Impacts of natural weathering on the transformation/neoformation processes in landfilled MSWI bottom ash: a geoenvironmental perspective

Natural weathering processes are significant mechanisms that noticeably affect the fundamental nature of incineration ash residues. To provide a greater understanding of these processes, a MSWI (mono)landfill site in the north east of the US was selected as the target for systematic investigation of the natural weathering of bottom ash residues. Samples of various ages were collected from locations A (1 yr), B (10 yrs), C (13-14 yrs) and D (20 yrs) of the landfill in 2009. We investigated the phase transformation of the collected bottom ash particles, neoformation processes as well as the behavior and distribution of certain heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Cr) in the neoformed phases using optical microscopy, SEM-EDX, and bulk examinations. Key findings: at the preliminary stage, the waste metallic particles (Al, Fe, and Cu) and unstable minerals such as lime, portlandite, ettringite and hydrocalumite convert to oxide and hydroxide (hydrate) phases, calcite, alumina gel and gypsum. At the intermediate stage, the decomposition of melt products including magnetite spinels and metallic inclusions is triggered due to the partial dissolution of the melt glass. At the longer time horizon it is possible to track the breakdown of the glass phase, the extensive formation of calcite and anhydrite, Al-hydrates and more stable Fe-hydrates all through the older ash deposits. Among the dominant secondary phases, we propose the following order based on their direct metal uptake capacity: Fe-hydrates>Al-hydrates>calcite. Calcite was found to be the least effective phase for the direct sorption of heavy metals. Based on overall findings, a model is proposed that demonstrates the general trend of ash weathering in the landfill.     

Ground-Cover Measurements: Assessing Correlation Among Aerial and Ground-Based Methods

Wyoming’s Green Mountain Common Allotment is public land providing livestock forage, wildlife habitat, and unfenced solitude, amid other ecological services. It is also the center of ongoing debate over USDI Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) adjudication of land uses. Monitoring resource use is a BLM responsibility, but conventional monitoring is inadequate for the vast areas encompassed in this and other public-land units. New monitoring methods are needed that will reduce monitoring costs. An understanding of data-set relationships among old and new methods is also needed. This study compared two conventional methods with two remote sensing methods using images captured from two meters and 100 meters above ground level from a camera stand (a ground, image-based method) and a light airplane (an aerial, image-based method). Image analysis used SamplePoint or VegMeasure software. Aerial methods allowed for increased sampling intensity at low cost relative to the time and travel required by ground methods. Costs to acquire the aerial imagery and measure ground cover on 162 aerial samples representing 9000 ha were less than $3000. The four highest correlations among data sets for bare ground—the ground-cover characteristic yielding the highest correlations (r)—ranged from 0.76 to 0.85 and included ground with ground, ground with aerial, and aerial with aerial data-set associations. We conclude that our aerial surveys are a cost-effective monitoring method, that ground with aerial data-set correlations can be equal to, or greater than those among ground-based data sets, and that bare ground should continue to be investigated and tested for use as a key indicator of rangeland health.     

A Study of Physicomechanical and Morphological Properties of Starch/Poly(vinylalcohol) Based Films

Starch/Poly(vinylalcohol) blends in two different ratios (60:40 and 50:50) were prepared with glycerol as a plasticizer. Films were cast by a solution casting method. One set of films were filled with 10 wt% of unmodified bentonite clay and another set of films were crosslinked with epichlorohydrin in an alkaline medium. The prepared film samples were subjected to X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), mechanical characterization and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Significant changes in the tensile properties were observed depending on the different chemical constituents of the films. The presence of clay and crosslinking with epichlorohydrin were both found to have considerable effect on the morphology and mechanical property of the films. The SEM investigations, XRD analysis and FTIR studies revealed the interaction between the various chemical components of the films.     

Laser cleaning of historical limestone buildings in Bordeaux appraisal using cathodoluminescence and electron paramagnetic resonance

BACKGROUND: Most historical buildings in Bordeaux city are made of limestone. This yellowish-white rock is rather porous and highly sensitive to pollution. As a consequence of local weathering conditions, these buildings present a dark appearance due to the development of a superficial dark grey to black crust. METHODS: For the last decade, a campaign has been underway to clean these buildings. Eleven techniques of surface treatment have been used, including laser beam technology. As a contribution to the study of laser beam effects on stone buildings, two analytical methods have been used on clean versus unclean surfaces: Cathodoluminescence (CL) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR), in addition to SEM-EDX and XRD. RESULTS: The black crust is composed of different types of particles: carbon porous micro-particles of industrial origin, atmospheric dust due to the erosion of soils and rocks, alumino-silicate particles from urban pollution; all these particles being cemented by gypsum. DISCUSSION: As far as heritage conservation is concerned, the laser surface treatment not only preserves the original patina of the stone, but also leaves surface smoothness unaltered. CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: CL and EPR data confirm that lasers--with highly controlled parameters--only get rid of the black crust and, thus, reveal the underneath layer, the so-called patina. This patina shows no luminescence, whereas the limestone on which it has grown shows a bright orange emission of CL. This indicates CL to be a fast and easy way to provide a high quality control for the restoration of polluted ancient stones.     

