Perception of earthquake risk in Agadir,Morocco: A case study from a Muslim community

Earthquakes are separated from other hazards in meaning, significance, and risk perception throughout the Islamic World due to their specific focus in their own chapter or surah “al-Zalzala” (99th) in the Qur'an. Unlike earthquakes that are discussed in terms or the Judgment Day or as divine punishment or retribution against the disbelieving or hypocritical—other natural hazards like floods, tornadoes, and landslides are rarely discussed. An extensive survey of earthquake survivors and longtime residents was undertaken to better understand the perceptions of seismic risk in Agadir, Morocco where two moderate earthquakes razed the city in 1960 leaving 15,000 dead and 25,000 injured. Most of the deaths were attributed to faulty construction (along with standards and enforcement), inaddition to poor evacuation plans.

During the summer of 2002, more than 250 earthquake survivors and residents were surveyed and interviewed for their knowledge and perception of the disaster forty years before. Surveys were conducted in Arabic, French and English and included questions and Likertscaled responses including extensive interviews in the hopes of obtaining ideas of their potential quake recurrence, seismology, current construction standard policies, and local and regional planning strategies. In addition, reviews the Qur'an, Hadith and classical and contemporary tafasir texts were used to investigate the guiding passages used in Islamic discussions of “al-Zalzala”.

It was found that younger persons (<25yo) were more likely to believed that brick, mortar and cement structures were always safer and stronger during and after a tremor, regardless as to whether they are iron-reinforced or sub-standard (and hazardous) stone or brick infilled. After the 1960 disaster, speedy recovery efforts often undermined concrete construction and reinforcement techniques since such ‘rebar’ was relatively unavailable. Even today, inferior and seismically unstable construction practices are widely used.

It was found that television-watchers considered themselves less knowledgeable about earthquakes, when in fact many aspects of the1960 event and earthquakes in general, were more widely understood by this group, supporting the notion that the medium of televisionis the most widely used, efficient, and fastest mass communication and education tool.

Less-educated respondents in general tended to attribute earthquakes to divine action and retribution. All questions, however, concerning the possibility of quake recurrence frequency or magnitude caused an overwhelming refusal to answer, or with the reply of ‘Allahu a'lam’ or “God is wisest”—implying or directly stating that any attempt at earthquake forecasting, quake-related construction, advanced architectural standards for seismic safety, and/or related education was ‘haram’ or prohibited by Islam.

Further discussions with participants in Agadir indicated that any guess, awareness or prediction was in fact, fortune-telling and therefore an act forbidden by the Qur'an and Hadith.

Finally, the less educated were more likely to say that Allah protected those who were devout and considered scientific assessment as futile, forecasting as forbidden, or new construction technologies as a waste since only the ‘kafir’ (non-Muslim) or ‘munafiq’ (hypocrite) were at risk to death or injury from an earthquake. These conclusions are important toward gaining an insight of perception and risky behavior in a questionably constructed city with now more than 600,000 people 40 years later, and in a region laced by active faulting.     

1株异养硝化-好氧反硝化细菌DK1的分离鉴定及其脱氮特性

从某反应器活性污泥中分离筛选出1株假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas sp.)细菌,命名为DK1,并对该菌进行脱氮特性研究.在以葡萄糖为碳源,C/N量比为5时,分别以NaNO_3和NaNO_2为氮源,二者的好氧反硝化速率为4.09 mg·(L·h)-1和4.43mg·(L·h)~(-1).以二者同时为氮源脱氮率为100%;此外,菌株DK1具有异养硝化性能,NH_4~+-N平均去除速率为2.32mg·(L·h)-1.缺氧时以NO_2~--N为氮源菌株DK1可将一系列梯度浓度NO_2~--N(约100~300 mg·L-1)在36 h内降为0.当NO_3~--N和NO_2~--N同时存在时,菌株DK1会优先利用NO_3~--N进行反硝化.同时该菌株还具有同步硝化反硝化(SND)性能,可同时去除NH_4~+-N、NO_2~--N或NH_4~+-N、NO_3~--N,30 h内脱氮率分别达95.06%和94.69%.相同时间内在NH_4~+-N、NO_2~--N和NO_3~--N三者均存在时,脱氮效果最佳,达100%.菌株DK1的高效SND及反硝化性能表明其在处理含氮废水方面有一定的潜力和应用价值.     

