增强环保应急能力势在必行

四川汶川地震发生后，环境保护部立即启动一级应急响应，迅速制订了“地震灾区应急监测实施方案”，把保障饮用水安全放在首位，在地震灾区全面开展隐患排查，及时消除了环境隐患。截至目前，灾区没有发生次生重大环境事件，环境应急预案再次经受了实战的检验。但在抗震救灾中，对极端自然灾害风险评估不足、应急交通工具和监测设备落后等问题也较明显地暴露出来。     

江苏省环境应急监测核心能力建设与评述

从污染事故的环境应急预警工作需要出发，结合江苏省突发性环境事故应急处置项目建设规划，分析了省级应急监测能力、应急监测决策指挥能力建设的要素和功能，并分析了江苏省的市县级环境监测骨干网络架构及其实践应对。并建议各级环境监测部门今后应当从风险源排查、应急预案、应急监测、应急处置、综合分析、后勤保障六个方面进行优化整合，为今后更系统和更针对性地防治区域的突发性环境污染。     

重大疫情期间医疗废物应急处置中的问题及建议

医疗废物安全处置是阻断疫情蔓延的重要环节。重大疫情期间,由于医疗废物产生量急剧增加,常态下的医疗废物收集、转运、处置能力无法满足需要。通过分析我国医疗废物管理现状、重大疫情期间医疗废物产生特点,讨论疫情期间医疗废物应急处置存在的问题及原因,提出构建新的医疗废物处置模式、建立医疗废物应急处置制度体系、组建国家级和省级医疗废物应急机构、做好医疗废物应急处置设施备用工作等建议,为提升医疗废物应急处置能力提供参考,保障重大疫情期间医疗废物得到及时、安全处置。     

浅议环境预警监测常态化建设

阐述了中国环境预警监测存在的主要问题:监测信息支持系统不够先进、科学;优先监测对象未经优化论证;预警监测能力滞后;应急监测在应急处置工作中处于被动局面。在此基础上,笔者提出了强化环境预警监测应当确立常态化管理意识;开发监测信息支持系统;加强应急监测能力建设;组织各种应急演练等对策建议,对基层环境监管具有借鉴作用。     

海上船只泄漏化学品,浙江有应急处置办法

海上船舶散装液体化学品泄漏应急处置一直是世界性的难题，国内也没有类似问题的解决办法。近日，由浙江海事部门负责的《宁波辖区船舶散装液体化学品泄漏应急处置机制研究》课题通过专家评审。该课题针对宁波水域现有109种散装液体化学品，制定各种紧急情况下区域的监测方法，以及大面积人员疏散等具体方案，     

液体推进剂突发性泄漏事故的应急处置与污染控制

目前，国防和航天领域使用的液体推进剂主要是肼类燃料和硝基氧化剂，它们都具有强烈的腐蚀性、易燃、易爆、易挥发性及毒性大等特点。一旦发生泄漏，如果处置或控制不当，将会发生灾难性的后果。作者深入分析了液体推进剂发生泄漏事故的原因和特点，提出了液体推进剂泄漏等级判定的依据以及处置人员的安全防护，论述了各种不同的泄漏情况下应采取的应急处置措施，详细说明了污染现场、装备和人员的洗消方法，对液体推进剂突发性泄漏的应急处置与污染控制以及防止着火、爆炸、人员中毒和环境污染等有重要的现实意义。     

论县级市环境应急监测的管理

环境污染突发事件的发生，其影响广，危害大，迫切需要该地的环境监测部门迅速反应，进行快速监测，并报出监测结果，为污染物的控制提供科学依据。因此对环境应急监测的管理就显得非常重要，不仅要对技术人员进行培训，还要准备仪器设备；不仅要准备应急监测预案，还要准备查询、应用工具，包括查询应用软件，只有进行充分的环境应急监测管理，才能有效地进行环境应急监测响应，为污染物应急控制决策、保护环境质量、保护人民的生命财产安全作出贡献。     

