SEPTAGE QUALITY AND ITS EFFECT ON FIELD LIFE FOR LAND APPLICATIONS1

ABSTRACT: Maintenance of the more than 24 million septic tanks in the U.S. requires removal and disposal of septage. Disposal options include application to agricultural lands where the nutrients and organic matter can provide soil benefits. However, pathogens and contaminants are also contained in septage. An extensive search turned up very few data on septage quality, and those reveal high variability. The data used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in developing regulations had the lowest metal concentrations among the nine data sets that could be compared. Based on these data, EPA assumed that septage could be applied to agricultural land for more than 100 applications before reaching unacceptable cumulative loading of metals. They thus did not establish federal standards for metals in septage, and no monitoring is required under federal rules governing septage disposal. Analysis of the nine data sets we found showed that field site life would be reached in less than 100 applications for most septage and cumulative loading limits established by EPA for sewage sludges will be exceeded in 16 applications for some septage as opposed to the 100 application estimate used by EPA. Determination of acceptable cumulative loading depends on numerous technical and policy considerations. All septage sources reached the more restrictive loading limits such as those established by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the recommendations in Cornell publications in less than 100 applications. In one case the cumulative limit for copper was exceeded in a single application. These findings suggest additional data are needed on septage quality and that the federal and state agencies responsible for regulating application of septage to agricultural land should reassess their standards.     

基于周围环境目标值估算的企业边界大气污染物限值分析

从40余项国家大气固定污染源污染物排放标准以及地方恶臭污染物排放标准中筛选出已制定企业边界限值的36种大气污染物,提出适用于限值分析的方法,基于周围环境目标值（AMEG）设置了参考区间,对比分析了我国与美国化学有害因素职业接触限值时间加权平均容许浓度（TWA）的差异。结果表明,36种大气污染物可分为3类：1）出现在国家大气污染物综合排放标准等制定和发布年限较长标准中且限值较为宽松的8种污染物;2）限值未受嗅阈值影响的13种污染物,其中12种污染物的限值与AMEG估算结果的8.4倍较为接近;3）限值受嗅阈值影响的15种污染物,其中部分污染物的限值接近AMEG估算结果,部分限值接近嗅阈值。参与对比分析的255种化学有害因素中,我国和美国的TWA相等的有44种,占比不超过20%,差异在±1倍之内的约占85%,在±5倍以上的约占7%。研究显示,现行大气污染物排放标准中的企业边界限值有效保护了人体健康和生态环境,应对制定和发布年限较长且限值较为宽松的标准,以及限值高于嗅阈值的标准开展研究,分析限值的合理性。在制定企业边界大气污染物限值时,应广泛收集更多来源的职业接触限值数据并分析其适用性。

     

应用等效质量方法确定间接排放企业的排污许可限值——以常州市为例

排污许可证制度是实施总量控制和减排任务的重要手段,是改善流域水环境质量的有效措施。间接排放企业是排污许可管理的重要对象,其排污许可限值是排污许可证发放的核心内容,我国关于间接排放企业排污许可限值的核定还没有统一的规定。通过借鉴美国国家污染物排放削减系统(NPDES)预处理机制,提出采用等效质量方法来确定间接排放企业排污许可限值,并以常州市某污水处理厂为研究对象,对该污水处理厂接纳的6家间接排放企业的污染物排污许可限值进行了研究。结果表明:采用等效质量方法计算出6家企业的等效质量负荷限值,结合我国现有排放标准浓度限值,可确定6家纳管企业COD_Cr的排污许可限值。等效质量方法在新建接管企业、现有企业停止接管和提高水质排放标准等多种情况下,能兼顾纳管企业的个体差异,方便灵活、便于应用。     

The effectiveness of reducing illegal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits for driving: evidence for lowering the limit to .05 BAC

PURPOSE: This scientific review provides a summary of the evidence regarding the benefits of reducing the illegal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for driving and providing a case for enacting a .05 BAC limit. RESULTS: Fourteen independent studies in the United States indicate that lowering the illegal BAC limit from .10 to .08 has resulted in 5-16% reductions in alcohol-related crashes, fatalities, or injuries. However, the illegal limit is .05 BAC in numerous countries around the world. Several studies indicate that lowering the illegal per se limit from .08 to .05 BAC also reduces alcohol-related fatalities. Laboratory studies indicate that impairment in critical driving functions begins at low BACs and that most subjects are significantly impaired at .05 BAC. The relative risk of being involved in a fatal crash as a driver is 4 to 10 times greater for drivers with BACs between .05 and .07 compared to drivers with .00 BACs. SUMMARY: There is strong evidence in the literature that lowering the BAC limit from .10 to .08 is effective, that lowering the BAC limit from .08 to .05 is effective, and that lowering the BAC limit for youth to .02 or lower is effective. These law changes serve as a general deterrent to drinking and driving and ultimately save lives. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: This critical review supports the adoption of lower illegal BAC limits for driving.     

