Stepwise multiple regression method of greenhouse gas emission modeling in the energy sector in Poland

The energy sector in Poland is the source of 81% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Poland, among other European Union countries, occupies a leading position with regard to coal consumption. Polish energy sector actively participates in efforts to reduce GHG emissions to the atmosphere, through a gradual decrease of the share of coal in the fuel mix and development of renewable energy sources. All evidence which completes the knowledge about issues related to GHG emissions is a valuable source of information. The article presents the results of modeling of GHG emissions which are generated by the energy sector in Poland. For a better understanding of the quantitative relationship between total consumption of primary energy and greenhouse gas emission, multiple stepwise regression model was applied. The modeling results of CO₂ emissions demonstrate a high relationship (0.97) with the hard coal consumption variable. Adjustment coefficient of the model to actual data is high and equal to 95%. The backward step regression model, in the case of CH₄ emission, indicated the presence of hard coal (0.66), peat and fuel wood (0.34), solid waste fuels, as well as other sources (− 0.64) as the most important variables. The adjusted coefficient is suitable and equals R² = 0.90. For N₂O emission modeling the obtained coefficient of determination is low and equal to 43%. A significant variable influencing the amount of N₂O emission is the peat and wood fuel consumption.     

2021年夏季新乡市城区臭氧超标日污染特征及敏感性

基于2021年6～8月新乡市市委党校站点观测的挥发性有机物(VOCs)、常规空气污染物和气象参数,采用基于观测的模型(OBM)对臭氧(O₃)超标日的O₃敏感性和前体物的管控策略进行了研究.结果发现,O₃超标日呈现高温、低湿和低压的气象特征.在臭氧超标日,O₃及其前体物的浓度均有上升.臭氧超标日的VOCs最高浓度组分为含氧挥发性有机物(OVOCs)和烷烃,臭氧生成潜势(OFP)和·OH反应性最大的VOCs组分为OVOCs.通过相对增量反应性(RIR)分析,新乡6月O₃超标日臭氧生成处于VOCs控制区,7月和8月处于VOCs和氮氧化物(NO_x)协同控制区,臭氧生成对烯烃和OVOCs最为敏感.6月各前体物的RIR值在一天中会发生变化,但始终保持为VOCs控制区;7月和8月在上午为VOCs控制区,中午为协同控制区,下午分别为协同控制区和NO_x控制区.通过模拟不同前体物削减情景,结果表明削减VOCs始终有利于管控臭氧,而削减NO_x     

环境监测站INTRANET建设研究

研究探讨了环境监测站内部网络 (Intranet)建设方案、Web数据库开发应用方案、网站的规划方法、结构与内容 ,对其经济性、技术合理性、适用性作了阐述。     

计算机模拟警戒作业疲劳与绩效测量实验设计

为探索警戒作业工间休息机制,设计计算机模拟监控警戒作业实验研究疲劳与绩效之间的关系.通过对9个时间单元绩效数据的两两比较,发现原有实验方案存在不合理性.分析心理厌倦和暂时性注意缺失对作业绩效的干扰,找出问题根源.通过调整任务界面和参数、增加声音警示音、设置时间进度条、加强实验前自我检查和培训环节对实验方案进行改进,并检...     

Arsenic forensic modeling leads to decommission of downgradient/off-site monitoring wells

Arsenic was detected at concentrations exceeding the regulatory limit of 0.010 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in an off-site bedrock monitoring well downgradient of a former electroplating facility in Merrimack, New Hampshire. The bedrock underlying the site is associated with naturally occurring high concentrations of groundwater arsenic. Geochemical modeling was used to evaluate whether the arsenic in bedrock groundwater at the off-site monitoring location was site-related or naturally occurring. The hydrogeochemical signature of the off-site bedrock well did not resemble signatures of site-impacted bedrock wells. Multiple lines of evidence support that the arsenic observed in off-site bedrock groundwater was not a result of adverse impacts from site-related groundwater contamination.     

