Referee analyses: A better approach than data validation

Data validation, as prescribed in guidance documents provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), yields legal evidence that an analytical laboratory has performed analyses according to predetermined specifications. This validation process, because it involves only the checking of procedural documentation, provides minimal information concerning the technical validity of the data. Unfortunately, in the minds of many, the performance of such a data validation has become synonymous with technical validity. A better approach is to implement a routine program of referee analyses. That is, submit a predetermined number of samples from the project to a second laboratory. A routine program of this type provides a self-checking and self-correcting mechanism for determining whether data are technically valid. Publication No. 3874, Environmental Sciences Division, ORNL. Managed by Martin-Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. for the US Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC05-840R21400.     

Modeling of non-reactive solute transport in fractured clayey till during variable flow rate and time

Fractures and biopores can act as preferential flow paths in clay aquitards and may rapidly transmit contaminants into underlying aquifers. Reliable numerical models for assessment of groundwater contamination from such aquitards are needed for planning, regulatory and remediation purposes. In this investigation, high resolution preferential water-saturated flow and bromide transport data were used to evaluate the suitability of equivalent porous medium (EPM), dual porosity (DP) and discrete fracture/matrix diffusion (DFMD) numerical modeling approaches for assessment of flow and non-reactive solute transport in clayey till. The experimental data were obtained from four large undisturbed soil columns (taken from 1.5 to 3.5 m depth) in which biopores and channels along fractures controlled 96-99% of water-saturated flow. Simulating the transport data with the EPM effective porosity model (FRACTRAN in EPM mode) was not successful because calibrated effective porosity for the same column had to be varied up to 1 order of magnitude in order to simulate solute breakthrough for the applied flow rates between 11 and 49 mm/day. Attempts to simulate the same data with the DP models CXTFIT and MODFLOW/MT3D were also unsuccessful because fitted values for dispersion, mobile zone porosity, and mass transfer coefficient between mobile and immobile zones varied several orders of magnitude for the different flow rates, and because dispersion values were furthermore not physically realistic. Only the DFMD modeling approach (FRACTRAN in DFMD mode) was capable to simulate the observed changes in solute transport behavior during alternating flow rate without changing values of calibrated fracture spacing and fracture aperture to represent the macropores.     

城市地铁安全施工第三方监测的研究与实施

实施城市地铁施工第三方监测是保证施工安全和工程质量十分重要的举措 ,有效地避免了施工过程中可能发生的事故。笔者以深圳地铁一期工程为例 ,详细阐述该工程中实施第三方监测的内容、第三方监测分析管理信息系统的研究和开发 ,包括地铁施工过程中对线路及沿线两侧建筑物倾斜和沉降、道路及各种管线沉降、土体位移、水位变化、桥梁墩台位移、隧道收敛及拱顶下沉等进行及时的监测、分析和信息反馈 ,从地铁工程第三方监测分析管理信息系统的内容、主要功能、系统结构等方面论述该系统的设计及开发。第三方监测及其管理的信息化 ,对全国其他城市的地铁施工安全 ,具有借鉴作用。     

新型机车监控系统的研究

设计了一种基于GSM的机车监控系统。用无线电手机传输监控装置产生的原始数据至PC机 ,来达到实时监控机车运行状况的目的。实践表明 ,该系统简单灵活 ,传输可靠 ,具有良好的稳定性和可靠性。与现行车载监控装置相比 ,新型机车监控系统具有提高数据的实时性、减轻工作人员的劳动强度等优点     

A Profile and Management of the US Army's underground storage tanks

The US Army owns more than 10,000 underground storage tanks (USTs), many of which are old and may be leaking. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 required tank owners to collect and report data on them by May 1986. In order to manage the large amounts of information on its USTs, the Army developed a microcomputer-based data base system. The data base system is user friendly and allows the user to store, organize, and manipulate the UST data. A leak potential index (LPI) was also developed and calculated for each of the Army's USTs. The LPI is used to prioritize USTs so that those with higher LPIs can be monitored closely. A characteristic profile of Army USTs according to construction material, capacity, age, content, and LPI is presented in this paper.The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the US Department of the Army, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.     

