Assessing the Distributional Impacts of Transferable Pollution Permits: The Case of Phosphorus Pollution Management at a River Basin Scale

Although the initial allocation of pollution permits is neutral in terms of efficiency, it does have a significant impact on distributive equity. In this paper, we examine the two main categories of permit allocation rules, the distributive and the reductive, for controlling phosphorus pollution in a small catchment in South West England. Based on the premise that the regulatory choice compromises efficiency and equity, the main result of this paper is that an allocation of permits in proportion to the intensity of environmental preferences is a “win-win†choice. The reason is that it simultaneously achieves two goals. First, it is efficient (or cost-effective) since a permit system achieves a prespecified target at a minimum abatement cost, while second, it is the only allocation rule which reduces the income inequality of the baseline scenario.pollution permits, phosphorus, nutrient management, export coefficient model, water quality, distributive justice, income inequality, Atkinson Index, Environmental Economics and Policy,

Synthesis Features of Iron Oxide Nanopowders with High Magnetic and Sorption Properties

The magnetic particles of iron oxides are promising materials for the purification of water from ions of heavy metals and radionuclides. Their advantage compared to other sorbents is the ability to extract by applied magnetic field, which greatly simplifies the task of extraction, separation and processing in cleaning technologies. The aim of this work is investigation of temperature and concentration of iron in the solution effect on the phase composition, nanoparticle size and their magnetization. Phase magnetite in the sample increases with increasing temperature and the magnetization decreases slightly with increasing the initial concentration of iron in solution. We found that regardless of the conditions of deposition formed spherical particles whose average size ranges from 7 to 15 nm. The sorptive capacity of the particles is virtually independent of the phase composition and for cobalt is about 18 mg/g. For sorption-based material magnetic particles Fe3O4 recommended to carry out the deposition process at a temperature not lower than 80°C. The concentration of iron in solution must be within 0,15–0,3M. The particles obtained contain in their composition at least 90 wt.% of magnetite phase and are characterized by a magnetization in the range of 65–70 A·m2/kg. Also in the paper is comparing efficiency of extraction and sorptioncapacity for cobalt particles by different phase of magnetite and hematite

Synthesis Features of Iron Oxide Nanopowders with High Magnetic and Sorption Properties

The magnetic particles of iron oxides are promising materials for the purification of water from ions of heavy metals and radionuclides. Their advantage compared to other sorbents is the ability to extract by applied magnetic field, which greatly simplifies the task of extraction, separation and processing in cleaning technologies. The aim of this work is investigation of temperature and concentration of iron in the solution effect on the phase composition, nanoparticle size and their magnetization. Phase magnetite in the sample increases with increasing temperature and the magnetization decreases slightly with increasing the initial concentration of iron in solution. We found that regardless of the conditions of deposition formed spherical particles whose average size ranges from 7 to 15 nm. The sorptive capacity of the particles is virtually independent of the phase composition and for cobalt is about 18 mg/g. For sorption-based material magnetic particles Fe3O4 recommended to carry out the deposition process at a temperature not lower than 80°C. The concentration of iron in solution must be within 0,15–0,3M. The particles obtained contain in their composition at least 90 wt.% of magnetite phase and are characterized by a magnetization in the range of 65–70 A·m2/kg. Also in the paper is comparing efficiency of extraction and sorptioncapacity for cobalt particles by different phase of magnetite and hematite

Structure and properties of nanostructured ZrN coatings obtained by vacuum-arc evaporation using RF discharge

Nanostructured films of zirconium nitride have been synthesized using an ion plasma vacuum-arc deposition technique in combination with a high-frequency (RF) discharge on AISI 430 stainless steel at 150 °C. Structural examination using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with microanalysis (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nanoidentation was undertaken to reveal phase and chemical composition, surface morphology, microstructure and nanohardness of the coatings. The developed technology provided low-temperature film synthesis, minimized discharge breakdown decreasing formation of macroparticles (MPs) and allowed to deposit ZrN coatings with hardness variation 26.6–31.5 GPa and enhanced corrosion resistance characteristics. It was revealed that ZrN single-phase coatings of cubic modification with fine-crystalline grains of 20 nm in size were formed. The corrosion resistance of coatings has been tested in 0.9% quasiphysiological NaCl solution

