Transfer Register Research Articles

Emissions of mercury and other trace elements from coal-fired power plants in Japan

To evaluate trace element emissions from modern coal-fired power plants into the atmospheric environment in Japan, trace elements in the coal used in electric utility boilers, stack concentrations, emission rates and emission ratios of coal-fired power plants, and proportions of trace elements in coal-fired power plants were studied. The elements were As, B, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, F, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se and V, which are designated in the Law of Pollutant Release and Transfer Register. The particulate trace elements were collected in an electrostatic precipitator and a wet desulfurization scrubber. Emissions into the atmosphere were lower than 1% of the quantity in coal, but the volatile trace elements showed somewhat higher emission ratios. For mercury, the mean concentration in coal was 0.045 ppm, the mean emission rate was 4.4 μg/kW h, and the mean emission ratio was 27%, the highest ratio among all elements in this study. The total annual emission of mercury from coal-fired power plants of the electric power industry in Japan was estimated to be 0.63 t/y. On the basis of these data, the atmospheric environment loads from a coal-fired power station were investigated. The calculation of stack gas dispersion showed that maximum annual mean ground level concentrations were in the order of 10 − 2 to 10 − 5 of the background concentrations, and that the adverse effect of the emissions from the coal-fired power station was small.

BD-Type Write-Once Disk with Pollutant-Free Material and Starch Substrate

We realized an inorganic write-once disk for an optical recording system of the Blu-ray disk format. We developed a new Al alloy for the reflective layer and a Nb-compound oxide nitride material for the dielectric layer. By adopting these materials for the reflective layer and the dielectric layer of our write-once disk, we achieved complete exclusion of toxic substances specified in the pollutant release and transfer register (PRTR) law. That is, this disk did not contain any substances specified in the PRTR law. We confirmed this disk to be compatible with 1× to 2× recording at the user capacity of 25.0 GB. The bottom jitter values of both 1× and 2× were less than 6.0%. In addition, we developed another kind of substrate, which was made of a natural polymer derived from corn starch. The bottom jitter value was 6.0% at the user capacity of 25.0 GB with the limit equalizer.

Estimates of ratios of anthropogenic halocarbon emissions from Japan based on aircraft monitoring over Sagami Bay, Japan

Regional‐ and national‐scale emission rates of halocarbons have been a great concern in the field of global environmental studies and policy making. Emissions have been inventoried mainly by bottom‐up approaches, which involve adding up emissions from various industrial sources. To verify and supplement those bottom‐up inventories, top‐down approaches based on measurements of air concentrations are required. In this study, aircraft monitoring over Sagami Bay, Japan, was used to estimate the emission ratios of halocarbons (perfluorocarbons (PFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), CFCs, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and others) from Japan. The enhanced concentrations in the boundary layer of air masses having traveled over Japanese mainland were used for the calculation under the assumption that the air masses over Sagami Bay represented average emission ratios for anthropogenic halocarbons on a countrywide basis. Given their emission ratios, a single compound with a credible emission rate can yield the emission estimates for all the other compounds. When we employed an inventory‐based emission estimate of HCFC‐22 from the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) system 2002 of Japan (9.1 Gg/yr) as the reference, the estimated emission rates of HCFC‐141b, HCFC‐142b, CFC‐12, chloroform, and trichloroethylene for 2002 were consistent with their PRTR values within 10%. Emissions of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and 1,1,1‐trichloroethane (CH3CCl3) were much higher than their PRTR values, suggesting that their sources are not adequately accounted for in the current inventories. The present study also presents probable annual emission rates for individual HFCs and PFCs that previously had no reported estimates; for example, 4.4 Gg/yr for HFC‐134a as of 2002.

Source apportionment based on an atmospheric dispersion model and multiple linear regression analysis

