Leachate formation and characteristics from gasification and grate incineration bottom ash under landfill conditions

Characteristics and formation of leachates from waste gasification and grate firing bottom ash were studied using continuous field measurements from 112 m³ lysimeters embedded into landfill body for three years. In addition, the total element concentrations of the fresh ash were analysed and laboratory batch tests were performed to study leachate composition. The three-year continuous flow measurement showed that about one fifth of the leachates were formed, when the flow rate was >200 l/d, covering <3.5% of the study time. After three years, the liquid/solid-ratio for the quenched grate ash was 1 (l/kg (d.m.)) and for the initially dry gasification ash 0.4 (l/kg (d.m.)). The low initial water and residual carbon content of the gasification ash kept the leachate pH at a high level (>13) major part of the study. In the grate ash leachate pH was lower (<8) due to the presence of organic carbon and biodegradation indicated by biological oxygen demand and redox potential measurements. In the gasification ash the high pH probably delayed leaching of major elements such as Ca, therefore, raising the need for a longer after-care period. The high pH also explains the higher leaching of As from the gasification ash compared to the grate ash both in the batch test and under landfill conditions.     

A chemostat system for investigating pesticide biodegradation in continuous mixed bacteria cultures originating from surface water

To be able to predict the degradation (rate) of organic chemicals (e.g. pesticides) in the field, knowledge of the environmental conditions that are of influence on the degradation process are of importance. In the present study an experimental system is described which is used to study the degradation of organic pollutants in mixed bacteria cultures originating from surface water. With this system the degradation of compounds can be followed for relatively long experimental periods (months). In addition, it is possible to vary different environmental parameters in order to investigate their influences on the degradation of the chemical. These preliminary experiments show that growth and ‘composition’ of the bacteria culture have comparable patterns in parallel experiments. The first order degradation rate constant for the test compound dichloran, as calculated from these experiments under these circumstances, is about 0.002 h⁻¹.     

我国持续发展战略的可承受性思考

通过对人类社会发展历史的回顾，分析工业文明在人口、资源、环境等方面所造成的负面效应，引发人们探讨人与自然、人与自身、人与社会之间相互关系的依存、对立与协调统一的过程，从不同角度阐述人类社会发展在生态上、文化上、社会上、经济上可持续发展的可承受性。用东方古老哲理思想整合西方文明所带来的人类社会发展弊端，试求探索出一条“天人合一”、“东西合璧”的可持续发展之路。     

污染源连续监测系统的应用与发展

阐述了污染源连续监测系统（简称CEMS）在国内外的发展和应用。通过对各种CEMS特性的分析，并在原理、分析方法、监测对象、日常操作维护及费用成本上加以比较，指出现场式CEMS是发展方向，适合于未安装过CEMS的火电厂。同时，作为现有CEMS的改进，可选用稀释抽取式CEMS。     

Experimental continuous sludge microwave system to enhance dehydration ability and hydrogen production from anaerobic digestion of sludge

Dehydrating large amounts of sludge produced by sewage treatment plants is difficult.Microwave pretreatment can effectively and significantly improve the dewaterability and hydrogen production of sludge subjected to anaerobic digestion. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different microwave conditions on hydrogen production from anaerobic digestion and dewaterability of sludge. Based on an analysis of the electric field distribution, a spiral reactor was designed and a continuous microwave system was built to conduct intermittent and continuous experiments under different conditions. Settling Volume, Capillary Suction Time, particle size, and moisture content of the sludge were measured. The results show that sludge pretreatment in continuous experiments has equally remarkable dehydration performance as in intermittent experiments; the minimum moisture content was 77.29% in the intermittent experiment under a microwave power of 300 W and an exposure time of 60 sec, and that in the continuous experiment was 77.56% under a microwave power of 400 W and an exposure time of 60 sec.The peak measured by Differential Scanning Calorimeter appeared earliest under a microwave power of 600 W and an exposure time of 180 sec. The heat flux at the peak was 4.343 W/g, which is relatively small. This indicates that microwave pretreatment induced desirable effects. The maximum yield of hydrogen production was 7.967% under the conditions of microwave power of 500 W, exposure time of 120 sec, and water bath at 55°C. This research provides a theoretical and experimental basis for the development of a continuous microwave sludge-conditioning system.     

