More than one billion people, almost one in six of the world's population, are now using GSM mobile phones. The situation in South Africa is no different from that in the rest of the world. The rise of mobile telephone usage in South Africa has been driven by a combination of factors such as demand, sector reform, the licensing of new competition, and the emergence of major strategic investors, such as Vodacom and MTN. It was estimated that by March 2005 there should be approximately 20 million cellular customers in South Africa. The growth in the South African cellular market is proportionate to the potential risks in an environment where organisations are continuously seeking ways of improving efficiency, cutting costs, and staying abreast of technological advances. Elements of risk control such as Safety, Health, and Environmental Management can no longer be left out of the equation while organisations in the GSM industry are considering increasing their networks to meet the demands of growth. Although risk assessments are not specifically defined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act (85 of 1993); Section 8 does, however, stipulate under the general duties of the employer that the employer must establish, as far as is reasonably practicable, which hazards to the health or safety of persons are attached to any work which is performed. This situation has changed with the promulgation of the Construction Regulations, GNR.1010 on 18 July 2003; which state that every contractor performing construction work shall, before the commencement of any construction work and during construction work, cause a risk assessment to be performed by a competent person appointed in writing, and that the risk assessment shall form part of the health and safety plan to be applied on the site. This requirement under the Construction Regulations will have a major impact on organisations in the GSM industry. Integrated Health, Safety and Environmental risk assessments have now become a prerequisite before considering any further expansion of the GSM network in South Africa. The relationship between the operational risk sub-disciplines of health, safety, and environmental management, as part of the risk-management function, has been established, and an operational risk-assessment model for the Global Systems Mobile Telecommunications industry in South Africa that measures occupational health, safety, and environmental management risks on an integrated basis has been developed. The risk assessment model for the South African GSM industry is based on assessing the frequency of an activity in relation to the impact on the organisation's business processes, incident/accident potential, financial impact, legal status, and the nature of ecological impact. / Business Management / D. Com. (Business Management)

It is projected that by 2025 three-quarters of the world’s population will live in the coastal zone. This is an alarming statistic, with a consequently significant impact on small coastal towns and the adjacent marine environments. Developing communities within the coastal zone of South Africa have proved to be a significant pollution source of storm water. Studies have shown that storm water that is deposited in the ocean will be trapped in the near shore marine environment causing poor seawater quality over a large distance. Furthermore, this can pose a significant threat to the health of recreational users and important marine ecosystems. In Jeffreys Bay storm water quality is thought to pose a threat to the maintenance of the international Blue Flag status for its beach. The aim of the current project was to investigate the main sources of storm water and subsequent marine pollution at Jeffreys Bay and to develop an appropriate management strategy using the integrated environmental management framework. In order to achieve this objective, it was also necessary to determine the current quality of water at various points within the catchment and near shore marine environment. Even though the storm water was found to be severely contaminated no evidence existed for a negative impact on the marine environment. None the less, a precautionary approach was adopted and a risk assessment employed in order to consider potential impacts on the marine and aquatic environment, human health and socio-economic welfare within the town. Significant sources of storm water contamination included grey water, domestic solid waste disposal and informal ablution. These significant aspects were investigated further and it was found that solid waste management in the catchment was poor with significant quantities of waste, primarily (76%) from domestic sources, being disposed of illegally. A study of sanitation management showed inadequacies where up to 58% of the residents from the informal settlements disposed of their grey water into open spaces. The ratio of residents to toilets in these areas was 28:1, therefore supporting the outcome of the risk assessment. Due to the fact that all the significant aspects were related to anthropogenic waste, an integrated waste management plan (IWMP) was developed that would not only facilitate the reduction of pollution of storm water, but would also allow for sustainable community-based development.

