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01917 Evaluation of CALPUFF modelling system performance: an application over the Greater Athens Area, Greece
15 Environment (pollution, health protection, applications) the Swedish Centre for Nuclear Technology. In the year 2002, its activity only to support PhD students was expanded to also include support to three universities and institutes of technology for professorships and other posts. The conclusion is that this support has secured future undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at an adequate level up to the year 2010.
06•01914 Efficient calculation of urban scale air pollutant dispersion and transformation using the OFIS model within the framework of CityDelta Moussiopoulos, N. and Douros, I. International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2005, 24, (1 4), 64~74. CityDelta is a model intercomparison exercise that assesses the performance of the participating models and compares them against observational data, allowing at the same time their validation and further development. In this framework, OFIS, an Eulerian photochemical dispersion model, was applied in several European cities, for both gaseous pollutants and particulate matter. The basic concept of OFIS is presented, along with the recent improvements that have been incorporated into the model. The results presented focus on the comparison, through several statistical indices, between the old version of the model, its improved version and the 3D photochemical dispersion model MUSE, revealing a considerable improvement in the performance of the new model version.
06/01915 Electric and magnetic fields as possible risk factors for human health Potenza, L. et al. International Journal of Risk Assessment attd Management, 2005, 5, (2 4), 292-310. Modern society is exposed daily to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) generated by home/environmental h u m a n activity. The question of the possible risk to health by long-term exposure to weak fields became a concern in that even small health effects could have profound public health implications. The knowledge of the biological effects of electromagnetic fields still contains certain gaps that should be filled. This paper reports on a brief review of the relevant literature data concerning the interactions between electric and/or magnetic field and living organisms and a personal experience in the field. Based on the analyses of most published studies is still unclear if EMFs are significant risk factors for h u m a n health and the necessity of new directions for EMF research in the areas of epidemiology, exposure metrics, animal studies and biophysics appear requested.
06•01916 Environmental risk assessment of hydrofluoroethers (HFEs) Tsai, W.-T. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2005, 119, (1-3), 69 78. Hydrofluoroethers (HFEs) are being used as third generation replacements to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs) because of their nearly zero stratospheric ozone depletion and relatively low global warming potential. HFEs have been developed under commercial uses as cleaning solvents (incl., HFE-7500, CTF15OC2Hs; HFE-7200, C4FgOC2Hs; HFE-7100, C4FgCH3; HFE-7000, n-C3FTOCH3), blowing agents (incl., HFE-245mc, CF3CF2OCH~; HFC-356mec, CF3CHFCF2OCH3), refrigerants (incl., HFE-143a, CF3OCH3; HFE134, CHFzOCHF2; HFE-245mc, CF3CF2OCH3), and dry etching agents in semiconductor manufacturing, (incl., HFE-227me, CF3OCHFCF~). From the environmental, ecological, and health points of view, it is important to understand their environmental risks for these HFEs from a diversity of commercial applications and industrial processes. This paper aims to introduce these HFEs with respect to physiochemical properties, commercial uses, and environmental hazards (i.e. global warming, photochemical potential, fire and explosion hazard, and environmental partition). Further, it addresses the updated data on the h u m a n toxicity, occupational exposure and potential health risk of commercial HFEs. It is concluded that there are few HFEs that still possess some environmental hazards, including global warming, flammability hazard and adverse effect of exposure. The partition coefficient for these HFEs has been estimated using the group contribution method; the values of log Kow for commercial HFEs have been estimated to be below 3.5.
06/01917 Evaluation of CALPUFF modelling system performance: an application over the Greater Athens Area, G reece Protonotariou, A. et al. International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2005, 24, (1 4), 22-35. This study has been carried out in order to evaluate the performance of C A L P U F F modelling system in an area of complex topography. For this reason a comparison was performed between numerical results produced by this modelling system and those derived by two Eulerian models (UAM-V and REMSAD), together with experimental measurements. The meteorological input parameters, produced by the meteorological model CALMET are also examined through comparison with observations and to MM5 model results. Emphasis
is given to the mixing height calculation, due to its importance in the prediction of pollutant concentrations. It was found that the overall performance of the CALPUFF is satisfactory and the results derived are compatible with these produced by the Eulerian models, especially under unstable atmospheric conditions. The C A L P U F F model's performance is improved significantly when vertical meteorological profiles produced by MM5 are additionally employed.
06/01918 Mexico
Experiences on pollution level measurement in
Montoya-Tena, G. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2005, 76, (13), 58 66. The pollution on overhead insulators is influenced by the pollutant type as well as by the climate of the site. In Mexico, due to its orography and diversity of lands, there are several areas where the failures on the overhead insulation are mainly caused by the pollution. Since the 1980s, various studies have been performed to solve or at least alleviate such transmission and distribution power line pollutionrelated problems. This paper presents a description of several studies conducted by the Mexican Electrical Research Institute 'Instituto de Investigaciones Eldctricas" (IIE) together with the Mexican electrical utility 'Comisi(Eederal de Electricidad' (CFE), from the elaboration of a contamination map to the development of a system for measuring leakage current, which is used as a tool for the in-service diagnostic of insulators installed on lines of transmission.
