Hazardous Sites Research Articles

Leading Indicators—A Conceptual IoT-Based Framework to Produce Active Leading Indicators for Construction Safety

Active leading indicators (ALIs) have the potential to identify safety hazards and prompt immediate actions to prevent incidents. Currently, there is a major gap in research that incorporates a fully automated ALI system because implementation has been hindered by a lack of established industry thresholds of measurable performance that would trigger an actionable response. Therefore, this paper addresses this gap by presenting a new method that utilizes the Internet of Things (IoT) to collect quantifiable data which can trigger an actionable response in real time based on established thresholds. This novel method integrates the Construction Industry Institute (CII) active leading indicator framework with a prototype IoT-based system. Significantly, the ALI provides the physical–virtual feedback loop, which is an essential aspect of the IoT system because it provides real-time feedback to both the users and systems. This paper also identifies potential inputs to the ALI framework from emerging IoT-enabled systems. A case study was presented to initially validate the IoT-based ALI framework. Bluetooth-enabled heart rate monitors were issued to workers in a hazardous and critical mining construction site. The ALIs that were recorded included heart rate and body temperature. Thresholds were established that alerted the monitoring safety staff when a worker exhibited potentially unsafe conditions. The results of the study demonstrated the feasibility of the system. Additionally, other results included worker resistance; non-disclosing of medical conditions, and limitations for IoT connectivity.

Development of Robotic Rovers: A Review

The robotic rover is defined as a small vehicle that can move over rough ground and it is initially used by NASA for space exploration. However, this type of rover is expensive, using complicated and complex materials and software as well as large in size. Robotic rover fills the gap without endangering personnel involves in life-threatening condition or scenario that human sometimes needs to deal with. It can be considered to be deployed in assisting safety authorities to collect information and insights as well as work lift in search and rescue operations. In this paper, the progress that has been made towards the development of robotic rover which has been done in previous years are reviewed, including the design, functions, specifications, and applications, to meet requirements in performing a variety of tasks including hazardous identification, site surveillance and monitoring. Subsequent to this, a few analyses on the design and development of the proposed robotic rover are also discussed. The ultimate aim is to come out with such rover that is portable, small in size and low cost, together with user-friendly functions and specifications for future potential applications.

A hybrid phytoremediation system for contaminants in groundwater

Impacted groundwater at hazardous waste release sites often contain mixtures of contaminants. It can be relatively easy to treat some compounds ex situ. However, mixtures of some compounds can be difficult to treat. A method to extract and treat complex mixtures of contaminants of concern using phytotechnology is proposed in this paper. A specific case study is described wherein a hybrid phytoremediation system is compared and contrasted with conventional groundwater and phytoremediation technologies. Nitrate is used as an exemplar co-contaminant since nitrate contamination is (1) widespread in the United States, and (2) difficult and expensive to treat. The approach involves using contaminated groundwater as a source of irrigation water for a phytoremediation grove. Groundwater would be extracted using conventional groundwater extraction methods. Groundwater then would be pumped to multiple irrigation zones under the control of an autonomous irrigation system. Each zone would consist of a number of trees. The root system for each tree would be modified to function as a confined treatment cell that facilitates contaminated water uptake. The irrigation controller would optimize the amount of groundwater that can be extracted and treated while preventing surface water runoff away from the phyto component.

Analysis of fire and hazardous sites (zones) in coal mines and the causes of coal self-ignition

