Hazard Assessment Research Articles

Assessment of the natural hazards affecting on archaeological sites in the Western Nile Delta

Assessment of the natural hazards affecting on archaeological sites in the Western Nile Delta

An overview of the preparation and implementation of the safety case in support of the 2nd JET deuterium–tritium experiment

An overview of the preparation and implementation of the JET 2nd deuterium-tritium experiment (DTE2) safety case is presented. The safety case regime, developed by UKAEA for fusion applications to demonstrate compliance with relevant regulations, and its implementation on UKAEA sites is outlined. The hazard assessment process and details of the methodology applied to assess key JET fault scenarios are provided. An outline of key inventories, their composition, and applied factors for consequence and risk assessment are discussed. The consequences resulting from key fault sequences, the designation of appropriate safety measures and the associated risks are summarised and compared against basic safety limits and objectives. Finally, some of the lessons learned from DTE2 following implementation are discussed.

Chemical hazard assessment toward safer electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries.

Commercialization of rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries has revolutionized the design of portable electronic devices and is facilitating the current transition to electric vehicles. The technological specifications of Li-ion batteries continue to evolve through the introduction of various high-risk liquid electrolyte chemicals, yet critical evaluation of the physical, environmental, and human health hazards of these substances is lacking. Using the GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals approach, we conducted a chemical hazard assessment (CHA) of 103 electrolyte chemicals categorized into seven chemical groups: salts, carbonates, esters, ethers, sulfoxides-sulfites-sulfones, overcharge protection additives, and flame-retardant additives. To minimize data gaps, we focused on six toxicity and hazard data sources, including three empirical and three nonempirical predictive data sources. Furthermore, we investigated the structural similarities among selected electrolyte chemicals using the ChemMine tool and the simplified molecular input line entry systeminputs from PubChem to evaluate whether chemicals with similar structures exhibit similar toxicity. The results demonstrate that salts, overcharge protection additives, and flame-retardant additives contain the most toxic components in the electrolyte solutions. Furthermore, carbonates, esters, and ethers account for most flammability hazards in Li-ion batteries. This study supports the complementary use of quantitative structure-activity relationship modelsto minimize data gaps and inconsistencies in CHA. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;00:1-14. © 2024 The Author(s). Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Identification and Overcome the Harmful Situations Related to Chemical with the Help of Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Using Failure Mode and Effective Analysis (FMEA) Method

Exposure of Chemical are a major occupational health and safety issue in chemical work place industry. Management of chemical hazards requires the combined efforts of occupational health and safety specialists, including generalist OHS professionals, occupational hygienists, and occupational health practitioners. This Research is about analysis of Hazards and their developed Control Measures in industrial chemicals, the manner in which their toxicity is assessed and the use of such assessments in regulatory decision-making. It begins with general points concerning toxicological data availability and hazard identification, then moves on to risk assessment and occupational exposure limits, and finally looks briefly at some standard specific toxicological issues, where the science is far from resolved after brief consideration of the historical context of chemical reactivity and toxicity issues, acute and chronic exposure, chemical hazard classification systems, and the identification, risk assessment, and control of chemical hazards

Correction to: Updated probabilistic seismic hazard assessment of Pakistan

Correction to: Updated probabilistic seismic hazard assessment of Pakistan

Advancing the Limits of InSAR to Detect Crustal Displacement from Low-Magnitude Earthquakes through Deep Learning

