Stabilization and solidification of elemental mercury for safe disposal and/or long-term storage

A simple and highly effective stabilization/solidification (S/S) technology of elemental mercury using only sulfur with paraffin is introduced. First, elemental mercury is mixed with an excess of sulfur powder and heated to 60 degrees C for 30 min until elemental mercury is converted into mercuric sulfide (HgS black, metacinnabar) (Step 1). Then, metacinnabar with additional sulfur is poured into liquid paraffin (Step 2). Finally, the mixture is melted at 140 degrees C and settles to the bottom of the vessel where it cools and solidifies under the layer of liquid paraffin (Step 3). The proposed S/S method with sodium sulfide nonahydrate (Na2S x 9H2O) as an additive is also tested for comparison. The average toxicity characteristic leaching procedure test values are 6.72 microg/L (no additive) and 3.18 microg/L (with additive). Theses concentrations are well below the Universal Treatment Standard (25 microg/L). Effective diffusion coefficient evaluated from accelerated leach test and average headspace concentration of Hg vapor after 18 hr are 3.62 x 10(-15) cm2/sec, 0.55 mg/m3 (no additive) and 5.86 x 10(-13) cm2/sec, 0.25 mg/m3 (with additive).     

玉米芯吸附水中Cr(Ⅵ)的特性及SEM-EDS表征分析

Cr是人和动物所必需的微量元素,但工业废水中的高浓度的Cr会对人类健康和生态环境都会造成严重的危害。为探讨玉米芯对废水中Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附特性,以期为应用玉米芯处理含Cr废水提供理论依据,在本研究中设置了3项试验:不同p H条件下的吸附试验、等温吸附试验和热力学试验,并对吸附前后的玉米芯进行扫描与能谱分析,探究玉米芯作为吸附剂对水中Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附机理。结果表明:低p H有利于玉米芯对Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附,在p H为1.0左右时,玉米芯对Cr(Ⅵ)有最佳吸附效果,最高去除率可达94.35%,最大吸附量可达23.944 0 mg·g-1;玉米芯对Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附过程符合Langmuir、Freundlich和Dubinin-Radushkevich等温吸附模型,但以Freundlich模型的拟合效果为最优,1/n为0.887 5,表明玉米芯对Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附强度适中;D-R模型中E=3.152 8 k J·mol-1,表明该吸附主要为物理吸附过程;热力学参数ΔH为-0.272 8 k J·mol-1,ΔS为0.014 3 k J·mol-1·K-1,表示玉米芯对Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附是一个自发的放热过程,且升高温度有利于吸附过程的进行;通过扫描电镜可以看出玉米芯表面产生了较多空洞结构,可能是酸性吸附质溶液可以使纤维素水解,增大了玉米芯的比表面积,形成了更有利于吸附的条件;另外玉米芯质子化的静电作用以及含氧官能团对阳离子的亲和性分别对阴离子形式的Cr(Ⅵ)和被还原成阳离子的Cr(III)有吸附作用。这些原因促进了玉米芯对Cr的吸附。     

巯基化合物在万寿菊镉解毒中的作用

采用水培实验方法研究了万寿菊体内镉积累和解毒与巯基化合物含量的关系。万寿菊植株分别在镉浓度为0、0.1、0.5、2和8 mg/L的营养液中暴露7 d,测定了根、茎、叶中镉、非蛋白巯基(NPT)、半胱氨酸(Cys)、γ-谷氨酰半胱氨酸(γ-EC)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)和植物络合素(PCs)的含量。植物根、茎、叶中镉含量都随着镉暴露浓度的增加而增加。当溶液中镉浓度较低(0.1～2 mg/L)时,茎叶中NPT、PCs、Cys和γ-EC含量随着镉浓度增加而增大;当镉浓度较高(8 mg/L)时,茎叶中PCs含量迅速降低,GSH含量大幅度增高。在根部,这些巯基化合物的含量几乎不受镉处理影响,且含量较低。以上研究结果表明:PCs在万寿菊镉的解毒机制中发挥一定的作用,暴露于高浓度的镉,GSH比PCs起着更为重要的解毒作用。     

Trends and Relationships of O3, NOx and HC in the South Coast Air Basin of California

A basin-wide air quality trend analysis for the South Coast Air Basin of California is conducted for hydrocarbons (HC), NO_x, O₃ and CO using multi-station composite daily maximum-hour average ambient concentrations for the third quarter (July, August and September) from 1968 to 1985. Emissions and air quality trends are compared for the period 1968-1984. Ambient HC and NOX trends are somewhat different from estimated emission trends of HC and NO_x, while a definite, downward trend of ambient CO is consistent with vehicular emission control measures. Basin-wide ambient HC, NO_x and O₃ appear to show downward trends for the period 1970-1985, but because of high fluctuations it is difficult to delineate trends for shorter periods. The meteorology (850 mb temperature)-adjusted O₃ shows a more consistent downward trend than does unadjusted O₃. Polynomial and multiplicative regression models for basin-wide empirical O₃-HC-NO_x relationships Indicate that the O₃ variation is explained largely by the meteorological variable (850 mb temperature) although model estimations are improved by adding HC and NO_x concentration terms.     

