Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
18.3.11 Tunneling through the EKC by Application of nZVI in the Water Industry
Employing nZVI particles for groundwater remediation can decrease the process cost
signiicantly (see Table 18.5) in comparison with traditional methods. It means that the
poorer and developing countries can also have cleaner groundwater (less environmental
degradation) while spending less money. In other words, the EKC turning point can occur
at a lower income per capita. For instance, for the case of Iran, which at the moment is not
ready for a turning point for arsenic and nitrates, these pollutants can be overridden by
applying nZVI for underground water remediation.
The technology of nZVI production can be transferred form developed countries having
experience with this technology (see the map in Figure 18.2) to developing countries like
Iran. It is noteworthy to state that countries like Iran have some laboratory-scale research
experience, which can help expedite the technology diffusion and promotion.
As shown in the mentioned case study, different aspects of the technology life cycle,
product life cycle, and socioeconomics effects need to be analyzed for evaluation of the
effect of a new emerging nanotechnology on environment.
18.4 Policy Implications
As mentioned before, there are two main approaches for tunneling through the EKC, i.e.,
achieving environmental goals with less cost by appropriate policy tools and technologi-
cal means. Our aim in this section is to show that they are two highly interrelated means,
and should not and cannot be dealt with separately. Governing and coordinating institutes
have a substantial role in realizing the vitally needed interconnections and integration. We
believe that this could be a critical step in overcoming challenges of the responsible use of
the technology for the beneit of the environment.
18.4.1 International Collaboration
Two proposed mechanisms for international collaboration are described below.
18.4.1.1 Collaborative Open Innovation Scheme
To address the already mentioned ownership problem and the lack of economic moti-
vation in inding solutions to environmental problems of developing countries, an open
innovation scheme may be a promising way forward. In this emerging paradigm, innova-
tion takes place in a distributed network of individual scientists, researchers, and entre-
preneurs where prohibitions on the IP rights mechanism is weaker than the centralized
company based R&D framework.
There are three ways in which open innovation may help. First, it can modify the own-
ership pattern of the IP rights in a way that it will be owned by a network of distributed
public and private institutes and companies around the world. In this way, economic ben-
eits of the innovations will be divided more fairly among those who really need the result
and have contributed to it. Second, through a properly directed open innovation scheme,
R&D activities may be directed more toward solving environmental problems in develop-
ing countries. It is important to note that emerging environmental problems may arise in
