[en] A listing is provided of publications and presentations made by the staff or contractors of the Health and Environmental Risk Analysis Program of the Office of Health and Environmental Research

[en] The performance of anaerobic biological process is heavily process conditions dependent. In this study, an attempt has been made to investigate the influence of process conditions like temperature, sludge age and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the efficiency of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and upflow anaerobic sludge filter (UASF) to treat combined industrial wastewater. Reactors were operated at easing ambient temperatures (38, 30, 20 and 14 deg. C) and correspondingly increasing sludge ages (60, 90, 120 and 150 days). At temperature 38 deg. C and sludge age of 60 days, UASF showed better performance than VASE reactor. This mainly due to the enhanced filtration through well-graded sand filter and fairly good biological activity in UASF. At this stage, lack of sludge granulation in VASE reactor resulted in poor biological activity; hence, relatively poor performance. At temperatures 30 and 20 deg. C with sludge ages of 90 and 120 days, respectively, UASB gave better results than UASF. The reason was rapid biological degradation due to proper sludge granulation and favorable temperature. At temperature 14 deg. C, a substantial decrease in the efficiency of UASB reactor as compared to the UASF was evident. Drop in efficiency was because of inhabitation of methanogenic bacteria and liquidation of sludge granules. These factors mounted to a decrease in biological activity, stoppage as production and an increase in total suspended solids (TSS) in the effluent. The influence of hydraulic retention time (ranging between 3-12 hours at an increment of 3 hours) on the removal efficiency of both UASB and UASF was not significant. At favorable temperature (20 to 30 deg. C) and sludge age (90 to 120 days) UASB reactor appeared to be more efficient than UASF.(author)

[en] The French authority for nuclear safety requests the French institute of radiation protection (IRSN) to perform impacts assessment for the chemical discharges from nuclear facilities in the context of licensing operator. To carry out its mission, IRSN developed assessment methods and a computer tool named CALIES (CALcul d'Impact Environnemental et Sanitaire des rejets d'effluents chimiques liquides et gazeux - Risk assessment for environment and population). (author)

[en] Chemical pollution is one of the risks of industrialization. Daily there emerge a great deal of chemical compounds and it is necessary to asses the risk they might suppose to the environmental and/or human health. Till recently, the toxicity tests of the chemicals or their transformation products, were carried out using individuals of a few species. This approach doesn't seem correct because it ignores the relations that are stablished at the ecosystem level. Microcosms pretend to be an adecuated tool for the ecotoxicologicals tests. This review presents two different parts: in the first one, we show the possible applications of microcosms, in the second one, we present the validation and evaluation of the soil core microcosm, following the works done by EPRI and EPA. It would be interesting to assess and validate the soil core microcosm using it with fumigation of atmospheric pollutant in controlled environment and subsequently compare the results obtained in the laboratory with those obtained in the field. We think that this approach, along with other, techniques, may be useful. (Author) 37 refs

[en] The paper discusses the rapid development of scientific and technological revolution in the second half of twentieth century and the widespread increase of radioactive background of planet, the saturation of Earth biosphere by electromagnetic fields, environmental pollution by many synthetic chemicals, emissions to the environment by the industry, sustainable excess number of people dying over the number born. In the spotlight is the issue of human health and how to maintain it. (author)

[en] The present research was conducted to assess the feasibility of using two kinds of industrial wastes as opacifiers in porcelain tile bodies, as well as to define what pre-treatment would be required to prepare the wastes for such use. The characteristics of the wastes were analysed, first, to determine their chemical and mineralogical composition, as well as their behaviour when subjected to heat, in order to identify any undesirable substances and to establish suitable conditions for removing these with simple methods. This allowed suitable materials to be obtained for use in porcelain tile compositions. The effects were then studied of the incorporation of these pre-treated waste materials on porcelain tile characteristics. The results obtained indicate that the two waste materials used in this research have a significant opacifying capability, which makes them of great interest as possible raw materials for products that are not required to have maximum whiteness values. The only drawback detected in one of these wastes was that the porcelain tile composition needed to be slightly adjusted in order to ensure that its behaviour during firing did not change. (Author) 6 refs.

[en] Miscellaneous streams discharging to the soil column on the Hanford Site are subject to requirements of several milestones identified in Consent Order No. DE 9INM-177 (Ecology and DOE 1991). The Plan and Schedule for Disposition and Regulatory Compliance for Miscellaneous Stream (DOE/RL-93-94) provides a plan and schedule for the disposition of miscellaneous streams to satisfy one of the Section 6.0 requirements of the Consent Order. One of the commitments (Activity 6-2.2) established in the plan and schedule is to annually update, the miscellaneous streams inventory. This document constitutes the 1998 revision of the miscellaneous streams inventory. Miscellaneous stream discharges were grouped into four permitting categories (Table 1). The first miscellaneous streams Permit (ST 4508) was issued May 30, 1997, to cover wastewater discharges from hydrotesting, maintenance, and construction activities. The second miscellaneous streams Permit (ST4509) covers discharges from cooling water and condensate discharges. The third permit application for category three waste streams was eliminated by recategorizing waste streams into an existing miscellaneous streams permit or eliminating stream discharges. Elimination of the third categorical permit application was approved by Ecology in January 1997 (Ecology 1997). The fourth permit application, to cover storm water, is due to Ecology in September 1998. Table 1 provides a history of the miscellaneous streams permitting activities

[en] In the vicinity of urban and industrial areas, pollution of atmospheric air by vehicles and industries is a persistent environmental health hazard, where toxic gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, unburnt hydrocarbons, particulate matter, and soot are generally found in abundance. As a result of the population explosion, accelerated urbanization, and continuous industrialization, new environmental problems like those of greenhouse effects, ozone layer depletion, acid rains, and the increased use of pesticides are being created. There is a great risk of high air pollution due to the lack of effective control measures through catalyzers in the vehicles and filters in chimneys of the industries. These gaseous pollutants affect not only the cities but also drift to rural areas and have fallout effects causing injury to plants and resulting in crop losses. There is an urgent need to survey the extent of air pollution at the ground level, especially adjacent to areas of heavy traffic and industries, so that air pollutant levels in the affected areas remain within the tolerance limits. (author)

No abstract available

[en] Pakistan is facing a thread of degradation of water and land-resources by industrial effluents. To evaluated the suitability of these effluents as a source of irrigation for agriculture and the study their effects on soil chemical properties, experiments were conducted in the industrial area of Sheikhupura, where effluent from Paper and Board Mill (PBM), Leather Industry (LI) and Fertilizer Industry (FI) were being used for irrigation. At each site, two fields were selected, one irrigated with industrial effluents and the other with tube-well/canal water. The soil samples were collected and analyzed for pH, ECe, SAR and for heavy metals, such as Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn, Pb, Mn, Fe, Al and Ni. Soil receiving effluent from LI showed higher ECe and SAR values, as compared to the soils receiving other effluents. The concentration of Al was high in the soil irrigated with LI effluent. The Mn and Fe contents were higher in soils irrigated with PBM effluent. Effluent from LI is not fit for irrigation, since its recipient soil showed high concentration of Cr and also high sodicity values. Except Cr, the heavy metals were not of environmental concern. (author)