A Case Study on the Evaluation and Implementation of Green and Sustainable Remediation Principles and Practices During a RCRA Corrective Action Cleanup

Green and Sustainable Remediation (GSR) principles and practices were incorporated into various phases of the remediation life cycle during a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action cleanup. GSR best management practices (BMPs) were identified and employed to the extent possible during the investigation, remedy evaluation, and remedy implementation phases of the cleanup. As part of the remedy evaluation phase, potential remedial alternatives were evaluated against GSR principles and practices to support the selection of a preferred remedial alternative. This included the identification of inherent GSR similarities within the five existing RCRA balancing criteria and the development of a sixth new balancing criterion. The sixth criterion consisted of five relevant GSR categories, including consumption of resources and materials, CO₂ emissions, waste minimization and reuse, community benefit, and corporate image and corporate sustainability. Because of the lack of consensus, the constantly evolving nature, and limited guidance associated with GSR, various GSR‐related uncertainties and barriers were encountered. These uncertainties and barriers primarily related to the development of a GSR evaluation approach; contractual mechanisms; worker routines; regulatory agency support; and facility benefits, incentives, and recognition. In an effort to overcome some of these uncertainties and barriers, professional judgment was used to support various decision‐making processes. The GSR evaluation and implementation approaches considered are discussed in this case study as well as the various uncertainties and barriers encountered. In general, this case study provides a successful demonstration of GSR, given guidance limitations, facility permit constraints, complexities associated with site‐specific conditions, and a situation where the most feasible options were not considered the most green and sustainable (primarily because of their energy‐intensive nature, resource consumption, or waste generation).     

Experiments in ocean circulation modelling

Abstract

In a laboratory model ocean, fluid in a rotating tank of varying depth is subjected to “wind-stress”, For a certain range of the parameters, Ekman number E and Rossby number R, a homogeneous fluid displays steady, westward intensified flow. For the same range of E and R, a two-layer fluid can have baroclinic instabilities. The parameter range for the various kinds of instabilities is mapped in a regime diagram. The northward transport in the western boundary current is measured as it varies with Rossby number for both homogeneous and two-layer fluid.     

Experiments in tracing underground waters in limestones

Two experiments were conducted in the Carboniferous Limestone aquifer of the Mendip Hills, Somerset, to compare the relative merits of differing groundwater tracers. The tracers employed were lithium acetate, polyethylene powder, Lycopodium spores and the fluorescent dye Pyranine Conc.; all were introduced into the aquifer at stream sinks. The first two tracers were totally unsuccessful. In the two experiments the rates of travel of the fluorescent dye and Lycopodium spores were very similar. Only relative concentrations can be measured from the recovery of spores as opposed to absoute concentration for dye which were determined using a field continuous flow fluorometer. The quantitative dye concentration data can be used with simultaneous measurements of discharge at the spring to deduce the flow geometry of the system; the input, tributary, distributary and maximum discharges in the system and the volume of the underground conduits. Data are presented which indicate that exchange takes place between the flooded conduit, and the surrounding fissured bedrock in a manner analogous to bank storage in rivers flowing on alluvium.In conclusion fluoresent tracers are valuable for the detailed investigation of a single sink to rising system; Lycopodium spores, which can be used to trace several sinks simultaneously, are a valuable technique in exploratory tracing.     

Denitrification and Phosphate Removal in Experiments Using Al Stearate

Hydrophobic Al monostearate was tested as a low-solubility denitrification substrate for anaerobic bacteria and a source of aluminum for phosphate precipitation. Flow-through laboratory columns at 25 ± 2°C were used with O₂-saturated solutions containing 1x, 2x, 8x, and 16x concentrations of 2.26 mg/L NO₃-N and 3.26 mg/L PO₄-P. Denitrification was exponential, approximating first-order reaction kinetics with the rate constant being a function of the initial nitrate concentration. The half life in minutes can be approximated by 5.29 (mg/L NO₃- N°)^1/2 where NO₃-N° was the initial input nitrate concentration. The reaction times were significantly shorter than those required using Ca distearate as a carbon source and much shorter than those using cellulose (white pine shavings) as a carbon source. Al stearate has potential for use in a flow-through container for denitrification of oxidized effluent from home sewage systems.
Aqueous phosphate removal with Al stearate depended upon dissolution of the Al stearate followed by precipitation of Al phosphate. Only 5% to 10% of the phosphate was removed from the solution. The amounts removed were similar to those obtained using bauxite grains as an aluminum source, following saturation of sorption sites with phosphate on bauxite. Aqueous phosphate removal with Ca stearate was insignificant, as the released calcium was apparently precipitated as calcite rather than as hydroxyapatite.     