Annually, dozens of endogenous fires are recorded in Ukrainian mines. To date, mining and geological factors have not been reliably established that contribute to the development of foci of spontaneous combustion of coal in characteristic places (zones) of the mine field. Thus, the object of research is the process of spontaneous combustion of coal from fire hazardous areas (zones) in coal mines. An analysis of the results of the investigation of endogenous fires shows that the areas of spontaneous combustion can be accumulation of losses of chipped coal in the working and developed space of exploited lavas, and the developed space of stopped faces, the edge parts of the array of the developed seam or protective solid blocks of coal. As well as close underworked and overworked seams, treatment and extended mine workings in and out of zones of influence of geological disturbances, accumulation of coal after its sudden release during a gas-dynamic phenomenon and the cavity of this discharge. Ceteris paribus, the factor of the presence of prolonged contact of mine air with the accumulation of chipped coal is a necessary condition for the occurrence of foci of spontaneous combustion. It is shown that with reciprocal schemes for ventilating excavation sections of gently sloping and inclined-fall formations, all fire sources occurred in zones adjacent to recoil or ventilation workings. At the same time, about 70 % of endogenous fires during the development of steeply falling seams occurred near the recoil mine due to the accumulation of large volumes of coal and the supply of a fresh air stream of air to the lava working space. The research results show that the thickness of the developed formation and the angle of its fall do not directly affect the accumulation of broken coal. They can't be the main factors determining the foci of endogenous fires, as is customary in normative documents.The obtained results contribute to the improvement of the regulatory framework for the safe development of formations prone to spontaneous combustion, including gas-bearing ones.

Exploring the modeling and site-ranking performance of Bayesian spatiotemporal crash frequency models with mixture components

The current study introduces the flexible approach of mixture components to model the spatiotemporal interaction for ranking of hazardous sites and compares the model performance with the conventional methods. In case of predictive accuracy based on in-sample errors (posterior deviance), the Mixture-5 demonstrated superior performance in majority of the cases, indicating the advantage of mixture approach to accurately predict crash counts. LPML (log pseudo marginal likelihood) was also calculated as a cross-validation measure based on out-of-sample errors and this criterion also established the dominance of Mixture-5, further reinforcing the superiority of the mixture approach from different perspectives.The site ranking evaluation results demonstrated the advantages of adopting the mixture approach. In terms of total rank difference (TRD) results, there were several discrepancies between the two approaches, suggesting that two approaches designate unsafe sites differently. Another site ranking criterion, site consistency test (SCT), was employed to explore the difference in identification of unsafe sites based on two datasets: estimated crash count (traditional) and the spatial variability across time. The advantage of mixture models to act as a complimentary approach for site ranking was revealed by the spatial variability SCT results. The method consistency test (MCT) results also indicate the advantages of mixture models over the Base one. These findings suggested that mixture approach may prove helpful in the network screening step of safety management process to identify sites which may turn unsafe in the future and escape the detection from traditional methods.

Метод просторового розміщення пожежонебезпечних ділянок на підставі даних дистанційного зондування землі

Проаналізовано дані дистанційного зондування Землі зі супутника MODIS, на яких відображається інфрачервоний спектр температур у вигляді точок (загорянь) на території Австралії. Встановлено, що ці дані являють собою пікселі, що показують температури вище порогового значення, а не окремі пожежі. Проведено моделювання ділянок пожеж використовуючи точки загорянь з подальшим відображенням на картах пожежонебезпечних місць. Встановлено та проаналізовано графічну залежність між кількістю кластерів та відстанню між точками в окремих кластерах. Визначено оптимальну відстань для класифікації скупчення точок як однієї пожежі та створення полігону пожежонебезпечного місця за допомогою інструментів програми ArcGIS. Проведено моделювання відображення наслідків пожеж з використанням історичних зображень Землі, на прикладі Австралії в період із грудня 2012 по грудень 2013 рр. Проведено моделювання зміни температури загорянь у різних точках. Створено і проаналізовано карти впливу пожеж та карти пожежної небезпеки для органів місцевого самоврядування на прикладі територій Австралії. Створено карти гарячих точок з використанням кластерного аналізу для визначення просторової зміни температури загоряння в цих точках. Запропоновано використовувати наведений метод локалізації пожежонебезпечних ділянок разом з історичними даними про пожежі обраного регіону для прогнозування й аналізу ймовірності виникнення загорянь на окремих досліджуваних територіях.

