Fracking and indoor radon: Spurious correlation or cause for concern?

Unconventional gas development (fracking) is controversial in large part because of environmental and health concerns. We consider the concern that fracking leads to more carcinogenic radon gas in nearby buildings. Our empirical approach estimates treatment effects where treatment is continuous (number of wells) and varies in intensity (distance to the wells) and in duration of exposure (the time since wells were drilled). The approach allows any potential effect of fracking to vary non-linearly with the distance between the well and test site and, holding distance constant, the time between drilling and testing. Our main model gives a precisely estimated zero effect of wells on radon concentrations in nearby buildings. It also reveals that energy firms drilled wells in places with higher pre-existing radon levels, which, if ignored, makes it appear that wells within 2 km increase indoor radon but wells 3 km away do not. This explains the finding of a prior study showing a link between drilling and indoor radon.     

Acute toxicity of the insect larvicide abate® (temephos) on the fish tilapia melanopleura and the dragonfly larvae neurocordelia virginiensis.

Abstract

Acute bioassay tests on the toxic effects of the insect larvicide Abate® (temephos) on the mouth brooder cichlid fish Tilapia melanopleum and the dragonfly larvae (Odonata) Neurocordulia virginiensis were conducted in static non renewal toxicity test set ups. The 96h‐LC50 (95% confidence intervals) was 30.2 (20.5‐ 44.20) mg/L for the fish and 2.0 (1.16–2.0) mg/L for the dragonfly larvae. The dragonfly larvae were 15 times more susceptible to the larvicide than the tilapia. The calculated NOEC (No Observable Effect Concentration) was 14.1 mg/L for the fishand less than 1.0 mg/L for the insect larvae. The estimated ‘safe’ concentration of the pesticide to the fish was 3.0 mg/L and 0.2 mg/L for insect larvae. These figures are far above the concentrations approved for use in the control of mosquito larvae(0.0004–0.01 mg/L). It appears that the application of toxic levels of the insecticide for the elimination of some aquatic invertebrates may be ‘safe’ for normal survival, growth and reproduction offish and some aquatic insect larvae.     

异丙甲草胺与锌共存对斜生栅藻毒性手性差异影响

为评价重金属与手性农药共存的生物选择性毒性,采用毒性试验标准方法研究了Rac-、S-异丙甲草胺单独及与锌共存对斜生栅藻的手性毒性差异.结果表明,Zn2+存在条件下Rac-、S-异丙甲草胺对斜生栅藻的生长趋势影响与除草剂单独作用时的趋势基本相同,Zn2+的存在降低了高浓度除草剂对斜生栅藻的生长抑制作用,处理初期(24 h)0.30 mg·L-1Rac-和S-异丙甲草胺单独对斜生栅藻生长的抑制率分别为49.61%和59.73%,与Zn2+联合作用其抑制率分别为38.41%和42.52%.Zn2+的存在增加了Rac-和S-异丙甲草胺对斜生栅藻的立体选择性毒性差异,使S-异丙甲草胺急性毒性增大的程度大于Rac-异丙甲草胺毒性的增加;与Zn2+的联合毒性作用类型表现为除草剂在低浓度下为部分相加作用,高浓度下为拮抗作用;除草剂单独及与Zn2+联合作用处理96 h后的斜生栅藻叶绿素含量变化与其生长趋势基本一致.     

DESALTING SALINE WATER FOR IRRIGATION A CASE STUDY,COACHELLA AREA,CALIFORNIA1

ABSTRACT .A case study was performed to evaluate potential applications of desalted saline water for agriculture using 2 distillation type processes and 2 membrane type processes. The investigation determined the costs and benefits associated with desalting saline water at concentrations of 1,500, 900, 400, 200, and 50 ppm. Benefits from desalting are generated by shifts to more profitable crops, reduced costs for drainage, and reduction in fertilizer and labor requirements with better quality water. Costs are based on the project features such as desalting plants, raw water diversion facilities, storage reservoirs, conveyance and distribution systems, brine disposal, blending facilities, and gypsum addition systems. Hydrologic studies determined the crop irrigation requirements, water demand schedules, desalted water storage requirements, brine disposal requirements, and size of facilities required. Reconnaissance design layouts were made for producing desalted water using a combination of 14 schemes. The study also included a review of irrigation practices. The benefit-cost ratios range from 0.4 to 1.0 for 1,500 ppm irrigation water to 0.8 to 1.0 for 50 and 200 ppm water. Investment costs per acre are high, ranging from $12,900 to $20,900. Irrigation benefits are based on the increase in production from a desert condition with no water supply to the irrigation conditions studied.     

