Polychlorinated dibenzo p-dioxins and dibenzofurans emissions in a primary copper smelter in China

Metallurgical production is the largest polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) emission source in China. However, PCDD/F monitoring and research are rarely conducted on primary metallurgical production. In this study, a demonstration primary copper smelter in China was selected to investigate PCDD/F characteristics and control. Samples were collected from major PCDD/F release points in the smelter process (fly ashes and waste water sludge). Specific analysis of PCDD/F congeners was carried out using a high resolution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry method. The results showed that PCDD/Fs might be unintentionally produced in the primary copper smelter processes, with sample concentrations of 180–6110 pg/g dry wt; highly chlorinated PCDD/F homologues were predominant. The toxicity of all the samples was calculated to be 120 pg WHO TEQ/g, fly ashes from the refining process furnaces air pollution control device and sludge were hazardous waste with higher PCDD/F toxicity. Both precursor formation and de novo synthesis were found to contribute to PCDD/F formation in the smelter process. PCDD/F characteristics and formation were compared with reported secondary copper smelters. Life-cycle control of PCDD/F was proposed for retrofitting of this smelter and for similar plants in China's primary copper production sector, including control at the PCDD/F formation, removal and disposal stages.     

Regionalisation and sustainability in the field of industrial production

SUMMARY

Regional business concepts are said to have huge potential to support sustainable development in industrialised countries (e.g. Stransfeld, 1999). However, whereas efforts have been made to implement regional concepts within agriculture and forestry, empirical findings show that regional concepts are only of minor importance to managers within industrial production (Rentz et al., 2000). Considering this situation, the aim of the present article is to explain why regional business concepts have rarely been implemented in the field of industrial production. Therefore, in the course of the present article, a raster for the identification of relevant barriers on a personal, enterprise, inter-firm and macroeconomic level will be developed and applied. Subsequently, suggestions for a set of measures to overcome these barriers to regionalisation will be given. The results have been identified in the framework of a questionnaire to about 30 decision makers of industrial companies within research, a project promoted by the German Ministry of Education and Research.     

Desertification in the Sudan: causes,effects and policy options

Desertification is the spread of desert-like conditions in arid and semi-arid conditions. It is a result of pressure from both climatic and human factors. Desertification in the Sudan has been accelerating at a faster rate over the last two decades, leading to marginalization and the loss of arable land. The main factors contributing to desertification include drought, population growth, the spread of extensive agriculture, deforestation, rapid urbanization, the erosion of local political power, the lack of economic institutions and the absence of social institutions which have tended to reduce the capacity of the local people to cope with the resource degradation problem. Initiatives to arrest the desert encroachment must include improved cultivation methods, proper grazing management, reforestation and integration of livestock and crop production systems, coupled with good linkages to light processing industries.

This paper identifies the causal factors of desert encroachment, assesses its impact on the environment and humanity and concludes by recommending specific strategies to control the desert encroachment problem.     

A case study of flood control schemes for the Kakehashi river and their socio-cultural consequences

SUMMARY

This paper is concerned with a twenty-five year campaign against the relocation of the Komatsu-Tenmangu shrine as a result of the enlargement of the Kakehashi river. The Komatsu-Tenmangu shrine is an important cultural property of Japan, and was constructed by Toshitsune Maeda, the third dynasty of the Kaga clan in 1657. It is suggested that the primary reason why it took so long to settle this issue is a flaw in our social system for managing public works. It is concluded that preservation of cultural property is not always contrary to land development, and that the proposed procedures or something like them must be put into practice for the real expansion of our culture.     

The abatement of major pollutants in air and water by environmental catalysis

This review reports the research progress in the abatement of major pollutants in air and water by environmental catalysis. For air pollution control, the selective catalytic reduction of NO _x (SCR) by ammonia and hydrocarbons on metal oxide and zeolite catalysts are reviewed and discussed, as is the removal of Hg from flue gas by catalysis. The oxidation of Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by photo- and thermal-catalysis for indoor air quality improvement is reviewed. For wastewater treatment, the catalytic elimination of inorganic and organic pollutants in wastewater is presented. In addition, the mechanism for the procedure of abatement of air and water pollutants by catalysis is discussed in this review. Finally, a research orientation on environment catalysis for the treatment of air pollutants and wastewater is proposed.     

