Reduction of external dose in a wet-contaminated housing area in the Bryansk Region, Russia

An investigation of the feasibility of reducing the external dose rate in a recreational housing area located between the settlements of Guta and Muravinka, Bryansk Region, Russia, which had been contaminated by the Chernobyl accident more than a decade earlier was made. Removal of contaminated topsoil was carried out over an area of about 2000 m2, optimising the thickness of the removed layer according to an assessment of the vertical contaminant distribution. A layer of clean sand was applied to shield against radiation from residual contamination in the ground. Careful monitoring of dose rates in reference positions showed that this could reduce the dose rate outdoors by about a factor of 6. The replacement of a roof was found to reduce the dose rate considerably inside the house. A cost analysis of the operation is presented.     

The importance of outlier detection and training set selection for reliable environmental QSAR predictions

Empirical QSAR models are only valid in the domain they were trained and validated. Application of the model to substances outside the domain of the model can lead to grossly erroneous predictions. Partial least squares (PLS) regression provides tools for prediction diagnostics that can be used to decide whether or not a substance is within the model domain, i.e. if the model prediction can be trusted. QSAR models for four different environmental end-points are used to demonstrate the importance of appropriate training set selection and how the reliability of QSAR predictions can be increased by outlier diagnostics. All models showed consistent results; test set prediction errors were very similar in magnitude to training set estimation errors when prediction outlier diagnostics were used to detect and remove outliers in the prediction data. Test set prediction errors for substances classified as outliers were much larger. The difference in the number of outliers between models with a randomly and systematically selected training illustrates well the need of representative training data.     

大孤山铁矿边坡爆破损伤分区研究

露天矿生产爆破,特别是靠帮爆破在边坡中形成的爆破损伤区对其稳定性具有很大的影响。本文针对大孤山铁矿露天爆破开采的实际情况,建立了极限平衡数值分析模型及峰值速度衰减公式。利用数值分析软件Geoslope对边坡靠帮爆破过程中岩体损伤范围进行了研究,主要分析了在爆破-200--212m水平时,爆破震动对边坡岩体的影响,并利用萨道夫斯基公式和PPV安全判据对爆区周围岩体损伤范围进行了计算。结果表明距离炮孔6.2m以内范围为完全破碎区,6.2-12.4m为岩体重度损伤区,12.4-19.7m为轻微损伤区。数值分析表明距爆源同一距离的岩体质点峰值速度随深度的增加而减小,爆破区周围震动波速成漏斗形分布,同实际爆破情况吻合。     

The presence and partitioning behavior of flame retardants in waste, leachate, and air particles from Norwegian waste-handling facilities

Flame retardants in commercial products eventually make their way into the waste stream.Herein the presence of flame retardants in Norwegian landfills, incineration facilities and recycling sorting/defragmenting facilities is investigated. These facilities handled waste electrical and electronic equipment(WEEE), vehicles, digestate, glass, combustibles, bottom ash and fly ash. The flame retardants considered included polybrominated diphenyl ethers(∑BDE-10) as well as dechlorane plus, polybrominated biphenyls, hexabromobenzene,pentabromotoluene and pentabromoethylbenzene(collectively referred to as ∑FR-7). Plastic,WEEE and vehicles contained the largest amount of flame retardants(∑BDE-10: 45,000–210,000 μg/kg; ∑FR-7: 300–13,000 μg/kg). It was hypothesized leachate and air concentrations from facilities that sort/defragment WEEE and vehicles would be the highest. This was supported for total air phase concentrations(∑BDE-10: 9000–195,000 pg/m~3 WEEE/vehicle facilities, 80–900 pg/m~3 in incineration/sorting and landfill sites), but not for water leachate concentrations(e.g., ∑BDE-10: 15–3500 ng/L in WEEE/Vehicle facilities and 1–250 ng/L in landfill sites). Landfill leachate exhibited similar concentrations as WEEE/vehicle sorting and defragmenting facility leachate. To better account for concentrations in leachates at the different facilities, waste-water partitioning coefficients, Kwastewere measured(for the first time to our knowledge for flame retardants). WEEE and plastic waste had elevated Kwastecompared to other wastes, likely because flame retardants are directly added to these materials. The results of this study have implications for the development of strategies to reduce exposure and environmental emissions of flame retardants in waste and recycled products through improved waste management practices.     

The impact of advances in production technology on industrial injuries: A review of the literature

The paper reviews scientific studies of the past two decades dealing with the effects of advances in production technology on industrial injuries. The main features of these studies and the evidence gathered with regard to injury frequency, severity and characteristics are described. The accident co-determinants pointed to by the studies are highlighted. Methodological and theoretical shortcomings are discussed, and a research agenda comprising five questions is proposed. The fairest conclusion at this stage is that technological change may have positive effects with regard to injury occurrence and also promote personal well-being. But the conditions and moderating factors enabling favorable outcomes are not yet fully understood.     

