Elemental Analysis of Water and Sediments By External Beam Pixe Part 4. Aliakmon River,Greece

The Aliakmon River originates in the North Western part of Greece, traverses the Western part of Macedonia, and discharges into the Thermaikos Bay in the North Aegean Sea. Proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) method with external beam was used for the determination of the metallic elements in the waters and sediments of the Aliakmon River. the pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and total phosphate and nitrate concentrations were also monitored in the water samples. Data collected for a 20-month period indicate that the Aliakmon River can be still considered as an unpolluted river.     

Stability of a Coal Waste Artificial Reef

The feasibility of using U.K. coal-fired power station waste materials for artificial reef production is being examined. in June, 1989, an experimental artificial reef was constructed in Poole Bay, off the central south coast of the U.K., using three different mixtures of pulverised fuel ash (PFA), flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) gypsum and slurry, stabilized with cement and formed into blocks. Fifty tonnes of 40 × 20 × 20 cm blocks were formed into eight conical reef units replicating three different PFA/gypsum mixtures and one concrete control. the reef structure is 10m below chart datum on a flat sandy sea-bed.

Combustion of coal concentrates the heavy metal content in the resultant ash. the purpose of stabilization of the ash as blocks is twofold: to immobilize heavy metals (or other components) and to provide hard substratum for the attachment of organisms. to examine the effectiveness of this stabilization and hence the environmental compatibility of the block materials, heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni, Zn) content of the blocks has been monitored routinely over two years, to determine leaching rates. Sectional profiles indicate partial replacement of calcium content by magnesium. Associated with this there has also been some redistribution of heavy metals. Only in the case of cadmium has there been a detectable loss from the surface of blocks. Chromium and manganese concentrations appear to have increased. the metal content of the reef epibiota (including ascidians, Ascidia mentula; hydroids, Halecium spp.; bryozoans, Bugula spp. and red algae) growing on the ash blocks has been compared to that of epibiota attached to the concrete controls and surrounding sea-bed. to date no evidence of excess bioaccumulation of metals has been detected.

The physical integrity of the ash reef blocks has been maintained. There is evidence that the blocks are increasing in compressive strength.

An indication of the fishery enhancement potential of the experimental structure is given by the presence of eight commercially fished species (crustaceans and molluscs) including lobsters (Homarus gammarus).     

Distribution of Trace Metals in the Surface Sediments of Two Pristine Subalpine Lakes in Taiwan

Sediment cores were collected from two remote subalpine lakes: the rather shallow (1.5 m) Little Ghost Lake at 2040 m elevation and the deeper, Great Ghost Lake (40 m) at 2150 m elevation. Different early diagenesis of metals were observed. the seasonally anoxic hypolimnion drives the annual iron redox cycle and causes the remobilization of metals in the mobile fractions of sediments in the Great Ghost Lake. These result in the redistribution of metals in the mobile fractions of sediment and poor correlation between metal concentrations. in the Little Ghost Lake, the shallow water column is always oxic with less change of metals in the mobile fractions of sediments. As a result, most metals have strong positive correlations with each other.

The distributions of metal/Al ratios, total metal contents and acid-leached metal concentrations in the near-surface sediments of these two lakes suggest that the anthropogenic inputs from the atmospheric fallouts in recent decades are one of the major factors affecting the distributions of metals such as cadmium, lead and, to a lessor extent, zinc. the Pb-206/Pb-207 ratios confirm the anthropogenic lead input in these surface sediments.     

Fume emissions during gas metal arc welding

The control of exposure to welding fumes is of increasing importance in promoting a healthy, safe and productive work environment. This article describes the effects of shielding gas composition on the amount and composition of welding fumes produced during gas metal arc welding (GMAW). The amount of fumes generated during welding was measured for steady current over a range of wire-feed speeds and arc voltages using the standard procedures contained in ANSI/AWS F1.2 [American Welding Society. ANSI/AWS F1.2. Laboratory method for measuring fume generation rates and total fume emission of welding and allied processes. Miami, Florida; 1992]. Results of these measurements show that the fume formation rates (FFRs) increase with CO₂ and O₂ in the shielding gas mixture. The lowest FFRs were obtained with the mixtures of Ar?+?2%CO₂ and Ar?+?3%CO₂?+?1%O₂. The highest FFRs were obtained with the mixtures of Ar?+?18%CO₂ and Ar?+?5%CO₂?+?4%O₂. The welding fumes contains mainly iron, manganese, silicon, titanium and sodium under oxide forms. The fume cluster particles have dimensions between 0.5 and 2?µm. The FFR was found to be governed by the transfer modes of molten metal, i.e. the current intensity and arc voltage, as well as by the shielding gas mixtures composition. Thus these parameters have to be taken into consideration before designing a welding process. Whenever possible, users of GMAW should use the lowest current intensity. However, when this is not possible, due to the constraints of process productivity, welders should use higher currents, but with Ar?+?2%CO₂ and Ar?+?3%CO₂?+?1%O₂ shielding mixtures, which will lead to smaller fume emissions.     

Strontium and its relationship with trace elements Mg,Cu, Co,and Mo in human blood and serum

The aim of the study was to assess the influence of exposure to strontium on human blood and serum concentrations of magnesium, copper, cobalt, and molybdenum. Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to analyze the elemental content of whole blood and blood serum of 97 healthy men including 70 workers in a thermal power plant and 27 control subjects from the rural area of Dragash (Kosovo), an environment without pollution. The results showed that chronic moderate exposure to strontium decreases the levels of copper in blood (BCu) and serum (SCu), of cobalt in blood (BCo) and serum (SCo), and of molybdenum in blood (BMo). All changes in blood and serum concentrations of these essential elements were significant but remained within the normal range. The results suggest that strontium may induce adverse health effects in humans.     

