Applications of open-path Fourier transform infrared for identification of volatile organic compound pollution sources and characterization of source emission behaviors

An open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (OP-FTIR) system was set up for 3-day continuous line-averaged volatile organic compound (VOC) monitoring in a paint manufacturing plant. Seven VOCs (toluene, m-xylene, p-xylene, styrene, methanol, acetone, and 2-butanone) were identified in the ambient environment. Daytime-only batch operation mode was well explained by the time-series concentration plots. Major sources of methanol, m-xylene, acetone, and 2-butanone were identified in the southeast direction where paint solvent manufacturing processes are located. However, an attempt to uncover sources of styrene was not successful because the method detection limit (MDL) of the OP-FTIR system was not sensitive enough to produce conclusive data. In the second scenario, the OP-FTIR system was set up in an industrial complex to distinguish the origins of several VOCs. Eight major VOCs were identified in the ambient environment. The pollutant detected wind-rose percentage plots that clearly showed that ethylene, propylene, 2-butanone, and toluene mainly originated from the tank storage area, whereas the source of n-butane was mainly from the butadiene manufacturing processes of the refinery plant, and ammonia was identified as an accompanying reduction product in the gasoline desulfuration process. Advantages of OP-FTIR include its ability to simultaneously and continuously analyze many compounds, and its long path length monitoring has also shown advantages in obtaining more comprehensive data than the traditional multiple, single-point monitoring methods.     

Characteristics of Carbonaceous Aerosol at Taichung Harbor, Taiwan during Summer and Autumn Period of 2005

In recent years, suspended particle pollution has become a serious problem in Taiwan. The carbonaceous materials EC and OC are play important roles in various atmospheric processes. The primary OC/EC ratio approach is applied to assess the contribution of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) to the PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ mass at the Taichung harbor sampling site. The results indicated that the average EC and OC concentration were 1.06 and 6.50 μg m⁻³, respectively, in fine particulate. And the average EC and OC concentration were 4.04 and 40.32 μg m⁻³, respectively, in coarse particulate at Taichung Harbor sampling site. In addition, and the average EC/OC rations was 8.72 in fine particle, respectively, at Taichung Harbor, Taiwan during summer and autumn period of 2005. The fine particle exhibited high particulate concentrations in October, and lower concentration particulate occurred in August. And in this study OC and EC concentrations in this study are compared with those in other cities. The results of EC and OC concentration in this study are also compare with those other cities.     

Phosphorus Load Reduction Goals for Feitsui Reservoir Watershed, Taiwan

The present paper describes an effort for developing the total maximum daily load (TMDL) for phosphorus and a load reduction strategy for the Feitsui Reservoir in Northern Taiwan. BASINS model was employed to estimate watershed pollutant loads from nonpoint sources (NPS) in the Feitsui Reservoir watershed. The BASINS model was calibrated using field data collected during a 2-year sampling period and then used to compute watershed pollutant loadings into the Feitsui Reservoir. The simulated results indicate that the average annual total phosphorus (TP) loading into the reservoir is 18,910 kg/year, which consists of non-point source loading of 16,003 kg/year, and point source loading of 2,907 kg/year. The Vollenweider mass balance model was used next to determine the degree of eutrophication under current pollutant loading and the load reduction needed to keep the reservoir from being eutrophic. It was estimated that Feitsui Reservoir can becoming of the oligotrophic state if the average annual TP loading is reduced by 37% or more. The results provide the basis on which an integrated control action plan for both point and nonpoint sources of pollution in the watershed can be developed.     

Life cycle assessment of fuel selection for power generation in Taiwan

Life cycle assessment (LCA) was applied to performance data from 1997-2002 to evaluate the environmental impacts of the energy input, airborne emission, waterborne emission, and solid waste inventories for Taiwan's electric power plants. Eco-indicator 95 was used to compare the differences among the generation processes and fuel purification. To better understand the environmental trends related to Taiwan's electric power industry, three fuel scenarios were selected for LCA system analysis. Results indicate that there are differences in characteristic environmental impact among the 13 power plants. Scenario simulation provided a basis for minimizing environmental impacts from fuel selection targets. Fuel selection priority should be a gas-fired combined cycle substituted for a coal-fired steam turbine to be more environmentally friendly, particularly in the areas of the greenhouse effect, acidification, winter smog, and solid waste. Furthermore, based purely on economic and environmental criteria, it is recommended that the gas-fired combined cycle be substituted for the oil-fired steam turbine.     

Short-term effects of gaseous pollutants on cause-specific mortality in Wuhan, China

