Search

This paper considers the systems of Quality, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety management. It prospectively analyses the advantages and disadvantages of integrating these systems, as opposed to the systems having independent management in a manufacturing company. Quality Management standards' (ISO 9000) evolution towards Total Quality Management is the starting point. Recent revisions embodied some of the requirements portrayed in the Environmental Management standards (ISO 14000), as well as issues pertaining to Occupational Health and Safety (OHSAS 18001). This tendency towards inclusion of material from different standards systems is expected to be even more evident in the forthcoming revision of the ISO 9000 standards. There is still a notorious absence of an integrated document; ISO has not yet adopted the OHSAS 18001 standard and there are hardships inherent in such an integrative approach. Commonalities between the three systems are emphasized. Foreseen advantages for companies pertain to economies of scale in the certification processes and a joint approach to the provision of quality, environmental responsibility and workforce protection. As a conclusion, the need to pursue standards integration is emphasized. The paper also exposes some predictive gains to be encountered in further integrating the standards system with the inclusion of ergonomics certification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a long standing debate regarding the link between environmental and financial performance. To date, this debate results controversial findings, triggering for further research in different industries and countries. The specific study examines the relationship between environmental and financial performance in Greek manufacturing. Environmental performance is measured according to accounting data following the Eco Management and Auditing Scheme guidelines and ISO certification. Return on assets and return on sales ratios are used as indicators of financial performance. Empirical findings suggest that there seems to be a link between these dimensions irrespectively of the particular sector of activity. Contrary to similar studies a “virtuous circle” does not exist, as the avoidance of environmental improving investments is related to a better financial performance. On the other hand, firms with superior financial performance seem to achieve a better environmental performance. At the same time, firm specific and market characteristics significantly affect this relationship. These findings provide evidence that governmental and corporate actions are necessary in order to lead to a more sustainable corporate performance in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To specify the maximum allowable pesticide concentration in soil, pesticide residential soil regulatory guidance values (RGVs) have been promulgated by U.S. state regulatory jurisdictions to protect human health. A total of 12,451 RGVs for 456 identified pesticides adopted by 46 states were analyzed to evaluate whether there is the agreement among pesticide standard values regulated by the U.S.-related jurisdictions. Among them 62 pesticides with at least 50 RGVs were defined as the commonly regulated pesticides, and seven pesticides with at least 100 RGVs were defined as the most commonly regulated pesticides. A total of 12 states have provided over 500 pesticide soil RGVs and Texas alone has provided at least 1140 RGVs. Results indicate that these pesticide soil RGVs promulgated by the U.S. state jurisdictions for an individual pesticide could vary in a wide range of over six (DDT), seven (alpha-HCH), or even nine (Dieldrin) orders of magnitude. On the other hand, all of the seven most commonly regulated pesticides have a large RGV data cluster in which the state jurisdiction RGVs shared the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) standards. To examine whether those pesticide soil RGVs could protect human health, cancer and non-cancer risk uncertainty bounds were calculated for the seven most commonly regulated pesticides. Results show that for the most commonly regulated pesticides, a total of 265 (41.8% of the total) soil RGVs exceeded the cancer risk uncertainty upper bounds and 30 (4.5% of the total) soil RGVs are above the non-cancer risk uncertainty bounds, which indicates that those RGVs cannot protect human health when exposing to the pesticides from soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brexit has the capacity to impact heavily on the agricultural sector across the United Kingdom in that it is a sector which has been both in receipt of substantial expenditure under the Common Agricultural Policy and subject to a pattern of close regulation at European Union level. This article will explore the legal implications for post-Brexit agricultural support, proceeding in three stages. First, there will be an outline of the current structure of the industry, with particular reference to its diversity in terms of physical landscape, operational scale and legal foundations. Secondly, there will be discussion of emerging policy within both central UK government and the devolved administrations. In this context, specific attention will be directed to the likely extent of funding and the proposed drive towards higher