华北地区乡村站点(曲周)夏季PM2.5中二次无机组分的生成机制与来源解析

利用大气PM2.5水溶性组分及其气态前体物在线测量系统(GAC-IC)于2014年6月9日~7月11日对华北地区乡村站点曲周大气PM2.5中水溶性组分及其气态前体物进行了在线测量,分析了PM2.5中水溶性组分与气态前体物日变化规律及其相互作用,探讨了当地细颗粒物的气粒转化机制并分析了其来源.结果表明夏季曲周大气PM2.5中水溶性无机离子与相关气态前体物的浓度呈现明显的日变化规律.观测期间,PM2.5中SO2-4、NH+4和NO-3的平均浓度分别是26.28、18.08和16.36μg·m-3,是PM2.5中最主要的水溶性无机离子,约占PM2.5质量浓度的76.23%;气态前体物中,NH3浓度明显偏高、平均值为44.85μg·m-3,主要来源于当地的农业活动排放;硫氧化率(SOR)和氮氧化率(NOR)平均值分别是0.60和0.30,表现出明显的二次污染特征.经相关性分析发现:曲周大气PM2.5中NH+4与NO-3、SO2-4有良好的相关性,且表现为富氨状态,NH+4以(NH4)2SO4形式存在,NO-3的生成主要受HNO3的限制.对NH4NO3平衡进行研究发现:与夜间相反,白天曲周大气环境不利于NH4NO3生成和保持.结果也表明,二次转化是曲周夏季细颗粒物的主要来源,堆肥与农田释放的NH3是导致高浓度二次无机颗粒物(SNA)的重要因素.     

小城镇产业集群主要污染源筛查与影响分析

以郫县安德镇川菜产业园为研究对象,采用等标污染负荷法对污染影响进行了标准化评价。结果发现:川菜产业园主要的工业污染行业为豆制品加工行业,排污量为2 919.94 t/a,占总排污量的96.46%,等标污染负荷为9.83,占总污染负荷的92.83%,其中有6家企业为主要控制对象。对比分析发现,环境污染受企业规模、末端处理方式、废水排放量等多方面因素共同影响。所有污染因子中,BOD对环境的实质污染影响较大。该研究成果将为优化小城镇产业集群的规划、管理和污染物总量控制提供有价值的参考。     

哈尔滨市土壤表层重金属污染特征及来源辨析

鉴于确定土壤重金属来源是降低土壤重金属人为输入和控制土壤重金属面源污染扩散的必然要求,以哈尔滨市9个市辖区中4个主要老城区（道里区、道外区、南岗区、香坊区）为研究区,依据标准格网进行土壤样本采集（表层土壤样本307个,深层土壤样本77个）,分析土壤中w（As）、w（Hg）、w（Cd）、w（Cr）、w（Cu）、w（Ni）、w（Pb）、w（Zn）;并利用主成分分析法、地累积指数法和指示克里格插值法,分别对该区不同成土母质区域表层土壤重金属的污染特征和来源进行分析.结果表明:① 哈尔滨市四区表层土壤中As、Cr、Cu、Ni、Pb、Zn主要来源于成土母质,Hg和Cd受人类活动的影响显著.② 以各类成土母质中重金属含量平均值为评价依据,哈尔滨市表层土壤中Hg、Cd表现出较大范围的重金属污染,依据土壤样本所在格网覆盖范围,污染范围分别占研究区的60%、65%.③ Cu、Pb、Zn污染范围小且污染程度低.研究显示,人口集聚、工业发展、交通发达等因素已经造成研究区表层土壤中Hg、Cd、Cu、Pb、Zn不同程度、不同范围的污染,需要合理有效地处理生活垃圾、控制工业和交通排放,以缓解表层土壤重金属污染.      

生活垃圾焚烧废气中二噁英监测采样研究

对当前国内生活垃圾焚烧废气中二噁英监测相关标准和技术规范的解读和实践操作后,认识到生活垃圾焚烧废气中二噁英监测采样的现状及不足.针对不同类型烟道,不同采样时间和不同采样时间间隔分别进行了研究.实验结果表明,同一稳定气流的排放源中,水平烟道和垂直烟道测试二噁英毒性当量排放浓度水平相当;满足监测采样量要求下,不同采样时间和采样时间间隔对二噁英监测结果并无显著差异,对此给出几点相应采样建议.     

