Assessment of ecotoxicological risks related to depositing dredged materials from canals in northern France on soil

The implementation of an ecological risk assessment framework is presented for dredged material deposits on soil close to a canal and groundwater, and tested with sediment samples from canals in northern France. This framework includes two steps: a simplified risk assessment based on contaminant concentrations and a detailed risk assessment based on toxicity bioassays and column leaching tests. The tested framework includes three related assumptions: (a) effects on plants (Lolium perenne L.), (b) effects on aquatic organisms (Escherichia coli, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, Ceriodaphnia dubia, and Xenopus laevis) and (c) effects on groundwater contamination. Several exposure conditions were tested using standardised bioassays. According to the specific dredged material tested, the three assumptions were more or less discriminatory, soil and groundwater pollution being the most sensitive. Several aspects of the assessment procedure must now be improved, in particular assessment endpoint design for risks to ecosystems (e.g., integration of pollutant bioaccumulation), bioassay protocols and column leaching test design.     

Radiological Dispersion Devices: are we prepared?

Already before the events of September 11th 2001 concern was raised about the spread of orphan sources and their potential use in Radiological Dispersion Devices by terrorist groups. Although most of the simulated scenarios foresee a rather limited direct health impact on the population, the affected region would suffer from the indirect consequences such as social disruption, cleanup requirements and economic costs. The nature of such a radiological attack would anyway be different compared to conventional radiological accidents, basically because it can happen anywhere at any time. Part of the response resides in a general preparedness scheme incorporating attacks with Radiological Dispersion Devices. Training of different potential intervention teams is essential. The response would consist of a prioritised list of actions adapted to the circumstances. As the psychosocial dimension of the crisis could be worse than the purely radiological one, an adapted communication strategy with the public aspect would be a key issue.     

中心商业区环境安全管理与控制

城市中心商业区环境安全的管理与控制是城市诸多问题中的热点.通过分析中心商业区的环境空气质量和环境噪声、防火防爆设施及应急装备、人流车流秩序、公共卫生系统,提出了在城市中心商业区环境安全的管理与控制中应执行的相关标准,设立了相关部门和管理措施.对中心商业区环境安全控制的规制化具有一定积极意义.     

Towards a constructivist program in safety

This paper delves into the relationship between safety and constructivism. In the past 30 years, the constructivist discourse has become very popular but also controversial as it challenges some key categories associated with modernity, such as reason, objectivity, truth and reality. In the safety literature, several works advocate its use. This paper has three objectives. The first one is to reveal the existence of a constructivist discourse in the field of safety. It does this by bringing together scattered pieces of works from different authors who endorse and apply to various topics a position labelled as constructivist. However, and that is the paper’s second objective; it demonstrates that there is not only one constructivism, but several. In order to ground this contention, the paper proceeds with a multidisciplinary and historical approach. It is then argued that it is more appropriate not to conflate this diversity of constructivisms. The paper looks for a solution to this problem by providing a classification based on two groups of parameters: mild/strong and cognitive/social, defining four types. This step serves the third objective which consists in initiating a multifaceted constructivist program in safety composed of heterogeneous but related empirical and theoretical areas of investigations.     

基于CFD-DEM的旋风除尘器内气固流动特性研究

为了研究旋风除尘器内气固流动特性,采用CFD-DEM耦合算法研究不同入口气体速度下旋风除尘器内颗粒流态、静压、径向速度及轴向速度分布特征。结果表明:煤屑颗粒在离心力和径向曳力的作用下以螺旋颗粒条带靠近除尘器的壁面稳定向下移动,随着入口风速的增加煤屑颗粒条带变宽,条带与除尘器的第1次接触的拐点上移,螺距减小;除尘器内部压力轴向变化较小,径向变化较大,随着入口气体速度增加,除尘器壁面附近高压区范围和压力也随之增加,除尘器上方和下方的负压区变宽并朝轴向方向延伸;随入口气体速度增加,除尘器内径向速度和轴向速度逐渐增加,煤屑颗粒在除尘器中部聚集较多,煤屑停留时间变长,入口气体速度为15 m/s时,煤屑颗粒在除尘器内停留时间最长。     

Seasonal changes in the diving parameters of king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus)