Mapping Hotspots of Threatened Species Traded in Bushmeat Markets in the Cross–Sanaga Rivers Region

Bushmeat markets exist in many countries in West and Central Africa, and data on species sold can be used to detect patterns of wildlife trade in a region. We surveyed 89 markets within the Cross–Sanaga rivers region, West Africa. In each market, we counted the number of carcasses of each taxon sold. During a 6‐month period (7594 market days), 44 mammal species were traded. Thirteen species were on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List or protected under national legislation, and at least 1 threatened species was traded in 88 of the 89 markets. We used these data to identify market groups that traded similar species assemblages. Using cluster analyses, we detected 8 market groups that were also geographically distinct. Market groups differed in the diversity of species, evenness of species, and dominant, prevalent, and characteristic species traded. We mapped the distribution of number of threatened species traded across the study region. Most threatened species were sold in markets nearest 2 national parks, Korup National Park in Cameroon and Cross River in Nigeria. To assess whether the threatened‐species trade hotspots coincided with the known ranges of these species, we mapped the overlap of all threatened species traded. Markets selling more threatened species overlapped with those regions that had higher numbers of these. Our study can provide wildlife managers in the region with better tools to discern zones within which to focus policing efforts and reduce threats to species that are threatened by the bushmeat trade. Mapeo de Sitios Críticos para Especies Amenazadas Comercializadas en Mercados de Vida Silvestre en la Región de los Ríos Cross‐Sanaga     

Report: waste refinery in the municipality of Bor?s.

This paper briefly describes waste treatment trends in Sweden and describes an example of state-of-the-art treatment in a local integrated waste treatment system (Bor?s). The focus is on treatment of household waste, to illustrate what can be done to establish a sustainable waste treatment system with high recovery of materials and energy. The various processes have resulted in a low amount of landfilled household waste, and high proportions of recovered energy and materials. Heat, electricity, vehicle fuel and fertilizers, metals and construction materials are recovered from the local waste in Bor?s, with less than 4% of domestic waste being sent to landfill.     

The role of the amphipod <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gammarus locusta</Emphasis> as a grazer on macroalgae in Swedish seagrass meadows

Mesograzers are thought to play a critical role in seagrass beds by preventing overgrowth of ephemeral algae. On the Swedish west coast, eelgrass Zostera marina has decreased in recent decades as a result of eutrophication and increased growth of macroalgal mats (mainly filamentous Ulva spp. and Ectocarpales), with no indication of grazer control of the algae. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of the amphipod Gammarus locusta to control algal blooms during nutrient-enriched and ambient conditions, using a combination of laboratory, field and model studies. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that juvenile and adult G. locusta could consume both Ulva spp. and Ectocarpales, but that consumption of Ulva spp. was significantly higher. Cannibalism was common in individual treatments involving multiple size-classes of G. locusta, but only large, male gammarids consumed smaller juveniles in the presence of Ulva spp. as an alternative food source. However, no negative effects of cannibalism were found on total grazing impact. A model using size-specific grazing rates and growth rates of G. locusta and of Ulva spp. suggests that approximately 62 young juvenile, or 27 adult G. locusta are needed per gram DW of Ulva spp. to control the algal growth during ambient nutrient conditions, and approximately 2.6 times as many gammarids during enhanced nutrient conditions. On the Swedish west coast, densities and mean sizes of G. locusta in eelgrass beds are below these critical values, suggesting that the gammarids will not be able to control the growth of the filamentous macroalgae. However, in the field cage experiment, immigration of juveniles and reproduction of encaged adult G. locusta resulted in unexpectedly high densities of G. locusta (>4,000 individual m⁻²), and very low biomass of Ulva spp. in both ambient and nutrient-enriched treatments. Although the high numbers of juveniles in all cages precluded any significant treatment effects, this suggests that in the absent of predators, the population of G. locusta can grow significantly and control the biomass of Ulva spp. Furthermore, low grazing of Ectocarpales in the laboratory and high biomass of these filamentous brown algae in the field indicate a preference for the more palatable green algae Ulva spp. This study indicates that the high grazing capacity of G. locusta, in combination with high reproduction and growth rates, would allow the amphipod to play a key role in Z. marina ecosystems by controlling destructive blooms of filamentous green algae. However, high predation pressure appears to prevent large populations of G. locusta in eelgrass beds on the Swedish west coast today.     

Caesium-137 in Perch in Swedish Lakes after Chernobyl-present situation, relationships and trends

The Chernobyl accident, and the general acidification of Swedish water systems, form the base for this project. The aims of the work have been to present results on the linkage between the concentration of Cs-137 in fish, lake load of Cs and lake characteristics, to give a preliminary prognosis on the recovery, and to put the results within a wider framework of environmental hazard analysis. A broad set of data on limnology, morphometry and drainage area conditions from 41 lakes were collected during 1986 and 1987. Cs-137 was determined in 1 + perch (Cs-pe, 1-year-old perch), water, material collected by sediment traps and from surficial sediments. The main results are as follows. The average value of Cs-pe for all lakes has dropped from 9800 Bq kg(-1) (wet) to 5040 between the 2 years. Generally, the decrease is between 5 and 90%. We have tested if any factor(s) could be specifically linked to this decrease-no such factors have been found. The concentrations of Cs in sediment traps have, on average, decreased by 80%. Very high correlations exist between Cs-pe and the caesium load as determined from the sediment traps. Between 1 and 10% (mean 3.9%) of the initial fall-out deposition to the drainage area was transported from land to water during June to August 1986. The variation in initial fall-out deposition explains 65-69% of the variability in Cs-pe; the degree of explanation (= coefficient of determination, r2) increases to about 85% if one also takes into account the lake water hardness and totP. A map showing with lakes likely to have 1 + perch with higher mean Cs-concentrations than 1500 Bq kg(-1) wet is presented. Between 4000 and 7000 lakes in Sweden appear to have Cs-pe higher than 1500 Bq kg(-1) wet, figures which emphasize the serious impact of the Chernobyl accident on the environmental conditions in Sweden.