持续提升环境社会检测数据质量工作探讨

分析了我国社会环境检测机构发展现状,指出由于政府监管体系尚不完善、环境监测服务市场低价竞争、社会环境检测机构缺乏社会责任意识以及环境监测专业技术人员缺乏等因素,环境社会检测数据质量无法得到保证。提出,进一步完善政府监督管理制度、健全环境监测行业自律约束机制、提升环境监测人员能力水平、规范信息公开范围4方面的社会环境检测机构监管工作建议,从而持续提升环境社会检测数据质量。     

Validation of two air quality models for Indian mining conditions

All major mining activity particularly opencast mining contributes to the problem of suspended particulate matter (SPM)directly or indirectly. Therefore, assessment and prediction are required to prevent and minimize the deterioration of SPM due tovarious opencast mining operations. Determination of emission rate of SPM for these activities and validation of air quality models are the first and foremost concern. In view of the above, the study was taken up for determination of emission rate for SPMto calculate emission rate of various opencast mining activitiesand validation of commonly used two air quality models for Indianmining conditions. To achieve the objectives, eight coal and three iron ore mining sites were selected to generate site specific emission data by considering type of mining, method of working, geographical location, accessibility and above all resource availability. The study covers various mining activitiesand locations including drilling, overburden loading and unloading, coal/mineral loading and unloading, coal handling orscreening plant, exposed overburden dump, stock yard, workshop, exposed pit surface, transport road and haul road. Validation of the study was carried out through Fugitive Dust Model (FDM) and Point, Area and Line sources model (PAL2) by assigning the measured emission rate for each mining activity, meteorologicaldata and other details of the respective mine as an input to the models. Both the models were run separately for the same set ofinput data for each mine to get the predicted SPM concentrationat three receptor locations for each mine. The receptor locationswere selected such a way that at the same places the actual filedmeasurement were carried out for SPM concentration. Statisticalanalysis was carried out to assess the performance of the modelsbased on a set measured and predicted SPM concentration data. The value of coefficient of correlation for PAL2 and FDM was calculated to be 0.990-0.994 and 0.966-0.997, respectively, which shows a fairly good agreement between measured and predicted values of SPM concentration. The average index of agreement values for PAL2 and FDM was found to be 0.665 and0.752, respectively, which represents that the prediction by PAL2 and FDM models are accurate by 66.5 and 75.2%, respectively. These indicate that FDM model is more suited for Indian mining conditions.     

Water quality assessment using integrated modeling and monitoring in Narva Bay, Gulf of Finland

A coupled three-dimensional hydrodynamic–ecological model was used for the assessment of water quality in Narva Bay during one biologically active season. Narva Bay is located in the south-eastern Gulf of Finland. Narva River with a catchment’s area covering part of Russia and Estonia discharges water and nutrients to Narva Bay. The ecological model includes phytoplankton carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, chlorophyll a, zooplankton, detritus carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, inorganic nitrogen, inorganic phosphorus and dissolved oxygen as state variables. Both the hydrodynamic and ecosystem models were validated using a limited number of measurements. The hydrodynamic model validation included comparison of time series of currents and temperature and salinity profiles. The ecological model results were compared with the monitoring data of phytoplankton biomass, total nitrogen and phosphorus and dissolved oxygen. The comparison of hydrodynamic parameters, phytoplankton biomass, surface layer total phosphorus and dissolved oxygen and near-bottom layer total nitrogen was reasonable. Time series of spatially mean values and standard deviations of selected parameters were calculated for the whole Narva Bay. Combining model results and monitoring data, the characteristic concentrations of phytoplankton biomass, total nitrogen and phosphorus and near-bottom dissolved oxygen were estimated. Phytoplankton biomass and total phosphorus showed seasonal variations, of 0.6–1.1 and 0.022–0.032 mg/l, respectively, during spring bloom, 0.1–0.3 and 0.015–0.025 mg/l in summer and 0.2–0.6 and 0.017–0.035 mg/l during autumn bloom. Total nitrogen and near-bottom oxygen concentrations were rather steady, being 0.25–0.35 and 2–6 mg/l, respectively. The total nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations show that according to the classification of Estonian coastal waters, Narva Bay water belongs to a good water quality class.     

环境监测自动监测系统信息共享技术研究

针对我国环境监测现状,分析了当前各地监测系统存在的环境监测信息综合处理困难及信息交换障碍等问题,结合国家不同层次对环境监测数据的需求及侧重点,分析了实现环境监测数据共享存在的问题,给出了信息共享元数据内容,介绍了科技部项目主要功能和设计方法及思路。最后对环境监测信息共享技术发展提出了自已的观点。     

江苏省环境空气质量自动监测数采平台的集成方案

对江苏省环境空气质量自动监测的数采平台现状进行了分析，并就省控中心统一软件采集中心站数据平台，省控中心统一软件采集子站数据平台，以及省控中心统一子站数采软、硬件平台方案进行了比较，指出为实现对全省各子站数据的有效质量管理，省环境空气质量自动监测平台的集成必须实现从子站直接采集原始分析数据，而要实现真正意义上的空气监测子站广域网连接，应由目前的省控中心统一软件采集子站数据的平台向省控制中心统一子站数采软、硬件平台过渡。