Scaling range sizes to threats for robust predictions of risks to biodiversity

Assessments of risk to biodiversity often rely on spatial distributions of species and ecosystems. Range‐size metrics used extensively in these assessments, such as area of occupancy (AOO), are sensitive to measurement scale, prompting proposals to measure them at finer scales or at different scales based on the shape of the distribution or ecological characteristics of the biota. Despite its dominant role in red‐list assessments for decades, appropriate spatial scales of AOO for predicting risks of species’ extinction or ecosystem collapse remain untested and contentious. There are no quantitative evaluations of the scale‐sensitivity of AOO as a predictor of risks, the relationship between optimal AOO scale and threat scale, or the effect of grid uncertainty. We used stochastic simulation models to explore risks to ecosystems and species with clustered, dispersed, and linear distribution patterns subject to regimes of threat events with different frequency and spatial extent. Area of occupancy was an accurate predictor of risk (0.81<|r|<0.98) and performed optimally when measured with grid cells 0.1–1.0 times the largest plausible area threatened by an event. Contrary to previous assertions, estimates of AOO at these relatively coarse scales were better predictors of risk than finer‐scale estimates of AOO (e.g., when measurement cells are <1% of the area of the largest threat). The optimal scale depended on the spatial scales of threats more than the shape or size of biotic distributions. Although we found appreciable potential for grid‐measurement errors, current IUCN guidelines for estimating AOO neutralize geometric uncertainty and incorporate effective scaling procedures for assessing risks posed by landscape‐scale threats to species and ecosystems.     

A safety analysis of roundabouts and turbo roundabouts based on Petri nets

Objective: In this work, a roundabout and a turbo roundabout model are compared and previous modeling with continuous Petri nets and safety are analyzed through indicators of complexity. Petri nets are a graphic and mathematical representation that allow a faithful modeling of urban systems.

Method: The methodology has been designed for the transformation of a real system to small subgraphs that represent the maneuvers in roundabouts, approximated as roads and lanes of incorporation. Places within the roundabout have been located and defined as continuous places from their influence and visibility toward adjacent conditions. The transitions have been modeled by time and inhibitory arcs, which represent priorities and areas where drivers must pay attention. The created networks represent a faithful model of vehicle flow trajectories in the roundabouts.

Results: The methodology is applied to the same real road intersection. The case study is a recent transformation from roundabout to turbo roundabout. The roundabout network complexity is corroborated by a greater number of entries and exits that lead to each roundabout place (reflected in the maneuvers that can be performed) and a greater number of inhibiting arcs. In most of the turbo roundabout places, the driver’s only option is reduced to occupying next place. The possibility of choosing between several places supposes a greater trajectory intersection and an increased time for decision making. The only situation where the complexity is the same between both systems is when a vehicle accesses the inner lane of the roundabout from the left lane on a single-lane road. The main maneuvers causing accidents have been modeled and their solution in a turbo roundabout is presented.

Conclusions: The reduced complexity of the turbo roundabout is due to the strict limitations in lane changes, turning turbo roundabouts into a safer model: A lower number of possible movements that can be performed by drivers and a smaller number of trajectories with collision risk. Petri nets have proven to be perfectly applicable to the representation of traffic circular systems (such as roundabouts and turbo roundabouts) and to measure the complexity and security of the system.     

Social environment versus cycling competency predicting risk-taking in 11- to 13-year-old cyclists in The Netherlands

Abstract

Objectives: From age 12 onwards, cycling injuries begin rising in The Netherlands. A known contributing factor is younger children’s underdeveloped competency to deal with complex and hazardous traffic situations, and their exposure to such situations strongly increases after transitioning to secondary school. Little is known about intentional risk-taking as a contributing factor. In this developmental stage, children become increasingly vulnerable because of intentional risk-taking, affecting their safety and health. The incidence, predictors in the child’s social environment, and trends of such risks are systematically monitored; for instance, for alcohol use, smoking, and cyber bullying. Such monitors do not include risky road behavior. This exploratory field study examined the frequency of intentional risky cycling, its relationship with the perceived social environment, and relative to cycling competency measured as the ability to detect emerging hazards quickly.

