Cancer and Non-Cancer Health Risk from Eating Cassava Grown in Some Mining Communities in Ghana

Food crops such as cassava, cocoyam and other tuber crops grown in mining communities uptake toxic or hazardous chemicals such as arsenic, and cadmium, from the soil. Cassava is a stable food for Ghanaians. This study evaluated human health risk from eating cassava grown in some mining communities in Ghana such as Bogoso, Prestea, Tarkwa and Tamso, which are important mining towns in the Western Region of Ghana. The study evaluated cancer and non-cancer health effects from eating cassava grown in the study areas in accordance with US Environmental Protection Agency’s Risk Assessment guidelines. The results of the study revealed the following: cancer health risk for Tamso, 0.098 (RME – Reasonable Maximum Exposure) and 0.082 (CTE – Central Tendency Exposure). This means that approximately 10 and 8 out of 100 resident adults are likely to suffer from cancer related cases by RME and CTE parameters respectively. For Prestea, we have 0.010 and 0.12, which also means that approximately 1 out of 100 and 10 resident adults out of 100 are also likely to suffer from cancer related diseases by RME and CTE parameters. The results of the study obtained were found to be above the acceptable cancer risk range of 1× 10⁻⁶ to 1× 10⁻⁴, i.e., 1 case of cancer out of 1 million or 100,000 people respectively.     

Dissipation of Endosulfan and Dichlorvos Residues In/On Cauliflower Curds

Dissipation behaviour of endosulfan and dichlorvos in/on cauliflower, variety Snowball-16, was studied during rabi season (Sep.–March) 2003–2004. Endosulfan and dichlorvos were sprayed @ 350 and 110g a.i. with 115 g a.i., respectively, 80 days after transplanting. Samples were taken at the interval of 0 (1h after spray), 3, 5, 7, and 10 days after spray (DAS) in triplicate and residues were estimated on GC-ECD system equipped with capillary column. The initial deposits of 3.452 and 0.295μgg⁻¹ of endosulfan and dichlorvos dissipated to 0.084 (97.56%) and 0.009 (96.95%), respectively after 10 DAS. Residues of endosulfan reached below maximum residue limit of 2μgg⁻¹ one day after spray and of dichlorvos were below MRL value of 0.5μgg⁻¹ even on 0 day. Dissipation pattern followed first order kinetics for both the insecticides with half life periods of 1.81 and 2.08 days for endosulfan and dichlorvos, respectively.     

Community-Based Environmental Management in Atlantic Canada: The Impacts and Spheres of Influence of the Atlantic Coastal Action Program

The Atlantic Coastal Action Program (ACAP) is a unique, community-based program initiated by Environment Canada in 1991 to help Atlantic Canadians restore and sustain watersheds and adjacent coastal areas. ACAP is the eastem-most Environment Canada Ecosystem Initiative. The ACAP family is currently made up of 14 ecosystem-based organizations in the four Atlantic provinces. Each one of these non-profit organizations operates independently, but is formally linked under the umbrella of ACAP to represent a force stronger than the individual parts. In Environment Canada's experience, the program consistently demonstrates the value of a community-based approach and produces results on an ecosystem basis. This paper will examine some of the impacts of ACAP in terms of economics, credible community science, and environmental results which most often align with Environment Canada's objectives. It will explore the influences of the community-based approach to environmental management on multiple scales (local, regional, etc.). Through examples, the paper will demonstrate the effectiveness of ACAP in influencing some of the policies, programs and attitudes of various levels of government and industry in the region, as well as describe how the community-based model has been exported internationally. The paper will conclude with a discussion on a planned path forward for ACAP.     

Temperature Effect on Migration of Zn and Cd Through Natural Clay

To investigate the effect of temperature on effective diffusion coefficients and retardation factors for Zn and Cd, combined diffusion and sequential extraction analyses were conducted at 15 ^˚C and 55 ^˚C. The effective diffusion coefficients of the metals increased up to ten times according to the increased temperature. On the other hand, the effect of temperature on the retardation factor depended on the retention mechanisms of the metals. The distribution coefficient for Zn, which was mainly partitioned in the carbonate phase, increased up to two times with the increase in temperature. On the other hand, the distribution coefficient for Cd, which was mainly partitioned in the exchangeable phase, was hardly affected by the temperature change. Results of combined diffusion and sequential extraction analysis showed that the effect of temperature on the heavy metals’ (Zn and Cd) migration through the compacted natural clay was influenced by the combined effects of the diffusion coefficient and the retardation factor. Additionally, we could also observe the change in retention mechanism for the metals with the change in pore water concentration.     