standards in environmental protection and animal welfare. And, in each case, account will also be taken of specific implications which flow from overarching World Trade Organization rules. Thirdly, there will be consideration of the potentially difficult issues which arise as a result of agriculture being a devolved matter, different policy imperatives already becoming evident across the constituent parts of the UK. For the present, the prospect is that a bespoke support regime will survive Brexit and, in this sense, agricultural ‘exceptionalism’ will continue. However, the more precise form of such a regime remains as yet work-in-progress and its realisation will present considerable challenges not only in political terms, but also by reason of the complex legal geometry in which World Trade Organization rules and the constitutional rights of the devolved administrations are weighty factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Standards linked with the environmental protection and vehicles are increasingly restrictive. EURO VI standard and regulations define the acceptable limits for exhaust emissions of new vehicles sold. Because of that, Selective Catalyst Reduction systems are used in a new vehicles with the heavy-duty type engines. This paper presents a study of the SCR system in public transport vehicles of the Municipal Transport Company (MPK) in Lublin, Poland. The tests were performed to study the power consumption of the SCR (the urea applicator into the catalyst) and calculate the results per unit of fuel. The amount of fuel for the Solaris Trollino 12 trolleybus was estimated and the energy demand found was of the order of 343 kWh/year. This gives low diesel fuel consumption, i.e. only 34.3 litres per year. The study also shows a graph of the daily demand of energy by the SCR system in public transport vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents analysis on the evolution of environmental law in the European Union (EU) and the Dominican Republic. topics discussed include development of environmental law in the Dominican Republic and the EU; examining Environmental Law 64-00 of Dominican Republic and environmental law in the EU following the Treaty of Lisbon; and access to environmental standard in the Dominican Republic and the European Union related to environment protection.

The article explores how the potential effect of the negotiations to reach a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the U.S. on EU food standards attracted a lot of attention in 2016. The assertion that the TTIP rules would be the gold standard for environmental, safety and health protection for trade for the world as a whole implied that negotiators of TTIP would set harmonised rules.

The effect of pH, temperature, particulate matter, organic matter, and NH3on phage MS2 inactivation using chlorine in pure water, synthetic water and filtered water samples was studied. And four possible models, including the Chick, Chick–Watson, Hom, and delayed Chick–Watson models were attempted to fit the experimental data. The virus inactivation achieved 4 logs at a CT value of 2.8 mg min/L, which met the United States Environmental Protection Agency standards. However, over 2 mg/L chlorine was needed to achieve the same goal in filtered water originated from two local water treatment plants. Furthermore, organic matter, pH, and temperature as well as the presence of NH3and particulate matter strongly affected the chlorine inactivation of MS2. Among four possible models, delayed Chick–Watson model was found to provide the most suitable description of MS2 inactivation by chlorine. Furthermore, the equation of the inactivation rate was obtained. And the MS2 inactivation rate predicted by this equation well correlated with the measured results in both simulated and filtered water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For a long period of time, Palestine has witnessed significantly noticeable shortages and scarcities of natural resources, namely, water and energy resources. Many industries adversely contribute in the continuous consumption and depletion of such natural resources. Among these, there are the packaging materials industries producing plastic and metal packaging containers for holding liquid products. Examples of such containers are tin and plastic containers used for packaging and storing olive oil in Palestine. These primary two packaging systems differ in their environmental impacts during the stages of processing, manufacturing, distribution, transportation, usage and disposal. More specifically, they differ in consumption of natural resources such as water, energy, and land use (solid wastes generation), as well as in their contribution to human toxicity and health problems (dust) and resulted industrial noise. This work aims at evaluating and comparing the potential environmental impacts of tin and plastic containers of olive oil via employing life cycle assessment (LCA) based on International Standardization Organization (ISO) standards (namely, ISO 14040, ISO 14041, ISO14042, and ISO 14043). The life cycle inventory and impact assessments considered the above-mentioned significant environmental domains (water, energy, solid waste, dust and industrial noise) in conducting the LCA. Within the boundaries of both systems, the