Wastewater treatment is traditionally considered a separate part of an industrial activity, hardly connected to the production units themselves. It is nowadays essential to ensure that the quality of water is not degraded and that water that has been polluted is purified to acceptable levels, especially in a country with scarce water resources such as South Africa. Where water quality is concerned, Zero Effluent Discharge (ZED) is the ultimate goal, in order to avoid any releases of contaminants to the water environment. The push towards ZED in South Africa is also promoted further by the South African Government’s plan to reduce freshwater usage and the pollution of water sources due to the water scarcity in a semi-arid South Africa. Future legislation will see a marked increase in the cost of freshwater usage and/or a possible limitation of the quantity of freshwater available. There is a need in the South African Industry for a framework of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in order to provide interested stakeholders, which include not only industry, but also academia, environmental interest groups and members of the public, with a procedure to meet the ZED statutory requirements. This dissertation explores the regulatory requirements and current environmental management practices implemented. A framework of BMPs to successfully attain ZED status in South African industries is developed from the literature study and the researcher’s own experience. The BMP framework embodies practices for one integrated strategy within three dimensions. The three dimensions of the BMP framework were selected to differentiate between BMPs for management (Governance BMPs), the project management team responsible for ZED projects (Project Management BMPs) and the implementation of preventative and operational measures to obtain and sustain ZED compliance for South African industries. The BMP framework was validated against the practices applied by Mittal Steel. The Mittal Steel plant in Vanderbijlpark implemented various projects, reduced the intake of water and eliminated the discharge of effluent and by doing this successfully realised their ZED status. The BMP framework will enable South African industries to develop their own BMPs Manual which should be specific to their operational and environmental requirements. The implementation of these BMPs should be tailored and used accordingly to demonstrate compliance to ZED requirements in South African industries. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Wastewater treatment is traditionally considered a separate part of an industrial activity, hardly connected to the production units themselves. It is nowadays essential to ensure that the quality of water is not degraded and that water that has been polluted is purified to acceptable levels, especially in a country with scarce water resources such as South Africa. Where water quality is concerned, Zero Effluent Discharge (ZED) is the ultimate goal, in order to avoid any releases of contaminants to the water environment. The push towards ZED in South Africa is also promoted further by the South African Government’s plan to reduce freshwater usage and the pollution of water sources due to the water scarcity in a semi-arid South Africa. Future legislation will see a marked increase in the cost of freshwater usage and/or a possible limitation of the quantity of freshwater available. There is a need in the South African Industry for a framework of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in order to provide interested stakeholders, which include not only industry, but also academia, environmental interest groups and members of the public, with a procedure to meet the ZED statutory requirements. This dissertation explores the regulatory requirements and current environmental management practices implemented. A framework of BMPs to successfully attain ZED status in South African industries is developed from the literature study and the researcher’s own experience. The BMP framework embodies practices for one integrated strategy within three dimensions. The three dimensions of the BMP framework were selected to differentiate between BMPs for management (Governance BMPs), the project management team responsible for ZED projects (Project Management BMPs) and the implementation of preventative and operational measures to obtain and sustain ZED compliance for South African industries. The BMP framework was validated against the practices applied by Mittal Steel. The Mittal Steel plant in Vanderbijlpark implemented various projects, reduced the intake of water and eliminated the discharge of effluent and by doing this successfully realised their ZED status. The BMP framework will enable South African industries to develop their own BMPs Manual which should be specific to their operational and environmental requirements. The implementation of these BMPs should be tailored and used accordingly to demonstrate compliance to ZED requirements in South African industries. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T18:57:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2184.pdf: 10891858 bytes, checksum: 73f6b1a39daf89a3da77ee3132be166f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-12-05 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / Fish culture is na aquaculture field which has been growing a lot in the last few years, specially by fish capture stagnation and for the growing high nutritional quality animal protein demand. A market field that has been greatly developed since 1990 s and which holds huge transactions of buying and selling alive cultures fish is the fee fishing activity, moving not only São Paulo fish cultures but from other states too, like Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul and Minas Gerais. However, as in any human activity, it has negative and positive impacts. On this perspective, this study has objected, through an environment assessment evaluation in five fee-fishing units located in Araras region, manage the proposition Best Management Practices (BMP s) use and making a cost/benefit analysis to prove the viability of those practices use. Data were collected through a previous prepared questions and fishing pounds water and sediment samples analysis and water quality parameters measures in three different moments: before, during and after the rainy period. The analysis showed there are lead and iron elements excess in water, the former is due to previous lead contamination in Mogi-Guaçu hydrographical basin, and the last one because of the region soil type. Several Best Management Practices (BMP s) were proposed and the cost/benefit analysis identified only one economic viable establishment, whereas under a 9.5% a year discount rate in a 15-year analysis, it s proved to be profitable. The studied fee-fishing units presented serious problems on economic sector, and should in an urgent way improve their administrative and management strategies in order to better explore the property potentialities and the activity the execute in a sustainable manner. / A piscicultura é um ramo da aqüicultura que vem crescendo muito nos últimos anos, impulsionada pela estagnação na pesca extrativa e pela crescente demanda por proteína animal de alta qualidade nutricional. Um dos mercados que se desenvolveu copiosamente no início da década de noventa e que comporta grande movimentação de compra e venda de pescados cultivados é o mercado de pesque-pague, movimentando não só a piscicultura do estado de São Paulo, como também de estados vizinhos como Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul e Minas Gerais. No entanto, assim como qualquer outra atividade humana, provoca impactos positivos e negativos. Sob esta perspectiva, este trabalho objetivou, através de uma avaliação de impactos ambientais em cinco pesque-pague da região de Araras, propor a adoção de boas práticas de manejo (BPM s) e realizar uma análise de custo/benefício para verificar a viabilidade da adoção de tais práticas. As informações foram coletadas através de questionários pré-elaborados, análises de amostras de água e sedimento e a medição dos parâmetros de qualidade de água dos tanques de pesca em três momentos diferentes: antes durante e após o período chuvoso. As análises de água revelaram existência de excesso dos elementos chumbo e ferro, o primeiro devido à contaminação pré-existente na bacia do Mogi-Guaçu, e o último em decorrência do tipo de solo da região latossolo. Várias Boas Práticas de Manejo foram propostas e a análise de custo/benefício identificou apenas um estabelecimento considerado economicamente viável, pois a uma taxa de desconto de 9,5% ao ano e sob um horizonte temporal de 15 anos, mostrou-se rentável. Os estabelecimentos estudados apresentam sérios problemas no setor econômico, devendo com urgência melhorar suas estratégias administrativas e gerenciais a fim de melhor explorar as potencialidades da propriedade e das atividades que desenvolvem de forma sustentável.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T18:57:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2184.pdf: 10891858 bytes, checksum: 73f6b1a39daf89a3da77ee3132be166f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-12-05 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / Fish culture is na aquaculture field which has been growing a lot in the last few years, specially by fish capture stagnation and for the growing high nutritional quality animal protein demand. A market field that has been greatly developed since 1990 s and which holds huge transactions of buying and selling alive cultures fish is the fee fishing activity, moving not only São Paulo fish cultures but from other states too, like Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul and Minas Gerais. However, as in any human activity, it has negative and positive impacts. On this perspective, this study has objected, through an environment assessment evaluation in five fee-fishing units located in Araras region, manage the proposition Best Management Practices (BMP s) use and making a cost/benefit analysis to prove the viability of those practices use. Data were collected through a previous prepared questions and fishing pounds water and sediment samples analysis and water quality parameters measures in three different moments: before, during and after the rainy period. The analysis showed there are lead and iron elements excess in water, the former is due to previous lead contamination in Mogi-Guaçu hydrographical basin, and the last one because of the region soil type. Several Best Management Practices (BMP s) were proposed and the cost/benefit analysis identified only one economic viable establishment, whereas under a 9.5% a year discount rate in a 15-year analysis, it s proved to be profitable. The studied fee-fishing units presented serious problems on economic sector, and should in an urgent way improve their administrative and management strategies in order to better explore the property potentialities and the activity the execute in a sustainable manner. / A piscicultura é um ramo da aqüicultura que vem crescendo muito nos últimos anos, impulsionada pela estagnação na pesca extrativa e pela crescente demanda por proteína animal de alta qualidade nutricional. Um dos mercados que se desenvolveu copiosamente no início da década de noventa e que comporta grande movimentação de compra e venda de pescados cultivados é o mercado de pesque-pague, movimentando