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Environmental psychology > Block 6: Analysis of physical interactions between the economy and the environment > Flashcards

Block 6: Analysis of physical interactions between the economy and the environment Flashcards

1
Q

stationary economy

A

A form of economic development with no physical growth (i.e., a stable population size and consumption level).

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2
Q

cowboy economy

A

An economy in which success is gauged by the quantity and speed of production and consumption.

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3
Q

entropy law for economics

A

The creation of order in the form of useful products created from raw materials is necessarily accompanied by creation of disorder in the form of waste products and pollutants.

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4
Q

What is a tool? Name two types of tools

A

An operational method for the analysis and management of relationships between the economy and the environment.

2 types: analytical tool, procedural tool

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5
Q

analytical tool

A

An operational method for the analysis and management of relationships between the economy and the environment

comprises all aspects relating to problem content and the availability of data, models and rules for computing such results as impacts of the environment or sustainability indicators.

Examples: Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA), Substance Flow Analysis (SFA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), as well as the monetary tools of Chapter 11, such as Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) and Input-Output Analysis (IOA)

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6
Q

procedural tool

A

An operational method for the analysis and management of relationships between the economy and the environment covering a wide variety of organizational, legal and institutional aspects. Examples: environmental impact assessment and environmental audit.

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7
Q

What does PEC stand for?

A

Predicted Environmental Concentration

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8
Q

What does PNEC stand for?

A

Predicted No-Effect Concentration

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9
Q

What does ADI stand for?

A

Acceptable Daily Intake

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10
Q

What does PDI stand for?

A

Predicted Daily Intake

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11
Q

What is the risk quotient and how does it relate to both environmental and human risk assessment?

A

For environmental risk assessment: the quotient of the predicted environmental concentration of a substance and the no-effect level of that substance (i.e., the PEC/PNEC quotient)

For human risk assessment: the quotient of the predicted daily intake and the acceptable daily intake of a given substance (i.e., the PDI/ADI quotient)

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12
Q

hazard identification

A

First step of the risk assessment process with the aim to establish whether a risk is present.

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13
Q

exposure assessment

A

The process of estimating or measuring the magnitude, frequency and duration of exposure to a substance. Often, it includes the emission, transport, dilution, accumulation, transformation and intake of a substance.

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14
Q

effect assessment

A

The process of estimating or measuring the likelihood and magnitude of effects caused by the exposure to a substance. Often, effect assessment is based on a number of standard tests.

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15
Q

bioaccumulation

A

The accumulation of chemical substances in an organism

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16
Q

biomagnification

A

The accumulation of chemical substances within a food chain

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17
Q

acute toxicity

A

The adverse effects of a substance resulting from relatively high exposure levels over a relatively short period of time (usually, less than 24 hours).

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18
Q

chronic toxicity

A

The adverse effects of a substance resulting from relatively low exposure levels over a relatively long period of time (usually, more than 1/10th the life expectancy of a species).

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19
Q

LC50

A

Median lethal concentration Alternative: The exposure concentration at which 50% of the individuals in a population die after being exposed for a fixed period of time (e.g., 24 hrs).

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20
Q

What does NOEC stand for?

A

No-Observed Effect Concentration

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21
Q

What does NEC stand for?

A

No Effect Concentration

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22
Q

What does QSAR stand for?

A

Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship

model that relates the structure (like wiehgt) of a chemical to it’s biological activity (toxicity)

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23
Q

What does PBT stand for?

A

Persistence, Bioaccumulative potency and Toxcity

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24
Q

What does DALY stand for?

A

Disability Adjusted Life Years

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25
Q

What does YLL stand for?

A

Years of Life Lost

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26
Q

What does QALY stand for?

A

Quality Adjusted Life Years

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27
Q

What does BATNEEC stand for?

A

Best Available Technologies Not Entailing Excessive Cost

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28
Q

What does BPM stand for?

A

Best Practicable Means

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29
Q

What does ALARA stand for?

A

As Low As Reasonably Achievable

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30
Q

What does MFA stand for?

A

Material Flow Analysis

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31
Q

What does SFA stand for?

A

Substance Flow Analysis

32
Q

extrapolation factor

A

A safety margin applied to experimental laboratory data reflecting the degree of uncertainty in extrapolating these data to man or ecosystems.

33
Q

ISO standard 14044

A

A standard by the International Organisation for Standardization that specifies requirements and provides guidelines for life cycle assessment (LCA).