LCA analysis showed that tin containers (16 Ls) outperformed plastic containers (16 L) in terms of having less environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Much collective wisdom and experience have been gained as an increasing number of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) reviews are conducted. However, specifics on how and when to conduct critical review of LCA studies are still lacking. Toward this need, a technical session entitled 'LCA Critical Review' was held during the Life Cycle Management (LCM) conference in Gothenburg, Sweden, 26 August 2013. The goal of the session was to have experts address LCA critical review as well as engage attendees in discussing gaps in the current guidance and how the review process can be improved. Methods: The LCM session consisted of six presentations followed by open discussion with all session attendees. This paper begins with a review of the current state-of-the-practice in LCA critical review (CR) followed by a summary of the LCM session. It concludes with suggestions for how the newly drafted technical specification, ISO TS 14071 Critical review processes and reviewer competencies, can be improved as it is being developed. Results and discussion: ISO TS 14071 promises to provide additional guidance to move the practice forward. But at only eight pages in length, its potential effectiveness appears moderate. Additional detailed guidance is needed to move the critical review process toward increased uniformity and clarity of practice, for example, when critical review is necessary. Conclusions: A session on LCA critical review is planned to be held during the Life Cycle Management 2015 conference which will occur in Bordeaux, France (). Discussion on these issues related to LCA review will be continued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chapter 4.2 of the Volume 7, Nos. 3-4, 2013 issue of the journal "Foundations and Trends in Technology, Information and Operations Management" by Pavel Castka and Charles J. Corbett is presented. It examines the effectiveness of the governance of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards. It outlines the factors that can compromise the effectiveness of both standards. It explains how the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 are designed as meta-standards.

Chapter 4 of the Volume 7, Nos. 3-4, 2013 issue of the journal "Foundations and Trends in Technology, Information and Operations Management" by Pavel Castka and Charles J. Corbett is presented. It explores the governance system surrounding ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards. It reviews the literature on the effectiveness of the governance of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000, and the literature on how governance of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 is changing over time.

Chapter 3.4 of the Volume 7, Nos. 3-4, 2013 issue of the journal "Foundations and Trends in Technology, Information and Operations Management" by Pavel Castka and Charles J. Corbett is presented. It explores the variations in the implementations of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards. It explains the reason for the continued disagreement about the impact of ISO 9000 on financial performance. It discusses how the depth of implementation influences the benefits firms get from ISO 9000 and ISO 14000.

Chapter 3.3 of the Volume 7, Nos. 3-4, 2013 issue of the journal "Foundations and Trends in Technology, Information and Operations Management" by Pavel Castka and Charles J. Corbett is presented. It examines the impacts of ISO 14000 on performance. It discusses the environmental effects of ISO 14000 certification. It also explores the positive link between certification and improved environmental performance, using self-reported survey data.

Chapter 2.6 of the Volume 7, Nos. 3-4, 2013 issue of the journal "Foundations and Trends in Technology, Information and Operations Management" by Pavel Castka and Charles J. Corbett is presented. It provides summary of the findings on the research on the diffusion and adoption of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards. It reveals factors that contributed to the diffusion of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 which includes trade relations, geographic proximity and cultural similarities.

Chapter 2.5 of the Volume 7, Nos. 3-4, 2013 issue of the journal "Foundations and Trends in Technology, Information and Operations Management" by Pavel Castka and Charles J. Corbett is presented. It addresses the adoption process related to ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards. It discusses the time and cost required to get ISO 9000 or ISO 14000 certification. It also differentiates ceremonial from genuine adoption of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000.

Chapter 2.4 of the Volume 7, Nos. 3-4, 2013 issue of the journal "Foundations and Trends in Technology, Information and Operations Management" by Pavel Castka and Charles J. Corbett is presented. It addresses the diffusion of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards across countries. It predicts country-level diffusion patterns and saturation levels and explains country-level diffusion of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000.

