Age dependent acute oral toxicity of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and two anaerobic N-nitroso metabolites in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus)

Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) transforms anaerobically into N-nitroso compounds: hexahydro-1-nitroso-3,5-dinitro-1,3,5-triazine (MNX), hexahydro-1,3-dinitroso-5-nitro-1,3,5-triazine (DNX), and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitroso-1,3,5-triazine (TNX). Exposure to these N-nitroso metabolites may occur in areas contaminated with explosives, as anaerobic degradation occurs via some bacteria and is one remediation strategy used for RDX. Few papers report acute oral toxicity and none have evaluated age dependent toxicity of RDX or its N-nitroso metabolites. Median lethal dose (LD₅₀) was determined in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) of three age classifications 21 d, 50 d, and 200 d for RDX, MNX, and TNX using the US EPA up-and-down procedure (UDP). Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine and N-nitroso metabolites caused similar overt signs of toxicity. Median lethal dose for 21 d deer mice were 136, 181, and 338 mg/kg for RDX, MNX, and TNX, respectively. Median lethal dose for 50 d deer mice were 319, 575, and 338 mg/kg for RDX, MNX, and TNX, respectively. Median lethal dose for 200 d deer mice were 158, 542, and 999 mg/kg for RDX, MNX, and TNX, respectively. These data suggest that RDX is the most potent compound tested, and age dependent toxicity may exist for all compounds and could play a role in RDX and RDX N-nitroso metabolite ecological risk evaluation of terrestrial wildlife at RDX contaminated sites.     

Petroleum contaminated soil in Oman: Evaluation of bioremediation treatment and potential for reuse in hot asphalt mix concrete

This paper presents a study that aims at evaluating the leaching characteristics of petroleum contaminated soils as well as their application in hot mix asphalt concrete. Soil samples are environmentally characterized in terms of their total heavy metals and hydrocarbon compounds and leachability. The total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) present in the PCS before and after treatment was determined to be 6.8% and 5.3% by dry weight, indicating a reduction of 1% in the TPH of PCS due to the current treatment employed. Results of the total heavy metal analysis on soils indicate that the concentrations of heavy metals are lower when extraction of the soil samples is carried out using hexane in comparison to TCE. The results show that the clean soils present in the vicinity of contaminated sites contain heavy metals in the following decreasing order: nickel (Ni), followed by chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and vanadium (V). The current treatment practice employed for remediation of the contaminated soil reduces the concentrations of nickel and chromium, but increases the concentrations of all remaining heavy metals.     

我国自然灾害类应急预案评价方法研究(Ⅱ):责任矩阵评价

在突发事件应急过程中,由于分工不明、责任不清导致的部门间或者责任人之间的推诿扯皮等现象影响应急行动的高效有序开展,甚至会导致应急行动失败。因此,在应急预案中各应急部门(人员)责任分配是否适当是应急能否成功的关键。为解决该问题,笔者引入项目管理中的责任矩阵方法(Responsibility Matrix)。首先,根据应急的特点,定义直接责任(R)、支持(S)、建议(A)、约束(P)4种责任类型,确定了责任划分的原则;然后,总结出我国自然灾害类应急预案主要包含41种角色类型,并在该基础上建立了应急程序和应急人员间的责任矩阵及评价准则;进而采用上述方法分析一个实际的地震应急预案,对该应急预案的责任矩阵进行评价,最终确定其需要加强和完善的方面,为制定或修订应急预案提供参考。     

生产安全预警预报指标体系研究

分析生产安全预控指标体系建立的必要性,指出当前生产安全预控研究现状及存在的问题;提出建立生产安全预控指标的改进模式;基于生产安全预控研究现状,建立企业层面的生产安全预警指标体系和政府部门宏观决策层的生产安全预报指标体系;对现有的预警预报程序进行改进,设计从企业层面到国家层面的生产安全预警预报和控制程序,为生产安全指数的计算提供了依据。政府部门可通过自下(企业)而上(地区或国家)的程序依次计算安全指数,再由上而下查找问题,从而给出控制目标和措施。     

Emergency response plan for boiler explosion with toxic chemical releases at Nan-Kung industrial park in central Taiwan

