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.     

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。     

基于时变可靠度分析的桥梁使用寿命预测

为分析一座桥梁结构寿命,在现有混凝土桥梁抗力和荷载的时变性研究的基础上,建立桥梁时变可靠度计算模型。将结构抗力等效转换为车辆荷载作用下结构所产生的竖向位移限值,预测远景交通量,反映荷载的时变性;运用非线性有限单元增量分析方法,以递增特定荷载的方式,采用响应面法计算时变可靠度指标及累计失效概率。结果表明:桥梁结构初始阶段具有足够大的可靠性,但其会随时间推移迅速衰减,利用韦伯分布函数和最小二乘法计算桥梁累计失效概率,进而推算桥梁使用寿命。根据桥梁寿命可靠度计算结果,制定出桥梁最佳维修养护策略。     

航空人为差错事故/事件分析(ECAR)模型研究

为深入研究航空人为差错事故/事件的影响因素,以人为差错相关理论为基础,对比分析几种典型的人为差错分析模型;通过借鉴ECCAIRS分析框架,并在基元事件分析(EEAM)逻辑和CCAR396部的分类方法基础上,构建航空人为差错事故/事件分析(ECAR)模型,它从事件层、描述层、原因层和组织因素与改进建议层,分析航空事故和不安全事件的人为差错。此外,还将组织因素概念引入该模型。     

应急预案建模方法及其在石油化工行业的应用研究

针对如何解决应急预案的结构化存储和应用问题,在基于本体论的基础上,提出引入静态和动态元模型方法,建立应急预案模型.首先,分析了当前主要应急预案知识表示方法,指出在处理多组织协同、应急过程受条件约束等问题,需要区分静态和动态模型,降低建模复杂度.基于本体论,将应急预案分解为静态和动态两个部分,各部分采用为多视图的形式进行描述;在此基础上,给出了构建应急预案模型的构建方法.最后,以加氢裂化装置的灭火预案为例,进行了建模.该方法的提出,有效地解决了对应急预案中事件、过程、动作等要素之间复杂逻辑约束关系的建模问题.应用该建模方法,有助于对应急预案的结构化管理,便于通过计算机实现预案的模拟演练.     

基于ANSYS的可靠度分析方法及应用

通过对可靠度分析的概述理解到现代工程分析中实体模型不确定因素众多,进而带来分析的不准确性。基于有限元分析软件ANSYS提供的概率设计系统(PDS)的概率分析功能,使对结构的概率分析非常容易。根据结构的失效模式来确定结构功能函数,由此建立结构极限状态方程,再运用结构可靠度分析中的蒙特卡洛法(MCS法)利用结构的失效频率来估算其失效概率。在本文中提出了利用ANSYS的概率分析功能结合MCS法进行结构的可靠性分析的方法,并通过一个实例具体说明了利用ANSYS的概率分析功能实现结构的可靠性分析的可行性。     

人工边坡破裂面的最短路径搜索方法及其应用

文章运用Dijkstra最短路径算法确定土体中最危险的潜在破裂面,通过弹塑性有限元模拟基坑开挖过程, 计算土体的位移和应力以及评价基坑的稳定性。文中较详细地叙述了这种基于有限元分析技术和组合优化法来确定土坡中最危险的潜在破裂面的原理和实施过程,并给出了计算实例,进行了相应的讨论。