Application of in-situ measurement to determine Cs in the Swiss Alps

Establishment of ¹³⁷Cs inventories is often used to gain information on soil stability. The latter is crucial in mountain systems, where ecosystem stability is tightly connected to soil stability. In-situ measurements of ¹³⁷Cs in steep alpine environments are scarce. Most studies have been carried out in arable lands and with Germanium (Ge) detectors. Sodium Iodide (NaI) detector system is an inexpensive and easy to handle field instrument, but its validity on steep alpine environments has not been tested yet. In this study, a comparison of laboratory measurements with GeLi detector and in-situ measurements with NaI detector of ¹³⁷Cs gamma soil radiation has been done in an alpine catchment with high ¹³⁷Cs concentration (Urseren Valley, Switzerland). The aim of this study was to calibrate the in-situ NaI detector system for application on steep alpine slopes. Replicate samples from an altitudinal transect through the Urseren Valley, measured in the laboratory with a GeLi detector, showed a large variability in ¹³⁷Cs activities at a meter scale. This small-scale heterogeneity determined with the GeLi detector is smoothed out by uncollimated in-situ measurements with the NaI detector, which provides integrated estimates of ¹³⁷Cs within the field of view (3.1 m²) of each measurement. There was no dependency of ¹³⁷Cs on pH, clay content and carbon content, but a close relationship was determined between measured ¹³⁷Cs activities and soil moisture. Thus, in-situ data must be corrected for soil moisture. Close correlation (R² = 0.86, p < 0.0001) was found for ¹³⁷Cs activities (in Bq kg⁻¹) estimated with in-situ (NaI detector) and laboratory (GeLi detector) methods. We thus concluded that the NaI detector system is a suitable tool for in-situ measurements in alpine environments. This paper describes the calibration of the NaI detector system for field application under elevated ¹³⁷Cs activities originating from Chernobyl fallout.     

In vivo and in vitro metabolism of tobacco-specific nitrosamine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), by the freshwater planarian, Dugesia japonica

Cigarette smoke is a risk factor for human health, and many studies were conducted to investigate its adverse effects on humans and other mammals. However, since large amounts of cigarette products are produced and consumed, it is possible that tobacco chemicals can end up in aquatic environments through several routes, thus influencing aquatic organisms. In this study, the presence of tobacco-specific nitrosamine (TSNA), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), in aquatic environment was demonstrated. Since toxic effects on and distribution patterns of tobacco chemicals in aquatic organisms were rarely studied, after results of an acute toxicity pretest were obtained, experiment was conducted to investigate the bioaccumulation pattern of NNK and distribution patterns of its metabolites, mainly 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), in NNK-treated freshwater planarians, Dugesia japonica. Results from in vivo and in vitro studies showed that NNK was readily converted to NNAL through the carbonyl reduction in bodies of NNK-treated planarians. Tissue concentrations of both chemicals increased in time- and dose-dependent manners. Furthermore, we examined the end products of NNK/NNAL α-hydroxylation in NNK-treated planarians, but only 1-(3-pyridyl)-1,4-butanediol was detected, suggesting that NNK metabolism in planarians partially differs from that in mammalian systems. This is the first report on NNK metabolism in an aquatic organism and can be used as a foundation for developing freshwater planarians as a new in vivo model for the study of NNK toxicology in the future.     

Development and modification of permanent magnet brushed DC motor for hybrid photovoltaic-operated solar systems

A modified brushed permanent magnet DC (PMDC) motor has been developed and fabricated for a photovoltaic (PV)-operated solar systems. The conventional PMDC motor has been plagued with constraints, the most critical being ingestion of vapours of working fluid inside the rotor and stator, damaging the insulation of windings and forming a thin film of moisture between commutator and brushes. This flaw results into a very low mean time between failures of the motor. In the past, many attempts have been made where-in variety of seals to isolate the working fluid vapours from inner parts of motor have been tried out, but to no avail. Even Brushless DC motors have been designed in the past but their exorbitant cost makes the entire arrangement not viable economically. The modification attempted in this article overcomes the problem of working fluid ingestion inside the motor. It is found that mass flow rate of working fluid obtained at maximum peak sunshine hours is 17.5 l/min at 3030 rpm of motor driven by a PV module of 40 W at 16.20 V. This low-cost modified PMDC motor has been robust with high mean time between failures as no breakdown observed during 18 months of operation.     

