Application of Pesticide Sprays to Fresh Produce: A Risk Assessment for Hepatitis A and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmonella</Emphasis>

The purpose of this study was to quantify the transfer of viral and bacterial pathogens in water used to dilute pesticides sprayed onto the surfaces of cantaloupe, iceberg lettuce, and bell peppers. The average percent transfer of bacteria was estimated to range from 0.00021 to 9.4%, while average viral transfer ranged from 0.055 to 4.2%, depending on the type of produce. Based on these values the concentrations of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Salmonella in water necessary to achieve a 1:10,000 annual risk of infection were calculated. Under worst case scenario assumptions, in which a pesticide is applied on the same day that the produce is harvested and when maximum transfer values are used, concentrations of 1.5 × 10⁻³ CFU Salmonella or 2.7 × 10⁻⁷ MPN HAV per 100 ml of the water used for application would result in 1:10,000 annual infection risk to anyone who consumes the fresh produce. If harvesting does not occur until at least 14 days after the application, to produce the same risk of infection, the numbers of Salmonella in 100 ml of water used to dilute the pesticides will be greater by up to five orders of magnitude, while the HAV numbers will have increased by up to two orders of magnitude. Based on the reported concentrations of enteric viruses in surface and ground waters in the United States, a 1:10,000 annual risk of infection could easily be exceeded with some groundwater sources used in the United States. To reduce the risks associated with the consumption of fresh produce, water used to prepare pesticides in spray applications should be evaluated for its microbiological quality.     

Compensatory behaviour after displacement in migratory birds

Using a meta-analysis approach we re-analysed orientation cage experiments with displaced migrants found in the literature. A rather large proportion of the orientation experiments showed directional shifts after displacements, indicating ability for birds to detect and react on such displacements. There was a clear difference between overcast and experiments where birds had a view of the starry sky. In experiments under a starry sky, the birds compensated the displacements, whilst under overcast unaltered or reverse orientations were generally displayed. This indicates a role for the stars to be involved in detection of the changes in position. Such a role of celestial cues is further stressed by the results of several studies manipulating a planetarium sky. Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Effects of an iron-silicon material,a synthetic zeolite and an alkaline clay on vegetable uptake of As and Cd from a polluted agricultural soil and proposed remediation mechanisms

Economic and highly effective methods of in situ remediation of Cd and As polluted farmland in mining areas are urgently needed. Pot experiments with Brassica chinensis L. were carried out to determine the effects of three soil amendments [a novel iron-silicon material (ISM), a synthetic zeolite (SZ) and an alkaline clay (AC)] on vegetable uptake of As and Cd. SEM–EDS and XRD analyses were used to investigate the remediation mechanisms involved. Amendment with ISM significantly reduced the concentrations of As and Cd in edible parts of B. chinensis (by 84–94 % and 38–87 %, respectively), to levels that met food safety regulations and was much lower than those achieved by SZ and AC. ISM also significantly increased fresh biomass by 169–1412 % and 436–731 % in two consecutive growing seasons, while SZ and AC did not significantly affect vegetable growth. Correlation analysis suggested that it was the mitigating effects of ISM on soil acidity and on As and Cd toxicity, rather than nutrient amelioration, that contributed to the improvement in plant growth. SEM–EDS analysis showed that ISM contained far more Ca, Fe and Mn than did SZ or AC, and XRD analysis showed that in the ISM these elements were primarily in the form of silicates, oxides and phosphates that had high capacities for chemisorption of metal(loid)s. After incubation with solutions containing 800 mg L^?1 AsO₄ ^2? or Cd²⁺, ISM bound distinctly higher levels of As (6.18 % in relative mass percent by EDS analysis) and Cd (7.21 % in relative mass percent by EDS analysis) compared to SZ and AC. XRD analysis also showed that ISM facilitated the precipitation of Cd²⁺ as silicates, phosphates and hydroxides, and that arsenate combined with Fe, Al, Ca and Mg to form insoluble arsenate compounds. These precipitation mechanisms were much more active in ISM than in SZ or AC. Due to the greater pH elevation caused by the abundant calcium silicate, chemisorption and precipitation mechanisms in ISM treatments could be further enhanced. That heavy metal(loid)s fixation mechanisms of ISM ensure the remediation more irreversible and more resilient to environmental changes. With appropriate application rate and proper nutrients supplement, the readily available and economic ISM is a very promising amendment for safe crop production on multi-metal(loids) polluted soils.     

