Fuzzy experts on recreational vessels, a risk modelling approach for marine invasions

Understanding risks from the human-mediated spread of non-indigenous species (NIS) is a critical component of marine biosecurity management programmes. Recreational boating is well-recognised as a NIS pathway, especially at a regional scale. Assessment of risks from this pathway is therefore desirable for coastal environments where recreational boating occurs. However, formal or quantitative risk assessment for the recreational vessel pathway is often hampered by lack of data, hence often relies on expert opinion. The use of expert opinion itself is sometimes limited by its inherent vagueness, which can be an important source of uncertainty that reduces the validity and applicability of the assessment. Fuzzy logic, specifically interval type-2 fuzzy logic, is able to model and propagate this type of uncertainty, and is a useful technique in risk assessment where expert opinion is relied upon. The present paper describes the implementation of a NIS fuzzy expert system (FES) for assessing the risk of invasion in marine environments via recreational vessels. The FES was based on expert opinion gathered through systematic elicitation exercises, designed to acknowledge important uncertainty sources (e.g., underspecificity and ambiguity). The FES, using interval type-2 fuzzy logic, calculated an invasion risk value (integrating NIS infection and detection probabilities) for a range of invasion scenarios. These scenarios were defined by all possible combinations of two vessel types (moored and trailered), five vessel components (hull, deck, internal spaces, anchor, fishing gear), two infection modes (fouling, water/sediment retention) and six frequently visited marine habitats (marina, mooring, farm, ramp, wharf, anchorage). Although invasion risk values determined using the FES approach was scenario-specific, general patterns were identified. Moored vessels consistently showed higher invasion risk values than trailered vessels. Invasion risk values were higher for anchorages, moorings and wharves. Similarly, hull-fouling was revealed as the highest infection risk mode after pooling results across all habitats. The NIS fuzzy expert system presented here appears as a valuable prioritising and decision-making tool for NIS research, prevention and control activities. Its easy implementation and wide applicability should encourage the development and application of this type of system as an integral part of biosecurity, and other environmental management plans.     

Perception of earthquake risk in Agadir,Morocco: A case study from a Muslim community

Earthquakes are separated from other hazards in meaning, significance, and risk perception throughout the Islamic World due to their specific focus in their own chapter or surah “al-Zalzala” (99th) in the Qur'an. Unlike earthquakes that are discussed in terms or the Judgment Day or as divine punishment or retribution against the disbelieving or hypocritical—other natural hazards like floods, tornadoes, and landslides are rarely discussed. An extensive survey of earthquake survivors and longtime residents was undertaken to better understand the perceptions of seismic risk in Agadir, Morocco where two moderate earthquakes razed the city in 1960 leaving 15,000 dead and 25,000 injured. Most of the deaths were attributed to faulty construction (along with standards and enforcement), inaddition to poor evacuation plans.

During the summer of 2002, more than 250 earthquake survivors and residents were surveyed and interviewed for their knowledge and perception of the disaster forty years before. Surveys were conducted in Arabic, French and English and included questions and Likertscaled responses including extensive interviews in the hopes of obtaining ideas of their potential quake recurrence, seismology, current construction standard policies, and local and regional planning strategies. In addition, reviews the Qur'an, Hadith and classical and contemporary tafasir texts were used to investigate the guiding passages used in Islamic discussions of “al-Zalzala”.

It was found that younger persons (<25yo) were more likely to believed that brick, mortar and cement structures were always safer and stronger during and after a tremor, regardless as to whether they are iron-reinforced or sub-standard (and hazardous) stone or brick infilled. After the 1960 disaster, speedy recovery efforts often undermined concrete construction and reinforcement techniques since such ‘rebar’ was relatively unavailable. Even today, inferior and seismically unstable construction practices are widely used.

It was found that television-watchers considered themselves less knowledgeable about earthquakes, when in fact many aspects of the1960 event and earthquakes in general, were more widely understood by this group, supporting the notion that the medium of televisionis the most widely used, efficient, and fastest mass communication and education tool.

Less-educated respondents in general tended to attribute earthquakes to divine action and retribution. All questions, however, concerning the possibility of quake recurrence frequency or magnitude caused an overwhelming refusal to answer, or with the reply of ‘Allahu a'lam’ or “God is wisest”—implying or directly stating that any attempt at earthquake forecasting, quake-related construction, advanced architectural standards for seismic safety, and/or related education was ‘haram’ or prohibited by Islam.

Further discussions with participants in Agadir indicated that any guess, awareness or prediction was in fact, fortune-telling and therefore an act forbidden by the Qur'an and Hadith.

Finally, the less educated were more likely to say that Allah protected those who were devout and considered scientific assessment as futile, forecasting as forbidden, or new construction technologies as a waste since only the ‘kafir’ (non-Muslim) or ‘munafiq’ (hypocrite) were at risk to death or injury from an earthquake. These conclusions are important toward gaining an insight of perception and risky behavior in a questionably constructed city with now more than 600,000 people 40 years later, and in a region laced by active faulting.     