Different mechanisms of extinction of conditioned taste aversion are dependent on time intervals of extinction following conditioning

After extinction, the reappearance of a conditioned response induced by an unconditioned stimulus which is weaker than that used during the conditioning training indicates that the extinction procedure does not eliminate the original conditioned memory. Recent studies on fear conditioning have shown that rats exhibited little or no recovery of conditioned responding if the time interval between fear acquisition and extinction was short, suggesting that the extinction process may erase the original conditioning trace in this situation. In the present study, a saving experiment was conducted in rats to investigate whether an aversive response could be recovered following extinction training with different time intervals after acquisition of conditioned taste aversion (CTA). Male Long–Evans rats developed CTA by associating a 0.2% sucrose solution with malaise induced by intraperitoneal injection of 4 ml/kg 0.15 M LiCl and were subjected to extinction training with an interval of 5 h (5H group) or 24 h (24H group) after acquisition of CTA. Rats in the 5H group, but not in the 24H group, exhibited no aversive responding to the sucrose solution followed by the injection of a lower dose of LiCl (1 ml/kg). These findings indicate that the extinction procedure administered at different time points following the acquisition of CTA affects recovery of extinguished aversive memory and suggest that an unlearning process may be involved in the mechanisms of CTA extinction with short intervals between acquisition and extinction.     

Comparison of nonlinear least squares and log transformation procedures for calculating volatilization coefficients

A nonlinear least squares procedure and a log transformation procedure for calculating first-order rate coefficients from experimental concentration-versus-time data were compared using laboratory measurements of the volatilization from water of 1,1,1-trichloroethane and 1,2-dichloroethane and the absorption of oxygen by water. Ratios of the nonlinear least squares to log transformation volatilization and absorption coefficients for 77 tests ranged from 0.955 to 1.08 and averaged 1.01. Comparison of the maximum, minimum, and mean root-mean-square errors of prediction for six sets of coefficients showed that the errors for the nonlinear least squares procedure were almost always smaller than the errors for the log transformation procedure.     

北京市大气PM2.5中矿物成分的污染特征

为了解北京市大气细粒子中矿物成分的浓度水平和污染特征,在清华园和车公庄进行了连续1a的PM_2.5累积周采样和全样品分析.Al、Si、Ca、Mg和Fe等地壳元素的周变化相似,最大周均浓度均出现在春季有强沙尘天气的一周;其季节变化显著,显示季节性的源排放以及气象条件对矿物成分的含量影响显著.土壤尘的季节平均浓度从夏季逐步上升,至次年春季达到最高(21.1 μg·m^-3),表明春季频繁发生的沙尘天气对土壤尘细粒子有重要贡献.大量的建筑活动可能大大增加了北京细粒子中Ca的负荷,应加强其排放控制.     

Mn-Ce复合氧化物微球的制备及其催化氧化甲苯性能

为了开发高效稳定、具有低温活性的降解VOCs催化材料,采用传统水热法制备了一系列不同锰铈比的催化剂(MnO_2、Mn_(0.95)Ce_(0.05)O_x、Mn_(0.90)Ce_(0.10)O_x、Mn_(0.80)Ce_(0.20)O_x及Mn_(0.60)Ce_(0.40)O_x),利用SEM、BET、XRD、H_2-TPR、O_2-TPD、拉曼光谱等技术对催化剂的物理化学性质进行了表征分析,同时考察了其对甲苯的催化氧化活性。结果表明:通过简单的水热合成法合成出的Mn-Ce复合氧化物均为微球,但Ce的加入使得微球催化剂表面的纳米针消失,变为光滑的微球体;而不同的催化剂在氧化甲苯时呈现不同的催化氧化性能,其中Mn_(0.80)Ce_(0.20)O_x具有最佳的甲苯氧化性能,这是由于其具有较强的氧化还原性能、较高的化学吸附氧含量及存在Mn-Ce固溶体。因此,通过控制催化剂中Ce含量,可调控催化剂的形貌和物理化学特性,从而使Mn-Ce复合氧化物在甲苯催化氧化中展现出优异的催化性能。研究结果为新型高效降解VOCs催化材料的设计和开发提供了新思路。     

基于AHP-联系熵的应急预案实施过程风险评估

应急预案制定后的实施对于事故发生后预案的顺利运行至关重要，因此，有必要对应急预案实施过程的风险水平进行度量。以应急预案实施过程作为研究对象，基于风险理论与AHP-联系熵耦合方法开展风险评估。以应急预案实施过程风险水平为目标层，应急预案的宣传教育和培训、应急资源的定期检查落实、应急演习训练、应急预案的实用性检验、应急预案电子化、事故回顾等过程要素作为策略层，实施方法科学高效、调动工作者积极的态度、领导的重视和能力、设备的完整性作为方案层，形成应急预案实施过程风险评估三级模型；运用联系熵表征风险标准与应急预案实施过程风险水平这2个集对之间的关联性，在AHP结构模型和权重分配的基础上计算加权熵并得到目标层的总联系熵，对比标准熵区间得到应急预案实施过程的整体风险等级。结果表明，采用AHP-联系熵度量方法提高了评价结果的结构性和准确性，比传统直接加权的方法更符合实际情况。     

Hg reactions in the presence of chlorine species: homogeneous gas phase and heterogeneous gas-solid phase

The kinetics of Hg chlorination (with HCl) was studied using a flow reactor system with an online Hg analyzer, and speciation sampling using a set of impingers. Kinetic parameters, such as reaction order (alpha), overall rate constant (k'), and activation energy (Ea), were estimated based on the simple overall reaction pathway. The reaction order with respect to C(Hg), k', and Ea were found to be 1.55, 5.07 x 10(-2) exp(-1939.68/T) [(microg/m3)(-055)(s)(-1)]. and 16.13 [kJ/ mol], respectively. The effect of chlorine species (HCl, CH2Cl2) on the in situ Hg capture method previously developed (28) was also investigated. The efficiency of capture of Hg by this in situ method was higher than 98% in the presence of chlorine species. Furthermore, under certain conditions, the presence of chlorine enhanced the removal of elemental Hg by additional gas-phase oxidation.