Air emissions from pavement layers composed of varying rates of reclaimed asphalt

An experimental study of road building and recycling of used pavement has been conducted within the framework of a Life Cycle Analysis. Four equivalent asphalt concretes made with different recycling rates have been investigated during road construction. Airborne emissions, pollutant release over time and odor production related to asphalt laying have all been determined and compared among the various recycling rates. All of the results (VOC, PAH and odors), expressed in terms of concentrations and fluxes, exhibit quite monotonic variations with respect to the recycling rate. These results, however, did not reveal the same trend as a function of the recycling rate (increases or decreases), depending on the selected target parameter (VOC or PAH). Indicators have been proposed for a discussion of results that take into account: (i) raw material emissions with respect to the reference defined in the case of pavement without reclaimed asphalt; and (ii) emissions in each case from all material production sources.     

COD监测技术及其方法的发展

现在测定COD多数采用的是重铬酸钾硫酸回流法消解水样,此方法存在着消解后铬盐排放会造成二次污染、回流氧化时间过长、因使用剧毒的汞盐作掩蔽剂易引起汞污染等缺点。针对这些缺点本文将介绍一些新的方法和监测技术。     

油气挥发污染控制技术探讨

油品储运过程中油气的挥发带来了严重的环境污染。利用油气回收技术作为主要的降耗措施已得到重视和推广应用。通过对储运过程中污染现状的分析及各类油气回收控制技术特点的分析,为今后的技术开发指出方向。     

热脱附法在测定空气中苯系物上的应用

对热脱附-气相色谱测定苯系物方法中的几种常用吸附剂进行了选择比较。结果表明,在测定苯、甲苯、乙苯、二甲苯以及苯乙烯时,TenaxTA/Carbograph1TD复合型吸附剂的综合吸附效率最好。TenaxTA/Carbograph1TD复合型吸附剂的检出限、精密度、准确度和保存期都得到了良好的结果,能够满足监测分析的要求。     

ICP-OES法测定大气和废气颗粒物中的金属元素

将微波消解法与电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法(ICP-OES)相结合,对大气和废气颗粒物中金属元素的微波消解条件及ICP-OES测定条件进行了优化研究,建立了大气和废气颗粒物中铝(Al)、钡(Ba)、镉(Cd)、铬(Cr)、铜(Cu)、锰(Mn)、钼(Mo)、镍(Ni)、铅(Pb)、锡(Sn)、锶(Sr)及锌(Zn)等金属元素的测定方法。对方法的检出限进行了测定,各元素的检出限均低于0.04 mg/L;对方法的精密度进行了测定,各元素的相对标准偏差在2.59%～7.14%之间;对方法的准确度进行了测定,质控滤膜中各元素的回收率在89.6%~119%之间,颗粒物参考物质中各元素的回收率在85.1%～107%之间,并将该方法成功应用到 TSP、污染源废气实际样品中金属元素的测定。     

Environmental effects of oil and gas lease sites in a grassland ecosystem

The northern Great Plains of Saskatchewan is one of the most significantly modified landscapes in Canada. While the majority of anthropogenic disturbances to Saskatchewan’s grasslands are the result of agricultural practices, development of petroleum and natural gas (PNG) resources is of increasing concern for grassland conservation. Although PNG developments require formal assessment and regulatory approval, follow-up and monitoring of the effects of PNG development on grasslands is not common practice. Consequently, the effects of PNG activity on grasslands and the spatial and temporal extent of such impacts are largely unknown. This paper examines the spatial and temporal extent of PNG development infrastructure from 1955 to 2006 in a grassland ecosystem in southwest Saskatchewan. The effects of PNG development on grassland ecology were assessed from measurements of ground cover characteristics, soil properties, and plant community composition at 31sites in the study area. PNG lease sites were found to have low cover of herbaceous plants, club moss (Lycopodiaceae), litter, and shallow organic (Ah) horizons. Lease sites were also characterized by low diversity of desirable grassland plants and low range health values compared to off-lease reference sites. These impacts were amplified at active and highly productive lease sites. Impacts of PNG development persisted for more than 50 years following well site construction, and extended outward 20 m–25 m beyond the direct physical footprint of PNG well infrastructure. These results have significant implications with regard to the current state of monitoring and follow-up of PNG development, and the cumulative effective of PNG activity on grassland ecosystems over space and time.     

