Public policy for the use of reclaimed water

This article documents the general need to reuse water reclaimed from sewage effluents for beneficial purposes and then considers in detail which specific uses will be most beneficial. The analysis begins by describing five levels of wastewater treatment: primary, secondary, tertiary, advanced, and advanced plus complete treatment. Next, five major uses for reclaimed water are identified: groundwater recharge, industrial use, irrigation, recreational lakes, and direct municipal reuse. Subcategories of reuse falling under each of the five major reuse categories are also identified and discussed. The analysis then proceeds to review significant literature available on health and environmental effects, treatment and distribution costs, and public opinion concerns in relation to each of the five major uses and their related subcategories. The paper concludes with a cumulative numerical analysis of the disbenefits associated with each specific type of reuse summed over the health effects, environmental effects, treatment costs, distribution costs, and public opinion concerns. Uses of reclaimed water for industrial purposes and for irrigation of fodder and fiber crops are found to be most beneficial by the analysis here employed, and use for aquifer recharge and direct municipal reuse are found to be least beneficial.     

Normality of Hydrological Data1

ABSTRACT: Assessment of normality of hydrological data has been based upon subjective judgments. This paper aims to provide an objective method for such an assessment by introducing three computationally simple statistical tests. Application to some stream flow data indicates that (1) for annual values, at least one of the three sequences- original, square root, and logarithmic - can be considered to be normally distributed; and (2) most monthly stream flows are skew and neither the square root nor the logarithmic transformation is able to render their sequences in all the 12 months normal.     

Fitting a Gamma Distribution Over a Synthetic Unit Hydrograph1

ABSTRACT: Several methods for synthetic unit hydrographs are available in the literature. Most of these methods involve the hand fitting of a curve over a set of a few hydrograph points, which can sometimes be a subjective task. Besides, the user often finds it difficult or simply neglects to adjust the generated unit graph to a runoff volume of one unit (inch, cm, or mm). It is the purpose of this paper to present to the design hydrologist a simple method to fit a smooth gamma distribution over a single point specified by the unit hydrograph peak and the time to peak with a guaranteed unit depth of runoff.     

广州市城市人口郊区化过程及其模式分析

我国正进入城市化的快速发展阶段．城市功能的聚集效应和扩散效应．都市圈化和效区化趋势在一些城市都有表现．因此将二者结合起来．研究我国城市化规律有重要意义。利用1982、1990、2000年三次人口普查中得到的广州市中心区和近郊区各街道、镇的人口密度资料．对广州人口密度分布进行模型研究。结果发现：1982年以来广州市城市人口密度分布呈典型的克拉克分布．即城市中心人口密度最大．随着向外距离的增加，人口密度迅速降低。表现出城市发展早期阶段的特征；与此同时，中心区人口密度先升后降.近郊区人口密度持续上升．远效区人口密度缓慢上升．城市郊区化开始发展。     

Testing the Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis with Bird Populations as Habitat-Specific Environmental Indicators: Evidence from Canada

Abstract:  The traditional environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis postulates that environmental degradation follows an inverted U-shaped relationship with gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. We tested the EKC hypothesis with bird populations in 5 different habitats as environmental quality indicators. Because birds are considered environmental goods, for them the EKC hypothesis would instead be associated with a U-shaped relationship between bird populations and GDP per capita. In keeping with the literature, we included other variables in the analysis—namely, human population density and time index variables (the latter variable captured the impact of persistent and exogenous climate and/or policy changes on bird populations over time). Using data from 9 Canadian provinces gathered over 37 years, we used a generalized least-squares regression for each bird habitat type, which accounted for the panel structure of the data, the cross-sectional dependence across provinces in the residuals, heteroskedasticity, and fixed- or random-effect specifications of the models. We found evidence that supports the EKC hypothesis for 3 of the 5 bird population habitat types. In addition, the relationship between human population density and the different bird populations varied, which emphasizes the complex nature of the impact that human populations have on the environment. The relationship between the time-index variable and the different bird populations also varied, which indicates there are other persistent and significant influences on bird populations over time. Overall our EKC results were consistent with those found for threatened bird species, indicating that economic prosperity does indeed act to benefit some bird populations.     

基于综采面产尘分布与扩散分析的粉尘防治研究

在对W3709综采工作面产尘特点分析的基础上,将工作面产尘源分为落煤扬尘、落煤冲击产尘及割煤产尘3类。对采煤机顺风割煤与逆风割煤时粉尘运动规律进行了详细的分析,根据工作面产尘特点与粉尘运动规律,提出了包括煤层注水、采煤机割煤产尘治理与控制以及支架处粉尘治理一套完整的综合防尘系统。通过现场应用,工作面粉尘在原有设施降尘基础上降低86%以上,降尘效果良好,有效地解决了该工作面粉尘污染严重的难题。     

