Assessment of Noise Exposure of Sawmill Workers in Southwest,Nigeria

Economic wood processing employs the use of industrial machines for cutting, shaping, milling, and sawing timber, thereby leading to the generation of high levels of noise. Published data from empirical studies have categorized noise as an environmental hazard of global significance. Furthermore, noise exposure limits for different industries and all the industrial machines available has not been formally established as it presently exists in developed nations around the world. Therefore, this study assessed the daily exposure of sawmills workers to noise in Southwestern Nigeria. Reconnaissance surveys were first carried out in Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Lagos, and Ogun States to select sawmills that were fully operational and fit for the study. Two fully functional sawmills in two cities of each State were eventually selected for data collection, making a total of 24 sawmills, while the Circular Machines (CM), Planer Machines (PM), and Band-saw Machines (BM) were the machines in each sawmill considered. Two machines each of CM, PM, and BM were considered in each sawmill, making a total of forty-eight (48) machines each of CM, PM, and BM. Sound data were collected between 7 am and 7 pm each day for six days (between Monday and Saturday) using Extech 407732 sound level meter and all stabilized measurements were taken three times at different intervals. The data collected were in three different periods: Machine No-work Period (NP_m), Machine Idle Period (IP_m), and Machine Working Period (WP_m). A two–way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was carried out at P < 0.05 to determine whether there is a significant difference in the sound level average before and after the break, for both the idle and working periods of the three machines considered. This was also done to determine whether there is a significant difference between the sound level average of the results collected during idle and working periods of the three machines. Noise Pollution Levels (L_np) ranged from 83.20 dB (PM) to 107.65 (BM) and 93.42 (CM and PM) – 116.00 (BM) respectively, while IP_m also gave the least noise pollution level of 95.79 dB and WP_m gave the highest level of 102.88 dB. The results revealed that all the machines’ L_np values in the working period are more than the 90 dB acceptable limit the recommendation value of 90 dB while 89.6% of CMs, 75% of PMs, and 89.6% of BM had their L_np above 90 dB in the idle period respectively. The minimum and the maximum noise dose levels for IP_m, WP_m and overall are 0.09 (BM) and 2.37 (CM), 0.50 (CM), and 4.77 (PM) and 0.69 (BM) and 6.64 (PM) respectively. The study found out that the fundamental contributing factors to the high noise levels in sawmills are poor machine maintenance, use of old and obsolete machines, poor housekeeping strategy, limited space, workers’ negligence, lack of PPE, and lack of occupational safety training. The study recommends that proper workplace practices such as use of personal protective equipment, new and modern machines, training, and occupational safety programmes be implemented in the considered sawmills.     

Effect of chemical parameters on pyrene degradation in soil in a pulsed discharge plasma system

Degradation of pyrene in soil in a net-to-net pulsed discharge plasma (PDP) system was reviewed. Effect of main chemical parameters, including air flow rate, pyrene concentration, initial pH and soil moisture content on pyrene degradation was examined. The obtained results show that 87.9% of pyrene could be removed under the condition of 60 min reaction; increasing of air flow rate within 1 L min⁻¹ was favorable for degradation; pyrene removal was decreased with the increase of initial pyrene concentration; oxidation of pyrene was more evident in acidic soil; enhancement of soil moisture content has no benefit on pyrene degradation.     

基于无人机多光谱图像的土壤水分检测方法研究

以表层土壤为对象,探究土壤的多光谱反射率与土壤水分含量相关性,进行基于无人机多光谱图像的土壤水分含量预测模型方法的探究。选取中国农业大学通州实验站为研究区域,实地采集试验田的土壤样本100组,按照一定梯度配制土壤含水量,配成的土壤含水率为10%~50%之间,土壤含量的真实值采用土壤烘干法进行测定。多光谱相机灵巧便捷,可搭载在无人机上对土壤进行监测。将RedEdged-M型多光谱相机搭载在Phantom 3型无人机上,选择阳光充足的采集环境,实时采集土壤样本的多光谱图像,建立土壤多光谱信息与水分含量之间的模型。利用处理光谱数据的ENVI5.3软件提取土壤样本多光谱信息,以多光谱相机自带的标准白板反射率为100%,计算出土壤样本在蓝、绿、红、红边、近红外五个波段的光谱反射率。采用BP神经网络算法、支持向量机算法、偏最小二乘算法分别建立基于无人机多光谱图像的土壤水分含量的预测模型。以80组土壤样本数据作为训练集,建立基于多光谱图像的土壤水分含量预测模型。采用莱文贝格-马夸特算法对BPNN进行改进,提高了其训练速度,当网络结构为5-10-1时,训练效果最好,本文选择该网络结构;SVM采取高斯核函数,当参数为0.56时,模型效果最好。本研究采用归一化均方根误差(NRMSE)和决策系数(R 2)对三种土壤水分含量的预测模型进行定量对比。以20组土壤样本数据作为测试集,结果可知,基于BP神经网络土壤水分含量预测模型的NRMSE为0.268,R 2为0.872;基于支持向量机的土壤水分含量预测模型的NRMSE为0.298,R 2为0.821;基于偏最小二乘土壤水分含量预测模型的NRMSE为0.316,R 2为0.789。对三种模型分析可知,基于BPNN的土壤水分含量预测模型效果均较好。结果可知,土壤的光谱反射率与含水率间存在较密切的相关性,将多光谱相机搭载在无人机上可以对土壤水分含量进行有效的实时监测,对监测土壤墒情提供技术支持和理论支撑。     

