Characterizing and Controlling Industrial Dust: A Case Study in Small Particle Measurement

Instrumentation used to measure characteristics of fine particles entrained in gas or suspended in aerosols provides information needed to develop valid regulations for emission sources and to support the design of control technologies. This case study offers a brief history of micromeritics, a term used by early researchers to describe the science of small particles, and the related invention of laboratory instruments for characterizing very fine particles. The historical view provides insights into the role that Progressive Era government agencies played in advancing esoteric science and applying this knowledge to the regulation of workplace air pollution. Micromeritics instrumentation developed in conjunction with federal research now has many commercial applications worldwide, with characterizing airborne pollutants only a minor one. However, the continuing advances in the micromeritics field provide important laboratory measurement capabilities to environmental research organizations, such as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).     

Validation of two air quality models for Indian mining conditions

All major mining activity particularly opencast mining contributes to the problem of suspended particulate matter (SPM)directly or indirectly. Therefore, assessment and prediction are required to prevent and minimize the deterioration of SPM due tovarious opencast mining operations. Determination of emission rate of SPM for these activities and validation of air quality models are the first and foremost concern. In view of the above, the study was taken up for determination of emission rate for SPMto calculate emission rate of various opencast mining activitiesand validation of commonly used two air quality models for Indianmining conditions. To achieve the objectives, eight coal and three iron ore mining sites were selected to generate site specific emission data by considering type of mining, method of working, geographical location, accessibility and above all resource availability. The study covers various mining activitiesand locations including drilling, overburden loading and unloading, coal/mineral loading and unloading, coal handling orscreening plant, exposed overburden dump, stock yard, workshop, exposed pit surface, transport road and haul road. Validation of the study was carried out through Fugitive Dust Model (FDM) and Point, Area and Line sources model (PAL2) by assigning the measured emission rate for each mining activity, meteorologicaldata and other details of the respective mine as an input to the models. Both the models were run separately for the same set ofinput data for each mine to get the predicted SPM concentrationat three receptor locations for each mine. The receptor locationswere selected such a way that at the same places the actual filedmeasurement were carried out for SPM concentration. Statisticalanalysis was carried out to assess the performance of the modelsbased on a set measured and predicted SPM concentration data. The value of coefficient of correlation for PAL2 and FDM was calculated to be 0.990-0.994 and 0.966-0.997, respectively, which shows a fairly good agreement between measured and predicted values of SPM concentration. The average index of agreement values for PAL2 and FDM was found to be 0.665 and0.752, respectively, which represents that the prediction by PAL2 and FDM models are accurate by 66.5 and 75.2%, respectively. These indicate that FDM model is more suited for Indian mining conditions.     

Dichloromethane Marine Risk Assessment with Special Reference to the Osparcom Region: North Sea

This risk assessment on dichloromethane was carried out specifically for the marine environment, following methodology given in the EU risk assessment Regulation (1488/94) and Guidance Document of the EU New and Existing Substances Regulation (TGD, 1997). The study consists of collection and evaluation of data on effects and environmental concentrations from analytical monitoring programs in large rivers and estuaries in the North Sea area. The risk is indicated by the ratio of 'predicted environmental concentrations' (PEC) to 'predicted no-effect concentrations' (PNEC) for the marine aquatic environment. In total, 23 studies for fish, 17 studies for invertebrates and 6 studies for algae were evaluated. Both acute and chronic toxicity studies were taken into account and appropriate assessment factors used to define a PNEC value of 830 microg/l. Most of the available monitoring data apply to rivers and estuaries and were used to calculate PECs. The most recent data (1983--1995) support a typical PEC for dichloromethane lower than 0.2 microg/l and a worst case PEC of 13.6 microg/l. Dichloromethane is not a 'toxic, persistent and liable to bioaccumulate' substance sensu the Oslo and Paris Conventions for the Prevention of Marine Pollution (OSPAR-DYNAMEC). The calculated PEC/PNEC ratios give margins of 60 to 4000 between the PNEC and PEC, dilution within the sea would further increase these margins. It can be concluded that the present use of dichloromethane does not present a risk to the marine aquatic environment.     

试谈采用新材料防腐蚀与化工安全生产

试谈采用新材料防腐蚀与化工安全生产锦西化工总厂徐伟，谷宝春腐蚀与事故腐蚀严重地影响化工生产正常进行，在化工厂由于腐蚀引起的破坏事故约占整个设备事故的５０％以上。氯碱生产是腐蚀性最为严重的行业，其所用原料、中间产品、成品都具有强烈的腐蚀作用。这些酸、碱...     

