Characteristics of large cooking oil pool fires and their extinguishment by water mist

Large cooking oil pool fires, occurring in industrial oil cookers, present a severe hazard to food processing plants due to their size and the large amount of hot oil involved. This paper reports a series of full-scale fire experiments conducted in a large industrial oil cooker mock-up. The characteristics of large cooking oil pool fires and the effect of oil depth and hood position in the oil cooker on fire growth were studied. The use of water mist for extinguishing large oil pool fires and their extinguishing performance under different discharge pressure and with different types of water mist systems were investigated. Experimental results showed that the cooking oil underwent a substantial expansion in volume during heating. The fires developed quickly once the oil auto-ignited. The fire growth rate was affected by the oil depth in the pan and the hood position in the oil cooker. The water mist fire suppression systems effectively extinguished large cooking oil fires and prevented them from re-igniting. Their extinguishing performance was determined by the type of water mist system, discharge pressure and hood position in the oil cooker.     

Zero-valent iron nanoparticles in treatment of acid mine water from in situ uranium leaching

Acid mine water from in situ chemical leaching of uranium (Straz pod Ralskem, Czech Republic) was treated in laboratory scale experiments by zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI). For the first time, nZVI were applied for the treatment of the real acid water system containing the miscellaneous mixture of pollutants, where the various removal mechanisms occur simultaneously. Toxicity of the treated saline acid water is caused by major contaminants represented by aluminum and sulphates in a high concentration, as well as by microcontaminants like As, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, U, V, and Zn. Laboratory batch experiments proved a significant decrease in concentrations of all the monitored pollutants due to an increase in pH and a decrease in oxidation-reduction potential related to an application of nZVI. The assumed mechanisms of contaminants removal include precipitation of cations in a lower oxidation state, precipitation caused by a simple pH increase and co-precipitation with the formed iron oxyhydroxides. The possibility to control the reaction kinetics through the nature of the surface stabilizing shell (polymer vs. FeO nanolayer) is discussed as an important practical aspect.     

Partitioning of metals in a degraded acid sulfate soil landscape: influence of tidal re-inundation

The oxidation and acidification of sulfidic soil materials results in the re-partitioning of metals, generally to more mobile forms. In this study, we examine the partitioning of Fe, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn in the acidified surface soil (0-0.1 m) and the unoxidised sub-soil materials (1.3-1.5 m) of an acid sulfate soil landscape. Metal partitioning at this acidic site was then compared to an adjacent site that was previously acidified, but has since been remediated by tidal re-inundation. Differences in metal partitioning were determined using an optimised six-step sequential extraction procedure which targets the “labile”, “acid-soluble”, “organic”, “crystalline oxide”, “pyritic” and “residual” fractions. The surficial soil materials of the acidic site had experienced considerable losses of Cr, Cu, Mn and Ni compared to the underlying parent material due to oxidation and acidification, yet only minor losses of Fe and Zn. In general, the metals most depleted from the acidified surface soil materials exhibited the greatest sequestration in the surface soil materials of the tidally remediated site. An exception to this was iron, which accumulated to highly elevated concentrations in the surficial soil materials of the tidally remediated site. The “acid-soluble”, “organic” and “pyritic” fractions displayed the greatest increase in metals following tidal remediation. This study demonstrates that prolonged tidal re-inundation of severely acidified acid sulfate soil landscapes leads to the immobilisation of trace metals through the surficial accumulation of iron oxides, organic material and pyrite.     

Chlorination of chlortoluron: kinetics, pathways and chloroform formation

Chlortoluron chlorination is studied in the pH range of 3-10 at 25 ± 1 °C. The chlorination kinetics can be well described by a second-order kinetics model, first-order in chlorine and first-order in chlortoluron. The apparent rate constants were determined and found to be minimum at pH 6, maximum at pH 3 and medium at alkaline conditions. The rate constant of each predominant elementary reactions (i.e., the acid-catalyzed reaction of chlortoluron with HOCl, the reaction of chlortoluron with HOCl and the reaction of chlortoluron with OCl⁻) was calculated as 3.12 (± 0.10) × 10⁷ M⁻² h⁻¹, 3.11 (±0.39) × 10² M⁻¹ h⁻¹ and 3.06 (±0.47) × 10³ M⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively. The main chlortoluron chlorination by-products were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with purge-and-trap pretreatment, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-MS and GC-electron capture detector. Six volatile disinfection by-products were identified including chloroform (CF), dichloroacetonitrile, 1,1-dichloropropanone, 1,1,1-trichloropropanone, dichloronitromethane and trichloronitromethane. Degradation pathways of chlortoluron chlorination were then proposed. High concentrations of CF were generated during chlortoluron chlorination, with maximum CF yield at circumneutral pH range in solution.     

A level change in mutagenicity of Japanese tap water over the past 12 yr

A relative comparison study of mutagenicity in Japanese tap water was conducted for 1993 and 2005 surveys. It intended to assess the effects of advanced water treatment installations to water works, improvement of raw water quality and improvement of residual HOCl concentration controlling. Sampling points (taps) were the same in both surveys. The results of 245 samples obtained by the Ames Salmonella mutagenicity test (Ames test) were analyzed. The Ames tests were conducted by using Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 strains with and without exogenous activation (S9). With the exception of TA100-S9, the other conditions needed no discussion as a factor in the mutagenicity level change. The average mutagenicity in 1993 and 2005 under the conditions of TA100-S9 were 2600 and 1100 net revertant L⁻¹, respectively. This indicated that the mutagenicity level of Japanese tap water decreased during the 12-yr period. Particularly a remarkable decrease in mutagenicity was observed in the water works where the advanced water treatments were installed during the 12-yr period. The advanced water treatments were effective in decreasing the mutagenicity of tap water. Mutagenicity also decreased in the water works with conventional water treatments; the improvement of residual HOCl concentration controlling was also considered to be effective in decreasing the mutagenicity of tap water.     

