Annual average radon concentrations in California residences.

A study was conducted to determine the annual average radon concentrations in California residences, to determine the approximate fraction of the California population regularly exposed to radon concentrations of 4 pCi/l or greater, and to the extent possible, to identify regions of differing risk for high radon concentrations within the state. Annual average indoor radon concentrations were measured with passive (alpha track) samplers sent by mail and deployed by home occupants, who also completed questionnaires on building and occupant characteristics. For the 310 residences surveyed, concentrations ranged from 0.10 to 16 pCi/l, with a geometric mean of whole-house (bedroom and living room) average concentrations of 0.85 pCi/l and a geometric standard deviation of 1.91. A total of 88,000 California residences (0.8 percent) were estimated to have radon concentrations exceeding 4 pCi/l. When the state was divided into six zones based on geology, significant differences in geometric mean radon concentrations were found between several of the zones. Zones with high geometric means were the Sierra Nevada mountains, the valleys east of the Sierra Nevada, the central valley (especially the southern portion), and Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Zones with low geometric means included most coastal counties and the portion of the state from Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties south.     

Residual risk for cytogenetic abnormalities after prenatal diagnosis by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)

Results from conventional cytogenetic studies on 21 609 amniotic fluid specimens were analyzed retrospectively to determine the residual risk for a cytogenetic abnormality if interphase FISH, capable of only detecting aneuploidy for chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X and Y, was performed and did not reveal an abnormality. Detection rates (the probability of detecting a cytogenetic abnormality when an abnormality is present) and residual risks (the likelihood of a cytogenetic abnormality, in view of normal interphase FISH results) were calculated for the four major clinical indications for prenatal diagnosis (advanced maternal age, abnormal maternal serum screen indicating increased risk for trisomy 18 or trisomy 21, abnormal maternal serum screen indicating increased risk for neural tube defects and ultrasound abnormality). Differences in detection rates were observed to depend on clinical indication and presence or absence of ultrasound abnormalities. The detection rate ranged from 18.2 to 82.6% depending on the clinical indication. The detection rates of abnormalities significant to the pregnancy being evaluated (i.e. abnormalities excluding familial balanced rearrangements and familial markers) were between 28.6 and 86.4%. The presence of ultrasound abnormalities increased the detection rate from 72.2 to 92.5% for advanced maternal age and from 78.6 to 91.3% for abnormal maternal serum screen, indicating increased risk for trisomy 18 or trisomy 21. With regard to residual risk, the risk for a clinically significant abnormality decreased from 0.9–10.1%, prior to the interphase FISH assay, to a residual risk of 0.6–1.5% following a normal interphase FISH result in the 4 groups studied. Providing patients with detection rates and residual risks, most relevant to their situation (clinical indication and presence or absence of ultrasound abnormality) during counseling, could help them better understand the advantages and limitations of interphase FISH in their prenatal diagnostic evaluation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

耕地资源非市场价值评价方法的研究进展与述评

论文系统梳理了国内外耕地资源非市场价值评价方法的研究进展,指明了今后该领域研究的努力方向。研究结果表明:国内评价耕地资源非市场价值的方法主要是CVM,研究方法单一,缺少同时运用其他非市场价值评价方法来对CVM的研究进行比较的案例,从而无法清晰辨识CVM的缺陷,并对其加以改进;而且,CVM方法本身存在一些不足,大多数CVM的应用尚停留在实施CVM实验并报告结果的初级阶段,对CVM的有效性与可靠性方面的相关研究不够。国外非市场价值评价方法表现出两个特点:一是研究方法不断拓展,Mixed Logit逐步得到应用;二是研究方法不断深化,对CVM的研究从调研内容与结果的报告,向检验结果的有效性、可靠性方向转变,进而转向CVM的经济学理论的探讨和研究;对CVM与预期不相符合的原因进行深入研究;对问卷的设计进行深入研究;并将非市场价值评价模型和方法与空间分析相结合。在此基础上,建议将CE模型引入中国的耕地资源非市场价值评价研究;加强耕地资源非市场价值的空间分异特征与分异规律,以及耕地资源非市场价值形成的空间分异机理和动态演变规律的研究;尝试调查问卷设计中的可视化研究。     

Degradation kinetics and mechanism of aniline by heat-assisted persulfate oxidation

Oxidation of aniline by persulfate in aqueous solutions was investigated and the reaction kinetic rates under different temperature, persulfate concentration and pH conditions were examined in batch experiments. The results showed that, the aniline degradation followed pseudo first-order reaction model. Aniline degradation rate increased with increasing temperature or persulfate concentration. In the pH range of 3 to 11, a low aniline degradation rate was obtained at strong acid system (pH 3), while a high degradation rate was achieved at strong alkalinity (pH 11). Maximum aniline degradation occurred at pH 7 when the solution was in a weak level of acid and alkalinity (pH 5, 7 and 9). Produced intermediates during the oxidation process were identified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry technology. And nitrobenzene, 4-4’-diaminodiphenyl and 1-hydroxy-1,2-diphenylhydrazine have been identified as the major intermediates of aniline oxidation by persulfate and the degradation mechanism of aniline was also tentatively proposed.     