太阳辐射减弱麦田根际土壤酶与有效微量元素的相关性分析

由于大气气溶胶浓度增加地表太阳辐射减弱地球变暗。采用遮光网模拟太阳辐射减弱,设置60%、40%、20%、15%、0%的遮光递度,大田种植冬小麦,测定了冬小麦拔节期、孕穗期、抽穗期、灌浆期根际土壤过氧化氢酶、转化酶、脲酶的活性以及根际土壤Cu、Fe、Mn、Zn等有效微量元素的含量。采用相关性分析、通径分析和主成分分析等方法分析了太阳辐射减弱后土壤酶活性和土壤有效微量元素的相关性。结果显示,太阳辐射减弱,降低了小麦根际有效Fe、Zn和Mn的含量以及脲酶活性。有效Cu元素除了孕穗期有所增加外其它时期也均为降低。过氧化氢酶和转化酶的活性的变化没有明显规律性。太阳辐射减弱使得土壤过氧化氢酶活性与有效Fe、Zn极显著的正相关,脲酶与Zn也达显著水平。Zn和Fe对土壤酶的直接通径系数和间接通径系数都较大。太阳辐射减弱改变了土壤酶和微量元素在土壤肥力中的权重,最大肥力权重脲酶被过氧化氢酶所取代。结果表明,太阳辐射减弱影响了土壤根际有效微量元素含量和土壤酶的活性,提高了土壤酶和微量元素之间的相关性,反映土壤肥力微小变化的敏感土壤质量指标有一定的变化,脲酶的肥力权重降低,过氧化氢酶的肥力权重增加。     

城市高架公路雨水径流的污染特征

对上海市内环高架一段路面的7场降雨径流进行监测,分析了径流中固体悬浮物和营养盐的变化特征,以期加深对城市高架公路径流污染物的认识和为高架公路径流净化工艺的选择提供理论支持。结果表明：溶解态氮、颗粒态磷是径流中TN和TP的主要输出形式;TP质量浓度变化与TSS基本一致,但TN质量浓度变化与TSS相关关系较弱;通过分析不同粒径固体悬浮物与污染物的相关性,发现〈45μm固体悬浮物是径流中营养盐吸附的重要载体,去除细小固体悬浮物是治理城市高架径流污染的有效途径。     

杭州市大气颗粒物消光组分的粒径分布特征研究

2010年8月在杭州市朝晖、云栖、杭钢和下沙4个点位采集了不同粒径大气颗粒物样品,并对其主要消光组分的粒径分布特征进行了分析,包括SO42-、NO3-、NH4+、OC和EC等.同时在朝晖点位对多种气态污染物和多个气象要素进行了同步观测,以评估杭州市能见度下降的影响因素.结果表明:PM2.5、RH、SO2和NO2均与能见度呈一定负相关关系.4个监测点位颗粒物浓度变化均呈双峰型,峰值出现在0.4~0.7μm和9.0~10μm粒径段.以3.3μm为粗细颗粒的分界线,不同监测点位PM10中粗、细颗粒所占比例均等.水溶性离子消光组分的浓度大小顺序为:SO42->NH4+>NO3-. SO42-、NO3-和NH4+均显单峰结构,SO42-和NH4+的峰值出现在0.4~1.1μm的粒径段,NO3-峰值出现在5.8~10μm粒径段.OC显单峰结构,峰值出现在0.4~0.7μm粒径段;EC显双峰结构,峰值出现在0.4~0.7μm和2.1~3.3μm范围内.因而,要解决杭州的能见度问题,应减少细颗粒物,尤其是粒径<1.1μm的颗粒物的污染. NO3-、SO42-、OC和EC对杭州市颗粒物消光能力相对贡献率之比为2.2%:13.7%:29.8%:43.8%.因此要有效控制杭州市大气能见度的降低趋势, 首要的就是控制EC的主要排放源,即机动车尾气的排放.     

天气条件及气团来源对青岛春季大气颗粒物数浓度谱分布的影响

利用2010年春季在青岛观测的不同粒径大气颗粒物数浓度,结合同期的Micaps天气图资料及后向轨迹分析资料,探讨了不同天气条件及气团来源不同时青岛大气颗粒物数浓度谱的变化特征.结果表明,沙尘发生前12h,大气中0.3~1.0μm的细粒子数浓度逐渐小幅升高,沙尘发生时>1.0μm粗颗粒物数浓度较沙尘发生前升高了1~10倍,0.3~1.0μm细颗粒物数浓度则降低了20%~45%.降雨使>1.0μm粗粒子数浓度降低>50%,降雨后大气颗粒物尤其是细粒子数浓度很快回升.雾和霾天气发生时1.0μm粗粒子数浓度较高,而局地源气溶胶中粗粒子数浓度较低,<0.7μm细粒子相对贡献较大.     

袋式除尘器清灰后除尘空间浓度场分析

通过动量守恒方程建立袋式除尘器滤袋清灰后滤袋周围浓度场的数学模型,并应用该模型分别对粗细粉尘,通过改变气流上升速度、袋间距,来计算除尘空间浓度场随时间的变化。结果表明:较细的颗粒物基本悬浮在袋口下0.5～2.5 m(滤袋长度8.3%～41.7%)的除尘空间中,而较粗的颗粒物沉积到滤袋的中下部被过滤;袋间距越小,其过滤浓度越大,相应的过滤速度也比较大;随着上升速度的增大,粒子悬浮的空间离袋口越近,其平均浓度也相应的越低(重新被过滤的颗粒物也越多)。