Concentrations of U,U, U,Th, Th,Th, Ra,Ra, Ra,Po, Pb and Pb in drinking water in Italy: reconciling safety standards based on measurements of gross α and β

Some important naturally occurring α- and β-radionuclides in drinking water samples collected in Italy were determined and the radiological quality evaluated. The mean activity concentrations (mBq L⁻¹) of the radionuclides in the water samples were almost in the order: 26 ± 36 (²³⁴U) > 21 ± 30 (²³⁸U) > 8.9 ± 15 (²²⁶Ra) > 4.8 ± 6.3 (²²⁸Ra) > 4.0 ± 4.1 (²¹⁰Pb) > 3.2 ± 3.7 (²¹⁰Po) > 2.7 ± 1.2 (²¹²Pb) > 1.4 ± 1.8 (²²⁴Ra) > 1.1 ± 1.3 (²³⁵U) > 0.26 ± 0.39 (²²⁸Th) > 0.0023 ± 0.0009 (²³⁰Th) > 0.0013 ± 0.0006 (²³²Th). The mean estimated dose (μSv yr⁻¹) to an adult from the water intake was in this order: 2.8 ± 3.3 (²¹⁰Po) > 2.4 ± 3.2 (²²⁸Ra) > 2.1 ± 2.1 (²¹⁰Pb) > 1.8 ± 3.1 (²²⁶Ra) > 0.94 ± 1.30 (²³⁴U) > 0.70 ± 0.98 (²³⁸U) > 0.069 ± 0.087 (²²⁴Ra) > 0.036 ± 0.044 (²³⁵U) > 0.014 ± 0.021 (²²⁸Th) > 0.012 ± 0.005 (²¹²Pb) > 0.00035 ± 0.00029 (²³⁰Th) > 0.00022 ± 0.00009 (²³²Th). It is obvious that ²¹⁰Po, ²²⁸Ra, ²¹⁰Pb and ²²⁶Ra are the most important dose contributors in the drinking water intake. As far as the seventeen brands of analysed drinking water were concerned, the committed effective doses were in the range of 2.81–38.5 μSv yr⁻¹, all well below the reference level of the committed effective dose (100 μSv yr⁻¹) recommended by the WHO. These data throw some light on the scale of the radiological impact on the public from some naturally occurring radionuclides in drinking water, and can also serve as a comparison for the dose contribution from artificial radionuclides released to the environment as a result of human practices. Based on the radionuclide composition in the analysed waters, comment was made on the new screening level for gross α activity in guidelines for drinking-water quality recommended by the WHO, 2004.     

Book reviews

AUTOMATIC METHODS OF ANALYSIS by M. Valcárcel and M. D. Luque de Castro, Volume 9 in series Techniques and Instrumentation in Analytical Chemistry, Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam (1988), 560 pages, US$ 131.50

SELF‐DIFFUSION IN ELECTROLYTE SOLUTIONS: A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF DATA COMPILED FROM THE LITERATURE by R. Mills and V. M. M. Lobo, Volume 36 published in the series Physical Sciences Data, Elsevier, Amsterdam (1988), 354 pages, US$ 134.25     

Effect of scale on freely propagating flames in aluminum dust clouds

The majority of experimental tests done on combustible dusts are performed in constant volume vessels that have limited or no optical access. Over the years, McGill University has been developing alternative experimental techniques based on direct observation of dust flames, yielding reliable fundamental parameters such as flame burning velocity, temperature and structure. The present work describes two new experimental set-ups allowing direct observation of isobaric and freely propagating dust flames at two sufficiently different scales to test the influence of scale on dust flame phenomena. In the laboratory-scale experiments, a few grams of aluminum powder are dispersed in transparent, 30 cm diameter latex balloons that allow for full visualization of the spherical flame propagation. In the field experiments, about 1 kg of aluminum powder is dispersed by a short pulse of air, forming a conical dust cloud with a total volume of about 5 m³. High-speed digital imaging is used to record the particle dispersal and flame propagation in both configurations. In the small-scale laboratory tests, the measured flame speed is found to be about 2.0 ± 0.2 m/s in fuel-rich aluminium clouds. The burning velocity, calculated by dividing the measured flame speed by the expansion factor deduced from thermodynamic equilibrium calculations, correlates well with the previously measured burning velocity of about 22–24 cm/s from Bunsen dust flames. Flame speeds observed in field experiments with large-scale clouds, however, are found to be much higher, in the range of 12 ± 2 m/s. Estimations are presented that show that the presumably greater role of radiative heat transfer in larger-scale aluminium flames is insufficient to explain the six-fold increase in flame speed. The role of residual large-eddy turbulence, as well as the frozen-turbulence effect leading to large-scale dust concentration fluctuations that cause flame folding, are discussed as two possible sources for the greater flame speed.     