Mechanism of lead immobilization by oxalic acid-activated phosphate rocks

Lead (Pb) chemical fixation is an important environmental aspect for human health. Phosphate rocks (PRs) were utilized as an adsorbent to remove Pb from aqueous solution. Raw PRs and oxalic acid-activated PRs (APRs) were used to investigate the effect of chemical modification on the Pb-binding capacity in the pH range 2.0-5.0. The Pb adsorption rate of all treatments above pH 3.0 reached 90%. The Pb binding on PRs and APRs was pH-independent, except at pH 2.0 in activated treatments. The X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the raw PRs formed cerussite after reacting with the Pb solution, whereas the APRs formed pyromorphite. The Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy analysis indicated that carbonate (CO₃^2-) in raw PRs and phosphate (PO₄^3-) groups in APRs played an important role in the Pb-binding process. After adsorption, anomalous block-shaped particles were observed by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data further indicated that both chemical and physical reactions occurred during the adsorption process according to the binding energy. Because of lower solubility of pyromorphite compared to cerussite, the APRs are more effective in immobilizing Pb than that of PRs.     

Ultrafine particle emission characteristics of diesel engine by on-board and test bench measurement

This study investigated the emission characteristics of ultrafine particles based on test bench and on-board measurements. The bench test results showed the ultrafine particle number concentration of the diesel engine to be in the range of (0.56-8.35) × 10⁸ cm^-3. The on-board measurement results illustrated that the ultrafine particles were strongly correlated with changes in real-world driving cycles. The particle number concentration was down to 2.0 × 10⁶ cm^-3 and 2.7 × 10⁷ cm^-3 under decelerating and idling operations and as high as 5.0 × 10⁸ cm^-3 under accelerating operation. It was also indicated that the particle number measured by the two methods increased with the growth of engine load at each engine speed in both cases. The particle number presented a "U" shaped distribution with changing speed at high engine load conditions, which implies that the particle number will reach its lowest level at medium engine speeds. The particle sizes of both measurements showed single mode distributions. The peak of particle size was located at about 50-80 nm in the accumulation mode particle range. Nucleation mode particles will significantly increase at low engine load operations like idling and decelerating caused by the high concentration of unburned organic compounds.     

生态减污袋去除模拟污水中氨氮及磷的效果试验

研究利用砂土与粘土混合制成的生态减污袋对于模拟污水中氨氮及磷的去除效果。研究发现砂土与粘土比例为1∶1的减污袋对于高浓度模拟污水中氨氮和磷的去除率分别达到73%和63%;而砂土与粘土比例为10∶1的减污袋对于低浓度模拟污水中磷的去除率最高达到49%。对于高浓度污水,采用砂土与粘土比例为1∶1的生态减污袋能取得最好的除磷去氮效果;而对于低浓度污水,采用砂土与粘土比例为10∶1的生态减污袋除磷去氮效果较好并且成本相对较低。     

AMBBR工艺处理城市污水

通过对厌氧移动床生物膜反应器处理南方热带亚热带地区城市生活污水的试验研究,采用好氧-厌氧两个阶段进行挂膜试验以缩短挂膜时间,探讨了水力停留时间(HRT)、pH值、填料填充率对反应器处理效果的影响。试验结果表明:在HRT为12 h,进水ρ(COD)为300 mg/L,ρ(氨氮)为15 mg/L,50%的填料填充率,pH=7的工艺条件下,装置对COD去除率为51.2%,对氨氮去除率为40.8%,对TN去除率为38.1%。     

环氧化PVA载体固定漆酶的最佳工艺条件研究

在T=35℃,HAc-NaAc缓冲溶液pH为4的条件下,用环氧化PVA载体对漆酶进行固定化,固定后酶活为游离酶活的95%。用该固定化漆酶处理制浆造纸废水,反复使用6次后,酶活仍保持为初始酶活的45%,且每次COD去除率在40%以上,处理后的废水BOD增大了50%,废水可生化性得到很大提高。     

基于传声器阵列的声源定位技术的应用

基于传声器阵列的声源定位技术中的两个主要方法,STSF和Beamforming声源定位技术两者的实现方法不同。通过对STSF和Beamforming声源定位技术的推导,给出了两种测量技术适用的频率范围和空间范围,从理论上对其应用范围的差异进行了说明,并提出在实际测量中如何选择合适的声源定位方法。结合两种测量技术的特点,提出声源定位技术下一阶段研究的重点。