The Precautionary Principle and the Prevention of Marine Pollution

This paper argues that the environmental changes witnessed in the past decade call for a new approach to environmental management; an approach based not on the principle of the assimilative capacity of the environment but on the precautionary principle, and the emerging preventive environmental paradigm. Uncertainties in scientific knowledge and complexities in ecological systems have presented specific failures of the assimilative capacity methodology. It is argued that these failures are not circumstantial in nature, nor are they the result of misapplication of science by scientists. Rather, they represent inherent problems in the use of the assimilative capacity concept in environmental management. The emergence of the precautionary principle is discussed and a formulation of the principle is presented. In conjunction with the operational approach of clean production, we believe that this principle offers a sounder basis for the prevention of marine pollution in the next decade.     

The first trimester ‘combined test’ for the detection of Down syndrome pregnancies in 4939 unselected pregnancies

The high detection rate (DR) for Down syndrome (DS) pregnancies which can be achieved by measuring fetal nuchal translucency (NT) early in pregnancy can be improved by combining it with placental hormones [pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and free β-human chorionic gonadotrophin (fβ-hCG)] and maternal age (‘combined test’). In this study we wanted to assess the DR using the ‘combined test’ in an unselected population of self-referred pregnant women at a false-positive rate (FPR) of about 5%. NT, PAPP-A, fβ-hCG and maternal age were measured in all women with singleton pregnancies who booked for delivery in our hospital from 1 December 1997 to 31 April 2000 and who were between 10 and 13 completed weeks of gestation [crown–rump length (CRL) 35–70 mm]. The specific DS risk was calculated using the computer program Alpha Version 5aa (Logical Medical Systems, London, UK). A total of 4939 women were tested. Out of 14 DS pregnancies that occurred during this period of time, 12 were detected with the test. A total of 246 women had a false-positive test result in a non-DS pregnancy (FPR 5.0%). This makes the ‘combined test’ by far the best test for the detection of DS pregnancies in a low-risk population. The constant increase in maternal age at the time of delivery can also lead to an improved DR if a simple age-dependant protocol for DS detection is used, but only at the price of a much higher number of amniocenteses and subsequent abortions. The DR for DS can be increased much more markedly using the ‘combined test’ with a FPR that still remains at the level as it was in the early 1970s. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

公众环境意识与可持续发展关系初探

目前,国内存在的各种环境问题,归根到底是由于发展战略的不同所致,人们开始重新去认识和评价传统发展战略的局限性,标志着人类文明即将步入一个被称之"环境文明"新的历史时代.历史文化传统和经济发展水平决定公众环境意识,公众的环境意识直接影响可持续发展战略的实施,如何增强,提出决策和建议,通过大力开展环境宣传教育,提高公众环境意识,可持续发展,实现可持续发展的战略.     

Cosmological implications of the Machian principle

The famous idea of Ernst Mach concerning the non-absolute but relational character of particle inertia is taken up in this paper and is reinvestigated with respect to its cosmological implications. From Thirring’s general relativistic study of the old Newtonian problem of the relativity of rotations in different reference systems, it appears that the equivalence principle with respect to rotating reference systems, if at all, can only be extended to the system of the whole universe, if the mass of the universe scales with the effective radius or extent of the universe. A reanalysis of Thirring’s derivations still reveals this astonishing result, and thus the general question must be posed: how serious this result has to be taken with respect to cosmological implications. As we will show, the equivalence principle is, in fact, fulfilled by a universe with vanishing curvature, i.e. with a curvature parameter, which just has the critical density , where is the Hubble constant. It turns out, however, that this principle can only permanently be fulfilled in an evolving cosmos, if the cosmic mass density, different from its conventional behaviour, varies with the reciprocal of the squared cosmic scale. This, in fact, would automatically be realized, if the mass of each cosmic particle scales with the scale of the universe. The latter fact, on one hand, is a field-theoretical request from a general relativistic field theory which fulfills H. Weyl’s requirement of a conformal scale invariance. On the other hand, it can perhaps also be concluded on purely physical grounds, when taking into account that as source of the cosmic metrics only an effective mass density can be taken. This mass density represents the bare mass density reduced by its mass equivalent of gravitational self-binding energy. Some interesting cosmological conclusions connected with this fact are pointed out in this paper.     

