The drivers for contractors’ green innovation: an industry perspective

In the construction industry, contractors have been facing the challenge to meet the emerging needs related to the reduction of environmental impacts during the construction process. Generally, the commitment of efforts and resources from contractors to meet these needs is motivated by the influence exerted from environmental regulations and stakeholder demands. However, managerial environmental concerns and size of firms also account as key factors affecting the adoption of green construction practices. Therefore, the aim of this research is to identify those factors influencing contractors to adopt green construction practices by using data gathered from a survey. From the results, it has been found that managerial concern is the most important driver for the adoption of green practices. Significant relationships have also been found between government regulations and business size with the adoption of green construction practices. However, there is no significant evidence on the relationship among the adoption of green construction practices with perceived stakeholders’ pressures. The findings from this study are significant in the understanding on the factors of green construction management. This knowledge may contribute to better decision-making towards implementing green construction practices.     

Colloidal diatomite, radionickel, and humic substance interaction: a combined batch, XPS, and EXAFS investigation

This work determined the influence of humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) on the interaction mechanism and microstructure of Ni(II) onto diatomite by using batch experiments, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) methods. Macroscopic and spectroscopic experiments have been combined to see the evolution of the interaction mechanism and microstructure of Ni(II) in the presence of HA/FA as compared with that in the absence of HA/FA. The results indicated that the interaction of Ni(II) with diatomite presents the expected solution pH edge at 7.0, which is modified by addition of HA/FA. In the presence of HA/FA, the interaction of Ni(II) with diatomite increased below solution pH 7.0, while Ni(II) interaction decreased above solution pH 7.0. XPS analysis suggested that the enrichment of Ni(II) onto diatomite may be due to the formation of (≡SO)₂Ni. EXAFS results showed that binary surface complexes and ternary surface complexes of Ni(II) can be simultaneously formed in the presence of HA/FA, whereas only binary surface complexes of Ni(II) are formed in the absence of HA/FA, which contribute to the enhanced Ni(II) uptake at low pH values. The results observed in this work are important for the evaluation of Ni(II) and related radionuclide physicochemical behavior in the natural soil and water environment.     

A novel auditory working-memory vigilance task for mental fatigue assessment

An auditory working-memory vigilance task (AWVT), which involves higher mental abilities of a person, like working-memory and decision-making, in addition to vigilance, is presented for measuring human mental fatigue in this paper. A 25-h sleep deprivation study, with hourly testing by AWVT (3 min), PalmPVT (5 min) and self-report of sleepiness, is conducted on eight healthy subjects. The trend of mental fatigue level as measured by a specially proposed score, AWVT Fatigue Index (AFI), during the 25-h study shows very similar pattern to those of PalmPVT lapses and self-report sleepiness. AFI even shows closer correspondence to self-report sleepiness than PalmPVT lapses. This suggests that AWVT is able to measure performance decrement due to sleep deprivation, and it can even provide better measurement of mental fatigue than PalmPVT. AWVT shows a learning curve of less than 3 trials indicating that no skill is required in performing AWVT. Furthermore, repeat studies are done on five of the eight subjects. Pearson’s correlation analysis and other statistical exhibits suggest that AWVT has good test–retest reliability and within subject consistency, which are even better than those of PalmPVT. These results suggest that the AWVT can be used as a reliable objective measure of mental fatigue, and it can even track mental fatigue more accurately than PalmPVT in the real world where most tasks require not just a reaction time type response, but also higher mental abilities.     

Bioconcentration potential and contamination with mercury of pantropical mushroom Macrocybe gigantea

The mushroom Macrocybe gigantea collected from the native stands in the Yunnan Province of China can be considered a species that efficiently bioconcentrates mercury (Hg) because the values of the bioconcentration factor (BCF) calculated for this element were well above unity, i.e., for caps, the BCF ranged from 4.8 to 24 and, for stipes, from 3.6 to 18. The Hg content of the composite samples of caps of the fruit bodies collected in the wild ranged from 0.48 to 1.78 mg kg^?1 dry matter and of stipes from 0.36 to 1.70 mg kg^?1 dry matter, whereas 0.37 and 0.25 mg kg^?1 dry matter were observed for farmed specimens. M. gigantea, because of a large biomass of the fruit bodies that emerge in a cluster, is an important food item in Yunnan, but knowledge on mineral composition and content of this species is largely absent. This study estimated the lifetime average daily dose intake of Hg through mushroom as well as the incremental lifetime cancer risk and non-cancer health hazard to consumers of this mushroom.     