Chapter 2.3 of the Volume 7, Nos. 3-4, 2013 issue of the journal "Foundations and Trends in Technology, Information and Operations Management" by Pavel Castka and Charles J. Corbett is presented. It addresses firm-level adoption of ISO 14000 standard. It discusses early studies on the diffusion of ISO 14000 and later empirical studies on firm-level adoption of the ISO 14000 standard.

Purpose – The aim of this study is to focus on manufacturing small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are simultaneously pursuing quality and environmental objectives. Specifically, the paper examines: the specific motivations and resources of SMEs that have chosen to pursue both priorities, the types of initiatives these SMEs have implemented, and whether pursuing both priorities is correlated with various facets of organizational performance. Design/methodology/approach – This study gathered data from a sample of 254 ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 certified Canadian SMEs. Data collection was based on a survey questionnaire sent to a random sample of 1,514 companies. Findings – The results highlighted significant differences between the SMEs holding both the ISO 9000 and 14000 certifications and those holding only the 9000 ISO certification. Each group was shown to have distinct motivations and resources and to have implemented different types of initiatives to address environmental concerns. Each group was positively correlated with different facets of organizational performance. Research limitations/implications – This study's findings contribute to the environmental and SME literature on this very complex topic by providing relevant empirical evidence based on primary data. Practical implications – The results should provide guidance to manufacturing SMEs currently examining how to address environmental issues. SMEs need to address these issues carefully and understand the potential trade-offs and consequences associated with their decisions. Originality/value – An important contribution of this study is its detailed characterization of environmental initiatives, drawing on insights derived from the environmental, accounting and management literature. By using the analytical framework of organizational citizenship behaviours, the characterization also included informal and behavioural aspects often neglected in environmental management studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The need and ability of an organisation to manage and control its impact on the environment has been hotly debated in recent times. However, the uptake of certificated environmental management systems (EMS), specifically BS EN ISO 14001 (ISO 14001) (British Standards Institution, 2004), is becoming more prevalent, even though evidence of the individual benefits is less clear. Furthermore, reports are often limited and anecdotal in their discussion of the true barriers that organisations experience during the certification and management of their EMS. Presently organisations are commonly classified simply according to size and the barriers they experience when implementing an EMS successfully. This system of classification is not sufficient to understand the multifaceted environments within which modern organisations operate. This paper reviews existing classification methodologies relevant to environmental management so as to determine whether opportunities exist for their practical application in this sector. It begins with an introduction to EMS and existing discussions regarding implementation is provided before a more detailed consideration of organisational size, the integration and development of environmental management within an organisation, then cladistics and quality management systems (QMS) are reviewed as potential opportunities for classification. This shows that whilst numerous methods are available, none function beyond the theoretical, or that the classes provided restrain the description of the complex tasks. Central to differences faced by organisations are insights to the true hurdles that each experience when implementing an EMS. It is shown here how the manipulation of techniques from the more mature field of Energy Management may offer a direction for the development of robust classes. A valuable outcome is that these methods produce classifications that are fit for purpose to better support organisations through the implementation and management of their EMS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the similarities and differences between the benefits derived from implementing the ISO 9001 and the ISO 14001 standards. Methodology/Approach: The paper reviews the literature using an electronic search in the ScienceDirect, ABI/Inform, Emerald databases to identify papers focusing on the adoption of the ISO 9001 and 14001 standards and the benefits derived from implementing them. Findings: The paper identifies 82 articles about ISO 9001 and 29 