A large amount of hazardous materials and equipment has been extensively employed to produce useful chemicals for our daily lives, but many serious accidents, such as fires, explosions, toxic releases, and so on, that harm human beings and impact the environment have occurred during preparation, operation, and transportation of these chemicals. On 17 May 2007, a toxic release from a boiler explosion in a chemical firm triggered a large amount of xylene (7 ton), isopropanol (8 ton), phosphorus trichloride (44.7 ton), and dimethyl formamide (DMF) (1.37 ton) to be released to the atmosphere with total damages of 2000 m² level ground. Through concerted efforts from the Yunlin Emergency Response Information Center (YERIC), sponsored by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) of Taiwan and other government sectors, this accident was eventually well controlled after 37 h with 107 people being involved in the rescue action. This study could be applied to lessen the degree of hazard for relevant accidents with an emergency response plan (ERP), and, via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and photo ionization detector (PID) the toxic concentrations of airborne chemicals that occurred in the industrial area could be analyzed.     

Uncertainty in watershed response predictions induced by spatial variability of precipitation

Negligence to consider the spatial variability of rainfall could result in serious errors in model outputs. The objective of this study was to examine the uncertainty of both runoff and pollutant transport predictions due to the input errors of rainfall. This study used synthetic data to represent the “true” rainfall pattern, instead of interpolated precipitation. It was conducted on a synthetic case area having a total area of 20 km² with ten subbasins. Each subbasin has one rainfall gauge with synthetic precipitation records. Six rainfall storms with varied spatial distribution were generated. The average rainfall was obtained from all of the ten gauges by the arithmetic average method. The input errors of rainfall were induced by the difference between the actual rainfall pattern and estimated average rainfall. The results show that spatial variability of rainfall can cause uncertainty in modeling outputs of hydrologic, which would be transport to pollutant export predictions, when uniformity of rainfall is assumed. Since rainfall is essential information for predicting watershed responses, it is important to consider the properties of rainfall, particularly spatial rainfall variability, in the application of hydrologic and water quality models.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed: John Twigg and Mihir R. Bhatt, eds, Understanding Vulnerability Joachim von Braun, Tesfaye Teklu and Patrick Webb, Famine in Africa: Causes, Responses, and Prevention C. Emdad Haque, Hazrads in a Fickle Environment: Bangladesh Walter Gillis Peacock, Betty Hearn Morrow and Hugh Gladwin, eds, Population and Food: Global Trends and Future Prospects Roy Gutman and David Rieff, eds, Crimes of War: What the Public Should Know     

Malnutrition in Emergencies: How Can We Do Better and Where Do the Responsibilities Lie?

Over many years, the international relief system has been repeatedly criticised in terms of slowness of response, poor inter-agency co-ordination, and technical incompetence on a larger or smaller scale. Notwithstanding many initiatives to improve co-ordination and other aspects of international relief performance, relief failures, including epidemic malnutrition, continue to occur. The reasons for these failures are discussed from the perspective of the characteristics of the international system, and the way in which this would be expected to perform under different conditions. The chief limitations of the international system identified are: the lack of any focus for imposing co-ordination, other than governments of affected countries; the lack of any requirement for donor nations to ensure that adequate resources are supplied; and a tendency for the system to respond uncritically to the international media. A broad typology of international responses is proposed. It is suggested that relief failure can be recast in terms of the lack of any system which can ensure the correct allocation of food and other resources between emergencies, and ensure the systematic distribution of such resources as are supplied. It concludes that the scope for further improvement in the performance of the international relief system is now limited, but that the most promising area for investment would, where possible, support governments in affected countries to take greater control of the management of the international relief system.     

风景名胜区开发建设项目环境影响评价程序和指标体系——以本溪水洞国家级重点风景名胜区为例

文章以本溪水洞国家级重点风景名胜区为例 ,对山岳型风景资源开发建设项目环境影响评价程序和指标体系进行了研究。评价程序分三个层次进行。规划指标和人为自然灾害指标为第一个层次 ;景观指标和生态指标为第二个层次 ;环境质量和环境感应指标为第三个层次。每个层次和指标体系都赋予了内涵。     

Univariate Bayesian nonparametric binary regression with application in environmental management

In environmental management, we often have to deal with binary response variables whose outcome dictates the course of action. This paper introduces a nonparametric Bayesian binary regression model with a single predictor variable that is more flexible than the commonly used logistic or probit models. Due to the Bayesian feature, the model can be easily used to combine observed data with our knowledge of the subject to produce site-specific results. By using three examples, this paper shows the potential application of the model in the environmental management, and its advantages in terms of flexibility in model specification, robustness to outliers, and realistic interpretation of data.