The Precautionary Principle and Chemicals Regulation: Past Achievements and Future Possibilities (8 pages)

Background, Aim and Scope

The paper investigates the development of the institutional basis of the present modes of chemicals regulation and management, with special attention to interrelations with the precautionary principle. Main Features: The paper elucidates on how the precautionary principle has been shaped in relation to chemicals regulation and management since Carson's Silent Spring (years before the principle was confirmed as a policy-principle in German and European legislation. Furthermore, it is examined how the precautionary principle interacted with the development of the present chemicals regulatory regime, in a complex interplay within the OECD and Member Countries. The present modes of precaution in the new EU chemical legislation – REACH – are investigated with respect to the precautionary principle, and tested against two contemporary problems; brominated flame retardants and endocrine disrupting substances. Results: The analysis demonstrates the changing character of the integration of the precautionary principle. The main tendencies are from implicit to more explicit precaution and from a closed expert-orientation towards a more deliberative approach to scientific knowledge and uncertainty. The results demonstrate that the precautionary principle is manifest in both the design of the testing strategy and in policy provisions. In particular, the substitution of hazardous substances with less hazardous is important. Discussion: Despite explicit attention to the precautionary principle, is the present reformulation of the European Chemicals policy in danger of falling into loop-holes that equal problems related to the present regulation of existing chemicals? 'Precaution' has been reduced virtually to an abstract concept that is more or less devoid of practical meaning in the regulatory process. Conclusions: It is concluded that the role of the precautionary principle in chemicals regulation will require continued scrutiny in the future shaping of the REACH strategy. Perspectives: Continued development of robust and precaution-based chemicals regulation will have to involve both new data-generation strategies and new forms of political decision-making, with special attention given to transparency and deliberative policymaking.     

撇油器的原理及性能

溢油回收装置的有效使用是降低和消除溢油污染的重要手段。比较了撇油器的各种原理、性能及操作条件。     

基于主成分分析法的危险货物运输企业安全评价

为更准确地评估危险货物运输企业安全等级以降低其运输风险,提出基于主成分分析法(PCA)的危险货物运输企业BP神经网络安全评价模型;在从人-机-物-环境-管理角度构建危险货物运输企业安全评价指标的基础上,分别利用该模型和其他3种模型对3家实例企业进行仿真评价和对比分析。结果表明,该模型的评价结果与期望值间的相对误差约为0.5%～1.2%,计算精度优于其他模型,且具有计算量小等特点。     

Electrocoagulation process for the treatment of metal-plating wastewater: Kinetic modeling and energy consumption

The wastewater from industrial area was treated by EC via Fe and Al electrodes. Cu, Ni, Cr and Zn were highly removed at the first minutes, simultaneously. Pseudo-2nd-order was found to be more suitable for kinetics. Adsorption capacities based on kinetic modeling were observed as Cr>Cu>Ni>Zn. The chemical cost in the case of pH adjustment after EC was less as 3.83 $/m³. It is known that wastewater produced by the metal-plating industry contains several heavy metals, which are acidic in nature and therefore toxic for the environment and for living creatures. In particular, heavy metals enter the food chain and accumulate in vital organs and cause serious illness. The precipitation of these metals is mostly achieved by pH adjustment, but as an alternative to this method, the electrocoagulation process has investigated in this study using iron and aluminum electrodes. The effects of the pH adjustment on removal before and after the electrocoagulation process were investigated, and cost analyses were also compared. It was observed that a high proportion of removal was obtained during the first minutes of the electrocoagulation process; thus, the current density did not have a great effect. In addition, the pH adjustment after the electrocoagulation process using iron electrodes, which are 10% more effective than aluminum electrodes, was found to be much more efficient than before the electrocoagulation process. In the process where kinetic modeling was applied, it was observed that the heavy metal removal mechanism was not solely due to the collapse of heavy metals at high pH values, and with this modeling, it was seen that this mechanism involved adsorption by iron and aluminum hydroxides formed during the electrocoagulation process. When comparing the ability of heavy metals to be adsorbed, the sequence was observed to be Cr>Cu>Ni>Zn, respectively.     

钻屑法测定煤层H_2S含量

为了测定煤层硫化氢(H2S)含量,防治矿井H2S涌出,提出一种通过钻屑法测定煤层H2S含量的方法。在未受采动影响的新鲜煤壁,采用钻屑法取样,通过测定煤样H2S解吸量、取样过程损失量和H2S残存量确定煤层H2S含量。根据溶于水中H2S的p H值和色谱分析解吸气体中H2S体积分数,确定H2S解吸量;根据煤样解吸规律和气样H2S体积分数,确定H2S损失量;根据色谱分析残存气体中H2S体积分数,确定其残存量。用此方法,对山西某矿H2S涌出煤层进行现场和实验室测定。研究表明,该矿H2S含量为(4.465~6.701)×10-3m3/t。钻屑法测定煤层H2S含量是可行的,可以为矿井H2S治理提供基础数据。