山东省临沂市土壤有机氯农药滴滴涕残留量与空间分布特征

通过对临沂市全区表层土壤每36 km2进行样品收集,测试分析了DDTs、Org C、N等指标,主要研究了区域表层土壤DDTs的残留现状、组成和来源、影响因素、空间分布和环境质量特征.结果表明,调查区表层土壤中DDTs检出率为71.75%,平均含量为0.035μg·g-1;检出样品中p,p'-DDT和p,p'-DDE为主要残留物,平均残留分别为0.033μg·g-1和0.010μg·g-1,分别占检出样的60.99%和34.62%.DDTs降解率指示区域58%表层土壤为新近输入区,新近输入区在调查区中南部分布尤为明显;而p,p'-DDD/p,p'-DDE指示区域DDTs降解以氧化环境为主,o,p'-DDT/p,p'-DDT指示71.37%区域土壤DDTs输入可能与工业级DDTs有关.相关分析表明,影响土壤DDTs分布的外在因素包括土壤Org C、N、C和p H等指标,且DDTs中p,p'-DDT组分占比越高,影响越明显.DDTs的空间分布具明显点源特征,市县周围均出现明显浓集中心,中南部部分区域浓度明显较高.全区DDTs土壤环境质量污染程度较低,主要以一二类土壤为主,分别占78.95%和21.05%.     

75t/h燃煤锅炉汞迁移转化规律研究

通过对2台75 t/h循环流化床锅炉烟气中汞排放浓度、燃煤和其他固体副产物中的汞含量进行测试,分析了燃煤大气汞的排放因子,并建立了燃煤汞的质量平衡。结果表明:燃煤锅炉中,大部分汞主要存在于烟气和脱硫副产物中,燃烧后进入炉渣、飞灰中的汞含量较少,低于5%。燃煤汞排放去向与脱硫除尘控制技术有关,不同控制技术协同除汞的效果差异较大,而单质汞是燃煤锅炉汞污染防治的重点和难点。     

一种简便高效的土壤石油烃提取方法的建立

通过开展单因子实验与正交实验,考察不同参数下超声萃取法对土壤中总石油烃(TPH)的提取效率,并对比了超声萃取法、超声-索氏萃取法及传统索氏萃取法对不同原油污染土壤的提取效果。结果表明:超声萃取法的最优工作参数为20 m L二氯甲烷,超声10 min,4000 r/min离心10 min,萃取4次。3种提取方法中,超声萃取法对石油烃平均回收率最高,为100.95%,而传统的索氏萃取法最低,仅为94.54%。可见,超声萃取法操作简单,效率高,可广泛用于土壤中总石油烃含量的提取测定。     

基于ES-VSP分布的交通状态对公交车动态排放的影响

为评估不同交通状态下公交车运行特征和排放水平的差异,现场采集广州市B9、226线路公交车的逐秒GPS数据,以ES-VSP（发动机负荷-机动车比功率）分布表征畅通、轻度拥堵和中度拥堵下的公交车运行特征,结合IVE（international vehicle emission）模型求得公交车平均排放因子并分析其差异.结果表明:①所测公交车的发动机低负荷区中bin11（-1.6 < ES ≤ 3.1,-2.9 kW/t ≤ VSP < 1.2 kW/t）频率范围为50.55%~83.39%,中度拥堵时bin 11频率是畅通时的1.1~1.3倍;② 3种交通状态下公交车的CO、VOC（运行产生的挥发性有机物）、VOC_evap（蒸发产生的挥发性有机物）、NO_x（氮氧化物）和PM（颗粒物）平均排放因子范围分别为7.63~11.40、0.26~0.46、0.68~1.56、0.32~0.51和0.72×10-2~1.28×10-2 g/km;③同种交通状态下,主干路公交车专用道和BRT车道的公交车的大部分污染物平均排放因子低于次干路混行车道、主干路混行车道,中度拥堵时主干路BRT车道的CO、VOC、VOC_evap、NO_x和PM平均排放因子相对其他道路最低,分别为7.66、0.27、0.87、0.32和0.75×10-2 g/km;④次干路混行车道、主干路混行车道的公交车污染物平均排放因子随交通状态愈加拥堵而增大,但畅通时主干路BRT车道的公交车行驶速度、加速度较高,导致CO平均排放因子较高,对应3种交通状态其比例为1.0:0.9:0.8.研究显示,交通状态对公交车运行和排放具有显著影响.      