Replace the NOAEL and LOAEL with the BMDL01 and BMDL10

Although benchmark-dose methodology has existed for more than 20 years, benchmark doses (BMDs) still have not fully supplanted the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) and lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL) as points of departure from the experimental dose–response range for setting acceptable exposure levels of toxic substances. Among the issues involved in replacing the NOAEL (LOAEL) with a BMD are (1) which added risk level(s) above background risk should be targeted as benchmark responses (BMRs), (2) whether to apply the BMD methodology to both carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic toxic effects, and (3) how to model continuous health effects that aren’t observed in a natural risk-based context like dichotomous health effects. This paper addresses these issues and recommends specific BMDs to replace the NOAEL and LOAEL.

Guidance to improve the effectiveness of process safety management systems in operating facilities

The Process Safety Management (PSM) systems at the operating facilities in the Oil & Gas and in Chemical manufacturing industries have matured over the years and have become, at most facilities, very robust and sophisticated. These programs are administrated by Process Safety (PS) teams at both the corporate business units and plant levels and have been effective in reducing the number and severity of PS events across the industries over the past 25 years or so. Incidents however are occurring at a regular interval and in recent times several noteworthy PS events have occurred in the United States which have brought into question the effectiveness of the PSM programs at play. These facilities have been applying their PSM programs with the expectation that the number and severity of PS events would decrease over time. The expected result has not been realized, especially in context to those facilities that have undergone the recent incidents. Current paper reviews a few publicly available PS performance reports of Oil & Gas and Chemical manufacturing industries. The authors identified a few factors at play that have led to these PS events based on their experience, literature review, and incident investigation reports. Most of the factors are intertwined with multiple PSM elements and it requires a holistic approach to address them. Each of the factors is described and the path forward is proposed to improve the effectiveness of PSM programs.     

Indoor radon periodicities and their physical constraints: a study in the Coimbra region (Central Portugal)

Indoor radon activities were measured during a period of 6 months, as well as several physical environmental variables (temperature, pressure, humidity and rainfall). The location was a small room at an administrative building of the University of Coimbra, usually undisturbed by human activities and situated over bedrock of low-uranium Triassic red sandstones. A low average activity of radon was observed (36 Bq m⁻³), however showing a very well marked daily periodicity (10 ± 5 Bq m⁻³), with maximum values occurring more frequently between 9 and 10 a.m. Daily variations are shown to have no relation with earth tides, and their amplitudes exhibit a significant correlation with outdoor temperature; no dependence on barometric pressure was found. Rainfall disturbs the observed daily radon cycles through a strong reduction of their amplitude, but has no effect on the long-term variability of the gas concentration.     

环境空气自动监测系统与连续监测系统监测数据的比较

本文对两套监测系统的监测数据进行比较和相关性分析,结果表明：两套监测系统的监测数据之间存在显著的线性相关,相关系数在0．6705～0．9345之间;自动监测系统的监测数据均高于连续监测系统的监测数据,S02平均高53％～64％,NQ平均高78％～82％,PM10平均高37％～42％。     

秦岭安河矿区地表水、沉积物重金属污染研究

以秦岭安河铅锌矿开采区和选矿区为研究范围,通过现场调查和系统采集地表水、沉积物样品,借助原子吸收分光光度计测试样品中Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、Cr 5种重金属全量,并对不同重金属的形态含量进行了测定,综合分析了各类重金属在地表水、沉积物中的富集迁移规律,实现了重金属污染程度的综合评价。结果表明:矿区沟道地表水、沉积物已受到严重的重金属污染,重金属元素自上游到下游呈累积现象。下游地表水重金属含量超出农田灌溉用水水质要求。中游、下游沉积物重金属污染指数达到Ⅲ级污染,主要污染物为Pb、Zn。沉积物中重金属的有效态所占比例较高,对周围环境直接威胁大,显示出外源重金属直接注入的特征。