Collective risk management: insights and opportunities for DoD decision-makers

Individuals make decisions every day in group contexts which vary in size, structure, and purpose. The US Department of Defense (DoD) is a large organization composed of many groups, and like many organizations, it has a vested interest in improving the performance of its affiliated groups, especially as it concerns risk-informed decision-making. This article discusses current foibles and considerations for decision-making in DoD groups as identified through a workshop with experts in risk-informed decision-making, cognitive science, and military operations. Experts noted that terms associated with risk-informed decision-making were often misconstrued, that formal decision-making frameworks are underutilized, and that many considerations should be taken into account when attempting to improve decision-making performance.     

Prompting safety-belt use in the context of a belt-use law: the flash-for life revisited

PROBLEM: Safety-belt use reduces motor vehicle crash-related morbidity and mortality, yet an estimated 18% of drivers do not consistently buckle up (NHTSA, 2005). In 1985, Geller and colleagues developed an interpersonal Flash-for-Life prompt that increased belt use among 22% of 1,087 unbuckled drivers (Geller, Bruff, & Nimmer, 1985). METHOD: The Flash-for-Life intervention was re-introduced at a large university with high safety-belt use (i.e., 80%). College students stood at parking-lot entrance/exits and "flashed" signs with the message, "Please Buckle Up, I Care" to unbuckled drivers. RESULTS: Of 427 unbuckled drivers observed, 30% of these complied with the prompt. Male drivers were significantly more likely to comply with prompts delivered by females. DISCUSSION: Compliance was higher than in the 1985 study, indicating a high baseline rate of safety-belt use does not negate potential beneficial influence of a prompting intervention. This intervention is particularly effective with college-aged males, a sub-group of the driving population least likely to buckle-up. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: A simple behavioral prompt could be used at most industrial complexes to increase safety-belt use among vehicle occupants who are not buckled-up.     

Effect of two major N-nitroso hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) metabolites on earthworm reproductive success

Soil and topical tests were employed to investigate the effect of two N-nitroso metabolites of RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) on earthworm reproduction. The lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) for cocoon production and hatching was 50mg/kg for both hexahydro-1-nitroso-3,5-dinitro-1,3,5-triazine (MNX) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitroso-1,3,5-triazine (TNX) in soil. MNX and TNX also significantly affected cocoon hatching in soil (p<0.001) and in topical tests (p=0.001). The LOECs for cocoon hatching were 1 and 10mg/kg for MNX and TNX in soil, respectively, and 10mg/L in the topical test. Greater than 100mg/kg MNX and TNX completely inhibited cocoon hatching. In soil, the EC20 values for MNX were 8.7 and 8.8mg/kg for cocoon and juvenile production, respectively, compared to 9.2 and 9.1mg/kg for TNX, respectively. The EC20 values for the total number of cocoon hatchlings were 3.1 and 4.7mg/kg for MNX and TNX, respectively, in soil and 4.5 and 3.1mg/L in the topical test. Both MNX and TNX inhibited cocoon production and hatching, suggesting that they may have a negative affect on soil ecosystems at contaminated sites.     

Combined effect of diuron and simazine on photosystem II photochemistry in a sandy soil and soil amended with solid olive-mill waste

Diuron (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)- = 1,1-dimethylurea) and simazine (6-chloro-N(2), N(4)-diethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) are soil-applied herbicides used in olive crops. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of these herbicides on Photosystem II photochemistry of Olea europaea L., and whether the amendment of soil with an organic waste (OW) from olive oil production industry modifies this effect. For this purpose, herbicide soil adsorption studies, with unamended and OW-amended soil, and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements in adult olive leaves, after one, two and three weeks of soil herbicide treatment and/or OW amendment, were performed. Soil application of these herbicides reduced the efficiency of Photosystem II photochemistry of olive trees due to chronic photoinhibition, and this effect is counterbalanced by the addition of OW to the soil. OW reduces herbicide uptake by the plant due to an increase in herbicide adsorption.     

Point Sampling Digital Imagery with ‘Samplepoint’

Measuring percent occurrence of objects from digital images can save time and expense relative to conventional field measurements. However, the accuracy of image analysis had, until now, not reached the level of the best conventional field measurements. Additionally, most image-analysis software programs require advanced user training to successfully analyze images. Here we present a new software program, ‘SamplePoint,’ that provides the user a single-pixel sample point and the ability to view and identify the pixel context. We found SamplePoint to allow accuracy comparable with the most accurate field-methods for ground-cover measurements. Expert use of the program requires minimal training and its ease of use allows rapid measurements from image data. We recommend SamplePoint for calibrating the threshold-detection level of image-analysis software or for making direct measurements of percent occurrence from digital images.     

