Systematic review on the implementation methodologies of inherent safety in chemical process

The accomplishments of inherent safety in the field of loss prevention thus far are impressive due to its scientific philosophy: reducing risks at source rather than adding engineered and procedural protections. Generally, the implementation of inherent safety can be done through a cohesive set of fourteen principles elucidated by Kletz and Amyotte. This work, guided by the fourteen principles, presents a systematic review on the implementation methodologies of inherent safety. Firstly, PRISMA procedure was adopted to select eligible literatures according to inclusive and exclusive criteria. After obtaining the selected literatures, the preference, level of application, and gaps in using these principles were critically analyzed. Of the fourteen principles, intensification, substitution, attenuation, simplification, limitation of effects, and avoidance of knock-on effects are preferable to implementing inherent safety in chemical process. Although the remaining principles are also potentially useful, they are not commonly used due to their costs and complexities of implementation. Overall, this work presents a complete spectrum to look across the implementation methodologies of inherent safety and concludes with some holistic and inclusive approaches as future research recommendations.     

对氯气校正法测定高氯废水化学需氧量的方法研究

氯气校正法(HJ/T70-2001)是测定高氯废水化学需氧量的国标方法,为了减少样品测定过程带来的环境污染,研究在不改变HJ/T70-2001氧化体系及测试条件的情况下,将取样体积由20 mL减半为10 mL,试剂的使用量相应减半,对方法的检出限、相对误差、相对标准偏差等指标进行验证。结果表明,该方法的检出限符合要求,准确度较高,精密度较好,可用于高氯废水化学需氧量的测定。     

Survey-based analysis of evacuation preparation behaviors in a chemical leakage accident: A case study

Public evacuation preparation exerts an important impact on overall evacuation efficiency during regional evacuations. Early warnings often delay the occurrence of chemical accidents. Studying the characteristics of public evacuation preparation in such accidents will help develop better evacuation strategies considering the actual public response. In this work, the characteristics and factors influencing public evacuation preparation behaviors were analyzed by examining an evacuation case in China. The results indicated that the probability distribution of public's evacuation preparation time during a regional evacuation conforms to a Weibull distribution regardless of whether or not evacuation warnings were received. An estimation model of the traffic flow loading rate in a regional evacuation was then proposed on the basis of this finding. The results of this research can provide a reliable reference for evacuation modeling or logistics optimization for future incidents.     

绿色化工环保技术与环境治理的关系

我国化工产业的不断发展,带动了我国经济的飞速发展,给人们的生活带来了许多便利条件,但是与此同时也对我国的环境造成了严重的破坏,化工生产用到许多化学材料,在生产过程中会产生大量的化学废弃物,对环境的污染造成很严重的影响。我国对化工生产给环境保护造成的影响高度重视,随着绿色化工环保技术的出现,有效解决了化工产业造成的环境污染问题,对我国的环境问题进行了有效的改善,对我国工业的发展具有重要意义。本文针对绿色化工环保技术进行分析,探讨绿色化工环保技术在环境治理中的有效应用。     

Heavy-metal fractionation and distribution in soil profiles short-term-irrigated with sewage wastewater

Six soil profiles irrigated and non-irrigated with sewage wastewater were investigated for soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), and CaCO₃. The distributions and chemical fractions of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb, and their lability were also studied. The results indicated that pH, EC, OM, and CaCO₃, as well as metal fractionation in soil profiles were affected by wastewater irrigation, especially in the surface layer. The surface layer (0-15 cm) irrigated with wastewater exhibited a 0.6 unit decrease in soil pH, a 40.6% decrease in CaCO₃, and a 200% increase in EC as compared with that of the non-irrigated soil. The soil OM increased from 0.04% to 0.35% in the surface layer. The irrigation of soil with wastewater resulted in transformation of metals from the carbonate fraction (CARB) towards the exchangeable (EXCH), Fe-Mn oxide (ERO), and organic (OM) fraction for Zn, towards the EXCH, the OM, and residual fraction for Cu, and towards the exchangeable (EXCH) fraction for Cd. It was concluded that the use of sewage wastewater led to salt accumulation and an increase in the readily labile fraction of Zn, Cu, and Cd in the surface layer. Therefore, this reason may limit the use of wastewater under arid and semi-arid conditions.     

Integrating phenological, chemical and biotic defences in ant-plant protection mutualisms: a case study of two myrmecophyte lineages

Summary. We examined the role of plant phenology in the evolution of anti-herbivore defence in symbiotic ant-plant protection mutualisms. Phenology of the host-plant affects traits of its herbivores, including size, growth rate, development time, and gregariousness. Traits of herbivores in turn determine what traits ants must have to protect their host. Diversity in plant phenological traits could thus help explain the great ecological diversity of coevolved ant-plant mutualisms. We explored the postulated causal chain linking phenology of the plant, herbivore adaptations to phenology, and ant adaptations for protection, by comparing two myrmecophytes presenting strong contrasts in phenology. In Leonardoxa africana, a slow-growing understory tree, growth at each twig terminal is intermittent, the rapid flushing of a single leaf-bearing internode being followed by a pause of several months. In contrast, axes of Barteria nigritana, a tree of open areas, grow continuously. Analysis of the phenology (kinetics of expansion) and chemistry of leaf development (contents of chlorophylls, lignin, and nitrogen during leaf growth) showed that these two species exhibit strongly contrasting strategies. Leonardoxa exhibited a delayed greening strategy, with rapid expansion of leaves during a short period, followed by synthesis of chlorophylls and lignins only after final leaf size has been reached. In contrast, leaves of Barteria expanded more slowly, with chlorophylls and lignin gradually synthesised throughout development. Differences in the phenology of leaf development are reflected in differences in the duration of larval development, and thereby in size, of the principal lepidopteran herbivores observed on these two plants. This difference may in turn have led to different requirements for effective defence by ants. The strategy of phenological defence may thus affect the evolution of biotic defence.     