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in food and associated human daily intake assessment considering bioaccessibility measured by simulated gastrointestinal digestion

The concentrations of PBDEs in 299 vegetable and animal-based food samples of 31 species, collected in Shanghai, China, and the bioaccessibility of PBDEs in part of the samples were determined. The PBDE concentrations ranged from 0 to 1245.4 pg g⁻¹ with animal-based food containing more PBDEs than vegetables. The bioaccessibility of PBDEs, determined by a method simulating human gastrointestinal digestion process, were from 2.6% to 39.9% in vegetables, and from 5.2% to 105.3% in animal-based food. For animal-based food, good correlations were observed between the bioaccessibility of PBDEs and the fat content, thus the fat content in animal-based food was able to be used to estimate the bioaccessibility of PBDEs. The total daily intake of PBDEs via ingestion of vegetables and animal-based food for an average Shanghai resident was estimated as 13 235.7 and 13 668.0 pg d⁻¹, respectively, but the amounts available for human absorption were reduced to 2674.4 and 4316.6 pg d⁻¹ after the PBDE bioaccessibility was considered. Finally, the contributions of different food groups to the total daily intake of PBDEs were evaluated. The results revealed that, when not considering the bioaccessibility of PBDEs, vegetables were the leading contributor (49.2%), followed by fish (34.0%). However, the sequence was reversed after the PBDE bioaccessibility was taken into account. The results indicated that human exposure to PBDEs via food ingestion might have been significantly overestimated and the exposure assessment could be misleading if the bioaccessibility of PBDEs was not considered.     

Experimental study on the influence of flame retardants on the flammability of R1234yf

As an alternative refrigerant, R1234yf shows great environmental friendliness. However, the flammability has a negative impact on its use and promotion. To lower the combustible risk, it's a proper way to mix with nonflammable refrigerants in applications, but the research on the flammability of these blends is still limited. Therefore, the influence of three typical nonflammable refrigerants CO₂, R1336mzz(E) and R1233zd(E) as flame retardants on the flammability of R1234yf was experimentally studied in this paper. With the measurements of flammable limits of R1234yf/CO₂, R1234yf/R1336mzz(E) and R1234yf/R1233zd(E) at different concentrations, the parameters of regression equations for their flammable limits were obtained. The critical suppression concentrations of retardant were determined as 0.575, 0.35 and 0.6, respectively. The results showed that their suppression abilities could be ranked as R1336mzz(E)>CO₂>R1233zd(E). Then the inhibition mechanisms were analyzed, and the differences in flame colors at flammable limits were compared. With the establishment of estimation model for calculating critical suppression concentrations of ternary blends, the critical suppression lines of CO₂/R1234yf/R1336mzz(E) and CO₂/R1234yf/R1233zd(E) were obtained, by which the nonflammable zones of them were preliminarily determined. The results will provide practical guidance for the applications utilizing R1234yf and its blends in safety.     

高速铁路运营引发的环境振动研究综述

随着我国高速铁路的快速发展,其运营引发的环境振动问题日益凸显,成为当今社会关注的一个热点.总结国内外学者对高速铁路环境振动的研究工作,从3方面对其进行阐述:振动源强特性及传播规律、环境振动评价标准及预测方法的制定、减振隔振方法的研究,并提出相关建议.     

Flow and flame visualization near the upper flammability limits of methane/air and propane/air mixtures at elevated pressures

In this study, direct visualization of flow and flame from the ignition of methane/air and propane/air mixtures near the UFL at elevated pressures of up to 2.0 MPa were obtained with a test cell comprised of double-sided plexiglass and a containment vessel with double-sided glass. These visualizations allowed direct observations of ignition and flame near UFL at elevated pressures. Two distinctive features were observed in ignition at elevated pressures that differ from those under ambient pressure: the hot igniter formed a convective plume, rather than a convection cell; and the flame initiated from the top of the test cell and propagated downwards, rather than directly from the igniter. Both these distinctive features are characteristics of convection at high Rayleigh number accompanied with increased gas density at elevated pressures. Our study also shows that visualization of the formation of planar flame provides the most objective criterion for defining flammability limits at elevated pressures.     

电镀污泥填埋豁免量限值研究-以重庆市为例

介绍了危险废物填埋环节豁免量限值的计算方法,并以重庆市15家电镀企业产生的电镀污泥为例,计算该市电镀污泥进入生活垃圾填埋场豁免量限值。结果显示,以重庆市生活垃圾填埋场的环境参数统计值建立的电镀污泥填埋处置豁免量反推计算场景中,在暴露点处有害物的浓度分别为0.005 5 mg/L(致癌效应)和1.2 mg/L(非致癌效应),在释放点处有害物的浓度分别为0.003 4 mg/L(致癌效应)和0.76 mg/L(非致癌效应)。计算得到电镀污泥填埋处置豁免管理限值为2.992 t/a,即该生活垃圾填埋场每年可填埋处置电镀污泥量小于3 t。     

Experimental investigation on the lower flammability limits of diethyl ether/ n-pentane/epoxypropane-air mixtures

Diethyl ether (DEE), epoxypropane (PO) and n-pentane have excellent ignition and combustion performance; hence, they have a wide variety of applications in industry and advanced aviation propulsion systems. As these fuels are flammable at normal temperature and pressure, their explosive characteristics need to be explored. In this study, the lower flammability limits (LFLs) of vapor mixtures of DEE/PO/n-pentane in air were measured in 20 L, closed, stainless steel spherical vessels. Experimental results were obtained at ambient atmospheric pressure and an initial temperature of 40 °C. The experimental results show that the LFLs of DEE-air, n-pentane -air, and PO-air are 1.81 vol%, 1.41 vol% and 2.44 vol%, respectively. The LFLs of binary/ternary fuel mixtures under different compositions were tested, and the experimental results are compared with the classical Le Chatelier's formula. The results show that, for the binary fuels (i.e., DEE/PO, DEE/n-pentane, PO/n-pentane)-air mixtures, the maximum difference of the LFLs between Le Chatelier's formula and the experimental results is 6.10%. For the ternary fuels (i.e., DEE/PO/n-pentane)-air mixtures, the maximum difference of the LFLs between the two results is 6.33%. Due to the adiabatic flame temperature of each single fuel mixture being close, the Le Chatelier's formula is applicable for an estimation of the LFL for DEE/PO/n-pentane-air mixtures.