Characteristic overpressure–impulse–distance curves for the detonation of explosives, pyrotechnics or unstable substances

A number of models have been proposed to calculate overpressure and impulse from accidental industrial explosions. When the blast is produced by explosives, pyrotechnics or unstable substances, the TNT equivalent model is widely used. From the curves given by this model, data are fitted to obtain equations showing the relationship between overpressure, impulse and distance. These equations, referred to here as characteristic curves, can be fitted by means of power equations, which depend on the TNT equivalent mass. Characteristic curves allow determination of overpressure and impulse at each distance.     

Carbon storage in Amazonia during the last glacial maximum: secondary data and uncertainties

The Amazonian forest is, due to its great size, carbon storage capacity and present-day variability in carbon uptake and release, an important component of the global carbon cycle. Paleo-environmental reconstruction is difficult for Amazonia due to the scarcity of primary palynological data and the mis-interpretation of some secondary data. Studies of lacustrine sediment records have shown that Amazonia has known periods in which the climate was drier than it is today. However, not all geomorphological features such as dunes, and slope erosion, which are thought to indicate rainforest regression, date from the time of the Late Glacial Maximum (LGM) and these features do not necessarily correspond to episodes of forest regression. There is also uncertainty concerning LGM carbon storage due to rainforest soils and biomass estimates. Soil carbon content may decrease moderately during the LGM, whereas rainforest biomass may change considerably in response to changes in the global environment. Biomass per unit area in Amazonia has probably been reduced by the cumulative effects of low CO2 concentration, a drier climate and lower temperatures. As few paleo-vegetation data are available, there is considerable uncertainty concerning the amount of carbon stored in Amazonia during the LGM, which may have corresponded to 44-94% of the carbon currently stored in biomass and soils.     

Leadership and employees’ perceived safety behaviours in a nuclear power plant: A structural equation model

Leadership is considered an essential element in guaranteeing the safe running of organizations. The purpose of the present study is to find out how leader behaviours influence employees’ safety behaviours (perceived safety behaviours) in the nuclear field. In an attempt to answer this question, the authors of this research have considered the way this influence is exercised, taking into consideration some important factors like safety culture and safety climate. To achieve this, the empowerment leadership model, based on a behavioural approach to leadership, was used. The sample was made up of 566 employees from a Spanish nuclear power plant. The results indicated that when safety culture was strong, leader behaviour generated a higher safety climate among the members, which predicted their perceived safety behaviours. Support was found for a structural model linking leadership and safety behaviour to safety culture and safety climate. The implications of these findings for the theory of safety and the way they can be put into practice are outlined.     

Non-catalytic and catalytic wet air oxidation of pharmaceuticals in ultra-pure and natural waters

A wet air oxidation (WAO) process was applied to four selected pharmaceuticals (metoprolol, naproxen, amoxicillin, and phenacetin) individually dissolved in ultra-pure water, varying the temperature and oxygen pressure. Due to the moderate (amoxicillin) or low (metoprolol, naproxen, and phenacetin) efficiency found in the oxidation of these pollutants, a catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) process was then tested using a platinum catalyst supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT). In this CWAO process, the pharmaceuticals were dissolved together in ultra-pure water and in four natural water matrices—a reservoir water, a groundwater, and two waters from different municipal wastewater treatment plants. On the basis of the measurements of their removals, a discussion is given of the influence of the main operating variables: the presence or absence of catalyst, type of catalyst (the synthesized Pt/CNT or a commercial Pt/AC), catalyst dosage (0.005–0.050 g), temperature (120–140 °C), and oxygen pressure (20–40 bar). In most experiments, the removals were in the sequence: amoxicillin > naproxen > phenacetin. In addition, total organic carbon (TOC) removal measurements were made of some of the natural waters tested.     