酸雨区不同用地类型土壤有效态Cd含量季节变化及关键影响因子

探明污染土壤重金属有效态含量的季节变化特征及其敏感影响因子,对农业生产过程中减低重金属生态风险具有重要的参考价值.研究于湘江中下游典型Cd超标农业小流域中选取稻田、旱作蔬菜地、丘陵林地这3类主要用地类型,分析不同用地类型Cd活性的季节变化特征及其与土壤基本理化参数的关联.为期1 a的原位监测结果显示,研究区为典型酸雨区,雨水p H值呈现冬、春季节低于夏、秋季.稻田土壤总Cd含量显著高于旱作蔬菜地,菜地显著高于林地,3种用地类型土壤总Cd含量季节特征相似,均为夏秋季节略低于冬春两季.3种用地类型Cd有效态季节变化与总Cd含量无明显的相关性,稻田土壤有效态Cd含量在5~9月的作物生长季明显低于其他月份,而菜地和林地则恰好相反.稻田土壤Cd有效性的最关键影响因子为Eh,呈显著正相关,与土壤p H负相关,菜地土壤与土壤TOC明显负相关,而林地土壤Cd有效性与水溶性有机碳、TOC呈现明显的正相关关系.研究可为Cd超标土壤污染阻控与农业安全生产提供一定的数据参考.     

利用FeS去除水中硝基苯的试验研究

为研究FeS还原去除硝基苯的性能,采用批次试验的方法,考察了各因素对FeS去除硝基苯性能的影响.结果表明,在初始硝基苯浓度为0.96 mmol·L-1条件下,当FeS用量为1.2 g时,反应180 min后,硝基苯去除率达到90%.初始硝基苯浓度、FeS用量、温度、FeS重复使用次数对硝基苯去除率有较大影响.初始硝基苯浓度在0.74～1.74 mmol·L-1之间变化时,初始硝基苯浓度每增加0.1 mmol·L-1,硝基苯去除率下降4.7%.FeS用量在0.3～1.5 g内变化时,FeS用量每增加0.3 g,硝基苯去除率增加近20%;FeS用量为1.8 g时,硝基苯去除率为100%.温度在10～25℃范围内变化时,温度每升高1℃,硝基苯去除率增加1.6%;温度为30℃时,硝基苯去除率为100%.硝基苯去除率随FeS重复使用次数的增加而下降.转速在10～80 r.min-1内变化时,转速变化对硝基苯去除率的影响较小,硝基苯去除率稳定在75%左右.FeS对模拟化工废水有较好的处理效果,反应60 min后,硝基苯去除率为100%.     

环境因子对水蚯蚓呼吸速率的影响研究

水蚯蚓能通过摄食剩余污泥而使污泥减量.因此,本文以颤蚓科蠕虫 (Tubificidae)为研究对象,考察环境因子(水质、水蚯蚓投加量、温度、pH、溶解氧)对水蚯蚓呼吸速率的影响,以探明水蚯蚓生长和新陈代谢的最佳条件,揭示环境因子影响水蚯蚓污泥减量的机理.结果表明,水蚯蚓在"水蚯蚓-微生物"共生系统污泥减量装置出水中的呼吸速率最大,为81.72 mg·g^-1·h^-1·L^-1(以单位体积内每g干重水蚯蚓每小时消耗的O₂质量计(mg)),在蒸馏水中的呼吸速率最小,仅为18.31 mg·g^-1·h^-1·L^-1;在容积为1 L的系统中,水蚯蚓呼吸速率随着投加量增加而逐渐减小,当水蚯蚓投加量为0.25 g (以湿重计)时,呼吸速率最大,为81.72 mg·g^-1·h^-1·L^-1;在8~22℃范围内,水蚯蚓呼吸速率随温度升高而增大,在22~30℃范围内趋势则相反;当pH=8.00±0.05时呼吸速率最大,比其他pH值条件下测得的呼吸速率高1倍多;溶解氧在3.5~4.5 mg·L^-1范围内,水蚯蚓的呼吸速率较高,在此溶解氧范围之外时,水蚯蚓呼吸速率均较低. 该研究结果可为污泥减量中水蚯蚓的培养和应用提供可靠的理论依据,从内在层次上揭示了环境因子影响水蚯蚓生长及代谢,进而影响污泥减量的本质原因.     

我国水泥工业碳排放特征及动态变化分析

水泥工业是温室气体二氧化碳(CO2)的主要排放源,利用碳排放数学模型计算2001-2010年我国水泥工业碳的排放量,分析碳排放量的变化特点和发展趋势。结果表明:水泥工业碳排放总量逐年增长,与水泥产量和排放强度呈线性关系。"十一五"期间单位产品碳排放强度由0.69 t/t下降到0.65 t/t。万元GDP碳排放量2008年达到最低值为0.295 1 t,平均每年万元GDP碳排放量下降2.85%。水泥工业十年间实施节能降耗、资源循环利用、提高经济效益等措施,对于减少碳排放具有明显效果。