Detecting surface deformation associated with low-magnitude (Mw≤5) seismicity using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) is challenging due to the subtlety of the signal and the often challenging imaging environments. However, low-magnitude earthquakes are potential precursors to larger seismic events, and thus characterizing the crustal displacement associated with them is crucial for regional seismic hazard assessment. We combine InSAR time-series techniques with a Deep Learning (DL) autoencoder denoiser to detect the magnitude and extent of crustal deformation from the Mw=3.4 Gallina, New Mexico earthquake that occurred on 30 July 2020. Although InSAR alone cannot detect event-related deformation from such a low-magnitude seismic event, application of the DL method reveals maximum displacements as small as (±2.5 mm) in the vicinity of both the fault and earthquake epicenter without prior knowledge of the fault system. This finding improves small-scale displacement discernment with InSAR by an order of magnitude relative to previous studies. We additionally estimate best-fitting fault parameters associated with the observed deformation. The application of the DL technique unlocks the potential for low-magnitude earthquake studies, providing new insights into local fault geometries and potential risks from higher-magnitude earthquakes. This technique also permits low-magnitude event monitoring in areas where seismic networks are sparse, allowing for the possibility of global fault deformation monitoring.

Risk Reorganization and Hazard Assessment in the Development of Ocean Harbour Construction Using Qualitative Method

The construction industry of India is passing through a very challenging phase. Heavy infra structuring like Ports, Roads & Highway for logistics and transportation , Dam construction for water reserving and irrigation, Airports extension, Urban transportation like Metros, Bus Transport system Flyover poised to grow exponentially within last 15 years. This situation leads to excellent opportunities for the construction industry in terms of business opportunity. In today’s dynamic business landscape, technology and innovation projects play a key role in creating competitive advantages for the Construction companies like TATA Projects Ltd, Italian Thailand Development Cementation India Ltd, HCC Ltd, Larsen & Turbo India Ltd, Afcons Infrastructures Ltd etc. Port & Harbors are the basic infra for the logistics and transportation of goods for international trade. India peninsular the sixteenth largest maritime country of the world surrounded by Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean. The largest number of injuries occurs in the construction industry has compared to other industries. Many projects are often hampered by underperformance. This indicates the lack of risk management we manage the projects. Thus, reducing the accidents and determining the risks are extremely important. On the other hand, it is impossible to have any projects without risks. Thus, it is much more essential to have an effective risk management rather than trying to eliminate the existing risk. These factors have guided this study to focus on understanding the way risk assessment is performed in the construction projects. A detailed study was carried out to understand the causes of accidents, preventive measures, and development of safe work environment. This paper aims to list-out the hazards & then taking the suitable safety measures/precautions to minimize the hazards. To achieve this aim, the frequency, likelihood and severity of hazards from the most common activities in construction of harbor berth, are assessed. The data for this study were collected by quantitative approach applying semi-structuring interviews with various interviewees holding different roles in the project within a port birth constructions.

Predictive Geogenic Radon Potential (P-GRP): A novel approach for comprehensive hazard assessment and risk modeling in subsurface environment

Geogenic radon potential (GRP) is traditionally used for mapping radon-prone areas. However, this has challenges in the accurate assessment of radon risk because of limitations such as oversimplified soil measurements and lack of geological profiles. This study presents predictive geogenic radon potential (P-GRP), integrating geological characterization and advanced modeling for the emanation and transport of radon in the subsurface environment. Seoul, South Korea, was selected as the research area for the evaluation of hazards using P-GRP, while subway station A was selected for the assessment of indoor health risks. The geology was characterized by the layers of bedrock and soil using uranium contents and porosity. The emanation of radon was modeled considering the radioactive decay chain of uranium and the pore structures. The vertical transport of radon was modeled considering the porosity variation within geological media, which was used for the calculation of P-GRP. Without loss of continuity, the P-GRP map was constructed by calculating P-GRP at a specific depth over the Seoul area. The calculation of P-GRP in the case of subway station A demonstrates that the radon concentration in the bedrock at the platform depth was expected to be 382 million Bqm−3. The indoor radon risk was calculated using the P-GRP by coupling the vapor intrusion process. This presented a high cancer risk for the employees as well as commuters. The P-GRP map of Seoul demonstrated higher hazards in granite zones compared to banded gneiss zones. These results have demonstrated that the P-GRP could be a novel and promising approach for assessing hazard and risk by geogenic radon during subsurface development.

