The value of Seasonal Correction Factors in assessing the health risk from domestic radon: a case study in Northamptonshire, UK

Following an intensive survey of domestic radon levels in the United Kingdom (UK), the former National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), now the Radiation Protection Division of the Health Protection Agency (HPA-RPD), established a measurement protocol and promulgated Seasonal Correction Factors applicable to the country as a whole. Radon levels in the domestic built environment are assumed to vary systematically and repeatably during the year, being generally higher in winter. The Seasonal Correction Factors therefore comprise a series of numerical multipliers, which convert a 1-month or 3-month radon concentration measurement, commencing in any month of the year, to an effective annual mean radon concentration. In a recent project undertaken to assess the utility of short-term exposures in quantifying domestic radon levels, a comparative assessment of a number of integrating detector types was undertaken, with radon levels in 34 houses on common geology monitored over a 12-month period using dose-integrating track-etch detectors exposed in pairs (one upstairs, one downstairs) at 1-month and 3-month resolution. Seasonal variability of radon concentrations departed significantly from that expected on the basis of the HPA-RPD Seasonal Correction Factor set, with year-end discontinuities at both 1-month and 3-month measurement resolutions. Following this study, monitoring with electrets was continued in four properties, with weekly radon concentration data now available for a total duration in excess of three and a half years. Analysis of this data has permitted the derivation of reliable local Seasonal Correction Factors. Overall, these are significantly lower than those recommended by HPA-RPD, but are comparable with other results from the UK and from abroad, particularly those that recognise geological diversity and are consequently prepared on a regional rather than a national basis. This finding calls into question the validity of using nationally aggregated Seasonal Correction Factors, especially for shorter exposures, and the universal applicability of these corrections is discussed in detail.     

Assessment of ecological risk from bioaccumulation of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in a coastal lagoon

The ecological risk posed by dioxin-like PCBs and PCDD/Fs congeners mixtures in five organisms representative of the food web of the lagoon of Venice (Italy) was estimated by applying the US-EPA [US-EPA. Guidelines for Ecological Risk Assessment. EPA/630/R-95/002F. Final Report. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC; 1998.] procedure. Experimental concentrations of dioxin-like PCBs and PCDD/Fs in sediments, water, and organisms in six lagoon zones were used to define the spatial distribution of the pollutant homolog patterns. The Principal Component Analysis of homolog patterns in biota permitted to remark the difference between PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs bioaccumulation. Dioxin-like PCBs were found almost unaltered in all selected organisms, while PCDD/Fs homologs underwent an enrichment of low chlorinated furans in fish. The ecological risk for the dioxin-like PCBs and PCDD/Fs was estimated in the selected lagoon zones according to the Hazard Quotient approach by comparing the biota experimental concentrations in TEQ with an Internal No Effect Concentration of the 2,3,7,8-TCDD, estimated from both Ambient Quality Criteria and literature toxicity data. A high potential risk was found for benthic biota (i.e. clam and crab) and for mussel, while a negligible risk was estimated for fish. Moreover, the ecological risk resulted higher in the central part of the lagoon, and lower in the northern lagoon. Finally, the comparison between the TEQ concentrations of each homolog in biota and the estimated ecological risk highlighted that the risk was determined essentially by lower chlorinated PCDD/Fs (i.e. pentachloro and hexachloro PCDD/Fs), and by pentachloro-PCBs. These compounds should be regarded as homologs of concern and preferentially investigated in environmental monitoring of sediment, water, and biota.     

云贵高原湖区湖泊营养物生态分区技术方法研究

提出一种基于主成分分析、聚类分析、判别分析和空间自相关的分区模型,用于对云贵高原湖区湖泊营养物生态分区的研究.首先运用主成分分析方法对众多指标进行了降维综合处理,产生彼此互补相关又能综合反映湖区情况的4个新指标,累计贡献率达到93.69%,具有充分的代表性,构建了云贵高原湖区湖泊营养物生态分区指标体系.在此基础上,根据各区域新指标值,结合聚类模型初步将湖泊流域分为5类,再利用判别分析完成非湖泊流域的类别判别,最后运用空间自相关分析方法,按聚类结果进行全局自相关分析,Moran’sI为0.320,且检验值Z值为68.2,远大于临界值(显著水平1%所对应的临界值2.58),表明聚类结果与空间位置具有显著相关性,之后运用局部自相关对区域各因素的主成分综合得分的空间分布格局进行了量化分析,揭示了零散分类区块在空间地域分布上的关联和差异,根据关联结果完成最终的分区.结果表明,利用此分区模型可以尽量避免人为因素,得到更为客观的分区结果,具有良好的适应性和可行性,可为探索适合我国湖泊营养物生态分区的指标体系和分区技术方法,完成全国湖泊营养物生态分区和科学地制定我国湖泊营养物基准和富营养化控制标准提供技术支持.     

