Horizontal mergers in the iron ore industry—An application of PCAIDS

The purpose of this paper is to estimate and analyse the price effects of the iron ore mergers between Rio Tinto and North Ltd in 2000, and CVRD and Caemi in 2001. The analyses are conducted using a merger simulation model that, based on the pre-merger situation, estimates the post-merger outcome. This paper applies the so-called proportionality-calibrated almost ideal demand system (PCAIDS) model, which assumes that the product is differentiated and that the strategic variable is price. The results from the merger simulations show that in the case of the merger between Rio Tinto and North Ltd, the merged firm has a combined market share of almost 20%. However, the estimated market weighted average price effect is only 2.6%. Regarding the merger between CVRD and Caemi, the merged firm's market share is about 29%, and the estimated market weighted average price effect is 4.6%. When removing Caemi's Canadian asset, which was the Commission decision in order to allow the merger, the market price effect decreases to 3.1%. Overall the results in this study support the Commission's decisions regarding both merger cases, and shows that merger simulations of price effects can be valuable tools in merger assessments.     

The role of periodic boundary forcing in plankton pattern formation

We consider one and two-dimensional minimal models in plankton dynamics. The influence of oscillating boundary forcing functions as agents for triggering pattern formation is discussed. In particular it is found that in these conditions population waves arise for one dimensional models, while for two dimensional models, different amplitudes and frequencies in the boundary forcing generate definite patterns, mimicking the boundary term. This happens even though the model we investigate is very simple. The emergence of these features is an interesting metaphor for the fundamental biological problem of how pattern formation processes may be inevitable in natural heterogeneous ecosystems.     

Estimation of building-related construction and demolition waste in Shanghai

One methodology is proposed to estimate the quantification and composition of building-related construction and demolition (C&D) waste in a fast developing region like Shanghai, PR China. The varieties of structure types and building waste intensities due to the requirement of progressive building design and structure codes in different decades are considered in this regional C&D waste estimation study. It is concluded that approximately 13.71 million tons of C&D waste was generated in 2012 in Shanghai, of which more than 80% of this C&D waste was concrete, bricks and blocks. Analysis from this study can be applied to facilitate C&D waste governors and researchers the duty of formulating precise policies and specifications. As a matter of fact, at least a half of the enormous amount of C&D waste could be recycled if implementing proper recycling technologies and measures. The appropriate managements would be economically and environmentally beneficial to Shanghai where the per capita per year output of C&D waste has been as high as 842 kg in 2010.     

Monod kinetics rather than a first-order degradation model explains atrazine fate in soil mini-columns: Implications for pesticide fate modelling

Pesticide transport models commonly assume first-order pesticide degradation kinetics for describing reactive transport in soil. This assumption was assessed in mini-column studies with associated batch degradation tests. Soil mini-columns were irrigated with atrazine in two intermittent steps of about 30 days separated by 161 days application of artificial rain water. Atrazine concentration in the effluent peaked to that of the influent concentration after initial break-through but sharply decreased while influx was sustained, suggesting a degradation lag phase. The same pattern was displayed in the second step but peak height and percentage of atrazine recovered in the effluent were lower. A Monod model with biomass decay was successfully calibrated to this data. The model was successfully evaluated against batch degradation data and mini-column experiments at lower flow rate. The study suggested that first-order degradation models may underestimate risk of pesticide leaching if the pesticide degradation potential needs amplification during degradation.     

Environmental assessment of garden waste management in the Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark

An environmental assessment of six scenarios for handling of garden waste in the Municipality of Aarhus (Denmark) was performed from a life cycle perspective by means of the LCA-model EASEWASTE. In the first (baseline) scenario, the current garden waste management system based on windrow composting was assessed, while in the other five scenarios alternative solutions including incineration and home composting of fractions of the garden waste were evaluated. The environmental profile (normalised to Person Equivalent, PE) of the current garden waste management in Aarhus is in the order of −6 to 8 mPE Mg⁻¹ ww for the non-toxic categories and up to 100 mPE Mg⁻¹ ww for the toxic categories. The potential impacts on non-toxic categories are much smaller than what is found for other fractions of municipal solid waste. Incineration (up to 35% of the garden waste) and home composting (up to 18% of the garden waste) seem from an environmental point of view suitable for diverting waste away from the composting facility in order to increase its capacity. In particular the incineration of woody parts of the garden waste improved the environmental profile of the garden waste management significantly.     

