A study of the precursors leading to ‘organisational’ accidents in complex industrial settings

This study aggregates the narrative findings from the investigation of 12 accidents or ‘near hits’ across a wide range of industrial settings to build a catalogue of organisational and cultural precursors to accidents. It was found that many were important factors in multiple events. It is argued that by addressing these potential vulnerabilities using the findings and proposed tools based upon them, organisations undertaking safety related activities will not only develop greater awareness of these deeper-lying issues but should be able to better control the risks associated with them.The precursors have been classified under eight headings and examples of key findings from three of these are presented. Statements providing potential defences against the identified vulnerabilities have been developed which should enable organisations to scrutinise the adequacy of existing expectations or requirements within their business. Probing questions have been developed based on the statements which should allow an assessment to be made as to whether these have been ‘embedded’ in the organisation.It is argued that organisational vulnerability tools should be developed to enable a systematic approach to ‘diagnosing’ incubating precursors. It is also argued that there is the potential for further resilience to be achieved through the use of models of the complex dynamics of socio-technical processes within organisations.     

Capability of cation exchange technology to remove proven N-nitrosodimethylamine precursors

N-nitrosodimethylamine(NDMA) precursors consist of a positively charged dimethylamine group and a non-polar moiety, which inspired us to develop a targeted cation exchange technology to remove NDMA precursors. In this study, we tested the removal of two representative NDMA precursors, dimethylamine(DMA) and ranitidine(RNTD), by strong acidic cation exchange resin. The results showed that pH greatly affected the exchange efficiency, with high removal(DMA 78% and RNTD 94%) observed at pH pk_a-1 when the molar ratio of exchange capacity to precursor was 4. The exchange order was obtained as follows: Ca~(2+) Mg~(2+) RNTD~+ K~+ DMA~+ NH_4~+ Na~+. The partition coefficient of DMA~+to Na~+was 1.41 ± 0.26, while that of RNTD~+to Na~+was 12.1 ± 1.9. The pseudo second-order equation fitted the cation exchange kinetics well. Bivalent inorganic cations such as Ca~(2+)were found to have a notable effect on NA precursor removal in softening column test. Besides DMA and RNTD, cation exchange process also worked well for removing other 7 model NDMA precursors. Overall, NDMA precursor removal can be an added benefit of making use of cation exchange water softening processes.     

上海市夏季臭氧污染特征及削峰方案

随着大气污染治理措施的不断推进,近年来上海市PM_2.5浓度呈现明显的下降趋势,但O₃污染现象依然频发,因此分析O₃污染发生规律,科学制定O₃削峰方案是目前亟需解决的问题.本研究以2017年7月为例,期间长三角17个城市累计O₃污染天数165 d,其中上海最为严重,7月超标率为64.5%,分析前体物浓度和气象要素,主要是由于高温、低湿、小风不利气象条件和较高的前体物排放共同导致,期间上海市NO₂平均浓度为27.1 μg·m^-3,VOCs体积分数为22.5×10^-9.通过WRF-CMAQ情景模拟,仅上海进行前体物削减,对区域性O₃污染控制较为有限,建议多城市共同削减,上海及邻近周边9城市削减VOCs排放30%,上海O₃日最大8 h浓度可下降7.2%,如果扩大到17个城市削减,上海O₃日最大8 h浓度降幅为7.8%.同时建议严格控制前体物削减比例,VOCs ：NO_x削减比例应大于3 ：1,否则会导致部分地区O₃浓度反弹.     