Using GIS for flood hazard assessment

ABSTRACT When evaluating environmental challenges such as vulnerability to natural hazards, it is important to consider both the physical exposure as well as the socio-demographic characteristics of a population. Human populations and their characteristics vary considerably over space and time. This paper introduces and evaluates an open-source resource that has been developed to introduce students in higher education to the quantitative skills required to evaluate pressing social and environmental challenges. It utilises census and hazard data within QGIS and R for a flood risk example in southwest England. A standalone online practical resource supports students to obtain, prepare, visualise and analyse geospatial data with reference to population characteristics. Within the exemplar provided, it is determined that there is a significant (p < 0.01) but small difference in the population exposed to flood risk based on socio-economic classification within SW England. The resource is reviewed following student feedback as well as a discussion for its use as a possible outreach tool.

Investigating the reactivation of historical landslides during the 2022 Luding MS6.8 earthquake

On September 5, 2022, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of MS6.8 struck Luding County in Sichuan Province, China, triggering thousands of landslides along the Dadu River in the northwest-southeast (NW-SE) direction. We investigated the reactivation characteristics of historical landslides within the epicentral area of the Luding earthquake to identify the initiation mechanism of earthquake-induced landslides. Records of the two newly triggered and historical landslides were analyzed using manual and threshold methods; the spatial distribution of landslides was assessed in relation to topographical and geological factors using remote sensing images. This study sheds light on the spatial distribution patterns of landslides, especially those that occur above historical landslide areas. Our results revealed a similarity in the spatial distribution trends between historical landslides and new ones induced by earthquakes. These landslides tend to be concentrated within a range of 0.2 km from the river and 2 km from the fault. Notably, both rivers and faults predominantly influenced the reactivation of historical landslides. Remarkably, the reactivated landslides are characterized by their small to medium size and are predominantly situated in historical landslide zones. The number of reactivated landslides surpassed that of previously documented historical landslides within the study area. We provide insights into the critical factors responsible for historical landslides during the 2022 Luding earthquake, thereby enhancing our understanding of the potential implications for future co-seismic hazard assessments and mitigation strategies.

Investigation on algorithms for simulating large deformation and impact loads

It is a challenge to simulate the hydrodynamic problems covering the large deformation of the free surface arising in severe circumstances with intense flow. This paper investigates algorithms based on the moving particle semi-implicit method for simulating large deformation and impact loads. The algorithm discretizes the fluid domain into a series of particles, each representing a part of the fluid. The pressure field calculation is implicit, and the velocity field calculation is explicit. Three models, including the gradient model, source term, and free-surface detection, have been improved and compared to determine which improvement is the best to enhance the accuracy and stability. The enhanced pressure gradient guarantees that momentum conservation can be satisfied. Particle density and velocity divergence are incompressible conditions combined in the mixed source term approach. The arc approach is used in the free-surface judging process. The results show that the combination of three models is the most effective in exploring the problems of hydrodynamic pressure and dam break. The issue of liquid sloshing including roll and sway investigates the effect of the initial distance and time step. It is found that the simulation accuracy of impact pressure can be increased as the initial distance and the time step decrease. Finally, the free surface breaking and liquid splashing phenomena are easily observed, and the method can accurately simulate the massive deformation of the free surface. These findings are helpful for hazard assessments of the various fluid mechanics-related problems.

