A Case History of the Science and Management Collaboration in Understanding Hypoxia Events in Long Bay, South Carolina, USA

Communication of knowledge between the scientific and management communities is a difficult process complicated by the distinctive nature of professional career goals of scientists and decision-makers. This article provides a case history highlighting a collaboration between the science and management communities that resulted from a response to a 2004 hypoxia, or low dissolved oxygen, event in Long Bay, off Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A working group of scientists and decision-makers was established at the time of the event and has continued to interact to develop a firm understanding of the drivers responsible for hypoxia formation in Long Bay. Several factors were found to be important to ensure that these collaborative efforts were productive: (1) genuine interest in collaboratively working across disciplines to examine a problem; (2) commitment by agency leadership, decision-makers, and researchers to create successful communication mechanisms; (3) respect for each others’ perspectives and an understanding how science and management are performed and that they are not mutually exclusive; (4) networking among researchers and decision-makers to ensure appropriate team members are involved in the process; (5) use of decision-maker input in the formulation of research and monitoring projects; and (6) commitment of resources for facilitation to ensure that researchers and decision-makers are communicating effectively.     

大型自然通风冷却塔环境影响的预测分析研究

大多数内陆核电厂将采用大型自然通风冷却塔作为其二次循环冷却方式,本文基于美国核管会推荐的SACTI程序,给出了该模型的基本原理和框架结构,并以江西彭泽核电厂为例,采用该程序预测分析了该核电厂大型自然通风冷却塔所造成的雾羽和太阳辐射损失的影响。并进一步研究了不同环境风速、相对湿度条件下对冷却塔造成的太阳辐射损失的影响。SACTI模型可以根据厂址逐时气象观测数据,较好地计算可见雾羽的长度、抬升高度和太阳辐射损失,其结果可以作为冷却塔环境影响评价的依据。     

河流型铊污染的应急监测

以某河流发生的铊浓度异常事件为例,详细阐述了该事件从发现到完成应急监测的全过程。本次铊污染被发现是分析技术发展的结果。通过应急监测,锁定了环境污染范围,并确定了排放铊的主要污染企业。根据应急监测结果,铅锌冶炼、钢铁等行业是减排铊的责任主体。论文还对如何优化环境监测资源的利用进行了讨论。     

The risks of radiation

Summary The risks of radioactivity are a really complicated matter, yet they are much better known than are the risks relating to thousands of chemical poisons that occur in our environment. The greatest mistakes are probably made in the definition of safety margins. Except for the bombs dropped in Japan and one other case in the Marshall Islands, there has always—luckily—been a wide safety margin between fallout radiation and doses dangerous to health; the margin has actually been about 1000-fold. The Chernobyl dose of 0.5 mGy/year that we received is only 1/1000 of the acute dose of 0.5 Gy which would cause a slight and nonpermanent change in the blood picture.There is no such safety margin with respect to many air pollutants. The safety standards for sulfuric or nitric oxides, ozone and so on, have been set only just below the level that already causes a health hazard, and these standards are exceeded once in a while. Otherwise, traffic would have to be forbidden and many industrial plants, especially power stations using coal, would have to stop working whenever a low-temperature inversion occurred. Environmental radioactivity does not represent a likely health risk in Finland unless a nuclear war breaks out. Air pollutants, on the contrary, are a real and almost daily health risk that should be carefully considered when decisions about our energy production are being made.In spite of what happened at Chernobyl, global consumption of nuclear power will double by the year 2000, since there are about 140 nuclear power plants presently under construction. It is not likely that another catastrophe like Chernobyl will happen, yet nuclear plant accidents are of course possible, even if their likelihood is diminished by improving reactor safety and even if any eventual damage could be expected to be smaller. If a reactor is hooded by a containment structure, no significant release of radioactive materials should be possible even in case of an accident. However, we must be prepared to protect the population with carefully planned civil defense and radiation protection measures.I would like to sum up all of this as follows: The risks of radiation are a fact, but the fear they arouse is often disproportionate. There are risks related to all other methods of energy production as well; nuclear power is no exception in that respect. It is good that we aim at greater safety, but I hope that false presumptions will not lead us to mistaking a less safe alternative for a safer one.     

油田企业环境应急监测体系

为了更好地适应新形势的需要,充分发挥环境监测机构的作用,针对油田企业突发事件的特点,结合环境监测的基本要求,简要介绍了油田企业环境应急监测体系的组织管理、应急方案、装备要求、应急体系维护及完善等方面的基本要求。科学、规范地实施环境应急监测体系,将有助于提高企业技术服务机构的竞争力,大大降低各类突发事故的损失率。     

Calculating nuclear accident probabilities from empirical frequencies

Since there is no authoritative, comprehensive and public historical record of nuclear power plant accidents, we reconstructed a nuclear accident data set from peer-reviewed and other literature. We found that, in a sample of five random years, the worldwide historical frequency of a nuclear major accident, defined as an INES level 7 event, is 14 %. The probability of at least one nuclear accident rated at level ≥4 on the INES scale is 67 %. These numbers are subject to uncertainties because of the fuzziness of the definition of a nuclear accident.     

