Analysis of the relationship between ambient levels of O3, NO2 and NO as a function of NOx in the UK

Monitoring data from the UK Automatic Urban and Rural Network are used to investigate the relationships between ambient levels of ozone (O₃), nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) as a function of NO_x, for levels ranging from those typical of UK rural sites to those observed at polluted urban kerbside sites. Particular emphasis is placed on establishing how the level of ‘oxidant’, OX (taken to be the sum of O₃ and NO₂) varies with the level of NO_x, and therefore to gain some insight into the atmospheric sources of OX, particularly at polluted urban locations. The analyses indicate that the level of OX at a given location is made up of NO_x-independent and NO_x-dependent contributions. The former is effectively a regional contribution which equates to the regional background O₃ level, whereas the latter is effectively a local contribution which correlates with the level of primary pollution. The local oxidant source has probable contributions from (i) direct NO₂ emissions, (ii) the thermal reaction of NO with O₂ at high NO_x, and (iii) common-source emission of species which promote NO to NO₂ conversion. The final category may include nitrous acid (HONO), which appears to be emitted directly in vehicle exhaust, and is potentially photolysed to generate HO_x radicals on a short timescale throughout the year at southern UK latitudes. The analyses also show that the local oxidant source has significant site-to-site variations, and possible reasons for these variations are discussed. Relationships between OX and NO_x, based on annual mean data, and fitted functions describing the relative contributions to OX made by NO₂ and O₃, are used to define expressions which describe the likely variation of annual mean NO₂ as a function of NO_x at 14 urban and suburban sites, and which can take account of possible changes in the regional background of O₃.     

EuroBionet: a pan-European biomonitoring network for urban air quality assessment

EuroBionet, the 'European Network for the Assessment of Air Quality by the Use of Bioindicator Plants', is an EU-funded cooperative project currently consisting of public authorities and scientific institutes from 12 cities in 8 countries. In 2000, the bioindicator plants tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum Bel W3), poplar (Populus nigra 'Brandaris'), spiderwort (Tradescantia sp. clone 4430), Italian rye grass (Lolium multiflorum italicum) and curly kale (Brassica oleracea acephala) were exposed to ambient air at 90 monitoring sites according to standardised methods. Visible injuries and growth parameters were assessed and the accumulation of toxic substances in leaves determined. The exposure of tobacco resulted in a gradient with low levels of ozone-induced foliar injury in N and NW Europe, and medium to high values in the southern and central regions. The results of heavy metal and sulphur analyses in rye grass samples generally showed low to very low sulphur and low to medium heavy metal concentrations in leaves. In some cities, however, local hot spots of heavy metal contamination were detected. Analyses of the PAH contents in curly kale leaves gave low to medium values, with locally elevated levels at traffic-exposed sites.     

喷消石灰脱除垃圾焚烧炉尾气中HCl和SO2的试验研究

在日处理200t进口流化床垃圾焚烧炉上,进行烟气喷水降温加上喷消石灰粉末脱除尾气中的酸性气体HCl和SO2的试验研究,HCl和SO2浓度由布袋除尘器出口的在线气体分析仪测得,结果表明HCl和SO2的去除率在Ca/Cl摩尔比等于9时分别为80%和20%,说明该法消石灰利用率较低,宜改为半干法脱除HCl和SO2酸性气体,以便降低吸收剂用量,提高运行的经济性.     

Seasonal Fluctuation in Heavy Metal Pollution in Iran´s Siahroud River - A Preliminary Study (7 pp)

Background The management of its available water resources has become a key issue for Iran. During the last few decades, the water quality of Siahroud River in the coastal plain of the Caspian Sea in Gilan Province in Northern Iran has significantly degraded. The scarcity of water has been compounded by rapid population growth and increasing pollution from fertilizers, pesticides, and municipal and industrial wastes. One of the sources of this degradation is the movement of heavy metals from the river's watershed into the various water systems supported by the river, including the water system for Rasht City. Methods To study the magnitude of heavy metal pollution in the Siahroud River, seven heavy metals including Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Mn, Fe, and Ni were measured in duplicate from replicated water samples collected over five consecutive seasons and analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. In situ measurements of pH were taken with the samples and total organic carbon (TOC) was analyzed by IR gas measurement. Results The results demonstrated that four of the seven heavy metals including Pb, Fe, Cd, and Mn exceeded permissible safe levels as established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Multivariate factor analysis suggested that industrial land-use was the main contributing factor for the high levels of Fe and Mn in the Siahroud River, whereas, Cd was principly from agricultural activities in the watershed. The data also suggested that pH and TOC had an important role in the behaviour of Pb and Mn, and that the elevated levels of these two heavy metals in Siahroud River was the consequence of other anthropogenic sources. Only negligible levels of Zn, Cu and Ni were detected. Finally, all the sampling stations were subjected to cluster analysis. The results indicated that three different zones could be distinguished according to the levels of pollution. In addition, it was shown that the urban areas did not have a significant impact on the heavy metal pollution in the river. This observation stems from the fact that the data from the sampling stations before and after Rasht City were not significantly different. Recommendation . Preventive measures need to be undertaken in the land-use systems and watersheds of the Siahroud River to reduce the pollution levels of Pb, Cd, Mn and Fe.     