não só a piscicultura do estado de São Paulo, como também de estados vizinhos como Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul e Minas Gerais. No entanto, assim como qualquer outra atividade humana, provoca impactos positivos e negativos. Sob esta perspectiva, este trabalho objetivou, através de uma avaliação de impactos ambientais em cinco pesque-pague da região de Araras, propor a adoção de boas práticas de manejo (BPM s) e realizar uma análise de custo/benefício para verificar a viabilidade da adoção de tais práticas. As informações foram coletadas através de questionários pré-elaborados, análises de amostras de água e sedimento e a medição dos parâmetros de qualidade de água dos tanques de pesca em três momentos diferentes: antes durante e após o período chuvoso. As análises de água revelaram existência de excesso dos elementos chumbo e ferro, o primeiro devido à contaminação pré-existente na bacia do Mogi-Guaçu, e o último em decorrência do tipo de solo da região latossolo. Várias Boas Práticas de Manejo foram propostas e a análise de custo/benefício identificou apenas um estabelecimento considerado economicamente viável, pois a uma taxa de desconto de 9,5% ao ano e sob um horizonte temporal de 15 anos, mostrou-se rentável. Os estabelecimentos estudados apresentam sérios problemas no setor econômico, devendo com urgência melhorar suas estratégias administrativas e gerenciais a fim de melhor explorar as potencialidades da propriedade e das atividades que desenvolvem de forma sustentável.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T12:09:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 parte2.pdf: 1500075 bytes, checksum: 38d49cb673692e0f852411fc280a488d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-03-10 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Nowadays, problems including urban drainage are increasing with the percentage of urban area. In fact, the quality of life in big cities is directly affected by the drainage problems. In case of special areas, such as a closed watershed, the problems are increasing because in this sort of watershed there is not an outlet. This peculiar characteristic in its relief or its soil uses originates diversified questions about hidrology, sedimentology and water quality. In this paper, it was made a study about urban drainage problems in a watershed called Lagoa do Buracão, in the city of João Pessoa, State of Paraíba, Brazil. Each feature of the studied area was researched and several hydrological simulations were made in order to analyze three different sceneries of the soil occupation. The sceneries include changes in the level of the lake. It was used rainfall data and physical characteristics of the studied watershed. The results showed that the satisfactory scenery is the first one. Important positive impacts are involved with the proposed solution as well as negative impacts too. The main conclusion is that the proposal solution is highly recommendable for the resolution of the problem of urban drainage of Lagoa do Buracão. It adds other functions as the creation of a desirable landscape in the composition of the urban space, the valuation of the neighboring areas and the restoration of the environment which is currently degraded. / A problemática das inundações e dos alagamentos urbanos vem crescendo paulatinamente nas últimas décadas como conseqüência, principalmente, do crescimento das áreas urbanizadas. Logo, nota-se o comprometimento da qualidade de vida do habitante urbano, em particular no que tange aos transtornos causados pela presença de água em excesso nas vias e lotes urbanos. Tal situação agrava-se caso se considere a ocorrência desta problemática em bacias fechadas (ou endorreicas), uma vez que neste tipo de bacia o escoamento superficial se acumula em lagos ou sumidouros que não se comunicam por uma rede superficial com outros cursos de água a jusante. Constituem, desse modo, entes especiais na abordagem da gestão do meio urbano por não apresentarem uma saída natural para o escoamento das águas pluviais. A avaliação de áreas especiais fornece subsídios para a gestão do meio urbano, possibilitando o tratamento combinado das questões de drenagem pluvial com outras questões urbanísticas para o desenvolvimento sustentável. Na presente pesquisa, estudou-se a problemática da drenagem urbana de uma bacia fechada denominada Lagoa do Buracão, localizada no bairro de Oitizeiro, município de João Pessoa, Estado da Paraíba. Após caracterização detalhada dos diversos aspectos relativos à área enfocada e de variáveis hidrometeorológicas pertinentes, simulou-se o comportamento hidrológico-hidráulico do conjunto bacia-lagoa a partir da modelagem efetivada com o auxílio do Software ABC 6. São considerados três cenários propostos simulados a partir de uma cenário base, que corresponde a conformação atual da área. Os cenários propostos incluem desassoreamento e aprofundamento da lagoa. Os resultados mostraram que a alternativa mais adequada seria a do cenário 1, que abrange desassoreamento da lagoa para profundidade constante de 3 metros e soleira do vertedor na cota 30,5. Com base neste cenário eleito, propõe-se uma solução de drenagem para a lagoa de uso multifuncional, combinando a utilização de técnicas compensatórias de drenagem urbana e a inserção de elementos que propiciem a requalificação da paisagem urbana. São apontados ainda os principais impactos positivos e negativos esperados da implementação desta intervenção na bacia. Conclui-se que a solução proposta é altamente recomendável para a resolução do problema de drenagem urbana da Lagoa do Buracão, agregando outras funções como a criação de uma paisagem que valoriza as áreas do entorno e restaura um ambiente atualmente degradado.

