Analysis of the Trend and Seasonal Cycle of Carbon Monoxide Concentrations in an Urban Area (4 pp)

Background, Aim and Scope Air quality is an field of major concern in large cities. This problem has led administrations to introduce plans and regulations to reduce pollutant emissions. The analysis of variations in the concentration of pollutants is useful when evaluating the effectiveness of these plans. However, such an analysis cannot be undertaken using standard statistical techniques, due to the fact that concentrations of atmospheric pollutants often exhibit a lack of normality and are autocorrelated. On the other hand, if long-term trends of any pollutant’s emissions are to be detected, meteorological effects must be removed from the time series analysed, due to their strong masking effects. Materials and Methods The application of statistical methods to analyse temporal variations is illustrated using monthly carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations observed at an urban site. The sampling site is located at a street intersection in central Valencia (Spain) with a high traffic density. Valencia is the third largest city in Spain. It is a typical Mediterranean city in terms of its urban structure and climatology. The sampling site started operation in January 1994 and monitored CO ground level concentrations until February 2002. Its geographic coordinates are W0°22′52″ N39°28′05″ and its altitude is 11 m. Two nonparametric trend tests are applied. One of these is robust against serial correlation with regards to the false rejection rate, when observations have a strong persistence or when the sample size per month is small. A nonparametric analysis of the homogeneity of trends between seasons is also discussed. A multiple linear regression model is used with the transformed data, including the effect of meteorological variables. The method of generalized least squares is applied to estimate the model parameters to take into account the serial dependence of the residuals of this model. This study also assesses temporal changes using the Kolmogorov-Zurbenko (KZ) filter. The KZ filter has been shown to be an effective way to remove the influence of meteorological conditions on O₃ and PM to examine underlying trends. Results The nonparametric tests indicate a decreasing, significant trend in the sampled site. The application of the linear model yields a significant decrease every twelve months of 15.8% for the average monthly CO concentration. The 95% confidence interval for the trend ranges from 13.9% to 17.7%. The seasonal cycle also provides significant results. There are no differences in trends throughout the months. The percentage of CO variance explained by the linear model is 90.3%. The KZ filter separates out long, short-term and seasonal variations in the CO series. The estimated, significant, long-term trend every year results in 10.3% with this method. The 95% confidence interval ranges from 8.8% to 11.9%. This approach explains 89.9% of the CO temporal variations. Discussion The differences between the linear model and KZ filter trend estimations are due to the fact that the KZ filter performs the analysis on the smoothed data rather than the original data. In the KZ filter trend estimation, the effect of meteorological conditions has been removed. The CO short-term componentis attributable to weather and short-term fluctuations in emissions. There is a significant seasonal cycle. This component is a result of changes in the traffic, the yearly meteorological cycle and the interactions between these two factors. There are peaks during the autumn and winter months, which have more traffic density in the sampled site. There is a minimum during the month of August, reflecting the very low level of vehicle emissions which is a direct consequence of the holiday period. Conclusions The significant, decreasing trend implies to a certain extent that the urban environment in the area is improving. This trend results from changes in overall emissions, pollutant transport, climate, policy and economics. It is also due to the effect of introducing reformulated gasoline. The additives enable vehicles to burn fuel with a higher air/fuel ratio, thereby lowering the emission of CO. The KZ filter has been the most effective method to separate the CO series components and to obtain an estimate of the long-term trend due to changes in emissions, removing the effect of meteorological conditions. Recommendations and Perspectives Air quality managers and policy-makers must understand the link between climate and pollutants to select optimal pollutant reduction strategies and avoid exceeding emission directives. This paper analyses eight years of ambient CO data at a site with a high traffic density, and provides results that are useful for decision-making. The assessment of long-term changes in air pollutants to evaluate reduction strategies has to be done while taking into account meteorological variability     

环境影响综合评价灰色层次模型研究

针对水电工程环境影响综合评价问题，应用拓展的灰关联理论和最小二乘准则，建立了环境影响综合评价的灰色层次模型。以东江水电工程环境影响综合评价为实例说明了该模型的合理性、可信性。结果表明：此基工程使环境总体向理想的１８．１％     

加压活性炭生物膜法处理DSD有机废水

采用加压活性炭生物膜法处理以对硝基甲苯磺酸盐为主的难降解的有机废水的研究,是在活性炭生物膜法处理有机废水基础上发展起来的新技术。本实验结果表明,在加压9.8×10~4Pa(1kgt/cm~2)的条件下,COD_(Cr)去除率为62％～70％,比常压活性炭生物膜法高20％～25％;其容积负荷Nv=1.7～2.9kgCOD/m~3·d,比一般活性污泥法高3～6倍。     

Evaluation of the california environmental quality act

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has evolved from a mini-NEPA, first enacted in 1970, into a procedural act that affects the approval process of all large developments in California. In 1990, California local governments produced over 1600 environmental impact reports and 30,000 initial studies under CEQA. Because of its widespread use, CEQA has periodically drawn the attention of the state legislature, most recently in 1993, when over 60 CEQA reform bills were introduced. This paper describes the CEQA process and evaluates its success at meeting its explicit and implicit goals. The research includes a statewide survey of CEQA practice, sent to the planning departments of all 513 local governments in California in 1991. Survey respondents agreed that CEQA helps in evaluating environmental impacts, reducing impacts, informing the public, and coordinating public agency review. It is effective in reducing the environmental impacts of individual projects, but is not as effective in improving environmental quality on an areawide scale. This research concludes that CEQA has led to positive outcomes and is not as deeply flawed as many of its critics claim. Still, CEQA as currently designed may not be the optimal vehicle for ensuring environmental quality.     