A new method of simultaneous determination of atmospheric amines in gaseous and particulate phases by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

As more attention is being paid to the characteristics of atmospheric amines, there is also an increasing demand for reliable detection technologies. Herein, a method was developed for simultaneous detection of atmospheric amines in both gaseous and particulate phases using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The amine samples were collected with and without phosphoric acid filters, followed by derivatization with benzenesulfonyl chloride under alkaline condition prior to GC-MS analysis. Furthermore, the method was optimized and validated for determining 14 standard amines. The detection limits ranged from 0.0408-0.421 µg/mL (for gaseous samples) and 0.163-1.69 µg/mL (for particulate samples), respectively. The obtained recoveries ranged from 68.8%-180% and the relative standard deviation was less than 30%, indicating high precision and good reliability of the method. Seven amines were simultaneously detected in gaseous and particulate samples in an industrial park using the developed method successfully. Methylamine, dimethylamine and diethylamine together accounted for 76.7% and 75.6% of particulate and gaseous samples, respectively. By comparing the measured and predicted values of gas-particle partition fractions, it was found that absorption process of aqueous phase played a more important role in the gas-partition of amines than physical adsorption. Moreover, the reaction between unprotonated amines and acid (aq.) in water phase likely promoted water absorption. Higher measured partition fraction of dibutylamine was likely due to the reaction with gaseous HCl. The developed method would help provide a deeper understanding of gas-particle partitioning as well as atmospheric evolution of amines.     

Fluid Mechanics of Serpentine Flow Fields on a Porous Media

Laminar flows are investigated in single and double parallel serpentine channels mounted on a porous media and it is found that significant convective transport occurs in porous media for practical fuel cell conditions. This transport increases with increasing flow Reynolds number, with decreasing land width, and most significantly with increasing channel length.

Increasing the number of parallel channels significantly decreases the pressure drop across the fuel cell, but also significantly decreases the magnitude of convective transport in the porous media. Increased parasitic loads must be put in the context of the change in electrochemical performance.

This paper presents both data and a methodology for beginning to think about flow field design from a hydrodynamic perspective.     

Fugitive Gas Emissions from Fuel Tanks

Many fuel installations and industrial operations often are associated with the release, whether deliberately or inadvertently, of fuel vapors into the surrounding atmosphere. Most of these releases may be considered to be relatively small on a thermal basis, but they do represent collectively a serious source of unburned hydrocarbon emissions into the atmosphere. Moreover, the emissions of methane from various sources of natural gas contribute significantly to green house gas emissions.

The paper presents computed results of the transient dissipation of a fixed mass of methane when released within vertical cylindrical vessels containing air, which are open to the outside atmosphere under ambient conditions. Particular attention is given to the rates of emission of gas into the outside atmosphere and how it is affected by the composition and mass of the fuel released and the size and configuration of the fuel retaining cylindrical tank. The corresponding transient formation, growth and subsidence of flammable zones within such a vessel are also described. Some guidelines for reducing the hazards associated with such releases are presented.     

An evaluation of risk assessment framework for industrial accidents in India

Due to rapid industrialization, with high population density and constraints of land, it is expected that level of risks arising from the hazardous industries will increase in India in the coming decades. However, 30 years after the Bhopal accident (1984), except a few discrete regulations, there is as yet no integrated system for assessing and managing risks arising out of these hazardous industries in India. The gravity of aspects related to the management of industrial risk still remains crucially important. In particular, there is no standard guideline on risk analysis methodology, acceptability or tolerability criteria, nor is there an accident database or a risk reduction strategy for the areas where risk levels are already high. On top of this, there are technical and legislative gaps in the institutional framework to implement any of the above mentioned issues. With the backdrop of the Bhopal gas tragedy, the objective of this paper is therefore to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive risk assessment framework for the emerging economy of India, in order to control and/or to reduce the risk level that exists. In this context, regulations and policies pertaining to industrial risk assessment were reviewed.