Workplace aerosol mass concentration measurement using optical particle counters

Direct-reading aerosol measurement usually uses the optical properties of airborne particles to detect and measure particle concentration. In the case of occupational hygiene, mass concentration measurement is often required. Two aerosol monitoring methods are based on the principle of light scattering: optical particle counting (OPC) and photometry. The former analyses the light scattered by a single particle, the latter by a cloud of particles. Both methods need calibration to transform the quantity of scattered light detected into particle concentration. Photometers are simpler to use and can be directly calibrated to measure mass concentration. However, their response varies not only with aerosol concentration but also with particle size distribution, which frequently contributes to biased measurement. Optical particle counters directly measure the particle number concentration and particle size that allows assessment of the particle mass provided the particles are spherical and of known density. An integrating algorithm is used to calculate the mass concentration of any conventional health-related aerosol fraction. The concentrations calculated thus have been compared with simultaneous measurements by conventional gravimetric sampling to check the possibility of field OPC calibration with real workplace aerosols with a view to further monitoring particle mass concentration. Aerosol concentrations were measured in the food industry using the OPC GRIMM? 1.108 and the CIP 10-Inhalable and CIP 10-Respirable (ARELCO?) aerosol samplers while meat sausages were being brushed and coated with calcium carbonate. Previously, the original OPC inlet had been adapted to sample inhalable aerosol. A mixed aerosol of calcium carbonate and fungi spores was present in the workplace. The OPC particle-size distribution and an estimated average particle density of both aerosol components were used to calculate the mass concentration. The inhalable and respirable aerosol fractions calculated from the OPC data are closely correlated with the results of the particle size-selective sampling using the CIP 10. Furthermore, the OPC data allow calculation of the thoracic fraction of workplace aerosol (not measured by sampling), which is interesting in the presence of allergenic particles like fungi spores. The results also show that the modified COP inlet adequately samples inhalable aerosol in the range of workplace particle-size distribution.     

Odor-annoyance estimates from roadtraffic combustion exhausts: Calibration with master scaling using pyridine as a reference

The present field study addressed the need for a procedure that provides a defined unit of measurement of perceived annoyance from environmental odors, calibrating the estimates for individual scaling behavior and context effects. In including 25 subjects, the purpose was to demonstrate the applicability of the master-scale procedure with magnitude estimation to perform such a calibration of odor-annoyance estimates for target stimuli such as road-traffic combustion exhausts (13 000 vehicles/d; averaging 47 μg/m³ over the day/night with peaks exceeding 100 μg/m³ of nitrogen dioxide; NO₂). For comparison, calibrated estimates were also obtained for a backyard expected to be considerably less polluted (comparable with 18 μg/m³ of NO₂) and for blank stimuli presented indoors. The data transformation for the calibration procedure with which annoyance is expressed in either master-scale units or pyridine equivalents requires estimates of a reference stimulus for which seven concentrations of pyridine were used. The results provide an illustration of master scaling of odor annoyance, and imply that use of a modulus (standard stimulus with a predefined annoyance magnitude), in contrast to master scaling, is not sufficient for calibration for individual scaling behavior and context effects.     

Rainforest composition and histories of human disturbance in Solomon Islands

On the basis of a Solomon Islands case study, we report that tropical rainforests hitherto perceived as untouched, pristine, virgin, etc., are actually sites of former settlement, extensive forest clearance, and irrigated/swidden agriculture. An unusually wide range of sources--rainforest ecology, forest classification and mapping, ethnobotany, land-use history, oral traditions, ethnographic and archaeological observations--supports our conclusions. These observations have bearings for contemporary perspectives on scenarios for rainforest regeneration after logging. They also force a revision of certain assumptions concerning Melanesian prehistory and historical demography, and indicate that interdisciplinary links between botany, archaeology and social anthropology are needed to achieve a better appreciation of rainforest dynamics.     

所罗门群岛的雨林组成与人类干扰的历史

通过对所罗门群岛的实例研究,我们发现迄今为止被认为是未经开发的、原始的、原生的热带雨林实际上是以前的定居点,而且存在着广泛的林木清除和灌溉/轮垦农业.多学科的观察,如雨林生态学、森林分类学和制图学、人类植物学、土地利用史、口头传说、人种学和考古学等方面都支持我们的结论.这些观察与有关伐木后雨林更新情况的现代观点有关系,也修正了某些关于美拉尼西亚史前史和历史的人口统计学假设,并意味着要较好地理解雨林动态,必须进行植物学、考古学和社会人类学等跨学科的联系.     

烟气CEMS比对监测及质量控制、数据审核要点解析

针对目前烟气CEMS在实际运行过程中遇到的问题,本文从比对监测、质量控制以及数据审核三个方面作了详细分析,通过验收比对监测、日常的监督比对监测、有效数据的审核、烟气CEMS的质量保证和质量控制措施,烟气CEMS产生的数据可作为各地环保管理部门环境监督管理的依据.     