Os protocolos de Avaliação de Risco Ambiental (ERA) de Fármacos e Produtos de Cuidados Pessoais (FPCP) recomendam o uso de ensaios ecotoxicológicos tradicionais (por exemplo algas, bactérias, invertebrados, peixes) e a avaliação de efeitos em um único nível de organização biológica para a determinação dos efeitos potenciais dos FPCP à biota. Considerando que efeitos em nível de sub-indivíduo pode afetar igualmente a aptidão ecológica de organismos marinhos, e que os mesmos estão cronicamente expostos aos FPCP, o objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o risco ambiental de triclosan (TCS), ibuprofeno (IBU) e 17&alpha;-etinilestradiol (EE2) em sedimentos marinhos utilizando respostas de efeitos sub-individuais e populacionais. Por meio do HPLC-ESI-MS/MS, as concentrações ambientais de TCS e IBU foram quantificadas em sedimentos marinhos coletados no entorno do emissário submarino de esgoto de Santos (Baía de Santos, São Paulo - Brasil) com 15,14 e 49,0 ng.g-1, respectivamente, enquanto o EE2 não foi detectado (<33 ng.g-1). Uma bateria de ensaios de toxicidade crônica (desenvolvimento embriolarval) com ouriços-do-mar (Lytechinus variegatus) e bivalves (Perna perna) foi realizada (efeito a nível de indivíduo) após exposição a sedimentos contaminados com os FPCP. Além disso, foram analisados alguns biomarcadores de Fase I (etoxiresorufina O-deetilase EROD e dibenzilfluoresceína DBF), de Fase II (glutationa S-transferase GST) do metabolismo, do sistema antioxidante (glutationa peroxidase GPx), de neurotoxicidade (colinesterase ChE), de estresse oxidativo (peroxidação lipídica LPO e danos em DNA) e de citotoxicidade que foram selecionados para avaliação das respostas a nível de sub-indivíduo em mexilhões Mytella charruana. Todos os compostos analisados apresentaram efeitos sobre o desenvolvimento embriolarval de L. variegatus e P. perna em concentrações ambientalmente relevantes. Em nível de sub-indivíuo foi possível observar que o TCS causou efeitos cito-genotóxicos (diminuição da estabilidade da membrana lisossomal, peroxidação lipídica e danos em DNA) e neurotóxicos. O IBU causou efeitos citotóxicos e neurotóxicos, enquanto o EE2 apresentou efeitos citotóxicos e danos em DNA. Nesse sentido, mesmo em baixas concentrações os FPCP são potencialmente capazes de alterar os mecanismos de manutenção da homeostase. Os dados químicos e ecotoxicológicos foram integrados e os quocientes de risco estimados para TCS, IBU e EE2 apresentaram valores superiores a 1,0, indicando alto risco ambiental destes compostos em sedimentos marinhos. Estes são os primeiros dados de avaliação de risco ambiental de FPCP em sedimentos de uma zona costeira brasileira. Os resultados sugerem que a ERA de fármacos e produtos de cuidados pessoais deve contemplar, além dos ensaios de toxicidade tradicionais o uso de biomarcadores como indicadores dos primeiros sinais de efeitos e, assim, estabelecer uma avaliação de risco mais efetiva que assegure a proteção e funcionamento dos ecossistemas aquáticos. / The guidelines for the Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) usually recommend the use of standard ecotoxicity assays (e.g. algae, bacteria, invertebrate, fish) and the assessment of endpoints at individual level for the evaluation of potential effects of PPCPs on biota. Considering that effects at sub-individual level can also affect the ecological fitness of marine organisms, and that marine organisms are chronically exposed to PPCPs, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the environmental risk of triclosan (TCS), ibuprofen (IBU) and 17&alpha;-ethynylestradiol (EE2) in marine sediments using sub-individual and population endpoints. Using LC-ESI-MS/MS, the environmental levels of TCS and IBU were quantified in marine sediments from the vicinities of the Santos submarine sewage outfall (Bay of Santos, São Paulo, Brazil) at 15.14 and 49.0 ng g-1, respectively, while EE2 was not detected (<33ng g-1). A battery (n=3) of chronic bioassays (embryo-larval development) with a sea urchin (Lytechinus variegatus) and a bivalve (Perna perna) were performed at populational level after exposure to spiked sediment. Phases I (ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase EROD and dibenzylfluorescein dealkylase DBF) and II (glutathione S-transferase GST) of the metabolism, antioxidant system (glutathione peroxidase GPX), neurotoxicity (cholinesterase ChE), oxidative effects (lipid peroxidation LPO and DNA damage strand breaks) and cytotoxicity were selected to evaluate the sublethal responses in the bivalve Mytella charruana. These compounds showed developmental effects on L. variegatus and P. perna at environmentally relevant concentrations. At sub-individual level TCS induced cyto-genotoxic (reduction on stability of lysosome membrane, lipid peroxidation and DNA damage) and neurotoxic effects. IBU caused cyto and neurotoxic effect, while EE2 caused cytotoxic and DNA damage. Chemical and ecotoxicological data were integrated and the quotient risk estimated for TCS, IBU and EE2 showed values higher than 1.0, indicating high environmental risks of these compounds in sediments. These are the first data of risk assessment of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in sediments of a Brazilian coastal zone. The results suggests that the ERA of pharmaceuticals and personal care products must include, in addition to the standard toxicity tests, the use of biomarkers as indicators of the early warning signs and thus provide a more effective risk assessment to security the protection and functioning of aquatic ecosystems.