突发事件对西藏入境旅游影响评估与响应机制研究

突发事件对入境旅游的影响成已为旅游业界和学术界重点关注。通过构建BP神经网络模型,利用西藏2005—2010年月入境旅游人次统计数据,评估了2008年拉萨＂3.14＂突发事件对西藏入境旅游的影响。根据突发事件发展经历爆发期、持续期、扩展期和消退期四个阶段,构建突发事件响应机制,为西藏建设世界重要旅游目的地提供重要参考。     

我国企业突发环境应急预案编制的研究

指出当前企业突发环境应急预案编制过程中存在的主要问题。对加强编制人员素质、做好风险源和风险物质管理,明确做什么、谁来做、怎么做,实现事件分级、预警级别、应急响应和信息报告等提出了建议。对强化实用性、完整性、规范性、可行性、衔接性的评估、规范现场处置六个程序和细化专项预案七项内容等方面进行研究,提出符合国家法律、法规要求、规范性的企业突发环境事件应急预案编制方法。     

USE OF A DAM BREAK MODEL TO ASSESS FLOODING AT HADDAM NECK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT1

Because of their proximity to necessary supplies of cooling water, nuclear power plants are susceptible to riverine flooding. Greater flood hazards exist where plants are located downstream of large dams. The consequences of the Quabbin Reservoir dam failure on the Haddam Neck Nuclear Power Plant situated on the Connecticut River were investigated using a dam break flood routing model. Reasons for selecting a particular model are presented and the input assumptions for the modeling process are developed. Relevant information concerning the level of manpower involvement is presented. The findings of this analysis demonstrate that the plant is adequately protected from the consequences of the postulated flood event.     

Science, Policy, and Stakeholders: Developing a Consensus Science Plan for Amchitka Island, Aleutians, Alaska

With the ending of the Cold War, the US Department of Energy is responsible for the remediation of radioactive waste and disposal of land no longer needed for nuclear material production or related national security missions. The task of characterizing the hazards and risks from radionuclides is necessary for assuring the protection of health of humans and the environment. This is a particularly daunting task for those sites that had underground testing of nuclear weapons, where the radioactive contamination is currently inaccessible. Herein we report on the development of a Science Plan to characterize the physical and biological marine environment around Amchitka Island in the Aleutian chain of Alaska, where three underground nuclear tests were conducted (1965–1971). Information on the ecology, geology, and current radionuclide levels in biota, water, and sediment is necessary for evaluating possible current contamination and to serve as a baseline for developing a plan to ensure human and ecosystem health in perpetuity. Other information required includes identifying the location of the salt water/fresh water interface where migration to the ocean might occur in the future and determining groundwater recharge balances, as well as assessing other physical/geological features of Amchitka near the test sites. The Science Plan is needed to address the confusing and conflicting information available to the public about radionuclide risks from underground nuclear blasts in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as well as the potential for volcanic or seismic activity to disrupt shot cavities or accelerate migration of radionuclides into the sea. Developing a Science Plan involved agreement among regulators and other stakeholders, assignment of the task to the Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation, and development of a consensus Science Plan that dealt with contentious scientific issues. Involvement of the regulators (State of Alaska), resource trustees (U S Fish and Wildlife Service), representatives of the Aleut and Pribilof Island communities, and other stakeholders was essential for plan development and approval, although this created tensions because of the different objectives of each group. The complicated process of developing a Science Plan involved iterations and interactions with multiple agencies and organizations, scientists in several disciplines, regulators, and the participation of Aleut people in their home communities, as well as the general public. The importance of including all parties in all phases of the development of the Science Plan was critical to its acceptance by a broad range of regulators, agencies, resource trustees, Aleutian/Pribilof communities, and other stakeholders.     

油田企业环境应急体系建设初探

石油石化行业生产工艺复杂,容易发生各种环境事件。建立突发事件环境应急体系,对于提高企业综合处置能力,预防和控制次生灾害,促进油田企业全面、协调、可持续发展具有重要意义。文中给出了油田企业应急预案的基本框架及注意事项,阐述了应从哪几个方面进行环境风险的识别与评价以及削减环境风险的措施,并对环境应急体系长效机制的建立进行了探讨。     

突发性环境污染事件应急监测演练的策划与实施

近年来,突发性环境污染事件的频繁发生,对社会造成了极大的危害。为了提高环境监测部门开展应急监测的综合能力和实战水平,建立健全应急监测制度和运行机制,检验环境应急监测预案的科学性、响应的及时性、数据的准确性和报告的可行性,各地环保部门开展了一系列应急监测演练活动。本文就环境应急监测演练策划和设计进行了全过程的分析,并按照实战的要求对演练实施过程中的重要环节进行了总结研究。     

A PRACTICAL MODEL INTEGRATING QUALITY ASSURANCE INTO ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING1

ABSTRACT: A model of comprehensive environmental monitoring process with integral quality assurance is presented. This model views the monitoring process as iterative cycles of a series of elements: design, plan, protocols, preparation, field liaison, sample collection, sample handling, laboratory analysis, data transmission, data validation, data approval, data provision, statistical analysis, and reporting. Quality assurance is linked to each element, not just to laboratory analysis. The program of quality assurance ensures that environmental monitoring data are compatible with the project goals, are comparable between various sampling agencies, and maintain a high degree of scientific credibility. The key characteristics of the overall quality assurance process are detailed documentation, timely resolution of problems, regular reporting, and routine independent audits.     

