An evaluation scheme for assessing the effectiveness of intersection movement assist (IMA) on improving traffic safety

Objective: Intersection movement assist (IMA) has been recognized as one of the prominent countermeasures to reduce angle crashes at intersections, which constitute 22% of total crashes in the United States. Utilizing vehicle-based sensors, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications, IMA offers extended vision to provide early warning for an imminent crash. However, most of IMA-related research implements their methods and strategies only in simulations, test tracks, or driving simulator studies that have quite a few assumptions and limitations and hence the effectiveness evaluations reported may not be transferable or comparable.

Methods: This study seeks to develop a generalized evaluation scheme that can be used not only to assess the effectiveness of IMA on improving traffic safety at intersections but to facilitate comparisons across similar studies. The proposed evaluation scheme utilizes the concepts of traffic conflict in terms of time-to-collision (TTC) as a crash surrogate. This approach avoids the issue of having insufficient crash frequency data for system evaluation. To measure the effectiveness of IMA on reducing traffic conflicts, a relative risk is calculated for comparing the risk of with/without using the IMA. As a proof-of-concept study, this study applied the proposed evaluation scheme and reported the effectiveness of IMA on improving traffic safety in a field operation test (FOT). Seven test scenarios were conducted at 4 intersections, and a total of 40 participants were recruited to use the IMA for 6 months.

Results: It was estimated that IMA users have 26% fewer conflicts with TTC less than 5 s and have 15% fewer conflicts with TTC less than 4 s. However, the results vary across different sites and different definitions of conflicts in terms of TTC.

Conclusions: Overall, IMA is promising to effectively reduce angle crashes related to sight obstruction and has potential to reduce not only crash frequency but crash severity.     

污水处理厂剩余污泥对凤仙花和万寿菊生长的影响

采用盆栽方式,通过对花卉植物生长状况和各项生理指标的考察,研究了不同污泥施用比对凤仙花(Impatiens balsamina)和万寿菊(Tagetes erecta L.)生长的影响。结果表明,污泥施用比不高于5%(质量分数)时对两种花卉植物发芽有促进作用。在前期,对照组凤仙花和万寿菊生长较好,其株高、叶绿素和可溶性糖含量高于污泥施用组,丙二醛(MDA)含量低于污泥施用组。而在后期,污泥的施用对两种花卉生长促进作用明显,污泥施用组的两种花卉植物株高和各项生理指标优于对照组,尤其是开花状况显著好于对照组。凤仙花和万寿菊较优的污泥施用比分别为3%~5%和1%~5%。     

基于数据包络分析的水污染物排放指标初始分配方法与案例研究

基于数据包络分析(DEA)的点源水污染物排放指标初始分配方法,是将基于DEA的线性规划评价方法进行改进,从而使其适用于评价企业的水环境绩效,并依此进行排污指标初始分配。将非期望产出作为投入指标处理,构造了5输入1输出的规模可变DEA模型,并以南京市280家企业的COD排放指标初始分配为例进行了分析。结果表明,方法的模拟分配结果在公平的基础上,反映了企业的环境效率,效率越高,可得到的COD排放指标也越高,这将对企业治污起到激励作用,分配方法具有一定的可操作性;对案例企业进行分组并实行组内参评,基本可以避免部分极值原始数据对评价结果的影响,得到的COD排放指标分配结果也更为合理。     

房地产开发地铁振动达标距离研究

已建和待建的多条地铁线路穿过某房地产开发地块,为了防治地铁运行对建筑造成振动环境影响,需要设定建筑靠近地铁的最小达标距离,包括采取减振措施后的距离。通过现场系统实验监测结合数值模型分析,从工程实践的角度提出了上述距离。对于实验中观察到随距离出现振动局部放大以及进口与国产仪器监测结果不同的现象,佐证了有关学者的理论与实验分析,提出:(1)现有地铁环境影响评价报告常用的60m评价范围偏小,推荐可扩大至80~100m;(2)迫切需要新的振动环境标准发布,避免有关项目的环境管理要求偏低。     

