Light-Duty Motor Vehicle Exhaust Particulate Matter Measurement in the Denver,Colorado, Area

ABSTRACT

A study of particulate matter (PM) emissions from in-use, light-duty vehicles was conducted during the summer of 1996 and the winter of 1997 in the Denver, CO, region. Vehicles were tested as received on chassis dynamometers on the Federal Test Procedure Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) and the IM240 driving schedule. Both PM10 and regulated emissions were measured for each phase of the UDDS. For the summer portion of the study, 92 gasoline vehicles, 10 diesel vehicles, and 9 gasoline vehicles with visible smoke emissions were tested once. For the winter, 56 gasoline vehicles, 12 diesel vehicles, and 15 gasoline vehicles with visible smoke were tested twice, once indoors at 60 °F and once outdoors at the prevailing temperature. Vehicle model year ranged from 1966 to 1996. Impactor particle size distributions were obtained on a subset of vehicles. Continuous estimates of the particle number emissions were obtained with an electrical aerosol analyzer. This data set is being provided to the Northern Front Range Air Quality Study program and to the State of Colorado and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use in updating emissions inventories.     

Building resilience and adaptation to manage Arctic change

Unprecedented global changes caused by human actions challenge society's ability to sustain the desirable features of our planet. This requires proactive management of change to foster both resilience (sustaining those attributes that are important to society in the face of change) and adaptation (developing new socioecological configurations that function effectively under new conditions). The Arctic may be one of the last remaining opportunities to plan for change in a spatially extensive region where many of the ancestral ecological and social processes and feedbacks are still intact. If the feasibility of this strategy can be demonstrated in the Arctic, our improved understanding of the dynamics of change can be applied to regions with greater human modification. Conditions may now be ideal to implement policies to manage Arctic change because recent studies provide the essential scientific understanding, appropriate international institutions are in place, and Arctic nations have the wealth to institute necessary changes, if they choose to do so.     

Maternal investment in mountain baboons and the hypothesis of reduced care

It has been argued that female mammals should terminate expensive forms of infant care earlier as habitat quality declines. More recently it has been shown that among a variety of mammalian species, early termination of care is also associated with highly favourable conditions. In this paper we present data on maternal investment decisions among baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus) inhabiting the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa, and compare these with data from East African baboon studies. Mothers in the mountain habitat face a set of environmental conditions where the problem of resource allocation to offspring is expected to be particularly acute. We begin by using the model of Altmann (1980) of maternal time budgets to demonstrate that mountain baboon mothers experience greater perturbations to their activity budgets while suckling than do mothers in other populations. They also provide consistently greater levels of care to their infants and do so in the absence of any form of overt conflict over access to the nipple. Although this investment results in a relative lengthening of the interbirth interval (IBI), it is accompanied by relatively higher infant survival. We argue that factors that influence the maternal strategy adopted by mountain baboons include slow infant growth rates and a lack of predation in the habitat which influences probability of offspring survival beyond the immediate postnatal period. We suggest that both “care-dependent” sources of mortality (e.g. female reproductive condition, the amount of milk transferred to offspring) as well as “care independent” sources of mortality (e.g. predation, infectious disease) should be considered in studies of parental investment. Received: 26 May 1997 / Accepted after revision: 9 August 1997     

Construction of platinum-tipped redox probes for determining soil redox potential

Redox probes are typically constructed by soldering Pt wire to a metal wire or rod, such as copper or brass. The junction between the Pt and wire or rod is often sealed with an epoxy resin and hardener or with heat-shrink tubing. Microcracks (small cracks invisible to the unaided eye) can form in the hardened resin and result in incorrect readings. The hardened resin is not easily removed, making repairs difficult. Heat-shrink tubing is thin, lacks rigidity, and can be damaged in the soil. The method described in this paper used a thick-walled, adhesive-lined terminal insulator to seal the junction. The terminal insulators were easily applied and removed, which made faulty probes easy to repair. Two-hundred forty probes were made with this method and eight were made with a marine epoxy resin. The probes were tested with a redox buffer solution (Light Solution) and were usable if they read +476 +/- 10 mV. The probes were installed 0.76 and 1.5 m deep in the soil. The ability of the probes to provide reliable redox readings was examined by testing selected probes after 10 mo of use and testing all of the probes after completion of the study (19 mo). Ten of the twelve probes tested after 10 mo worked satisfactorily, while the other two clearly malfunctioned before testing. After the study was completed, 236 of the 240 of the probes worked satisfactorily. These results indicate that the construction method presented produces reliable, long-lasting probes.     

Environmental implications of urbanization and lifestyle change in China: Ecological and Water Footprints

Since the open door policy in 1978 China has undergone enormous economic and social changes making China to be one of the largest economies and consumers of resources in the world. The pronounced differences in income and lifestyles especially between urban and rural China were also part of China's economic rebirth.This paper explores current trajectories and scenarios for urbanization and lifestyle changes and other important socio-economic trends in China. The implications of these changes are analysed for Beijing in particular and then compared to China for the year 2020. These changes by 2020 are modelled using input–output analysis in combination with the Ecological Footprint and Water Footprint.     

Reducing non-contact electric arc injuries: an investigation of behavioral and organizational issues

PROBLEM: It is estimated that 5 to 10 arc flash explosions occur in electric equipment every day in the United States. In the mining industry the largest single injury category of electrical injuries are caused by non-contact electrical arcs. METHOD: This investigation progressed in two phases: (a) 836 Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reports of electric arcing incidents that occurred over a period of 11 years were reviewed, and (b) personal interviews were conducted with 32 individuals. A theoretical Safe Job Performance Model guided the study. RESULTS: Behavioral dimensions were identified and included the effect of worker experience, judgment and decision-making ability, behavioral and organizational controls, and safety culture. SUMMARY: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted an investigation of behavioral components associated with arc flash incidents and developed recommendations for interventions based on findings. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: This study fills a vacuum in electrical training with a focus on the organizational and behavioral aspects of arc flash incidents. The research is cross-cutting in its scope, in that the results apply not only to mining and construction, but many other industries employing electricians. Although the majority of mine electrical injuries are the results of burns from electrical arcs, few miners are aware that such a hazard exists. A safety training program, which includes a video and an instructor's discussion guide, was developed for electricians based on this study's findings. "Arc Flash Awareness" was released in 2007 (DHHS NIOSH Publication No.2007-116D) and is available through 1-800 CDC INFO. Phone: 1-800 232-4636 or email cdcinfo@cdc.gov. It is also available from MSHA at MSHADistribution@dol.gov or 304-256-3257 (DVD-576). Private industry is producing Portuguese and Spanish language translations.