Regional medical waste management in China: a case study of Shenyang

Medical waste management is of great importance due to its potential environmental and public health risks, especially in developing countries where both financial and technological resources on medical waste management are still lacking. Although many studies have focused on country-scaled medical waste management, few have paid close attention to regional (city-scale) management, particularly in China. This paper fills such a gap by employing a case study approach. Due to its representative nature, Shenyang was selected as the case study. After a review of China’s medical waste management, an empirical study in Shenyang was conducted in order to analyze the current state as well as identify key challenges on regional medical waste management. Based upon the local realities and aiming to better manage medical wastes, an integrated medical waste management framework is developed. Such a platform encourages the establishment of a specific medical waste management authority, a city scaled capacity building program on improving the general public’s awareness, an information platform, application of state-of-the-art technologies, as well as creation of an effective financial system. The combination of such initiatives can significantly improve the overall eco-efficiency of medical waste management at the regional level and should be promoted to other developing cities.     

Spatial variations of concentrations of copper and its speciation in the soil-rice system in Wenling of southeastern China

Copper (Cu) is one of the essential elements for plant growth, while excessive Cu in soils has potential environmental risks. There is little information on spatial variation of Cu in practical paddy fields. This is now important for appropriate agricultural management. The spatial patterns of Cu, its fractions in soils, and its concentrations in rice were investigated in a typical rice production region—Wenling of southeastern China. A total of 96 pairs of rice grain and soil samples (0–15 cm) were collected. The total concentration of Cu and its fractions were very variable, with large skewness, kurtosis, and coefficient of variation (CV) values. Compared to the guideline value (50 mg kg^?1), Cu pollution in paddy fields was observed in the study area. All the measured Cu concentrations in rice were lower than 10 mg kg^?1, suggesting that they remained at a safe level. Spatial analyses including Moran’s I index and geostatistics results indicated that high-high spatial patterns for both Cu in soils and rice were found in the northwest part, which was mainly related to industrial and E-waste dismantling activities. The low-low spatial patterns of Cu in the soil-rice system were located in the south part of study area. The cross-correlogram results indicated that Cu concentration in rice was significantly spatially correlated with total Cu in soils, its fractions, and soil organic matter (SOM), but significantly negatively correlated with pH and electrical conductivity (EC). Most of the selected variables had a clear spatial correlation range with Cu in rice. The ranges of significant spatial correlation (p?<?0.05) could be obtained and further used for dividing agricultural management zones.     

混凝搅拌内部流场数值模拟分析

通过对圆形搅拌容器内部流场的数值模拟,从湍流速度场、湍动耗散率和湍动能3个角度来分析该容器内的二维空间流态变化,及其对混凝过程中颗粒碰撞和絮体成长的影响,针对其不足之处,提出改进模型:方形、圆形挡板、多边形、圆角和方形导流板模型,并分别比较各模型在不同转速下的内部流场的变化。结果表明,在相同截面积的条件下,圆角模型更有利于颗粒的碰撞粘结和絮体的成长。     

PAC混凝沉降法处理陶瓷废水操作条件的优化

采用PAC混凝沉降法对陶瓷废水进行处理,考察PAC用量、搅拌强度、搅拌时间、进水pH和沉降时间对处理效果的影响,获得优化的操作条件。实验表明:水样的脱色率、浊度去除率和悬浮物去除率随着PAC用量、搅拌强度、搅拌时间和沉降时间的增大和进水pH的降低而呈现增大的趋势;最佳操作条件为:当废水量小、处理时间充足时,选用PAC用量为12 mg/L、搅拌强度为中速、搅拌时间为10 min、进水pH为6、沉降时间为2 h,此条件下水样的脱色率、浊度去除率和悬浮物去除率分别达到95.6%、95.7%和85.6%;当废水量大、处理时间不充足时,选用PAC用量为60 mg/L,沉降时间为30 min,此条件下水样的脱色率、浊度去除率和悬浮物去除率分别达到94.1%、93.4%和84.4%。证明混凝法对于去除陶瓷废水中的悬浮与胶体颗粒均是有效的。     

大气重金属污染监测技术现状及展望

大气重金属污染对人和生态环境影响巨大,迫切需要进行大气重金属含量的监测;文章列举了国内外测定大气重金属的标准及几种常用的测量方法及仪器,并比较了各种方法的优缺点;介绍了国内外大气重金属监测网络现状;提出应积极开发大气重金属在线监测仪,进行日常监测。     