Understanding the contribution of each emission source of air pollutants to ambient concentrations is important to establish effective measures for risk reduction. We have developed a source apportionment method based on an atmospheric dispersion model and multiple linear regression analysis (MLR) in conjunction with ambient concentrations simultaneously measured at points in a grid network. We used a Gaussian plume dispersion model developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency called the Industrial Source Complex model (ISC) in the method. Our method does not require emission amounts or source profiles. The method was applied to the case of benzene in the vicinity of the Keiyo Central Coastal Industrial Complex (KCCIC), one of the biggest industrial complexes in Japan. Benzene concentrations were simultaneously measured from December 2001 to July 2002 at sites in a grid network established in the KCCIC and the surrounding residential area. The method was used to estimate benzene emissions from the factories in the KCCIC and from automobiles along a section of a road, and then the annual average contribution of the KCCIC to the ambient concentrations was estimated based on the estimated emissions. The estimated contributions of the KCCIC were 65% inside the complex, 49% at 0.5-km sites, 35% at 1.5-km sites, 20% at 3.3-km sites, and 9% at a 5.6-km site. The estimated concentrations agreed well with the measured values. The estimated emissions from the factories and the road were slightly larger than those reported in the first Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR). These results support the reliability of our method. This method can be applied to other chemicals or regions to achieve reasonable source apportionments.

320 LCAへのPRTAデータ導入による環境負荷影響評価の拡張(大気・水環境評価技術,大気・水保全技術)

Life cycle inventories (LCIs), those are the backbone of life cycle assessment (LCA), have been developed principally from the point of view of global warming issue, such as the allocation of the emission of carbon dioxide, until now. On the other hand, as PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) was executed in 1999, widely corrected data on emissions of various minor pollutants have become available for a variety of environmental impact assessments. Then, the introduction of PRTR reports into conventional LCIs can be effective to diversify environmental impact assessments in LCA. In the present study, several procedures to introduce PRTR reports into LCI are investigated for petroleum refinery process.

Using PRTR database for the assessment of surface water risk and improvement of monitoring in Japan

In April 2003, the first PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) was published in Japan. It is shown how the PRTR can be used to improve environmental risk assessment with the objective of reducing risk to ecosystem integrity and human health. By examining the superposition of all chemical releases into rivers, high levels of several contaminants are uncovered. Most of these chemicals have not been previously monitored. The outcome of the analysis helps to re-design existing environmental monitoring programmes and to identify these programmes.

Ranking of chemical substances based on the Japanese Pollutant Release and Transfer Register using partial order theory and random linear extensions

In 1997 a Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) pilot project was initiated in Japan. In 1998 the project was expanded and in 1999 a law concerning the establishment of a national PRTR was adopted. Data on the emissions of chemical substances are therefore now being reported on a continuous base. In relation to the PRTR project data on toxicity have been collected. In order to make efficient use of the collected information on emission and toxicity it is useful to group or rank the chemical substances according to the impact on human health and the environment. It has recently been argued that partial order theory (POT) in combination with the use of linear extensions (LE) may be the most objective way to create a linear rank. The methodology has been further expanded to handle larger data sets by the use of random linear extensions (RLE). In this paper the Japanese PRTR data are ranked using the POT/RLE methodology. An average rank is established for chemical substances in the 1998 and 1999 PRTR in Japan. The top 10 chemical substances in the 1998 PRTR are: dichlorvos, inorganic arsenic compounds, cobalt compounds, beryllium compounds, fenitrothion, disulfoton, parathion, diazinon, 4,4 ′-diamino-3,3 ′-dichlorodiphenylmethane and antimony compounds. The top 10 chemical substances from the 1999 PRTR are PCBs, lead compounds, fenitrothion, dichlorvos, disulfoton, inorganic arsenic compounds, chlorothalonil, thiobencarb, chromium and HCFC-141b. The descriptor having the highest influence on the ranking of the 1998 PRTR data is the production volume, which, however, is not given in the 1999 PRTR. Further, the disagreement between the ranking with the lack of toxicity data substituted with mean and maximum values, respectively, strongly indicates a general need for further toxicological investigations.

First inventory of pollutant release and transfer register in Japan

First inventory of pollutant release and transfer register in Japan

Simple analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere using passive samplers.

A simple analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as benzene, toluene, m,p-xylene, and o-xylene, at low levels in the atmosphere was conducted using passive samplers. The methods were applied to analyzing the behavior and origin of VOCs in Kyoto City. The passive samplers were exposed for 7 - 14 days at sampling sites in Kyoto City and for 30 days in the mountains (Mt. Hiei and Mt. Daimonji). Shibata gas-tube samplers packed with activated carbon were used for the determination of VOCs. The absorbed VOCs were extracted into carbon disulfide (CS2) and measured by FID-GC. The determination limits and relative standard deviations for VOCs were 0.3 microg/m3 and 3%, respectively. The samplers were set up at 5 sites in March, 2001 and at 13 stations on Mt. Hiei in November, 2002. The average concentrations of ambient benzene, which were higher than the environmental criterion (3.0 microg/m3), except for those on Mt. Daimonji from March, 2001, to February, 2002, decreased to below 3.0 microg/m3 from March, 2002, to February, 2003. The decrease in ambient benzene may have been due to a decrease in the benzene content in gasoline by the end of 1999, and also by implementation of the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Act in 2001.

