Predicting the contents of BTEX and MTBE for the three types of tollbooth at a highway toll station via the direct and indirect approaches

This study was set out to assess the contents of five volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including BTEX (the acronym for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) and methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), in three types of tollbooth (including the car lane/ticket-collecting, car lane/cash-collecting, and bus/truck lane tollbooths) at a highway toll station via the direct and indirect approaches. For the direct approach, VOC samples were collected from the breathing zone of booth attendants at all selected tollbooths during the three workshifts. For samples collected during the dayshift, we found VOC contents of BTEX and MTBE in both the car lane/ticket-collecting (=6.23, 21.93, 3.24, 8.56, and 5.63 ppb, respectively) and car lane/cash-collecting tollbooths (=5.98, 21.71, 3.25, 8.59, and 6.04 ppb, respectively) were quite comparable, but both were significantly higher than that in the bus/truck lane tollbooth (=3.13, 13.91, 2.05, 4.52, and 2.70 ppb, respectively). The same pattern can also be found for the other two workshifts. For the indirect approach, we conducted multivariate regression analyses to predict VOC contents for any given type of tollbooth by using the four independent variables of the vehicle flowrate, wind speed, relative humidity, and air temperature. We found that, except the vehicle flowrate, the other three factors did not have a significant effect on VOC contents in the three types of tollbooth. In addition, the magnitudes of the effect of the vehicle flowrate on VOC contents for the three types of tollbooth were: car lane/cash-collecting>bus/truck lane>car lane/ticket-collecting. All regression results yielded R²-values in the range of 0.41−0.74 indicating that the developed indirect approach was able to predict VOC contents for three types of tollbooth.     

地球系统工程与区域环境问题调控的原则

论述了地球系统科学和工程研究的发展历史、研究对象和方法,及其在解决全球性环境危机中的作用;阐述了提高共识、言行一致、保护全球公共资源、实现可持续性目标等地球系统工程的基本原则. 论述了区域性与地球系统环境问题间的关系,提出区域环境问题调控的4条基本原则:系统性调控、区际公平、多方合作、综合手段和共同约束. 指出应注重应用地球系统科学与工程的理论与方法解决区域环境与生态问题;应深入探讨地球系统及区域环境与生态压力在中国现阶段的特征,统筹全局与长远调控区域环境问题;应开展长期连续观测和信息共享,创新调控全球与区域环境与生态的技术、方法.      

Environmental Initiative Prioritization with a Delphi Approach: A Case Study

India is fast finding its place in the industrialized world and that is beginning to raise its environmental consciousness. The Delphi technique was used to prioritize specific needs and articulate a sustainable urban improvement strategy for the city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay). The Delphi technique is a means of achieving consensual validity among raters by providing them feedback regarding other raters' responses. Mumbai has several indigenous environmental groups that were tapped for activists and leaders; the study was conducted using ten environmentalists. In the initial phases the responses resulted in a range of possible program alternatives. The last two stages helped to seek out information that generated a consensus on the part of the respondent group. Statistical analysis methods included a hierarchical cluster analysis, mean, median, mode, and percent of agreement calculations using SPSS software. The face-to-face discussion in phase 4 clarified some issues and helped the group as a whole to outline the strategy for putting in place the essential elements of a framework to improve the quality of life in an urban environment.     

Atmospheric fate of non-volatile and ionizable compounds

A modified version of the Multimedia Activity Model for Ionics MAMI, including two-layered atmosphere, air-water interface partitioning, intermittent rainfall and variable cloud coverage was developed to simulate the atmospheric fate of ten low volatility or ionizable organic chemicals. Probabilistic simulations describing the uncertainty of substance and environmental input properties were run to evaluate the impact of atmospheric parameters, ionization and air-water (or air-ice) interface enrichment.The rate of degradation and the concentration of OH radicals, the duration of dry and wet periods, and the parameters describing air-water partitioning (K_AW and temperature) and ionization (pK_a and pH) are the key parameters determining the potential for long range transport. Wet deposition is an important removal process, but its efficiency is limited, primarily by the duration of the dry period between precipitation events.Given the underlying model assumptions, the presence of clouds contributes to the higher persistence in the troposphere because of the capacity of cloud water to accumulate and transport non-volatile (e.g. 2,4-D) and surface-active chemicals (e.g. PFOA). This limits the efficiency of wet deposition from the troposphere enhancing long-range transport.     