感兴趣区域CT图像重建方法及模拟实验

虽然CT技术已经发展得相当成熟,但在大物体成像、高分辨率成像和减少辐射剂量等方面现有的CT成像方法仍然存在较大的困难。事实上,很多工程应用中并不要求对完整的物体进行全局CT成像,只需要获得某些感兴趣区域的物体图像即可,特别是医疗临床诊断中只要能够实现对可疑病灶部位的成像即可。因此,本文研究了针对感兴趣区域的CT图像重建方法,以及X射线束的视野只覆盖感兴趣区域的扫描方法设计,感兴趣区域CT成像研究的关键是如何在投影数据截断情况下实现断层图像的精确、稳定重建;本文介绍了三种投影数据在不同截断方式下的图像重建方法,并设计了相应的数值模拟实验,给出了数值模拟实验结果。最后,对感兴趣区域CT成像技术在工程中应用潜力做了展望。     

Spinels in Mid-Atlantic Ridge basalts: Chemistry and occurrence

Three groups of spinels have been identified in dredged basalts from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the Azores region (30–40°N): (1) magnesiochromites with 0.4–0.5 Cr/(Cr + Al) are most common and characteristic of olivine tholeiites of the region; (2) titaniferous magnesiochromites are found in an olivine basalt with alkali affinities, of local occurrence and evolved in relatively high fugacity of oxygen; (3) chromian spinels with 0.23 Cr/(Cr + Al) occur in unusual high-Al picrites of local occurrence and possible high-pressure origin. Spinels are restricted in occurrence to the least fractionated lavas, with FeO^*/FeO^* + MgO ratio less than 0.575 and with Cr content greater than 350 ppm. A close relationship between Al content of liquidus spinel and Al content of magma has been observed for basaltic types. High-Al spinels deviating from this relationship, such as those found in picritic lavas from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, may have crystallized at high pressure. The use of spinels as geobarometers in magmas of a restricted compositional range seems a promising prospect. There is no evidence of systematic variation in spinel chemistry of occurrence along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, such as could be related to different mantle sources of the basalts, plume versus non-plume or binary mantle mixing.     

Sustainable groundwater management in Kinmen Island

Kinmen county is located in the southwest of Fujen province, China. It comprises Kinmen, Leiyu and other small islands. Its total area is around 150 km². Kinmen is the largest island, and 95% of the population resides there. The average annual precipitation is 1072 mm. Rainfall is concentrated in a 5 month period from mid‐April to mid‐September. Water resources are limited relative to demand. Eastern Kinmen utilizes surface water, whereas western Kinmen uses groundwater. Moreover, the Kinmen sorghum liquor is brewed using the native groundwater in the west of the island. MODFLOW‐96 was used to simulate the groundwater distribution and determine the annual amount of infiltration, pumping, and boundary inflow and outflow. Additionally, a groundwater management index was adopted to evaluate the status of groundwater level change, thus allowing local government officials to adjust the pumping scheme dynamically. To achieve a sustainable groundwater supply in Kinmen, an integrated groundwater extraction plan was proposed. This plan includes enhancing the infiltration by using treated wastewater from the east of the island, monitoring the groundwater level change, adjusting the groundwater pumping scheme, and constructing seawater desalination plants. If the hostile confrontation between Taiwan and mainland China is resolved, then the water supply through an undersea pipeline from Sharmen, China, to Kinmen can be another potential source of water for Kinmen in the future. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

2007年的两次临震预报试验

阐述了2007年用异年倍九法与磁暴二倍法结合后对两次地震试报的分析与实践过程,用实践震例再次证明了二者结合的方法对短临地震预报有着实用价值,但还有待在今后不断地深化研究。     

Experiments on uni-directional and nonlinear wave group shoaling

Ocean Dynamics - We report an experimental study addressing the characteristic hydrodynamic transformations of unstable wave groups as well as JONSWAP wave fields propagating from deep-water...     

Experiments on wave-soil interaction and wave-driven soil transport in clay beds

Wavelength and wave damping of water waves propagating over soft clay beds are measured in a soil-wave tank. Mudline motion and wave-induced mass transport in the clay beds are also measured. It is confirmed experimentally that the wave dispersion is uniquely governed by the mudline motion. Mass transport develops in a clay bed when shear strain amplitude exceeds the limit shear strain of about 5%. The rate of wave-induced mass transport in a clay bed is found to be proportional to the rate of wave energy dissipation in the clay bed. This paper presents a complete report of the measurements and data.     

Chemistry of atmospheric aerosols

Summary A survey is given on the present status of knowledge about the chemical composition of atmospheric aerosols. Results on the size distribution and the physical structure of the nuclei provide the necessary basis for an under-standing of their chemistry. Very little is known about the chemistry of particles smaller than 0.1. For larger particles micro-analyses show the presence of sulfate, nitrate, chloride, sodium and ammonium which varies in a characteristic way with the size of the particles. The sea spray component can be isolated. Data from rain water analyses are used to obtain information on the large scale distribution of these components and their sources. Some remarks about the fraction of the particles acting as true condensation nuclei and the radioactivity will conclude the paper.The subject has been already developed in detail inAdvances of Geophysics, Vol. 4 (edited byH. E. Landsberg & J. van Miechem), Academic Press Inc., New York, 1958.     

