Life cycle assessment of fuel selection for power generation in Taiwan

Life cycle assessment (LCA) was applied to performance data from 1997-2002 to evaluate the environmental impacts of the energy input, airborne emission, waterborne emission, and solid waste inventories for Taiwan's electric power plants. Eco-indicator 95 was used to compare the differences among the generation processes and fuel purification. To better understand the environmental trends related to Taiwan's electric power industry, three fuel scenarios were selected for LCA system analysis. Results indicate that there are differences in characteristic environmental impact among the 13 power plants. Scenario simulation provided a basis for minimizing environmental impacts from fuel selection targets. Fuel selection priority should be a gas-fired combined cycle substituted for a coal-fired steam turbine to be more environmentally friendly, particularly in the areas of the greenhouse effect, acidification, winter smog, and solid waste. Furthermore, based purely on economic and environmental criteria, it is recommended that the gas-fired combined cycle be substituted for the oil-fired steam turbine.     

城市污水处理厂二沉池出水曝气混合絮凝的研究

在污水处理厂实验室,对二沉池出口污水进行了曝气和机械2种方式的混合絮凝对比试验。研究结果表明,对于同一水质,在相同的投药量下,曝气混凝沉淀后的水质明显优于机械混凝沉淀后的水质,各项水质指标的去除率分别提高：BOD₅ 6%～9%,COD 4%～6%,NH₃-N 6%～9%,TP 15%～24%,SS 8%～18%。     

水分条件对灰化苔草根茎萌发及幼苗生长的影响

以灰化苔草(Carex cinerascens)根状茎为试验材料,采用室内盆栽培养方式,测定不同土壤水分条件下灰化苔草根状茎萌发、幼苗生长形态和生理参数。试验设置8个土壤体积含水量梯度:C1(2%,重度干旱)、C2(10%)、C3(15%)、C4(20%)、C5(25%)、C6(30%)、C7(40%,水分饱和)和C8(51%,淹水水深为2 cm)。结果表明:(1)在重度干旱和淹水条件下灰化苔草根状茎萌发率较低;轻度干旱(C2处理)条件下萌发率虽达100%,但C2处理幼苗平均株高仅为最大值(C6处理)的2/3。灰化苔草幼苗平均株高、地上生物量均呈随土壤含水量增加而先增大后减小的趋势,幼苗株高与地上生物量之间存在指数函数关系;(2)灰化苔草叶长、叶宽、叶片数和叶面积总体也呈先增大后减小趋势;灰化苔草幼苗通过个体变小、叶片数和叶面积减少、生长速率减缓等调节自身组织结构特点以利用有限的水分维持生命活动。(3)灰化苔草幼苗叶片叶绿素(Chl a、Chl b)含量、相对叶绿素含量(SPAD)、类胡萝卜素(Car)含量具有相同的变化规律,即随土壤含水量的增加而呈先增大后减小的变化趋势;叶绿素a/b比值随土壤含水量的增加而呈先减小后增大趋势;各处理间灰化苔草叶片含水量、Car/Chl比值无明显差异;灰化苔草幼苗叶片在水分缺乏或过多时通过使Chl a/b比值升高、Car/Chl比值保持稳定、合理分配Chl a和Chl b来确保植物能正常地进行光合作用;(4)利用高斯模型定量分析得出灰化苔草根状茎萌发及幼苗生长的水分生态幅在4.15%~51.35%范围内,最适含水量在16.22%~39.55%之间。     

典型河谷城市儿童土壤与灰尘铅暴露风险

为定量评价河谷型城市土壤与灰尘铅对城市儿童健康的影响与风险,结合野外调查的基础上,以陕西渭河谷地典型工业城市宝鸡、西安、渭南和铜川为研究区域,以定量分析河谷型城市儿童环境铅暴露为核心,收集4个城市土壤与灰尘分析样品总计243个。利用X射线荧光光谱法测定了4个城市土壤与灰尘铅的含量;采用BCR连续形态分级法探究了城市土壤与灰尘重金属铅地球化学形态分布与迁移特征;根据US EPA污染物暴露与健康风险评价模型对城市儿童铅暴露进行了评价。研究结果表明渭河谷地典型城市宝鸡、铜川、西安和渭南城市土壤与灰尘铅浓度(X±SD)分别为(409.2±52.54)和(624.70±66.15)mg·kg-1、(357.47±41.37)和(592.60±36.78)mg·kg-1、(61.4±13.31)和(78.42±14.89)mg·kg-1、(46.71±12.11)和(64.7±13.76)mg·kg-1,均高出陕西省土壤铅背景值;污染水平依次为宝鸡铜川西安渭南。4个河谷型城市土壤与灰尘重金属铅发生整体迁移的趋势为:宝鸡城市灰尘(90.71%)西安城市灰尘(84.74%)≥宝鸡城市土壤(83.12%)渭南城市灰尘(74.89%)≥西安城市土壤(74.50%)铜川城市灰尘(72.49%)铜川城市土壤(57.50%)渭南城市土壤(53.79%)。可见,铅在均在城市灰尘中的迁移趋势远大于相应的城市土壤。4个城市土壤与灰尘均表现出较大的儿童暴露致癌风险,宝鸡和铜川城市儿童土壤与灰尘铅暴露也分别存在非致癌风险,风险程度依次为宝鸡铜川西安渭南。儿童铅暴露致癌与非致癌风险程度与其城市土壤和灰尘中铅可氧化态分布呈相似的规律,表明碱性的城市土壤与城市灰尘(p H7)中可氧化态铅可能是导致河谷型城市儿童铅暴露风险和儿童血铅污染的主要形态和因素。由此,城市燃煤排放与含铅制品的加工等活动可能是渭河谷地河谷型城市儿童血铅与铅暴露最主要的贡献源,必须采取长期有效的监测与控制措施。     

