U and Th in some brown coals of Serbia and Montenegro and their environmental impact

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: The objective of this paper is to determine and compare the concentrations of U and Th in soft to hard brown (lignite to sub-bituminous) coals of Serbia and Montenegro. It also presents comparison of the obtained data on U and Th concentrations with the published data on coals located in some other countries of the world. Almost the whole coal production of Serbia and Montenegro is used as feed coals for combustion in thermal power plants. METHODS: Channel samples from open pit and underground mines and core samples were collected for hard and soft brown coals. For the analysis the samples were decomposed using microwave technique. Obtained solutions containing U and Th were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) using NIST standards. RESULTS: Concentration of U from the investigated basins and the corresponding mine fields ranges within 0.60-70.10 mg/kg, 0.65-3.20 mg/kg, 0.95-6.59 mg/kg, 1.20-6.05 mg/kg, 0.80-6.66 mg/kg, 0.18-89.90 mg/kg, 0.19-4.14 mg/kg, and 0.28-3.52 mg/kg for the Kostolac, Kolubara, Krepoljin, Sjenica, Soko Banja, Bogovina East field, Senje-Resavica and Pljevlja basins, respectively. Concentration of Th ranges within 0.20-2.60 mg/kg, 0.84-6.57 mg/kg, 1.48-6.48 mg/kg, 0.12-2.71 mg/kg, 0.13-4.95 mg/kg, 0.14-3.48 mg/kg, 0.29-3.56 mg/kg, and 0.17-1.89 mg/kg for the Kostolac, Kolubara, Krepoljin, Sjenica, Soko Banja, Bogovina East field, Senje-Resavica and Pljevlja basins, respectively. DISCUSSION: Brown coal from Senje-Resavica, Kolubara, Kostolac and Pljevlja is characterized by low U concentration. Coals form the Krepoljin, Soko Banja and Sjenica basins have slightly higher U concentrations than the mentioned group. The highest concentration of U is characteristic for the coal from the Bogovina East field. Concentration of Th in coals from Serbia and Montenegro has proved to be low. Out of all investigated coal basins, only the coal from the Krepoljin and Kolubara basins has high concentration of Th. The hydrothermally altered rocks of the Timok dacite-andesite complex, representing the basement of the Bogovina basin, could be a potential source of U, especially at the bottom part of the Lower seam of the Bogovina East field. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that brown coals in Serbia and Montenegro (soft to hard brown coals or lignite to sub-bituminous) contain low levels of U (5.30 mg/kg, average value and 2.10 mg/kg geometric mean value) and Th (1.80 mg/kg, average value and 1.12 mg/kg geometric mean value). There are some obvious differences in concentration of U and Th in coals from different basins in Serbia and Montenegro. The approximate value for U and Th release mainly from power plants was 644.33 t and 983.46 t, respectively within the period 1965-2000 for the studied mines in Serbia, and 23.76 t and 15.05 t for the Potrlica mine (Montenegro) within the period 1965-1997. RECOMMENDATIONS: The coals in Serbia and Montenegro show no identifiable unfavourable impact on the surrounding environment, due to low natural radioactive concentration of U and Th, but further investigations concerning human health should be performed. PERSPECTIVES: Preliminary research revealed that in some Serbian coals (and, particularly, parts of the coal seam) U and Th content are rather high. Such coals should be carefully studied, as well as U and Th concentrations in ash, fly ash, waste disposals, nearby soil and ground water. Further studies should include determination of the radioactivity of all these products, and estimation of possible health impact.     

Use of principal component analysis to profile temporal and spatial variations of chlorinated solvent concentration in groundwater

This work aims at evaluating spatial distribution patterns of concentration variations for chlorinated solvents in groundwater, based on principal component analysis and geographic information system (GIS) tools. The study investigates long-time series of chlorinated solvent concentrations in groundwater measured for 18 contaminated industrial sites. The characterization of contaminant plumes and delineation of pollutant sources are essential for choosing appropriate monitoring and remediation strategies, as contaminated groundwaters are characterized by complex patterns of spatial and temporal concentration variability, with wide unpredictable fluctuations over time. The present work describes the results of a new exploratory statistical method called the Variability Index Method (VIM) applied to environmental data to assess the performance of using concentration variations as molecular tracers to reveal aquifer dynamics, industrial impacts, and point sources for contamination plumes. The application of this method provides a useful assessment of controls over contaminant concentration variations as well as support for remediation techniques.     

Conjoint analysis for environmental evaluation

BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE: Conjoint analysis and the related choice-modelling methods have been used for many years in marketing research to evaluate consumer behaviour and preferences for different kinds of product attributes. Recently, the number of applications in environmental science and management has started to grow. Conjoint analysis is found in many different forms, and the environmental studies evaluated in this review display the same range of methods as in other fields. The key characteristic of all these methods is that trade-offs are evaluated by jointly considering a number of important attributes. MAIN FEATURES: This paper is a review of the literature on environmental applications of conjoint analysis and assesses in which environmental area conjoint analysis has been most successful. The method and the design of the studies are reviewed as well. RESULTS: A total of 84 studies were found, dealing with environmental issues that were evaluated by conjoint analysis. The studies concern agriculture, ecosystem management, energy, environmental evaluation, forestry, land management, pollution, products, recreation, environmental risk analysis and waste management. DISCUSSION: Choice experiments seem to have a comparatively stronger position in environmental studies than elsewhere. Most of the environmental applications are related to natural resource management. This is somewhat surprising, but a number of reports have appeared also on product evaluation, which could be a key application area in the future. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to marketing and transportation, the number of environmental conjoint studies is rather small but increasing, and the method has proven to work effectively in eliciting preferences on environmental issues. In environmental issues, experimenters often use choice experiments, especially concerning ecosystem management and environmental evaluations. When it comes to evaluating preferences concerning agriculture, forestry, energy and products, a more traditional approach of conjoint analysis is favoured. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: Two new areas of application are identified in this review--environmental communication and expert elicitation. Conjoint analysis can thus be developed into a useful instrument for environmental risk analysis and communication, both of which are necessary for an efficient approach to risk governance.     

