Acid generation upon thermal concentration of natural water: The critical water content and the effects of ionic composition

Thermal evaporation of a variety of simulated pore waters from the region of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, produced acidic liquids and gases during the final stages of evaporation. Several simulated pore waters were prepared and then thermally distilled in order to collect and analyze fractions of the evolved vapor. In some cases, distillates collected towards the end of the distillation were highly acidic; in other cases the pH of the distillate remained comparatively unchanged during the course of the distillation. The results suggest that the pH values of the later fractions are determined by the initial composition of the water. Acid production stems from the hydrolysis of magnesium ions, especially at near dryness. Near the end of the distillation, magnesium nitrate and magnesium chloride begin to lose water of hydration, greatly accelerating their thermal decomposition to form acid. Acid formation is promoted further when precipitated calcium carbonate is removed. Specifically, calcium chloride-rich pore waters containing moderate (10–20 ppm) levels of magnesium and nitrate and low levels of bicarbonate produced mixtures of nitric and hydrochloric acid, resulting in a precipitous drop in pH to values of 1 or lower after about 95% of the original volume was distilled. Waters with either low or moderate magnesium content coupled with high levels of bicarbonate produced slightly basic fractions (pH 7–9). If calcium was present in excess of bicarbonate, waters containing moderate levels of magnesium produced acid even in the presence of bicarbonate, due to the precipitation of calcium carbonate. Other salts such as halite and anhydrite promote the segregation of acidic vapors from residual basic solids. The concomitant release of wet acid gas has implications for the integrity of the alloys under consideration for containers at the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. Condensed acid gases at very low pH, especially mixtures of nitric and hydrochloric acid, are capable of corroding even alloys, such as nickel-based Alloy 22, which are considered to be corrosion-resistant under milder conditions.     

湖岸缓冲带反硝化作用的研究进展

反硝化作用是湖岸缓冲带去除硝酸盐的重要途径。湖岸缓冲带是联系陆地与湖泊生态系的纽带,不仅为许多动植物提供适宜生境,而且通过反硝化作用能去除地下水中的硝酸盐,提高湖泊水质。概述不同检测反硝化速率的方法,并对比各种方法的优点与缺点。阐述反硝化作用的影响因素：厌氧环境、有机碳、湖岸坡度、缓冲带坡度、pH与温度、硝酸盐浓度。介绍反硝化速率模型的研究开发状况。最后,提出了目前国内外反硝化研究中存在的不足及发展方向。     

渗滤液污染包气带中铁的形态变化

从渗滤液场龄和包气带岩性两方面出发,研究了新、老渗滤液对亚粘土和细砂包气带环境中Fe的含量及存在形态的影响。结果表明：新、老渗滤液分别能使细砂包气带介质中除残渣态以外Fe的含量增加16.68%或降低13.82%。亚粘土比细砂作为包气带介质更能缓冲渗滤液对介质中Fe的影响程度,其受影响范围在包气带0～20 cm深度处。当亚粘土为介质的包气带被新渗滤液污染后,其表层介质中碳酸盐结合态Fe的含量会增加15倍之多,为缓冲渗滤液Fe的污染做出了巨大贡献,但这部分Fe的存在也是潜在的二次污染源,在环境pH急剧变化的情况下,它可能会引起地下水高铁污染。     

昌吉市高新技术产业开发区循环经济模式探索及研究

传统开发区内,资源的流动是一些相互不发生关系的线性物质流的叠加,出入系统的物质流远远大于内部交互的物质流,因而造成经济活动的＂高开采、低利用、高排放＂特征,即＂大量生产、大量消费和大量废弃＂[1]。而发展循环经济,是我国贯彻落实科学发展观、建设资源节约型和环境友好型社会的重大战略选择[。2]目前新型开发区产业发展,则要求按照循环经济的理念,积极探索发展循环经济之路。本文以昌吉市高新技术产业开发区为例,研究其循环经济模式,为其他开发区设计和发展提供有益的经验和建议。     