固定化斜生栅藻净化畜禽废水中氨氮和磷的影响因素

为探讨Cu2+、p H和流速对固定化斜生栅藻去除畜禽废水中NH+4-N、TP效果的影响,在实验室条件下模拟实际污水处理过程,并采用正交实验方案对结果进行分析。结果表明低质量浓度Cu2+(0~0.05 mg/L)改善藻的净化效果,高质量浓度Cu2+(0.50~5.00 mg/L)抑制藻的净化效果;在p H较高的条件下(p H=9),固定化斜生栅藻的净化效果明显提高;流速对结果没有明显影响。通过正交实验,得出固定化斜生栅藻去除畜禽废水中NH+4-N、TP的优化条件如下:Cu2+质量浓度为0.05 mg/L,p H为9,流速为0.3 m/s。此时NH+4-N去除率为96.11%,TP去除率为97.53%。     

Fe/Al改性膨润土对铬酸根的吸附性能研究

利用膨润土原矿提取了粒径小于2μm的膨润土胶体,经过钠质化处理后分别用聚羟基铁和聚羟基铝进行改性,然后用一次平衡法研究了改性膨润土对水体中铬酸根的吸附性能.结果表明,与原矿相比,改性膨润土对铬酸根的吸附量有了不同程度的提高,铁改性膨润土对铬酸根的吸附量大于铝改性者.CrO42-的吸附平衡浓度为0.5 mmol·L-1时,Mt-1(Fe)、Mt-2(Fe)和Mt-3(Al)对铬酸根的吸附量分别为271.0 mmol·kg-1、114.0 mmol·kg-1和16.1 mmol·kg-1.改性膨润土对铬酸根的吸附量随离子强度的增加而增大,随体系pH值的增加而减小.铬酸根在改性膨润土表面的吸附以专性吸附机制为主,静电吸附所占比例很小,一般不超过30%.这些研究结果可为开发新型水处理剂提供理论指导.     

受限空间内惰性气体对CH4爆炸抑制特性研究

N2和CO2是常用的惰性抑爆气体,为研究两种气体的抑爆特性,采用20L球形爆炸试验装置,分析了不同浓度配比条件下N2/CH4/空气以及CO2/CH4/空气混合气体的爆炸压力,同时采集爆炸后的气体样品,对比分析爆炸后残留气体的主要成分。结果显示:随CH4浓度从5%增加至12.5%时,完全抑制CH4爆炸需要的惰性气体最小量先增大后降低,CH4浓度在6.5%~7.5%之间时,抑爆需要的惰性气体的量最大;在同一CH4浓度条件下,抑爆需要N2的量大于CO2,并且CH4浓度在5%~6.5%时,抑爆需要两种惰性气体的量值差别最大;当CH4浓度一定时,随着加入惰性气体量的增大,爆炸最大超压逐渐降低,惰性气体浓度和爆炸超压之间基本呈线性关系;在同样条件下,相对于N2,CO2为抑爆气体时,爆炸后腔体内残留的CH4浓度较高。研究成果为惰性气体抑爆技术提供技术支撑,同时为揭示惰性气体抑爆机理有一定作用。     

城市餐厨垃圾前处理的工艺优化

为提高餐厨垃圾资源化,利用自动化分选设备组合处理餐厨垃圾,考察餐厨垃圾快速减量化和资源化的可行性,对自动化分选前后餐厨垃圾成分进行分析,发现分选前其总量为243.05 t·d-1,TS为12.69%,VS为93.26%,分选后总量为242.00 t·d-1,TS为10.97%,VS为91.93%,其有机物含量稳定,利于厌氧发酵处理的工艺控制;对分选后餐厨垃圾进行厌氧发酵处理,考察其pH和NH4+-N变化,发现反应初期pH值出现弱酸性,NH4+-N浓度较低;随着反应进行,pH稳定在7.6~7.8,NH4+-N浓度约为1 200 mg·L-1左右。最后对厌氧发酵产气量进行考察发现,反应前期受到pH、NH4+-N以及温度等反应条件影响,产气量和甲烷含量较低;随着实验趋于稳定,产气量为22 000 m3·d-1左右,甲烷含量范围在65%~72%。结果表明,使用新型餐厨垃圾预处理设备,其分选效率较高,能提高后续厌氧发酵产气量和甲烷含量,较大程度实现餐厨垃圾资源化。