Integrated Risk Framework for Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems

Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) are becoming increasingly important for the treatment and dispersal of effluent in new urbanised developments that are not serviced by centralised wastewater collection and treatment systems. However, the current standards and guidelines adopted by many local authorities for assessing suitable site and soil conditions for OWTS are increasingly coming under scrutiny due to the public health and environmental impacts caused by poorly performing systems, in particular septic tank-soil adsorption systems. In order to achieve sustainable onsite wastewater treatment with minimal impacts on the environment and public health, more appropriate means of assessment are required. This paper highlights an integrated risk based approach for assessing the inherent hazards associated with OWTS in order to manage and mitigate the environmental and public health risks inherent with onsite wastewater treatment. In developing a sound and cohesive integrated risk framework for OWTS, several key issues must be recognised. These include the inclusion of relevant stakeholders throughout framework development, the integration of scientific knowledge, data and analysis with risk assessment and management ideals, and identification of the appropriate performance goals for successful management and mitigation of associated risks. These issues were addressed in the development of the risk framework to provide a generic approach to assessing risk from OWTS. The utilisation of the developed risk framework for achieving more appropriate assessment and management techniques for OWTS is presented in a case study for the Gold Coast region, Queensland State, Australia.     

Effect of Cadmium on Microbial Activity and a Ryegrass Crop in Two Semiarid Soils

Soil pollution with Cd is an environmental problem common in the world, and it is necessary to establish what Cd concentrations in soil could be dangerous to its fertility from toxicity effects and the risk of transference of this element to plants and other organisms of the food chain. In this study, we assessed Cd toxicity on soil microorganisms and plants in two semiarid soils (uncultivated and cultivated). Soil ATP content, dehydrogenase activity, and plant growth were measured in the two soils spiked with concentrations ranging from 3 to 8000 mg Cd/kg soil and incubated for 3 h, 20 days, and 60 days. The Cd concentrations that produced 5%; 10%;, and 50%; inhibition of each of the two soil microbiological parameter studied (ecological dose, ED, values) were calculated using two different mathematical models. Also, the effect of Cd concentration on plant growth of ryegrass (Lolium perenne, L.) was studied in the two soils. The Cd ED values calculated for soil dehydrogenase activity and ATP content were higher in the agricultural soils than in the bare soil. For ATP inhibition, higher ED values were calculated than for dehydrogenase activity inhibition. The average yields of ryegrass were reduced from 5.03 to 3.56 g in abandoned soil and from 4.21 to 1.15 g in agricultural soil with increasing concentrations of Cd in the soil. Plant growth was totally inhibited in abandoned and agricultural soils at Cd concentrations above 2000 and 5000 mg/kg soil, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the concentration of Cd in the plants and the total or DTPA-extractable concentrations of Cd in the soil.     

学龄儿童肺功能水平影响因素的研究

用逐步回归分析方法对与室内、外空气污染和机体状况等有关的因素对广州市学龄儿童肺功能 (FVC、FEV1 、PEFR和 FEF2 5～ 75 )水平的影响进行研究。结果提示 ,影响肺功能水平的主要因素是内因 ,身高的影响最明显 ,呼吸系统疾病或症状发生与肺功能水平下降有关 ;室外空气污染使肺功能水平下降 ,SO2 、NOx 和 PM2 .5 的影响明显 ,PM2 .5 的影响明显大于 PM1 0 和 TSP;居室或厨房通风不良、家庭烹饪用不洁燃料对儿童肺功能的生长不利 ;被动吸烟对女性儿童肺功能有不利影响。对各种影响因素 ,PEFR和 FEF2 5～ 75 比 FVC和 FEV1 更为敏感     

天津市中心城区空气污染物时间变化规律的研究

根据空气质量标准,分析了SO2、NO2和PM103项污染物不同季节,不同时期,不同时段变化规律、达标状况以及为制定相应的防治措施提供参考依据。     

湖库型水体总氮总量控制目标的区域分配研究

基于层次分析法原理,以资源禀赋、社会经济、农业生产生活、污染治理水平为主要考虑因素设计指标体系和层次结构,建立了湖库型水体总氮总量控制目标分配方法,并在石头口门水库流域进行了应用,为湖库型水体总氮总量控制目标分配及石头口门水库流域总氮总量控制提供借鉴。     

