Inexpensive substrate sampler for macroinvertebrates

Assessment of aquatic macroinvertebrates is a critical component of many watershed monitoring programs and passive samplers are often used to collect long-term site data, especially in environments where active sampling is not possible. However, standard passive samplers can be expensive and lost in extreme conditions. We developed a sampler using plastic soda bottles (PSB) filled with river rock and compared its effectiveness with standard Hester-Dendy samplers in both lotic and lentic environments. Abundance, taxa richness, and macroinvertebrate composition showed no significant differences between sampler types in either habitat type. PSB samplers, which can be constructed for less than one dollar each, collected the same number of organisms and represented the same diversity as Hester-Dendy devices that cost around $38 each. In studies where funds are limited, PSB samplers appear to be suitable for passive monitoring.     

Effects of site-selection bias on estimates of biodiversity change

Estimates of biodiversity change are essential for the management and conservation of ecosystems. Accurate estimates rely on selecting representative sites, but monitoring often focuses on sites of special interest. How such site-selection biases influence estimates of biodiversity change is largely unknown. Site-selection bias potentially occurs across four major sources of biodiversity data, decreasing in likelihood from citizen science, museums, national park monitoring, and academic research. We defined site-selection bias as a preference for sites that are either densely populated (i.e., abundance bias) or species rich (i.e., richness bias). We simulated biodiversity change in a virtual landscape and tracked the observed biodiversity at a sampled site. The site was selected either randomly or with a site-selection bias. We used a simple spatially resolved, individual-based model to predict the movement or dispersal of individuals in and out of the chosen sampling site. Site-selection bias exaggerated estimates of biodiversity loss in sites selected with a bias by on average 300–400% compared with randomly selected sites. Based on our simulations, site-selection bias resulted in positive trends being estimated as negative trends: richness increase was estimated as 0.1 in randomly selected sites, whereas sites selected with a bias showed a richness change of −0.1 to −0.2 on average. Thus, site-selection bias may falsely indicate decreases in biodiversity. We varied sampling design and characteristics of the species and found that site-selection biases were strongest in short time series, for small grains, organisms with low dispersal ability, large regional species pools, and strong spatial aggregation. Based on these findings, to minimize site-selection bias, we recommend use of systematic site-selection schemes; maximizing sampling area; calculating biodiversity measures cumulatively across plots; and use of biodiversity measures that are less sensitive to rare species, such as the effective number of species. Awareness of the potential impact of site-selection bias is needed for biodiversity monitoring, the design of new studies on biodiversity change, and the interpretation of existing data.     

Collecting representative dust samples: A comparison of various sampling methods in underground coal mines

Former methods used in the U.S. to assess hazardous and explosible coal dust date back to the 1950s. As mining technologies advanced, so too have the hazards. Given the results of the recent coal dust particle size survey and full-scale experimental mine explosion tests, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommended a new minimum standard, in the absence of background methane, of 80% total incombustible content (TIC) be required in the intake airways of bituminous coal mines, replacing the previous 65% TIC requirement. Most important to monitoring and maintaining the 80% TIC is the ability to effectively collect and analyze representative dust samples that would likely disperse and participate in dust explosion propagation. Research has shown that dust suspended on elevated surfaces is usually finer, more reactive, and more readily dispersible while floor deposits of dust are generally coarser and more difficult to disperse given the same blast of air. The roof, rib, and floor portions of the dust samples were collected and analyzed for incombustible content separately and the results were compared to a band sample of the roof, rib, and floor components. Results indicate that the roof and rib dust samples should be kept separate from floor dust samples and considered individually for analyses. The various experimental collection methods are detailed along with preferred sampling approaches that improve the detectability of potentially hazardous accumulations of explosible dust.     