葡萄酒副产品深度利用的研究进展

介绍了葡萄皮渣、葡萄籽、酒脚的深度利用途径：葡萄皮渣可用于酿酒、酿醋、提取色素和多酚、吸附重金属;葡萄籽可以提取葡萄籽油、葡萄籽蛋白和抗氧化物质;酒脚可以提取酒石酸盐。开展葡萄酒副产品的深度利用,不仅可以获得良好的经济效益,而且可有效减轻环保压力,获得巨大的社会效益。     

晶硅光伏组件出口对中国碳排放的影响

基于文献资料,估算了2004-2009年中国晶硅光伏组件制造过程中的能源消耗和CO2排放强度。研究发现,2004-2009年,晶硅光伏组件制造过程中的能耗强度和CO2排放强度均逐年下降。2009年,单晶、多晶光伏组件制造过程中的能耗强度分别为2 629 kWh/kWp和2 242 kWh/kWp,碳排放强度分别为1 829 gCO2/Wp和1 559 gCO2/Wp。由于晶硅光伏组件的大量出口,中国不仅出口了大量的隐含碳,还损失了数量可观的、潜在的CO2减排能力。2004-2010年,中国的隐含碳净出口量由3万tCO2增加到852万tCO2;如果出口的晶硅电池全部用于国内,在其生命周期内累计可减排CO23.4亿t。除2004年和2010年外,国内安装的晶硅光伏组件在其生命周期内所能减少的CO2排放不足以抵消晶硅光伏行业的CO2排放,晶硅光伏行业对中国CO2减排的贡献为负。在多晶硅全部国产的情况下,中国若维持晶硅电池应用中的CO2减排量与全行业CO2排放量的平衡,至少应将晶硅组件制造的7.2%安装在国内使用。若多晶硅进口比例仍保持在50%左右,则至少应将晶硅组件制造的4.9%安装在国内使用。     

利用高频电源提高除尘器除尘效果研究

针对锅炉静电除尘器烟尘排放浓度达不到天津市环保要求的问题,为了提高除尘器的除尘效果,通过采用将除尘器常规工频电源改为高频电源的方案,确保锅炉烟尘排放浓度最终达到30mg/Nm3的环保要求。文章分析了除尘器出口烟尘含量高的原因,阐述了高频电源的优点及在除尘器中的应用,并提出了改造技术方案。     

低温作业对人体的危害及防寒工作服的性能评价

防寒工作服是冬季保护石油行业室外作业人员的重要措施。文章阐述了低温环境对石油行业室外作业人员身体健康的影响,列举了防寒工作服生产和检测的重要性能参数和测定方法,概括了国内外对于防寒工作服生产和检测的相关标准,展望了防寒工作服研发应用空间和发展方向,对防寒工作服的研究和配备有一定的参考价值。     

Embryonic exposure to low concentration of bisphenol A affects the development of Oryzias melastigma larvae

The prevalence of bisphenol A (BPA) in the environment has attracted increasing attention because of the toxicity of this manmade pollutant. However, the toxicity related to cardiac development remains largely unknown. In the present paper, we investigated the cardiac toxicity of BPA using marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) embryos. At 2?days postfertilization (dpf), the embryos were continuously exposed to a low concentration of BPA (200?μg/L) for the whole embryonic stage. Heart rate and sinus venosus (SV)-bulbus arteriosus (BA) distance were measured under microscopy. The mRNA expression levels of genes were quantified by SYBR real-time RT-PCR, and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used to examine the histology of fish larvae hearts. Neither the heart rate nor the SV-BA distance of the embryos was affected by BPA exposure. However, the mRNA expression levels of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, BMP4, COX-1, FGF8, GATA4, and NKX2.5 were all downregulated at the critical developmental stages (6 and 10?dpf). Interestingly, the mRNA expression levels of COX-2 and LERP were significantly upregulated at 10?dpf. The mRNA expressions of inflammation-related genes (TNFα, IL1β, SOD, and CCL11) were all significantly upregulated after exposure. Moreover, we found that both the body length and the body width decreased in the larvae after embryonic exposure to BPA. The distributed foci of inflammation were observed in the juveniles after 2?weeks' depuration. Exposure to BPA at embryonic stages could alter the expression of heart development-related genes and inflammation-related genes of O. melastigma. The larvae hatched from exposed embryos showed the foci of inflammation in the heart ventricles and the decrease of the body length and width.