Contrasting conditions at-sea are likely to affect the foraging behaviour of seabirds. However, the effect of season on the dive parameters of penguins is poorly known. We report here on an extensive study of the diving behaviour of king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) over the bird's complete annual cycle at the Crozet Islands. Time-depth recorders were used to record dive duration, bottom duration, post-dive interval, ascent rate and descent rate in breeding adults during different seasons in 1995 and 1996. Seasons included summer (n=6, incubation; n=6, chick brooding), autumn and winter (n=5 and n=3, respectively, chick at the crèche stage), and spring (n=4, birds at the post-moult stage). In all seasons dive duration increased with dive depth, but, for a given depth, dives were longer in winter (6.8 min when averaged over the 100-210 m depth layer) than in spring (4.6 min) and summer (4.4 min). The time spent at the bottom of the dives, which probably represents a substantial part of the feeding time, was much longer in winter (2.5 min per dive for dives over the 100-210 m layer) than during other seasons (1.0-1.4 min), i.e. there was a 2.5-fold augmentation for similar diving depths. Ascent and descent rates increased with increasing dive depth, but no difference in the relationships between rates of ascent and descent and dive depth was found among seasons. Furthermore, for all dive depths, ascent and descent rates were independent of the bottom duration. In all seasons post-dive intervals increased with dive duration and with dive depth, but they were longer in spring (2.3 min for dives over the 100-210 m layer) and summer than in autumn and winter (1.6-1.8 min). The diving efficiency decreased with increasing dive depth and was higher in autumn and winter (0.22-0.29) than in summer and spring (0.15-0.18). The large increase in bottom and dive duration from spring to winter is in agreement with the seasonal drop in prey density, with penguins spending more time searching for prey. In contrast, the consistency of the vertical velocity during contrasting conditions at-sea suggests that the transit time to depth is an important component of the foraging behaviour (scanning of the water column) that is independent of the prey availability. The time budget of the penguins during diving in a fluctuating environment appears to vary primarily during the bottom phase of the dives, with bottom duration increasing with diminishing prey supplies, while post-dive intervals shorten in the same time.     

Observations sur le développement larvaire de Meganyctiphanes norvegica (Crustacea: Euphausiacea) au laboratoire

Larvae of Meganyctiphanes norvegica (M. Sars), caught with a plankton net, were reared in the laboratory from the calyptopis phase onwards, under different temperature and trophic conditions. Eyestalk ablation was performed on the first furciliae. Data are presented on growth, moulting rate and ontogenesis of the larvae as a function of the varying experimental conditions, and on larval morphology, pigmentation and diet. Recent modifications of larval nomenclature in euphausiids are discussed.

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Observations sur le développement larvaire de Meganyctiphanes norvegica (Crustacea: Euphausiacea) au laboratoire

     

Biodegradation of shells of the black pearl oyster,Pinctada margaritifera var. cumingii,by microborers and sponges of French Polynesia

The composition, distribution and infestation sequence of organisms that destroy the commercially valuable shells of the black oyster Pinctada margaritifera var. cumingii Jameson, 1901 were studied. Three ecologically different groups of boring (euendolithic) organisms were identified: (1) phototrophic boring microorganisms (cyanobacteria, Hyella caespitosa, Hyella sp., Mastigocoleus testarum, Plectonema terebrans, and green algae, Phaeophila dendroides, Ostreobium quekettii); (2) heterotrophic boring microorganisms (fungi, Ostracoblabe implexa); (3) filter-feeding boring organisms (sponges, Cliona margaritiferae, C. vastifica). The phototrophic endoliths dominate the external pristmatic region of the shell, whereas the valuable interior nacreous region is attacked mainly by heterotrophs. Boring patterns reflect in part the shape and behaviour of the organisms and in part the structural properties of the shell, and inflict different types of damage. Infestation starts with microbial borers, which prepare the conditions for later invasion by more damaging clionid sponges. The infestation begins always at the apex, the oldest part of the shells, from which the periostracum is often removed by natural attrition or by cleaning procedure. The rate of bioerosion in 1 yr-old hatchery shells is 36 times higher than in natural populations.     

Arsenic in groundwaters of the Lower Mekong

Increasing incidence and awareness of arsenic in many alluvial aquifers of South-east Asia has raised concern over possible arsenic in the Lower Mekong Basin. Here, we have undertaken new research and reviewed many previous small-scale studies to provide a comprehensive overview of the status of arsenic in aquifers of Cambodia and the Cuu Long Delta of Vietnam. In general natural arsenic originates from the Upper Mekong basin, rather than from the local geology, and is widespread in soils at typical concentrations of between 8 and 16 ppm; (dry weight). Industrial and agricultural arsenic is localised and relatively unimportant compared to the natural alluvial arsenic. Aquifers most typically contain groundwaters of no more than 10 μg L⁻¹, although scattered anomalous areas of 10 to 30 μg L⁻¹ are also quite common. The most serious, but possibly ephemeral arsenic anomalies, of up to 600 μg L⁻¹, are associated with iron and organic-rich flood-plain sediments subject to very large flood-related fluctuations in water level, resulting in transient arsenopyrite dissolution under oxidizing conditions. In general, however, high-arsenic groundwaters result from the competing interaction between sorption and dissolution processes, in which arsenic is only released under reducing and slightly alkaline conditions. High arsenic groundwaters are found both in shallow water-tables, and in deeper aquifers of between 100 and 120 m depth. There is no evidence of widespread arsenicosis, but there are serious localised health-hazards, and some risk of low-level arsenic ingestion through indirect pathways, such as through contaminated rice and aquaculture. An almost ubiquitous presence of arsenic in soils, together with the likelihood of greatly increased groundwater extraction in the future, will require continuing caution in water resources development throughout the region.