Setting the stage for the review of the international estimate of short-term intake (IESTI) equation

ABSTRACT

In the framework of setting Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for pesticides, both chronic and acute health risks to consumers arising from the long-term and short-term dietary exposure to pesticide residues have to be assessed. The current internationally harmonized approach for assessing the acute dietary exposure is based on deterministic methods for calculating the IESTI (International Estimate of Short-Term Intake). Recently, it became apparent that the IESTI approach needs a revision in the light of new scientific and political aspects. The main reasons that require this review were the lack of an international harmonization of the methodology which implies trade barriers as well as difficulties in risk communication concerning the public trust in regulatory systems. The most recent milestone in the scientific debate on a possible revision of the IESTI equation was an international scientific workshop held in Geneva in September 2015. The main objectives of this meeting were the re-evaluation, and where possible, the international harmonization of the input parameters for the IESTI equations as well as the equations themselves. The main recommendations from the workshop were (i) to replace the highest residue and supervised trials median residue with the maximum residue limit (MRL), (ii) to use a standard variability factor of three, (iii) to derive the P97.5 large portion value from the distribution of consumption values of dietary surveys expressed as kg food/kg bw/d, and (iv) to remove the commodity unit weight from the equations. In addition, the application of conversion factors and processing factors was addressed. On the initiative of the (World Health Organization) WHO Collaborating Centre on Chemical Food Safety at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the Netherlands, an international working group with members from the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, France (ANSES), Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, Australia (APVMA), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Germany (BfR), Chemical Regulation Division, the United Kingdom (CRD), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and RIVM, the Netherlands was formed after the IESTI workshop to conduct a comprehensive impact assessment of the proposed changes of the IESTI equations.     

Energy and exergy analysis of a heat storage tank with a novel eutectic phase change material layer of a solar heater system

Solar energy is one of the most important renewable energy sources, but it is not available every time and every season. Thus, storing of solar energy is important. One of the popular methods of heat storage is use of phase change materials (PCMs) which have large thermal energy storage capacity. In this study, the heat storage tank in a domestic solar water heating system was chosen as control volume. The experiments were performed in the province of Elaz?g, Turkey, in November when solar radiation was weak due to cloudy sky. The heat storage tank of the system was modified to fill PCM between insulation and hot water part. A few PCMs which are Potassium Fluoride, Lithium Metaborate Dihydrate, Strontium Hydroxide Octahydrate, Barium Hydroxide Octahydrate, Aluminum Ammonium Sulfate, and Sodium Hydrogen Phosphate were analyzed to proper operating conditions using a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and the best PCM was obtained with the Aluminum Ammonium Sulfate and Sodium Hydrogen Phosphate mixture. Thus, eutectic PCM was obtained and used in a heat storage tank of the solar water heating system. Energy and exergy analysis of heat storage tank was performed with and without the PCM. Energy and exergy analysis has shown that the heat storage tank with the PCM is more efficient than without the PCM and the maximum exergy efficiency was obtained as 22% with the heat storage tank with the PCM.     

中国低碳试点城市的碳排放现状

本文以国家发展和改革委员会公布的两批低碳试点城市(共36个)为研究对象,基于其2005-2011年间的单位GDP的CO2排放和人均CO2排放数据总结其碳排放水平,从区域分布、经济水平和人口规模三个方面分析了全国范围内低碳试点城市的碳排放现状。通过"十一五"期间碳减排成效和"十二五"期间碳减排目标两个方面分析了低碳试点城市的碳排放现状,并推测了低碳试点城市2015年的碳排放水平。研究显示,"十一五"期间低碳试点城市单位GDP的CO2排放和人均CO2排放均高于全国平均水平。2011年低碳试点城市单位GDP的CO2排放和人均CO2排放均高于各城市所在省份的平均水平。低碳试点城市单位GDP的CO2排放平均水平从东部到西部逐渐升高。人均收入高于全国平均水平的低碳试点城市中92%的城市的人均CO2排放高于全国水平。而随着城市常住人口规模的扩大,试点城市单位GDP的CO2排放逐渐降低,人均CO2排放却随着城市常住人口规模的扩大呈U型分布,其中大型城市的人均CO2排放水平最低。同时通过与同类地区对比分析,研究表明试点城市的低碳工作成效和减碳目标普遍优于同类地区。除直辖市外,32个低碳试点城市中28个城市2010-2011年单位GDP的CO2排放下降幅度和2015年单位GDP的CO2排放节能目标高于所在省份。在城镇化速度继续增加和经济总量保持上升的趋势下,到2015年低碳试点城市单位GDP的CO2排放虽然下降,但人均CO2水平仍呈上升趋势。我国的低碳试点城市建设任重道远。     

遥感在环境影响评价中的应用——以大清公路为例

本文以遥感为技术手段,利用ERl、ASⅢAGINE8.5和FRAGSTATS3.3软件针对项目区在景观总体格局和各类型斑块两个层次计算出十几种景观指数,对该区域的景观格局分布做出了较为全面的定量分析.结果表明:草地景观面积最大,斑块数最多,是评价区的基质.乔木林地在各项指数分析中均较低.文中探讨了遥感与地面调查的优缺点,得出结论:以遥感技术为手段,结合地面调查是评价区域生态环境的有效工具.     