乌鲁木齐市大气中二氧化硫的灰色预测

根据灰色系统理论,联系乌鲁木齐市大气环境的实际状况,建立了精度检验为一级的灰色预测模型,经模型检验其精度完全满足要求。对乌鲁木齐大气中的SO2值进行预测分析的结果表明,乌鲁木齐市大气中SO2值呈上升的趋势,在未来几年中,乌鲁木齐市大气中SO2的预测值超过国家三级标准值(即大气中SO2的质量浓度年均值≤0.10mg/m3),这种发展趋势应引起有关部门的关注。     

用环己烷氧化副产物制备浮选剂

在固体酸催化剂作用下,用环己烷氧化制备环己酮的副产物——酸性油和轻质油进行酯化反应,制备了羧酸混合酯,酯化反应的最佳工艺条件：n（C4-C5醇）：n（有机羧酸）=1．2：1,催化剂质量分数为1．5％,反应温度为110-160℃,反应时间为5h。经应用评价结果表明,该羧酸混合酯是一种性能优异的选煤浮选剂。     

新型聚硅氯化铁铝絮凝剂的制备及性能

以二甲基二氯硅烷为硅源,与氯化铁、氯化铝聚合制得新型的聚硅氯化铁铝（PSFAC）絮凝剂,考察了制备条件及PSFAC对含油废水和药厂废水的絮凝效果。制备PSFAC的最佳条件：nFc：nAl为0．4,nSi：n（Al＋Fe）为0．1,碱化度为2．0,C（Al,Fe）、为0．1mol／L,熟化时间为1-2d。当PSFAC加入量为10mg／L时,对含油废水、药厂废水的浊度去除率分别为84％和86％。PSFAC具有加入量少、沉降速度快、适用的pH范围较宽等优点。     

基于FHWA的兰州市道路交通噪声预测模型的建立

结合美国道路交通噪声污染预测模型(FHWA)和国内学者在该方面的大量研究成果,选择兰州市主、次干道共计52条、142个监测点的建模采样数据,并应用统计学原理分析了影响道路交通噪声的各个因子与道路交通噪声的相关性,最终得出了符合兰州市道路交通特征的噪声污染统计预测模型.随后通过兰州市15个监测点的预测与实测对比验证后发现二者具有较高的一致性,此模型可应用在兰州市道路交通噪声污染的预测评价中.     

化学解耦联剂对活性污泥产率的控制作用

采用3,3',4',5-四氯水杨酰苯胺(TCS)作为代谢解耦联剂添加到活性污泥工艺中,进行连续曝气分批培养实验.结果表明:在TCS总投加量相同的情况下,采用一次性大剂量投加的污泥减量化效果好于分次小剂量投加.每d投加 12 mg TCS,污泥产量比对照下降了33%,而每2 d一次性投加24 mg TCS,污泥产量比对照下降了55%.污泥的CODCr去除能力有所下降,当一次性投加12 mg时,CODCr去除率比对照下降了12%,但出水氨氮及总氮质量浓度均未受影响.污泥的SVI有所上升,但沉降性能未见有明显变化.      

土地利用/覆盖变化对长江上游非点源污染影响研究

在国内外相关研究的基础上,利用输出系数模型,结合RS和GIS技术,对长江上游的非点源污染负荷进行了空间模拟和负荷估算.模拟结果表明,在不考虑流域损失的前提下,由于土地利用造成的非点源污染负荷TN总量从20世纪70年代的123万t下降至2000年的116万t,基本呈逐年减少的趋势,由土地利用造成的TP的变化趋势与TN基本相同,从70年代的3.7万t下降到2000年的3.5万t左右.就省份、土地利用类型和水系而言,四川省、种植用地和草地以及金沙江水系和嘉陵江水系对长江上游的非点源污染贡献较大.在非点源污染负荷强度上,重庆市和嘉陵江水系单位面积负荷最高,是今后应重点治理的地区.结果表明,该模型可以对长江上游这样的超大尺度空间的非点源污染进行较好的空间模拟.