant to have two uses and to serve two clienteles. First, it presents for social scientists a set of research questions to guide research into the determinants of program performance. Second, it provides public policy-makers with a set of action questions which should be asked and answered appropriately in the actual formulating and carrying out of public policy, as a means of enhancing the chances of program success. The framework is divided into two parts, the formulating process and the carrying out process, although these two processes may overlap considerably, both in time and in terms of substantive concerns. Program success may be impeded by problems or inadequacies in one or more of the components in either the formulating stage or the carrying out stage or in both.

Assessing Urban Residents' Willingness to Pay for Preserving the Biodiversity of Swamp Forest

2017 ◽  
pp. 946-970
Author(s):  
Huynh Viet Khai
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Mekong Delta ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Urban Residents ◽  
Swamp Forest ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Welfare Losses ◽  
Conservation Projects

Measuring the biodiversity value in monetary could be useful information for policy-makers to estimate welfare losses caused by biodiversity reductions and perform cost-benefit analysis of biodiversity conservation projects. This study applied the approach of contingent valuation to analyze the Mekong Delta urban households' preferences and their willingness to pay for the program of biodiversity conservation in U Minh Thuong National Park, one of the largest peat swamp forests in Vietnam. The study estimated that the mean WTP of urban residents in the Mekong Delta was about VND16,510 ($0.78) per household per month for all respondents and around VND31,520 ($1.49) after excluding the protest zero and scenario rejecting respondents. Aggregately, they agreed to contribute about $10.97 million annually for the project of biodiversity conservation.

scholarly journals A simple methodology for comparing cost-benefit of traditional, green and cool roofs

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 03069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diletta Di Lorenzo ◽  
Valeria Lupo ◽  
Giorgia Peri ◽  
Gianfranco Rizzo ◽  
Gianluca Scaccianoce
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Field Application ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Urban Contexts ◽  
Cool Roofs ◽  
New Buildings

Energy policy makers, architects and researchers, when designing new buildings or rehabilitating the existing ones, are engaged in the attempt of limiting the energy needs for climatization (NZEB buildings) and the environmental pressure exerted by buildings (EU Climate Action). The pursuit of this demanding assignment calls for innovative solutions in conceiving the building envelope and its energy systems. Recently, among the most effective tools for improving the energy and environmental performances of buildings, the technical interventions regarding the roofs are gaining a rising attention. Indeed, covers of buildings are responsible of a relevant part of their energy losses and, on the other hand, could contribute to increasing the UHI effect. In the paper, a simple methodology that compares the energy and environmental benefits of cool and green coverages with traditional ones is presented. The capability of limiting the UHI effect of these solutions is also analysed. The methodology is applied to four cities of the Sicilian Island, characterized by different building density and different microclimates. This in-field application shows the feasibility of the method to be used in different urban contexts, as a useful contribution to the design of new buildings or to the re-design of the existing ones.

scholarly journals Redefinition of Cost-Benefit Efficiency of Land-Use Projects: Focusing on Environmental Cost

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Chen ◽  
Qianyi Du ◽  
Xueyan Xiong ◽  
Deliang Zhong ◽  
Na Deng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Efficiency Analysis ◽  
Environmental Cost ◽  
High Speed Rail ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Mining Project ◽  
Reasonable Approach ◽  
The Cost

The cost-benefit efficiency of projects is often wrongly evaluated due to the neglect of projects’ impact on the environment. In this paper, we aim to establish a model to measure such an impact and hence propose a more reasonable approach to evaluating cost-benefit efficiency of projects. We divide the total cost of a certain project into two parts: Business Cost (BC) and Environmental Cost (EC). BC is the explicit cost that can be approached from financial statements, while EC is the implicit cost which we try to quantify. EC is composed of three parts: (1) the Ecosystem Service Value (ESV), (2) the Restoration Cost (RC) to treat the pollution caused by the projects, and (3) the Disaster Cost (DC), potential losses caused by disasters due to launch of new projects. In order to make a cost-benefit efficiency analysis, we introduce profitability index, which is further developed into an adjusted profitability index by taking time value into consideration. Two case studies are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the model. A regional case of a coal-mining project proves that RC and DC play a significant role in cost-benefit efficiency analysis, while a nationwide case of high-speed rail shows that project scale matters. Additionally, we put our attention on the intensity of the project, which is a created measurement to characterize the project. Based on the study of intensity, the mechanism of cost-benefit break-even is further explained and some suggestions are proposed to policy makers.