34
Q

lithosphere

A

That part of the environment which does not or hardly interact with the other media for the material or substance(s) under study.

35
Q

inventory table

A

An aggregated list of all the environmental pressures (extractions, emissions an types of land use) associated with the product systems under investigation.

36
Q

ecological rucksack

A

Flows outside the region under consideration that are related to the consumption in question.

37
Q

characterization factor

A

which quantitatively transforms the LCI results within each impact category via “characterization factors” (also referred to as equivalency factors) to create “impact category indicators.”

In other words, this step is aimed at answering “how much does each result contribute to the impact category?”

A main purpose of this step is to convert all classified flows for an impact into common units for comparison.
For example, for Global Warming Potential, the unit is generally defined as CO2-equiv or CO2-e (CO2 equivalents) where CO2 is given a value of 1 and all other units are converted respective to their related impact

38
Q

data uncertainty

A

Uncertainty with regard to empirical established numbers or measurements.

39
Q

methodological uncertainty

A

Uncertainty with regard to assumptions made in the scientific analysis.

40
Q

scenario uncertainty

A

Uncertainty with regard to future developments that lie beyond the scope of the study.

41
Q

value choice

A

A choice that involves the (subjective) valuation of impacts.

42
Q

Monte Carlo simulation

A

A computational technique that relies on repeated random sampling from predefined probability distributions for input parameters to compute the output parameters.

43
Q

safety factor

A

Margin of safety that is applied to a prediction to account for the uncertainty in the prediction.

44
Q

Discuss risk assessment, risk evaluation and risk management

A

○ Risk assessment
§ analyse the risk of a given event and its estimated consequences.

○ Risk evaluation
§ determining whether risk reduction is required, by comparing the costs and benefits of such a reduction.

○ Risk management
§ the selection and implementation of measures to reduce risks.

	○ To a large extend the appraisal of risk is based on subjective measures rather than natural science.

	○ 2 reasons why to involve the public in this
		§ Extend the information basis to improve the quality and relevance to the risk assessment (ex. To distinguish between different groups of affected people)
		§ Improve the dispute solving ability of the process
45
Q

explain the DPSIR framework and recognise the drivers, pressures, state and responses in simple linear environmental problems

A

○ D stands for driving forces within human society
§ population growth, economic growth or technology development.
○ P stands for pressures on the environment
§ extractions of resources, emissions of hazardous substances and changes in land use.
○ S stands for state of the environment
§ Concentrations of various substances or groundwater table.
○ I stands for impacts on human health, on ecosystems or on the economy
R stands for responses from society to avoid or reduce undesirable impacts.

46
Q

describe how environmental risk assessment can be used as a tool to analyse risks caused by activities and substances:

A

See notes

47
Q

Material flow

A

See notes

48
Q

explain life cycle assessment (LCA), including the different phases in this analysis, define appropriate functional units, select an appropriate allocation strategy, discuss the applications of LCA and interpret LCA results

A

See notes

49
Q

compare different tools (life cycle assessment, substance flow analysis, cost-benefit analysis) in terms of their applications and limitations

A

See notes

50
Q

identify strategies for dealing with uncertainties when using tools for physical interaction analysis.

A

See notes

51
Q

Explain in your own words why ‘the’ environment should not be considered ‘an’ environment in a systems-analysis sense.

A

In systems analysis, ‘an environment’ is defined as the environment of a system which is assumed to act as an infinite source and sink of materials and energy.

‘The environment’ (in an ecological sense) is not an infinite source and sink of materials and energy.

52
Q 
Indicate whether the following tools are analytical or procedural in 
nature:
a Environmental impact assessment
b life cycle assessment
c Substance flow analysis
d Environmental audit
A

a Procedural
b Analytical
c Analytical
d Procedural

53
Q

Explain why people may accept relatively high risks from activities like smoking or skiing, while at the same time protesting against relatively low risks, e.g. from food additives and pesticide residues on food.

A

Smoking and skiing are voluntary risks. Risks from food additives and pesticide residues on food are involuntary. It has been shown that the public will accept risks from voluntary activities that are roughly
1,000 times as high as would be tolerated from involuntary hazards.

54
Q

There is unrest among the inhabitants of a small town located next to a large industrial estate. The inhabitants argue that the prevalence of cancer in their neighbourhood is higher than elsewhere in the country and they point towards the industrial estate.