铜前驱体对Cu/SSZ-13催化剂选择性催化氧化NH3性能的影响

采用浸渍法制备了一系列Cu/SSZ-13(X)催化剂,考察不同铜前驱体对催化剂选择性催化氧化氨(NH_3-SCO)性能的影响,并通过ICP、N_2吸附-脱附、XRD、XPS、EPR、UV-Vis、NH_3-TPD和H_2-TPR等手段对催化剂进行物化性质表征.活性测试结果表明,不同铜前驱体制备的Cu/SSZ-13催化剂活性顺序为Cu/SSZ-13(N) Cu/SSZ-13(AC) Cu/SSZ-13(Cl) Cu/SSZ-13(O).其中Cu/SSZ-13(N)具有最佳的低温活性,在200℃反应温度下NH_3转化率达85.5%,且N_2选择性达到80%以上.XRD、EPR和UV-Vis分析表明,CuO和孤立Cu~(2+)是Cu/SSZ-13催化剂的主要铜物种.NH_3-TPD分析表明,以硝酸铜为前驱体制备的Cu/SSZ-13(N)具有更多的酸性位点,有利于提高催化剂的NH_3吸附能力.H_2-TPR结果表明,Cu/SSZ-13(N)的氧化还原性最强,具有最优异的NH_3活化能力,从而使催化剂呈现最好的低温NH_3-SCO活性.     

2015~2020年海南省臭氧时空变化及其成因分析

基于2015～2020年海南省32个大气环境监测站监测数据,以及同期的常规气象观测资料,采用经验正交函数分解方法（EOF）、气候倾向率和趋势系数分析等方法,探讨了海南省O₃-8h（最大8 h平均）时空分布特征,及其与前体物和气象因子的关系.结果表明,海南省ρ（O₃-8h）呈北部和西部偏高,中部、东部和南部偏低的分布特征,最高值出现在东方市(91.5μg·m^-3). 2015～2020年共有12个市县ρ（O₃-8h）呈下降趋势,其中有6个市县达到了95%的信度检验.ρ（O₃-8h）季节变化特征明显,秋季最高,春季和冬季次之,夏季最低.秋季ρ（O₃-8h）表现为上升趋势,而其余三季为下降趋势. EOF分解的前两个特征向量场的累积方差为72.58%,能够较好地描述ρ（O₃-8h）的主要分布特征.第一模态体现了ρ（O₃-8h）变化的一致性,第二模态体现了地区性差异.ρ（O₃-8h）的变化与前体物和气...     

成都夏冬季PM2.5中水溶性无机离子污染特征

利用大气细颗粒物水溶性组分及气态前体物在线监测设备(GAC-IC)对成都市2017年夏、冬两季大气PM_(2.5)中水溶性无机离子(WSIIs)及气态前体物进行了连续观测,对其污染特征及冬季一次典型污染过程进行了深入分析.结果表明,成都冬季PM_(2.5)质量浓度为100.2μg·m~(-3),显著高于夏季(34.0μg·m~(-3)).WSIIs是PM_(2.5)的重要组成,对夏、冬季PM_(2.5)的贡献分别可达52.9%和53.3%.夏、冬季的二次离子(SNA)占WSIIs的比例分别为73.2%和87.6%,其中,SO_4~(2-)和NO~-_3分别是夏、冬季SNA的主导组分,对SNA的贡献分别为37.7%和59.7%.冬季NO~-_3/SO_4~(2-)比值(2.7)显著高于夏季(0.8),体现了移动源(尤其是机动车源)对该季节PM_(2.5)的重要贡献.受来源及气象条件差异的影响,两季节SNA的日变化规律明显.在冬季,随着污染加重,各化学组分及主要气态前体物浓度均显著增加,NO~-_3是引发重污染的关键组分.后向轨迹分析表明,成都两季节气团来向差异明显,夏、冬季聚类对应的WSIIs分别以SO_4~(2-)和NO~-_3为主导,成都周边地区的近距离低空传输对该城市PM_(2.5)污染贡献重大.     