Structure and properties of nanostructured ZrN coatings obtained by vacuum-arc evaporation using RF discharge

Nanostructured films of zirconium nitride have been synthesized using an ion plasma vacuum-arc deposition technique in combination with a high-frequency (RF) discharge on AISI 430 stainless steel at 150 °C. Structural examination using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with microanalysis (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nanoidentation was undertaken to reveal phase and chemical composition, surface morphology, microstructure and nanohardness of the coatings. The developed technology provided low-temperature film synthesis, minimized discharge breakdown decreasing formation of macroparticles (MPs) and allowed to deposit ZrN coatings with hardness variation 26.6–31.5 GPa and enhanced corrosion resistance characteristics. It was revealed that ZrN single-phase coatings of cubic modification with fine-crystalline grains of 20 nm in size were formed. The corrosion resistance of coatings has been tested in 0.9% quasiphysiological NaCl solution

Nanostructured ZrO₂ ceramic PVD coatings on Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets

The results of vacuum-arc deposition (PVD) of thin ZrO2 coatings to protect the surface of Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets used as repelling devices in orthodontics are presented. Magnetic devices are offered as an optimum and biologically safe forcegenerating system for orthodontic tooth movement. The structure, phase composition and mechanical properties of zirconium oxide films have been investigated by means of SEM, XRD, EDX, XRF and nanoindentation methods. The coatings are formed of polycrystalline ZrO2 films of monoclinic modification with average grain size 25 nm. The influence of the ZrO2 coating in terms of its barrier properties for corrosion in quasiphysiological 0.9% NaCl solution has been studied. Electrochemical measurements indicated good barrier properties of the coating on specimens in the physiological solution environment

Higher borides and oxygen-enriched Mg-B-O inclusions as possible pinning centers in nanostructural magnesium diboride and the influence of additives on their formation

The study of high pressure (2 GPa) synthesized MgB2-based materials allows us to conclude that higher borides (with near MgB12 stoichiometry) and oxygen-enriched Mg-B-O inclusions can be pinning centers in nanostructural magnesium diboride matrix (with average grain sizes of 15-37 nm). It has been established that additions of Ti or SiC as well as manufacturing temperature can affect the size, amount and distribution of these inclusions in the material structure and thus, influence critical current density. The superconducting behavior of materials with near MgB12 stoichiometry of matrix is discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figues, presented at VORTEX VI-2009, accepted for Physica

Assessing the Distributional Impacts of Transferable Pollution Permits: The Case of Phosphorus Pollution Management at a River Basin Scale

Although the initial allocation of pollution permits is neutral in terms of efficiency, it does have a significant impact on distributive equity. In this paper, we examine the two main categories of permit allocation rules, the distributive and the reductive, for controlling phosphorus pollution in a small catchment in South West England. Based on the premise that the regulatory choice compromises efficiency and equity, the main result of this paper is that an allocation of permits in proportion to the intensity of environmental preferences is a “win-win” choice. The reason is that it simultaneously achieves two goals. First, it is efficient (or cost-effective) since a permit system achieves a prespecified target at a minimum abatement cost, while second, it is the only allocation rule which reduces the income inequality of the baseline scenario

Motivations and Cognitive Structures of Consumers in their Purchasing of Functional Foods

The present study initially fulfils a two-fold aim: first, to identify the functional foods most frequently purchased by a homogeneous group of well-educated consumers; and second, to define the most important functional food attributes that affect consumers’ purchasing decisions when examined in two separate age groups (young adults and early-middle-aged). By employing the MEC analysis methodology, the study further fulfils two additional aims: third, to obtain insights into the functional food-related buying motives of consumers; and fourth, to design a MEC hierarchy of consumption-relevant cognitive structures per age group in order to explain their functional food-related purchasing behaviour. The results of the study highlight health enhancement and health risk prevention through appropriate dietary choices as the most important motives of functional food purchasing for the two age groups, respectively. A special interest in eating enjoyment that results from functional food consumption and in trust that must surround those foods also emerge from both age groups. Moreover, some differences among the two age groups are prominent, such as that the early-middle-aged consumers show a great interest in knowing the origin of the functional product; while the young adults emphasize on functional foods’ convenience and (low) price. These results lead to the conclusion that functional foods should deliver their health benefits above and beyond the standard (high) perceived quality required by consumers from any common food product