However, a scientific risk assessment of the industrial emissions shows that these do not cause a significant increase in cancer risk.

Give at least two possible explanations for the difference between the perceived and scientifically established risk.

If you were a policy maker, would you take the perceived risk or the scientifically established risk as a starting point for taking action?

A

Possible explanations for the difference include that:
– the increased cancer risk is caused by other factors than the industrial emissions (e.g. lifestyle or inheritable diseases);
– there is no increased cancer risk; it is just in people’s heads;
– the scientifically established risk assessment was unrealistic, e.g. because not all industrial emissions were included in the assessment or because potential interaction effects between substances were ignored.

It is always wise for policy makers to take people’s perceptions seriously. one approach is to involve the local community in the scientific risk assessment, e.g. by inviting them to join an advisory board. They can contribute by providing local knowledge (e.g. about current and past
emissions) and by identifying important assumptions. Involving local people in the process improves the quality of the dispute-resolving mechanisms.

55
Q

What is the difference between Years of life lost (Yll) and Disability-Adjusted life Years (DAlY)?

A

DALY = YLL + Years of life Disabled (YLD)

56
Q

How is risk calculated/expressed in the human and ecological risk assessment of chemicals?

A

n human and ecological risk assessment (HERA), risk is often calculated/
expressed as a risk quotient:
a Ecological Risk = PEC/PNEC
b Human Risk = PDI/ADI

57
Q

The notion that humans may be exposed to a substance that has
inherent effect characteristics, belongs to the area of:
a hazard identification
b exposure assessment
c effect assessment
d risk characterisation

A

A

58
Q 
Accumulation of substances in organisms belongs to the area of:
a hazard identification
b exposure assessment
c effect assessment
d risk characterisation
A

B

59
Q

What is the main difference between effect assessment for humans and ecosystems?

A

Ecological risk assessment includes an extra level of biological organisation, i.e. that of the ecosystem. Human risk assessment only deals with adverse effects on one species (i.e. humans) whereas
ecological risk assessment deals with many different species and the interactions between these species.

60
Q

Explain why a precautionary approach is needed in the risk management of chemicals.

A

The main reason for a precautionary approach is the fact that there are so many different chemical substances (e.g. EINECS contains 100 000 different substances) and it is unfeasible to assess the risks of all these substances.

Exposure and effect data on the majority of substances is lacking and we consequently do not know the risks posed by these substances.

61
Q 
When performing a material flow analysis (MFA), the identification of input and output flows belongs to the:
a goal & system definition stage
b inventory & modelling stage
d interpretation stage
d a as well as b
A

A

62
Q

What is the difference between a regional and a functional approach in MFA?

A

In a regional approach, the system considered has a distinct and strict regional border, and the inflow and outflow and relevant processes within this region are considered.

A functional approach focuses on a function (e.g. the consumption-related flows of a given substance in a
given region) which may include flows beyond the boundaries of the region if these are related to the consumption in question.

63
Q

MFA can be used to:
a compare the environmental impacts of different products that have
comparable functions;
b assess the human and ecological risks resulting from the production
and use of chemical substances;
c analyse trends and identify major problematic flows to the
environment, tracing these step by step to their origins in society

A

C

64
Q 
What is the fundamental difference between a book-keeping system and 
a static (steady-state) model in MFA?
A

In book-keeping, data to describe stocks, flows and processes are
obtained independently, mainly from empirical data sources, and the
data are not necessarily balanced (exception: conservative substances
like metals). In a static (steady-state) model, data are dependent on each
other and can be derived from each other. For example, inputs can be
calculated from outputs and vice versa

65
Q

Explain in your own words how MFA has contributed to the

identification of appropriate management measures for cadmium.

A

An MFA visualises the fact that cadmium accumulates in the economy if it is recycled (a management option that is usually considered to be environmentally preferable). However, since cadmium is a by-product in the production of zinc (constant and independent input into the economy), recycling will result in an accumulation of cadmium in the
economy. This will trigger a price decrease and ubsequently result in an increase in the use of cadmium, which is undesirable from an environmental point of view (because this cadmium will eventually end up in the environment). It is therefore better to reduce the input of cadmium into the economy by using zinc ore with low cadmium levels or by storing cadmium waste safely.

