Fatally injured drivers in Norway 2005–2015—Trends in substance use and crash characteristics

Objective: Norway introduced a “Vision Zero” strategy in 2001, using multiple approaches, aiming toward a future in which no one will be killed or seriously injured in road traffic crashes (RTCs). Official statistics show that the number of fatally injured road users has declined substantially from 341 deaths in 2000 to 117 in 2015. In-depth crash investigations of all fatal RTCs started in Norway in 2005. The aim of this study was to investigate whether fatal crash characteristics, vehicle safety features, and prevalence of drugs and/or alcohol among fatally injured drivers and riders has changed during 2005–2015, accompanying the reduction in road fatalities.

Methods: Data on all car/van drivers and motorcycle/moped riders fatally injured in RTCs during 2005–2015 were extracted from Norwegian road traffic crash registries and combined with forensic toxicology data.

Results: The proportion of cars and motorcycles with antilock braking systems and cars with electronic stability control, increased significantly during the study period. The prevalence of nonuse of seat belts/helmets and speeding declined among both fatally injured drivers and riders. In addition, the prevalence of alcohol declined, though no significant change in the total prevalence of other substances was noted.

Conclusion: The observed changes toward more safety installations in cars and motorcycles and lower prevalence of driver-related risk factors like alcohol use, speeding, and nonuse of seat belts/helmets among fatally injured drivers/riders may have contributed to the decrease in road traffic deaths.     

Driving under the influence of alcohol and the effects of alcohol prohibition—Case study in Serbia

Objective: The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the prevalence of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) according to day of the week, specific roads (urban/rural), daytime or nighttime, and vehicle category. In addition, this study examines how the prohibition of selling alcoholic drinks in shops and supermarkets (not in restaurants) after 10 p.m. has affected the prevalence of DUI.

Method: Breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) was collected from all drivers through police checkpoints at 54 locations in Serbia. In this study, 17,945 drivers were tested in urban areas and 19,507 in rural areas. The relationship between DUI during the prohibition on alcohol sales in Belgrade and other large cities in Serbia was determined using logistic regression.

Results: On average, every 100th driver in traffic in Serbia was DUI (0.99%). This study shows that the 0 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for motorcyclists does not have an influence on DUI. Moreover, motorcyclists represent the category with the highest share of DUI, with a statistically significantly larger difference compared to drivers of other vehicle categories. These results may be a consequence of the fact that a large number of drivers drive both motorcycles and other vehicle categories (cars or mopeds), so the different BAC limits for nonprofessional drivers may create confusion about the legal BAC limit.

Conclusions: This study suggests that the required legal BAC limit for nonprofessional drivers should be the same. The prohibition of selling alcoholic drinks in Belgrade after 10 p.m. does not decrease the prevalence of DUI.     

Numerical simulation of landfill aeration using computational fluid dynamics

The present study is an application of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to the numerical simulation of landfill aeration systems. Specifically, the CFD algorithms provided by the commercial solver ANSYS Fluent 14.0, combined with an in-house source code developed to modify the main solver, were used. The unsaturated multiphase flow of air and liquid phases and the biochemical processes for aerobic biodegradation of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste were simulated taking into consideration their temporal and spatial evolution, as well as complex effects, such as oxygen mass transfer across phases, unsaturated flow effects (capillary suction and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity), temperature variations due to biochemical processes and environmental correction factors for the applied kinetics (Monod and 1st order kinetics). The developed model results were compared with literature experimental data. Also, pilot scale simulations and sensitivity analysis were implemented. Moreover, simulation results of a hypothetical single aeration well were shown, while its zone of influence was estimated using both the pressure and oxygen distribution. Finally, a case study was simulated for a hypothetical landfill aeration system. Both a static (steadily positive or negative relative pressure with time) and a hybrid (following a square wave pattern of positive and negative values of relative pressure with time) scenarios for the aeration wells were examined. The results showed that the present model is capable of simulating landfill aeration and the obtained results were in good agreement with corresponding previous experimental and numerical investigations.     

Natural and Anthropogenic Effects On Phytoplankton Primary Productivity in Mangroves

Spatial and temporal variations and the factors influencing primary production have been studied in three different mangrove waters (Pichavaram, Ennore Creek and Adyar Estuary) of South India characterised by different anthropogenic impacts. the gross primary productivity in the unpolluted Pichavaram mangrove was 113 g Cm^-2yr^-1 exhibiting natural variability with the environmental forcing factors. Human activities have elevated primary productivity in the Ennore Creek mangrove (157g Cm^-2yr^-1) primarily through the direct discharge of fertilizer effluents. By contrast, a combination of domestic and industrial effluent discharges into the Adyar Estuary mangrove has considerably reduced phytoplankton primary productivity 83g Cm^-2yr^-1 the Redfield N: P ratio varies from 0.96 N: 1P at Ennore Creek, 1.75N: 1P at Adyar Estuary to 15.2 N: 1P at Pichavaram mangroves. This suggests that the Pichavaram mangroves represent a well equilibrated ecosystem with N: P ratio close to steady-state values in contrast to the anthropogenically altered mangrove ecosystems studied. Results show a significant temporal variability in nutrient concentration in the three mangrove areas. Distinct differences in nutrient concentrations between the dry and the wet seasons have been observed.     