about ISO 14001. Although some differences can be observed between the benefits considered by ISO 9001 and 14001, there is a great degree of coincidence in the benefits studied. The review suggests 13 benefits as the most usually analyzed (including environmental performance for the case of the ISO 14001 standard) by scholars. It is suggested that both standards have clear benefits on operational, people and customer results and that the effects on financial performance are inconclusive. Limitations/implications: One limitation of this paper is that the works identified are conditioned by the search strategy used. In addition, other key words could be included in future studies such as operational, market, quality, financial performance, and customer satisfaction in order to expand this search. Originality/Value: The main contribution is that the paper identifies the literature gap and future research proposals with regard to the benefits of the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a comparative analysis of public transport alternatives in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania. An LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) inventory analysis of fuel chains was undertaken using the midi urban bus and a similar type of trolleybus. The inventory analysis of fuel chains followed the guidelines provided by the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. The ReCiPe Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methodology was used to quantify weighted damage originating from five alternative fuel chains. The compressed biogas fuel chain had the lowest weighted damage value, namely 45.7 mPt/km, whereas weighted damage values of the fuel chains based on electricity generation for trolleybuses were 60.6 mPt/km (for natural gas) and 78.9 mPt/km (for heavy fuel oil). The diesel and compressed natural gas fuel chains exhibited considerably higher damage values of 114.2 mPt/km and 132.6 mPt/km, respectively. The comparative life cycle assessment of fuel chains suggested that biogas-powered buses and electric trolleybuses can be considered as the best alternatives to use when modernizing the public transport fleet in Kaunas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The requirements in relation to global environmental sustainability helped companies understand that their relationship with society could not be isolated, or shaped in the formo or a separate island. This articla aims to review the literature on quality standards (ISO 9000), environment (ISO 14001). Health and safety (OHSAS 18000) and social accountability (AS 8000). The integration of this standard is a competitive diferentiatior for companioes. In this contexto, companies now have only focused practice for each standards and not a complete integration of theis processes. Failure to incorporate the reles leads to failures in the management of these standards, leaving gaps in the systems view of the company. Na integrated system of standards can lead the company competitiva avantajes to ensure their survival in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uranium is a naturally occurring radionuclide found in granite and other mineral deposits. In its natural state, it consists of three isotopes (U-234, U-235 and U-238). On an average, 1% - 2% of ingested uranium is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract in adults. The absorbed uranium rapidly enters the bloodstream and forms a diffusible ionic uranyl hydrogen carbonate complex (UO2HCO3+) which is in equilibrium with a nondiffusible uranyl albumin complex. In the skeleton, the uranyl ion replaces calcium in the hydroxyapatite complex of the bone crystal. Although in North India, there is a risk of radiological toxicity from orally ingested natural uranium, the principal health effects are chemical toxicity. The skeleton and kidney are the primary sites of uranium accumulation. Acute high dose of uranyl nitrate delays tooth eruption, and mandibular growth and development, probably due to its effect on target cells. Based on all previous research and recommendations, the role of a dentist is to educate the masses about the adverse effects of uranium on the overall as well as the dental health. The authors recommended that apart from the discontinuation of the addition of uranium to porcelain, the Public community water supplies must also comply with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards of uranium levels being not more than 30 ppb (parts per billion). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers world news briefs. Intel Corp. has signed an agreement with MiaSolé for CIGS thin-film production ramp. Taiwan-based NexPower Technology Corp. has received carbon footprint verification under PAS 2050 and ISO/CD 14067-1 standards. The CIS module series from Solar Frontier has been certified by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. for sale in the Americas.

