Physicochemical Characteristics and Pollution Indicators in the Intertidal Zone of Kuwait: Implications for Benthic Ecology

/ The coastal environment of Kuwait has been under considerable stress since the onset of the oil era in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Oil, sewage, and industrial pollution were believed to be the main environmental problems in the coastal zone. The huge oil spill and destruction caused by the Gulf War further complicated those problems. In this article, the temperature, pH, salinity, and total dissolved sulfide (TDS) of the interstitial water in the intertidal zone and the water content and total organic carbon (TOC) of the intertidal sediment were investigated. The purpose of the study was to understand the effect of the physicochemical characteristics on the intertidal benthic ecology and to identify the level and sources of organic pollution in the intertidal zone. The study results indicated that the prevailing harsh environmental conditions, especially high temperature and salinity, restricted benthic fauna diversity and led to the development of a fragile intertidal ecosystem. The fauna inhabiting the intertidal zone was dominated by a few species probably living at their limit of tolerance. Organic pollution was evident mainly in Sulaibikhat Bay and to a lesser extent in Kuwait City waterfront and Shuaiba coast in the south. The pollution was attributed mainly to land-based sources such as the occasional discharge of raw sewage through stormwater outlets, the direct oil spillage, and industrial effluents from refineries, oil terminals, and petrochemical plants. Quantitative analysis was inconclusive in establishing a significant correlation between the chemistry and composition of the benthic fauna. However, close examination of sites with high TOC and TDS concentrations indicated that the benthic fauna in those sites was showing evidence of degradation. A number of strategies were recommended to ensure protection and sustainable management of the coastal environment.KEY WORDS: Intertidal environment; Pollution; Total organic carbon; Dissolved sulfide; Interstitial water; Benthic fauna     

Adsorption and desorption of lanthanum at sulfide mineral surface

Batch adsorption experiment with four sulfide minerals - Chalcocite galena, pyrite and sphalerite - were used to study for the adsorption and desorp-tion behavior of La (III) in the presence of EDTA, a model humic matter. Linear adsorption was found in all cases.The presence of soluble organic complexing ligand should reduce the mobility of La (III) in porous media and its transport to groundwater in the percolating soil solution. Binding mechanism is proposed to account for this preferential binding behavior.     

张红玉,张玉冬,顾军,李国学,袁京

为了降低厨余垃圾堆肥过程中H₂S和NH₃这2种恶臭物质的排放,通过向堆肥原料中添加玉米秸秆、木本泥炭和木屑3种调理剂,同时以厨余垃圾单独堆肥作为对照,研究调理剂添加对H₂S和NH₃排放的影响.结果表明,3种调理剂的添加均促进了有机物的降解和堆体的快速升温,与对照相比,使堆肥进入高温期的时间提前了3~4d;从电导率和发芽率指数来看,添加玉米秸秆处理的堆肥产品达到完全腐熟的要求,而添加木本泥炭和木屑处理的堆肥产品只是达到了无害化的要求;3种调理剂的添加均不同程度减少了厨余垃圾堆肥中H₂S和NH₃的排放,与对照相比,添加玉米秸秆、木本泥炭和木屑使厨余垃圾堆肥中H₂S的累积排放量分别降低了78.7%,50.3%和89.8%,NH₃的累积排放量分别降低了53.8%、87.7%和63.9%,可见木屑更能有效控制H₂S的排放,而木本泥炭更能有效控制NH₃的排放.     

高硫炼油装置硫化氢泄漏场景集定量分析

随机规划方法已成为解决不确定条件下高硫炼油装置气体检测报警仪布置优化问题的重要途径,而构建接近真实情况的泄漏场景集则是实现随机规划的基础。目前,有毒气体泄漏场景集构建方面的研究鲜有报道,且传统以典型泄漏场景为代表的做法未能体现真实风险。为此给出一种融合泄漏概率和风场联合分布概率的定量构建硫化氢泄漏场景集的方法,使场景集包括重要泄漏场景并运用DNV的LEAK软件和历史气象数据定量预测场景的实现概率,为实现后续的气体泄漏检测报警仪布置随机规划提供技术支持。并以某柴油加氢装置为例,定量构建其硫化氢泄漏场景集,为后续的气体检测报警仪布置优化及其它基于定量风险分析的控制决策提供支持。     

Effects of hydrogen addition on the confined and vented explosion behavior of methane in air