06/01919 Incorporating uncertainty and variability in the assessment of occupational hazards Bailer, A. J. et al. International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management, 2005, 5, ( 2 ~ ) , 344 357. Uncertainty reflects ignorance associated with population traits (e.g. average exposure levels to a contaminant), with models used to predict risk (e.g. which statistical model is correct), and with a host of other considerations. Variability reflects an intrinsic property of a system (e.g. body mass indices possess a distribution across a population). The incorporation of uncertainty and variability in the assessment of occupational hazards is an important objective. General issues of uncertainty and variability in occupational risk estimation are discussed. This is followed by three illustrations where: firstly, the impact of variability in an exposure assessment and sampling variability in a regression model on risk estimates is considered: secondly, the impact of uncertainty in the size of a workforce on rate modelling is considered: and thirdly, the impact of using different models to predict risk is considered.
06/01920 Knowledge degradation within routine operation practices in TRR: lessons learned Gharib, M. International Journal of Nuclear Knowledge Management, 2005, 1, (4), 336 344. H u m a n factors play a major role in almost all sorts of knowledge management. Even in cases such as a nuclear incident, the human part is prominent. It is shown how general knowledge is eroded within routine practices and ends up in disastrous consequences in abnormal conditions. Therefore, relevant organizations should be aware of this natural tendency and find ways to confront it.
06/01921
Managing uncertainty in health risk assessment
Kodell, R. L. International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management, 2005, 5, (2-4), 193 205. The process of risk (safety) assessment used to determine negligiblerisk levels of human exposure to toxicants is subject to a number of sources of uncertainty. In addition to the common uncertainties related to high-to-low-dose extrapolation, interspecies extrapolation and intraspecies extrapolation, there can be uncertainty associated with extrapolation to alternative routes and durations of exposure. Sampling variation is an important source of uncertainty. It is essential that the various sources of uncertainty be taken into account in the risk and exposure extrapolations, but the total uncertainty should be managed in such a way as to avoid setting overly conservative safe exposures. This article discusses a unifying benchmark-dose approach to risk assessment for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health effects, and describes a formal quantitative procedure for managing uncertainty that is less conservative than the common practice of reducing a point of departure on a dose-response curve by a product of uncertainty factors to achieve a safe level of exposure.
06/01922 Oxy-fuel combustion technology for coal-fired power generation Buhre, B. J. P. et al. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, 2005, 31, (4), 283-307. The awareness of the increase in greenhouse gas emissions has resulted in the development of new technologies with lower emissions and technologies that can accommodate capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide. For existing coal-fired combustion plants there are two main options for CO2 capture: removal of nitrogen from flue gases or
Fuel and Energy Abstracts
July 2006
289
06•01914 Efficient calculation of urban scale air pollutant dispersion and transformation using the OFIS model within the framework of CityDelta Moussiopoulos, N. and Douros, I. International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2005, 24, (1 4), 64~74. CityDelta is a model intercomparison exercise that assesses the performance of the participating models and compares them against observational data, allowing at the same time their validation and further development. In this framework, OFIS, an Eulerian photochemical dispersion model, was applied in several European cities, for both gaseous pollutants and particulate matter. The basic concept of OFIS is presented, along with the recent improvements that have been incorporated into the model. The results presented focus on the comparison, through several statistical indices, between the old version of the model, its improved version and the 3D photochemical dispersion model MUSE, revealing a considerable improvement in the performance of the new model version.
06/01915 Electric and magnetic fields as possible risk factors for human health Potenza, L. et al. International Journal of Risk Assessment attd Management, 2005, 5, (2 4), 292-310. Modern society is exposed daily to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) generated by home/environmental h u m a n activity. The question of the possible risk to health by long-term exposure to weak fields became a concern in that even small health effects could have profound public health implications. The knowledge of the biological effects of electromagnetic fields still contains certain gaps that should be filled. This paper reports on a brief review of the relevant literature data concerning the interactions between electric and/or magnetic field and living organisms and a personal experience in the field. Based on the analyses of most published studies is still unclear if EMFs are significant risk factors for h u m a n health and the necessity of new directions for EMF research in the areas of epidemiology, exposure metrics, animal studies and biophysics appear requested.
06•01916 Environmental risk assessment of hydrofluoroethers (HFEs) Tsai, W.-T. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2005, 119, (1-3), 69 78. Hydrofluoroethers (HFEs) are being used as third generation replacements to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs) because of their nearly zero stratospheric ozone depletion and relatively low global warming potential. HFEs have been developed under commercial uses as cleaning solvents (incl., HFE-7500, CTF15OC2Hs; HFE-7200, C4FgOC2Hs; HFE-7100, C4FgCH3; HFE-7000, n-C3FTOCH3), blowing agents (incl., HFE-245mc, CF3CF2OCH~; HFC-356mec, CF3CHFCF2OCH3), refrigerants (incl., HFE-143a, CF3OCH3; HFE134, CHFzOCHF2; HFE-245mc, CF3CF2OCH3), and dry etching agents in semiconductor manufacturing, (incl., HFE-227me, CF3OCHFCF~). From the environmental, ecological, and health points of view, it is important to understand their environmental risks for these HFEs from a diversity of commercial applications and industrial processes. This paper aims to introduce these HFEs with respect to physiochemical properties, commercial uses, and environmental hazards (i.e. global warming, photochemical potential, fire and explosion hazard, and environmental partition). Further, it addresses the updated data on the h u m a n toxicity, occupational exposure and potential health risk of commercial HFEs. It is concluded that there are few HFEs that still possess some environmental hazards, including global warming, flammability hazard and adverse effect of exposure. The partition coefficient for these HFEs has been estimated using the group contribution method; the values of log Kow for commercial HFEs have been estimated to be below 3.5.