Temporary site selection and decision‐making methods: a case study of Tehran,Iran

Decisions on selecting an appropriate site for temporary shelter used to be taken in a limited amount of time after a disaster. The need for a systematic method in this area inspired the MADM (multi‐attribute decision making) for complex disaster management decisions. This research proposes a model for appropriate and systematic site selection for temporary shelters, before an earthquake, using a geographical information system and MADM based on an earthquake damage assessment. After the effective criteria for site selection of temporary shelters are determined, the geographical layers of these criteria are prepared for Municipal District No.1 of Greater Tehran, the capital of Iran. Given these attributes and the required shelter area (415–610 hectares), 14 zones are proposed initially. Various MADM methods are used for the final selection. The mean of the aggregated ranking results are determined, and 10 of the 14 initial zones are ranked.     

依据材料与构件的受弯性能综合评价ECC的控裂性

为了研究国产的工程水泥基复合材料(Engineered Cementitious Composites,ECC)和普通聚乙烯醇(Polyvi-nyl Alcohol,PVA)纤维混凝土对结构增韧和控裂的效果,分别采用材料试验和构件试验进行研究。通过四点弯曲试验,发现ECC的峰值荷载和峰值荷载对应的拉应变要远远大于普通混凝土、PVA纤维混凝土,而且ECC起裂以后,裂缝宽度较小,且发展较慢,控制较好;采用不同高度的ECC、PVA纤维混凝土作为钢筋混凝土梁底保护层,发现1/4h ECC对钢筋混凝土增韧的效果最好,且裂缝宽度为0.2mm时,1/4h ECC的承载能力比普通钢筋混凝土提高1.6倍,峰值荷载比普通钢筋混凝土提高约12%;同时发现,在相同荷载作用下,采用ECC作为梁底保护层时,裂缝宽度比钢筋混凝土小,且可以有效地控制裂缝宽度的快速增长,间接提高结构的耐久性。     

多室蓄热式有机废气焚烧炉工程应用研究

为了解决城市周边小企业挥发性有机物空气污染问题,研发了一种新型多蓄热室旋转换向蓄热式有机废气焚烧炉,对现有焚烧炉内不合理的流通截面积分配比例进行了改进,并在北京市郊某工厂建设了处理能力为3 000 m3/h的应用示范装置。通过对焚烧炉出口残留VOC和焚烧炉能量消耗数据的分析和计算,揭示了影响焚烧炉示范装置VOC处理效果和燃料消耗量的因素。应用情况表明:新型蓄热式有机废气焚烧炉对VOC的处理效率可达95%,同时比常规热力焚烧炉节能70%以上。     

白蚁肠道共生微生物多样性及其防治方法研究现状

白蚁是破坏性极大的世界性害虫.结合课题组多年来开展的科研工作,综述了白蚁肠道中内生菌分离和白蚁防治方法的研究现状.已从白蚁肠道内分离出原生动物、细菌、真菌和螺旋体等多种生物.白蚁肠道中存在的微生物对白蚁消化木质纤维素类食物有着重要的作用.白蚁防治方法主要为物理方法、化学方法和生物学方法.生物防治白蚁方法具有高效、低毒、无残留、无污染、价廉的特性.介绍了以从抗白蚁树木分离到的内生菌生物发酵合成的代谢产物作为杀白蚁生物药剂的生物防治方法,该方法优势明显,有可能成为未来白蚁防治剂研究的方向,为白蚁防治提供重要途径,具有广阔的应用前景.     

厌氧氨氧化工艺的抑制现象

厌氧氨氧化(Anammox)工艺因其高效低耗优势,在废水生物脱氮领域中具有广阔的应用前景.然而,基质、有机物、盐度、重金属、磷酸盐及硫化物等物质对Anammox工艺产生的抑制作用制约了工艺的推广应用.基质主要通过游离氨和游离亚硝酸对Anammox产生抑制,而温度和pH是基质抑制的重要调控参数.非致毒性有机物对Anammox的作用因其种类跟浓度而异.在较低的浓度条件下对Anammox的抑制作用不显著,而高于抑制阈值将严重抑制Anammox.其抑制机制尚无定论.部分研究证明致毒性有机物(醇、醛、酚及抗生素等)对Anammox具有抑制作用,但研究有待拓展深化.超过抑制阈值的盐度会抑制Anammox活性,但合适的盐度(3~15 g L-1NaCl)却能够促进Anammox生物颗粒的形成.重金属对Anammox的抑制报道较少.因试验条件及菌种等的差异使得磷酸盐及硫化物对Anammox的抑制在不同试验中存在很大差异.Anammox抑制是可控的,通过pH和温度调节、基质浓度及负荷控制、污泥驯化以及添加辅助剂等方法可解除或缓解抑制.建议今后在特种废水的Anammox脱氮、复合抑制以及Anammox抑制的分子生态学机理等方面开展深入研究.