Modeling the spatial dynamics of regional land use: the CLUE-S model

Land-use change models are important tools for integrated environmental management. Through scenario analysis they can help to identify near-future critical locations in the face of environmental change. A dynamic, spatially explicit, land-use change model is presented for the regional scale: CLUE-S. The model is specifically developed for the analysis of land use in small regions (e.g., a watershed or province) at a fine spatial resolution. The model structure is based on systems theory to allow the integrated analysis of land-use change in relation to socio-economic and biophysical driving factors. The model explicitly addresses the hierarchical organization of land use systems, spatial connectivity between locations and stability. Stability is incorporated by a set of variables that define the relative elasticity of the actual land-use type to conversion. The user can specify these settings based on expert knowledge or survey data. Two applications of the model in the Philippines and Malaysia are used to illustrate the functioning of the model and its validation.     

Carbon footprint of food - approaches from national input-output statistics and a LCA of a food portion

The aim of the study, on which this paper is based, was to provide guidance to consumers to make environmentally responsible choices in their food consumption, to assist food supply chain stakeholders to identify the key areas for environmental improvements, and to provide policy makers with a tool for monitoring the potential impacts on climate change resulting from developments within the food sector. At the macro level, the EIO-LCA model was developed specifically for the Finnish food chain; at the micro level, LCAs were performed on 30 lunch portions. The contribution of the Finnish food chain to climate change was 14%, which comprised 40% CO₂ emissions, 25% CH₄ emissions, and 34% N₂O emissions. The share of impacts from domestic agricultural processes was the highest, at 69%. The impact of a single lunch portion ranged between 0.65 and 3.80 kg of equivalent CO₂. According to the EIO-LCA model, the average impact was 7.7 kg CO₂ eq/person daily. The consumer phase accounted for between 8 and 47% of the climate change impacts for homemade portions. In ready-to-eat portions industry and retail phases were emphasized, representing 25-38% of climate change impacts. We present an approach to steer the Finnish food sector onto an environmentally sustainable path; practical tools for consumers and farmers will especially need to be developed further.     

基于变异系数法的安徽省节能减排评价研究

以行政区域为单位进行节能减排评价研究,分析其中的影响因素,便于因地制宜地采取措施开展节能减排工作。本文以安徽省为研究对象,运用变异系数法对节能减排作评价研究。研究表明,节能减排总体成效显著,但减排问题突出,其中污染物排放与产业结构存在密切关系,进一步的关联分析得出影响减排的主要行业因素。据此,提出从调整产业结构、加强科技创新、完善法规政策方面推进节能减排。     

城市污水再生利用途径分析与利用量预测

水资源匮乏与水环境污染是制约经济社会发展的主要瓶颈,提高城市污水资源化水平是解决这一问题的重要途径。文章结合《城市污水再生利用分类标准》（GB／T18919-2002）,深入分析包头市城市污水处理与再生利用现状及存在问题,提出包头市再生水近期应主要回用于城市杂用、工业和景观用水,再生水回用率可达到50％以上,为解决城市污水再生利用提供参考。     

水体沉积物重金属质量基准研究新进展——生物效应数据库法

根据加拿大、美国佛罗里达、澳大利亚、新西兰、中国香港等国家和地区水体沉积物质量基准研究的最新资料 ,综述了目前国际上广泛采用的用于制定沉积物质量基准的新方法——生物效应数据库法 ,介绍了该方法制定基准研究和应用的新进展     

基于改进成功流法的消防系统可靠性研究

在多信号输入系统的可靠性研究中,传统GO法存在计算复杂、易出现误差和遗漏的缺点。将卡诺图化简法引入传统GO运算,利用其“合并同项,简化运算”的特点构建研究多信号输入系统可靠性的新GO模型。将其应用于预作用喷水灭火系统,对具有多启动方式的给水泵进行可靠性分析,并与事件树运算结果比较,证明新GO模型适用于具有多信号输入系统的可靠性研究。研究表明,通过采取措施降低多信号元器件故障概率可以提高系统整体可靠性。