Ethical assessment of new technologies: a meta-methodology

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to set out a structured meta-methodology, named DIODE, for the ethical assessment of new and emerging technologies. DIODE has been designed by a mixture of academics, governmental people and commercial practitioners. It is designed to help diverse organisations and individuals conduct ethical assessments of new and emerging technologies. Design/methodology/approach - framework discussion paper was developed for consultation to ensure that DIODE addresses fundamental ethical concerns, has appropriate and manageable scope and is comprehensive in its ethical compass. The resulting DIODE meta-methodology uses flowcharts and templates, encompassing the use of diverse tools and techniques. Findings - There are two different angles for the ethical assessment of new technologies; a strategic/abstract angle and a project/application specific angle. DIODE includes two channels to accommodate this distinction. Early stage testing yielded positive feedback and mostly favourable comment. Additional guidance materials are being developed in response to the feedback. Practical implications - Without training and guidance, it is difficult for technologists to take ethical concerns into account during the development and deployment of new technologies. DIODE can provide that training and guidance through a practical meta-methodology which should help ICT professionals, policy makers and academics. Originality/valueThere is very little structured methodology material available on the ethical assessment of new technologies. The depth and sophistication contained in DIODE is therefore believed to be unique. DIODE provides practical help while remaining rooted in the philosophical and theoretical concepts of ethics

Hydraulic and biotic impacts on neutralisation of high-pH waters

The management of alkaline (pH 11–12.5) leachate is an important issue associated with the conditioning, afteruse or disposal of steel slags. Passive in-gassing of atmospheric CO₂ is a low cost option for reducing Ca(OH)₂ alkalinity, as Ca(OH)₂ is neutralised by carbonic acid to produce CaCO₃. The relative effectiveness of such treatment can be affected by both the system geometry (i.e. stepped cascades versus settlement ponds) and biological colonization. Sterilized mesocosm experiments run over periods of 20 days showed that, due to more water mixing and enhanced CO₂ dissolution at the weirs, the cascade systems (pH 11.2 → 9.6) are more effective than settlement ponds (pH 11.2 → 11.0) for lowering leachate alkalinity in all the tested conditions. The presence of an active microbial biofilm resulted in significantly more pH reduction in ponds (pH 11.2 → 9.5), but had a small impact on the cascade systems (pH 11.2 → 9.4). The pH variation in biofilm colonized systems shows a diurnal cycle of 1 to 1.5 pH units due to CO₂ uptake and release associated with respiration and photosynthesis. The results demonstrate that, where gradient permits, aeration via stepped cascades are the best option for neutralisation of steel slag leachates, and where feasible, the development of biofilm communities can also help reduce alkalinity

A dynamic explanation for the origin of the western Mediterranean organic-rich layers

The eastern Mediterranean sapropels are among the most intensively investigated phenomena in the paleoceanographic record, but relatively little has been written regarding the origin of the equivalent of the sapropels in the western Mediterranean, the organic-rich layers (ORLs). ORLs are recognized as sediment layers containing enhanced total organic carbon that extend throughout the deep basins of the western Mediterranean and are associated with enhanced total barium concentration and a reduced diversity (dysoxic but not anoxic) benthic foraminiferal assemblage. Consequently, it has been suggested that ORLs represent periods of enhanced productivity coupled with reduced deep ventilation, presumably related to increased continental runoff, in close analogy to the sapropels. We demonstrate that despite their superficial similarity, the timing of the deposition of the most recent ORL in the Alboran Sea is different than that of the approximately coincident sapropel, indicating that there are important differences between their modes of formation. We go on to demonstrate, through physical arguments, that a likely explanation for the origin of the Alboran ORLs lies in the response of the western Mediterranean basin to a strong reduction in surface water density and a shoaling of the interface between intermediate and deep water during the deglacial period. Furthermore, we provide evidence that deep convection had already slowed by the time of Heinrich Event 1 and explore this event as a potential agent for preconditioning deep convection collapse. Important differences between Heinrich-like and deglacial-like influences are highlighted, giving new insights into the response of the western Mediterranean system to external forcing