中国蔬菜硝酸盐和亚硝酸盐污染因素及控制研究

本文综述了近十几年来我国城市蔬菜中硝酸盐和亚硝酸盐污染的研究结果,表明随着氮肥使用量的增大,蔬菜中硝酸盐污染较为严重而亚硝酸盐污染也不容忽视。探讨了蔬菜受硝酸盐和亚硝酸盐污染的影响因素及控制对策     

Trends of air pollution in the Fichtelgebirge Mountains, Bavaria

We analyzed 13 years of hourly measurements of SO₂, NO_x, and O₃, at forest ecosystem research sites in SE Germany. A quasi-continuous data record was obtained by combining data sets from two locations. Before interpreting trends in the combined data set, we analyzed if the change of location introduced a systematic bias. We employed autocorrelation functions, Hurst statistics, complexity analysis, and recurrence quantification and found that the partial data sets exhibited no indication of the presence of any bias. For SO₂, we also compared the data from the forest sites with data obtained in nearby cities and also found no indications for any systematic effects. Applying nonparametric trend statistics we found a significant decrease of the SO₂. Most of the observed decrease is due to the reductions of SO₂ emissions in eastern Germany, but reductions in western Germany and the Czech Republic also played important roles. For O₃, we observed a significant increase, the causes of which are unclear from our data alone. No trend was identified for NO_x.     

海洋环境污染监测方案设计研究

海洋环境污染监测方案是一项复杂的系统工程。中国经过２０多年海洋环境污好监测的实践活动，积累了丰富的经验。但是，由于未能对海洋环境污染监测方案进行深入细致的研讨，致使今天我国海洋环境污染监测尚停留在定性或半定量描述阶段。该文第一次把有关海洋环境污染监测相结合，通过运用逻辑构思方法和监测方法学，详细分析监测方案设计中的各个阶段，监测目标的提出，到方案的实施；从监测数据的加工，到监测信息的发布都进行了辩证的分析。本文既是中国海洋环境污染监测方案的设计指南，也是中国海洋环境污染监测工作的集大成。     

基于OPMSE与BAT的啤酒行业排放限值仿真

以OPMSE仿真计算啤酒行业排放污水中COD,BOD,NH3-N质量浓度为研究对象,查询及调研清河流域典型啤酒行业产生污水中COD,BOD,NH3-N质量浓度范围,经BAT处理后通过OPMSE的仿真计算,得出排放污水中污染物质量浓度正态分布置信区间、最佳出水及最差出水质量浓度。结果表明:置信水平为99%时,COD,BOD,NH3-N的置信区间分别为(75.83,95.95),(19.30,25.88),(5.68,6.85);最佳出水质量浓度分别为4.14 mg/L,5.36 mg/L,2.71 mg/L;最差出水质量浓度分别为20.64 mg/L,20.70 mg/L,10.86mg/L。将仿真结果与现有排放标准对比,拟定啤酒行业的污染物直接排放限值为COD=100 mg/L,BOD=30mg/L,NH3-N=8 mg/L;间接排放限值为COD=400 mg/L,BOD=80 mg/L,NH3-N=25 mg/L。     

Corrosion failure probability analysis of buried gas pipelines based on subset simulation

Corrosion is the main reason for the failure of buried gas pipelines. For effective corrosion failure probability analysis, the structural reliability theory was adopted in this study to establish two calculation models for pipeline corrosion failure: the pressure failure model and von Mises stress failure model. Then, two calculation models for the corrosion failure probability were established based on a corrosion depth growth model obtained from actual survey data of soil corrosion characteristics. In an example, Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) and subset simulation (SS) were used to analyze the corrosion failure probability of pipelines, and the results were compared. SS can compensate for the shortcomings of MCS as it has higher computational efficiency and accuracy. Therefore, SS was adopted to simulate variations in the corrosion failure probability of buried pipelines with the service time for the two failure probability calculation models, which were applied to a natural gas pipeline located in a chemical industry park in Zhuhai, China. A sensitivity analysis was carried out on the relevant parameters that affect the failure probability. The results showed that multiple loads caused by the covering soil, residual stress, temperature differential, and bending stress have a non-negligible effect on the pipeline reliability. The corrosion coefficients gradually become the most important factors that affect the failure probability with increased service time. The proposed methodology considers the actual operating conditions of pipelines to provide a reliable theoretical basis for integrity management.     

High Environmental Cost behind Low China Price

Abstract

China has won the name of the world factory being famous for exporting a great deal of and various kinds of low-price merchandise. However, most of Chinese exports are primary goods or manufactured products that create heavy pollution and require intensive use of resources. Chinese products go abroad, but their following harms stay behind. The article analyzes many obvious low-price facts in China and their concomitant terrible environmental results in detail, and points out that there are huge hidden troubles in the way of China's sustainable development behind her seemingly flourishing economy.