Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

The research presented in this dissertation focuses on the waste management techniques currently used by Chevron-Escravos Nigeria Limited (CENL), as background knowledge of the existing waste disposal system practiced by the company. Investigation has shown that more than four tons (4tons) of organic food waste that CENL generates daily is being disposed of by using incineration and landfilling of the resulting residues. The high recoverability and economic values in form of nutrients and stored energy is not being considered. The main dissertation problem was to develop an alternative means of promoting the economic and environmental recoverability of these huge amounts of organic wastes, by developing a disposal technique other than the current incineration and landfill methods. The mechanism considered to achieve this objective was laid out in the customized organic waste converter or processor that provides one of the baselines for this dissertation. It also presents a procedural description of converting organic food waste to bio-feeds and feedstock of high quality. This alternative processing and utilization of organic food waste was carried out to provide information about tradeoffs to the current practice of incineration and landfill management systems. This was done to guide decision making and to serve as a framework within which the plausibility of the proposed solution could be examined. A comparative analysis of the two scenarios of waste to feed and waste to incineration system, the environmental impact, economic viability, and opportunity cost of recycling organic food waste produce of animal bio-feed was assessed by using: • Life cycle analysis (LCA) • By-products Breakeven Sale Product (BBSP) model. The BBSP model evaluates the opportunity of recycling the organic food waste in production of animal bio-feed to waste incineration. The outcome of the dissertation indicates that incineration is an important contributor to human and environmental toxicity and global warming. The proposed solution (recycling approach) balances the socio-economic, political and environmental safety by producing renewable, clean and eco-friendly feed and by-products. It was also concluded that there are alternative possibilities for the utilization of industrial organic food waste, where both the energy and nutrients are completely utilized, rather than the norms of conversion through chemical, biological, and thermal or other forms of energy fuels), which typically utilizes only one of these (calorific contents) categories at a time. The above mentioned utilization can be achieved by transforming the current waste disposal system. By introducing an alternative model for the recycling of plant and animal nutrients and the utilization of energy, renewable energy can be saved, human health and the environment can be protect and a sustainable economy can be maintained. In summary, it was demonstrated that there is huge capital losses and environmental contamination due to the current waste management practices. Recycling of OF W for feed production would be cost effective method that contributes towards protecting the environment achieving economic sustainability. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

The research presented in this dissertation focuses on the waste management techniques currently used by Chevron-Escravos Nigeria Limited (CENL), as background knowledge of the existing waste disposal system practiced by the company. Investigation has shown that more than four tons (4tons) of organic food waste that CENL generates daily is being disposed of by using incineration and landfilling of the resulting residues. The high recoverability and economic values in form of nutrients and stored energy is not being considered. The main dissertation problem was to develop an alternative means of promoting the economic and environmental recoverability of these huge amounts of organic wastes, by developing a disposal technique other than the current incineration and landfill methods. The mechanism considered to achieve this objective was laid out in the customized organic waste converter or processor that provides one of the baselines for this dissertation. It also presents a procedural description of converting organic food waste to bio-feeds and feedstock of high quality. This alternative processing and utilization of organic food waste was carried out to provide information about tradeoffs to the current practice of incineration and landfill management systems. This was done to guide decision making and to serve as a framework within which the plausibility of the proposed solution could be examined. A comparative analysis of the two scenarios of waste to feed and waste to incineration system, the environmental impact, economic viability, and opportunity cost of recycling organic food waste produce of animal bio-feed was assessed by using: • Life cycle analysis (LCA) • By-products Breakeven Sale Product (BBSP) model. The BBSP model evaluates the opportunity of recycling the organic food waste in production of animal bio-feed to waste incineration. The outcome of the dissertation indicates that incineration is an important contributor to human and environmental toxicity and global warming. The proposed solution (recycling approach) balances the socio-economic, political and environmental safety by producing renewable, clean and eco-friendly feed and by-products. It was also concluded that there are alternative possibilities for the utilization of industrial organic food waste, where both the energy and nutrients are completely utilized, rather than the norms of conversion through chemical, biological, and thermal or other forms of energy fuels), which typically utilizes only one of these (calorific contents) categories at a time. The above mentioned utilization can be achieved by transforming the current waste disposal system. By introducing an alternative model for the recycling of plant and animal nutrients and the utilization of energy, renewable energy can be saved, human health and the environment can be protect and a sustainable economy can be maintained. In summary, it was demonstrated that there is huge capital losses and environmental contamination due to the current waste management practices. Recycling of OF W for feed production would be cost effective method that contributes towards protecting the environment achieving economic sustainability. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

There are a large number of chemical facilities that emit toxic chemicals in Michigan, and there is a concern regarding toxic chemical exposure to the residents of Michigan counties. However, it is uncertain whether chemical companies that emit toxic chemicals in Michigan are influenced by county demographic factors in deciding whether to engage in voluntary pollution prevention (P2) activities and whether this decision influences U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) scores. Using Bullard's theory of environmental justice, the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there was a correlation between chemical-related industry's voluntary P2 participation, U.S. EPA's RSEI scores for chemical-related facilities, and demographic factors in Michigan counties between 2007 through 2011. A cross-sectional design using hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to study potential environmental inequality in 20 Michigan counties. Publically available data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. EPA included demographic data, voluntary P2 participation data, and RSEI scores for 20 counties in Michigan. A statistically insignificant correlation was found between voluntary P2 participation and median annual RSEI scores of Michigan industry; while a statistically significant, inverse correlation was found between median annual RSEI scores and educational attainment. The results from this study can be used by policy makers to promote more effective voluntary P2 policy and to create county-specific public education programs promoting toxic chemical awareness that will lead to positive social change in Michigan.