试论建立矿山安全生产长效机制

当前,我国正处在经济发展的转型期,出现了多种经济成份的组织形式。在一些企业,特别是矿山生产企业,重生产、轻生命,重利益、轻安全的现象十分严重。笔者首先对矿山安全生产的规律特点、现状进行了认真分析;指出目前存在着安全生产责任不落实,矿山开采秩序混乱,惩治力度不大,安全第一思想树的不牢,安全监管力量薄弱等问题。进而分析了建立矿山安全生产长效机制的可行性,指出以人为本的科学发展观的确立,政府的重视,职工维权意识的增强为建立安全生产长效机制奠定了基础。阐述了安全生产长效机制的概念,确立了“三大机制”作为安全生产长效机制的核心内容,并对此进行了详细地论述。     

Molecular tools for bathing water assessment in Europe: Balancing social science research with a rapidly developing environmental science evidence-base

The use of molecular tools, principally qPCR, versus traditional culture-based methods for quantifying microbial parameters (e.g., Fecal Indicator Organisms) in bathing waters generates considerable ongoing debate at the science–policy interface. Advances in science have allowed the development and application of molecular biological methods for rapid (~2 h) quantification of microbial pollution in bathing and recreational waters. In contrast, culture-based methods can take between 18 and 96 h for sample processing. Thus, molecular tools offer an opportunity to provide a more meaningful statement of microbial risk to water-users by providing near-real-time information enabling potentially more informed decision-making with regard to water-based activities. However, complementary studies concerning the potential costs and benefits of adopting rapid methods as a regulatory tool are in short supply. We report on findings from an international Working Group that examined the breadth of social impacts, challenges, and research opportunities associated with the application of molecular tools to bathing water regulations.     

Pilot sample risk analysis for underground coal mine fires and explosions using MSHA citation data

After three decades of sustained continuous improvement of mine safety performances in the US, mine disasters in 2006 and 2007 compromised an excellent record and presented new challenges and vulnerabilities for the underground coal mining industry. In the aftermath of the incidents, formal investigations and new scrutiny of mine safety by the US Congress and expert study groups followed. The US Congress passed the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 (MINER Act), which mandated new laws to address the issues, including those related to mine fires and explosions from which miners must be protected. The National Mining Association-sponsored Mine Safety Technology and Training Commission report highlighted the role of risk analysis and management in identifying and controlling major hazards, such as fires and explosions. In this paper an approach is given for analyzing the risks for fires and explosions based on the Mine Safety and Health Administration citation database. Using 2006 citation data and focusing on subsystem failures, the methodology is applied to a database for a pilot sample of underground coal mines stratified by mine size and state.     

An automatic approach for the control of the airflow volume and concentrations of hazardous gases in coal mine galleries

Intelligently controlling ventilation networks after an abnormal air branch is difficult. The key variable-frequency mine ventilator control factors that are used to correct this phenomenon were discussed. To improve the fitting accuracy of the mine ventilator characteristic curves, a database of characteristic curves for mine ventilators operating at different frequencies was established using the interpolation method for optimizing uniform approximations by Chebyshev. The concept of frequency sensitivity analysis by analyzing the sensitive branch in the ventilation network was proposed. The linear function between the mine ventilator working frequency and branch wind quantity was fitted out by experiments. A model based on Tikhonov regularization measured the branch wind quantity to calculate the wind resistance in the ventilation network, which yielded a unique branch resistance model solution. The mine air was monitored by calculating the variable wind resistance from the branch wind quantity. The sensitive branch coupling in the mine ventilator variable-frequency controlled ventilation was analyzed and combined with the control theory for ventilation networks. Two types of variable frequency were controlled to adjust the branch wind quantity, the frequency-concentration (f-w) servo control method and the curve search method. The experimental model was established for the Da Liu-ta coal mine ventilation system using the mine ventilator variable-frequency system controller to adjust the branch wind quantity. Because gas is explosive, CO₂ was used instead of gas for this experiment. The results indicate that the mine ventilator variable-frequency control automatically adjusted the branch wind quantity, which strictly followed the frequency-concentration servo control method and curve search method. Increasing the CO₂ concentration caused the mine ventilator variable-frequency controller to increase the branch wind quantity automatically to maintain the CO₂ concentration under the threshold value. The experimental results also demonstrated both the practicability of variable-frequency regulation for air branch systems and the feasibility of the branch quantity adjusted theory. Theoretical guidance for adjusting the ventilation branch quantity for a variable-frequency mine ventilator was provided.     

Influence of super-absorbent polymer on the growth rate of gas hydrate

The growth rate of hydrate and morphology of methane hydrate formation were studied in a visual pressure cell at 5.5 MPa. The gas hydrate formation was carried out (coal mine methane (CMM) + tetrahydrofuran (THF) + sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) + H₂O) with and without SAP. Experimental data on the hydrate growth rate and induction time were obtained for three different CMM samples. The influence of SAP on hydrate growth rate was determined. Results showed that after the addition of SAP, with the methane concentration increased in CMM, the induction time was reduced by 9 min, 10 min and 3 min, and the growth rate was shortened by 0.56 × 10⁻⁶/m³ min⁻¹, 0.53 × 10⁻⁶/m³ min⁻¹ and 1.42 × 10⁻⁶/m³ min⁻¹, respectively. This study could be useful for the recovery of methane from CMM by forming hydrate in the chemical and mining industry.