基于生态位理论的京津冀城市生态文明评价

生态文明评价体系是明确生态文明建设现状、定位生态文明建设存在问题的关键。从城市群视角出发引入生态位理论,界定生态文明位内涵,构建涵盖社会子系统生态位—经济子系统生态位—资源环境子系统生态位共29项指标的城市生态文明评价指标体系,并提出相对生态文明位和生态经济指数的二维模型,测算京津冀城市群6个案例城市在2007—2011年的生态文明建设水平、趋势以及地位。结果显示,2011年北京生态文明水平(相对生态文明位)最高,邢台生态文明水平最低,石家庄、秦皇岛、承德、天津生态文明水平分别排名第2、第3、第4、第5。2007—2011年,北京、承德、邢台生态文明水平呈现波动下降趋势,而秦皇岛、石家庄、天津呈现小幅上升趋势;但生态经济指数测算显示,北京的经济社会发展对于生态资源环境的占用消耗大,承德有较好的经济发展潜力。并基于该二维模型,将京津冀城市生态文明建设分为4种类型:发展失衡型、相对和谐型、高质量发展型、资源环境优势型,分别确定城市生态文明建设重点,为京津冀协同发展提供了指导依据。     

Using multivariate regression modeling for sampling and predicting chemical characteristics of mixed waste in old landfills

Municipal solid waste landfills pose a threat on environment and human health, especially old landfills which lack facilities for collection and treatment of landfill gas and leachate. Consequently, missing information about emission flows prevent site-specific environmental risk assessments. To overcome this gap, the combination of waste sampling and analysis with statistical modeling is one option for estimating present and future emission potentials. Optimizing the tradeoff between investigation costs and reliable results requires knowledge about both: the number of samples to be taken and variables to be analyzed.This article aims to identify the optimized number of waste samples and variables in order to predict a larger set of variables. Therefore, we introduce a multivariate linear regression model and tested the applicability by usage of two case studies. Landfill A was used to set up and calibrate the model based on 50 waste samples and twelve variables. The calibrated model was applied to Landfill B including 36 waste samples and twelve variables with four predictor variables.The case study results are twofold: first, the reliable and accurate prediction of the twelve variables can be achieved with the knowledge of four predictor variables (Loi, EC, pH and Cl). For the second Landfill B, only ten full measurements would be needed for a reliable prediction of most response variables. The four predictor variables would exhibit comparably low analytical costs in comparison to the full set of measurements. This cost reduction could be used to increase the number of samples yielding an improved understanding of the spatial waste heterogeneity in landfills.Concluding, the future application of the developed model potentially improves the reliability of predicted emission potentials. The model could become a standard screening tool for old landfills if its applicability and reliability would be tested in additional case studies.     

内源电子受体产生及其在抑制富磷剩余污泥释磷行为中的应用

根据生物脱氮除磷系统产生的富磷剩余污泥含有硝化细菌和生产废水含有高浓度氨氮的特点,将生产废水中的氨氮转化为硝酸盐(内源电子受体),并将获得的内源电子受体利用在富磷剩余污泥浓缩过程,同步实现内源电子受体反硝化及其抑制富磷剩余污泥释磷行为。结果表明,将富磷剩余污泥(excess activated sludge,EAS。EAS1是在好氧方式下添加,EAS2是在缺氧方式下添加)与生产废水(reject water)按4种比例(Ⅰ、生产废水∶EAS1∶EAS2=15%∶85%∶0%;Ⅱ、生产废水∶EAS1∶EAS2=15%∶80%∶5%;Ⅲ、生产废水∶EAS1∶EAS2=15%∶75%∶10%;Ⅳ、生产废水∶EAS1∶EAS2=15%∶65%∶20%)混合曝气用于产生内源电子受体时,最佳硝化时间均为12 h,可将液相中的氨氮分别由初始的(113.16±0.85)mg/L、(117.18±4.39)mg/L、(129.48±4.85)mg/L及(142.53±0)mg/L降至(0.74±0.41)mg/L、(0.45±0.15)mg/L、(0.41±0.15)mg/L及(0.38±0.08)mg/L;同时,硝酸盐氮分别由初始的(7.48±7.91)mg/L、(12.87±5.81)mg/L、(12.87±5.81)mg/L及(13.55±6.18)mg/L升为(128.37±11.03)mg/L、(141.43±12.71)mg/L、(148.01±14.84)mg/L及(146.22±7.53)mg/L。内源电子受体可将重力浓缩过程中释磷量分别削减85%、63%、64%及83%,同时使得由生产废水回流引起的氨氮积累量分别减少89.25%、69.93%、74.31%及85.40%。在整个内源电子受体产生及其应用于抑制污泥释磷阶段,TN去除率分别为39.59%、44.54%、51.86%及57.33%。上述内源电子受体胁迫条件下的浓缩过程中,不仅可以有效降低由重力浓缩释磷引起的磷积累量,且可同步实现减少由生产废水回流引起的氨氮积累量。     

