The UK Landfill Tax was introduced by the Finance Act 1996 as an economic measure to discourage the use of landfill as a waste management option and to encourage a more sustainable approach in which less waste is produced and more waste is reused or recycled. A tax credit scheme was also introduced in order that a proportion of the money raised by the tax could be directed to Environmental Bodies to be used for approved environmental projects. The published papers submitted with this thesis evaluate the effectiveness of the operation of Landfill Tax and Landfill Tax Credit Scheme in a legal context by drawing upon a range of sources including the reviews of the Tax, data for Entrust and surveys conducted by the author. The Landfill Tax and Landfill Tax Credit Scheme is a tax law that is multi dimensional with environmental, social, economic, fiscal and political aspects. Like most law it seeks to change or control the behaviour of individuals and institutions but unlike most laws relating to taxation it had the potential for greater public acquiescence by a ‘double dividend’ by seeking to reduce landfill and encourage a more sustainable approach and also to be neutral in taxation terms by making a commensurate reduction in Employer’s Contributions to National Insurance and so reduce the tax on employment. The research finds that the Tax and Credit Scheme has good intentions in achieving a double dividend and recognises that it laid the foundations for a bottom up approach to improved waste management with public participation projects. However the research identifies and addresses a series of issues. In particular the Tax needed to be set at a substantial level to have an impact and did not itself reduce landfill. The Credit Scheme had the potential to encourage alternatives to landfill. However the Scheme’s range of approved projects and flaws in its operation meant it lacked a sufficiently strong sustainable waste management focus. The research notes that stakeholders support the Tax and Credit Scheme but recognise that it has scope for making a greater contribution to sustainable waste management particularly if additional Tax funds were allocated to strategic projects. In 2002 the Government diverted all the funds that would have been applied to ‘bottom up’ waste management projects under the Credit Scheme to centrally run ‘top down’ strategic projects, bringing to an end a key driver for sustainable waste management. The aim of the critical appraisal accompanying the papers is to outline the operation and highlight the criticisms and suggested reforms published in the papers between 1998 and 2004. In addition it suggests a way forward for the Landfill Tax credit Scheme, now called the Landfill Communities Fund to support once more support bottom up waste management projects. It also refers to key elements of the UK experience as an evidenced based guide to other countries that have already or are considering implementing similar taxes to the Landfill Tax

This thesis develops, tests and applies methods for space-time modelling of exposure to air pollution using GIS. This involves linkage of five main sub-models: a traffic model, a model of urban air pollution - combining local and ‘background’ pollution models - a network analysis tool for modelling exposure during journeys, and a time-activity model. The model can provide exposure estimates for individuals or population groups. The study took place entirely within Northampton, UK. The model used to estimate hourly PM10 concentrations at outdoor locations gave a moderate fit to monitored data. Results were shown to be comparable with the best results from other studies. This research also found a strong, linear relationship between concentrations of PM10 during simultaneous monitoring of walking and in-car concentrations. This relationship was used to calibrate modelled outdoor pollution levels to give in-car concentrations. Modelled journey- time exposures for walking performed equally with predictions made using a fixed- site monitor located close to journey routes. The model did not perform as well as the fixed-site monitor in predicting in-car exposures. The application of the model to a walk-to-school policy, in which modelled local traffic levels were reduced by 20%, demonstrated that the benefits of the reduction were not spread evenly across a sample of schoolchildren, but varied depending on the route used to school and the location of homes and schools. For those switching between car and walk there may be positive or negative effects of the policy in terms of savings in average hourly exposures, depending on their specific journey and time activity patterns. The results from this research showed that, although the model worked reasonably well in estimating exposures, a number of improvements are needed. These include better models of background concentrations, more detailed models of in-car conditions, and extending exposure modelling to include dose-response estimates

Radon is a colourless, odourless, inert, radioactive gas found in Group 8 of the Periodic Table; it is formed by the decay of uranium in soils and rocks. The half-life of radon is 3.8 days. Radon, in the built environment, is the second largest cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking and is responsible for 3-5% of the UK cancer deaths. Radon can accumulate in workplaces to levels (400 Bq.m3), above which action is required under UK legislation by employers to remediate so as to reduce levels and lower the risk to human health. The remediation and post-remediation research programme in the NI-IS properties in Northamptonshire is perhaps the most mature in the UK, commencing in 1993. This thesis includes a review of the main remediation projects in National Health Service (NHS) properties in Northamptonshire. Data has been obtained from a range of sources, post-remediation, to enable a cost-effectiveness assessment. Using direct radon measurements and questionnaires, to determine occupancy, dose reduction has been calculated for all members of staff in the remediated venues. The reduction in dose is lower than the reduction in radon. The trends in radon levels post-remediation have been investigated night-time levels are reduced more than daytime levels and this has a clear implication for dose to staff The effective lifetime of the remediation systems has been investigated. Remediation systems, operated through a clear management system, have been found to remain effective up to eight years after installation. A Decision Support System to support radon management in the workplace is proposed as well as suggestions for future research