Correction: Vanneschi et al. Hazard Assessment of Rocky Slopes: An Integrated Photogrammetry–GIS Approach Including Fracture Density and Probability of Failure Data. Remote Sens. 2022, 14, 1438

Correction: Vanneschi et al. Hazard Assessment of Rocky Slopes: An Integrated Photogrammetry–GIS Approach Including Fracture Density and Probability of Failure Data. Remote Sens. 2022, 14, 1438

Environmental hazard assessment of the Uluk-Bar gold deposit (Southern Urals)

Environmental hazard assessment of the Uluk-Bar gold deposit (Southern Urals)

Landslide Warning Area Delineation through Seismic Signals and Landslide Characteristics: Insights from the Silabaku Landslide in Southern Taiwan

Abstract Publishing timely warnings of areas potentially affected by landslides and subsequent events remains challenging in hazard assessment. Recently, seismic monitoring has emerged as a promising technique for landslide detection and location determination. However, the effectiveness of this approach is limited by location errors. To overcome this problem, we propose a hybrid method (a three-step process) through seismic analysis and consideration of prior geomorphological characteristics of areas and aspects in a landslide inventory to constrain the potential landslide locations. The first analysis entails a grid-based single-force inversion of 0.02–0.05 Hz seismic signals by spatial grid spacings of 0.2° and 0.05° to retrieve the single-force direction, the estimated landslide area, and a wide search range for a given source. The second analysis involves two location methods for high-frequency seismic signals (&amp;gt;1 Hz) with a finer spatial grid spacing of 0.01°, gradually reducing the landslide search region. By integrating seismology-determined information with a landslide inventory, potential landslide locations and warning areas could be identified effectively. Then we apply the proposed the three-step analysis method to the 2021 Silabaku landslide in southern Taiwan. The results showed that the seismic techniques we used progressively condensed the initial search range from 1831 to 770 km2, converging to a small area of 99 km2. The estimated landslide area was 0.80±0.04 km2, and the force direction was 154.09° ± 6.76°. Subsequently, according to the earlier information, we identified three possible landslide source locations from the 2020 landslide inventory. These findings have implications for warning for two road sections, one of which was subsequently damaged by debris flow after the Silabaku landslide. This study highlights the effectiveness of the hybrid three-step algorithm in constraining areas potentially affected by landslides, facilitating timely assessments for warnings in southern Taiwan.

Pharmaceutical care of premedical and first aid in case of injuries: impact of biological and nuclear weapons and radiation exposure from military destruction of nuclear power plants

The relevance of the topic is due to the increased risk of radiation hazards on the territory of Ukraine caused by the frequent shelling of nuclear power plants in the Zaporizhzhya region. This research work aims to calculate the percentage of the population that is sufficiently aware of the issues in providing medical care for radiation and other injuries. During the scientific research, the authors used analytical, statistical, and diagnostic methods to study information on radiation hazards and define the specifics and consequences of the use of various types of biological weapons. The main results achieved within the framework of this scientific study would be a clear justification and assessment of the radiation hazards for Ukrainians and a determination of the feasibility and indications for the use of certain medicines. The results obtained and the conclusions formulated on their basis are of practical importance for the military, territorial defence fighters, students of medical universities, sanitary workers, police officers, teachers, drivers, and civilians.

Temporal variability of sinkhole hazard illustrated in the western shore of the Dead Sea

AbstractThe growing economic and societal damage caused by sinkhole activity worldwide requires the development of scientifically sound sinkhole hazard assessment approaches. Currently, there is a striking paucity of quantitative sinkhole hazard studies largely related to the incompleteness of sinkhole inventories and the lack of chronological data. Moreover, the probability of occurrence of sinkholes (i.e., sinkhole hazard) is commonly considered as a steady variable, a concept that may lead to significant hazard over- or under-estimates. The extraordinarily high frequency of sinkhole occurrence of the studied sector of the western shore of the Dead Sea has allowed us to explore for the first time the potential temporal variability of sinkhole hazard parameters. Here, we produced six multi-temporal sinkhole inventories with morphometric data between 2005 and 2021 using remote-sensed imagery. The frequency-size relationships generated for successive time intervals with a total of 667 new sinkholes reveal substantial temporal changes in the sinkhole hazard components (i.e., frequency and size). Moreover, the work illustrates that spatial redundancy (sinkholes nested within or intersecting pre-existing ones) can lead to significant hazard overestimates if not considered, especially in areas with high sinkhole density and clustering. This work discusses the limitations of some widely used methods and concepts for sinkhole hazard assessment and illustrates the advantages of detailed multi-temporal mapping for assessing frequency-size relationships and their temporal trends.

