Release of uranium from rock matrix--a record of glacial meltwater intrusions?

Uranium release observed in a rock matrix around water-carrying fractures was studied using U-series disequilibrium (USD) modelling and mass balance calculations. Several release scenarios were tested, with specific attention to the glacial aspects. The release appears to have occurred in two or three violent episodes during the last 300 ky. A release after the last glaciation can be excluded on mass flow grounds. Continuous release for more than 300 ky can be excluded on radioactive disequilibrium grounds. Repeated inflows of oxic glacial meltwater seem to have triggered the release episodes.     

Effectiveness of a light-weight ice-vest for body cooling while wearing fire fighter's protective clothing in the heat.

The aim of the study was to examine the effects of wearing an ice-vest (ca 1 kg) on physiological and subjective responses in fire fighters. The experiments were carried out on a treadmill in a hot-dry environment. The physical cooling effect of the ice-vest was measured with a thermal manikin. The ice-vest effectively reduced skin temperatures under the vest. On average, heart rate was 10 beats/min lower, the amount of sweating was reduced by 13%, and subjective sensations of effort and warmth were lower during work with the ice-vest compared to work without it. Thermal manikin tests indicated that the useful energy available from the vest for body cooling was rather high (58%). In conclusion, the ice-vest reduces physiological and subjective strain responses during heavy work in the heat, and may promote efficient work time by 10%.     

波罗的海未来冰情的数值研究

全球气候变化被认为对波罗的海物理和生态特性有影响.通过全球海气循环模型(AOGCM)的结果统计或动态缩减规模法可以预测未来气候对某一地区的影响.本文用两种不同的波罗的海冰-海耦合模型来模拟现在和未来约100年的冰情.已使用大气气候模型进行了两次以10年为期限的模拟实验,一个实验说明了工业化前的气候状况l检验模拟).另一个是CO2这种温室气体浓度增加150%时的全球气候变暖实验(方案模拟).模型模拟真实地再现了当前气候学冰情和一年里的变化.两个模型模拟的波罗的海每年最大结冰范围是l80～420×10xkm2(检验模拟)和45～270×103km2(方案模拟).检验模拟和方案模拟中每年的最大冰厚分别是32～96cm和11～60cm.对比早期的预测,海冰仍是每年冬天在波的尼亚湾北部和芬兰湾最东部形成总之,两个模型模拟得到的量的变化--像结冰范围和冰厚及其一年里的变化等--相对相似,这是值得注意的.因为这两个冰-海耦合模拟系统是独立研制的.这增加了预测波罗的海未来冰情的可靠性.     

Deposition of gamma emitters from Chernobyl accident and their transfer in lichen-soil columns

Lichen-soil column samples were taken from several locations in the Southern Finland between 1986 and 2006. Columns were divided into three parts, upper lichen, lower lichen and underlying soil, and their gamma emitting radionuclides, (134)Cs, (137)Cs, (103)Ru, (95)Zr, (106)Ru, (110m)Ag, (125)Sb and (144)Ce, were measured with gamma spectrometry. Deposition values were calculated as Bq/m(2) for each sampling site. Distribution of various radionuclides in the three compartments as a function of time was determined. Both effective and ecological half-lives of all radionuclides were calculated for upper lichen, whole lichen and whole lichen-soil column. A linear relation was derived between the physical half-lives and effective half-lives for whole lichen and for whole lichen-soil column. Reindeer meat activity concentrations of various radionuclides and ensuing radiation doses to reindeer-herding people were also estimated for a hypothetical case where a similar high radioactive pollution, as was taken place in the Southern Finland, would have occurred in the reindeer-herding areas in the Finnish Lapland.     

Urea as a PCDD/F Inhibitor in Municipal Waste Incineration

ABSTRACT

Emissions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) from municipal waste incineration have been widely studied because of their extensive toxicity, and many efforts have been made to restrict their emissions. Although a number of chemical compounds have been shown in laboratory-scale tests to inhibit the formation of PCDD/Fs, few have been tested in pilot- or full-scale plants. This work evaluates the effect of urea as a PCDD/F inhibitor in a pilot-scale incinerator that uses refuse-derived fuel (RDF). The decomposition of urea under the test conditions was also studied using detailed kinetic modeling. An aqueous solution of urea was injected into the flue gas stream after the furnace at ~730 °C, with varied urea concentrations and flue gas residence times used between the furnace and the sampling point. The results demonstrate that urea can successfully inhibit PCDD/F formation in waste incineration if concentrations and injection points are properly adjusted. The kinetic model showed that urea can be rapidly decomposed under appropriate flue gas conditions, indicating that in addition to the urea molecule itself, decomposition products of urea can also be responsible for the reduction of PCDD/F production during incineration.     

Release of uranium from rock matrix—a record of glacial meltwater intrusions?

Uranium release observed in a rock matrix around water-carrying fractures was studied using U-series disequilibrium (USD) modelling and mass balance calculations. Several release scenarios were tested, with specific attention to the glacial aspects. The release appears to have occurred in two or three violent episodes during the last 300 ky. A release after the last glaciation can be excluded on mass flow grounds. Continuous release for more than 300 ky can be excluded on radioactive disequilibrium grounds. Repeated inflows of oxic glacial meltwater seem to have triggered the release episodes.     

Recent trends of biocides in pikes of the Lake Päijänne

Pikes were sampled in May 1980 from three areas of the Lake Päijänne, Finland and analyzed for their contents of total mercury, methyl mercury, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), DDE, PCB and chlorophenolic residues. An improved method for methyl mercury determination was applied and 82–84 % methylation of mercury in pikes regardless of area or biological variation was observed. Statistical analysis with previous results from the same areas gave a very significant decreasing trend of mercury levels at all three areas from 1970 to 1980. Future levels of mercury in fish to be consumed as food could be estimated from the trend regression. The very low levels of DDE and PCB showed some increasing trend when the influence of fat contents was eliminated by covariance analysis. General appearance of HCB at sub-ppb level was observed. Also pentachlorophenol occured at 10–70 ppb (fresh weight) levels at all areas, but the other chlorophenols were abundant only at Tiirinselkä which is most contaminated by pulp bleaching effluents.     

Occurence and fate of polychlorinated aromatic ethers (PCDE, PCA, PCV, PCPA and PCBA) in environment

Analyses of aromatic chloroethers in salmon (Salmo salar), white-tailed eagle (Hailaetus albicilla) and fish liver oil have been performed by improved clean up method which separates polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs), anisoles and veratroles (PCAs and PCVs), phenoxy anisoles and biphenyl anisoles (PCPAs and PCBAs), dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDDs and PCDFs) to different fractions, respectively. Compounds from all these substance groups were detected and many of them identified with authentic model compounds.     

A method for facilitating the use of algae growing on tree trunks as bioindicators of air quality

The abundance of epiphytic green algae has been observed to correlate strongly with air quality in several studies. In contrast to lichens, the abundance of green algae is difficult to measure accurately by visual observation. A new method based on photography and digital image processing was developed to estimate the chlorophyll content of algae growing on the bark of pine. Calibration data for the method was collected from polluted areas by spectrophotometric analysis of chlorophyll density.