天津市夏季PM10浓度及组成元素垂直分布特征

通过天津市气象局大气边界层观测站高255 m的气象铁塔,获得了10m、40m、120m和220 m 4个高度共80个PM10样品,分析了PM10的日均质量浓度及其元素的垂直分布特征.结果表明,4个高度处PM10质量浓度时序变化基本一致;PM10质量浓度及其组成元素总量随高度增加递减;10 m、40m和120m3个高度处的PM10质量浓度时间序列分布的相关性较好,组分分歧系数较小,而220 m处的PM10质量浓度时间序列分布与其他3个高度处的相关性较差,组分分歧系数较大.样品中元素质量浓度由高到低依次是Si、Al、Ca、Fe、Na、Mg、K、Zn、Ti、Cu、Mn、Pb、Cr、Ni、Co、V、As、Cd和Hg.其中,Si、Al、Na、K质量分数随高度变化不大;Ca、Fe、Mg质量分数随高度增加递减明显;Zn、Cu、Mn、Pb、Cr在10m、40m和120 m3个高度处质量分数接近,而在220m处明显降低;Ti元素在4个高度处的质量浓度接近,质量分数总体上随高度增加递增;Ni、Co、V、As、Cd、Hg质量分数随高度的变化不同,其中与燃煤有密切关系的Hg在120 m处质量分数明显高于其他高度处,而在220m处最低.Al、Fe、Na、K等元素相对富集因子小于或接近1,其质量浓度与PM10质量浓度时序分布的相关性较好,其中Al、Na相关系数随高度增加显著递减;Zn,Cu、Pb、Cr、As、Ni的相对富集因子显著大于1,其质量浓度与PM10质量浓度时序分布的相关性较差,相关系数随高度增加变化不大.     

环境烟草烟气粒径分布及其对光散射的影响

为了测量典型办公室内环境中环境烟草烟气悬浮颗粒物的数浓度和粒径分布变化,以及其对颗粒光散射的影响,在6.8 m×3.2mx2.8 m的试验间进行试验,采用测量范围为5～1 000 nm的DMS500扫描电迁移率粒径谱仪进行粒径测量.结果表明,不同卷烟样品的烟气粒径分布曲线近似,都可以用对数正态分布函数来描述.4种卷烟样品粒径分布及参数变化速率相似,在4 800 s内数中值粒径CMD平均值从105 nm增大至155 nm,几何标准差GSD平均值从1,58减小至1.45,CMD和GSD的变化趋势近似符合指数函数.利用基于Mueller光散射理论的程序计算烟颗粒对散射光的影响.粒径分布的变化显著改变了颗粒散射光强度,CMD最大使散射光强度增大7倍,GSD引起的强度变化较小.综合考虑烟气颗粒数浓度降低和粒径分布的变化,散射光强度最大增大3倍.     

河南省武陟县大田土壤重金属形态分布及潜在生态风险评价

为了解河南省武陟县大田土壤重金属Cr、Cd、Pb、As、Cu、Se、Ni和Co的形态分布和生态风险情况,在该区域采集了12个表层土壤(0～20cm)样品,采用修正的BCR连续提取法进行形态分析,探讨其生物有效性,并采用Hakanson指数法评价了重金属的潜在生态风险.结果表明,土壤中不同重金属的形态分布差异很大,其中,Cr、As、Ni和Co均主要以残渣态存在,分别占其总量的66.6％、61.4％、50.7％和41.8％;Cu和Se主要以可氧化态存在,分别占其总量的43.8％和67.8％;Pb主要以可还原态存在,占总量的61.1％;Cd主要以酸提取态存在,占总量的53.3％.生物有效性分析表明,Cd的可利用态K1为0.933,生物有效性是最大的,对土壤生态系统的潜在危害性较大,其次是Pb和Co;Cu和Se在土壤环境发生变化时,很容易再次释放到外界环境中;Cr、As和Ni不易被外界生物利用.潜在生态风险评价结果显示,以国家土壤环境质量标准二级标准为参比值时,Cr、Cd、Pb、As、Cu和Ni的单项潜在生态风险程度均为轻微,综合潜在生态风险处于轻微等级.     

Lower Leg Injury Reference Values and Risk Curves from Survival Analysis for Male and Female Dummies: Meta-analysis of Postmortem Human Subject Tests

Objective: Derive lower leg injury risk functions using survival analysis and determine injury reference values (IRV) applicable to human mid-size male and small-size female anthropometries by conducting a meta-analysis of experimental data from different studies under axial impact loading to the foot–ankle–leg complex.

Methods: Specimen-specific dynamic peak force, age, total body mass, and injury data were obtained from tests conducted by applying the external load to the dorsal surface of the foot of postmortem human subject (PMHS) foot–ankle–leg preparations. Calcaneus and/or tibia injuries, alone or in combination and with/without involvement of adjacent articular complexes, were included in the injury group. Injury and noninjury tests were included. Maximum axial loads recorded by a load cell attached to the proximal end of the preparation were used. Data were analyzed by treating force as the primary variable. Age was considered as the covariate. Data were censored based on the number of tests conducted on each specimen and whether it remained intact or sustained injury; that is, right, left, and interval censoring. The best fits from different distributions were based on the Akaike information criterion; mean and plus and minus 95% confidence intervals were obtained; and normalized confidence interval sizes (quality indices) were determined at 5, 10, 25, and 50% risk levels. The normalization was based on the mean curve. Using human-equivalent age as 45 years, data were normalized and risk curves were developed for the 50th and 5th percentile human size of the dummies.

Results: Out of the available 114 tests (76 fracture and 38 no injury) from 5 groups of experiments, survival analysis was carried out using 3 groups consisting of 62 tests (35 fracture and 27 no injury). Peak forces associated with 4 specific risk levels at 25, 45, and 65 years of age are given along with probability curves (mean and plus and minus 95% confidence intervals) for PMHS and normalized data applicable to male and female dummies. Quality indices increased (less tightness-of-fit) with decreasing age and risk level for all age groups and these data are given for all chosen risk levels.

Conclusions: These PMHS-based probability distributions at different ages using information from different groups of researchers constituting the largest body of data can be used as human tolerances to lower leg injury from axial loading. Decreasing quality indices (increasing index value) at lower probabilities suggest the need for additional tests. The anthropometry-specific mid-size male and small-size female mean human risk curves along with plus and minus 95% confidence intervals from survival analysis and associated IRV data can be used as a first step in studies aimed at advancing occupant safety in automotive and other environments.