No description available.

<p>Land use change is a major cause of degradation to freshwater ecosystems. Excess nutrients and toxins, physical infrastructure, and habitat removal can lead to deleterious impacts on water quality, flooding, and biological integrity. The overarching inquiry of this dissertation was to assess how social and ecological dimensions of stormwater interact to influence stormwater and its management. A three-part study was conducted to investigate the ecological and social dynamics of aquatic ecosystems. In part one, I investigated the impacts of urbanization on stream metabolism— a fundamental ecological process. The proliferation of inexpensive water quality sensors has allowed researchers to investigate stream functional processes at a high temporal resolution. I used high-resolution dissolved oxygen data to estimate gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) across 12 urban creeks in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. I used descriptive statistics and regression models to investigate the influence of light, temperature, and hydrological disturbances on GPP and ER. The results demonstrate that urbanization shifts metabolic regimes towards highly productive summers with substantial declines in GPP following summer storm events. My research shows that ER is associated with water temperature and is resistant to hydrological disturbances. These findings have management implications because as summer heat and storms intensify with climate change, my work suggests that stream organisms will become more vulnerable to scour and hypoxia.</p><p> </p><p>In part two, I conducted a systematic literature review to identify salient social norms impacting water quality best management practice (BMP) adoption across urban and rural lands. Furthermore, I synthesized situational factors that mobilize and reproduce social norms associated with BMP adoption. The results demonstrate that social norms create expectations for conventional farming practices and manicured residential lawns, as well as a social responsibility for neighborly cohesion and environmental stewardship. Social norms supporting water quality BMPs were fostered during times of management uncertainty and in response to social sanctions and benefits. I found that social norms supporting water quality BMPs were more readily mobilized when supported by key community leaders, knowledge brokers, and institutional actors.</p><p> </p><p>In part three, I examined if and how an individual’s race, gender, and education level shape one’s concern about and willingness to participate in stormwater management. Stormwater risks can be immediate burdens and at times life-threatening for marginalized people because environmental injustices based on race, gender, and class can dictate exposure to and recovery from environmental risks like flooding and water pollution. Although marginalized groups bear the brunt of environmental risks, they are not likely to be perceived by others as highly concerned about the environment. I investigated differences, if any, in peoples’ willingness to participate in stormwater management based on their race, gender, and educational level by analyzing community opinion surveys in Charlotte, North Carolina. Results suggest that socially marginalized individuals are more concerned about creek flooding than others and subsequently more likely to participate in conservation behaviors. This analysis calls attention to how adverse environmental conditions may shape the perspectives of those experiencing them and facilitate a greater willingness to engage in conservation practices. Collectively, this dissertation highlights the interconnectedness of human and ecological drivers of function and resilience in aquatic freshwater ecosystems with implications for future directions of freshwater management that prioritize social equity and sustain social infrastructures.</p>

Several studies have reported agronomic benefits by improving soil health/quality, but uncertain knowledge remains when determining specific impacts on water quality off-field. This study investigated the links between runoff water quality and soil health/quality in agricultural fields of the Mississippi delta under three land management scenarios: Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), vegetative buffer (VB), and row crops (RC). Using the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF), a Soil Quality Index (SQI) was obtained based on ten soil health/quality indicators from 2008 and 2012 datasets. The SMAF identified significant differences in soil health/quality improvements among scenarios over a four-year period. Varied relationships between water quality parameters, SQI, and soil health/quality indicators were determined. Individually, physical and chemical soil indicators were also correlated with runoff water quality. Overall, the evidenced relationship between soil health/quality and water quality parameters was stronger in areas under CRP.

No description available.

No description available.