Options for managing alkaline steel slag leachate: A life cycle assessment

Management of steel slag (a major by-product of the steel industry) includes the treatment of highly alkaline leachate (pH > 11.5) from rainwater infiltration of slag deposits to prevent adverse impact upon surface or ground waters. This study aims to compare different treatment options for steel slag leachate through a life cycle assessment (LCA). Five options were compared: active treatment by acid dosing (A-H2SO4), active treatment by carbon dioxide dosing (A-CO2), active treatment by calcium chloride dosing (A-CaCl2), passive treatment by cascade and reedbeds with pumping (P-P), and passive treatment by cascade and reedbeds in a gravity-driven configuration (P-G). The functional unit was 1 m3 of treated leachate with pH < 9, considering 24 h and 365 days of operating, maintenance operations every year, and service life of 20 years. Inventory data were obtained from project designers, commercial suppliers, laboratory data and field tests. The environmental impacts were calculated in OpenLCA using the ELCD database and ILCD 2011 method, covering twelve impact categories. The A-CaCl2 option scored worse than all other treatments for all considered environmental impact categories. Regarding human toxicity, A-CaCl2 impact was 1260 times higher than the lowest impact option (A-CO2) for carcinogenics and 53 times higher for non-carcinogenics (A-H2SO4). For climate change, the lowest impact was calculated for P-G < P-P < A-H2SO4 < A-CO2 < A-CaCl2, while for particulate matter/respiratory inorganics, the options ranked as follows P-G < P-P < A-CO2 < A-H2SO4 < A-CaCl2. The major contributor to these impact categories was the Solvay process to produce CaCl2. Higher uncertainty was associated with the categories particulate matter formation, climate change and human toxicity, as they are driven by indirect emissions from electricity and chemicals production. Both passive treatment options had better environmental performance than the active treatment options. Potential design measures to enhance environmental performance of the treatments regarding metal removal and recovery are discussed and could inform operational management at active and legacy steel slag disposal sites

Mechanism of Vanadium Leaching during Surface Weathering of Basic Oxygen Furnace Steel Slag Blocks: A Microfocus X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Electron Microscopy Study

© 2017 American Chemical Society. Basic oxygen furnace (BOF) steelmaking slag is enriched in potentially toxic V which may become mobilized in high pH leachate during weathering. BOF slag was weathered under aerated and air-excluded conditions for 6 months prior to SEM/EDS and μXANES analysis to determine V host phases and speciation in both primary and secondary phases. Leached blocks show development of an altered region in which free lime and dicalcium silicate phases were absent and Ca-Si-H was precipitated (CaCO 3 was also present under aerated conditions). μXANES analyses show that V was released to solution as V(V) during dicalcium silicate dissolution and some V was incorporated into neo-formed Ca-Si-H. Higher V concentrations were observed in leachate under aerated conditions than in the air-excluded leaching experiment. Aqueous V concentrations were controlled by Ca 3 (VO 4 ) 2 solubility, which demonstrate an inverse relationship between Ca and V concentrations. Under air-excluded conditions Ca concentrations were controlled by dicalcium silicate dissolution and Ca-Si-H precipitation, leading to relatively high Ca and correspondingly low V concentrations. Formation of CaCO 3 under aerated conditions provided a sink for aqueous Ca, allowing higher V concentrations limited by kinetic dissolution rates of dicalcium silicate. Thus, V release may be slowed by the precipitation of secondary phases in the altered region, improving the prospects for slag reuse

Minimising medicine use in organic dairy herds through animal health and welfare planning

Livestock is important in many organic farming systems, and it is an explicit goal to ensure high levels of animal health and welfare (AHW) through good management. This will lead to reduced medicine use and better quality of animal products. In two EU network projects NAHWOA & SAFO it was concluded that this is not guaranteed merely by following organic standards. Both networks recommended implementation of individual animal health plans to stimulate organic farmers to improve AHW. These plans should include a systematic evaluation of AHW and be implemented through dialogue with each farmer in order to identify goals and plan improvements. 15 research institutions in 8 European countries are involved in the proposed project with the main objective to minimise medicine use in organic dairy herds through active and well planned AHW promotion and disease prevention. The project consists of 5 work packages, 4 of which comprise research activities building on current research projects, new applications across borders, exchange of knowledge, results and conclusions between participating countries, and adopting them to widely different contexts. International and national workshops facilitate this exchange. Focus areas are animal health planning, AHW assessment using animal based parameters and development of advisory systems and farmer groups. Epidemiological analyses of the effect on AHW from reduced medicine use and herd improvements are planned in all participating countries

