Environmental Indices and Indicators for Describing the Affected

Environment
An “environmental index” in its broadest concept is a numerical or descriptive
categorization of a large quantity of environmental data or information, with the
primary purpose being to simplify such data and information so as to make it
useful to decision makers and various publics.
In terms of EIS, environmental indices can be useful in accomplishing one or
more of the following objectives:
1.To summarize existing environmental data
2.To communicate information on the quality of the affected environment
3.To evaluate the vulnerability or susceptibility of an environmental category to
pollution
4.To focus attention on key environmental factors
5.To serve as a basis for the expression of impact by forecasting the difference
between the pertinent index with the project and the same index without the
project

Background Information
It should be noted that an environmental index is not the same as an
environmental indicator. “Indicators” refer to single measurements of factors or
biological species, with the assumption being that these measurements are
indicative of the biophysical or socioeconomic system. Ecological indicators
have been used for many decades (Hunsaker and Carpenter, 1990).
For example in the western United States, plants have been much used as
indicators of water and soil conditions, especially as these conditions affect
grazing and agricultural potentials (Odum, 1959). The use of vertebrate animals,
as well as plants, as indicators of temperature zones has also been practiced.
Odum (1959) suggested that some of the important considerations which should
be borne in mind in dealing with ecological indicators are as follows:
1.In general, “steno –“species make much better indicators than “ eury-“
species. Steno means “narrow” and eury means “wide.” Steno- species are
often not the most abundant ones in the community.
2.Large species usually make better indicators than small species, because a
larger and more-stable biomass or standing crop can be supported with a given
energy flow. The turnover rate of small organisms may be so great that the
particular species present at any one moment may not be very intrusive as an
ecological indicator.
3.Before relying on a single species or groups of species as indicators, there
should be abundant field evidence, and if possible, experimental evidence, and,
if possible, experimental evidence that the factor in

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question is limiting. Also, the species ability to compensate or adapt
should be known.
4. Numerical relationship between species, population, and whole
communities often provide more reliable indicators than single species,
since a better integration of conditions is reflected by the whole than by
the part.
Relative to pollution effects, an “indicator organism” is a species selected
for its sensitivity or tolerance (more frequently sensitivity) to various
kinds of pollution or its effects for example, metal pollution or oxygen
depletion. Relative to water quality, the different groups of organisms
which have been used as indicators include bacteria, protozoa, algae,
macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, and fish.
While some environmental indices are fairly complicated from a
mathematical perspective, it should be remembered that simple
comparisons of data can be useful. For example, the following ratios
yield relative indices that can be useful in an EIS:
Existing quality Environmental quality standard

Emission quantity ∨quality Emission standard

Existing quality Temporal average

Existing quality Spatial (geographical ) average

Because of the wide diversity in the indices, a common pollutant

standards index (PSI) was developed for use in the United States. Ten
criteria were delineated for the PSI and used in its promulgation; these
criteria were that the PSI should (1) be easily understood by the public,
(2) include major pollutants and capable of including future pollutants,
(3) relate to ambient air quality standards, (4) relate to air pollution
episode criteria, (5) be calculated in a simple manner using reasonable
assumptions, (6) be based on reasonable scientific premise, (7) be
consistent with perceived air-pollution levels, (8) be spatially
meaningful, (9) exhibit day-to-day variation, and (10) enable forecasting
a day in advance. Based upon these criteria, Table(shown below) was
developed to represent information for the direct determination of the
PSI. Five pollutants (total suspended particulates, sulfur dioxide, carbon

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monoxide, oxidants, and nitrogen dioxide) are considered individually in the
PSI; combination effects such as those from sulfur dioxide and particulates
are not addressed. Additional pollutants may be added in the future.
The PSI is established by defining an index value of 100 as the equivalent of
the short-term (24 hour or less), national, primary ambient air quality
standards. These short-term primary standards represent the concentration
below which adverse health effects have not been observed, thus the PSI is
based on health effects. The procedure is to calculate a simple ratio sub-
index value for each of the five pollutants considered, and then to report the
PSI sa the maximum sub-index for the five pollutants. The sub-index is
calculated as follows:

Subindex= concentration of pollutant (100)

short −term primary standard

The reported daily PSI is the maximum sub-index for the

pollutants considered, with the pollutant involved being identified.
On days when two or more pollutants have subindices greater than
100, each pollutant having a sub-index value of greater than 100 is
reported, along with the maximum subindex value for all
pollutants. Historical information on the PSI can be used in
describing ambient air quality in an air impact study.

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Environmental Media Index-Ecological Sensitivity And Diversity
The ecological sensitivity of each area or ecosystem in a region to perturbations
is assessed in terms of (1) significance of the ecosystem both regionally and
globally, (2) rarity or abundance of the ecosystem relative to others in the region
or elsewhere, and (3) the resilience of the ecosystem.
Ecosystem significancerepresents a subjective valuation of the biological
importance of species and of the ecosystem.
A diversity index expresses the data on the species abundance in a community
as a single number. A similarity index is obtained by comparing two samples,
one of which is often a control.
Simpson Index:

D= ∑
n
n(n−1)
i=1
n (n−1)

S The number of species in either a sample or a population

A1 The number of species in a control sample
Ax The number of species in the sample of interest
NThe number of individuals in a population or community
nThe number of individuals in a sample from a population
niThe number of individuals of species (i) in a sample from a population

A similarity index is obtained by comparing two samples, one of which is often

a control
Environmental Media Index- Quality of Life
Quality of life (QOL) is a term which has been developed to indicate the overall
characterisitcs of the socioeconomic environment in a given area.

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Quality of Life (QOL) is a term which has been
developed to indicate the overall characteristics
of the socioeconomic environment in a given
area
Quality of life (QOL) index
weights Quality of life dimensions

0.10 I. Psychological well being

1.love, companionship
2.self-respect
3.peace of mind
4.stimulation, challenge
5.Other: popularity, accomplishment, individuality, sexual
satisfaction, involvement, comfort, novelty, dominance, privacy,
etc.

0.90 II. Situational Descriptors

0.40 Economic

0.50 6. Standard of living (income per capita, discretionary income)

0.10 7. Unemployment
0.10 8. Financial dependency (welfare, dependency ratio)
0.20 9. Housing (persons per room, home ownership, % substandard)
0.05 10.Supply and distribution bottlenecks (food, fuel, commodity,
etc. shortages)
0.05 11.Transportation convenience(including commuting time)

0.25 Social
0.17 12. Family relations
0.13 13. Friendships
0.20 14. Job satisfaction
0.05 15. Crime and violence (crime index and exposure to civil strife
and political violence).
0.35 16. Health, safety and nourishment (calorie and protein
consumption, infant mortality, disability rate, life
expectancy)
0.20 17. Education (reading achievement, enrolment ratios,
graduation rates)
0.20 Leisure
0.30 18. Media entertainment (radio, TV. movies)
0.15 19. Entertainment: other (spectator sports, “night life,” live
programs)
0.15 20. Cultural opportunities (performing arts, art objects, reading,

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