A mathematical model for environmental risk
assessment in manufacturing industry
assessment in manufacturing industry
(1. College of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering,
Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China;
2. Department of Manufacturing Engineering & Engineering Management,
City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong；
3. Chemical Separation Division, Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology,
Tsinghua University, Beijing 102201, China;
4. College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University,
Changsha 410082, China)
Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China;
2. Department of Manufacturing Engineering & Engineering Management,
City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong；
3. Chemical Separation Division, Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology,
Tsinghua University, Beijing 102201, China;
4. College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University,
Changsha 410082, China)
Abstract: Environmental conscious manufacturing has become an important issue in industry because of market pressure and environmental regulations. An environmental risk assessment model was developed based on the network analytic method and fuzzy set theory. The “interval analysis method” was applied to deal with the on-site monitoring data as basic information for assessment. In addition, the fuzzy set theory was employed to allow uncertain, interactive and dynamic information to be effectively incorporated into the environmental risk assessment. This model is a simple, practical and effective tool for evaluating the environmental risk of manufacturing industry and for analyzing the relative impacts of emission wastes, which are hazardous to both human and ecosystem health. Furthermore, the model is considered useful for design engineers and decision-maker to design and select processes when the costs, environmental impacts and performances of a product are taken into consideration.
Key words: environmental risk assessment; mathematical model; fuzzy set theory; network analysis