Chemistry and structure of lunar and synthetic armalcolite

A study of the chemical trends displayed by lunar armalcolites has been made in conjunction with single-crystal X-ray structure refinements of lunar and synthetic armalcolite in order to assess the possible importance of Ti³⁺ in lunar armalcolite and to characterize the effects of cation substitutions on the structure. The apparent cation deficiencies found in lunar armalcolites analyzed with the electron microprobe most likely reflect the presence of Ti³⁺, although the existence of vacancies cannot be ruled out. Structure refinements of an Apollo 17 armalcolite are consistent with either interpretation. These results support experimental evidence suggesting the presence of Ti³⁺ in armalcolite and indicate that virtually all lunar armalcolites probably contain ～4–11 mol.% Ti₂³⁺Ti⁴⁺O₅ component in solid solution. The cation distribution in lunar armalcolite is essentially completely ordered. However, synthetic crystals quenched from near 1200°C have been found to retain significant cation disorder.     

湖泊渔业可持续发展的生态学基础及一个范例

从渔业与环境兼顾的角度出发作者认为湖泊渔业可持续发展的生态学理论基础是渔业生态学和渔业湖沼学. 前者是一门较为成熟的学科研究渔业对象的种群生态学渔产潜力最佳放流密度和规格以及科学的捕捞策略等. 后者研究渔业对湖泊生态系统生物多样性和水质的影响并确定最佳的渔业规模和渔业方式但尚未提出令人满意的理论和完善的实验方法今后应予充分重视. 长江中下游草型湖泊因为其优良的水资源和丰富的生物资源而成为我国内陆水体发展优质高效渔业的重要基地. 以湖北一个浅水草型扁担塘渔业实践为例作者着重强调生态学管理的如下方面1) 沉水植被是草型湖泊优质高效渔业持续发展的基础必须在合理利用的同时加以保护优化甚至重建使生物量和覆盖率保持和达到一定水平. 2) 食物链网的基础环节是渔业对象生长和繁衍的物质基础, 必须进行培育保护以提高其生产力从而为提高渔业产量打下物质基础. 3) 合理放养与捕捞策略是湖泊渔业生态系统良性循环的可靠保证应使高价值的种群规模保持较大水平的输出.     

Sustainable development and anthropogenic induced geomorphic hazards in subsiding areas

In many areas of the world, subsidence related to the lowering of the water table is modifying the landscape and provoking costly environmental hazards. We consider the Dead Sea (the Earth's lowest lake) as a model. Its water level was 395 m bMSL in the 1960s. Due to water diversions in the catchment area, as of 2016, the level has dropped to about 430 m bMSL. Here, as in other parts of the Anthropocene world, from China, to Iran, to Turkey, to Canada and the United States, consequences of human interventions are rapidly modifying the environment. Aggressive geomorphic processes leading to accelerated degradations are taking place and affecting landforms and infrastructures. In Tectonic terms, the lake is a pull‐apart basin resulting from the motion of the Dead Sea Transform fault. Since the 1960s, a slice of brine of about 35 km³ has been lost. The water table is dropping more rapidly in the lake than in the coastal zone creating an ever‐increasing head difference. Consequently, groundwater moves towards the sea to compensate for the imbalance, provoking the reactivation of the area's paleo‐channels with subsidence, sinkholes, and landslides. Since the 1980s, industrial‐touristic infrastructure has covered newly emerging lands in geomorphic hazards‐prone areas of the coastal zone. Time series analysis of high to very high resolution visible/radar satellite images acquired from the 1970s to present, revealed major landscape evolution. Such dynamic systems prevailing in recent decades permitted the study of human/environment interactions to help minimize their effects. Major deformations of an industrial dike were analysed and quantified. The results underline the necessity in the Anthropocene of careful analysis of relevant data sources acquired before and during subsidence, particularly in karst topography zones and prior to the development of major human activities in economically appealing environments around the world. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pilot Experiments on Planting Seedlings and Small Seagrass Propagules in Western Australia

The aim of this study was to investigate characteristics of some south-western Australian seagrasses that might be useful for further investigation with respect to restoration. Although seeds and fruits of seagrass species may be useful for producing propagules for planting, their collection is based on knowing when they become available. Posidonia australis, P. angustifolia and P. coriacea flower profusely annually, but P. sinuosa does not. Once collected, the fruits dehisce in a few days and are ready for planting. It was found that the best way to plant Posidonia seedlings is in clusters in Growool^® blocks but the rhizomes do not spread quickly. Single Posidonia seedlings, when planted out, were not successful and neither were naturally colonizing seedlings of Posidonia sinuosa in unexposed unvegetated areas. Successful planting of seedlings and sprigs of Amphibolis in matting needs months of calm weather for them to spread out from their attaching matting which must be very securely attached to the substratum. Little success was achieved in growing Amphibolis. In a search for Halophila ovalis seeds, few were found because of the patchy nature of their fruiting and small size. Germination was slow but 63% germinated within 6 months.