不同烟气含湿量测量方法比较与分析

探讨准确测量烟气含湿量的方法,采用干湿球法、重量法、阻容法、激光法同步比对测量典型温湿度污染源烟气的含湿量,通过监测结果分析,提出了不同测量方法在实际烟气测量中的准确性和适用性,为准确、规范测定烟气含湿量提供技术依据。     

进口含锌物料的表征和鉴别

采用X射线荧光光谱(XRF)、X射线衍射光谱(XRD)等分析手段,对4种进口疑似固体废物的含锌物料进行了表征。通过分析含锌物料的主要元素组成、物相组成和常规理化特征,结合外观特征,与含锌矿物、含锌产品及相关文献资料等进行比对,推导出含锌物料的产生来源。然后,参照我国《进口废物管理目录》得出鉴别结论。结果表明:4种含锌物料分别为锌矿、湿法冶炼锌浸出渣、热镀锌灰和固定CO2产物;后3种属于我国目前禁止进口的固体废物。     

磷对降低土壤中铅的生物有效性的X-衍射及电镜分析

通过盆栽实验,对不同磷化合物处理的铅污染土壤和植物分别进行X-衍射(XRD)、能谱扫描电镜(SEM-EDS)及能谱透射电镜(TEM-EDS)分析.结果显示,不同磷化合物处理土样的X-衍射图在0.288 nm、0.296 nm及0.321 nm处有明显衍射峰生成,以SSP5、HA5及HASSP2处理土样的X-衍射谱图中生成的衍射峰比较明显,而PR5处理的衍射峰相对较弱,其原因可能与磷矿粉的弱溶解特性有关.这显示了土壤经不同磷化合物处理后,土壤中新生成了较多的磷酸铅及Ca-Pb磷酸铅盐的沉淀,不同程度地降低了土壤中铅的迁移和转化特性.对植株根系的SEM分析结果表明,土壤中加入不同的磷化合物处理后,磷酸铅类化合物在植株根表细胞有明显的晶体沉淀物.对植物根细胞的透射电镜分析结果发现,在不同磷处理土壤中,铅以不同的磷酸盐化合物的形式沉淀在植物的细胞壁及细胞间隙,从而有效地阻止了铅离子向原生质细胞及植物中柱内的迁移,不同程度地降低了污染土壤中铅的蓄积毒性.     

改善典型硝胺类易燃易爆材料引燃性能研究

通过针对典型硝胺类易燃易爆材料黑索今(RDX)和奥克托今(HMX)的引燃性能实验,研究了掺混碳黑和反应体系的封闭对上述药剂引燃特性的影响规律。研究表明,碳黑对硝胺类易燃易爆材料的激光吸收率有重要影响;反应体系的密封可以有效提高激光引燃感度,缩短激光引燃延迟时间,改善硝胺类易燃易爆材料的激光引燃性能。     

Size distributions of manure particles released under simulated rainfall

Manure and animal waste deposited on cropland and grazing lands serve as a source of microorganisms, some of which may be pathogenic. These microorganisms are released along with particles of dissolved manure during rainfall events. Relatively little if anything is known about the amounts and sizes of manure particles released during rainfall, that subsequently may serve as carriers, abode, and nutritional source for microorganisms. The objective of this work was to obtain and present the first experimental data on sizes of bovine manure particles released to runoff during simulated rainfall and leached through soil during subsequent infiltration. Experiments were conducted using 200 cm long boxes containing turfgrass soil sod; the boxes were designed so that rates of manure dissolution and subsequent infiltration and runoff could be monitored independently. Dairy manure was applied on the upper portion of boxes. Simulated rainfall (ca. 32.4 mm h(-1)) was applied for 90 min on boxes with stands of either live or dead grass. Electrical conductivity, turbidity, and particle size distributions obtained from laser diffractometry were determined in manure runoff and soil leachate samples. Turbidity of leachates and manure runoff samples decreased exponentially. Turbidity of manure runoff samples was on average 20% less than turbidity of soil leachate samples. Turbidity of leachate samples from boxes with dead grass was on average 30% less than from boxes with live grass. Particle size distributions in manure runoff and leachate suspensions remained remarkably stable after 15 min of runoff initiation, although the turbidity continued to decrease. Particles had the median diameter of 3.8 microm, and 90% of particles were between 0.6 and 17.8 microm. The particle size distributions were not affected by the grass status. Because manure particles are known to affect transport and retention of microbial pathogens in soil, more information needs to be collected about the concurrent release of pathogens and manure particles during rainfall events.     

3D可视化石化装置安全管理系统的开发

本文介绍了3D可视化石化装置安全管理系统构成、功能和实验途径，该系统将三维激光扫描和GIS技术运用于石化行业，通过数据处理建立石化装置测绘级精度、全尺寸、全真实体的三维数字模型，并通过添加GIS信息和设备属性信息，实现石化装置5D可视化管理、分层管理、设备检维修和施工改造模拟、事故影响范围及应急救援最佳路径模拟、工作人员仿真培训等安全管理模块，为石化企业设备管理提供了新的技术平台。