Contaminated sites are a common problem across municipalities in the Greater Vancouver Regional District. These problems are complicated and multi-dimensional, and raise fundamental concerns about the risks to human and environmental health. This thesis shows however, that there are no easy answers to how much risk is "acceptable", and no one right way to decide. How the acceptable risk problem is structured is important, because fact and value issues, a source of controversy and dispute, are variously interpreted depending on how the problem is cast. The literature generically categorizes acceptable risk as either a technical, social or decision problem, and each of these have implications for the types of decision-making approaches and solutions that are considered appropriate in resolving acceptable risk. This thesis investigated how acceptable risk in contaminated site problems is handled in British Columbia by reviewing the provincial decision-making framework, and by surveying municipalities in the Greater Vancouver Regional District for their views on contaminated site problems and acceptable risk decision-making. The underlying goal of the thesis is to question the use of the current approach, the Pacific Place site criteria, as a model for acceptable risk decision-making in the province, and to explore the implications for urban communities. The Ministry of Environment is the central authority for contaminated sites in British Columbia and has generally taken a scientific and technical approach to the problem. Although the municipal survey suggests that the Pacific Place site criteria has a broad base of support in the GVRD, the technical emphasis has implications for urban communities. The approach is expert-oriented and largely excludes local and public involvement in the acceptable risk debate. The major concern is that important social value issues have been neglected, relative to the engineering and technical aspects of the problem. The research also finds however, that the majority of individuals in the municipal survey are willing to explore other methods of determining acceptable risk, and support in principle, local government and public involvement in deciding what these methods should be. This thesis suggests that British Columbia can benefit from a more comprehensive view of acceptable risk in contaminated site problems. Resource limitations at the provincial and local level, and the high stakes in contaminated site problems for urban communities point to the growing importance of incorporating a broad range of value issues and understanding the trade-offs in acceptable risk decisions. The Ministry of Environment can improve the current decision-making approach by: incorporating structured value assessments that elicit stakeholder values and address trade-offs; involving a wider range of stakeholders in standard setting and risk assessment, including the forthcoming review of the Pacific Place site criteria; creating forums to explore other decision-making approaches; and by encouraging private sector involvement in risk assessment and risk management. The province can also encourage and support community-based institutional networks, both at the municipal and regional level. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

MPH / Department of Public Health / Health and safety issues pertaining to workers are global concerns and a major priority to the employers and government respectively. Employees in general across industries are faced with various health and safety risks. Epidemiological research has shown consistently that waste handlers are mostly exposed to various risks and hazards during their work as compared to other professions globally. This study focused on waste handlers employed by the Thulamela Municipality in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study employed qualitative explorative design and targeted all municipal waste handlers. Municipal waste handlers were sampled using non probability purposive sampling. In-depth interviews, using an interview guide, were conducted by the researcher and a voice recorder was used to record data from the participants after obtaining permission from them. The sample size comprised of 18 participants and was determined by data saturation. A thematically analysis technique was used to analyse data. Data from the participants were clustered into main theme, categories and sub-categories. The following themes emerged from data analysis: physical hazards, psychological hazard, biological hazards and chemical hazard. The study revealed that the municipal waste handlers are exposed to various occupational risks and are experiencing shortage of personal protective equipment, ranging from hand gloves, safety helmets, rain coats, overall uniforms, safety jackets and boots, to keep themselves safe from health problems and occupational injury when collecting waste. It is recommended that the Thulamela municipality should prioritise the working conditions for municipal waste handlers, by distributing suitable personal protective equipment such as hands gloves, safety helmet, rain coats, safety jackets and boots) and overalls / NRF

Human related activities have influenced the rivers of the southern Western Cape since as early as the 1700’s. As there is no detailed information available on ecological status of the Holsloot River, a tributary of the Breede River, this study aimed to gain insight into the effect of impacts associated with human activities on the habitat integrity of this river. The study intended to understand how seasonal changes, catchment characteristics and events are reflected in the ecological status of habitats along the river by applying bio-monitoring and river health measurements at selected sites in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Holsloot River and compare the results to that of an undisturbed reference site. Results obtained in this study are compared with data gathered in 2008/2009 to determine if the ecological status of the river had changed in the period between the two sampling times. The study included assessment of the ecological status of the river based on standard bio-monitoring protocol (SASS5, IHI, IHAS and VEGRAI) as well as in situ water quality analysis (pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids). The construction of the instream Stettynskloof Dam changed the configuration of the riparian zone and river channel in the upper catchment area. Agricultural- and other human related activities, with consequent water abstraction, non-point-source pollution, loss of riparian vegetation, as well as dense stands of alien invader plants influence flow patterns and affects river ecology, especially in the dry summer months. Providing sufficient stream flow and adequate water levels, human related activities can create a larger variety of habitat types available that can support larger biodiversity and higher productivity. The level of inundation and stream flow, influenced by water abstraction as well as irrigation return-flow from extensive drainage systems especially in the dry months, contribute to the loss of biodiversity in the middle and lower reaches of the river. Where the upper reaches of the river are largely natural with few modifications, the habitat integrity deteriorates in the middle reaches so much so that ecosystem functioning are collectively impaired in lower reaches due to human related impacts. Sensitive macro-invertebrates found at lower seriously impacted parts of the river however, were in all probability washed down from lower impacted upstream habitats and may expectedly be able to again occupy habitats downstream if water quality and habitat availability improves. / Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Environmental Science)

The impact of climate change on the financial performance of companies is of concern to bank credit processes. The main objective of this research was to develop a South African contextualised credit process that incorporates environmental risk. The research methodology comprised of a mixed-method being content analysis – the qualitative portion and the Probability of Default prediction using a Merton Model and the Hoffmann and Busch (2008) carbon risk analysis model - the quantitative portion. A content analysis of the banks’ Annual Reports, Integrated Reports and Sustainability Reports showed that, while South African banks follow a qualitative approach to embedding environmental risk into their credit process, none of the four banks that formed part of the study divulged their quantitative approach to embedding environmental risk. The study used a proximity matrix method to examine the level of embedding. The second part of the study, which used prior studies as the benchmark, adopted the following: (1) a simulated carbon tax regime as a proxy for an environmental risk, and (2) the Hoffmann and Busch (2008) carbon risk analysis tool and the Merton Model (1974) as the bank credit process proxies. The second part of the study used a sample of 33 JSE-listed Carbon Disclosure Project reporting companies out of a population of 107. The carbon risk analysis showed that the companies in the materials and energy sector have a high carbon risk. However, the results from the Merton Model showed that the companies have enough profit to cushion the additional carbon tax liability, given the insignificant shift in probability of default between the three scenarios, where financial data had (1) no carbon tax, (2) was adjusted for a carbon tax with incentives, and (3) adjusted for carbon tax without incentives. Triangulation of the results from the content analysis, carbon risk analysis and the probability of default analysis confirms that South African banks do not fully integrate environmental risk across the credit value chain or process in the 2010 to 2017 period. However, the carbon risk analysis shows a heavy dependency on carbon sources for critical inputs into the South African companies’ production processes, which if not checked, will affect the credit portfolios of banks. / Finance, Risk Management and Banking / D. Phil (Management Studies)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / In this research, Environmental Fluid Dynamic Code (EFDC) and Adaptive- Networkbased Fuzzy Inference System Models (ANFIS) were developed and implemented to determine the spatial-temporal distribution of cyanobacterial metabolites: 2-MIB and geosmin, in Eagle Creek Reservoir, IN. The research is based on the current need for understanding algae dynamics and developing prediction methods for algal taste and odor release events. In this research the methodology for prediction of 2-MIB and geosmin production was explored. The approach incorporated a combination of numerical and heuristic modeling to show its capabilities in prediction of cyanobacteria metabolites. The reservoir’s variable data measured at monitoring stations and consisting of chemical/physical and biological parameters with the addition of calculated mixing conditions within the reservoir were used to train and validate the models. The Adaptive – Network based Fuzzy Inference System performed satisfactorily in predicting the metabolites, in spite of multiple model constraints. The predictions followed the generally observed trends of algal metabolites during the three seasons over three years (2008-2010). The randomly selected data pairs for geosmin for validation achieved coefficient of determination of 0.78, while 2-MIB validation was not accepted due to large differences between two observations and their model prediction. Although, these ANFIS results were accepted, the further application of the ANFIS model coupled with the numerical models to predict spatio-temporal distribution of metabolites showed serious limitations, due to numerical model calibration errors. The EFDC-ANFIS model over-predicted Pseudanabaena spp. biovolumes for selected stations. The predicted value was 18,386,540 mm3/m3, while observed values were 942,478 mm3/m3. The model simulating Planktothrix agardhii gave negative biovolumes, which were assumed to represent zero values observed at the station. The taste and odor metabolite, geosmin, was under-predicted as the predicted v concentration was 3.43 ng/L in comparison to observed value of 11.35 ng/l. The 2-MIB model did not validate during EFDC to ANFIS model evaluation. The proposed approach and developed methodology could be used for future applications if the limitations are appropriately addressed.