Designed to close the ubiquitous gap between law on the books and law in action, management systems locate the standard setting and implementation of regulation within the regulated organization itself. Despite efforts to more closely couple aspirations and performance, the gap re-emerges because the exigencies of practical action exceed the capacity of system prescriptions to anticipate and contain them. Drawing on data from a six-year ethnographic study of the creation and implementation of an environment, health, and safety management system, this article identifies relational regulation as the approach used by front-line managers to govern the gap: keeping organizational activities within an acceptable range of variation close to regulatory specifications. We identify four practices - narrating the gap, inquiring without constraint, integrating pluralistic accounts, and crafting pragmatic accommodations - and three conditions under which actors may develop a sociological orientation to enact relational regulation. Overall, the article concludes that the mechanism for assuring compliance resides in the apprehension of relational interdependencies rather than the management system per se. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Observatorio Medioambiental is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper provides new empirical evidence on regional–national disparities in environmental efficiency, based on analyses of NAMEA data referring to Italy and the Lazio region, where Rome is the main city. Shift-share analyses provide evidence on the drivers of environmental efficiency and on sector specificity. Our evidence shows that although the region around Rome has achieved higher environmental performance compared to Italy mainly thank to its being less industry based, some critical points in the energy sector and in some services should be taken into account in shaping the future development of the region. In addition, the use of regional NAMEA for econometric investigations of emission efficiency drivers at national level shows that though north south disparities favour northern and richer regions, in accordance with development oriented dynamics, environmental hot spots driven by specialisation and efficiency related issues also appear in some northern industrial regions. Further, the role of public ad private R&D is of main relevance in enhancing emission on economic value ratios. Environmental, industrial and sector-oriented policy making may derive valuable information from the evidence provided by our study, that highlights how analytical exploitation of NAMEA offers rich array of insights for regional policy making. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In recent years, the ISO 14000 environmental management system (EMS) prepared by the International Standards Organization (ISO) has been widely used within all sectors throughout the world. There are some methods needed in order to maintain and develop environmental performance within all sectors, including the construction sector, for the protection of sustainable development and the environment worldwide. ISO 14000 EMS originated from such need. In recent years, an increased interest has also emerged in relation to the use of EMS in the construction sector. However, despite such interest, studies about applications regarding the use of the ISO 14000 EMS by construction firms have not reached the desired level. In this article, the impact of the ISO 14000 EMS on construction firms within Turkey is being reviewed by using the questionnaire survey method. A questionnaire survey study is conducted with 68 individual construction firms, which represent the top category in Turkey and operate in national and international markets as they are members of the Turkish Contractors Association (TCA). The obtained data are analysed in accordance with the objective of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the reality of environmental management as experienced by an Algerian company while in the process of being certified. Design/methodology/approach - The approach adopted focuses on how the environmental dimension is perceived by the wage earners of the company. The perception of the environmental dimension is highlighted by means of a statistical analysis supported by the use of data processing software. Findings - The results show that all staff categories agree that the environmental aspect is to some extent neglected compared to other aspects and that production comes at the forefront. Practical implications - The analysis of the results highlights the course that should be followed by any Algerian company, such as the one selected in our study, in order to implement the ISO 14001 certification successfully. Originality/value - The interesting focus of the paper is in the human aspect, which plays a major role in any successful environmental management system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Private voluntary standards such as the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO's) 14000 series have played an increasingly important role in encouraging corporations to adopt more sustainable business models on their own initiative and not in direct response to governmentally mandated requirements. ISO standards have a number of benefits, including promoting international uniformity; elevating environmental issues within an enterprise; promoting international trade; and providing a minimal level of environmental performance in countries with less than adequate regulatory infrastructure. Concerns about ISO standards include the relationship to public regulation; and ISO 14001's essentially procedural, as opposed to performance-based, character: International trade agreements such as NAFTA and the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade inject ISO standards into the public policy arena. Because of the structure of these agreements, ISO standards may operate either as a sword--a negative standard used to challenge a domestic