66
Q 
In  MFA, the degree of accumulation of a substance in the economy is a:
a driver indicator
b pressure indicator
c response indicator
d none of the above
A

A

67
Q 
In  MFA, the impact of a substance on the aquatic ecosystem is a:
a driver indicator
b pressure indicator
c response indicator
d none of the above
A

C

68
Q 
In  MFA, the emission of a chemical substance to water is a:
a driver indicator
b pressure indicator
c response indicator
d none of the above
A

B

69
Q

Explain why harmonisation of methodology is important in LCA

A

Different methods produce different results, hampering the comparison
of products
his may result in lengthy discussions which may reduce the faith in LCA as a useful instrument.
Moreover, stakeholders may influence the outcome by choosing the method that provides the result that best serves their interests.

70
Q

The correct order of phases according to the ISo framework for life cycle
assessment (lCA) is:
a selection and definition – characterisation– weighting–
interpretation
b goal and scope definition – classification – normalisation –
interpretation
c goal and scope definition – inventory analysis – impact assessment
–interpretation
d selection and definition – normalisation – impact assessment
–interpretation

A

C

71
Q

Explain the difference between midpoint and damage (or impact)
indicators in LCA.

A

A midpoint indicator refers to a stage early in the DPSIR chain, e.g. a driver or pressure parameter of the problem at hand. An example is the emission of greenhouse gases caused by a particular activity (which can be compared with some kind of reference level).

A damage (or impact or endpoint) indicator refers to a stage at the impact or damage level of the DPSIR framework. In the case of the emission of greenhouse gases, this could be the increase in global temperature or the loss of biodiversity due to this increase in temperature.

72
Q

In municipal waste incinerators, dioxins are formed from organic waste or plastics and common table salt. Dioxins consist of a range of chlorinated compounds that are highly toxic, persistent and probably carcinogenic to humans. Dioxins accumulate in food chains and are found e.g. in milk, meat and in fatty tissues of eels and polar bears.

Dioxins are emitted in the form of fly ash that settles in the area surrounding the incinerator. Because of strict government regulations, Dutch waste incinerators have adapted their process conditions and
inject active carbon into the flue gases to wash out the remaining dioxins.

Nowadays, dioxin emissions from waste incinerators are relatively low compared to e.g. emissions from power plants, blast furnaces and other industrial processes, but dioxin concentrations in the environment (especially in sediments and certain biota) remain high because of their persistence.

A Draw the DPSIR diagram for the dioxin issue.

B In case of exposure to dioxins, its toxicity can be expressed in DAlYs. What does ‘DAlY’ mean and how is it calculated?

B In view of the high dioxin concentrations in eels, Dutch government officials advise the public not to eat more than one eel a week. Explain the methodology these officials have applied to come to this conclusion.

D How does this government’s advice fit in with the DPSIR framework?
Which of the other DPSIR components does it aim to influence?

E How would consumption of cheese in addition to eels affect the risks related to dioxin exposure?

A

A) see assignment

B DAlY stands for Disability Adjusted life Years, i.e. the number of years of healthy life that are lost due to mortality (the risk of dying from a certain hazard) and morbidity (the risk of becoming disabled). For each
type of disability, a different weight factor is applied to calculate its contribution to the DAlY.

C The experts calculate the quotient of the predicted daily intake (PDI) and the acceptable daily intake (ADI). If an adult were to eat an eel a week, she or he would ingest an amount of dioxin that is equivalent to the ADI (i.e. the quotient approaches 1). At this intake level, no adverse effects are expected.

D The advice is a response that is tries to influence the State component in the DPSIR framework; the dioxin concentration in biota (in this case humans) is being controlled.

E Since cheese is made of milk (though it is actually much fatter and therefore has a higher dioxin concentration), it is more likely that the PDI/ADI quotient will exceed 1 if someone also eats an eel a week. This person is therefore more likely to experience adverse effects of dioxin exposure.

73
Q

The question whether it is environmentally preferable to transport a
product by train or by road can be answered using:
a LCA
b HERA
c MFA
d a and b

A

D

74
Q 
The allocation of environmental pressures associated with multiple processes to different product systems is typically an issue in:
a lCA
b HERA
c MFA
d a and b
A

A

75
Q 
The ‘world’s population in 2050’ is an example of a model parameter 
that contains:
a data uncertainty
b methodological uncertainty
c scenario uncertainty
d value choice(s)
A

C

76
Q

What is MFA

A

a tool to analyse the physical flow of material through the economy and identify accumulations therein

Environmental psychology (9 decks)

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