可靠性理论在公共安全领域的应用研究

对公共安全体系从系统可靠性的视角,综合运用可靠性方面的知识,构建公共安全系统混联模型;进而将可靠性分配理论与故障树分析方法相结合,根据系统安全目标的要求,确定混联系统的第一层次各单元事件的可靠性目标值,对构成各单元的各个下属单元采取最小工作量可靠度分配方法,从而建立系统中各单元可靠度再分配量化模型。通过建筑物火灾引起人员伤亡事故实例,详述系统各单元可靠性分配的计算过程。研究表明,可靠性理论可以成功地应用到公共安全领域;使系统在给定的目标值条件下达到系统的安全性优化,实现了公共安全保障效能,减小灾害损失。     

对杭州市部分自然灾害应急预案完备性评价的实证研究

采用故障树分析方法,从灾害的预防与应急准备、监测与预警、应急响应、后期处理4个方面,对2008年以前杭州市编制的部分自然灾害应急预案的完备度进行评价。结果表明:各类自然灾害应急预案的完备度不一,一些应急预案具有较高的完备度,而一些应急预案完备度偏低;大部分应急预案在灾害监测与预警方面具有较高的完备度,部分应急预案在灾害预防与应急准备、灾害后期处理完备度偏低;各应急预案中志愿者队伍的建设、灾害风险评价、应急人员的安全防护、灾后的保险理赔、重要设施的安全防护、启动应急避难场所等基本事件的缺失率较高,反映了部分应急预案编制过程中灾害全过程管理理念的缺失。     

基于事故机理和管理因素的地铁坍塌事故分析——以杭州地铁坍塌事故为实证

从技术角度分析地铁坍塌事故发生的机理,以安全事故致因层次为基础,将管理因素分为4部分,即人员因素、环境因素、材料因素和设备因素;进一步分析地铁坍塌事故发生的原因,构建地铁坍塌事故致因的鱼刺图;实证分析杭州地铁坍塌事故的致因,并构建杭州地铁坍塌事故致因的鱼刺图;在实证分析基础上,从地铁施工前与地铁施工时两时间段,针对人员因素、环境因素、材料因素和设备因素4方面管理因素,提出地铁坍塌事故的防范措施。以事故机理研究为基础,以管理因素研究为核心是研究地铁坍塌事故的必由之路,将对地铁工程的安全管理有一定的指导意义。     

模糊事故树在分析氯乙烯单体槽爆炸风险中的应用

在对氯乙烯单体槽爆炸事故构建事故树的基础上,根据现场设备实际运行状况的统计及依据专家经验所提供的模糊信息,运用模糊事故树理论,引入L-R型模糊数,应用其尖态型隶属函数,对氯乙烯单体槽进行了模糊可靠性分析,求出了氯乙烯单体槽爆炸事故的模糊概率可能性分布;并利用结构重要度系数近似值法对其进行结构重要度分析,运用对事故树底部事件进行排序分级的加权结构重要度分析法,确立了影响系统的最主要因素,为系统安全分析提供了新的方法和途径。     