石墨炉原子吸收法测定水中铅的质量控制指标研究

通过对全国9个省份82家实验室监测数据的分析,研究确定了石墨炉原子吸收法测定水中铅的质量控制指标。建议控制值为：标准样品室内相对标准偏差（RSD）≤5.0%,实际样品相对偏差（RD）≤30.0%,标准样品室间相对标准偏差（RSD’）≤10%,标准样品相对误差（RE）≤±8.0%,加标回收率范围为90%～115%,同时还对方法的重复性和再现性指标进行了验证性研究。     

凝析油储罐运行中的安全问题及改进

据国际国内关于油品储罐的事故统计和分析，拱顶储油罐的事故率最高，可见该类型储罐风险大，由于影响储罐安全运行的因素很多，任何一个环节出问题，都可能引发重大事故。本文就凝析油罐运行6年来，从储罐腐蚀、浮盘质量及安全环保方面所发现和整改的实际情况，在设计和施工中遗留的问题进行深入分析，提出改进措施，为类似的储罐设计施工及管理提供参考。     

生物炭影响耕地土壤微生物的研究进展

生物炭是纤维类生物质经热解处理得到的富碳产物,因其提高耕地土壤肥力、促进土壤碳封存和吸附土壤污染物等功能而备受关注.土壤微生物是耕地土壤生命系统的主要组成,对土壤结构、营养、生态平衡和植物健康具有重要作用.添加的生物炭作用于耕地土壤和植物,其复杂关系中都有土壤微生物的参与.为此,梳理生物炭对耕地土壤微生物的直接影响,及其导致土壤性质、植物根系生长和代谢状况变化而带来的间接作用.发现了生物炭能直接为土壤微生物提供栖息环境和养分,改变酶活性,影响信号通讯,其成分中的多环芳烃等物质不利于微生物生存和代谢;生物炭通过改善孔隙度、酸碱度、团粒结构和容重等土壤理化性质,刺激植株生长、改变分泌状况和富集有害物质等间接作用于土壤微生物;生物炭对耕地土壤微生物的代谢活动和群落结构的影响具有复杂性,其影响趋势与生物炭的原材料性质、加工工艺和施用量等有关;提出了制备成本低、潜在危害少和综合效益高的生物炭产品建议和未来研究方向,可为生物炭的耕地土壤生态调控研究提供依据.     

大型车车身覆盖件冲压成形特征分析及选材研究

为满足大型车身覆盖件冲压成形要求并实现钢板与零件的对路供应 ,必须在深入解析零件成形特征的基础上 ,确定高应变部位的成形敏感材料参数。在材料力学性能测试和成形极限分析的基础上 ,对侧围外板的冲压成形特征和成形敏感参数进行了分析。结果表明 :侧围外板零件高应变部位的变形方式为胀形 深拉延变形 ,n值和r值为影响侧围外板零件成形的主要材料敏感参数     

An improvement selection methodology for key performance indicators

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are critical measures for determining the health of a manufacturing plant in relationship to the plant’s goals. In today’s competitive environment, manufacturers cannot be careless about their business; in fact, they must ensure that their KPIs are effective and use them to make improvements when necessary. This paper describes a method for suggesting improvements to a manufacturer’s KPIs, based on the results achieved from a workshop to score the KPI on a number of predefined criteria. The approach uses a prospect theory approach to weight the scoring. Different problem formulations were derived that allow for both recommendations for improvements and the recommendations for disinvestments to over-performing KPIs. The authors applied the developed approach to two workshop outputs, each from independent manufacturers, and the results highlighted the significant difference between the two manufacturers in terms of improvement priorities and KPI assessment. The optimal improvement suggestions were compared to those found through a fast heuristic. It was determined that given the underlying assumptions of the approach that the heuristic solutions were just as adequate as the optimal ones.     

Using fuzzy set theory to address the uncertainty of susceptibility to drought

This paper presents the technical aspects of a new methodology for assessing the susceptibility of society to drought. The methodology consists of a combination of inference modelling and fuzzy logic applications. Four steps are followed: (1) model input variables are selected—these variables reflect the main factors influencing susceptibility in a social group, population or region, (2) fuzzification—the uncertainties of the input variables are made explicit by representing them as ‘fuzzy membership functions’, (3) inference modelling—the input variables are used to construct a model made up of linguistic rules, and (4) defuzzification—results from the model in linguistic form are translated into numerical form, also through the use of fuzzy membership functions. The disadvantages and advantages of this methodology became apparent when it was applied to the assessment of susceptibility from three disciplinary perspectives: Disadvantages include the difficulty in validating results and the subjectivity involved with specifying fuzzy membership functions and the rules of the inference model. Advantages of the methodology are its transparency, because all model assumptions have to be made explicit in the form of inference rules; its flexibility, in that informal and expert knowledge can be incorporated through ‘fuzzy membership functions’ and through the rules in the inference model; and its versatility, since numerical data can be converted to linguistic statements and vice versa through the procedures of ‘fuzzification’ and ‘defuzzification’.