中部地区二级环境监测站应急监测能力优化

以宜昌市环保监测站应急监测工作为例,对目前中部地区二级环境监测站应急监测能力存在的不足进行了评析,提出了建立应急监测专门机构、完善应急监测机构体系和网络、建立应急监测信息库和提高应急监测实战能力等具有针对性的优化应急监测能力建设的方案,旨在尽快提高中部地区二级环境监测站应急监测水平。     

Attitudes to nuclear energy: Beliefs,values and false consensus

Attitudinal differences regarding the use of nuclear energy were investigated. Results obtained in a random sample drawn from the population of four communities in The Netherlands within 30 miles of a nuclear power plant showed a strong relationship between subjects' attitudes towards nuclear energy and their perceptions of the possible consequences of nuclear energy. ‘Pro’- and ‘con’-subjects showed marked differences in the importance attached to the different possible consequences and their endorsement of the salience of more general social issues. Results provide support for the view that individuals perceive a false consensus with respect to the relative prevalence of similar attitudes among other people. Finally, subjects' perceptions of others with similar or opposing attitudes towards the issue of nuclear energy showed marked differences in evaluation especially for the extreme attitude groups.     

Disaster policy and nuclear liability: Insights from post-Chernobyl agriculture in the United Kingdom

The recent events at Chernobyl have again brought the issues of nuclear safety to the forefront of the nuclear power debate. Fortunately, our experience with such incidents has been very limited, but it is important to learn as much as possible from such events so as to minimize the cost and effect of any other nuclear incidents, be they small or large. Much of the discussion about the possible effects of nuclear incidents has centered around the human cost in terms of health. While this is undoubtedly of paramount concern, the effect of the release of radiation from Chernobyl on the agricultural resource base in Europe can provide valuable insights on how to reduce the costs associated with the contamination of agricultural areas. This article outlines some of the lessons that can be learned using the livestock-raising industry in northern Wales as an example.     

水乡油田环境污染应急体系建设初探

从环境污染应急预案编制、演练、实施以及应急保障等方面分析了水乡油田环境污染应急体系建立过程中需要注意的事项,并针对该企业环境污染应急体系建立过程中出现的问题,从应急预案编制、演练与实施以及应急保障方面提出了建议及初步解决措施。     

核电环境风险研究进展及管理启示

为满足快速增长的电力需求,缓解传统化石能源紧缺及其所伴随的大气污染问题,发电过程中几乎不产生常规大气污染物的核电逐渐成为我国重要的能源战略选择。但是,由于核电站在运行过程中,特别是发生重大核事故时,产生的放射性物质可能对健康造成负面影响,发展核电仍然存在较大的争议和阻力。在此背景下,需要构建科学、完善的核电风险评估与管理体系,以保障我国的核电行业健康、有序发展。在对国内外核电风险评估研究现状进行系统梳理的基础上,分析其对核电风险管理的意义,提出了我国未来构建核电风险评估与管理体系的建议。     

Uptake and transport of radioactive nickel and cadmium into three vegetables after wet aerial contamination

Knowledge of radionuclide or trace element retention and translocation to plants following an aerial contamination event, for example, sprinkling with contaminated water, is necessary for the evaluation of human exposure through consumption of contaminated vegetables. The fate of 63Ni and 109Cd in all plant parts of three different vegetables after wet deposition on leaves or on fruits was studied. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.), and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown under controlled conditions in a growth chamber were contaminated with 63Ni and 109Cd either on leaves, by means of two different contamination methods (a single early contamination and a repetitive one), or on bean husks (third contamination method: a single contamination at a late stage). Spiked and nonspiked organs were harvested at maturity and radionuclide contents were measured. The fraction retained was on average 56% of the initially administered doses of 63Ni and 87% of 109Cd. The leaf-to-other organ translocation factor was considerably higher for 63Ni (on average 43% of retained radioactivity) than for 109Cd (8%). Nickel-63 migrated throughout the whole plant following foliar contamination, and mainly toward young leaves, seeds in formation, and sink organs, whereas 109Cd migrated to a much lesser extent and only to the organs that were closest to the spiked one, and not at all into fruit. After a fruit contamination event, both radionuclides were translocated into the seeds of spiked fruits. Radionuclide retention and translocation were not affected by plant species, but principally by the type of organ contaminated.