Odor impact zones around landfills: Delineation based on atmospheric conditions and land use characteristics.

Odors emitted from landfills can result in complaints by the residents living near the landfills. The aim of this study was to develop an assessment and delineation tool to identify the areas which can be impacted by the odors released from landfills based on land use characteristics and atmospheric conditions; and estimate the number of people who may be impacted. Odor emissions and dispersion analyses were conducted for three case study landfills under different atmospheric conditions in view of the land use characteristics around each landfill.

Explosion impacts during transport of hazardous cargo: GIS-based characterization of overpressure impacts and delineation of flammable zones for ammonia.

The aim of this research was to investigate accidental releases of ammonia followed by an en-route incident in an attempt to further predict the consequences of hazardous cargo accidents. The air dispersion model Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres (ALOHA) was employed to track the probable outcomes of a hazardous material release of a tanker truck under different explosion scenarios. The significance of identification of the flammable zones was taken into consideration; in case the flammable vapor causes an explosion.

Optimality versus stability in water resource allocation.

Water allocation is a growing concern in a developing world where limited resources like fresh water are in greater demand by more parties. Negotiations over allocations often involve multiple groups with disparate social, economic, and political status and needs, who are seeking a management solution for a wide range of demands. Optimization techniques for identifying the Pareto-optimal (social planner solution) to multi-criteria multi-participant problems are commonly implemented, although often reaching agreement for this solution is difficult.