<p dir="ltr">Agricultural biosecurity is a global concern, with implications for food security, public health, and economic and ecological stability. Through education and technology, threats can be predicted and better managed. Existing educational materials and spatial analysis predominantly cater to larger facilities, leaving smaller producers at a disadvantage as they often lack financial means to implement prevention strategies and have less resources at their disposal. In this dissertation, two novel uses of education and technology within agricultural biosecurity were researched: educational curricula for young and beginning farmers and the potential impact of geospatial information systems (GIS) tools in understanding the spread of avian influenza viruses (AIV). I extend my deepest gratitude to Dr. Shawn Ehlers, Clinical Assistant Professor, for his unwavering guidance and mentorship throughout my dissertation work. Special appreciation goes to my committee members, Dr. Pamela Aaltonen, Dr. William Field, and Dr. Roger Tormoehlen, for their valuable insights and constructive feedback. Collaborative efforts with Melissa Rudolph and the support from ABE GSA and QGSA greatly enriched my research experience. Heartfelt thanks to my family, including Glen Jr. Morris, Melodie Morris, Moranda Morris, Marissa and Ian Pringle, and my partner Adam Dachowicz, as well as Adam’s family Steven, Lori, Alyssa, and Holly, for their constant support. I acknowledge the contributions of Gearing Up for Safety, IN-PREPared, Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH), Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for their help in my research investigations and express my appreciation to Purdue libraries and ABE faculty and staff for constant support with crucial resources and facilities.</p><p><br></p>

Nachhaltigkeitsaspekte wie zum Beispiel Klimawandel, Umweltschutz und generationsübergreifender Ressourcenverbrauch gewinnen sowohl im globalen als auch unternehmensspezifischen Kontext signifikant an Bedeutung. Die damit verbundenen Unsicherheiten werden jedoch von den meisten Unternehmen unzureichend reflektiert, sodass die daraus resultierenden Nachhaltigkeitsrisiken im Rahmen des Risikomanagements größtenteils unberücksichtigt bleiben. Hinzukommend erschweren insbesondere fehlende Kenntnisse zur Auswahl geeigneter, qualitativer Methoden zunehmend die Identifikation, Bewertung, Steuerung und Überwachung von Nachhaltigkeitsrisiken. Um diesen Schwierigkeiten entgegenzuwirken ist der Einsatz eines Methoden- oder Kennzahlenverbundes, wie der Szenarioanalyse und Sustainability Balanced Scorecard, zielführend. Die dem Artikel zugrundeliegende Forschungsfrage untersucht, wie mithilfe der Szenarioanalyse und Sustainability Balanced Scorecard als Instrumente des Risikomanagements Nachhaltigkeitsrisiken präziser abgesichert werden können. Anhand eines umfassenden Literaturreviews wird aufgezeigt, dass sich der Risikomanagementprozess in den einzelnen Phasen beider Instrumente wiederspiegelt. Hierfür wurden die jeweiligen Phasen analysiert, um anschließend den Phasen des Risikomanagementprozesses zugeordnet zu werden. Somit wird offenbart in welchen Phasen Nachhaltigkeitsrisiken identifiziert, qualitativ-verbal bewertet, mit geeigneten Handlungsoptionen gesteuert und kontinuierlich überwacht werden. Unterstützend wird zur Beantwortung der Forschungsfrage zudem auf geeignete, qualitative Methoden, eine umfassende Beurteilung der Szenarioanalyse und Sustainability Balanced Scorecard sowie auf ausgewählte Praxisbeispiele eingegangen. / Sustainability aspects, such as climate change, environmental protection and cross-generational resource consumption, are becoming significantly more important, both in a global and company-specific context. However, the associated uncertainties are insufficiently reflected by most companies, so that the resulting sustainability risks are largely ignored in risk management. In addition, a lack of knowledge about the selection of suitable, qualitative methods in particular increasingly complicates the identification, evaluation, control and monitoring of sustainability risks. In order to counteract these difficulties, the use of a combination of methods or indicators, such as scenario analysis and Sustainability Balanced Scorecard, is appropriate. The research question investigates how sustainability risks can be hedged more precisely using scenario analysis and the Sustainability Balanced Scorecard as instruments of risk management. A comprehensive literature review shows that the risk management process is reflected in the individual phases of both instruments. For this purpose, the respective phases were analysed and then assigned to the phases of the risk management process. This reveals the phases in which sustainability risks are identified, qualitatively and verbally assessed, managed with suitable options for action and continuously monitored. In addition, suitable qualitative methods, a comprehensive assessment of the scenario analysis and the Sustainability Balanced Scorecard as well as selected practical examples will be discussed in order to answer the research question.