室内空气和灰尘中全(多)氟烷基化合物的研究进展

全(多)氟烷基化合物(per(poly)fluoroalkyl substances,PFASs)在环境各个介质及人体样品中广泛被检出,近年,在室内空气和灰尘中也普遍发现PFASs.研究表明,室内空气中PFASs的含量普遍高于室外空气,室内空气和灰尘中的PFASs可能是室外空气的污染来源及人体暴露源,因此室内环境中PFASs成为环境领域的又一个研究热点.但目前为止,我国还没有开展室内空气中PFASs的相关研究,室内灰尘中PFASs的研究也相对较少.本文就室内空气和灰尘中PFASs的采样与分析方法、污染现状、来源分析及人体暴露等4个方面进行了综合阐述,以期为我国室内环境中PFASs的研究提供参考.     

基于相关性分析的PCBA热力学模型修正

目的精确且高效地对印制电路板组件热力学模型进行修正。方法采用基于拉丁超立方抽样试验设计和Speraman等级相关系数计算公式的相关性分析方法,找出电子产品热仿真试验中对元器件表面温度值影响较大的输入参数,然后进一步分析得出输入与输出之间的函数关系。在此基础上给出印制电路板组件(PCBA)热力学模型修正的一般方法流程。最后利用该方法对某航空电子产品中一块PCBA的热力学模型进行修正。结果修正结果较精确且只调用2次有限元软件。结论该热模型修正方法具有较高的精确性和高效性,可推广用于工程实践。     

民用燃料燃烧排放PM2.5和PM10中碳组分排放因子对比

在实验室中模拟民用燃料在家庭炉灶中的燃烧,应用稀释通道系统采集颗粒物,获得玉米秸秆、薪柴、蜂窝煤和块煤四种常用民用燃料燃烧排放PM10,PM2.5及载带碳组分的排放因子.结果表明,民用燃料燃烧排放的颗粒物以细颗粒为主, PM2.5占PM10的70%~90%.颗粒物排放因子最大的为块煤,其PM2.5和PM10的排放因子分别为9.837和11.929g/kg,分别是蜂窝煤的12.6和13.7倍;玉米秸秆和薪柴PM2.5和PM10的排放因子稍低于块煤,为7.359~10.444g/kg.4种燃料燃烧OC排放因子块煤最高,其在PM2.5和PM10中分别为5.29和5.19g/kg.薪柴燃烧EC的排放因子最高,其在PM2.5和PM10 中的排放因子分别为1.065和1.126g/kg.块煤两种粒径上EC的排放因子略低于薪柴.蜂窝煤EC的排放因子最低,比薪柴低300倍左右,玉米秸秆EC的排放因子也要比薪柴低10倍左右.碳组分是块煤,秸秆,薪柴排放颗粒物的主要成分,其含量在40%~60%之间,该值比蜂窝煤高3倍.四种燃料对应的OC/EC比值差异很大,薪柴和块煤燃烧排放颗粒该值为3~6,秸秆和蜂窝煤燃烧排放颗粒其值高达30~50.     

基于生活垃圾分类的厨余垃圾采样方法研究

与复杂的混合生活垃圾相比,厨余垃圾成分较单一,需要针对性的采样方法.本研究基于生活垃圾分类背景,在《生活垃圾采样和分析方法》(CJ/T 313—2009)的基础上,就采样位点和采样节点数对分类存放的厨余垃圾采样的影响展开研究.研究结果表明,仅采集垃圾桶中间位点的样品不具有代表性,不同情景应有不同的采样策略.当厨余垃圾流节点数少于2时需采集所有节点,当厨余垃圾流节点数为3~7时需采集2个节点,而当厨余垃圾节点数为8~18时需采集3个节点,均少于CJ/T 313—2009中要求的采样节点数.厨余垃圾的总量增大,则其最少采样节点数相应上升,但最少采样点受到厨余垃圾流节点数的制约.     