Influence of Relative Humidity and Ozone on the Sampling of Volatile Organic Compounds on Carbotrap/Carbosieve Adsorbents

By using a dynamic dilution system, the atmospheric measurement of 11 selected toxics VOCs (ethylene, acetylene, propene, 1-butene, 1,3-butadiene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m+p-xylene) from the list WHO of 1996 and TO-14 method of US EPA by preconcentration by thermal desorption (TD), analysis by gas chromatography (GC), identification and quantification with a flame ionisation detector (FID) was developed and validated in term of metrology, especially the techniques of sampling of these VOCs with adsorbents cartridges "Air Toxics" when used with an "UMEG sampler" equipped in the inlet with a nafion membrane. In particular the influence of climatic conditions (temperature and relative humidity) and the influence of chemical factors like ozone, on the representativity of sampling were studied. Experiments made with various humidities showed that the addition of a nafion membrane in the inlet of the sampling system was required. Without this membrane, losses of compounds were observed for RH >50%. With this membrane, storage for 2 weeks in a refrigerator, as for canisters, did not induce a loss of compounds. No significative decrease of concentrations of the studied VOCs after 14 days storage, which are known to react with ozone, were observed with an ozone concentrations of 55 ppb. One explanation is that nafion membrane, placed in the inlet of the sampler, will neutralize ozone before entering the sampling tubes. This observation is in accordance with literature which states that the sampling of VOCs on Carbotrap cartridges without ozone scrubber induce a loss of compounds.     

Wet weather impact on trihalomethane formation potential in tributaries to drinking water reservoirs

During rain storm events, land surface runoff and resuspension of bottom sediments cause an increase in Trihalomethane (THM) precursors in rivers. These precursors, when chlorinated at water treatment facilities will lead to the formation of THMs and hence impact drinking water resources. In order to evaluate the wet weather impact on the potential formation of THMs, river samples were collected before, during and after three rain storms ranging from 15.2 to 24.9 mm precipitation. The samples were tested for THM formation potential and other indicators including UV254 absorbance, turbidity and volatile suspended solid (VSS). Average levels of THMs increased from 61 μg/l during dry weather to 131 μg/l during wet weather, and then went back to 81 μg/l after rain ended. Wet weather values of THM are well above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) 80 μg/l, set by EPA for drinking water. THM indicators also exhibited similar trends. Average levels increased from 0.6 to 1.8 abs; 2.6 to 6 ntu; and 7.5 to 15 mg/l respectively for UV254, turbidity and VSS. A positive correlation was observed between THM formation and THM indicators. The t-test of significance (p-value) was less than 0.05 for all indicators, and R values ranged from 0.85 to 0.92 between THMs and the indicators, and 0.72 to 0.9 among indicators themselves.     

佳木斯台形变观测对东北地区几次浅震“场兆”异常的探讨

大地震在主破裂前往往行成地壳变形,高应力作用下进入峰值后的变形阶段,反映到地倾斜观测日均值曲线上,表现为固体潮形变趋势异常,这些异常能否指示远距离的地震,近年来不少研究者发现,远场前兆往往出现在对应力、应变变化反应灵敏的特殊构造部位。佳木斯台可能处于这种特殊的构造部位,对东北地区浅源地震短期前兆异常“场兆”的趋势性变化具有一定的意义。     

腐殖质对二氧化锰引起的五氯酚转化反应的影响

研究了在二氧化锰催化引起的五氯酚的转化反应中,腐殖质前身化合物的加入对五氯酚去除率的影响,并以p-coumaricacid为代表研究了体系pH值、反应时间、二氧化锰的质量浓度以及腐殖质前生物的浓度和分子结构对去除率的影响。结果表明,反应的最佳pH值范围是4～4.70,去除率在80%左右。五氯酚在24h内去除速率较快,去除率达到75%左右;反应到168h,去除速率趋于0,去除率达到80%左右。相同条件下,无p-coumaricacid的对照体系中,对应的反应时间内去除率仅分别为20%和25%左右。五氯酚的去除率还随二氧化锰质量浓度和p-coumaricacid浓度的增加而增大。当二氧化锰的质量浓度由0增加到100g·L-1时,去除率由0增大为95%;而当p-coumaricacid的浓度由0增加到1mmol·L-1时,去除率由25%增大到100%左右。此外,不同腐殖质前身物的分子结构和浓度对去除率分别起到了提高、不明显改变和降低的作用。