06/01917 Evaluation of CALPUFF modelling system performance: an application over the Greater Athens Area, G reece Protonotariou, A. et al. International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2005, 24, (1 4), 22-35. This study has been carried out in order to evaluate the performance of C A L P U F F modelling system in an area of complex topography. For this reason a comparison was performed between numerical results produced by this modelling system and those derived by two Eulerian models (UAM-V and REMSAD), together with experimental measurements. The meteorological input parameters, produced by the meteorological model CALMET are also examined through comparison with observations and to MM5 model results. Emphasis
is given to the mixing height calculation, due to its importance in the prediction of pollutant concentrations. It was found that the overall performance of the CALPUFF is satisfactory and the results derived are compatible with these produced by the Eulerian models, especially under unstable atmospheric conditions. The C A L P U F F model's performance is improved significantly when vertical meteorological profiles produced by MM5 are additionally employed.
06/01918 Mexico
Experiences on pollution level measurement in
Montoya-Tena, G. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2005, 76, (13), 58 66. The pollution on overhead insulators is influenced by the pollutant type as well as by the climate of the site. In Mexico, due to its orography and diversity of lands, there are several areas where the failures on the overhead insulation are mainly caused by the pollution. Since the 1980s, various studies have been performed to solve or at least alleviate such transmission and distribution power line pollutionrelated problems. This paper presents a description of several studies conducted by the Mexican Electrical Research Institute 'Instituto de Investigaciones Eldctricas" (IIE) together with the Mexican electrical utility 'Comisi(Eederal de Electricidad' (CFE), from the elaboration of a contamination map to the development of a system for measuring leakage current, which is used as a tool for the in-service diagnostic of insulators installed on lines of transmission.
06/01919 Incorporating uncertainty and variability in the assessment of occupational hazards Bailer, A. J. et al. International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management, 2005, 5, ( 2 ~ ) , 344 357. Uncertainty reflects ignorance associated with population traits (e.g. average exposure levels to a contaminant), with models used to predict risk (e.g. which statistical model is correct), and with a host of other considerations. Variability reflects an intrinsic property of a system (e.g. body mass indices possess a distribution across a population). The incorporation of uncertainty and variability in the assessment of occupational hazards is an important objective. General issues of uncertainty and variability in occupational risk estimation are discussed. This is followed by three illustrations where: firstly, the impact of variability in an exposure assessment and sampling variability in a regression model on risk estimates is considered: secondly, the impact of uncertainty in the size of a workforce on rate modelling is considered: and thirdly, the impact of using different models to predict risk is considered.
06/01920 Knowledge degradation within routine operation practices in TRR: lessons learned Gharib, M. International Journal of Nuclear Knowledge Management, 2005, 1, (4), 336 344. H u m a n factors play a major role in almost all sorts of knowledge management. Even in cases such as a nuclear incident, the human part is prominent. It is shown how general knowledge is eroded within routine practices and ends up in disastrous consequences in abnormal conditions. Therefore, relevant organizations should be aware of this natural tendency and find ways to confront it.
06/01921
Managing uncertainty in health risk assessment
Kodell, R. L. International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management, 2005, 5, (2-4), 193 205. The process of risk (safety) assessment used to determine negligiblerisk levels of human exposure to toxicants is subject to a number of sources of uncertainty. In addition to the common uncertainties related to high-to-low-dose extrapolation, interspecies extrapolation and intraspecies extrapolation, there can be uncertainty associated with extrapolation to alternative routes and durations of exposure. Sampling variation is an important source of uncertainty. It is essential that the various sources of uncertainty be taken into account in the risk and exposure extrapolations, but the total uncertainty should be managed in such a way as to avoid setting overly conservative safe exposures. This article discusses a unifying benchmark-dose approach to risk assessment for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health effects, and describes a formal quantitative procedure for managing uncertainty that is less conservative than the common practice of reducing a point of departure on a dose-response curve by a product of uncertainty factors to achieve a safe level of exposure.
06/01922 Oxy-fuel combustion technology for coal-fired power generation Buhre, B. J. P. et al. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, 2005, 31, (4), 283-307. The awareness of the increase in greenhouse gas emissions has resulted in the development of new technologies with lower emissions and technologies that can accommodate capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide. For existing coal-fired combustion plants there are two main options for CO2 capture: removal of nitrogen from flue gases or
Fuel and Energy Abstracts
July 2006
289