Vehicle emission implications of drivers’ smart advisory system for traffic operations in work zones

Wireless communication systems have been broadly applied in various complicated traffic operations to improve mobility and safety on roads, which may raise a concern about the implication of the new technology on vehicle emissions. This paper explores how the wireless communication systems improve drivers’ driving behaviors and its contributions to the emission reduction, in terms of Operating Mode (OpMode) IDs distribution used in emission estimation. A simulated work zone with completed traffic operation was selected as a test bed. Sixty subjects were recruited for the tests, whose demographic distribution was based on the Census data in Houston, Texas. A scene of a pedestrian’s crossing in the work zone was designed for the driving test. Meanwhile, a wireless communication system called Drivers Smart Advisory System (DSAS) was proposed and introduced in the driving simulation, which provided drivers with warning messages in the work zone. Two scenarios were designed for a leading vehicle as well as for a following vehicle driving through the work zone, which included a base test without any wireless communication systems, and a driving test with the trigger of the DSAS. Subjects’ driving behaviors in the simulation were recorded to evaluate safety and estimate the vehicle emission using the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released emission model MOVES. The correlation between drivers’ driving behavior and the distribution of the OpMode ID during each scenario was investigated. Results show that the DSAS was able to induce drivers to accelerate smoothly, keep longer headway distance and stop earlier for a hazardous situation in the work zone, which driving behaviors result in statistically significant reduction in vehicle emissions for almost all studied air pollutants (p-values range from 4.10E-51 to 2.18E-03). The emission reduction was achieved by the switching the distribution of the OpMode IDs from higher emission zones to lower emission zones.

Implications: Transportation section is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Many studies demonstrate that the wireless communication system dedicated for safety and mobility issues may contribute to the induction in vehicle emissions through changing driving behaviors. An insight into the correlation between the driving behaviors and the distribution of Operating Mode (OpMode) IDs is essential to enhance the emission reduction. The result of this study shows that with a Drivers Smart Advisory System (DSAS) drivers accelerated smoothly and stopped earlier for a hazardous situation, which induce the switch of the OpMode IDs from high emission zones to lower emission zones.     

Effects of cadmium on forearm bone density after reduction of exposure for 10 years in a Chinese population

The main focus of this study was to evaluate long term effects of cadmium on forearm bone mineral density after stopping ingestion of cadmium-polluted rice for 10 years in a Chinese population. A total of 532 persons (338 women and 194 men), living in control, moderately and heavily polluted areas, were included in this study. The residents living in the polluted area ceased ingesting cadmium-polluted rice in 1996. All participants were require to answer a questionnaire and the bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the proximal radius and ulna. Samples of urine and blood were collected for determination of cadmium in urine (UCd) and blood (BCd).The BMD of subjects living in the heavily polluted area was significantly lower than that of those living in control area in both men and women (p < 0.01). For the people living in the moderately polluted area, only the women's BMD was greatly lower compared to that in the control area (p < 0.05). The BMD declined with the increasing BCd and UCd in both sexes, especially in the highest level (BCd > 5 µg/L, UCd > 10 µg/g crea) groups (p < 0.01). It was found that there were significant differences in the prevalence of osteoporosis among the different areas (χ² = 13.046, p = 0.0003) and different UCd groups (χ² = 4.511, p = 0.0337) in women, but not in men (χ² = 0.962, p = 0.3268; χ² = 1.906, p = 0.1675). But a significant difference exists in the prevalence of osteoporosis among different BCd groups in both genders (χ² = 9.304, p = 0.00229, in women; χ² = 4603, p = 0.0319, in men). This study suggested that cadmium could play a long-term role on bone and more attention should be paid to cadmium effects on bone metabolism after reduction of exposure.     

中国水产养殖规划现状分析与对策

水产养殖规划可以降低水产养殖和水环境之间的不确定性、减少水产养殖活动的外部不经济性、提高水资源的利用效率,对中国水产养殖的可持续发展有重要作用.对已实施的水产养殖规划的现状分析结果表明,存在着水产养殖规划基础与水产养殖规划实施间的不协凋性、环境影响评价环节的缺失和水产养殖规划的实施效果蔗等主要现象.其根本原因是现有水产养殖相关制度的配置不完善.应从环境影响评价与水产养殖规划的集成关系入手,通过完善水产养殖容量的估算、水产养殖的技术与经济评估指标、制度和相关利益者分析与评估的方法和指标,建立水产养殖规划的技术体系.引入第三方评审制度以监督规划环境影响评价的质量.     

金融危机为中国环境保护事业带来新契机的探讨

由美国次贷危机引发的金融危机已对全球经济产生巨大冲击,也将给世界环境保护工作带来负面效应.客观分析了此次金融危机对中国环境保护带来的挑战和契机,明确指出应充分利用这次契机,除依靠国家宏观经济政策的扶持外,还要通过产业内部调整和完善来积极应对.大力促进中国环境保护事业的新发展.     

