Production of radioactive particles for use in environmental studies

This paper presents an aerosol generation technique developed to produce dry aerosol particles of various sizes from aqueous solutions of salt. The technique was tested with sodium chloride, lithium carbonate and uranyl acetate at various aqueous concentrations which produced particles in the size range of 0.13-1.37 microm Mass Median Diameter (MMD). The generated aerosols were acceptably monodisperse with a geometric standard deviation of 1.4-2. Both MMD and Mass Median Aerodynamic Diameter (MMAD) increased significantly (p<0.001) with increased concentration of the salt in solution. The technique can also be used to generate aerosols of different chemical species. The results obtained indicate that the system is convenient for use with various aerosol-forming materials, with a stable particle size distribution being maintained for a long period of steady operation. The technique was successfully applied in wind tunnel studies to simulate the release of submicron radioactive particles and their interception by crops, grass and tree canopies. The relevance and application of the technique in other areas of environmental assessment studies is discussed.     

Entrainment mortality of Ichthyoplankton: Detectability and precision of estimates

The ability to detect and to develop a precise and accurate estimate of the entrainment mortality fraction is an important step in projecting power plant impacts on future fish population levels. Recent work indicates that these mortailities may be considerably less than 100% for some fish species in the early life stages. Point estimates of the entrainment mortality fraction have been developed based on probabilistic arguments, but the precision of these estimates has not been studied beyond the simple statistical test of the null hypothesis that no entrainment mortaility exists.The ability to detect entrainment mortality is explored as a function of the sample sizes (numbers of organisms collected) at the intake and discharge sampling stations of a power plant and of the proportion of organisms found alive in the intake samples (intake survival). Minimum detectable entrainment mortality, confidence interval width, and type II error (probability of accepting the null hypothesis of no entrainment mortality when there is mortality) are considered. Increasing sample size and/or decreasing sampling mortality will decrease the minimum detectable entrainment mortality, confidence interval width, and type II error for a given level of type I error.The results of this study are considered in the context of designing useful monitoring programs for determining the entrainment mortality fraction. Preliminary estimates of intake survival and the entrainment mortality fraction can be used to obtain estimates of the sample size needed for a specified level of confidence interval width or type II error. Final estimates of the intake survival and the entrainment mortality fraction can be used to determine the minimum detectable entrainment mortality and the type II error.     

Shoal composition, body size and foraging in sticklebacks

Individuals which deviate from the majority in groups are likely to be most vulnerable to predation. This oddity effect, by definition, is frequency dependent, eventually fading at equal frequencies of the phenotypes in a group. It has been hypothesized that the increased predation risk of odd individuals may play an important role in the formation of phenotypically uniform shoals of fish. However, recent work has indicated that individuals may experience, or value, their predation hazard differently depending on their own size in relation to that of other group members: single large fish, but not small ones, appear concerned about their oddity in a shoal. Here I show that the apparent wariness of large fish is also expressed in a frequency-dependent manner, closely conforming to what is predicted if the oddity effect is responsible for their behavior. Using foraging activity of individuals as a means to evaluate their predation risk, I demonstrate with shoals comprising 12 threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) that large fish forage least actively when in a shoal consisting of 2 large and 10 small fish. An increase in the number of large fish to 4 among 8 small individuals clearly results in an increase in their foraging activity. However, having reached an equal frequency with small fish in a shoal, large fish do not seem to change their foraging activity much even when their number in a shoal increases further. In contrast, foraging activity of small sticklebacks remains fairly constant throughout the entire range of tested shoal compositions, providing further evidence that small and large fish respond to their oddity differently. Received: 12 February 1998 / Accepted after revision: 7 May 1998     

环境烟草烟气粒径分布及其对光散射的影响

为了测量典型办公室内环境中环境烟草烟气悬浮颗粒物的数浓度和粒径分布变化,以及其对颗粒光散射的影响,在6.8 m×3.2mx2.8 m的试验间进行试验,采用测量范围为5～1 000 nm的DMS500扫描电迁移率粒径谱仪进行粒径测量.结果表明,不同卷烟样品的烟气粒径分布曲线近似,都可以用对数正态分布函数来描述.4种卷烟样品粒径分布及参数变化速率相似,在4 800 s内数中值粒径CMD平均值从105 nm增大至155 nm,几何标准差GSD平均值从1,58减小至1.45,CMD和GSD的变化趋势近似符合指数函数.利用基于Mueller光散射理论的程序计算烟颗粒对散射光的影响.粒径分布的变化显著改变了颗粒散射光强度,CMD最大使散射光强度增大7倍,GSD引起的强度变化较小.综合考虑烟气颗粒数浓度降低和粒径分布的变化,散射光强度最大增大3倍.     

喷嘴直径对降尘效果影响的试验研究

为提高喷雾降尘效率,以改善作业环境,有必要研究喷嘴直径与降尘效果间的关系。基于自行设计的喷雾降尘试验系统,采用马尔文实时高速喷雾粒度分析仪、高速摄像仪及粉尘浓度测定仪对不同直径喷嘴的雾化特性参数和降尘效率进行测定。结果表明,在相同喷雾压力下,随着喷嘴直径的增大,全尘降尘效率持续增加,而呼吸性粉尘降尘效率先增加后减小,并在喷嘴直径为1.5 mm时达到最大值;在耗水量相同的情况下,随着喷嘴直径的增大,全尘和呼吸性粉尘降尘效率均下降。在井下喷雾降尘中,当耗水量不受限制时,为同时确保全尘和呼吸性粉尘降尘效率,宜选择直径为1.5 mm的喷嘴;当耗水量受限制时,宜选择直径为1.2 mm的喷嘴。     

德兴铜矿不同年份废石产酸规律研究

矿山选矿废石、尾矿在长期堆积过程中氧化产生的酸性废水会对环境造成严重危害.实验选取德兴铜矿1、5、10和20年废石进行产酸规律研究,静态评价结果显示,4种废石均有产酸潜势,且除1年废石以外均已产酸.为期9个月的动态评价结果表明,4个年份的废石pH均与电导率呈显著负相关,检出离子主要为氟化物、Cu2+、Zn2+、SO2-4、Fe3+.1年废石在整个实验进行中并未产酸,5、10年废石产酸稳定,20年废石产酸缓慢,可推断废石的产酸过程为:不产酸-高速产酸-稳定产酸-产酸速率下降.     