Mercury levels and trends (1993-2009) in bream (Abramis brama L.) and zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) from German surface waters

Mercury concentrations have been analysed in bream (Abramis brama L.) and zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) collected at 17 freshwater sites in Germany from 1993-2009 and 1994-2009, respectively, within the German Environmental Specimen programme. Mercury concentrations in bream ranged from 21 to 881 ng g⁻¹ wet weight with lowest concentrations found at the reference site Lake Belau and highest in fish from the river Elbe and its tributaries. Statistical analysis revealed site-specific differences and significant decreasing temporal trends in mercury concentrations at most of the sampling sites. The decrease in mercury levels in bream was most pronounced in fish from the river Elbe and its tributary Mulde, while in fish from the river Saale mercury levels increased. Temporal trends seem to level off in recent years. Mercury concentrations in zebra mussels were much lower than those in bream according to their lower trophic position and varied by one order of magnitude from 4.1 to 42 ng g⁻¹ wet weight (33-336 ng g⁻¹ dry weight). For zebra mussels, trend analyses were performed for seven sampling sites at the rivers Saar and Elbe of which three showed significant downward trends. There was a significant correlation of the geometric mean concentrations in bream and zebra mussel over the entire study period at each sampling site (Pearson’s correlation coefficient = 0.892, p = 0.00002). A comparison of the concentrations in bream with the environmental quality standard (EQS) of 20 ng g⁻¹ wet weight set for mercury in biota by the EU showed that not a single result was in compliance with this limit value, not even those from the reference site. Current mercury levels in bream from German rivers exceed the EQS by a factor 4.5-20. Thus, piscivorous top predators are still at risk of secondary poisoning by mercury exposure via the food chain. It was suggested focusing monitoring of mercury in forage fish (trophic level 3 or 4) for compliance checking with the EQS for biota and considering the age dependency of mercury concentrations in fish in the monitoring strategy.     

高铁酸钾预处理对活性污泥脱水性能的影响

通过投入不同剂量的高铁酸钾于剩余活性污泥中,研究其对污泥絮体性质和脱水性能的影响作用。污泥絮体性质的研究包括絮体粒径的变化以及污泥EPS含量的变化。脱水性能的研究包括过滤脱水性能(以CST表征)以及脱水程度(离心泥饼含固率)。实验结果表明,高铁酸钾的强氧化性可以破坏污泥絮体结构,提高污泥的机械脱水程度;但同时污泥EPS含量增加,对污泥过滤脱水性能有负面影响。高铁酸钾氧化分解生成的Fe(OH)3具有絮凝能力,可以使污泥颗粒重新絮凝;而其混凝作用可以破坏污泥细胞的稳定性,提高污泥的沉降性能。     

利用剩余活性污泥生产一次性可降解材料

为了缓解污水处理厂日益严重的污泥处置难题,实现剩余活性污泥的无害化、减量化、稳定化、资源化利用。采用SBR系统对剩余活性污泥进行10 d的驯化,加入4.0 g/L的乙酸钠作为发酵培养基碳源和前体物质,累积聚羟基烷酸酯(polyhydroxyalkanoates,PHA)。30℃好氧发酵10 h后,PHA积累达1 125 mg/L,占污泥浓度(MLSS)的质量分数为35.7%。然后经过离心、烘干、粉碎后模压成型加工成一次性使用的可生物降解材料。使用正交实验进行优化,结果表明:其最佳的物料配比和模压条件为:干污泥57%;稻草纤维20%;聚乙烯醇(PVA)19%;硬脂酸钡2%;氧化钙2%;最佳工艺条件为100℃,加热1.5 h,此时加工出来的产品具有最优的抗压强度和拉伸强度。以本方法制成的可生物降解花盆其所含细菌总数、粪大肠菌群、蛔虫卵死亡率均达到国标所规定的污泥农用生物安全要求;另外,试样中未检出病毒;其重金属含量也达到国标所规定的污泥农用标准;其可生物降解性能达到了可降解材料的要求。因而本研究制备的一次性使用可降解花盆具有较好的开发和应用价值。