Greenhouse impacts of anthropogenic CH4 and N2O emissions in Finland

The Finnish anthropogenic CH₄ emissions in 1990 are estimated to be about 250 Gg, with an uncertainty range extending from 160 to 440 Gg. The most important sources are landfills and animal husbandry. The N₂O emissions, which come mainly from agriculture and the nitric acid industry are about 20 Gg in 1990 (uncertainty range 10–30 Gg). The development of the emissions to the year 2010 is reviewed in two scenarios: the base and the reduction scenarios.According to the base scenario, the Finnish CH₄ emissions will decrease in the near future. Emissions from landfills, energy production, and transportation will decrease because of already decided and partly realized volume and technical changes in these sectors. The average reduction potential of 50%, as assumed in the reduction scenario, is considered achievable.N₂O emissions, on the other hand, are expected to increase as emissions from energy production and transportation will grow due to an increasing use of fluidized bed boilers and catalytic converters in cars. The average reduction potential of 50%, as assumed in the reduction scenario, is optimistic.Anthropogenic CH₄ and N₂O emissions presently cause about 30% of the direct radiative forcing due to Finnish anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. This share would be even larger if the indirect impacts of CH₄ were included. The contribution of CH₄ can be controlled due to its relatively short atmospheric lifetime and due to the existing emission reduction potential. Nitrous oxide has a long atmospheric lifetime and its emission control possiblities are limited consequently, the greenhouse impact of N₂O seems to be increasing even if the emissions were limited somehow.     

基层环境影响评价工作存在的问题与对策

目前环境影响评价普遍存在滞后现象和水平低及周期长等问题,提出广泛开展环评法宣传教育;加强环评队伍建设,提高环评人员的素质;把环评纳入总量控制轨道,突出浓度与总量同时评价;大众参与以及进一步规范和完善环境影响报告书的审批等对策与措施.     

碳市场发电行业配额分配方法分析及优化建议

碳排放配额的初始分配是碳市场制度体系中的重要组成部分,公平、科学、可操作的配额分配方法与配额管理体系是保证碳市场健康运行的基石.由于排放量高、工艺流程简单且数据基础较好,中国试点碳市场与全国碳市场均优先将发电行业纳入配额管理,出台既有共性又兼具差异的配额分配方法.通过对比发电行业配额分配方法,总结对于机组分类、修正系数、产品计量和配额结转等关键问题的处理方式,发现全国碳市场第一个履约周期配额分配存在发放时间滞后、缺少结转规定、缺乏调控机制和方法尚不完善等问题.建议从方法和管理两方面完善发电行业配额分配制度,包括建立配额总量约束、明确配额结转规定、完善掺烧机组配额核定方法和优化修正系数的选取并适时引入有偿分配制度.     

青岛海洋环境碳纤维复合材料与低合金钢电偶腐蚀研究

目的 探究碳纤维复合材料在舰船应用时与金属材料的电偶腐蚀问题。方法 针对一种典型舰船用碳纤维增强乙烯基树脂复合材料,在青岛海洋大气环境下开展0.5、1、1.5、2 a期的自然曝晒试验,进而采用电化学分析手段考察其与低合金钢的电偶腐蚀效应,结合老化机制探究碳纤维复合材料的老化行为对其与钢电偶腐蚀的影响。结果及结论 在青岛大气环境曝晒不同周期的复合材料试样,开路电位与低合金钢相差较大,存在较高的电偶腐蚀倾向。随曝晒时间的延长,复合材料表面微裂纹不断产生、扩展,导致电化学反应活性点增多,两者电偶电流密度随之增大。在青岛海洋大气环境下暴露2 a后,碳纤维增强乙烯基树脂复合材料与低合金钢的电偶电流为0.356 9 μA/cm²,两者的电偶腐蚀敏感性达到B级。     

Characterization of the Songhua River sediments and evaluation of their adsorption behavior for nitrobenzene

The explosion at a plant of the Jilin Petrochemical Corporation on 13 November,2005,and the spill of an estimated 100 t of toxic substances (nitrobenzene as the main component) into the Songhua River received worldwide attention.This study has focused on the adsorption behavior of nitrobenzene that spilled onto sediments along the Songhua River,which was one of the efforts to evaluate the fate of nitrobenzene after the spillage event.The organic carbon contents of these sediments along the Songhua River ...     

青霉素废菌丝体制备石膏缓凝剂联产活性炭

青霉素废菌丝体是一种制药行业的危险固体废弃物。利用其富含蛋白质的特点,采用微波加热水解法制备一种新型建筑石膏缓凝剂（WPM缓凝剂）,同时将制备缓凝剂后的滤渣用于制备活性炭。经过实验研究,确定的缓凝剂制备适宜工艺条件为：温度80 ℃,pH值11,时间10 min。得到滤渣制备活性炭的最佳工艺条件为：炭化时间为1 h,炭化温度为300 ℃,活化剂ZnCl2浓度为20%,液固比为3.0。 本工艺较好地解决了焚烧处置、堆放填埋或直接生产活性炭等处理方法造成的环境二次污染问题以及用作动物饲料可能导致的抗生素滥用问题,实现了青霉素废菌丝体的安全、清洁利用。