壳聚糖/纳米CdS复合颗粒可见光光催化降解猩红B动力学研究

采用仿生矿化法制备了壳聚糖/纳米CdS复合颗粒光催化剂,并用于可见光光催化降解猩红B染料模拟废水,研究了猩红B初始浓度、pH、催化剂投加量和催化剂重复使用次数等因素对猩红B光催化降解的影响.X射线衍射(XRD)分析表明,壳聚糖能有效负载CdS纳米微晶.采用Langmuir-Hinshelwood模型描述壳聚糖/纳米CdS复合颗粒可见光光催化降解猩红B反应动力学行为,在猩红B初始质量浓度较低(≤20 mg/L)时,光催化降解过程符合假一级动力学方程.降低猩红B初始浓度和溶液pH都可显著增大光催化降解速率常数;催化剂投加量小于0.7 g/L时,光催化降解速率随其增加而增大,但催化剂投加量过大会使光催化降解速率减小;催化剂重复使用第5次时,猩红B光催化降解速率常数仍为第1次使用时的63.4%.     

CaO/SiO2对流化床焚烧飞灰熔融过程中重金属挥发的影响

对掺煤混烧的流化床焚烧飞灰熔融过程中重金属在气相(吸收率)中和固相(固定率)中的分布进行了研究,并采用HNO3-NaOH2级吸收方式对气相重金属进行了吸收.结果表明,CaO/SiO2(摩尔比)对重金属的迁移行为有重要影响,CaO/SiO2降低,Cd、Pb固定率总体呈上升趋势;2级吸收对气相重金属的吸收有限,大部分重金属主要溶解在HNO3吸收液中,但NaOH吸收液对Cr的吸收效果好于HNO3吸收液;氯对重金属的挥发有重要影响,当重金属以氯化物形式存在时,其挥发受到SiO2的限制.随着SiO2含量增加,挥发率降低.     

低压稳流过滤器的研制及在油田污水处理中的应用

为了解决大庆油田现有核桃壳、石英砂过滤器反冲洗憋压、跑料和滤料再生困难等问题,在对原有过滤装置分析的基础上,根据反冲洗特性,对过滤器进行了改造,开发出低压稳流核桃壳过滤器和低压稳流石英砂过滤器。经现场测试,核桃壳过滤器反冲洗压力由原来的0.15～0.5 MPa降低到0.03～0.08 MPa,石英砂过滤器反冲洗压力由原来的0.27～0.46 MPa降低到0.17～0.20 MPa,且均能实现罐群水反冲洗。改造后核桃壳过滤器出水油平均含量13.4 mg/L,平均去除率为78.1%;出水悬浮物平均含量20.5 mg/L,平均去除率为55%。改造后石英砂过滤器出水油平均含量5 mg/L以下,平均去除率达到75%以上;出水悬浮物平均含量为9.8 mg/L,去除率达到80%以上。为了进一步提高过滤效果,在二级滤前投加絮凝剂形成微絮凝过滤工艺,出水悬浮物可达到3 mg/L,通过两级过滤达到特低渗透地层回注水标准。     

生活垃圾加载介质层填埋法对初期渗滤液污染抑制效果研究

以传统卫生填埋柱R2为对照,通过往生物反应器填埋柱R1内加载可渗透反应介质层1和2进行模拟试验,主要探讨了填埋柱R1垃圾渗滤液COD、总氮、氨氮及总磷的变化趋势,探索一种新型的加载介质层垃圾填埋处理方法。试验结果表明,填埋20周后, R1柱COD浓度基本维持在40 000～45 000 mg/L间,约为R2柱的20%～30%;第24周,R1柱总氮和氨氮分别为206.5 mg/L和167.3 mg/L,在16～24周内,R1总氮和氨氮分别约为R2的14.5%～17.5%和36.2%～43.6%;18周时,R1柱总磷达最大值1.704 mg/L,至第24周降为0.673 mg/L, 整个实验过程R1柱总磷约为R2的0.15%～0.56%。     

活性污泥体系中聚糖菌的富集与鉴定

活性污泥体系中,聚糖菌(GAOs)在厌氧环境下与聚磷菌(PAOs)形成对底物的竞争关系,对聚糖菌的研究对于优化生物除磷工艺有重要意义。以葡萄糖为惟一碳源,在磷限制条件下,利用特殊运行方式对活性污泥进行驯化培养出了稳定的聚糖菌颗粒污泥,厌氧阶段磷释放量与有机物吸收量浓度(mg/L)比从7.4%下降为0.25%。从培养好的活性污泥反应器中分离获得2株聚糖菌,经菌落PCR和16S rRNA序列分析确定了所得聚糖菌菌株G1和菌株G2分别是枯草芽孢杆菌(Bacillus subtilis)和解鸟氨酸克雷伯氏菌(Klebsiella ornithinolytica)。     

沸石改性及其去除水中氨氮的实验研究

通过实验研究了沸石改性条件及其对水中氨氮吸附去除的影响。结果表明,加热改性与无机酸改性不能显著提高沸石对氨氮的吸附量。利用NaOH改性的最佳浓度为1 mol/L,此条件下对氨氮吸附量可提高到650.68 mg/kg,为天然沸石的2.82倍。利用无机盐改性时,对氨氮吸附效果最好的是NaCl改性沸石,其次为KCl改性沸石与CaCl₂改性沸石。随着NaCl溶液浓度和改性时间的增加,改性沸石对氨氮的吸附量显著增加,可达天然沸石的3～4倍;在NaCl浓度为150 g/L与改性时间为18 h条件下,改性沸石对氨氮吸附量可达887.35 mg/kg,为天然沸石的3.84倍。