液氯意外泄漏的应急监测

为了迅速地处理京沪高速“3．29”液氯泄漏污染事故，启动了应急监测措施。介绍了应急监测中确立的气、土、水、植物等环境介质作为监测对象，氯、氯化氢作为监测因子，并因事制宜地选择监测方法，为事故处理指挥部迅速而正确地处理事故提供了优质快速的技术支持。     

扬中市饮用水源应急监测体系的探索

在调查研究的基础上,分析了扬中市饮用水源的具体特征,结合饮用水源保护的相关方针政策,探索了一条切实可行的扬中市饮用水源应急处置的监测体系.     

苯胺污染事故应急处置技术评估体系及其应用

苯胺所造成的环境污染问题日益严重,如何正确地选择处理处置技术,对降低化学品所造成的影响有着极其重要的意义。为了在事故发生后能够最短时间内有效地消除污染物对环境的影响,选取最适合的处理处置技术,提出了苯胺污染事故处理处置技术评估指标体系,从技术性能、经济成本、环境影响和社会影响4个方面进行了评估指标选取;另外,采用基于群决策的层次分析法(AHP)进行了数据处理,以降低评估过程中专家的主观性对评估结果的影响,结合评分标准最终获得最佳的应急处理处置技术方案,可为苯胺环境污染事故应急预案的制定与事故应急处理处置技术的选取提供参考。     

Trajectory of an oil spill off Goa, eastern Arabian Sea: field observations and simulations

An oil spill occurred off Goa, west coast of India, on 23 March 2005 due to collision of two vessels. In general, fair weather with weak winds prevails along the west coast of India during March. In that case, the spill would have moved slowly and reached the coast. However, in 2005 when this event occurred, relatively stronger winds prevailed, and these winds forced the spill to move away from the coast. The spill trajectory was dominated by winds rather than currents. The MIKE21 Spill Analysis model was used to simulate the spill trajectory. The observed spill trajectory and the slick area were in agreement with the model simulations. The present study illustrates the importance of having pre-validated trajectories of spill scenarios for selecting eco-sensitive regions for preparedness and planning suitable response strategies whenever spill episodes occur.     

Natural attenuation of diesel aliphatic hydrocarbons in contaminated agricultural soil

A diesel fuel spill at a concentration of 1 L m(-2) soil was simulated on a 12 m(2) plot of agricultural land, and natural attenuation of aliphatic hydrocarbons was monitored over a period of 400 days following the spill after which the aliphatic hydrocarbon concentrations were found to be below the legal contamination threshold for soil. The main fraction of these compounds (95%) remained at the surface layer (0-10 cm). Shortly after the spill (viz. between days 0 and 18), evaporation was the main origin of the dramatic decrease in pollutant concentrations in the soil. Thereafter, soil microorganisms used aliphatic hydrocarbons as sources of carbon and energy, as confirmed by the degradation ratios found. Soil quality indicators, soil microbial biomass and dehydrogenase activity, regained their original levels about 200 days after the spill.     

Effects of an oil spill on leafpack-inhabiting macroinvertebrates in the Chariton River, Missouri

Artificial leaf packs were used to determine the effects of an oil spill on stream macroinvertebrate communities in the Chariton River, Missouri. Plastic mesh leaf retainers with approximately 10 g of leaves from five tree species were deployed at five sites (two upstream of the spill and three downstream) immediately after the spill and one year later. Four macroinvertebrate species dominating the community at upstream sites were virtually eliminated below the spill, including the stonefly Isoperla bilineata, the caddisfly Potamyia flava, the midge Thienemanniella xena, and blackfly larvae (Simulium sp.). Density of collector and shredder functional groups, and number of shredder taxa differed between upstream sites and the two furthest downstream sites during the 1990 sample period (Kruskal-Wallis w/Bonferroni paired comparisons, experiment wise error rate = 0.05). With one exception, no differences between sites were detected in the 1991-1992 sample period, indicating that the benthic community had at least partially recovered from the oil spill after one year. The odds of obtaining a sample with a small abundance of shredders (abundance < median) in 1990 was significantly greater downstream of the spill than upstream, and the odds of obtaining a sample with a small abundance of shredders at downstream sites was greater in 1990 than in 1991-1992. A similar pattern was observed in abundance and taxa richness of the collector functional group. No significant differences between the two sampling periods were detected at upstream sites. Observed effects appeared to be associated with oil sorption and substrate coating, creating conditions unsuitable for successful colonization.     