中国城市地震灾害危险度评价

应用中国历史上发生的M≥4的6759条地震信息和2000年中国672个城市的有关信息,采用中国城市近源地震等效震级和城市地震灾害承灾体易损性指数CV,构建了中国城市地震灾害危险度指数W X,并编制了相应的分布图.研究表明:中国41.82%的城市历史上发生过≥4的近源地震.CV高值城市的分布与我国城市群、城市带的分布并不一致.华北地区、台湾岛地区是我国城市高危险度的高密集区,其次是福建广东沿海、云南省、新疆天山山脉等地区.WX值在3.0以上的37个城市应作为国家减轻地震灾害的重点城市.     

西北太平洋热带气旋风险分析

选取1949-2000年西北太平洋每6小时热带气旋中心位置的风速资料,统计了2×2经纬度网格的热带气旋中心位置次数,并构造了风速强度指数分析其大风强度.同时,选取风速为指标,计算了西北太平洋热带气旋风险,给出了10年一遇、20年一遇和50年一遇大风分布图.结果表明:(1)热带气旋中心点位置基本集中在以中国南海、菲律宾群岛以东以及马里亚纳群岛附近这3个地区,与热带气旋发生源地和路径频率图较为一致;(2)风速强度指数和热带气旋中心位置次数的分布相差不大,但风速强度指数最高值范围明显比热带气旋中心位置次数高值区分布范围广;(3)西北太平洋热带气旋最大风速的概率分布呈指数函数分布,主要分布在小于50m/s的范围内,小75m/s的大风占到99.41%,75m/s以上的大风比较罕见;(4)10年一遇和20一遇热带气旋大风高值区主要分布在菲律宾群岛附近、南海南部及台湾岛以东的地区,相对集中,而50年一遇风速分布图中,具有多个高值中心.     

中国救灾物资代储点优化布局研究

优化国家救灾物资代储点布局的目标是要提高我国的自然灾害应急响应能力和救灾时效性.构建了自然灾害发生过程中交通应急响应能力的评价指标和模型,包括陆地综合通行能力指数、空运通达时间和陆地交通通达时间,编制了相应的数字地图.结果表明:全国陆地交通综合通行能力在地域上是不平衡的,东南地区远远大于西北地区,其中以环渤海、长三角、珠三角地区最大;从通达时间来看,要以现有的10个代储点为中心来覆盖全国,空运至少需要7h,陆地交通运输至少需要48h,这使得许多地区的交通应急响应能力因运输时间过长而降低.最后,提出了国家救灾物资代储点的优化布局方案,建议新增6个代储点,以此实现灾中空运3h,全国各地均可送达救灾物资;陆运6h,全国近90%的地区可送达救灾物资.     

Public health aspects of volcanic hazards; Evaluation and prevention of excessive morbidity and mortality due to natural disasters

This is a summary of the proceedings of sessions on Volcanic Hazards at the First International Symposium on Public Health in Asia and the Pacific Basin, held 3–11th March 1983, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Symposium was sponsored by the Association of Schools of Public Health, the U.S. Public Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the South Pacific Commission, and the East–West Center of the University of Hawaii. The full proceedings are being prepared for publication. The Symposium was supported in part by: The Pan American Health Organization and The Amoco Foundation.     

Trihalomethane formation potential of filter isolates of electrolyte-extractable soil organic carbon

Certain organic C moieties of soil origin in drinking source waters of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) can react with chlorine to form trihalomethanes (THMs) during the disinfection process. Isolation and characterization of them and quantitation of their THM formation potential (THMFP) is necessary for developing effective strategies to reduce their influxes in Delta waters and for removing them during drinking water treatment. In this study, organic C from two Delta soils was extracted using deionized H(2)O and four Na- or Ca-based electrolytes of varying electrical conductivity values. Extracts were filtered into particulate, colloidal, fine colloidal, and soluble organic C for quantitation and THMFP determination. Results suggested that <1.5% of soil organic C was electrolyte-extractable. The soluble organic C fraction from both soils dominated in quantity and THMFP. Electrolyte effects were cation dependent. Sodium-based electrolytes at either conductivity level did not significantly decrease extractable organic C (EOC) or THMFP compared with deionized H(2)O. In contrast, Ca-based electrolytes reduced EOC and THMFP by >50% even at 1 dS m(-1). Further increase in Ca concentration did not significantly decrease EOC or THMFP. Most reduction in EOC and THMFP by Ca-based electrolytes occurred with the fractions other than the soluble organic C. Results suggested that under natural soil leaching and runoff conditions, the majority of THMFP is associated with organic C of <0.025 mum in diameter. Further molecular characterization of the fractions with high THMFP may help understand the nature of chlorine-reactive organic C from Delta soils.