Growing spherulitic calcite grains in saline, hyperalkaline lakes: experimental evaluation of the effects of Mg-clays and organic acids

The origin of spherical-radial calcite bodies – spherulites – in sublacustrine, hyperalkaline and saline systems is unclear, and therefore their palaeoenvironmental significance as allochems is disputed. Here, we experimentally investigate two hypotheses concerning the origin of spherulites. The first is that spherulites precipitate from solutions super-saturated with respect to magnesium-silicate clays, such as stevensite. The second is that spherulite precipitation happens in the presence of dissolved, organic acid molecules. In both cases, experiments were performed under sterile conditions using large batches of a synthetic and cell-free solution replicating waters found in hyperalkaline, saline lakes (such as Mono Lake, California). Our experimental results show that a highly alkaline and highly saline solution supersaturated with respect to calcite (control solution) will precipitate euhedral to subhedral rhombic and trigonal bladed calcite crystals. The same solution supersaturated with respect to stevensite precipitates sheet-like stevensite crystals rather than a gel, and calcite precipitation is reduced by ~ 50% compared to the control solution, producing a mixture of patchy prismatic subhedral to euhedral, and minor needle-like, calcite crystals. Enhanced magnesium concentration in solution is the likely the cause of decreased volumes of calcite precipitation, as this raised equilibrium ion activity ratio in the solution. On the other hand, when alginic acid was present then the result was widespread development of micron-size calcium carbonate spherulite bodies. With further growth time, but falling supersaturation, these spherules fused into botryoidal-topped crusts made of micron-size fibro-radial calcite crystals. We conclude that the simplest tested mechanism to deposit significant spherical-radial calcite bodies is to begin with a strongly supersaturated solution that contains specific but environmentally-common organic acids. Furthermore, we found that this morphology is not a universal consequence of having organic acids dissolved in the solution, but rather spherulite development requires specific binding behaviour. Finally, we found that the location of calcite precipitation was altered from the air:water interface to the surface of the glassware when organic acids were present, implying that attached calcite precipitates reflect precipitation via metal–organic intermediaries, rather than direct forcing via gas exchange

A dynamic explanation for the origin of the western Mediterranean organic-rich layers

The eastern Mediterranean sapropels are amongst the most intensively investigated phenomena in the palaeoceanographic record , but relatively little has been written regarding the origin of the equivalent of the sapropels in the western Mediterranean, the Organic Rich Layers (ORL's). ORL's are recognised as sediment layers containing enhanced Total Organic Carbon that extend throughout the deep basins of the Western Mediterranean, and are associated with enhanced total barium concentration and a reduced diversity (dysoxic but not anoxic) benthic foraminiferal assemblage. Consequently, it has been suggested that ORL's represent periods of enhanced productivity coupled with reduced deep ventilation, presumably related to increased continental runoff, in close analogy to the sapropels. We demonstrate that despite their superficial similarity, the timing of the deposition of the most recent 1 ORL in the Alboran Sea is different to that of the approximately coincident sapropel, indicating that there are important differences between their modes of formation. We go on to demonstrate, through physical arguments, that a likely explanation for the origin of the Alboran ORLs lies in the response of the Western Mediterranean basin to a strong reduction in surface water density and a shoaling of the interface between intermediate and deep water during the deglacial period. Furthermore, we provide evidence that deep convection had already slowed by the time of Heinrich Event 1, and explore this event as a potential agent for preconditioning deep convection collapse. Important differences between Heinrich-like and deglacial-like influences are highlighted, giving new insights into the response of the western Mediterranean system to external forcing

Corrigendum: Chronic Exposure to Malaria Is Associated with Inhibitory and Activation Markers on Atypical Memory B Cells and Marginal Zone-Like B Cells

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00966.]