输电塔结构的动力稳定性研究

作为一种重要的生命线工程,输电线路的破坏会造成巨大的经济损失。统计显示,风荷载作用下输电塔结构的动态侧倾失稳是输电线路经常发生的破坏形式之一。因此,对风作用下输电塔结构的失稳破坏进行研究有着十分重要的意义。本文应用谐波叠加法模拟脉动风场,分别采用Budiansky-Roth准则和动态增量法(IDA)结合位移相等准则这两种方法,基于ANSYS的非线性屈曲分析和时程分析模块,对沈阳某输电塔的抗风动力稳定性进行了研究。结果表明,风的动力特性对结构稳定性影响较大,现行规范中按等效静力风荷载进行计算是偏于不安全的。     

吸力式桶形基础多桶组合结构承载力特性研究

海洋采油平台结构中一般采用多桶组合基础型式,然而迄今对多桶组合结构尚缺乏理论分析和实验研究。本文针对我国第一座吸力式桶形基础采油平台CB20B,基于单桶基础在复合加载模式下的承载力特性,建立了双桶、四桶组合基础的三维有限元数值计算模型,探讨了对称多桶基础结构与单桶基础结构的承载力特性之间的相互关系,阐述了不同桶间距的多桶组合结构地基破坏机制,为工程设计提供参考依据。     

基坑开挖对临近地基极限承载的影响性状数值分析

采用弹塑性有限元分析方法,分析了悬臂式排桩支护的基坑开挖对邻近地基条形基础下极限承载力的影响性状。主要考虑了在基坑开挖深度、荷载与基坑的距离、荷载宽度、支护刚度等因素的影响下地基极限承载力的减损性状。研究表明,基坑开挖深度H较浅时,对地基极限承载力P_u的影响较小,P_u随H的增大略有降低,随着开挖深度的增加,H对P_u值的影响显著增大,且P_u值显著降低;当L/H≤2时,荷载与基坑的距离L对地基极限承载力P_u的影响很大,地基极限承载力P_u随L的减小而显著减小,当L/H>3时,L的影响逐渐减小,且P_u逐渐趋近于无基坑开挖时的值;P_u随地基荷载作用宽度B的增大而呈线性增大;支护桩的位移越小,P_u值越接近无基坑开挖时的地基极限承载力。     

覆冰输电塔-线体系风致动力响应分析

依据流体诱发振动原理,结合已有覆冰计算模型,考虑降雨的分类,模拟了输电塔-线体系不同高度导线的覆冰和风荷载。以东北地区某输电塔为例,对覆冰输电塔-线体系在稳定风速激励下的动力响应进行分析,并与不考虑塔线耦联的导线舞动分析结果及覆冰塔线拟静力的分析结果进行对比,对塔位移、输电线位移、钢材应力进行了分析。研究结果表明:塔-线耦联体系对覆冰导线风振有很大影响,覆冰输电塔抗风设计安全度需要进一步提高。     

基于岩体质量指标Q分类系统的风险分析方法

基于岩体质量指标Q分类系统,应用Monte-Carlo模拟技术,研究了岩体质量风险分析方法。该方法视Q分类系统中各单因素取值为随机变量,建立了各单因素取值概率模型;通过对所建模型的抽样计算,可获取所评价岩体实际Q值小于设计所采用Q值的概率;通过对比分析Q值累计曲线和岩体质量分布图,可得到任意Q值对应的风险概率,查清岩体中可能出现的质量等级以及每个质量等级所占百分比的情况。本文研究成果已在青岛胶州湾海底隧道工程中得到应用,并获得良好效果。     

岩体开挖卸荷过程力学特性分析

基于岩体开挖卸荷过程中力学参数变化理论的分析研究,建立卸荷岩体有限元分析模型,运用ADINA有限元分析软件对岩体进行一维卸荷数值仿真研究。根据有限元数值分析计算成果得到岩体力学参数与主卸荷方向累计开挖卸荷量间的变化关系曲线。结果表明:岩体开挖卸荷过程中,岩体力学参数变形模量、泊松比、粘聚力和内摩擦角等呈现出随开挖卸荷量的变化而发生变化的特征,随卸荷量的增大有减小的趋势,但它们不是从初始值一直减小到零,而是随卸荷量的增大减小到一定的量值后,岩体的裂隙张开、结构面的扩展到一定的程度,岩体的力学参数保持一定的量级不再减小。     

官地水电站竹子坝料场高边坡的稳定性分析及其影响因数研究

竹子坝料场是官地水电站混凝土浇筑骨料的重要来源之一。结合竹子坝料场的地形地质情况,以及料场开挖后形成的东、南、西三段人工边坡,运用刚体极限平衡的方法进行稳定性分析及其影响因数的研究。