In Asia, limited studies have been published on the association between daily mortality and gaseous pollutants of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). Our previous studies in Wuhan, China, demonstrated long-term air pollution effects. However, no study has been conducted to determine mortality effects of air pollution in this region. This study was to determine the acute mortality effects of the gaseous pollutants in Wuhan, a city with 7.5 million permanent residents during the period from 2000 to 2004. There are approximately 4.5 million residents in Wuhan who live in the city's core area of 201 km2, where air pollution levels are highest, and pollution ranges are wider than the majority of the cities in the published literature. We used the generalized additive model to analyze pollution, mortality, and covariate data. We found consistent NO2 effects on mortality with the strongest effects on the same day. Every 10-microg/m3 increase in NO2 daily concentration on the same day was associated with an increase in nonaccidental (1.43%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.87-1.99%), cardiovascular (1.65%; 95% CI: 0.87-2.45%), stroke (1.49%; 95% CI: 0.56-2.43%), cardiac (1.77%; 95% CI: 0.44-3.12%), respiratory (2.23%; 95% CI: 0.52-3.96%), and cardiopulmonary mortality (1.60%; 95% CI: 0.85-2.35%). These effects were stronger among the elderly than among the young. Formal examination of exposure-response curves suggests no-threshold linear relationships between daily mortality and NO2, where the NO2 concentrations ranged from 19.2 to 127.4 microg/m3. SO2 and O3 were not associated with daily mortality. The exposure-response relationships demonstrated heterogeneity, with some curves showing nonlinear relationships for SO2 and O3. We conclude that there is consistent evidence of acute effects of NO2 on mortality and suggest that a no-threshold linear relationship exists between NO2 and mortality.     

底泥中重金属毒性的室内孔隙水分析技术

根据孔隙水中重金属的浓度可以判定底泥中重金属的毒性但获得真正的底泥孔隙水十分困难。本文提供了一套简便易行的室内原状孔隙水取样技术,将碳化硅砂芯埋入底泥,添加表层水并静置９０ｄ,通过渗滤获得孔隙水,测定孔隙水中重的浓度,所得结果与微生态系统暴露试验中生物指示的重金属的毒性大小相吻合,与生物积累重金属的浓度显著正相关。     

广东坡地红壤颗粒组成状况的研究──Ⅱ.土壤颗粒组成的空间分异

讨论了广东坡地红壤类土壤颗粒组成的空间分异现象,阐述了岩性、地形条件、水文动力学对颗粒组成空间分布的影响,指出地形条件、水动力学作用对广东坡地红壤类土壤颗粒组成的影响,在很大程度上是由广东所处区域的生物气候条件决定的。     

Agricultural Chemicals in the Alluvial Aquifer of a Typical County of the Arkansas Delta

Statistical methods and a Geographic Information System (GIS) were used to investigate potential indicators of ground water vulnerability to agricultural chemical contamination in a representative area of the Mississippi River alluvial aquifer. A total of 47 wells were sampled for analysis of nitrate, phosphorus, potassium, and 13 pesticides commonly-used in the area. Ten soil and hydrogeologic variables and five ground water vulnerability indices were examined to explain the variations of chemical concentrations. The results showed that no individual soil or hydrogeologic variables or their linear combinations could explain more than 25% of the variation of the chemical concentrations. A quadratic response surface model with the values of confining unit thickness, slope, soil permeability, depth to ground water, and recharge rate accounted for 62% of the variation of nitrate, 43% of P, and 83% of K, suggesting that the interactions among soil and hydrogeologic variables were significant. Observed trends of decreasing nitrate and P concentrations with increasing well depth and/or depth to ground water seemed to correlate with carbonate equilibrium in the aquifer and more reduced environment with depth. In view of uncertainties involved, it was recognized that the limitations associated with input data resolution used in GIS and the formulation of leaching indices limited their use for predicting ground water vulnerability. Misuse of pesticides could be another factor that would complicate the relationships between pesticide concentrations and the vulnerability indices.     

微波萃取技术在分析土壤中有机污染物的应用

介绍了微波萃取技术及其使用的试剂、设备和条件,对微波萃取在分析土壤中有机污染物的应用予以综述,阐述了微波萃取技术是分析土壤中有机污染物的好方法。     

煤矿粉尘监测与矿尘成分分析

目的: 监测煤矿井下粉尘浓度,评价煤矿粉尘危害水平;分析煤尘的组成成份,为探讨粉尘性职业损害机制提供依据.方法: 运用粉尘采样器采集煤尘,计算作业场所瞬时总粉尘浓度(PC-STEL)和时间加权平均呼吸性粉尘浓度(PC-TWA).运用焦磷酸质量法测定煤矿粉尘中游离二氧化硅含量.原子吸收光谱法,测定粉尘中主要金属与类金属元素含量.结果: (1)甲、乙两矿PC-STEL分别为13.61±17.65 mg/m3、39.35±148.10 mg/m3,超过国家标准,样本超标率分别为52.9%、55.8%;PC-TWA分别为3.20±8.42 mg/m3、2.15±2.07 mg/m3,超标率分别17.5%和30.2%.(2) 游离二氧化硅含量为9.60 mg/m3,甲矿显著高于乙矿#(P<0.05),岩巷作业显著高于其它各组(P<0.05).(3)粉尘中Ni、Pb、Mn、As、Cd、Fe、Ca、Mg、Zn、Cu等金属与类金属元素的含量分别为16.2±6.5μg/g、50.6±36.1μg/g、103.4±54.7μg/g、37.5±44.4μg/g、235.9±292.4ng/ml、6224.6±4295.5μg/g、12715.8±26930.8μg/g、919.7±915.4μg/g、656.7±774.5μg/g和28.2±12.8μg/g;不同煤矿粉尘中金属与类金属元素的含量显著不同,同一煤矿不同采样点(工种)间亦有显著差异.结论: 煤矿作业场所粉尘污染仍比较严重,应进一步完善防、降尘体系;10种金属与类金属元素的含量占总粉尘的2.1%.