丝藻对含钼废水中MoO_4~(2-)的吸附特性及机制研究

研究了丝藻对含钼废水中MoO2-4的吸附作用。分别考察了初始pH、吸附时间、温度、投加量以及竞争离子等5个因素对吸附过程的影响,并应用吸附热力学和动力学方法对吸附机制进行了探讨。结果表明,丝藻在初始pH 1、吸附时间40min、投加量为1.0g以及30℃条件下,对含钼废水中MoO2-4的去除率达82%,平衡吸附量为0.657 0mg/g。PO3-4对MoO2-4的吸附具有较强的拮抗作用,平衡吸附量下降至0.380 0mg/g,SiO4-4对MoO2-4的拮抗作用相对较弱,而SO2-4对MoO2-4的吸附却有一定的协同作用。丝藻对MoO2-4的吸附等温数据更符合Langmuir吸附等温模型,准二级动力学方程拟合的吸附动力学过程相关性较高,20、25℃下的R2都在0.99以上。说明丝藻吸附MoO2-4属于化学吸附,受化学反应速率控制,且丝藻可以应用于含钼废水治理领域。     

Environmental assessment of garden waste management in the Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark

An environmental assessment of six scenarios for handling of garden waste in the Municipality of Aarhus (Denmark) was performed from a life cycle perspective by means of the LCA-model EASEWASTE. In the first (baseline) scenario, the current garden waste management system based on windrow composting was assessed, while in the other five scenarios alternative solutions including incineration and home composting of fractions of the garden waste were evaluated. The environmental profile (normalised to Person Equivalent, PE) of the current garden waste management in Aarhus is in the order of −6 to 8 mPE Mg⁻¹ ww for the non-toxic categories and up to 100 mPE Mg⁻¹ ww for the toxic categories. The potential impacts on non-toxic categories are much smaller than what is found for other fractions of municipal solid waste. Incineration (up to 35% of the garden waste) and home composting (up to 18% of the garden waste) seem from an environmental point of view suitable for diverting waste away from the composting facility in order to increase its capacity. In particular the incineration of woody parts of the garden waste improved the environmental profile of the garden waste management significantly.     

利用磁信息研究潮滩重金属污染的探讨

本文以长江口潮滩沉积物的系统磁性测量为基础,对照化学分析和粒度分析等数据,初步探讨了潮滩沉积物的磁性特征与重金属元素含量的相关联系及其机理,建立了重金属元素含量与磁参数的定量关系模型,并揭示了长江口潮滩重金属污染的空间特征及其与沉积环境的联系。本项工作成功地探索了利用磁信息研究潮滩重金属污染的技术路线和应用前景,指出了在一定区域内,利用适量样品的磁性测量与重金属元素分析数据,建立其定量回归模型的可行性。从而可以在区域污染调查中,通过广泛的磁数据测量,由经验公式定量地估算不同滩地部分的重金属元素含量,以全面了解潮滩重金属污染的空间分布,分析其规律和机理。由于磁测方法具有快速、简便、经济、易行等特点,它为大范围的潮滩重金属污染研究提供了一项实用有效的辅助手段。     

我国汽车尾气污染,污染控制与对策

本文综述了我国汽车尾气污染的现状与发展趋势，着重阐述了我国汽车尾气的催化剂研制和催化净化器技术水平和现状，提出了我国汽车尾气污染控制技术的发展方向，并探讨了减少汽车尾气污染的对策和建议。     

Regression modelling of hourly NOx and NO2 concentrations in urban air in London

Based on hourly measurements of NO_x NO₂ and O₃ and meteorological data, an ordinary least squares (OLS) model and a first-order autocorrelation (AR) model were developed to analyse the regression and prediction of NO_x and NO₂ concentrations in London. Primary emissions and wind speed are the most important factors influencing NO_x concentrations; in addition to these two, reaction of NO with O₃ is also a major factor influencing NO₂ concentrations. The AR model resulted in high correlation coefficients (R > 0.95) for the NO_x and NO₂ regression based on a whole year's data, and is capable of predicting NO₂ (R = 0.83) and NO_x (R = 0.65) concentrations when the explanatory variables were available. The analysis of the structure of regression models by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicates that the regression models are stable. The results of the OLS model indicate that there was an exceptional NO₂ source, other than primary emission and reaction of NO with O₃, in the air pollution episode in London in December 1991.