Anaerobic co-digestion of aquatic flora and quinoa with manures from Bolivian Altiplano

Quinoa stalk (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) from agricultural crop residue, totora (Schoenoplectus tatora) and o-macrophytes (aquatic flora) from Lake Titicaca (on the Bolivian Altiplano) were studied in a wet anaerobic co-digestion process together with manure from llama, cow and sheep. Anaerobic semi-continuous experiments were performed in (10) 2-l reactors at a temperature of 25 degrees C with 30 days of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and an organic loading rate (OLR) of 1.8kgVSm(-3)d(-1). Totora was found to be the best co-substrate. In mixture ratios of 1:1 (VS basis), it increased the biogas productivity by 130% for llama manure, 60% for cow manure, and 40% for sheep manure. It was possible to use up to 58% (VS basis) of totora in the substrate. Higher concentrations (including pure totora) could not be digested, as that caused acidification problems similar to those caused by other lignocellulosic materials. When quinoa and o-macrophytes were used as co-substrates, the increase in biogas productivity was slightly less. However, these co-substrates did not cause any operational problems. An additional advantage of quinoa and o-macrophytes was that they could be used in any proportion (even in pure form) without causing any destabilization problems in the anaerobic digestion process.     

人工湿地处理城市污水启动期运行特性

选取4种植物(鸢尾、香蒲、麦冬和美人蕉)和3种基质(炉渣、沸石和砾石),通过植物和基质的不同组合构建了7组潜流型人工湿地,研究不同植物、相同基质及不同基质、相同植物条件下,湿地处理城市污水的启动期运行特性。结果表明,对COD去除率,砾石>炉渣>沸石,美人蕉>鸢尾>香蒲>麦冬;对TN去除率,沸石>砾石>炉渣,美人蕉>香蒲>麦冬>鸢尾;对NH4+-N去除率,沸石>砾石>炉渣,香蒲>美人蕉>麦冬>鸢尾;对TP去除率,炉渣>砾石>沸石,香蒲>美人蕉>鸢尾>麦冬。植物种植前,炉渣、沸石和砾石不同基质湿地的COD去除率没有明显差异;在TN和NH4+-N的去除上,沸石远优于炉渣和砾石。植物种植后,3种基质的TP去除率在10.75%左右。鸢尾、麦冬和美人蕉3种植物湿地的COD去除率随运行历程呈上升趋势,而香蒲由于生长状况不佳,去除率呈下降趋势。美人蕉湿地TN去除率较其它3种植物湿地高,各植物湿地NH4+-N去除率差异不显著。4种植物湿地TP去除率在9.24%左右。     

Nitrate leaching in important crops of the Valencian Community region (Spain)

Seedlings of the salt secreting mangrove Avicennia marina were exposed to fumes of the volatile fraction of light Arabian crude oil (VFCO) under controlled conditions. Rates of salt secretion were determined in leaves fumigated for 0, 3, and 6 h under four different salinity levels (10, 20, 30, and 40 ppt). Studying the effect of these fumigation periods on stomatal resistance and transpiration was restricted to one salinity level (20 ppt). Opposite to salinity, increasing the fumigation period significantly reduced both salt secretion and transpiration with a significant increase in the stomatal resistance to gas diffusion. During the first day of recovery from fumigation stress, different stomatal oscillation patterns were observed in the treated plants. The amplitude of the oscillations increased with the duration of fumigation. as did the time required for stomatal recovery. Seedlings fumigated for 3 h started to recover within 48 h, while full recovery in seedlings fumigated for 6 h required almost twice that period. The apparent recovery process was evident in the damping off of the amplitude of stomatal oscillations during the measurements period. Data presented herein show that the exposure of mangrove seedlings to VFCO disturbs the normal functions of two major structures in the leaves, i.e. the stomata and the salt glands. The ecophysiological significance of these results was discussed in relation to previous studies.     

近年我国家装材料变化对住宅火灾的影响研究

住宅火灾危险性和家装材料有着紧密联系。为研究近年我国家装材料变化对住宅火灾的影响,调研了近30年我国家装材料的变化趋势,分析了常见家装材料的火灾特性变化,并完成了对不同年代常见家装材料组合的火灾危险性综合评价,结果表明:随着近30年家装材料的变化,软体家具、木质家具、地板和壁纸的燃烧性能均有所改善,但软体家具产烟能力恶化;2000年~2010年合成材料的应用使得家装材料组合的综合火灾危险性有所提升,引起大型亡人火灾的可能性更大;2010年后阻燃材料的普及使得家装材料组合的综合火灾危险性有所降低,对消防安全的作用已经凸显,但同时我国住宅火灾中“小火亡人”事故可能更为频发,未来研究应该更加关注于降低阻燃材料的烟气危害性。