Elemental and radioactivity analysis of rocks and soils of some selected sites in southwestern Nigeria

The elemental and radioactivity analyses of rock and soil samples from some selected sites in southwestern Nigeria have been done. Measurements of the elemental compositions and activity concentrations of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K were carried out using nuclear activation analysis technique and gamma spectrometry with high purity germanium detector, respectively. The results obtained provide reference data, allowing observation of possible future changes due to future radiological contamination. The activity concentrations of the natural radionuclides measured in the rocks were higher than those of the soils. The mean concentration of the major and minor elements in the rock and soil samples followed the order Al > Ca > Na > K > Mg > Fe > Ti and Mn > Ba > V > As > Cr > Ni > Zn > Cu, respectively. The radiological hazard and pollution risks associated with the natural radionuclides and heavy metals in the samples were assessed. The results obtained for the annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), internal hazard, external hazard, and representative gamma indices were lower than their respective maximum permissible limit of 1 mSv y^?1 for AEDE and 1 for internal hazard, external hazard, and representative gamma indices as recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The results of the geo-accumulation index, enrichment factor, and the pollution load index indicate that the soils of the study area are uncontaminated with the heavy metals measured except Ado-Ekiti, Ikere, and Igbara-Odo soils which are moderately contaminated with Arsenic (As).     

Data mining for occupational injuries in the Taiwan construction industry

There is a higher rate of occupational injury in the construction industry than most other industries on average. However, steps can be taken to reduce worker risk through effective injury prevention strategies. In this article, association rule mining is employed in identifying the characteristics of occupational injuries in the construction industry. Accident reports during the period 1999–2004 are extracted from case reports of the Northern Region Inspection Office of the Council of Labor Affairs of Taiwan. In addition to general factors, several factors related to weather conditions are included in this article. The results show that there are some patterns of occupational injuries in the construction industry. The effect of rain on the occurrence of fatalities is of great significance. Proposed inspection plans should be in accordance with the type of construction and environmental evaluation. The findings identified in this article provide a direction for more effective inspection strategies and injury prevention programs.     

Differences in the lethality of occupational accidents in OECD countries

International comparisons of the frequency of occupational accidents are rare because figures reported by each country are influenced by factors other than differences in the occurrence of actual accidents. In this study, we performed an international comparison of occupational accidents which distinguishes between fatal cases and all reported accidents, in order to control for the effects of other factors in accident reporting. Annual data on the numbers of fatal and non-fatal occupational accidents in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) between 1993 and 1998 were obtained from the Labour Statistics Database, which is operated by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The average incidence of all accidents across OECD countries ranged from 17 to 4608 per 100,000 persons in the labor force, whereas the incidence of fatal accidents across OECD countries ranged from 1 to 12 per 100,000 persons in the labor force. Lethality rates per 10,000 total accident cases ranged from 9 (Germany) to 3252 (Turkey). When comparing countries using the same statistical definition of accidents, three or more absence days, the difference in lethality of reported accidents within the same industrial sector is reduced to a sixfold difference (49 for the United Kingdom versus 333 for Ireland). Furthermore, the difference in lethality decreased to about twofold (18 for Spain versus 35 for Czech Republic) in the group using definitions with a criteria of one absent day. The results suggest that reported differences in lethality can reflect artificial administrative factors rather than the harmful factors that cause actual occupational accidents. To make more valid comparison of occupational accident between countries, harmonization of accident statistics is required.     

西藏地区原野天然γ辐射水平分析

统计分析了2007—2012年的西藏原野天然γ辐射水平监测数据,与原国家环境保护局1989年开展的西藏自治区环境天然放射性水平调查研究的数据进行比较表明,2008—2012年环境连续γ辐射剂量率年均值范围为186.5~190.9 nGy/h,未见异常升高,在正常波动范围内;原野γ辐射剂量率平均值为97.9~134.0 nGy/h,测值范围为51.6~197.7 nGy/h,保持稳定状态;宇宙射线所致居民年辐射剂量为1.29 mSv/a,为内地的5倍左右,但仍属于正常水平。     

江苏省含低放射性废渣清洁解控技术规范探讨

以江苏省稀土行业废渣实际情况为背景,基于国内外对天然放射性物质(NORM)的管理限值水平,通过理论研究和模型构建,建立了废渣中放射性核素质量活度与现场γ剂量率之间的关系。通过现场实验和样品γ谱核素分析结果进行模型修正,在留有足够安全冗余的情况下确定现场γ剂量率筛选水平,并提出了一套操作性较强的NORM废物γ剂量率筛选现场检验程序。     