regulatory action--or a shield--an internationally agreed reference point that bolsters the legitimacy of a national measure. This Essay examines the potential for ISO standards on eco-labeling to act as swords to attack domestic requirements, and those on life cycle analysis to serve as shields to insulate municipal actions from international challenge in areas such as climate protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past few years, the process of standardisation with regard to business management systems has accelerated in an economic environment characterised by a marked process of economic globalisation and integration. Thus, the peaks attained by some standards published by agencies specialising in standardisation in the economic field are noteworthy. Two series of standards issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) stand out amongst these: the ISO 9000 series, related to the implementation of quality systems, and the ISO 14000 series, related to the implementation of environmental management systems. Previous research has analysed different projection models regarding number of certificates, both nationally and internationally, with the logistic model standing out as one of the models better suited to data records, and thus believed to offer better outlooks. However, none of the models referred to included data on countries experiencing clear decertification in terms of number of certificates of the aforementioned standards in their calculations, such as the data that has been detected for the first time in the last two years. Faced with the appearance of the first symptoms of market exhaustion, this article discusses what the projection model could be like once a process of decertification has set in. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyze the existence of differences in the implementation of environmental practices between companies that possess some form of certiiied environmental management system (ISO 14001 or EMS) and those that do not have any such system. This study also investigates whether companies with a certified EMS are also making additional environmental demands on their suppliers. Design/methodology/approach - An empirical study utilizing survey data from automotive supplier organizations was completed. A total of 157 in-person interviews were conducted with managers of Spanish companies which are automotive supplier organizations. Logistic regressions and non-parametric tests are used to evaluate hypotheses. Findings - A positive relation was found to exist between the possession of certified EMS, specifically ISO 14001 and eco-management and audit scheme, and the environmental demands that these organizations impose on their suppliers. This finding implies that environmental concern spreads upstream in the supply chain. The environmental demands on suppliers increase with customer organization size, but the degree of internationalization, measured by the rates of imports and exports, does not show a significant relationship to these pressures. Research limitations/implications - The study is limited to a single (important) industrial sector and cannot be directly extrapolated to other industries. Originality/value - There is a paucity of research that relates the adoption of certified EMS by companies to the adoption and implementation of environmental practices in their own organizations and in supply chain partners. This is the first such study to be completed for the automotive industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents suggestions in achieving and maintaining ISO 14000 certification for an Environmental Management System (EMS). The 10 suggestions include management support and employee participation, pros and cons of an integrated management system, minimization of over-documentation, establishment of significant aspects focal point, determining the relation of the requirements to all environmental aspects, implementation of an aspects change log, evaluation schedule for the EMS, considerations related to environmental management programs, periodic evaluations of compliance, and development of an effective internal auditing program.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a well-known technique for fast, stand-off, and nondestructive analysis of the elemental composition of a sample. We have been investigating micro-LIBS for the past few years and demonstrating its application to microanalysis of surfaces. Recently, we have integrated micro-LIBS with laser-induced fluorescence (LIP), and this combination, laser ablation laser-induced fluorescence (LA-LIF), allows one to achieve much higher sensitivity than traditional LIBS. In this study, we use a 170 μJ laser pulse to ablate a liquid sample in order to measure the lead content. The plasma created was re-excited by a 10 μJ laser pulse tuned to one of the lead resonant lines. Upon optimization, the 3σ limit of detection was found to be 35 ± 7 ppb, which is close to the EPA standard for the level of lead allowed in drinking water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors assess and measure the repercussions of the implementation and certification of an ISO 14001 environmental management system (EMS) on company organizational structure. They identify these effects on Mintzberg's parameters of structural design by postulating a series of hypotheses. These hypotheses are then studied empirically among firms that have implemented the 150 14001 EMS. With this empirical evidence, they conclude the key determinants of the intensity of organizational changes observed are EMS maturity, management involvement in the implementation process, and the prior existence of an ISO 9001 quality management system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only rarely have empirical studies analysed the responses of Taiwanese manufacturing firms to ISO 14001, despite firm responses to environmental issues being an important aspect of environmental management. This study empirically examines