贵阳市一居民区大气颗粒态汞的污染状况

2004年4、7、8、11、12月采用微型捕集管-冷原子荧光光谱法对贵阳市一个居民区大气中的痕量颗粒态总汞(TPM)进行了测定。结果表明:TPM日均浓度范围是0.149~4.853 ng.m-3,平均值是1.091 ng.m-3,显著高于背景参考值1~86 pg.m-3;TPM浓度采暖期大于非采暖期,夜间通常大于白昼;TPM与大气气态总汞(TGM)可能具有同源性;燃煤、垃圾焚烧以及周边工厂排放的含尘烟气可能是居民区大气颗粒态汞的主要人为来源。     

贵阳市区大气降水中有机酸的研究

利用ICS-90常规离子色谱结合RFC-30型淋洗液在线发生器,对贵阳市区大气降水中的小分子有机酸进行了系统研究。测得贵阳市降水中的有机酸主要以甲酸[质量分数为(0.2-4.5)×10-6]、乙酸[质量分数为(0.6-5.3)×10-6]、草酸[质量分数为(0.1-4.9)×10-6]为主,其次是乳酸和丙酮酸,及少量丙酸和甲烷磺酸;有机酸对降水自由酸平均贡献为23.2%,占总阴离子的1.4%;通过比较贵阳市区有机酸前后二十年的变化,得出现阶段可能至少有近1/2乙酸和3/4甲酸来源于人类的活动,这说明有机酸人为源是其来源的重要组成部分。     

Utilitarian killing,replacement, and rights

The ethical theory underlying much of our treatment of animals in agriculture and research is the moral agency view. It is assumed that only moral agents, or persons, are worthy of maximal moral significance, and that farm and laboratory animals are not moral agents. However, this view also excludes human non-persons from the moral community. Utilitarianism, which bids us maximize the amount of good (utility) in the world, is an alternative ethical theory. Although it has many merits, including impartiality and the extension of moral concern to all sentient beings, it also appears to have many morally unacceptable implications. In particular, it appears to sanction the killing of innocents when utility would be maximized, including cases in which we would deliberately kill and replace a being, as we typically do to animals on farms and in laboratories. I consider a number of ingenious recent attempts by utilitarians to defeat the killing and replaceability arguments, including the attempt to make a place for genuine moral rights within a utilitarian framework. I conclude that utilitarians cannot escape the killing and replaceability objections. Those who reject the restrictive moral agency view and find they cannot accept utilitarianism's unsavory implications must look to a different ethical theory to guide their treatment of humans and non-humans.     

The boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion

The boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion (BLEVE) has existed for a long time and for most of this time it has been cloaked in mystery. Several theories have been put forward to explain this very energetic event but none have been proven. This paper describes a series of tests that have recently been conducted to study this phenomenon.

The study involved ASME code automotive propane tanks with nominal capacities of 400 litres. The tanks were exposed to a combination of pool and/or torch fires. These fire conditions led to thermal ruptures, and in some cases these ruptures resulted in BLEVEs. The variables in the tests were the pressure-relief valve setting, the tank wall thickness, and the fire condition.

In total, 30 tests have been conducted, of which 22 resulted in thermal ruptures. Of those tanks that ruptured, 11 resulted in what we call BLEVEs. In this paper, we have defined a BLEVE as the explosive release of expanding vapour and boiling liquid following a catastrophic tank failure. Non-BLEVEs involved tanks that ruptured but which only resulted in a prolonged jet release.

The objective of this study was to investigate why certain tank ruptures lead to a BLEVE rather than a more benign jet-type release. Data are presented to show how wall temperature, wall thickness, liquid temperature and fill level contribute to the BLEVE process.     

MUNICIPAL RESPONSES TO VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN WISCONSIN GROUND WATER1

ABSTRACT: Contamination of ground water supplies with volatile organic compounds is a new and significant problem. Municipalities and their community water systems are often the first to discover ground water contamination because of the monitoring programs they are required to carry out. When contamination exceeds standards, some action is required. The responses of Wisconsin municipalities to volatile organic compounds that exceed standards in their ground water sources is described. Actions to protect human health are prompt, but the survey results indicate plumes of contaminated ground water are usually not treated. They may continue to migrate and contaminate other private and public wells.     

Synthesis of cellulose-fatty acid esters for use as biodegradable plastics

Long-chain fatty acid carbohydrate esters (FACE) were synthesized by the acid chloride-pyridine reaction to different degrees of substitution (DS). The hydrolyzed soybean oil was used as the source of unsaturated fatty acids. High molecular weight FACE polymers are insoluble in common solvents, such as benzene, toluene, THF, etc., and are highly water resistant. However, FACE polymers of hydrolyzed cellulose (MW 180 kD) are soluble/swellable in toluene and can be cast into tough, flexible films. FACE polymer properties of tensile strength and clasticity vary with degree of substitution and polymer size.Paper presented at the Bio/Environmentally Degradable Polymer Society—Third National Meeting, June 6–8, 1994, Boston, Massachusetts.     

MODELING FECAL COLIFORM CONTAMINATION IN THE RIO GRANDE1

This study examines sources of fecal coliform in Segment 2302 of the Rio Grande, located south of the International Falcon Reservoir in southern Texas. The watershed is unique because the contributing drainage areas lie in Texas and Mexico. Additionally, the watershed is mostly rural, with populated communities known as “colonias.” The colonias lack sewered systems and discharge sanitary water directly to the ground surface, thus posing an increased health hazard from coliform bacteria. Monitoring data confirm that Segment 2302 is not safe for contact recreation due to elevated fecal coliform levels. The goal of the study was to simulate the observed exceedences in Segment 2302 and evaluate potential strategies for their elimination. Fecal coliform contributions from ranching and colonia discharges were modeled using the Hydrologic Simulation Program‐Fortran (HSPF). Model results indicated that the regulatory 30‐day geometric mean fecal coliform concentration of 200 colony forming units (cfu) per 100 milliliters is exceeded approximately three times per year for a total of 30 days. Ongoing initiatives to improve wastewater facilities will reduce this to approximately once per year for 14 days. Best management practices will be necessary to reduce cattle access to streams and eliminate all exceedences. The developed model was limited by the relatively sparse flow and fecal coliform data.     

微波消解法测定农药废水中的总磷

介绍了一种测定农药废水中总磷的新的预处理方法－微波消解法。其消解时间从传统法的40min缩短到8min，精确度和准确度与传统的消解法相比无显著性差异。     

尿中氚水和总氚的对比分析测定研究

用蒸馏液闪法测量尿中氚水浓度 ,用氧化蒸馏液闪法测量尿中总氚 (氚水和有机氚 )浓度。同时测量了 1999年核设施退役时接触氚人员的高于本底水平的尿中氚水和总氚浓度 72个样品。比较氚水和有机氚浓度 ,得到有机氚浓度占氚水浓度的平均值为 (5 4± 3 7) % ,其值与理论值和动物实验值基本相符