Cometabolic degradation of toluene and TCE contaminated wastewater in a bench-scale sequencing batch reactor inoculated with immobilized Pseudomonas putida F1

Abstract Toluene and Trichloroethylene (TCE) are two of the most common organic contaminates at hazardous sites and contaminated water. In this study, a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) inoculated with PVA/alginate-immobilized Pseudomonas putida F1 was used for biological treatment of toluene and TCE contaminated wastewater. Moreover, a mathematical model was developed to simulate the dynamic behavior of a SBR treating competitive contaminates. Results showed high removal efficiencies of both toluene and TCE in the effluents. For the duration of filling time, an instantaneous fill was the optimum for moderate amount of toluene and TCE. Toluene concentration affected TCE degradation. The lower the toluene presence, the higher the removal efficiency of both toluene and TCE. Interestingly, the presence of 20 mg/L iron, or 1 mg/L nickel stimulated the degradation rates of both toluene and TCE. However, the degradation rate was reduced when both 20 mg/L iron and 1 mg/L nickel were presented simultaneously. The model developed in this research was able to simulate the kinetic behaviors of toluene and TCE removal in the SBR successfully.

Evaluation of environmental seismic intensities of all known historical and recent earthquakes felt in Zakynthos Island, Greece using the Environmental Seismic Intensity (ESI 2007) scale

The complete and detailed knowledge of the historical earthquakes, the past earthquake environmental effects (EEE) and the respective seismic intensities has become significant in recent years due to the fact that among others it serves as a valuable tool for revealing and highlighting sites of significant earthquake-related hazards. Many efforts have been made to record the EEE of individual recent earthquakes and evaluate their seismic intensity based on the Environmental Seismic Intensity 2007 scale (ESI 2007) in Greece and around the world. But fewer studies have focused on the complete seismic history including historical and recent earthquakes of an area and the respective intensities based on the induced EEE. The Central Ionian Islands (Western Greece) and especially Zakynthos Island are considered appropriate for the development of this approach. The complete history of earthquakes with destructive impact on Zakynthos from 1513 to present is presented. Emphasis is given on EEE, while the respective ESI 2007 intensities are assigned. Based on the EEE's distribution on the affected fault blocks, it is concluded that eastern Zakynthos has been affected more often and severely by earthquakes. This selective distribution is attributed to the neotectonic setting of Zakynthos. The recording of the EEE over the past five centuries and the study of possible correlation with the seismotectonic structure of the affected area could be used as a basic guide for the reduction of the future seismic risk and the risk from EEE through effective land-use planning and preparedness in earthquake-prone areas.

Seismic Fragility of Code-conforming Italian Buildings Based on SDoF Approximation

ABSTRACT The paper presents and discusses seismic fragility functions of code-conforming buildings in Italy. The structures under consideration are taken from those considered by a large Italian research project (RINTC), aiming at evaluating the seismic reliability of new-design buildings. Design refers to a variety of structural typologies (i.e. un-reinforced masonry, reinforced concrete, steel, and precast concrete buildings) and configurations (e.g. number of stories, floor plan, and the presence of infills), as well as to sites with different hazard levels and local site conditions. The seismic fragility of the structures is evaluated via multiple-stripe nonlinear dynamic analysis using the equivalent-single-degree-of-freedom (ESDoF) systems calibrated based on pushover analysis of the three-dimensional structural models. The seismic response of the ESDoF models is also validated in terms of demand-capacity ratio and risk of failure compared to those of the three-dimensional structural models. Along with providing fragility curves for the buildings located at high-hazard sites, the study discusses the issues that significantly affect the fragility assessment for those located at low-to-mid hazard sites.

Implementation of modern tools for the improvement of the road infrastructure on the Trans-European road network – road safety inspection (RSI)

The European Directive on the Road Infrastructure Safety Improvement (2008/96/EC) has established the implementation of appropriate procedures as the basic tools for improving the road infrastructure on the trans-European road network. The Law on Roads (2018) prescribes the implementation of the following procedures: Road safety impact assessment; Road safety audit; Road safety inspection; Risk mapping; Black spot identification; and In depth road accident studies. The Law on Roads also prescribes that the Minister will prescribe the manner of implementation and the contents of the Evaluation, Audit and Independent Assessment reports, as well as the manner of determining the major risk portions and the identification and ranking of hazardous sites (black spots). Since the method of implementation and the content of the report are not yet prescribed, the authors contributed in this paper to defining the manner of implementation and content of the traffic safety report on the example of the section of the highway, as the highest category of state road. In the framework of the training of auditors and auditors, among others, a pilot project was carried out for the safety of traffic on the part of the E-75 (A1) highway, about 2,7 km ahead of the Mali Požarevac loop, including the loop. The verified part of the highway also includes a ramp with a toll ramp, service facility, overpass, bridge, etc., so the selected checked part is representative for defining a recommendation for the mode of implementation and the model for the preparation of the report.