利用POCIS技术监测城市地表水中全氟化合物

采用一种针对水体中全氟化合物的改进的极性有机化合物整合采样技术(POCIS)进行了不同水流速度下污染物的吸附动力学,以及水流速度对全氟化合物在该采样器上采样速率的影响研究.结果表明,在不同水流速度下7种全氟化合物在放置时间10d内呈线性关系.POCIS对全氟化合物的采样速率随着水流速度(0.085~0.0018m/s)的降低而减小,但是对个别物质如全氟十一酸的采样速率无明显影响.将所建立的POCIS采样方法应用于南京市地表水中,并与常规的主动监测方法进行比较,发现利用POCIS采样技术推算出的污染物时间权重浓度和两次主动采样测定浓度基本一致.     

基于小波神经网络的地下水流数值模拟模型的替代模型研究

以吉林西部为研究区,建立地下水流数值模拟模型,分别应用蒙特卡罗方法和拉丁超立方方法在研究区10个县(市)开采量的可行范围内进行采样,经对比选择拉丁超立方抽样结果得到输入(开采量)—输出(水位降深)数据集,建立小波神经网络模型作为地下水流数值模拟模型的替代模型,而后对替代模型有效性作误差分析,并与多元非线性回归替代模型进行对比.结果显示,2种替代模型在功能上都能逼近地下水流数值模拟模型,但小波神经网络模型得到的水位降深均值和水位降深剩余标准差与模拟模型计算结果的相对误差分别低于多元非线性回归模型76%和45%,说明小波神经网络模型更适合作为地下水流数值模拟模型的替代模型,这为减少优化模型求解过程中直接调用模拟模型所造成的计算负荷提供了一种有效的替代方法.     

Driver Injury Risk Variability in Finite Element Reconstructions of Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) Frontal Motor Vehicle Crashes

Objective: A 3-phase real-world motor vehicle crash (MVC) reconstruction method was developed to analyze injury variability as a function of precrash occupant position for 2 full-frontal Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) cases.

Method: Phase I: A finite element (FE) simplified vehicle model (SVM) was developed and tuned to mimic the frontal crash characteristics of the CIREN case vehicle (Camry or Cobalt) using frontal New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) crash test data. Phase II: The Toyota HUman Model for Safety (THUMS) v4.01 was positioned in 120 precrash configurations per case within the SVM. Five occupant positioning variables were varied using a Latin hypercube design of experiments: seat track position, seat back angle, D-ring height, steering column angle, and steering column telescoping position. An additional baseline simulation was performed that aimed to match the precrash occupant position documented in CIREN for each case. Phase III: FE simulations were then performed using kinematic boundary conditions from each vehicle's event data recorder (EDR). HIC15, combined thoracic index (CTI), femur forces, and strain-based injury metrics in the lung and lumbar vertebrae were evaluated to predict injury.

Results: Tuning the SVM to specific vehicle models resulted in close matches between simulated and test injury metric data, allowing the tuned SVM to be used in each case reconstruction with EDR-derived boundary conditions. Simulations with the most rearward seats and reclined seat backs had the greatest HIC15, head injury risk, CTI, and chest injury risk. Calculated injury risks for the head, chest, and femur closely correlated to the CIREN occupant injury patterns. CTI in the Camry case yielded a 54% probability of Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 2+ chest injury in the baseline case simulation and ranged from 34 to 88% (mean = 61%) risk in the least and most dangerous occupant positions. The greater than 50% probability was consistent with the case occupant's AIS 2 hemomediastinum. Stress-based metrics were used to predict injury to the lower leg of the Camry case occupant. The regional-level injury metrics evaluated for the Cobalt case occupant indicated a low risk of injury; however, strain-based injury metrics better predicted pulmonary contusion. Approximately 49% of the Cobalt occupant's left lung was contused, though the baseline simulation predicted 40.5% of the lung to be injured.

Conclusions: A method to compute injury metrics and risks as functions of precrash occupant position was developed and applied to 2 CIREN MVC FE reconstructions. The reconstruction process allows for quantification of the sensitivity and uncertainty of the injury risk predictions based on occupant position to further understand important factors that lead to more severe MVC injuries.