根据片段常数法估算有机化合物对虹鳟的LC50值

根据258种有机物对虹鳟的96h半数致死浓度(LC₅₀)实测值建立了预测有机物对虹鳟LC₅₀的片段常数估算模型.讨论了模型的误差和稳健性.结果表明,有机物的片段常数及结构因子与虹鳟log1/LC₅₀之间具有很好的定量关系.可以根据化合物片段估算其对虹鳟的半数致死浓度.最终模型的可决系数为0.9495,平均误差0.42个对数单位.无论就单一化合物或化合物类别而言,模型均具有较高的稳健性.     

咪唑氯盐离子液体对蚯蚓急性毒性及体重影响研究

采用OECD标准滤纸接触法和人工土壤法,研究了3种离子液体1-丁基-3-甲基咪唑氯盐([Bmim]Cl)、1-己基-3-甲基咪唑氯盐([Hmim]Cl)、1-辛基-3-甲基咪唑氯盐([Omim]Cl)对赤子爱胜蚓(Eisenia fetida)的急性致死作用,并测定亚慢性暴露试验下蚯蚓的体重变化.滤纸接触法测得[Bmim]Cl、[Hmim]Cl、[Omim]Cl对蚯蚓24 h的半致死浓度(LC50)分别为109.60、50.38、7.94μg.cm-2;48 h的LC50分别为98.52、39.14、3.61μg.cm-2.人工土壤法得到[Bmim]Cl、[Hmim]Cl、[Omim]Cl对蚯蚓7 d的LC50分别为447.78、245.56、180.51 mg.kg-1,14 d的LC50分别288.42、179.75、150.35 mg.kg-1.蚯蚓在3种离子液体作用下表现出不同的中毒症状.3种离子液体对蚯蚓的生长表现出不同程度的抑制作用,体重随着浓度增加而下降.离子液体对蚯蚓毒性随着碳链长度的增加而增大.     

Sustainable development principles for the disposal of mining and mineral processing wastes

This paper examines the minerals industry's response to sustainable development in the area of waste disposal and argues that leadership and guidance are still needed to forge collective agreement on norms and standards of practise. To encourage further debate, the paper develops a set of sustainable development principles for the disposal of mining and mineral processing wastes, and discusses the implications for current and future practise. In practise, the principles can guide waste disposal decisions through the consideration of what risk and magnitude, in any given local context, a particular management solution poses to their application. The sustainability challenge in the management of tailings and waste rock is to dispose of material, such that it is inert or, if not, stable and contained, to minimise water and energy inputs and the surface footprint of wastes and to move toward finding alternate uses. Future trends in mining and processing may compound the challenges of waste management, as lower ore grades increase the ratio of waste produced for a given unit of resource, and emphasise the urgency and need for the industry to adopt new approaches. New technologies and innovations, such as thickened tailings, dry stacking and paste backfill, have greatly increased the waste disposal methods available to meet the future challenges to sustainable development.     

日本虎斑猛水蚤的重金属急性毒性及其作为标准测试生物的潜在意义

以静态实验法研究重金属Cu、Cd、Pb和Zn单独以及两两联合对日本虎斑猛水蚤(Tigriopus japonicus)的急性毒性效应,并分析其是否适宜作为我国海水重金属毒性测试的标准生物.结果显示,单独作用下,cu、Cd、Pb和Zn对受试生物的24 hLC50分别为0.26、0.14、0.40和0.65 mg·L-1,...     

Cu2+、Cd2+和Cr6+对斑马鱼联合毒性作用和生物预警的研究

为了研究重金属对水生生物的联合毒性作用,以斑马鱼为受试生物,采用半静态法,在研究Cu2、Cd2和Cr6+对斑马鱼单一毒性的基础上,以获得的Cu2+、Cd2+和Cr6+的96 h-LC50数据,利用等效应曲线法研究了Cu-Cd、Cu-Cr和Cd-Cr的联合毒性作用,并综合分析环境毒理学指标的测定结果,考察利用斑马鱼作为水...     

Classification of the Substances on the Basis of the Acute-Toxic-Class Method (ATC)

The acute-toxic-class method (ATC) is an alternative to the classical LD₅₀ test. Four substances were tested with an ATC testing procedure. The results were compared with LD₅₀ data obtained from the literature. Great importance was attached to the observations of toxic signs following administration. The results of this study have shown that the ATC method allows allocation to toxicity classes in the same manner as on the basis of the classical LD₅₀ tests. The ATC method uses fewer animals and yields the same information on toxic signs. Introducing the ATC method into the quality system allows estimating the acute oral toxicity of chemicals according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD; OECD, 1992, 1996).