Flood Hazard Assessment Using Hydrodynamic Modeling Under Severity-Frequency Based Changing Flood Regime

Flood Hazard Assessment Using Hydrodynamic Modeling Under Severity-Frequency Based Changing Flood Regime

Landslide hazard assessment of the fault zone considering the fault effect: a case study of the Lixian–Luojiabu fault zone in Gansu Province (China)

The earthquake landslide hazard assessment method is mainly based on the traditional Newmark model. However, when the landslide hazard assessment is carried out along the fault zone, the calculated results are often different from the actual situation because the influence of fault effect is not fully considered. Therefore, how to construct a landslide hazard assessment model suitable for the fault zone is a technical problem to be solved by researchers. Taking the Lixian–Luojiabu fault zone in Gansu Province in China as the study area, this paper put forward the concept of fault effect correction coefficient exploringly, systematically studied the relative distance relationship between the landslide and fault zone, and the relative position relationship between landslide and upper and lower sides of the fault zone. The value table of the fault effect correction coefficient along the Lixian–Luojiabu fault zone was established, and the corresponding distribution map of the fault effect correction coefficient was drawn. Based on this, an improved Newmark model for the landslide hazard assessment along the fault zone was constructed. On the basis of systematic analysis of the slope and engineering geological rock group in the study area, the traditional Newmark model and improved Newmark model considering fault effects were used, respectively, to carry out the earthquake landslide hazard assessment under the condition of 10% exceeding probability in 50 years, and the ROC curve and Kappa coefficient methods were used to compare and analyze the evaluation results. The results showed that the AUC value and Kappa coefficient of the danger area obtained by the improved model with the Newmark model were 0.841 and 0.822, respectively, which were significantly higher than the calculated values of the traditional Newmark model, indicating that the model had a good improvement effect. The Newmark improved model, considering the fault effect, fully considered the influence of distance from the fault zone and fault upper and lower side effects, and the research results can provide a new reference for the landslide hazard assessment along the fault zone.

Assessment of desertification hazard using RS and GIS to compare the efficiency of FAO-UNEP and MEDALUS models

Assessment of desertification hazard using RS and GIS to compare the efficiency of FAO-UNEP and MEDALUS models

Index construction and real-time hazard assessment of rice sterile-type chilling injury process in Northeast China

Rice is a warm-temperature crop, and sterile-type chilling injuries may be induced by acute periods of low-temperature weather during the reproductive growth period. This study considered the daily mean and minimum temperatures in Northeast China from 1979 to 2018 as influencing factors to construct a process-based rice accumulated intensity index (PARII) and hazard assessment model based on known crop disaster periods, analyzed the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of chilling injury during the rice growth period (booting and flowering stages), used solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) and yield fluctuation data to calculate the adaptability of the hazard assessment model, and selected two typical events of disaster processes to verify the proposed real-time hazard assessment model. The change in the cumulative intensity index of rice sterile-type chilling injury indicated an increasing trend in chilling injury in the rice booting stage . Based on the probability density static hazard and cumulative probability dynamics, the results of real-time hazard analysis showed that the chilling injury hazard area was significantly expanded compared with the sterile-type chilling injury during the booting and flowering periods. The hazard value was greater than 0.2 in central and southeastern Heilongjiang, and the static hazard index was significantly negatively correlated with SIF and fluctuating yield, which indicated the chilling injury impacted rice yield and physiology. Regional-scale hazard levels were assessed by daily real-time hazard evaluation to highlight spatial heterogeneity in crop stress and damage. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for real-time risk assessment and management of chilling injury in rice crops and may support future adaptation strategies for addressing risks associated with severe low-temperature events.