Determination of specific gravity of municipal solid waste

This investigation was conducted to evaluate experimental determination of specific gravity (G_s) of municipal solid waste (MSW). Water pycnometry, typically used for testing soils was adapted for testing MSW using a large flask with 2000 mL capacity and specimens with 100–350 g masses. Tests were conducted on manufactured waste samples prepared using US waste constituent components; fresh wastes obtained prior and subsequent to compaction at an MSW landfill; and wastes obtained from various depths at the same landfill. Factors that influence specific gravity were investigated including waste particle size, compaction, and combined decomposition and stress history. The measured average specific gravities were 1.377 and 1.530 for as-prepared/uncompacted and compacted manufactured wastes, respectively; 1.072 and 1.258 for uncompacted and compacted fresh wastes, respectively; and 2.201 for old wastes. The average organic content and degree of decomposition were 77.2% and 0%, respectively for fresh wastes and 22.8% and 88.3%, respectively for old wastes. The G_s increased with decreasing particle size, compaction, and increasing waste age. For fresh wastes, reductions in particle size and compaction caused occluded intraparticle pores to be exposed and waste particles to be deformed resulting in increases in specific gravity. For old wastes, the high G_s resulted from loss of biodegradable components that have low G_s as well as potential access to previously occluded pores and deformation of particles due to both degradation processes and applied mechanical stresses. The G_s was correlated to the degree of decomposition with a linear relationship. Unlike soils, the G_s for MSW was not unique, but varied in a landfill environment due both to physical/mechanical processes and biochemical processes. Specific gravity testing is recommended to be conducted not only using representative waste composition, but also using representative compaction, stress, and degradation states.     

Comparative Study of Spray Booth Filter System Efficiency

ABSTRACT

During recent years, greater emphasis has been placed on the control of particulate emissions from painting operations. This has gained more importance as more is learned about the potential release of toxic metals to the atmosphere from painting operations. This has led to queries about the efficiency of various painting arrestor systems to reduce particulate discharges to the atmosphere. Even more important is the capability of the arrestor systems to control PM₁₀ emissions.

In 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initiated a study to evaluate various dry paint overspray arrestor systems. This study was designed to evaluate not only the total emissions control capability of the arrestor but also the PM₁₀ control capability of the various system designs. Paint overspray arrestor systems using five different filtration concepts or materials were selected. They include systems constructed of fiberglass, paper, Styrofoam, and cardboard materials. These systems used filtration techniques incorporating the following filtration phenomena and designs: cyclone, baffle, bag systems, and mesh systems.

The testing used an optical particle counting procedure to determine the concentration of particles of a given size fraction to penetrate a test arrestor system. The results of the testing indicated that there are significant differences in the efficiency of the tested system designs to capture and retain PM₁₀.

This paper summarizes the results of the research conducted to determine the capability of the arrestor systems to capture particulate of sizes down to approximately 1 μm in surface diameter.     

Dry and heat stress affects H2S production of Salmonella on selective plating media

The pH of Salmonella pre-enrichment media can become acidic (pH 4.0–5.0) when feeds/ingredients are incubated for 24?h. Salmonella in feed that have been stressed by heat and desiccation exhibit different pH tolerances than non-stressed cultures. Acidic conditions can result in cell injury/death and affect biochemical pathways. In this study, eight serotypes of Salmonella were grown in sterile meat and bone meal that was subjected to desiccation and heat stress. Cultures of non-stressed and stressed isolates were subsequently exposed to acidic pH from 4.0 to 7.0 in 0.5?pH increments (3 replicates/pH increment) in citrate buffer. At 6 and 24?h, serial dilutions were plated in duplicate on XLT-4 (xylose lysine tergitol-4) agar. Four serotypes showed an impaired ability to decarboxylate lysine on XLT-4. This inability to decarboxylate lysine was dependent on isolate, stress status, and incubation time. When the isolates’ ability to decarboxylate lysine was examined using biochemical tests, cultures were found to be able to decarboxylate lysine with the exception of S. Infantis. This suggests that XLT-4 contains a biochemical stressor(s) which affects the rate of decarboxylation by these Salmonella. These results suggest that acidic conditions may influence the detection and confirmation of Salmonella in feed.     

Innovative applications of subgrade biogeochemical reactors: Three case studies

Subgrade biogeochemical reactors (SBGRs) are an in situ remediation technology shown to be effective in treating contaminant source areas and groundwater hot spots, while being sustainable and economical. This technology has been applied for over a decade to treat chlorinated volatile organic compound source areas where groundwater is shallow (e.g., less than approximately 30 feet below ground surface [ft bgs]). However, this article provides three case studies describing innovative SBGR configurations recently developed and tested that are outside of this norm, which enable use of this technology under more challenging site conditions or for treatment of alternative contaminant classes. The first SBGR case study addresses a site with groundwater deeper than 30 ft bgs and limited space for construction, where an SBGR column configuration reduced the maximum trichloroethene (TCE) groundwater concentration from 9,900 micrograms per liter (μg/L) to <1 μg/L (nondetect) within approximately 15 months. The second SBGR is a recirculating trench configuration that is supporting remediation of a 5.7‐acre TCE plume, which has significant surface footprint constraints due to the presence of endangered species habitat. The third SBGR was constructed with a new amendment mixture and reduced groundwater contaminant concentrations in a petroleum hydrocarbon source area by over 97% within approximately 1 year. Additionally, a summary is provided for new SBGR configurations that are planned for treatment of additional classes of contaminants (e.g., hexavalent chromium, 1,4‐dioxane, dissolved explosives constituents, etc.). A discussion is also provided describing research being conducted to further understand and optimize treatment mechanisms within SBGRs, including a recently developed sampling approach called the aquifer matrix probe.