Damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami - A quick report

The Tohoku region, Northeast Japan, was hit by a gigantic earthquake which occurred in the Pacific close to Tohoku, and subsequently by a giant tsunami. These hazards have caused huge damage on the eastern coast Japan. The earthquake’s magnitude was 9.0, the strongest ever recorded in Japan. The tsunami was also historical as its run-up height reached over 39 m. As of early May, 2011, over 24 thousand people were reported as dead or missing. Moreover, serious accidents at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants No.1 were caused by the effects of the tsunami. Therefore, the damage faced by Japanese people can be seen as a giant composite disaster. Although Japan, and the northeast of Japan in particular, has over a long time period increased its preparedness against earthquakes and tsunamis, huge damage still occurred. This paper considers why this tragedy occurred, and what unrecognized factors contributed to the high vulnerability of the area. To assist in answering such questions, this paper presents a timely report of the features of the earthquake and tsunami, the damage they caused, and the early efforts for recovery and reconstruction.     

Recovery of seven kinds of cfc and cfc replacements on high‐surface area activated carbon

The adsorption isotherms, the constants of the Dubinin—Radushkevich plots, and the constants of the Langmuir plots of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and CFC replacements on high‐surface area activated carbon were investigated to estimate the recovery efficiency of CFC and CFC replacements. The adsorption and desorption of HFC134a on a high‐surface area activated carbon was much easier than that of CFC 113 and the CFC replacements. The recovery efficiency of CFC replacements depends on the hydrogen atoms in molecule. It is possible that the saturated amount adsorbed in the pores or on the surface of the activated carbon could be evaluated by the W_s constant of the the Langmuir equation and the W_o constant of the Dubinin‐Radushkevich equation. The a constant of the Langmuir equation and the BE_o constant of the Dubinin‐Radushkevich equation depend on the molecular composition.     

Evaluating the cost of flood damage based on changes in extreme rainfall in Japan

We estimated the cost of flood damage using numerical simulations based on digital map data and the flood control economy investigation manual submitted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation, and Tourism in Japan. The simulation was carried out using a flood model incorporating representative precipitation data for all of Japan. The economic predictions, which estimate flood damage caused by extreme rainfall for the return periods of 5, 10, 30 50, and 100 years, are as follows: (1) the cost of flood damage increases nearly linearly with increases in extreme precipitation; (2) assuming that flood protection is completed for a 50-year return period of extreme rainfall, the benefit of flood protection for a 100-year return period of rainfall is estimated to be 210 billion USD; (3) the average annual expected damage cost for flooding is predicted to be approximately 10 billion USD per year, based on the probability of precipitation for a return period of 100 years and assuming that flood control infrastructures will be completed within the 50-year return period and will be able to protect from flooding with a 50-year return period; (4) urban and rural areas are predicted to suffer high and low costs of damage, respectively. These findings will help to derive measures to enhance flood protection resulting from climate change.     

Hydrothermal treatment of MSWI bottom ash forming acid-resistant material

To recycle municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) bottom ash, synthesis of hydrothermal minerals from bottom ash was performed to stabilize heavy metals. MSWI bottom ash was mixed with SiO(2), Al(OH)(3), and Mg(OH)(2) so its chemical composition was similar to that of hydrothermal clay minerals. These solid specimens were mixed with water at a liquid/solid ratio of 5. The reaction temperature was 200 degrees C, and reactions were performed for 24-240h. Generation of kaolinite/smectite mixed-layer clay mineral was found in the samples after the reaction of the mixture of bottom ash, SiO(2), and Mg(OH)(2). Calcium silicate hydrate minerals such as tobermorite and xonotlite were also generated. X-ray powder diffraction suggested the presence of amorphous materials. Leaching tests at various pHs revealed that the concentration of heavy metals in the leachates from MSWI bottom ash hydrothermally treated with SiO(2) and Mg(OH)(2) was lower than that in leachates from non-treated bottom ash, especially under acid conditions. Hydrothermal treatment with modification of chemical composition may have potential for the recycling of MSWI bottom ash.     

Removal of bisphenol a in soil by cyclodextrin derivatives

The apparent aqueous solubility of the endocrine disruptor in hydroxypropyl‐cyclodextrin (HP‐CD) solutions was investigated for evaluating the remediation of soil contamination and ground water pollution. The apparent solubility of bisphenol A (BPA) in water was significantly increased in HP‐CD solutions. The solubilization effect of HP‐CD's is caused by the formation of inclusion complexes of BPA and cyclodextrin. The relative aqueous‐phase concentration of BPA linearly increased with increasing HP‐CD concentration. The solubility of BPA increased in the order of the addition of HP‐a‐CD, HP‐7‐CD, and HP‐ß‐CD. However, it did not depend upon the degree of hydroxypropylation substitution. It is concluded that HP‐CD may be utilized for the remediation of soil contamination.     

Behavior rather than diet mediates seasonal differences in seed dispersal by Asian elephants

Digestive physiology and movement patterns of animal dispersers determine deposition patterns for endozoochorously dispersed seeds. We combined data from feeding trials, germination tests, and GPS telemetry of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) to (1) describe the spatial scale at which Asian elephants disperse seeds; (2) assess whether seasonal differences in diet composition and ranging behavior translate into differences in seed shadows; and (3) evaluate whether scale and seasonal patterns vary between two ecologically distinct areas: Sri Lanka's dry monsoon forests and Myanmar's (Burma) mixed-deciduous forests. The combination of seed retention times (mean 39.5 h, maximum 114 h) and elephant displacement rates (average 1988 m in 116 hours) resulted in 50% of seeds dispersed over 1.2 km (mean 1222-2105 m, maximum 5772 m). Shifts in diet composition did not affect gut retention time and germination of ingested seeds. Elephant displacements were slightly longer, with stronger seasonal variation in Myanmar. As a consequence, seed dispersal curves varied seasonally with longer distances during the dry season in Myanmar but not in Sri Lanka. Seasonal and geographic variation in seed dispersal curves was the result of variation in elephant movement patterns, rather than the effect of diet changes on the fate of ingested seeds.     

Recovery efficiency of the hydrofluorocarbon (HFC‐134a) by activated carbons of different physicochemical properties

The adsorption characteristics of 1,1,1,2‐tetrafluoroethane (HFC‐134a) on activated carbon were investigated to evaluate the recovery efficiency of HFC‐134a by six activated carbons (two granular activated carbons (GAC1 and GAC2), one high‐surface area activated carbon (HAC), and three activated carbon fibers (ACF10, ACF15, and ACF20)). HFC‐134a adsorption on the activated carbons increased with increase in the specific surface area and pore volume of the activated carbon. The differential heat of the HFC‐134a adsorption decreased with increase in the percentage of the micropore volume to the total pore volume. The adsorption model of HFC‐134a on the activated carbon could be based on the Langmuir model. The constant a of the Langmuir plot of HAC and ACF20 is smaller than GAC1 or GAC2 and ACF10 or ACF15, respectively. The constant W_s of HAC has the largest value. The constant a was correlated to the heat of adsorption. It is concluded that the largest amount of HFC‐134a was adsorbed on HAC, and the least amount of interaction occurred between HFC‐134a and the HAC. The amount of HFC‐134a adsorbed on the activated carbons over time was applied to the Sameshima equation. The adsorption rate constant of HFC‐134a on HAC was the largest. The HAC could be suitable for the recovery of HFC‐134a.