遥感傅里叶变换红外光谱的大气层析技术

遥感傅里叶变换红外光谱层析技术是一项新的气体分析技术，它可用于构造气体浓度峰图形，定量分析工业污染气体总释放量等方面，随着算法的不断优化，在重构气体在空间的分布方面，遥感傅里叶变换红外光谱层析技术正在不断成长。     

Feasibility study for the preparation of certified reference materials part I – mineral oil contaminated soils

The international joint project HYCREF (Contract No. G6RD-CT-2002-00854), funded by the European Commission in the 5th Framework programme, aimed to develop methods to prepare homogeneous and stable reference materials of water, soil, and waste contaminated with mineral oil hydrocarbons and to certify the mineral oil content by gas chromatographic methods. The results of a feasibility study for the preparation of three soil reference materials are discussed in this paper, and for the preparation of three waste reference materials in the second part (Koch et al., Accred Qual Assur submitted for publication). The soil materials were selected to represent different soil types and contamination levels. The project plan set three requirements for these reference materials: uncertainty in the mineral oil content resulting from the certification exercise <5%, a sample inhomogeneity of <3% and a minimum long-term stability of 5 years. For the most part, these requirements were met within this project.     

养殖池塘沉积物的重金属分布及污染特征

浙江省淅西北地区淡水养殖池塘沉积物重金属调查研究表明，养殖池塘沉积物中7种重金属元素分布不均衡，差异也较大，除Hg和Cr元素外，其余重金属元素已大大超过土壤本底值．虽然其实测含量都未超出国家规定的标准值范围，但沉积物中重金属元素对养殖水环境、养殖品种存在的潜在污染与危害值得关注．污染指数评价显示，养殖池塘沉积物中主要污染物质为Cu和Cr，而Hg、Pb污染程度相对较轻．     

Volcanic monitoring for radon and chemical species in the soil and in spring water samples

Soil radon has been monitored at two fixed stations in the northern flank of Popocatepetl Volcano, a high risk volcano located 60 km SE from Mexico City. Water samples from three springs were also studied for radon as well as major and trace elements. Radon in the soil was recorded using track detectors. Radon in the water samples was evaluated using the liquid scintillation method and an Alphaguard. The major elements were determined through conventional chemical methods and trace elements using an ICP-MS equipment. Soil radon levels were low, indicating a moderate diffuse degassing through the flanks of the volcano. Groundwater radon had almost no relation with the eruptive stages. Water chemistry was stable in the reported time (2000–2002).     

土壤中酚的超声波提取

以合成土样为对象,研究了超声波辅助提取苯酚的条件及其提取效率。用中档超声波场辐射试样2×30s,30ml丙酮-正己烷(体积比1:1)分两次萃取10.0g合成土样中的苯酚,这时所获收率最高。在选定条件下用于实际土样分析,以索氏萃取4h的结果为对照基准,本方法的平均回收率为97.8％,RSD为1.5％。     

三角帆蚌对水体Cr,Pb和Cd的净化与吸收

三角帆蚌（Hyriopsis cumingii Lea）对水体Cr,Pb,Cd污染有明显的净化能力，持续处理12d，能使水体Cr,Pb,Cd含量分别下降83％，77．6％和72％。蚌体的斧足、鳃、外磁膜、体表粘液、肝脏、肠道和生殖腺等组织对3种污染物的吸收和富集作用不尽相同，其中分别以体表粘液、鳃和肝脏最为显著。3种污染物进入蚌体的速度很快，其组织吸收量一般在第3天即可达到较高水平。进入蚌体的污染物，可在组织转移和重新分布。研究结果为生物治理Cr,Pb,Cd等重金属污染积累了资料。     

A MINI MULTI-GAS DETECTION SYSTEM BASED ON INFRARED PRINCIPLE

To counter the problems of gas accidents in coal mines, family safety resulted from using gas, a new infrared detection system with integration and miniaturization has been developed. The infrared detection optics principle used in developing this system is mainly analyzed. The idea that multi gas detection is introduced and guided through analyzing single gas detection is got across. Through researching the design of cell structure, the cell with integration and miniaturization has been devised. The way of data transmission on Controller Area Network (CAN) bus is explained. By taking Single-Chip Microcomputer (SCM) as intelligence handling, the functional block diagram of gas detection system is designed with its hardware and software system analyzed and devised. This system designed has reached the technology requirement of lower power consumption, mini-volume, big measure range, and able to realize multi-gas detection.