成都市区夏季大气污染物浓度时空变化特征分析

为了解成都市区大气污染物浓度水平及其变化规律,统计分析了2013年6月1日—8月31日3个市区站点(十里店、梁家巷和草堂寺)SO2、NO2、O3、PM2.5、PM10和CO逐时观测资料.结果表明,观测期间O3污染严重,上述3个站点小时均值超标率分别达22%、37%和42%.大气颗粒物污染也较为严重,上述3个站点PM10日均浓度超标率分别为13%、8%和3%,而PM2.5日均值超标率分别高达34%、27%和26%.NO2和CO早晚的浓度高峰主要与机动车流量增加和混合层高度降低有关.由于紫外辐射影响,O3浓度在正午出现峰值.受机动车流量高峰和气象条件的影响,PM2.5和PM10最大值和最小值分别出现在上午和下午.通过对污染物"周末效应"的分析,发现周末O3、PM2.5和PM10的浓度显著高于工作日,SO2、NO2和CO反之.成都市区大气污染受局地排放和外源输送共同影响,其中PM10和NO2主要受局地源控制,而PM2.5、SO2和O3受外输送影响较大.     

南京地区典型霾天气个例特征的比较分析

利用2011年南京大学城市大气环境观测站气象因子及污染物浓度资料、58238站点气象探空资料及NCEP再分析资料、CALIPSO卫星资料,比较分析了南京地区4类典型霾天气(烟花爆竹、沙尘、秸秆燃烧及不利气象条件污染)的污染特征.结果表明:烟花爆竹个例污染物排放集中,以细颗粒物为主,除夕和初五的PM2.5小时浓度分别达到0.46 mg·m-3和0.34 mg·m-3,受逆温层影响,能见度持续降低,最低达到1.16 km;受北方沙尘暴南下影响,沙尘个例以粗颗粒为主要污染物,PM10小时最高浓度为0.78 mg·m-3,PM2.5/PM10平均值为0.39,粒子形状不规则,体积偏退比为0.17;秸秆燃烧个例为重霾污染,能见度最低值为0.97 km,后向散射系数为0.0039 km-1獉sr-1,PM10和PM2.5最高小时浓度达到0.80 mg·m-3和0.49 mg·m-3,颗粒物主要来自南京东南地区秸秆的集中燃烧;不利气象条件导致的污染过程在冬季比较常见,下沉气流活跃,出现双层逆温,近地面静小风造成污染物积累,PM2.5与能见度的相关系数达到0.86,细颗粒物为主要污染物.可见,南京市霾天气可分为两类,分别是由不利气象条件导致的累积性污染和由高强度排放源造成的暴发性污染,具有不同的气象和污染特征.     

潜流人工湿地基质堵塞的研究进展

潜流人工湿地是城市污水深度处理和农村污水分散处理的有效技术,但存在的基质堵塞问题因可缩短其使用寿命而极大降低了该技术的经济优势,成为制约其发展的瓶颈和研究的重点.在分析潜流人工湿地基质堵塞影响因素的基础上,探讨了其堵塞的机理和模型,提出了预防措施和恢复对策.前期进水预处理、进行湿地数值模拟和强化运行管理等能有效解决人工湿地堵塞问题.     

高原环境对航空保障装备的影响分析及对策

高原地区独特的气候环境会对航空保障装备技术性能的正常发挥产生重要影响。根据高原气候环境特点和保障装备结构组成,从动力系统、电气系统、气源系统和液压系统四个方面,分析了高原环境对保障装备的影响因素,有针对性地提出了保障装备在高原环境下的改进对策,可为现役装备技术改进和新型装备设计研制提供理论参考。     

1961—2010年新疆生长季节指数时空变化特征及其农业响应

在定义生长季节长度(GSL)、生长季节开始时间(LSF)以及生长季节结束时间(FFF)三个生长季节指数的基础上,采用模糊聚类、稳健回归及Mann-Kendall非参数检验等方法分析新疆1961—2010年生长季节指数时空变化特征,并针对作物生长季节指数变化对区域农业生产的影响进行了深入探讨。结果表明:新疆20世纪90年代中期,GSL变化幅度很大,低纬地区生长季节受低温影响较小,而随纬度上升,中高纬地区生长季节受低温影响越大。生长季节长度的变化与秋季低温(生长季节结束时间)变化情况紧密相连,全疆生长季节长度在80%的保证率下,较多年平均生长季节长度缩短5~14 d。生长季节长度的延长,会导致净初级生产力以及年蒸散发总量上升,继而影响水文、生态系统以及生物地球化学过程。     

西安一次霾重污染过程大气环境特征及气象条件影响分析

利用西安区域8个气象站点的气象观测资料及西安市13个环境质量监测站点的空气污染物浓度监测资料,对2013年12月16—25日西安地区一次长时间重污染霾天气过程的污染特征及成因进行了分析.结果表明此次霾重污染天气过程主要是一次在不利气象条件下形成的高浓度颗粒物污染事件,其中有54.6%的霾属于干霾,其余属于湿霾.气压场偏弱,气压梯度力小,风速小,弱冷空气形成的下冷上暖的稳定性层结等天气形势有利于霾重污染的形成与维持;弱的降温与相对湿度增大叠加,有利于气溶胶吸湿增长而加重霾的强度.关中盆地特有的喇叭口地形通风不畅,造成外来输送与当地排放的大量污染物堆积,为此次长时间霾发生提供了增强条件.低的混合层厚度抑制了垂直方向上的对流输送,严重削弱了大气垂直扩散能力,造成了大气中各类污染物浓度的大量积聚,是造成此次霾重污染过程的重要原因之一.城市污染加重热岛效应、热岛效应反过来通过热岛环流改变城市污染物传播扩散规律并加重污染,二者相互作用、互为增强条件.