Routine Exposures: Reimaging the Visual Politics of Hazardous Sites

This paper aims to photographically reimagine the representation of hazardous sites. It examines disregarded worlds of mundane yet politically vital photography: procedural representations made and circulated in hazardous site interventions. Scholarship which examines the visualisations of hazardous sites remains largely concerned with professional photography and sublime aesthetic registers. This photo essay departs from this epistemological habit and examines the visualities and materialities of technical representations enacted in remediation and research processes. Drawing on multi-sited ethnographic research which follows the disposal of a chemical stockpile in Tanzania over three decades, the paper approaches photographs through the practices in which they are made and circulated. It occupies more-than-representational register that works to de-sensationalise hazardous site photography. These “routine exposures” unsettle naturalised ways of seeing contamination; they demonstrate how hazardous sites are made (in)visible and enable more situated understandings of the power of photography

Determination of bacterial intracellular and extracellular biotransformation compounds and biodegradation of kerosene based industrial rolling oils via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

In the aluminum and steel industry there is no specialized bioremediation of the pure or spent hydrocarbon rolling oils. Hazardous waste management companies remove the spent oils which eventually end up being dumped at local hazardous material dump sites. The lack of an environmentally friendly strategy to reduce the hazardous waste from factories was incentive for this research. The aim was to determine and monitor an indigenous Achromobacter aegrifaciens bacterial biotransformation/biodegradation of Kerosene based rolling oils including the additives: methyl laurate, lauric acid and Shellsol D100. This was done via dehydrogenase assays and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Achromobacter aegrifaciens bacterial biotransformation was also compared to that of an exogenous consortium of Lysinibacillus fusiformis and Pseudomonas synaxantha. Results were analyzed statistically, using SPSS version 24. The mean differences were significant at the 0.05 level for both DHA and GCMS. Further, subterminal oxidation was determined to be the main activation mechanism for the biotransformation. Methylation occurred during rolling oil biotransformation but was more prevalent in biotransformations of the additives, especially methyl laurate. Methylation resulted in less efficient biotransformations compared to subterminal oxidation. This bioremediation strategy can now be further established for larger volume bioreactors as we established that the toxic monoaromatic compounds were successfully degraded at the end of five weeks making this bioremediation strategy a viable alternative to the current dumping by waste companies.

Confusion Due to Contractor Cascading Leads to Major Release of Ammonia During Test of Safety Device

In 2004, a thermal power station experienced a serious leak of anhydrous ammonia while carrying out a mandatory periodic test of a manifold multiport type pressure safety valve. The device incorporated an additional relief valve which allowed removal of any one of the relief valves for servicing without the need to depressurize the vessel. Power station staff were unfamiliar with the device and subcontracted the task to the valve vendor, who in turn subcontracted the job to a specialist contractor. During the procedure, a relief valve separated forcefully from its 2 nozzle resulting in an uncontrolled release from the 400 m³ ammonia storage tank. Members of the public 500 m away were exposed to ammonia vapour. The investigation identified a weakness in the design of the device with allowed erroneous installation of an indicator that was intended to show which of the relief valves could be removed safely. The subcontractor showed a lack of understanding of safety critical details of the valve design. The incident offers several important accident prevention lessons: 1) A valve design vulnerability unknown to all parties involved; 2) Safety systems may be unavailable due to common mode causes (before the job, automatic water curtains to absorb ammonia vapours were disabled); and 3) Knowledge/competence loss when subcontracting. The incident has considerable learning potential and should interest industry and safety professionals due to the widespread usage of the multiport device at major hazard sites (LPG, ammonia etc.). It should interest policy makers because the hazard (ammonia) had been introduced for environmental reasons (flue gas deNOx) and because principles of inherent safety were ignored – less toxic alternatives to ammonia exist. The unavailability of information on this incident from open sources however, suggests that the process of learning from past incidents is challenged.

