A stochastic approach for risk analysis in vapor cloud explosion

A stochastic approach for evaluating the risk of vapor cloud explosions is proposed in this work. The proposed methodology aims to incorporate the effect of uncertainty into the risk analysis to produce a better overall view for the risk. Some stochastic variables are used to estimate the probability of vapor cloud explosions: frequency of the release, the probability of not having an immediate ignition, the probability of delayed ignition and the probability of a vapor cloud explosion given a delayed ignition, as well as different possible meteorological conditions. These stochastic variables are represented with probability distribution curves. Different curves for the frequencies of releases from process equipment types (steel process pipes, flanges, manual valves, actuated valves, etc.), different equipment diameters and different leak sizes are also used in this analysis. Monte Carlo simulation is performed to obtain the risk as a probability distribution using the Analytic Solver Platform. Then the risk distribution curve obtained by Monte Carlo simulation is used to estimate the probability of satisfying the risk tolerance criterion.     

基于PBPK模型评价三氯乙烯的职业暴露健康风险

三氯乙烯(TCE)作为脱脂和清洗剂被广泛应用于五金、电镀和电子等行业。TCE的职业暴露会产生一系列健康风险,包括过敏症和致癌等。2012年TCE被美国环保局(US EPA)和国际癌症研究机构列为1类致癌物。采用吸附管采样-热脱附/气相色谱-质谱法分析了大连市某企业车间生产工况下空气中TCE浓度。基于生理学的药代动力学(PBPK)模型预测了呼吸暴露途径下TCE在职业工人体内组织中的动态分布、代谢产物生成情况和致癌风险。TCE在不同组织中预测的最大浓度呈现出脂肪肠充分灌注室支气管非充分灌注室肝脏静脉血动脉血的趋势。预测的与致癌有关的代谢产物最大浓度表现为三氯乙酸二氯乙酸三氯乙醛S-二氯乙烯基-L-半胱氨酸。在监测的TCE水平(39.2±24.4)μg·m-3下,暴露8 h·d-1,连续暴露20年,基于外暴露评价的职业工人致癌风险均值为1.31×10-5,该暴露水平下,基于PBPK模型预测的TCE内暴露与外暴露计算的致癌风险水平相近,但基于具有致癌性主要代谢产物的内暴露致癌风险值是外暴露风险值的1.17～1.73倍。TCE的暴露水平越高,基于内暴露方法和外暴露方法的致癌风险评价结果差异越大。敏感性分析表明,心输出血流量和充分灌注室血流量对PBPK模型输出结果具有重要影响。不确定性分析表明,模型参数变化会显著地影响PBPK模型输出结果,但变异在可接受水平。本研究结果说明,评价TCE暴露对人的致癌风险需要考虑其在体内的分布和代谢过程。     

基于蒙特卡罗模拟的土壤环境健康风险评价:以PAHs为例

为获得更为合理的健康风险评价结果,并辨识对健康风险影响最大的因素,基于蒙特卡罗随机模拟,运用概率风险评价模型,定量评估了中国上海某居民区土壤中16种PAHs对居民的健康风险水平,并对各参数进行敏感性分析.结果表明,土壤中PAHs造成的健康风险服从对数正态分布,总的致癌风险为3.43×10~(-5)±2.63×10~(-5),最小值为8.10×10~(-7),最大值为2.39×10~(-4),超过10-6的概率为95%,超过10~(-5)的概率为75%,超过10~(-4)的概率小于5%;总的危害商为4.74×10~(-2)±3.42×10~(-2),不超过1,风险较小;在7种具有致癌效应的PAHs中,苯并(a)芘、二苯并(a,h)蒽和苯并(a)蒽是总致癌风险的主要贡献物质,贡献率分别占60.41%、26.84%和6.56%;3种暴露途径中,经口途径是造成致癌风险的主要途径,贡献率为73.22%;对于总致癌风险,人体暴露参数中每日土壤摄入量、暴露周期、暴露皮肤面积敏感度较大,分别为58.35%、50.21%和20.51%;体重具有负敏感性,敏感度为-11.66%.     

南京城郊不同土地利用类型农业土壤多环芳烃污染特征及风险评价

以南京市城郊不同土地利用类型的农业土壤(水田、菜地和林地)为研究对象,测定了16种PAHs的含量.结果表明,苊烯(Acy)在所有土壤样本中均未被检出,南京城郊农业土壤15种ω(PAHs)的范围在24.49～925.54μg·kg^-1之间,平均值为259.88μg·kg^-1.PAHs含量由高到低依次为：林地>水田>菜地,总体上以高环PAHs(HMW)含量为主.不同土壤理化性质对PAHs的影响表明：土壤有机碳(TOC)和黏粒(clay)含量与PAHs存在一定的相关性,pH和全氮(TN)与PAHs无明显相关性.毒性当量法和CSI指数法表明,南京城郊农业土壤中PAHs生态风险较小,但是林地中应当给予一定的重视.增量终身癌症风险(ILCR)进行健康风险评价表明,儿童健康的威胁风险略大于成人,林地的总的致癌风险(CR)明显高于菜地和水田,仍处于可接受的范围内.对成人进行了蒙特卡洛模拟表明,确定性健康风险的风险分析低估了PAHs的健康风险.敏感性分析结果表明,对CR总方差影响最大的输入参数是暴露频率EF(占50.7%).     