Ambient air concentrations exceeded health-based standards for fine particulate matter and benzene during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is considered one of the largest marine oil spills in the history of the United States. Air emissions associated with the oil spill caused concern among residents of Southeast Louisiana. The purpose of this study was to assess ambient concentrations of benzene (n=3,887) and fine particulate matter (n=102,682) during the oil spill and to evaluate potential exposure disparities in the region. Benzene and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in the targeted parishes were generally higher following the oil spill, as expected. Benzene concentrations reached 2 to 19 times higher than background, and daily exceedances of PM2.5 were 10 to 45 times higher than background. Both benzene and PM2.5 concentrations were considered high enough to exceed public health criteria, with measurable exposure disparities in the coastal areas closer to the spill and clean-up activities. These findings raise questions about public disclosure of environmental health risks associated with the oil spill. The findings also provide a science-based rationale for establishing health-based action levels in future disasters.

Implications: Benzene and particulate matter monitoring during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill revealed that ambient air quality was a likely threat to public health and that residents in coastal Louisiana experienced significantly greater exposures than urban residents. Threshold air pollution levels established for the oil spill apparently were not used as a basis for informing the public about these potential health impacts. Also, despite carrying out the most comprehensive air monitoring ever conducted in the region, none of the agencies involved provided integrated analysis of the data or conclusive statements about public health risk. Better information about real-time risk is needed in future environmental disasters.     

Round Robin Study—Oil Spill Identification

As part of the ongoing work to develop new guidelines for oil spill identification for the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), a Round Robin test was arranged by SINTEF in co-operation with the Norwegian General Standardizing Body (NAS). Twelve laboratories from ten countries participated in the Round Robin study. They include: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Wales, and the U.S.A. The analytical methodology used for the Round Robin testing is a result of the ongoing project “Revision of the Nordtest Methodology for Oil Spill Identification”. The analytical methodology is described in the AMOP proceedings 2002. Seven oil samples (two artificially weathered “spill” samples and five possible sources) were analyzed following the recommended analytical protocols. The Round Robin study was a “difficult case”, because the two spill samples and three of the suspected sources were highly correlated to one another. These samples were from the same oil field in the North Sea, but from different production wells. The present paper summarizes the Round Robin study, and demonstrates the potential of this methodology as a strong technically defensible tool in oil spill identification due to its ability to distinguish qualitatively similar oils from a spill and any available candidate source.     

Temporal and geographical genetic variation in the amphipod Melita plumulosa (Crustacea: Melitidae): Link of a localized change in haplotype frequencies to a chemical spill

Anthropogenic effects such as contamination affect the genetic structure of populations. This study examined the temporal and geographical patterns of genetic diversity among populations of the benthic crustacean amphipod Melita plumulosa in the Parramatta River (Sydney, Australia), following an industrial chemical spill. The spill of an acrylate/methacrylate co-polymer in naphtha solvent occurred in July 2006. M. plumulosa were sampled temporally between December 2006 and November 2009 and spatially in November 2009. Genetic variation was examined at the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I locus. Notably, nucleotide diversity was low and Tajima’s D was significantly negative amongst amphipods collected immediately downstream from the spill for 10 months. We hypothesize that the spill had a significant localized effect on the genetic diversity of M. plumulosa. Alternate explanations include an alternate and unknown toxicant or a localized sampling bias. Future proposed studies will dissect these alternatives.     