Reactivity of litter leachates from California oak woodlands in the formation of disinfection by-products

Litter materials from forested watersheds can be a significant source of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to surface waters that can contribute to the formation of carcinogenic disinfection by-products (DBPs) during drinking-water chlorination. This study characterized the reactivity of DOM from litter leachates of representative vegetation in oak woodlands, a major plant community in the Foothill Region of California. Leachates from fresh and decomposed litter (duff) from two oak species, pine, and annual grasses were collected for an entire rainy season to evaluate their reactivity to form DBPs on chlorination. Relationships among specific ultraviolet absorbance (SΔUVA), fluorescence index (FI), specific differential ultraviolet absorbance (SΔUVA), specific chlorine demand (SCD), and the dissolved organic carbon:dissolved organic nitrogen (DOC:DON) ratio to the specific DBP formation potential (SDBP-FP) were examined. The DOM derived from litter materials had considerable reactivity in forming trihalomethanes (THMs) (1.80-3.49 mmol mol), haloacetic acid (HAAs) (1.62-2.76 mmol mol(-1)), haloacetonitriles (HANs) (0.12-0.37 mmol mol(-1)), and chloral hydrate (CHD) (0.16-0.28 mmol mol). These values are comparable to other identified watershed sources of DBP precursors reported for the California Delta, such as wetlands and organic soils. Vegetation type and litter decomposition stage (fresh litter versus 1-5 yr-old duff) were key factors that determined characteristics of DOM and their reactivity to form DBPs. Pine litter had significantly lower specific THM formation potential compared with oak and grass, and decomposed duff had a greater DON content, which is a precursor of HANs and other nitrogenous DBPs. The SΔUVA and SDBP-FP were temporally variable and dependent on vegetation type, degree of decomposition, and environmental conditions. Among the optical properties of DOM, SΔUVA was the only parameter that was consistently correlated with SDBP-FP.     

Evaluation of environmental management resources (ISO 14001) at civil engineering construction worksites: a case study of the community of Madrid

In recent years, significant advances have been made in business organization and management. The growing demands of clients as well as the globalization of world markets are among the many factors that have led to the establishment of systems of quality control and environmental management as a competitive strategy for businesses. When compared to other professional sectors, the construction sector has been slower to respond to environmental problems and to adopt Environmental Management Systems (EMS). In the world today the ISO 14001 standard is currently the main frame of reference used by construction companies to implement this type of management system. This article presents the results of a general study regarding the evaluation of the application of the ISO 14001 standard at civil engineering construction worksites in the Community of Madrid (Spain), specifically pertaining to requirement 4.4.1, Resources, roles, responsibilities, and authority. According to requirement 4.4.1, company executives should appoint people responsible for implementing the EMS and also specify their responsibilities and functions. The personnel designated for supervising environmental work should also have sufficient authority to establish and maintain the EMS. The results obtained were the following: - EMS supervisors did not generally possess adequate training and solid experience in construction work and in the environment. Furthermore, supervisors were usually forced to combine their environmental work with other tasks, which made their job even more difficult. - Generally speaking, supervisors were not given sufficient authority and autonomy because productivity at the construction site had priority over environmental management. This was due to the fact that the company management did not have a respectful attitude toward the environment, nor was the management actively involved in the establishment of the EMS. - Insufficient resources were allocated to the Environmental Management Unit. As a result, the application of EMSs in construction projects often appeared to be more of a formality, which was merely a way of maintaining the certification of the Environmental Management System. It was more a means of meeting the requirements for submitting a tender to contracting organisms rather than an indicator of any real commitment to improving the environmental performance of construction companies.     

Recycling, reuse and energetic valuation of meat industry wastes in Extremadura (Spain)

The environmental problem caused by the effluents from the four main agrifood industries in Extremadura (W Spain) is evaluated in the present work. In particular, attention is paid to the management of wastes from slaughterhouse operations. Pollution is quantified in terms of equivalent population and biological oxygen demand, for which very high values are reported.Efforts are also focused on the search of viable technical solutions for the treatment of those residues and their energetic valuation. In this sense, anaerobic digestion techniques are proposed, not only because they lead to a drastic decrease in their pollution potential, but also because significant volumes of biogas are obtained. This biogas might be used to produce electricity to be transferred to the electrical network. This way, anaerobic digestion plants would allow depreciation within a relatively short period.In particular, an analysis of the economics of a plant for the codigestion of solid and liquid effluents from meat industry is carried out, and a payback time between 7 and 8 years was achieved.