Chemical ornaments of male lizards <Emphasis Type="Italic">Psammodromus algirus</Emphasis> may reveal their parasite load and health state to females

Evidence for parasite-mediated sexual selection has been found in many species that use visual ornaments to attract females. However, in many animals, variation in female responses to scents of parasitized males suggests that parasitic infections might also affect information conveyed by pheromones (i.e., chemical ornaments). Thus, pheromones might also function in parasite-mediated sexual selection. We show here that female lizards Psammodromus algirus responded differently to femoral gland secretions of males according to the parasite load and health of these males. Scents of healthier males elicited more tongue flicks (a chemosensory behavior) by females, suggesting that these scents were more attractive. Chemical analyses showed that parasite load and the T-cell-mediated immune response were related to the variability in the proportions of some lipids in secretions of males. Further trials testing the chemosensory responses of females to chemical standards indicated that females actually discriminated the chemicals related to males’ health from other chemicals found in secretions. We suggest that these chemical ornaments may provide reliable information on the health and degree of parasitic infection of a male.     

Chemical defense: incorporation of diet-derived pyrrolizidine alkaloid into the integumental scales of a moth (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Utetheisa ornatrix</Emphasis>)

Summary. Evidence is presented that pyrrolizidine alkaloid acquired by Utetheisa ornatrix (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae) as a larva from Crotalaria foodplants is incorporated in part into the scales of the adult. A single forewing of a male or female moth may contain in the order of 6 to 13 g monocrotaline in its scale cover or about 1 to 2% of the moths systemic monocrotaline content. Based on estimates of the number of scales per forewing, the monocrotaline content of individual scales is calculated to be in the order of 0.1 and 0.2 ng monocrotaline per male and female scale, respectively. This amounts to concentrations of about 1 and 3%, values roughly at a par with the average systemic concentration (0.5-0.6%) previously determined for monocrotaline in Utetheisa. It is argued that the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloid in the moths scale coating could account for the promptness with which adult Utetheisa are rejected by spiders. It is suggested further that chemical impregnation of scales with substances deterrent to predators may be more widespread among insects than generally assumed.     

Chemical camouflage by myrmecophilous beetles Zyras comes (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) and Diaritiger fossulatus (Coleoptera: Pselaphidae) to be integrated into the nest of Lasius fuliginosus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Summary. The myrmecophilous beetles, Zyras comes (Staphylinidae) and Diaritiger fossulatus (Pselaphidae) are guests of the black shining ant Lasius fuliginosus. Host worker ants never attacked these beetles, and often gave regurgitant to Z. comes following tactile communication with the beetle. By contrast, the workers from colonies without the myrmecophiles showed hostile responses towards Z. comes before tactile contact, but were not aware of D. fossulatus until contact. In L. fuliginosus, workers within a colony shared profiles, but the profiles differed among colonies. GC analyses showed that both Z. comes and D. fossulatus beetles had the same hydrocarbons as L. fuliginosus, and the profiles were more similar to those of the host colony workers than the foreign workers. Both Z. comes and D. fossulatus appear to imitate the hydrocarbon profile of their host workers, allowing integrating into the host nest. A Y-maze bioassay indicated that Z. comes can follow the trail pheromone of L. fuliginosus. This suggests that Z. comes may detect other chemical signals of L. fuliginosus to keep closer interactions with the workers. Received 22 June 2001; accepted 12 November 2001.     

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids on three trophic levels – evidence for toxic and deterrent effects on phytophages and predators

Summary. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) present a model system in the investigation of tritrophic interactions mediated by plant secondary compounds. However, their toxicity for insect herbivores has never been experimentally proven. Here, we demonstrate the toxic effects of a PA on growth and survival of the eri silk moth Philosamia ricini. In a feeding experiment, larvae of this generalist herbivore fed with an artificial PA diet gained weight significantly slower than control animals, and died as pupae. We suggest that derivatives of the ingested PA N-oxide damage developmental functions during metamorphosis. A tracer test with [¹⁴C]senecionine N-oxide revealed that the caterpillars lack adaptations that would prevent conversion of the chemical into the pro-toxic free base. In contrast, the PA adapted leaf beetle Longitarsus anchusae accumulates PAs as N-oxides. We tested the purpose of sequestration in this species as defence against predators. Through a series of prey choice experiments with three carabid predator species, chemically non-protected bark beetle pupae were chosen almost uniformly over L. anchusae pupae. In a following choice test with one of these predators, artificially PA-treated mealworm segments deterred the predator from feeding. Overall the study corroborates the immediate toxic effect of PAs on non-adapted herbivores and the protective effect that adapted insects may gain by sequestering them. It thereby underlines the potential for PAs to play a central role in multitrophic interactions between plants, phytophages and their predators.