A study of climate change and anthropogenic impacts in West Africa

BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE: During the last decades ecological conditions in West Africa have dramatically changed. Very evident is the climate change, which has resulted in a southward shift of the climate zones, e.g. a spread of the desert (Sahara) into the Sahelian zone. After the drought period of the early 1970s and 1980s, livestock density increased resulting in an intensification of grazing pressure. This anthropogenous phenomenon leads to similar landscape changes as those caused by the climate. Only very few investigations exist on vegetation dynamics, climate changes and land use changes for the Sudanian zone. The paper presents data on changes of precipitation, of land use, of the geographical range of species, and of the composition of the flora, which have to be regarded as proofs of the sahelisation of large areas of the Sudanian zone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Area of investigation: Burkina Faso. Precipitation data analysis: precipitation data from 67 stations; time series analysis and geo-statistical spatial interpolation. Analysis of land use change: Landsat satellite MSS and ETM+ data, acquired for two different dates between 1972 and 2001 analyzed by the software ERDAS/IMAGINE version 8.6 and ArcView 3.2 with the Spatial Analyst extension. Intensive ground truthing (160 training areas). Inventory of the flora: based on the data of the Herbarium Senckenbergianum (FR) in Frankfurt, Germany, and of the herbarium of the university of Ouagadougou (OUA), Burkina Faso, as well as on various investigations on the vegetation of Burkina Faso carried out in the years 1990 to 2005 by the team of the senior author. Life form analysis of the flora: based on the inventory of permanent plots. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Precipitation: Remarkable latitudinal shift of isohyets towards the South translates to a general reduction of average rainfall in great parts of the country. The last decade (1990-1999) shows some improvement, however, the more humid conditions of the 1950's and 1960's are not yet established again. Landcover change: In the study region the extent of arable fields and young fallows increased during the last 30 years from 580 km(2) in 1972 to 2870 km(2) in 2001. This means an average land cover conversion rate of 0.9% per year for the 6 departments considered. Change of the distribution of Sahelian and Sudanian species: Several species, mentioned in older literature as strictly Sahelian, today also occur in the Sudanian zone. Parallel to the spread of former strictly Sahelian species into the Sudanian zone, some former Sahelo-Sudanian species have withdrawn from the Sahel. Changes of the life form spectra of the flora: Considering their life form spectra, the flora of heavily grazed and of protected areas in the Sudanian zone show great differences. On areas intensively grazed the percentage of therophytes is evidently higher than on protected areas. Just the opposite is true for the phanerophytes. Their percentage is higher on the protected area than on the grazed zones. At the first glance, it is obvious to link the changes in flora and vegetation with the climate changes that have occurred during the last five decades (decrease of annual precipitation). However, not only climatic conditions have changed, but also population has increased, the percentage of land intensively used for agriculture and pasturing has increased and the time for soil regeneration today is much shorter than it was some decades ago. Thus, the landscape of the Sudanian zone has become a more Sahelian character. A comparison of the flora of an intensively used area of the Sudanian zone with that of a protected area shows a remarkable change in the life form spectra. The spectrum of the intensively used area is almost identical with that of the typical Sahelian flora. This comparison shows that the anthropogenic influence plays a greater role in the sahelisation of the Sudanian zone than the climate change. CONCLUSION: Climate change and anthropogenic influence both, lead to a sahelisation of landscape and flora. Thus in many parts of the Sudanian zone of West Africa sahelisation phenomena will remain and even increase independently from the reestablishment of the more humid climate conditions of the 1950ies. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: In order to maintain some parts of the characteristic Sudanian landscape with its characteristic flora and vegetation, the number and size of protected areas should be augmented. For all protected areas it has to be ensured, that protection is reality, i.e. respected an understood by local people, not only fiction. As long as the enlargement of intensively used areas continues the sahelisation of flora, vegetation and landscape will continue too.     

建筑物消防系统可靠性分析

为评估建筑物消防系统的可靠性,首先将系统分为探测报警系统和灭火系统等部分,再用事件树法分析事故发生时消防系统不同部分的反应情况.通过贝叶斯理论及历史统计数据得到系统失效率的不确定性概率分布,建立消防系统可靠性随时间变化的数学模型; 用蒙特卡罗方法模拟求得系统可靠性的时间函数并对模型的不确定性参数进行敏感性分析.该方法将统计数据与经验公式、理论方法相结合,并利用蒙特卡罗方法处理模型中的不确定性,不仅能够有效估计消防系统的可靠性,还可对其他类似系统的可靠性进行分析,并通过敏感性分析为进一步减少估计的不确定性提出合理建议.