Hazardous waste landfill site selection in Western Ghana: An integration of multi-criteria decision analysis and geographic information system.

Most cities in developing countries are fast industrialising, leading to an increased hazardous waste generation. Though disposal occupies the bottom of the waste management hierarchy, it is an important component of the waste management chain, requiring greater focus to mitigate its environmental and human health effects. The selection of a hazardous waste landfill site is a complex decision-making process since it requires the consideration of several laws and regulations and the integration of various data. This study presents a multi-criteria decision analysis for selecting hazardous waste landfill sites in Western Ghana. Thirty-two evaluation criteria arranged according to four hierarchy levels were selected for the study. The selected criteria considered geo-environmental, economic and social factors. Twenty-one intermediate suitability maps were created, which were then aggregated to produce a composite landfill suitability map of the study area. To narrow down the search for space for landfill sites, optimality criteria were applied on the composite suitable map to select the best locations for landfill. The application of the optimality criteria led to the selection of 5% of the study area as optimal for landfill sites. However, the final decision for landfill site selection will require further in situ studies. Overall, this research provides a proven landfill site selection methodology, which provides essential support for decision-makers.

Quantitative Estimation of the Emission of Harmful Substances in an Accident at a Chemically Hazardous Site

A methodological approach has been developed to quantify the amount emission harmful substances in an industrial accident. An algorithm for calculating the most probable, acceptable, safe for the environment the amount of harmful substance contained in the release in the event of an emergency at the facility. Adoption of an expedient solution is facilitated by an integrated approach based on determining the parameters of the operation of emergency ventilation and environmental protection measures. The prediction of the amount of harmful substances in the case of mass emissions at a chemically hazardous facility is based on determining the ratio of the height of emission sources, taking into account the differentiation of cleaning methods and their effectiveness.

Community-based landslide risk reduction: a review of a Red Cross soil bioengineering for resilience program in Honduras

Effective long-term participation of communities in disaster risk reduction measures in landslide-prone areas continues to be a challenge. This study aims to evaluate the extent to which community-based soil-bioengineering techniques allow for effective mitigation of shallow landslide events given technical, environmental, economic and socio-cultural sustainability criteria. The Red Cross has been implementing community-based disaster risk reduction programs aimed at increasing resilience at the community level in Honduras since 2005. Since 2010, 230 landslide hazard sites have been stabilized using soil-bioengineering measures (the use of living plant material to provide certain engineering functions) based on a carefully and systematically developed partnership with local communities. In 2018, an assessment of 73 sites established between 2010 and 2014 showed that (1) 83% of the sites were adequately maintained and (2) 69% of the sites fulfilled the function of soil stabilization. A cost–benefit analysis was conducted for two sites and indicated a cost–benefit ratio of 4.5 and 6 respectively. Some of the key factors for these high success rates include the fact that bioengineering is a locally adapted, easily implemented, cost-effective technology that offers landowners multiple benefits by increasing food security and creating income-generation opportunities. The Red Cross has recognized the importance of empowering communities by building self-confidence so that they can ultimately take responsibility for their own future. The creation of well-functioning local emergency committees has proven highly effective in achieving this goal. When adequately trained, these committees are able to support the replication and maintenance of disaster-risk reduction measures at the community-level in the long term. This case study supports the hypothesis that carefully designed participatory approaches are essential for achieving sustainable, long-term transformative change and risk reduction.

Safety Assessment of Two-Lane Highway using a Combined Proactive and Reactive Approach: Case Study from Indian National Highways

In India, approximately 30% of road accident fatalities occur on two-lane rural roads. Thus research focused on identifying risk factors on this road type is of immense interest to most of the road agencies. Although these highways are more hazardous and account for more severe crashes, there is a lack of scientific safety assessment of such highways compared with multi-lane highways. Proactive approaches, such as road safety audit, have been widely adopted by the government of India to reduce crash frequency and severity on highways. However, an effective road safety management program should exercise an optimal balance between reactive and proactive strategies to identify potential hazards and treat already existing hazardous sites. Through a case study on two two-lane highways, several risk factors were identified using the principles of road safety audit, and were mapped with the available crash data analysis to develop a risk matrix. This risk matrix was found to be helpful in the selection of countermeasure design in a more scientific way, targeting the frequent crash types and severities expected to result at the high crash sites. Finally, it was observed that integrating the findings from reactive analysis with proactive safety management is more beneficial, since they are methodically proven with historical crash records and provide the knowledge of plausible safety hazards at sites where similar features exist. The proposed methodology could be adopted by road agencies in India and other developing countries for effective proactive safety planning.