春季太湖光量子产额空间分布的特征分析

基于2009年4月28日、5月4日、5月5日及5月6日在太湖梅梁湾的栈桥头、直湖港的河口区、太湖中心及胥口湾中心测定的初级生产力及水下光场数据,计算了各测点的藻类光量子产额和P-I曲线,并分析了其空间差异的特征.太湖栈桥头的P-I曲线呈现出明显的光抑制现象;在胥口湾中心和直湖港河口,P-I曲线呈现出弱的光抑制现象;而在太湖中心区域,P-I曲线只达到了光饱和状态,并未出现光抑制现象.单位叶绿素a的最大光量子产额的大小顺序为太湖中心区域、梅梁湾的栈桥头、直湖港的河口区及胥口湾的湖心区.     

Effects of Cu（Ⅱ） and humic acid on atrazine photodegradation

This work was designed to explore the characteristics of photodegradation of herbicides in the copper-polluted water body. The results showed that Cu(II) alone could induce a photo Fenton-like reaction to enhance the degradation of atrazine, in which hydroxyl radical ( OH) was a main active species. Humic acids restrained atrazine degradation, nevertheless, when introducing Cu(II), the photodegradation was accelerated, in which singlet oxygen (1O2) replaced OH acting as the prevailing species. A feasible mechanism for the photochemical process was also proposed, which is helpful for better understanding the environmental photochemistry of atrazine in the copper-polluted water.     

中心组合设计优化S-Cr-TiO2催化剂光降解工艺条件

在确定的温度和光照条件下,采用中心组合设计法研究了固相反应法合成的硫与铬共掺杂二氧化钛(S-Cr-TiO2)光催化剂与水溶苯胺蓝(ANB)可见光降解过程中的三个作用因子:催化剂的浓度、水溶苯胺蓝水溶液的pH值及其初始浓度之间的相互作用关系,得到了影响因子与降解速率之间的回归方程及因素之间相互作用的响应面图.结果表明,S...     

酵母融合菌对Cr的吸附性能及机理分析

研究了酵母融合菌R32对Cr的吸附性能及机理.结果表明,该菌对Cr(Ⅵ)有着很好的吸附效果,最佳吸附条件为pH≤3,投菌量为l0g/L(含水率(78±2)%),吸附温度30～35℃,Cr(Ⅵ)的初始浓度≤20mg/L.当Cr(Ⅵ)的初始浓度为10mg/L时,总铬及Cr(Ⅵ)的去除率达93.7%和96.5%,总铬的残留浓...     

聚丙烯中空纤维膜吸收法烟气脱硫实验研究

采用质量分数为30%的甲基二乙醇胺(MDEA)水溶液为烟气SO2吸收液,聚丙烯(PP)中空纤维微孔膜组件为吸收器,研究吸收液温度、流量变化,气体停留时间,以及气液两相流程等操作条件对聚丙烯(PP)中宅纤维膜脱硫率的影响,研究表明30%MDEA水溶液在温度35℃,流量100mL/min的最佳试验条件下,经过一个膜吸收过程...     

以生态足迹法分析评估抚顺市可持续发展

在介绍生态足迹理论和计算模型的基础上,对抚顺市2007年的可持续发展状态进行了实例计算和分析,结果表明抚顺2007年的生态赤字为4.986 3hm2,其城市处于非可持续发展的状态.在此基础上,提出了促进抚顺可持续发展的建议.     

有关斜管沉淀池的上升流速讨论

文章从理论上了分析斜管沉淀池上升流速对沉淀池处理效果的影响,及原水特性与斜管沉淀池上升流速取值的关系。讨论分析斜管沉淀池设计时,应根据原水特性不同选择不同的斜管沉淀池上升流速。