The Analysis of Subsidy Policies for Alternative Fuel Vehicles

2011 ◽  
Vol 347-353 ◽  
pp. 3920-3923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Yu Chen ◽  
Chao Heng Tseng ◽  
Yen Kuang Lin ◽  
Yi Hsuan Shih ◽  
Yu Ling Chen
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Tax ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Alternative Fuel ◽  
Medical Expenditure ◽  
Manufacturing Cost ◽  
Alternative Fuel Vehicles ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Criteria Pollutants

The "Air Resource Co-benefits (ARCoB) Model" was developed in this study to integrated the health benefits from the reduction of criteria pollutants (the averted loss of life expectancy and annual medical expenditure) and the ecological benefits from the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs) (the averted carbon tax) from the promotion of the alternative fuel vehicles currently on the market. By questionnaire survey, the consumer preferences and willingness to pay for the alternative fuel vehicles in Taipei were analyzed. From cost-benefit analysis, the amount of money would be appropriate for government subsidy and reduction of the manufacturing cost for alternative fuel vehicles were suggested for the policy makers and automobile enterprises in this study. It could be a reliable reference for the subsidies policy.

scholarly journals A Call for International Leadership and Coordination to Realize the Potential of Conservation Technology

BioScience ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (10) ◽  
pp. 823-832 ◽  
Author(s):  
José J Lahoz-Monfort ◽  
Iadine Chadès ◽  
Alasdair Davies ◽  
Eric Fegraus ◽  
Edward Game ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Conservation Policy ◽  
Emerging Technology ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
International Leadership ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
International Alliance ◽  
Conservation Technology

AbstractAdvancing technology represents an unprecedented opportunity to enhance our capacity to conserve the Earth's biodiversity. However, this great potential is failing to materialize and rarely endures. We contend that unleashing the power of technology for conservation requires an internationally coordinated strategy that connects the conservation community and policy-makers with technologists. We argue an international conservation technology entity could (1) provide vision and leadership, (2) coordinate and deliver key services necessary to ensure translation from innovation to effective deployment and use of technology for on-the-ground conservation across the planet, and (3) help integrate innovation into biodiversity conservation policy from local to global scales, providing tools to monitor outcomes of conservation action and progress towards national and international biodiversity targets. This proposed entity could take the shape of an international alliance of conservation institutions or a formal intergovernmental institution. Active and targeted uptake of emerging technology can help society achieve biodiversity conservation goals.

scholarly journals Accumulation of Arsenic by Plants Growing in the Sites Strongly Contaminated by Historical Mining in the Sudetes Region of Poland

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 3342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Dradrach ◽  
Anna Karczewska ◽  
Katarzyna Szopka ◽  
Karolina Lewińska
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Plant Roots ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Historical Mining ◽  
Safe Limit ◽  
Plant Shoots ◽  
Representative Samples ◽  
Extractable Soil

The uptake of As by various plants growing in highly enriched sites was examined in order to identify potential As accumulators and to assess the risk associated with As presence in plant shoots. Representative samples of 13 plant species, together with soil samples, were collected from various sites affected by historical As mining: mine and slag dumps, tailings and contaminated soils with As concentrations in a range 72–193,000 mg/kg. Potentially and actually soluble As forms, extracted with 0.43 M HNO3 and, 1M NH4NO3 were examined in relation to As concentrations in plant roots and shoots. The latter differed strongly among the species and within them and were in the ranges 2.3–9400 mg/kg and 0.5–509 mg/kg, respectively. The majority (over 66%) of plant samples had As shoot concentrations above 4 mg/kg, an upper safe limit for animal fodder. The uptake of As by plants correlated well with total and extractable soil As, though As concentrations in plants could not be predicted based on soil parameters. Equisetum spp. and C. epigejos indicated a particularly strong accumulation of As in shoots, while A. capillaris, and H. lanatus showed a limited As root-to-shoot transfer, apparently associated with species-related tolerance to As.

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