Multi-component gas mixture explosion accidents occur and recur frequently, while the safety issues of multi-component gas mixture explosion for hydrogen–methane mixtures have rarely been addressed.Numerical simulation study on the confined and vented explosion characteristics of methane-hydrogen mixture in stoichiometric air was conducted both in the 5 L vessel and the 64 m³ chamber, involving different mixture compositions and initial pressures. Based on the results and analysis, it is shown that the addition of hydrogen has a negative effect on the explosion pressure of methane-hydrogen mixture at adiabatic condition. While in the vented explosion, the addition of the hydrogen has a significant positive effect on the explosion hazard degree. Additionally, the addition of hydrogen can induce a faster reactivity and enhance the sensitivity of the mixture by reducing the explosion time and increasing the rate of pressure rise both in confined and vented explosion. Both the maximum pressure and the maximum rate of pressure rise increase with initial pressure as a linear function, and also rise with the increase of hydrogen content in fuel. The increase in the maximum rate of pressure rise is slight when hydrogen ratio is lower than 0.5, however, it become significant when hydrogen ratio is higher than 0.5. The maximum rate of pressure rise for stoichiometric hydrogen-air is about 10 times the one of stoichiometric methane-air.Furthermore, the vent plays an important role to relief pressure, causing the decrease in explosion pressure and rate of pressure rise, while it can greatly enhance the flame speed, which will extend the hazard range and induce secondary fire damages. Additionally it appears that the addition of hydrogen has a significant increasing effect on the flame speed. The propagation of flame speed in confined explosion can be divided into two stages, increase stage and decrease stage, higher hydrogen content, higher slope. But in the vented explosion, the flame speed keeps increasing with the distance from the ignition point.     

浅析硫化物对炼油设备的危害及防治对策

通过分析加工高含硫原油发生的典型事故案例 ,剖析硫化物对炼油设备的危害 ,对其形成的机理及造成的事故原因进行分析 ,提出相应的防范措施 ,以确保企业的安全生产。     

文南油田注水管线防污染清洗技术研究

针对文南油田注水管线内壁结垢对油田注水的危害,以及管线清洗过程中存在的环境污染和硫化氢中毒问题,分析消除硫化氢的反应机理,研究抑硫清洗剂,改进管线清洗工艺,开发注水管线防污染清洗技术,在推广应用中取得了较好的环保效果。     

管道煤气生产中汞的分布

为了解城市管道煤气生产中可能存在的汞污染,对贵阳市管道煤气及煤气生产所使用的洗精煤、煤气生产过程中产生的化学产品焦碳、焦油及焦炉煤气脱硫洗涤物硫浆中汞的含量和分布进行了研究。研究发现,管道煤气中汞的含量低于二次金汞齐-冷原子吸收光谱法检测限0.05ng/m3,较贵阳市城区大气汞的含量还低。在原煤转化为城市管道煤气过程中,煤中的汞在煤气生产的各个环节都有不同程度的脱除:其中原煤的洗选过程是最主要的脱汞过程,约75%左右的汞在该过程中被脱除;焦碳中汞含量占洗精煤汞含量的14.1%;煤焦油中汞含量占洗精煤中汞的15.5%;硫浆的生成过程则脱除了煤气生产用洗精煤中51%的汞。     

硫化氢捕消剂清除硫化氢效果研究

硫化氢气体是高毒性气体,当其发生泄漏事故时将产生严重危害。目前,应对硫化氢泄漏事故的方法较少,主要为消防水喷淋和人员疏散,不能完全消除硫化氢的危害。针对硫化氢气体的特点,研制了在泄漏事故中用于清除硫化氢气体的捕消剂。硫化氢捕消剂为干粉状的,由吸附载体、反应组分和疏水组分组成。当发生硫化氢泄漏时,将捕消剂喷洒在泄漏源周围的空气中,使捕消剂与硫化氢充分接触反应以降低危害程度和范围。清除硫化氢实验结果表明,硫化氢捕消剂能够有效地清除泄漏在空气中的硫化氢气体。     

原油脱除硫化氢技术新进展

原油中的硫化氢不仅会腐蚀设备、管道,降低原油品质,而且会严重威胁人身安全,因此在原油集输过程中脱硫是一个重要的环节。与天然气的脱硫化氢技术相比,国内的原油脱硫化氢技术还不够成熟,所以有必要开展原油脱硫化氢的技术研究。在广泛调研国内外文献的基础上,分析了原油物理脱硫技术、化学脱硫技术和生物脱硫技术的新进展,发现物理法脱硫是主要的脱硫技术,优质脱硫剂的研发是化学脱硫的关键但其效率受多因素影响,微生物竞争排斥技术是很具潜力的生物脱硫技术。