Methods: Three hundred thirty-five students between 11 and 13 years of age (51% male) completed computerized tests of hazard perception skill and surveys on crashes, risk-taking, peer pressure, perceived risk-taking by parents or friends, and exposure to risky driving as passenger.

Results: Frequent risk-taking was associated with higher crash frequency. Stepwise regression confirmed that children who more often took risks on the road were also more sensitive to peer pressure, had more often been passengers of risky drivers, had parents and friends who exhibited risky behaviors in traffic more often, and perceived hazards as less dangerous but, in contrast to expectations, did not do worse on the detection of hazards. The predictors explained 28% of the variance in total risk-taking but varied from 6 to 20% depending on the specific risk-taking behavior concerned.

Conclusions: At least 20% of children sometimes or more often take risks in traffic. Children who feel peer pressure to behave in a risky manner, observe parents and friends behaving in a risky manner in traffic, and have been exposed as passengers to risky driving more often take risks in traffic themselves. These results provide support for including items on risky road behavior in health monitors and to design interventions that address the risk factors in the child’s perceived social environment.     

Emissions of volatile hydrocarbons from floating roof tanks and their local dispersion: Considerations for normal operation and in case of damage

This work investigates the release and dispersion of volatile organic hydrocarbons, which may escape from external floating roof tanks (EFRT) during normal operation or in case of damage. The dispersion will be described using CFD simulations in close range of the EFRT where hazardous areas are assigned. The aim of this work is to investigate which events can lead to emissions in dangerous quantities and to estimate the corresponding likelihood with regard to explosion protection. An emission in hazardous amount is present if the lower explosion limit has been exceeded and if the extent of this emission is not too low. It is discussed in particular whether the used zoning of potentially explosive areas is conservative or over-conservative.     

TOXIC TRACE ELEMENT POLLUTION IN GROUND WATERS AROUND PATANCHERU AND BOLARAM INDUSTRIAL AREAS, ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA: A GRAPHICAL APPROACH

Patancheru and Bolaram are satellite industrial towns nearHyderabad with over 300 large andmedium scale pharmaceutical, heavy engineering, paints, paperand chemical factories. The industriesof the area generate a cumulative 8 × 10⁶ l/day ofeffluents which are being directly dischargedon to surrounding land, irrigation fields, and surface waterbodies which finally enter into theNakkavagu River a tributary of the Manzira River. The presentstudy on abundance and distributionpattern of toxic trace elements indicates the quantitativeaspect of pollution in the Nakkavagu Basin.Migration patterns drawn for TDS, toxic elements such as Cu,As, Se, Zn, B, Cr and iron indicate thatpollutants discharged by the industries are entering thesurface and groundwater system (aquifers) andare also migrating towards the Manzira River furtherdeteriorating the entire hydrological setup of the area.Entry and dispersion of pollutants in the hydrological systemis shown by distribution diagrams. Aconservative estimate indicates that the effect of pollutantson the agricultural lands and water bodiesextends 0.25 to 0.5 km to either side of the Nakkavagu Riverover a length of 25 km. In addition tothis, the movement of pollutants with ground water in thedownstream direction worsened thehydrological system and increased the possibility ofgeo-accumulation of pollutants in biota. Openwells, dug wells and tanks have become useless and redundantas the concentrations of Cu, Se, As,B, Cr and Fe have increased to 5 to 10 times the permissiblelimits. Several villages have beenaffected by the toxic pollutants in the area. The groundwatersystem is polluted over a large area asshown in elemental migration diagrams and is not potable.Tentatively an area of 20 sq km can becategorized as the worst affected by various pollutants.