彗星试验技术在水生与土壤环境中的毒理学应用

彗星试验是一种检测真核细胞脱氧核糖核酸(DNA)损伤的技术,快速、低成本、适用于几乎所有真核细胞,因此常应用于遗传毒理学、辐射生物学、肿瘤细胞学、毒性检测等方面。尤其以灵敏度高、检测联合毒性的特点大量运用于环境研究中。主要介绍彗星试验方法学发展历程,彗星试验的原理及其在环境领域中的应用,并指出应用中的受限因素以及未来的发展前景,为今后进一步推广该试验技术提供理论上的指导与参考。     

α7nAChR在氯化甲基汞神经毒性中的作用

为探讨环境染污染物氯化甲基汞(methylmercury chloride,Me Hg Cl)的神经毒性作用机制,采用MTT、免疫细胞荧光、dot Blot、qRT-PCR等实验技术检测Me Hg Cl对PC12细胞活性及其α7亚型烟碱型胆碱能受体(α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor,α7n AChR)蛋白和mRNA表达水平的影响。结果显示Me Hg Cl抑制PC12细胞活性,显著降低α7n AChR的蛋白和mRNA的表达水平,呈浓度依赖性。上述结果表明,Me Hg Cl对神经细胞毒性作用可能与抑制α7n AChR表达有关。     

臭氧应用于烟气净化的研究进展

烟气中所含的二氧化硫(SO2),氮氧化物(NOx),重金属汞(Hg)等污染物都能对人体健康及周围环境产生危害.本文综述了臭氧法应用于烟气净化的研究进展、工业应用及反应机理,探讨了臭氧同时脱硫脱硝脱汞的主要影响因素,介绍了臭氧发生技术的研究现状,并对臭氧应用于烟气净化进行了经济性分析,认为臭氧法脱除烟气中的多种污染物具有广泛的应用前景.     

Role of water chemistry on estrone removal by nanofiltration with the presence of hydrophobic acids

Hydrophobic acid organic matter (HpoA) extracted from treated effluent has been known to improve the rejection of steroid hormone estrone by reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes. In this study, the effects of solution chemistry (solution pH and ionic strength) on the estrone rejection by NF membrane with the presence of HpoA were systematically investigated. Crossflow nanofiltration experiments show that the presence of HpoA significantly improved estrone rejection at all pH and ionic strength levels investigated. It is consistently shown that the “enhancement effect” of HpoA on estrone rejection at neutral and alkaline pH is attributed to the binding of estrone by HpoA macromolecules via hydrogen bonding between phenolic functional groups in feed solutions, which leads to an increase in molecular weight and appearance of negative charge. The membrane exhibited the best performance in terms of estrone rejection at pH 10.4 (compared to pH 4 and pH 7) as a result of strengthening the electrostatic repulsion between estrone and membrane with the presence of HpoA. At neutral pH level, the ability of HpoA macromolecules to promote estrone rejection became stronger with increasing ionic strength due to their more extended conformation, which created more chances for the association between estrone and HpoA. The important conclusion of this study is that increasing solution pH and salinity can greatly intensify the “enhancement effect” of HpoA. These results can be important for NF application in direct/indirect potable water reuse.     

Hydrodynamic and ecological assessment of nearshore restoration: A modeling study

Along the Pacific Northwest coast, much of the estuarine habitat has been lost over the last century to agricultural land use, residential and commercial development, and transportation corridors. As a result, many of the ecological processes and functions have been disrupted. To protect and improve these coastal habitats that are vital to aquatic species, many projects are currently underway to restore estuarine and coastal ecosystems through dike breaches, setbacks, and removals. Understanding site-specific information on physical processes is critical for improving the success of such restoration actions. In this study, a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model was developed to simulate estuarine processes in the Stillaguamish River estuary, where restoration of a 160-acre parcel through dike setback has been proposed. The model was calibrated to observed tide, current, and salinity data for existing conditions and applied to simulate the hydrodynamic responses to two restoration alternatives. Model results were then combined with biophysical data to predict habitat responses within the restoration footprint. Results showed that the proposed dike removal would result in desired tidal flushing and conditions that would support four habitat types on the restoration footprint. At the estuary scale, restoration would substantially increase the proportion of area flushed with freshwater (<5 ppt) at flood tide. Potential implications of predicted changes in salinity and flow dynamics are discussed relative to the distribution of tidal marsh habitat.