the determinants of firms’ environmental self-governance. Export oriented Taiwanese firms, which face environmental concerns from foreign consumers, are found to be more likely than domestic focused firms to adopt ISO 14001. This study also finds that several firm attributes are decisive for firm adoption of ISO 14001. However, this study does not find any significant impact of local governors’ political party affiliation on firms’ ISO 14001 certifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work provides a thorough look at the project for implementing ISO 14000 in Colorquímica S.A., process that took two years. We expose the main difficulties and lessons learned, which is an important for those who are willing to make an environmental management project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how arguments about Russia are portrayed in the Norwegian petroleum debate regarding offshore drilling in the high north. Based on discourse analysis as a framework, the article examines how advocates of drilling have managed to get wide acceptance in the public sphere for their argument that Norway "must drill to help the environment". Such a statement is possible only if there are certain widely held perceptions in the Norwegian public about "Russia and the environment". These perceptions have little to do with recent experience regarding Russian petroleum industry or Russian environmental standards in general, but have more to do with notions which date back to the collapse of the Soviet Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the ISO 14000 IT software transfer from Europe to Thailand. The study of the Asia Information Technology and Communication (IT&C) Force project, managed by the Fraunhofer Institute, examined possible reasons for an observed reticence on the part of organizations in Thailand to accept information technology (IT) and decision support systems (DSS) that have been proven in the European market to be instrumental in obtaining certification to ISO 14000, the international environmental management standard. ISO 14000 certification is an independent assurance that the organization has developed and is effectively employing its IT and decision support systems to interface with its environmental management system (EMS).

Purpose - To present ways for empowering contractors in improving environmental performance particularly to meet the requirements defined in ISO 14000. Design/methodology/approach - To review the traditional methodologies for protecting the environment in undertaking construction activities, investigate the limitations of these methods and the associated reasons, and apply the principles of ISO 14000 environmental management system (EMS) to develop an effective framework for helping contractors to become competent in implementing environmental management. Findings - The major methodologies developed for protecting the environment in construction include governmental regulations, economic measures, and EMSs. However, the applications of these measures are limited. The typical causes contributing to the limitation include the clash between cost and environment, environmentally passive culture within construction industry, lack of cooperation among project parties, and clash between contract time and implementing environmental management methods. Furthermore, the practice of environment management is mainly driven by external impetus such as legal enforcement incentive programmes from government. However, the effectiveness cannot be gained if internal motivation does not exist This paper introduces a framework to help a contractor to cultivate an environmentally friendly culture within its organization. Originality/value - This paper proposes a framework for empowering contractors in improving environmental performance by identifying the weaknesses of the existing practice and applying a systematic approach of implementing environmental management approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The methodological framework set by standards ISO 14001 and ISO 14004 gives only general principles for environmental aspects assessment, which is regarded as one of the most critical stages of implementing environmental management system. In Estonia, about 100 organizations have been certified to the ISO 14001. Experience obtained from numerous companies has demonstrated that limited transparency and reproducibility of the assessment process serves as a common shortcoming. Despite rather complicated assessment schemes sometimes used, the evaluation procedures have been largely based on subjective judgments because of ill-defined and inadequate assessment criteria. A comparison with some similar studies in other countries indicates a general nature of observed inconsistencies. The diversity of approaches to the aspects’ assessment in concept literature and to the related problems has been discussed. The general structure of basic assessment criteria, compatible with environmental impact assessment and environmental risk analysis has also been outlined. Based on this general structure, the article presents a tiered approach to help organize the assessment in a more consistent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study that analyzes the operation and efficiency of the AB process for treating the slaughterhouse wastewater in Hamadan, Iran. Slaughterhouse wastewater is found to be very harmful to the receiving environment wherein the outflowing discharge from a plant has caused contamination to groundwater. The treatment uses a system that comprise of a two-stage activated sludge process in series with a flow of 500 m3/day. Based on the results of the study, it showed that the wastewater did not comply with the Iranian Environmental Protection standards for reuse in agricultural activities. Treated wastewater to be reused for irrigation must consider the following: blood should be separated from the wastewater to reduce biochemical oxygen demand, wastewater should be oxygenated and others.