直流电晕自由基簇射处理PCB热解废气的动力学模拟

对直流电晕自由基簇射处理PCB热解废气进行详细的模拟研究。在推导计算直流电晕簇射一次自由基产率和构建完整化学动力学机理体系的基础上,采用Chemkin软件栓塞流反应模型对不同条件下的热解废气降解过程进行详细的动力学模拟,并获得重要的数据参考。结果表明,输入气体温度为298～323K和电极气湿度接近0．06mg／mL是相对较好的降解条件。在此条件下,处理FR4型PCB热解气（降解率达85％以上）所需消耗的能量仅为1．044（kW·h）／kg。     

种茎和播期对甘松出苗的影响

为了对甘松的人工种植提供科学依据,选择不同规格的种茎、不同播期试验,采用单因素随机设计、出苗后定期调查出苗数和抽样测定株高的方法进行了测定。结果表明,种茎和播期对出苗率、苗子长势有显著影响,长8—10cm的种茎、5月栽种有利于甘松出苗。首次报道了甘松人工种植技术研究结果。     

基于FLACS的氢气检测器布置优化

采用某石化装置1∶1模型,以位于框架平台上的氢气分液罐泄漏为例,运用事故后果模拟软件FLACS构建计算流体力学模型并将氢气检测器设置为模型中的检测点,通过氢气泄漏及扩散过程数值模拟获得各检测点的氢气体积分数及响应时间,据此对氢气检测器的布置进行优化。主要研究成果有:1)提出氢气检测器探测效率的评价标准;2)明确工程中氢气检测器相对于潜在释放源的最优水平和竖向位置;3)给出花纹钢板和格栅板2种不同上层平台形式下氢气检测器的布置方案。     

Fereducer反应强化直流电晕自由基簇射治理苯

为强化直流电晕自由基簇射对含苯废气的去除,采用Fereducer反应进行实验研究.将含Fereducer试剂的电极气引入反应器中,在苯浓度分别为953mg/m³和63mg/m³时,其去除率提高了21%和4.2%.电极气(O₂、H₂O)的存在对苯的脱除起了不同程度的促进作用,最高可达89.6%.苯的初始浓度较低时脱除效率较高,但高浓度下的绝对去除量较大.     

实验室无源效率刻度技术的准确性检验

为检验无源效率刻度技术的准确性,本文用9个可溯源的典型放射性样品进行测试,并用LabSOCS计算结果。结果表明,点源在低能区（〈150KeV）偏差为9.2%,中高能区5.9%以内。对于单一核素体源,偏差在5%以内,而复合核素体源偏差在12%以内,无源效率刻度技术是一种准确、可靠的刻度技术。     

耕地土壤重金属健康风险空间分布特征

以江苏省某市为研究区域,借助ArcGIS和SPSS分析工具,利用US EPA健康风险评估模型评估耕地土壤重金属Cr、 Pb、 Cd和Hg的健康风险,从地理学的视角构建包含地理探测器及优化后的位序-规模理论模型的健康风险分析方法体系,分析其健康风险空间分异度及风险水平差异.结果表明,研究区域Cr、 Pb、 Cd及Hg这4种耕地土壤重金属含量均值分别为65.207、 25.486、 0.238和0.045 mg·kg~(-1),均低于耕地土壤污染风险的最低筛选值; Hg和Cd的健康风险均处于可接受范围内,Cr和Pb的儿童非致癌风险均值以及Cr的成人及儿童致癌风险指数均值分别为2.914 385、 1.337 503、 4.312 679×10~(-6)及8.137 130×10~(-6),均超过可接受范围;不同耕地重金属健康风险q值的范围为0.005 523～0.204 238,高风险特征因子需要进一步引起关注;研究子区域1、子区域2、子区域3和子区域4的Cr与Pb的儿童非致癌风险及Cr的致癌风险的R值较大,均接近或超过1,其他研究子区域的R值均低于0.1,中、高风险区与低风险区R值差异相对较大,研究子区域的高风险区比较集中.以耕地土壤重金属健康风险评价结果为基础,地理学视角分析市域范围的空间分异程度以及市辖县的风险水平,对于丰富健康风险研究手段、衡量不同尺度的健康风险水平以及制定精细化的风险管控策略等具有积极的意义.     

灾害风险视角下的城市安全评估及其驱动机制分析——以滁州市中心城区为例

全球自然灾害以及城市化进程中的人为灾害频发,严重制约着城市的生存和安全发展。以典型的灾害多发地区滁州市中心城区为例,基于压力—状态—响应（Pressure-State-Response,PSR）概念框架,构建了各单灾种风险评价指标体系,利用耦合激励模型复合单灾种风险评估结果,定量测度了研究区的城市安全风险分布特征,并运用地理探测器对城市安全风险进行了驱动机制分析。结果表明：（1）研究区的城市安全风险等级占比从低到高分别为2.49%、8.71%、41.08%、30.47%和17.25%,以中风险占主导。在空间上,城市安全风险表现为中部高于周围边缘区域,呈现出由核心区往外逐步减弱的格局特征。（2）6个驱动因子对城市安全风险的解释力强度为人口密度（0.404）>地均GDP（0.402）>建筑承灾能力（0.095）>植被覆盖度（0.078）>路网密度（0.013）>用地类型风险（0.012）,因子交互协同作用后对结果的解释力增强。研究结果为城市安全风险评估提供了新的理论视角与研究框架,能够服务于高风险区域的灾害风险管理。