Dams in the Amazon: Belo Monte and Brazil’s Hydroelectric Development of the Xingu River Basin

Hydroelectric dams represent major investments and major sources of environmental and social impacts. Powerful forces surround the decision-making process on public investments in the various options for the generation and conservation of electricity. Brazil’s proposed Belo Monte Dam (formerly Kararaô) and its upstream counterpart, the Altamira Dam (better known by its former name of Babaquara) are at the center of controversies on the decision-making process for major infrastructure projects in Amazonia. The Belo Monte Dam by itself would have a small reservoir area (440 km²) and large installed capacity (11, 181.3 MW), but the Altamira/Babaquara Dam that would regulate the flow of the Xingu River (thereby increasing power generation at Belo Monte) would flood a vast area (6140 km²). The great impact of dams provides a powerful reason for Brazil to reassess its current policies that allocate large amounts of energy in the country’s national grid to subsidized aluminum smelting for export. The case of Belo Monte and the five additional dams planned upstream (including the Altamira/Babaquara Dam) indicate the need for Brazil to reform its environmental assessment and licensing system to include the impacts of multiple interdependent projects.     

建筑物消防系统可靠性分析

为评估建筑物消防系统的可靠性,首先将系统分为探测报警系统和灭火系统等部分,再用事件树法分析事故发生时消防系统不同部分的反应情况.通过贝叶斯理论及历史统计数据得到系统失效率的不确定性概率分布,建立消防系统可靠性随时间变化的数学模型; 用蒙特卡罗方法模拟求得系统可靠性的时间函数并对模型的不确定性参数进行敏感性分析.该方法将统计数据与经验公式、理论方法相结合,并利用蒙特卡罗方法处理模型中的不确定性,不仅能够有效估计消防系统的可靠性,还可对其他类似系统的可靠性进行分析,并通过敏感性分析为进一步减少估计的不确定性提出合理建议.     

A Monte Carlo study of radon detection in cylindrical diffusion chambers

The functioning of radon diffusion chambers was studied using the Monte Carlo code RAMMX developed here. The alpha particles from radon are assumed randomly produced in the volume of the cylinder, and those from the progeny are assumed to originate randomly at the cylindrical surface. The energy spectrum, the distribution of incident angles, and the distribution of path lengths of the alpha particles on the detector were obtained. These quantities vary depending on input parameters such as initial alpha particle energy, radius and depth of the diffusion chamber, detector size and atmospheric pressure. The calculated energy spectrum for both ²²²Rn and ²²⁰Rn was compared with experiment, permitting the identification of each peak and its origin, and a better understanding of radon monitoring. Three aspects not considered in previous calculations are progeny alphas coming from surfaces of the monitor, taking into account the atmospheric pressure, and including the isotope ²²⁰Rn.     

基于随机模拟的地下水污染物最优水力截获量

水力截获技术是净化或抑制地下水污染最为广泛使用的一种方法,而该技术实施过程中,如何确定最优水力截获量是其需要重点解决的关键问题.本文针对传统确定性方法计算最优水力截获量不合理的问题,从水文地质参数的随机性出发,应用基于随机理论的蒙特卡罗方法,通过实例来研究渗透系数的空间变异性对地下水污染物水力截获系统的影响,并寻求估算最优水力截获量的新方法.通过研究表明：基于确定性方法计算出最优水力截获量为110m³/d时恰好能完全截获污染区的污染物;应用随机模拟研究含水层渗透系数的空间变异性对水力截获系统的影响,发现当以传统确定性方法所计算的最优水力截获量（110m³/d）抽水时,并不能总是完全截获地下水污染物,其面临的稳定平均风险率高达24%;充分考虑了含水层渗透系数空间变异的Monte Carlo方法较以往传统确定性方法更为可靠,为此本文提出利用随机方法从截获系统可接受风险角度确定最优截获量的新思路.     

混凝土结构施工中人因差错的模拟

以施工现场人因差错真实准确的调查实测数据为依据,笔者采用人的可靠性分析方法建立了混凝土结构施工中人因差错发生及其对混凝土强度影响规律的数学模型,并编制了相应的模拟计算程序。将该模拟计算程序所得的考虑人因差错的混凝土强度模拟计算结果与实测的混凝土强度调查结果进行比较,二者具有很好的一致性,说明该数学模型和模拟计算程序是比较符合实际的,也是比较合理的。上述模拟计算结果为考虑人因差错的结构安全性分析以及人因差错的有效控制措施研究提供了参考依据。     

基于蒙特卡洛模拟的多米诺事故风险量化管理*

为降低危化品相关的化工事故造成的人员伤亡和财产损失,以化工多米诺事故为研究对象,探讨由初始事故引发1个或多个次生事故的连锁反应机理与风险评估方法。提出应用蒙特卡洛模拟对多米诺事故风险进行动态量化的方法,梳理化工多米诺事故风险的识别、分析、评定、处理全周期管理流程,并以1个天然气压气站为案例,验证基于蒙卡模拟的化工多米诺事故风险量化方法的有效性。结果表明:该方法可以更准确地对化工多米诺事故风险进行定量评估。多米诺事故风险全周期管理流程的梳理能够有效指导化工企业开展安全管理、事故预防等工作。