Affluence, Risk and Community Engagement: The Case of Ascon and Huntington Beach

Author(s): Adams, David P.; Doucette, Meriem; Tucker, Justin | Abstract: This paper explores the engagement and mobilization of an affluent community in relation to a known environmental hazard. It extends our understanding of individual responses to environmental risk and provides at least one response to the long-unanswered question: how would affluent communities respond to hazardous sites? Despite the contention that these resource-rich communities will respond differently than the less affluent communities that traditionally have these environmental hazards, we find no meaningful difference in their mobilization and engagement. Despite their perception of risk associated with the Ascon landfill in Huntington Beach and relatively little trust in government to clean up the site, the community is largely unwilling to engage in activities related to site cleanup. This is an important contribution to our understanding of what generates individual action for environmental hazards and compels us to re-examine our understanding of what (if any) role socio-economic status plays in an individual’s response.

Environmentally-Friendly Exfoliate and Active Site Self-Assembly: Thin 2D/2D Heterostructure Amorphous Nickel-Iron Alloy on 2D Materials for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

A class of 2D layered materials exhibits substantial potential for high-performance electrocatalysts due to high specific surface area, tunable electronic properties, and open 2D channels for fast ion transport. However, liquid-phase exfoliation always utilizes organic solvents that are harmful to the environment, and the active sites are limited to edge sites. Here, an environmentally friendly exfoliator in aqueous solution is presented without utilizing any toxic or hazardous substance and active site self-assembly on the inert base of 2D materials. Benefiting from thin 2D/2D heterostructure and strong interfacial coupling, the resultant highly disordered amorphous NiFe/2D materials (Ti3C2 MXene, graphene and MoS2 ) thin nanosheets exhibit extraordinary electrocatalytic performance toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media. DFT results further verify the experimental results. The study emphasizes a viable idea to probe efficient electrocatalysts by means of the synergistic effect of environmentally friendly exfoliator in aqueous solution and active site self-assembly on the inert base of 2D materials which forms the unique thin 2D/2D heterostructure in-suit. This new type of heterostructure opens up a novel avenue for the rational design of highly efficient 2D materials for electrocatalysis.

A comparison of the effects of natural vegetation regrowth with a plantation scheme on soil structure in a geological hazard‐prone region

The effects of natural vegetation regrowth and plantation schemes on soil aggregate structure and total soil porosity were examined at a typical landslide hazard site in a semi‐humid region in northwest China. The schemes were started in 2008 using four plots, two of which were kept bare; in one natural local vegetation was allowed to grow and in the other planting was managed. Analysis of soil samples (0–100 cm) taken in 2016 indicated that the proportion of soil aggregates <0.25 mm was 43.22 and 29.01% under natural vegetation and plantation, respectively, which was significantly greater than that in the plots kept bare (23%). Soil tensile stress increased from approximately 12 kPa in the bare plots to 18.34 and 16.45 kPa under natural vegetation and plantation, respectively. Total soil porosity, water retention and rate of infiltration increased, whereas bulk density decreased considerably, after 8 years under natural vegetation and plantation in comparison with those properties in the bare plots. Furthermore, natural vegetation had a greater effect than the plantation on soil structure in terms of aggregation and total porosity. The findings of this study provide some insight into the effects of native vegetation and a plantation on soil structure in semi‐humid regions as a prerequisite to the control of both soil erosion and slope stability in regions prone to seismic activity.Highlights Soil structure was analysed after 8 years of natural vegetation regrowth and plantation. Eight years of revegetation improved aggregation and total porosity compared with bare land. Natural vegetation affected soil structure more than the plantation did. Our results provide some insight into a prerequisite to control soil erosion and slope stability in unstable regions.