辽宁省近岸海域陆源水环境风险调查评估研究

以辽宁沿海地区陆域水环境风险调查为基础,借鉴了国际海事组织《73/78防污公约》和《IBC规则》等相关管理要求及技术规定,构建了风险识别及评估体系,并对辽宁近岸海域的水环境风险状况进行了调查评估.共识别出近岸海域水环境风险源128个,其中以大连地区近岸海域水环境风险源分布最为集中,风险行业主要集中在石化加工、化学原料制造,以及原油码头、储油罐区等行业企业.     

岩溶关键带微量元素运移的时空变化:以豫西鸡冠洞为例

为探索岩溶关键带元素运移时空变化特征及过程,自2009年10月至2015年5月对我国北方典型岩溶关键带——河南西部鸡冠洞相互作用带中各组分(大气降水、土壤、基岩、洞穴滴水、洞穴现代沉积物)进行了连续定点监测及取样分析,共获得650个实验数据.对比了Ca、Mg、Ba、Sr、δ~(13)C及元素比值在不同组分中的变化情况及运移规律.结果表明:(1)土壤与基岩是滴水的主要物质来源,Mg、Ba、Sr符合"土壤-基岩"二元物源模型,但各自所占比例并不相同.(2)在空间上,洞穴系统相互作用带中各元素迁移相互联系.滴水继承了土壤及基岩的信号,现代沉积物又能延续滴水各元素的信息.元素在土壤纵剖面中表现出了明显的淋溶和淀积作用,最下层土壤较好地继承了基岩中微量元素的信息.(3)在时间上,洞穴系统相互作用带中各元素迁移复杂多变.土壤及滴水受降水淋滤作用影响皆表现明显的季节差异,然在岩溶水运移路径、PCP作用、极端干旱和年降水雨型的影响下,滴水元素浓度旱、雨季差异明显较土壤小.而PCP作用及元素选择性淋滤等因素又改变了沉积物中元素对滴水元素的延续特性.     

北京市近郊区土壤砷累积特征

城市近郊区土地利用类型多元化,同时也承载着巨大环境压力,研究近郊区土壤污染特征对城市规划及发展有着重要意义.通过3 km×3 km网格布点,系统采样调查了北京市近郊区5～6环路之间167个样点的0～20 cm表层土壤样品中砷的含量,分析了城市近郊区土壤砷的累积特征.结果表明,北京市近郊区土壤砷含量为2.89～11.38 mg.kg-1,平均值为7.11mg.kg-1.平均值在90年代末的背景值调查数据的范围之内,但是各个分位数级别的值均小于80年代初的北京市土壤背景值调查数据.因子分析结果发现北京市近郊区土壤砷与来源于成土母质的Co、Mn和Ni元素一组.克里格插值得到的北京市近郊区土壤砷含量空间分布图表明,西北与东部及东南部分土壤砷含量较东北和西南部高,砷含量最高25%的土壤样点与点源污染有关,而砷含量最低25%的样点大多远离污染源.不同土地利用类型土壤砷的比较结果表明人类活动在一定程度上影响土壤中砷的累积,生活区与农田土壤砷含量相似且显著大于绿地和荒地.污染源对生活区和绿地与荒地土壤中砷的累积有显著影响,工厂区附近的土壤砷含量显著比远离工厂区和交通区的土壤高.因此,北京市近郊区土壤砷在整体空间分布上主要与成土母质有关,然而人类活动在一定程度上也显著增加了土壤砷的累积.     

系列混合碳源在EBPR系统颗粒化进程中的影响研究

在SBR反应器中接种富含聚磷菌的活性污泥,以一系列不同比例的丙酸与乙酸混合为碳源条件,进行了EBPR系统颗粒化培养,考察了混合碳源中丙酸所占质量分数(以COD质量浓度计)的提高对EBPR系统颗粒化进程中颗粒粒径生长、污泥沉降性能、系统除磷效率等宏观特性的影响规律.结果表明,EBPR系统污泥颗粒生长速率随碳源中丙酸所占质量分数的增加而提高;碳源中丙酸所占质量分数较高的反应器污泥SVI值相对较高.经90 d培养,碳源中丙酸所占质量分数分别为0%、25%、50%、75%及100%的系统中成熟颗粒体积平均粒径分别为550.64、599.41、642.38、680.99和745.08μm,污泥SVI值分别稳定在30、40、50、60及75 mL.g-1左右.在相同的磷处理负荷下,各试验系统除磷性能产生了显著性差异.0%、25%、50%、75%及100%丙酸碳源系统平均净除磷能力(以MLSS计)分别为0.78、2.29、2.96、3.23及3.77 mg.g-1,平均除磷效率分别为31.5%、56.5%、77.4%、85.9%及97.0%.