成都市地表灰尘重金属污染分布特征及健康风险评价

对成都市中心城区娱乐区、居民区、商业区和城市广场等日常活动区域代表点的地表灰尘中的重金属进行监测,分析其污染分布特征,并应用美国EPA人体暴露风险评价方法对地表灰尘进行了健康风险评价。结果表明,研究区域地表灰尘重金属污染较为严重,Pb、Zn、Cu、Ni、Cr、Cd的平均含量分别为成都市土壤背景值的1.18~77.57倍,其中Cd的富集因子大于10,污染极强且富集在颗粒物中。暴露模型计算表明,重金属慢性每日平均暴露量为手-口摄入量皮肤吸收量吸入空气量,经手-口接触行为是人体地表灰尘暴露风险的主要途径。儿童重金属非致癌风险CrPbCdCuZnNi,成人重金属非致癌风险PbCrCdCuZnNi,且均小于非致癌风险阈值1,不会对城市人群造成明显伤害。重金属致癌风险CrCdNi,均低于致癌风险阈值,表明不具有致癌风险,但潜在生态危害值得重视。     

The development and validation of a psychological contract of safety scale

Introduction

This paper builds on previous research by the author and describes the development and validation of a new measure of the psychological contract of safety. The psychological contract of safety is defined as the beliefs of individuals about reciprocal safety obligations inferred from implicit and explicit promises.

Method

A psychological contract is established when an individual believes that perceived employer and employee safety obligations are contingent on each other. A pilot test of the measure is first undertaken with participants from three different occupations: nurses, construction workers, and meat processing workers (N = 99). Item analysis is used to refine the measure and provide initial validation of the scale. A larger validation study is then conducted with a participant sample of health care workers (N = 424) to further refine the measure and to determine the psychometric properties of the scale.

Results

Item and correlational analyses produced the final employer and employee obligations scales, consisting of 21 and 17 items, respectively. Factor analyses identified two underlying dimensions in each scale comparable to that previously established in the organizational literature. These transactional and relational-type obligations provided construct validity of the scale. Internal consistency ratings using Cronbach's alpha found the components of the psychological contract of safety measure to be reliable.

Impact on Industry

The refined and validated psychological contract of safety measure will allow investigation of the positive and negative outcomes associated with fulfilment and breach of the psychological contract of safety in future research.     

某铁路隧道作业场所职业危害风险控制效果评价

为了解铁路隧道作业场所职业病危害特征,评估其职业病危害风险控制效果,采用现场调查与职业病危害因素检测相结合的方法,对某铁路隧道作业场所职业病危害特征进行调查,采用职业病危害风险指数评估模型进行控制效果评估。结果表明,该铁路隧道作业场所职业危害因素主要包括生产过程中职业病危害、劳动过程中危害和生产环境中危害;主要职业病危害因素为电焊烟尘、矽尘、NO、NO2、CO、CO2、噪声、振动、高湿等;隧道内工务、电务、供电三大线路作业场所的线路维护人员接触的噪声均为轻中度危害,氮氧化物(NO、NO2)为轻度危害,接触的CO为中高度危害,线路维护人员矽尘作业岗位为轻中高度危害,易导致职业病损的发生。提出应重点监控该铁路隧道接触噪声、CO和矽尘的作业岗位,采取科学综合防控措施,改善作业环境质量,强化个人防护。     

Revision of deposition and weathering parameters for the ingestion dose module (ECOSYS) of the ARGOS and RODOS decision support systems

The ECOSYS model is the ingestion dose model integrated in the ARGOS and RODOS decision support systems for nuclear emergency management. The parameters used in this model have however not been updated in recent years, where the level of knowledge on various environmental processes has increased considerably. A Nordic work group has carried out a series of evaluations of the general validity of current ECOSYS default parameters. This paper specifically discusses the parameter revisions required with respect to the modelling of deposition and natural weathering of contaminants on agricultural crops, to enable the trustworthy prognostic modelling that is essential to ensure justification and optimisation of countermeasure strategies. New modelling approaches are outlined, since it was found that current ECOSYS approaches for deposition and natural weathering could lead to large prognostic errors.     

水质工程用紫外光消毒器的CFD数值模拟

紫外光消毒法是一种重要的污水深度处理方法,消毒器内部辐射强度的分布情况、微生物的停留时间及其运动轨迹对灭菌效果起着至关重要的作用。本文首次在国内系统介绍了采用计算流体动力学(CFD)手段对紫外光消毒器进行数值模拟研究的理论基础和技术路线,指出辐射强度的计算和停留时间的确定是其中的关键。以特定结构的紫外光消毒器为对象,对其内部流场进行了模拟计算,讨论了挡板位置不同所引起的消毒器内部速度场的变化情况;应用离散坐标辐射模型(DO)对紫外光辐射强度分布进行了模拟,同时加入离散粒子模型(DPM)来模拟消毒器内微生物的停留时长和运动轨迹,为最终计算微生物所受紫外光辐射剂量奠定了坚实的基础。