Analytic hierarchy process helps select site for limestone quarry expansion in Barbados

Site selection is a key activity for quarry expansion to support cement production, and is governed by factors such as resource availability, logistics, costs, and socio-economic-environmental factors. Adequate consideration of all the factors facilitates both industrial productivity and sustainable economic growth. This study illustrates the site selection process that was undertaken for the expansion of limestone quarry operations to support cement production in Barbados. First, alternate sites with adequate resources to support a 25-year development horizon were identified. Second, technical and socio-economic-environmental factors were then identified. Third, a database was developed for each site with respect to each factor. Fourth, a hierarchical model in analytic hierarchy process (AHP) framework was then developed. Fifth, the relative ranking of the alternate sites was then derived through pair wise comparison in all the levels and through subsequent synthesizing of the results across the hierarchy through computer software (Expert Choice). The study reveals that an integrated framework using the AHP can help select a site for the quarry expansion project in Barbados.     

The use of terrestrial ecoregions as a regional-scale screen for selecting representative reference sites for water quality monitoring

A process has been developed to select watersheds that are representative of terrestrial ecoregions and that are relatively undisturbed by human activity. Using an existing land classification system at two hierarchical levels of resolution, representative subsets (ecodistricts) of large-scale ecoregions were selected, on the basis of their physiographic, biological, and climatological attributes, to represent the ecoregions. This was achieved using a frequency distribution analysis of existing attribute data and choosing the ecodistrict most closely resembling the most common set of conditions for that ecoregion. Within each ecodistrict, river basins were selected through a best-judgement evaluation of land use, coupled with an assessment of the size and location of each river basin, in order to meet the condition of minimal human impact. Preliminary assessment of water quality data collected from six watersheds selected in this way suggests that the process is effective in targeting regional scale river basins exhibiting the desired characteristics.     

三峡库区场地建筑安全评价研究

三峡水库自 2 0 0 3年蓄水后 ,水对斜坡 (滑坡 )的软化作用和库岸再造大大改变了库区的工程地质条件 ,库区的地质灾害严重制约了库区移民迁镇工程 ,场地建筑安全评价显得尤为重要。笔者根据库区工程地质的特点 ,提出了场地建筑适宜性评价的指标体系 ,建立了场地建筑安全评价人工神经网络模型。通过对红石包滑坡进行各种工况下的稳定性评价 ,利用稳态坡形、坡角工程地质类比法对红石包进行库岸再造的预测 ,对三峡库区巴东县新城区红石包油库建筑进行安全评价。为库区移民迁镇工作提供科学依据。     

Case studies of occupational falls from heights: cognition and behavior in context

PROBLEM: The aim of this study was to examine individual workers' cognitive, behavioral, and motivational processes leading up to occupational falls from heights. METHOD: The study is based on 26 semistructured personal interviews and on-site investigations with male workers who reported to an emergency department for treatment of injuries due to falls from heights. RESULTS: A greater number of workers carrying out nonroutine compared to routine tasks perceived, identified, interpreted, and attempted to control a fall hazard. Two cases are presented illustrating how cognition and behavior in context progresses from a lesser to a greater active role in the incident processes. SUMMARY AND IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The addition of full-scale investigations of how and why workers thought and behaved the way they did in a particular situation can give important clues as to whether preventive measures will be effective in a similar situation in the future.     

Development of synthetic criteria for the ecological evaluation of woodlots and woodlot units

Different criteria have been proposed for the rapid ecological evaluation of wooded areas. It is difficult, however, to determine the criteria most likely to yield results similar to those that would be obtained through detailed surveys and exhaustive evaluation. In order to identify such synthetic criteria, data from a detailed evaluation of Montreal Urban Community woodlots were studied with the help of multivariate analysis. This detailed evaluation was undertaken at two levels—woodlot unit and the woodlots themselves—using 16 different criteria.At the woodlot unit level, area and abundance indices of shade intolerant species in the tree layer could be used as synthetic criteria, while at the woodlot level the ecological value of the constituent units stand out as the first synthetic criterion. These results are compared with criteria proposed in the literature, and the use of multivariate analysis in ecological evaluation is briefly discussed.     

长江口北支湿地资源和环境现状调查

调查了长江口支湿地环境现状，分析了评价长江口北支湿地的环境质量。指出，长江口北支湿地有着得天独厚的地理位置和自然条件，是世界范围内极具代表性十分重要的湿地，拥有丰富的水资源，动植物资源，滩涂资源等。近年来，由于长江上游河水质量下降，启东和海门经内河流向长江的城市生活污水，启东沿江建设的工业带，对北支口湿地环境质量产生了较大的影响。调查结果表明，长江口北支口水域主要污染物为COD，氨氮等，其污染程度呈现出以下规律：平水期（污染）＞丰水期（污染）＞枯水期（污染）。长江口北支区域陆地土壤中主要污染物为重金属元素镉，铅，锌以及滴滴涕，其中镉与滴滴涕达《土壤环境质量标准》（GB15618－1995）中三级标准，其他指标达一级标准。     

仪化废水中乙醛污染的调查

通过对中国石化仪征化纤股份有限公司（以下简称仪化公司）排放废水中乙醛污染的调查，表明仪化公司排放的含乙醛废水主要产生于聚酯生产过程中的工艺废水，喷淋废水，冲洗地面和其他跑、冒、滴、漏的废水（“清下水”）。1996年－2000年污水处理场日排放含乙醛废水约5.66万t，日排放含乙醛的“清下水”约3万t。排放的乙醛在长江仪征段未检出，在沿山河和胥浦河水中有不同程度的检出和超标，超标率分别为50％和9.1%，最大超标倍数分别为8.88倍和0.14倍。对长江仪征段乙醛污染的影响预测结果为：污水处理场在非正常处理情况下（即直排），其排放的废水将在排污口周围形成长1250m，宽200m的污染带，污染面积为25万m^2。     

航空工业工艺废气污染调查及评价

通过对航空工业４４个具有代表性的企事业单位工艺废气的重点调查、分析和评价，找出目前我国航空工业工艺废气中主要污染物及主要污染大户，为我国航空工业的污染防治指明了方向     

垃圾压缩站压缩污水污染防治对策

调查分析了广州市垃圾压缩站所产生的压缩污水的水质特征，预测了随着垃圾压缩站的普及产生的压缩污水总量以及所带来的水环境污染问题，提出了污染防治对策。     

A contaminated site investigation: comparison of information gained from geophysical measurements and hydrogeological modeling

The investigation of contaminated sites is usually a long and expensive process. It is therefore desirable to use a combination of methodologies in an integrative approach that can reduce redundant information gathering. The objective of this study was to examine the usefulness of 2 non-intrusive exploration techniques in a contaminated site investigation. Borehole positioning based on geophysical measurements was compared to positioning based on the Bayesian expert system for flow-field modeling. The goal set at the field site was the assessment of the type and load of contaminants transported from the landfill site to the adjacent aquifer and the extent of leachate plumes within the groundwater. The two methods made different demands on information gathering and were found to be complementary. The geophysical approach focused attention on the waste compartments at the site and on mixing plumes in the adjacent aquifer but could not, without prior information, provided information on the flow field. The Bayesian approach to flow-field modeling determined areas of greatest model uncertainty at the model boundaries. The model highlighted areas of greatest uncertainty that might otherwise have been overlooked and provided information on the most likely mean direction of the leachate plumes. It was concluded that both methods contribute to a site investigation and should be used before additional drilling is carried out.