Stadtbewohner sind häufig mit multiplen Umweltbelastungen konfrontiert, die Stress erzeugen und zu einem Gesundheitsrisiko werden können. Dennoch ist wenig über das Zusammenwirken multipler Umweltstressoren und über das gesundheitliche Potential natürlicher Ressourcen bekannt. Diese Arbeit untersucht daher das Zusammenwirken multipler Stressoren und das Potential natürlicher Ressourcen hinsichtlich der psychischen Gesundheit. Auf Basis eines theoretischen Rahmenmodells erfolgten drei Studien in Berlin. Mittels Online-Studie wurden die für die Berliner Bevölkerung subjektiv kritischsten Umweltfaktoren identifiziert. Daran schloss sich eine Raumanalyse von Umweltdaten an, um Straßenblocks mit hohem versus geringen multiplen Belastungsgrad als Untersuchungsstandorte auszuwählen. In diesen Wohnblocks erfolgte eine Fragebogen-Studie. An einer Teilstichprobe wurden ergänzend qualitative Daten und Haar-Cortisol als objektiver Indikator für chronischen Stress gewonnen. Es zeigte sich, dass multiple Stressoren oder Ressourcen räumlich und zeitlich kovariieren. Die Bewohner hoch belasteter Blocks verhalten sich gesundheitsschädlicher als die Bewohner gering belasteter Blocks, unterscheiden sich jedoch nicht in ihrer Gesundheit. Allerdings besteht ein Zusammenhang zwischen der wahrgenommenen Luftverschmutzung und der subjektiven Gesundheit. Zudem weisen Personen, die sich durch Luftverschmutzung beeinträchtigter, belästigter oder gefährdeter fühlen, höhere Cortisol-Niveaus auf. Dieser Zusammenhang besteht nur bei objektiv hoher, nicht aber bei geringer Luftbelastung, was chronischen Umweltstress mit gesundheitlichen Folgen nahelegt. Schließlich sind der Blick auf eine hohe Quantität unterschiedlicher Vegetationsarten von der Wohnung aus, und die regelmäßige Nutzung spezifischer Grünflächen mit geringerem Cortisol-Niveau und teilweise mit höherer Lebenszufriedenheit assoziiert. Es werden mögliche Implikationen für eine nachhaltige Stadtentwicklung diskutiert. / City residents are often exposed to multiple environmental burdens that may cause stress and thereby pose a health risk. However, little is known about the co-occurrence of stressors, and on the health potential of natural resources. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the co-occurrence of multiple environmental burdens and the potential of natural resources with respect to the mental health of city residents. Based on a comprehensive theoretical model three consecutive studies were conducted in Berlin. An online survey facilitated the identification of critical local environmental factors. Subsequently a spatial analysis was conducted using a Geographic Information System in order to select neighborhood street blocks with high versus low multiple burden levels. A household survey was conducted in the selected study sites that additionally assessed the perceived level of other locally relevant burdens. Qualitative data and hair cortisol level as an objective indicator of chronic stress, were supplemented in a subsample. Results showed that either multiple stressors co-occurr or multiple resources are co-present. Residents from high-burden blocks behave in a less healthy manner than residents from low-burden blocks, but they do not differ in regard to health. However, perceived air pollution is related to perceived health. Moreover, individuals who feel more impaired, annoyed, or at risk by air pollution have higher cortisol levels. This relation exists with a high level of objective air pollution only, while no such relation exists when objective air pollution is low. This finding suggests chronic environmental stress with detrimental health consequences. Finally, residents whose homes have views onto high amounts of diverse kinds of vegetation, as well as who regularly use a park or a vegetated way have lower cortisol levels and partly report higher life satisfaction. The results have implications for sustainable urban development.

The Master´s thesis is structurally divided into the theoretical and practical part. In the theoretical part, the author describes current global environmental issues and the impact of the industry on the environment. The current state of the environmental legislation in mechanical engineering, environmental management systems, and methodologies of an environmental impact assessment are described. The practical part deals with the environmental burden of the snowboard production process according to the LCA method. Life cycle inventory is performed to evaluate individual materials whose production is the most environmentally damaging. At the last stage, possible measures are proposed to reduce the environmental burden.

As the trend in environmental care grows, the emphasis on removing the old environmental burdens is bigger. This thesis is dedicated to the case when the soil was contaminated by products of gas industry in the area of Jihomoravská plynárenská, a.s. in Brno - Zábrdovice . The aim of this work is to select the appropriate remediation technology and shoring remediation pit in mentioned locality. Diploma thesis also includes design and assessment of selected construction sheeting calculated by the method of dependent pressures, technology design and implementation of construction drawings.