Comparison of Spill Frequencies and Amounts at Vapor Recovery and Conventional Service Stations in California

Based on a survey conducted in 1989 and 1990 at 21 conventional nozzle and 33 vapor recovery nozzle equipped service stations in California, the California Air Resources Board staff conclude that conventional nozzles in California produce a greater number of quantifiable spills (≥1 ml) and a greater average volume per spill than do vapor recovery equipped nozzles. This conclusion is based on survey results showing conventional nozzles having spills 30.3 percent of the time at four fueling intervals vs 22.3 percent for vapor recovery nozzles, and having an average spill volume of 13.3 ml vs 10.6 ml for vapor recovery nozzles. However, if spillage noted from a conventional nozzle during a very large spill event is subtracted from the total quantified spill volume, the average volume per quantifiable spill for a conventional nozzle would drop to 11.0 ml. This value is very close to the 10.6 ml average volume per quantifiable spill with a vapor recovery nozzle. In addition, conventional nozzles in California produce about 14 percent more drop (<1 ml) spillage than do vapor recovery nozzles. Drop spillage has not been quantified as to the volume of gasoline it represents.     

Econometric modelling, estimation and policy analysis of oil spill processes

This paper explores approaches to model specification suitable for empirical investigation of a stochastic oil spill model. We focus on the effects of economic incentive measures on the frequency of oil spills, spill size, and volume of oil spilled. We look into the relationships between parameters that describe the spill generation process and the enforcement effort, using data for the Black and Baltic Seas.     

Role of back diffusion and biodegradation reactions in sustaining an MTBE/TBA plume in alluvial media

A methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) / tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) plume originating from a gasoline spill in late 1994 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) persisted for over 15 years within 200 feet of the original spill source. The plume persisted until 2010 despite excavation of the tanks and piping within months after the spill and excavations of additional contaminated sediments from the source area in 2007 and 2008. The probable history of MTBE concentrations along the plume centerline at its source was estimated using a wide variety of available information, including published details about the original spill, excavations and monitoring by VAFB consultants, and our own research data. Two-dimensional reactive transport simulations of MTBE along the plume centerline were conducted for a 20-year period following the spill. These analyses suggest that MTBE diffused from the thin anaerobic aquifer into the adjacent anaerobic silts and transformed to TBA in both aquifer and silt layers. The model reproduces the observation that after 2004 TBA was the dominant solute, diffusing back out of the silts into the aquifer and sustaining plume concentrations much longer than would have been the case in the absence of such diffusive exchange. Simulations also suggest that aerobic degradation of MTBE or TBA at the water table in the overlying silt layer significantly affected concentrations of MTBE and TBA by limiting the chemical mass available for back diffusion to the aquifer.     

Simulation of interactions between migrating whales and potential oil spills

A numerical model system was developed to quantify the probability of endangered bowhead and gray whales encountering spilled oil in Alaskan waters. Migration and diving-surfacing models for bowhead and gray whales, and an oil spill trajectory model comprise the system. The migration models were developed from conceptual considerations, then calibrated with and tested against observations. The distribution of whales is represented in space and time by discrete points, each of which may represent one or more whales. The movement of a whale point is governed by a random walk algorithm which stochastically follows a migratory pathway. Stochastic diving-surfacing models are used to stimulate surfacing behavior sequences for each species. The oil spill model accounts for oil transport and spreading in open water and in the presence of sea ice. Historical wind records and ice cover data sets provide the environmental conditions to generate stochastic oil spill scenarios. The oil spill, whale migration and diving-surfacing models are linked to provide quantitative estimates of whale-oil interactions. The model system was applied to the Alaskan Beaufort Sea to investigate the probability that bowhead whales would encounter oil spilled in this region.