柠檬酸对重金属复合污染土壤的浸提效果研究

以浙江富阳某炼铜厂附近受Cd、Cu、Pb和Zn复合污染的土壤为研究对象,采用振荡、静置和超声3种不同浸提方式,通过研究柠檬酸在不同浸提方式下对重金属的去除效果,筛选出最佳柠檬酸浓度、处理时间及功率,并采用Tessier连续提取法分析浸提前后4种重金属形态变化.结果表明,柠檬酸对4种重金属均具有较好的去除效果,其中对Zn的去除效果最好,Cd的去除效果最差,而Cu和Pb的去除效果相当.Pb和Zn的去除率均随着柠檬酸浓度的增加而增加,但增幅随之减小,Cu的去除率则先增加后基本保持不变,而Cd的去除率变化不明显.综合考虑成本和浸提效果后,选用0.2 mol·L-1柠檬酸浸提2次为最优条件,最佳振荡时间和静置时间分别为4 h和24 h,最佳超声时间和功率分别为30 min和500 W.柠檬酸能够在很大程度上改变土壤中重金属的形态分布,主要去除以可交换态和碳酸盐结合态形式存在的Cd及以碳酸盐结合态和铁锰氧化物结合态形式存在的Cu、Pb和Zn.通过对比3种浸提方式,在同等去除效果的前提下,静置浸提相比振荡浸提需要更长的时间,而将超声波应用于重金属污染土壤淋洗,所需时间较少,因此,超声波辅助浸提土壤中重金属是可行的,具有良好的应用前景.     

Pollution levels and characteristics of phthalate esters in indoor air of offices

The pollution status and characteristics of PAEs (phthalate esters) were investigated in indoor air of offices, and PAEs of both gas-phase and particulate-phase were detected in all the samples. The concentration (sum of the gas phase and the particulate phase) was 4748.24 ng/m³, ranging between 3070.09 and 6700.14 ng/m³. Diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were the most abundant compounds, together accounting for 70% of the Σ6PAEs. Dividing the particulate-phase PAEs into four size ranges (<2.5, 2.5-5, 5-10, >10 μm), the result indicated that PAEs in PM_2.5 were the most abundant, with the proportion of 72.64%. In addition, the PAE concentration in PM_2.5 correlated significantly with the total particulate-phase PAEs (R² = 0.85). Thus, the amount of PAEs in PM_2.5 can be estimated from the total amount of particulate-phase PAEs using this proportion. In a comparison between the offices and a newly decorated study room, it was found that pollution characteristics were similar between these two places. Thus, it is implied that the PAE concentration decreased by 50% 2 yr after decorating.     

Pollution levels and characteristics of phthalate esters in indoor air of offices

The pollution status and characteristics of PAEs(phthalate esters) were investigated in indoor air of offices, and PAEs of both gas-phase and particulate-phase were detected in all the samples. The concentration(sum of the gas phase and the particulate phase) was4748.24 ng/m3, ranging between 3070.09 and 6700.14 ng/m3. Diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were the most abundant compounds, together accounting for 70% of the ∑ 6PAEs. Dividing the particulate-phase PAEs into four size ranges( 2.5, 2.5–5, 5–10, 10 μm), the result indicated that PAEs in PM2.5were the most abundant,with the proportion of 72.64%. In addition, the PAE concentration in PM2.5correlated significantly with the total particulate-phase PAEs(R2= 0.85). Thus, the amount of PAEs in PM2.5can be estimated from the total amount of particulate-phase PAEs using this proportion. In a comparison between the offices and a newly decorated study room, it was found that pollution characteristics were similar between these two places. Thus, it is implied that the PAE concentration decreased by 50% 2 yr after decorating.     

云南不同量级降雨下的降雨侵蚀力特征分析

为研究云南省及5个子区域年降雨侵蚀力和各量级降雨侵蚀力的时空变化特征,基于云南120个站点近43a逐日降水资料,利用Man-Kendall趋势检验、Morlet连续复小波变换分析等方法进行系统分析。结果表明:各区域大雨侵蚀力在年降雨侵蚀力中起主导作用;年内各月降雨侵蚀力滇西北基本以大雨侵蚀力为主,其余区域干季以中雨侵蚀力为主,雨季以大雨侵蚀力为主;各量级降雨侵蚀力表现出降雨量级越大,季节性越强,集中程度越高的特征;各区域中雨侵蚀力相对变化呈减少趋势,其余量级降雨侵蚀力变化趋势以减居多;暴雨侵蚀力相对变化程度最强,大雨和中雨侵蚀力相对较缓;滇西北年降雨侵蚀力、大雨和中雨侵蚀力以9a左右时间尺度为主震荡周期,其余区域主震荡周期多为18~21a左右,暴雨侵蚀力主震荡周期在各区域存在一定差异。