水源区河流非点源污染物入河量计算的水质方程反演方法

以水质一维流方程为基础,建立了水源地区非点源污染物入河量计算的反演模型;计算了浙江省湖州市老虎潭水库水源地区各条支流的非点源污染物入河量;并通过对实测水文水质参数的统计,采用Monte Carlo模拟方法,分析了模型各输入参数的敏感性.由于该模型所有敏感参数都可以实测获得,避免了关键参数取值的人为主观因素的影响,保证了非点源污染过程定量分析的客观性;该模型在计算非点源污染物入河量时不受时间的限制,可以根据研究区域的水文水质监测频率计算任意时段内的非点源污染物入河量.结果表明,该水源区所有溪流中的氮、磷污染物负荷量都与溪流流量呈极显著正相关(r0.90,p0.01),因此,丰水期是非点源污染物入河的集中期;对输入参数的敏感性分析显示,对模型输出结果影响最大的是溪流的流量,其次是段末浓度和背景浓度,综合降解系数和流速的影响较小.     

柠檬酸淋洗去除土壤中铬的实验研究

铬渣污染场地常常对其周边的土壤及地下水造成严重污染,因此,亟需探索修复铬污染土壤及地下水的技术方法.本文以某典型铬渣堆存场地内采集的污染土壤为研究对象,配置了浓度分别为0.01、0.05和0.1 mol·L-1的柠檬酸溶液,通过振荡洗脱批实验和淋洗柱实验对柠檬酸去除土壤中铬的效果和机理进行探讨.实验结果表明,柠檬酸对土壤中可还原态与可氧化态铬的淋洗效果显著优于去离子水,其对土壤中总铬的淋洗率可达80.7%,而去离子水仅为49.9%;在振荡洗脱批实验初期,土壤中50%左右的铬可以快速扩散到溶液中,且不同淋洗剂间淋洗效果无显著差异;柠檬酸的存在,使得反应体系中的六价铬逐渐被还原为三价铬,且还原速率随柠檬酸浓度的升高而增大;p H并非影响柠檬酸去除土壤中铬效果的唯一主要因素,柠檬酸对土壤中铬的去除机制还缘于其对土壤中三价铬的解吸作用.     

便携式ＧＣ-ＭＳ测定空气中有毒物质的应用

文章介绍了便携式气相色谱-质谱联用仪(Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer,GC-MS)的结构原理,结合应急监测的需要,说明了仪器性能参数与分析操作模式,探讨了标准曲线的建立与验证。通过仪器的实际应用,指出该仪器能够解决应急监测中目前存在的对有机污染物难以快速定性、定量的问题。利用捕集浓缩器富集待测定空气中挥发性有机化合物(VOCs),可迅速判断出气体样品中的挥发性有机化合物组分,给出定量测定结果。并根据日常使用情况,总结了便携式GC-MS性能特点。     

大连市南部地区冬季气态总汞浓度特征研究

利用RA-915AM汞监测仪对大连市南部地区冬季环境空气中的气态总汞进行连续监测,研究了该地区气态总汞的污染现状、日变化特征以及与空气质量指数(AQI)和气象参数的关系。结果显示,采样期间气态总汞浓度日均值变化范围为2.1~7.1 ng/m3。气态总汞浓度与AQI具有几乎一致的变化趋势。气态总汞浓度从早晨7:00左右开始逐渐减小,中午时达到最小值,之后又逐渐增大。夜间浓度高于昼间,属于夜间控制型。气态总汞与风速呈显著负相关性,与相对湿度呈显著正相关性,与温度无相关性。     

富营养化饮用水源地山仔水库限制性营养元素研究

世界范围内关于水体富营养化的研究表明,流域尺度上营养盐的控制和削减是修复富营养化水体的关键措施,甄别水体限制性营养元素进而采取相应的控制措施是修复富营养化水体的有效途径.本文在时空格局上分析了富营养化饮用水源地山仔水库的限制性营养元素.结果表明,2003—2012年,山仔水库初级生产力的关键限制性营养元素为磷.秋、冬、春季,水体总磷浓度在0.02~0.09 mg·L-1左右,TN/TP原子比值在35~72之间,表明TP浓度相对低,磷为限制性营养元素;夏季表层水TP浓度在0.06~0.13 mg·L-1左右,TN/TP原子比值在11~13之间,表层水溶解性磷的浓度较低,磷主要蓄积在藻细胞内,由于温跃层的存在,底层释放的磷无法向表层水补给,故溶解态磷相对缺乏.总之季节变化对磷的限制性作用有显著影响.通过对山仔水库2003—2012年水体TP浓度和叶绿素a浓度相关性分析得出,修复水体需要控制的TP浓度阈值为0.028 mg·L-1.根据上述结果综合分析了已采取修复措施的效果,从而进一步提出了山仔水库富营养化的修复策略.