云南省能源消耗与经济增长关系的实证研究

根据云南省36年主要年份能源消耗的统计数据以及相应年份人均GDP统计数据,对单位GDP能源消耗与人均GDP之间的相关关系进行了分析,选取相关能耗指标(煤炭消耗量、石油消耗量、天然气消耗量、电力消耗量),建立两者之间的计量模型,并在此基础上分析单位GDP能源消耗与人均GDP增长的关系。经研究发现,云南省单位GDP能源消耗与人均GDP增长呈类似于EKC的倒U型曲线,且当今曲线已过转折点,单位GDP能源消耗随人均GDP增长将持续下降。因此,有必要采取有力措施进一步降低单位GDP能源消耗,倡导"循环经济"、"绿色GDP"等,使曲线走势向更加良好、完善的方向演变。     

History and Development of the NRCS Lag Time Equation1

Abstract: Many of the hydrologic methods that are used in engineering practice today resulted from the Spring Flood of 1936, which blanketed the Northeastern portion of the United States. Because of the flood damage that was caused by this rainfall‐snowmelt event, many federal agencies including the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) implemented the hydrologic theories that were available in the literature at this time and developed hydrologic procedures for design flow estimation. Sherman had recently published his unit hydrograph theory in 1932, and later in 1938 Snyder, who had been charged by the Water Resource Council to develop a synthetic unit hydrograph, published his famous paper. The SCS unit hydrograph theory was developed by Victor Mockus in the late 1950s. Most if not all of the theories at that time reported the rainfall‐runoff process for floods as a surface phenomenon, and as such those theories all required some type of a timing parameter to estimate watershed response time. This article documents the development of the SCS lag equation.     

基于风险的检验技术在苯加氢装置管道的应用

简述基于风险的压力管道检验技术基本理念,讨论压力管道的危害风险和失效模式,介绍了风险评估方法及其适用场合、风险评估程序。对某苯加氢装置的管道系统进行风险检验评价,对该管道的各种危险因素进行分析,并对其基础数据和检验检测结果进行了研究和探讨,近而采用5×5风险矩阵法和定性分析,对苯加氢装置管道系统进行风险评估,根据该评估结论,提出了科学制定检修计划的建议和控制风险措施。研究结果表明:基于风险的检验技术,既能节约大量的停机和检验维修费用,又能有效地提高重点设备的安全性和管理水平。     

特种纸行业水污染防治对策——以浙江省为例

以浙江省为例,深入分析特种纸行业发展现状及特点、水污染物排放控制水平和企业在执行国家现有污染物排放标准过程中存在的问题与原因。针对特种纸的特殊性,从完善造纸行业标准体系的角度,提出制定特种纸行业污染物排放标准,确定一厂一策的标准执行体系的建议;从提升产业污染控制水平及产业转型升级角度,提出按规模、分区域、分纸品确定转型重点,研究制定最佳可行技术导则,加快污染治理设施的提升改造,加强企业技改力度及提高清洁生产水平等对策与建议,以促进特种纸行业的可持续发展。     

热能（火用）平衡在芳烃分离装置清洁生产审核中的实践

运用热能（火用）平衡理论于芳烃分离装置清洁生产审核中,建立了芳烃分离装置热能（火用）平衡。热能（火用）平衡测算结果表明：此芳烃分离装置的热能利用效率（实际）为61．65％、热（火用）利用效率（实际）为59．77％、热力学第一定律效率和热力学第二定律效率分别为23．93％和7．76％。依据清洁生产审核思路,对此芳烃分离装置的热能（火用）利用效率进行了原因分析并提出了预防对策,可为提出清洁生产方案提供定量化依据。     

Present situation of wastewater treatment in the Iranian industrial estates: Recycle and reuse as a solution for achieving goals of eco-industrial parks

Iran is located in arid and semi-arid region, which means water resource management is a strategic issue for this country. Water scarcity is one of the most critical concerns of industrial estates in Iran. For this reason, recycling and reusing of treated wastewater is the most practical solution for compensating of water shortage in industrial estates. Currently, only 20% of total treated wastewater is used for irrigation and almost 0.81% is consumed for industrial purpose. This study presents an overview on the wastewater management at the Iranian industrial estates for the purpose of achieving the goal of eco-industrial parks by describing the present situation and discussing the experiences of wastewater reuse systems for irrigation and industrial purposes. The aims of this study was to provide an overview of the wastewater management at the industrial estates in Iran towards achieving eco-industrial parks by describing present states and the outcome of wastewater consumption for irrigation and industrial purposes.