The essential findings of this study are that, from a known radium source, radon variability in the environment of the buildings studied is an inevitable consequence of the variability of the prevailing surface boundary layer atmospheric conditions. These influences will be modified by the structural characteristics of the building and will vary directly, relative to the mechanically created variation of the atmospheric conditions inside the building. From the findings, a general hypothesis is postulated. It is probable, that the diurnal variation of radon results from the diurnal variation in ambient water vapour pressure. And that the seasonal variation in radon, arises from the changes in the range of this diurnal variation during the course of a year brought about by changing levels of temperature and barometric pressure. This will be varied to the extent, that wind pressure affects directly both the radon path from source to the building and the level of water vapour pressure. Where mechanically induced air-movement in the building creates overriding pressure and air exchange, then this is likely to determine the pattern of variability; and as a result can be used under some circumstances as a mitigation agent; with levels of concentration anticipated in a predictable way. The current practice of reliance on average radon values derived from time-average radon values of a living room and a bedroom, as being representative of the alpha particle dose delivered to an individual, may well significantly overstate the dose actually delivered to that individual at a particular radon level measured. This would follow potentially from a preponderance of radon transported overnight requiring a lower weighting factor for the amount delivered to above-ground-floor sleepers, and the much reduced level of intake to the respiratory system from reduced breathing rate during the sleep mode. Potentially also, from the mechanism postulated which implies the limitation of the impact of alpha particles, related to an association between water vapour pressure, radon and particulates in the atmosphere. Linkage between elevated radon levels and surface geological was identified; but no positive connection was apparent linking respiratory system cancers relative to radon/geology

Agricultural intensification has contributed to the degradation of freshwaters in the UK, through enhanced delivery of fine sediment and associated contaminants, leading to sedimentation and eutrophication. European legislation (Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC) and subsequent UK government initiatives such as Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) and Demonstration Test Catchments (DTC), aim to improve the quality of freshwaters. The DTC programme aims to find cost-effective ways to reduce agricultural diffuse water pollution. This study aimed to monitor rivers in the Hampshire Avon DTC with existing and planned mitigation measures, to measure the effectiveness of the mitigation measures, and to develop an experimental design for wider application for pollution mitigation. The methods used and tested in this study were a combination of affordable, replicable and sustainable methods (in-stream sediment collection and water quality monitoring), more complicated, expensive, analytical laboratory methods (particle size, loss-on-ignition, geochemistry, mineral magnetism, environmental radionuclides), and sediment source fingerprinting. The mitigation measures were: improvement to farm infrastructure, a wooded and a grassed riparian buffer, and a constructed wetland and in-stream pond treatment train. The improved farm infrastructure (resurfacing of a farm track, installation of a retention pond, improvements to a drainage ditch) effectively reduced inputs of sediment and associated contaminants to the river, however, this had little positive impact on the river due to greater importance of inputs from other sources. The riparian buffers were reducing fine sediment and associated contaminant inputs laterally and from upstream, however, the effectiveness of the riparian buffers was undermined by a lack of riparian buffers upstream and by sub-surface field drains. Combined analysis of the river from the farm infrastructure in the headwaters (farm scale) to the wooded riparian buffer downstream (sub-catchment scale) showed a change in the dominant source of sediment. This highlighted that an experimental design would require monitoring at varying spatial scales, as individual farm scale mitigation measures may have little impact on an entire sub-catchment due to the importance of other sources from a larger drainage area. The constructed wetland and instream pond were not effective at reducing longitudinal delivery of fine sediment and associated contaminants due to issues related to maintenance and design, emphasising the importance of appropriate targeting, design, and maintenance of mitigation measures. The results from this study showed that the methods used would be suitable as part of an experimental design for wider application. Although complex and expensive, sediment source fingerprinting is essential for determining appropriate and cost-effective mitigation at farm and sub-catchment scales. Monitoring of the sediment and water quality using the affordable, replicable and sustainable methods could be managed by farmers and landowners across a dense spatial area, at a high temporal frequency, to ensure sustainable effectiveness of mitigation. There is a need for more co-working between policy makers and scientists to ensure appropriate funding and timescales for research are provided, and with farmers and landowners to improve understanding and vested interest in the contribution of agriculture to the degradation of water quality.

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