石油测井用中子源辐射屏蔽研究

放射源测井技术是当今石油勘探和开发中必不可少的手段，开展对测井人员的屏蔽防护研究十分必要。将聚乙（丙）烯与碳化硼和氧化铝等以不同比例混合后制成的板材和织物具有良好的热中子、中能中子和快中子屏蔽效果，加工成屏蔽装置后，可使镅－铍源中子的屏蔽率达到６２．０６％，γ射线屏蔽率达到３２．４３％，结合中子辐射防护服和防护围裙等的使用，可较好地解决测井人员的辐射防护问题。     

防X射线纤维及织物的研制与性能研究

通过将重金属化合物微粉与聚合物熔融共混后纺丝的方法， 可研制出具有Ｘ射线屏蔽性能的防Ｘ射线纤维，并可进一步加工成织物。本文研究了防Ｘ射线纤维和织物的制造方法和性能特点，结果表明，这种织物具有良好的对低能Ｘ 射线的防护功能，有广阔的应用前景     

Influence of thermal radiation on layered dust explosions

Multidimensional unsteady numerical simulations were carried out to explore the influence of thermal radiation on the propagation and structure of layered coal dust explosions. The simulation solved the reactive compressible Navier-Stokes equations coupled to an Eulerian kinetic-theory-based granular multiphase model. The radiation heat transfer is modeled by solving the radiation transfer equation using the third-order filtered spherical harmonics approximation. The radiation was assumed to be gray and all boundaries of the domain are black at 300 K. The reaction mechanism is based on global irreversible reactions for each physical process including devolatilization, char burning, moisture vaporization, and methane combustion. The governing equations were solved using a high-order Godunov method. Several simulation configurations were considered: layer volume fractions of 47% and 1%, channel lengths of 10 m and 40 m, and radiative and non-radiative cases. The results show that gray radiation has a significant influence on the propagation and structure of a layered dust explosion. However, radiation can have opposite effects on different scenarios. For example, radiation promotes the propagation of the dust flame when the layer volume fraction was 1% and in the short-channel cases where reflected shock-flame interactions are important. However, radiation enhances quenching for the 47% volume fraction dust layer in the longer channel.     

北京地区采暖期SO2熏烟型污染及评估

随着北京城市建设的发展，为了保护环境，北京市的新建生活区均采用集中供热系统。燃烧后的有害气体通过烟排向大气，经过高空稀释后的烟气可以降低污染负荷，但是在某此气象条件下仍然造成了地面局部污染，本文在北京市丰台区一个生活小区的供热系统污染源环境影响评价的基础上，讨论了熏烟污染的发生及危害。     

太湖辐射和能量收支的时间变化特征

湖泊的辐射和能量收支的观测研究对于气象学和水文学研究都具有重要的意义。于2012年采用涡度相关系统和小气候观测系统观测太湖表面的辐射平衡、湖泊与大气之间的感热和潜热通量、水温廓线和常规气象要素数据,分析太湖表面辐射及能量收支的时间变化特征以及环境控制因子。结果表明:(1)太湖2012年辐射收支四分量(向下短波辐射、向上短波辐射、向下长波辐射和向上长波辐射)的年均值分别为146.5、9.4、359.7和405.4 W/m~2,反照率的年均值为0.06,各辐射分量日变化和季节变化特征明显;(2)净辐射和热储量日变化趋势相同,正午最高,午夜最低;湍流能量通量的日变化幅度较小;不同天气条件下能量分配具有一定差别:晴天条件下能量分配以潜热通量为主,阴天净辐射能量主要被水体吸收转换为热储量;(3)通过分析湍流能量通量与环境因子的相关性发现:感热通量变化最主要的相关因子是风速与湖–气界面温度差的乘积;风速与湖-气界面水汽压的乘积是潜热通量的主要驱动因子。本研究结果能为边界层气象学、全球能量和物质循环以及湖泊生态环境治理等研究提供理论基础和数据支持。     

A modified steam distillation method for volatile acids determination in anaerobic digestors

A modified steam distillation method for the accurate determination of low levels of volatile acids found primarily in low rate anaerobic digestors has been developed. The interference of bicarbonate alkalinity is minimal with complete removal of carbon dioxide from the sample prior to distillation. This removal can be achieved by boiling the acidified sample for 30 min in an erlenmeyer flask with ground‐glass neck attached to a reflux condenser.     

Occurrence and impact of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans in the air and soil around a municipal solid waste incinerator

To assess the influence of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans(PCDD/Fs) on the environment in the vicinity of municipal solid waste incinerators(MSWIs), we determined the levels of PCDD/Fs in air and soil samples collected around a MSWI, which is the largest in China. The International Toxicity Equivalency Quantity(I-TEQ) concentrations of PCDD/Fs in air samples were from 0.0300 to 1.03 pg I-TEQ/m~3(0.445–13.6 pg/m~3), with an average of 0.237 pg I-TEQ/m~3, while in soil samples they ranged from 0.520 to 3.40 pg I-TEQ/g(2.41–88.7 pg/g) with an average of1.49 pg I-TEQ/g. The concentrations of PCDD/Fs in air and soil samples were comparable to other areas, and Pe CDFs were the dominant contributors, which was different from stack gas homologue patterns. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that PCDD/Fs emission from the MSWI did not directly affect the profiles of PCDD/Fs in air and soils, so that vehicles and unidentified emission sources should be considered. The daily inhalation levels of PCDD/Fs for children(0.0110 to 0.392 pg I-TEQ/(kg·day) and adults(0.00600 to 0.221 pg I-TEQ/(kg·day) near the MSWI were lower than the tolerable daily intake of 1.00 to 4.00 pg WHO-TEQ/(kg·day), but in winter the values were higher than in summer. These results can be used as basic data for assessing the risk of PCDD/Fs exposure in residents living around this MSWI, and more monitoring programs and studies should be carried out around MSWIs.