Improving cleaner production through pollutant release and transfer register reporting processes

An effective cleaner production programme requires the efficient collection and interpretation of data relating to a facility’s activities, including information of pollutant emissions, wastes generated and raw materials consumed. Many of these data are required to be collected and reported under national Pollutant Release and Transfers Registers (PRTRs) which are an increasingly common environmental policy tool in the OECD countries. This article considers the relationship between cleaner production and PRTR reporting, and discusses whether cleaner production programmes can be enhanced by the use of PRTR data. A case-study of a fertiliser manufacturing facility reporting under the Australian National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) is used to analyse and illustrate the practical issues around linking cleaner production with PRTR reporting. PRTR reporting can assist in identifying cleaner production opportunities and in generating the data sets required to design, implement and monitor cleaner production programmes. There are, however, some limitations in PRTR data that need to be recognised. Specifically, these are issues around data quality and comparability (e.g. PRTRs rely heavily on default emissions factors rather than the monitoring data that are generally required for cleaner production programmes) and the different data sets required for PRTR reporting (which generally require reporting at the site level rather than at the individual process unit level that is required for cleaner production).

我が国におけるＰＲＴＲの位置づけと今後の進め方

The law on specific chemical pollutants release and transfer register, which EA and MITI have jurisdiction over, will be effective soon. The law asks each business unit to monitor the release of the specific chemicals into environment, make information on their physical properties and handling procedures public, and to improve its voluntary control of them. The release of the specific chemicals will be registered across the country, and be open to the public. The law will be enacted in June, and will be effective on April, 2000.

Environmental Pollutants : Current Status and Effects of Man-made Products

Environmental chemical pollutants are products which persistingly remain in the environment and have harmful effect on humans. Control of these effects is important since plants, fish, birds, animals, as well as humans may be endangered. Measures for DDT and PCB control should serve as basis for protecting the environment. Herbicides, industrial products, such as PCB and plasticizers, and nonintentional products, such as polychlorinated hydrocarbons, dioxins and dibenzofurans may all possibly have adverse effect on the endocrine system. The effects of these substance are examined, and the importance of TRTR (pollutant release and transfer register) is discussed.

ＰＲＴＲとリスクコミュニケーション

The variety of chemical substances is enormous, and in this country alone tens of thousands of them are said to be in distribution. It is difficult to assess the toxicity of these chemicals or control them via regulations. The Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) is expected to become a comprehensive measure for managing not only hazardous chemicals but also chemicals which are suspected to be hazardous in nature.The Kanagawa prefectural government conducted PRTR pilot studies in 1997 and 1998 at the request of the Environment Agency of Japan. The targets of the pilot studies were 176 materials, including 3 unintentionally synthesized chemicals, such as a dioxin.The most labor-intensive task for industries estimating the quantity of emissions involved specifying the chemicals being targeted from among all the chemicals they deal with. The volume of targeted chemicals contained in the wastes was one of the most important types of data, yet was not always available. Therefore, each industry should solve these problems before the PRTR Law is implemented.Under the PRTR, data on chemical release from industries will be made public. We need to make good use of the data to engage in effective communication among administrative agencies, industries and citizens regarding risk, and to reduce the environmental burden on local communities. The Kanagawa prefectural government aims at playing an important role in introducing a system to mitigate chemical risks within local environments through the use of PRTR data.

Schadstoff-Emissionsregister: Information, Aufsicht, Schadstoffverminderung dank Dialog

A Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) is a cost efficient tool to acquire data on sources of pollutant emissions and to measure the success of the reduction of polluting substances and waste over time. It promotes a sustainable development by informing the public and by motivating polluters to voluntarily take measures to reduce the environmental burden. The introduction and use of a PRTR was recommended by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro as part of the agenda for sustainable development. PRTRs are already used in several countries as USA, Canada, or The Netherlands. For the time being the OECD is organizing workshops to prepare a guidance document for governments to help other countries in setting up their national PRTR.

VICbus: VME inter-crate bus-a versatile cable bus

VICbus is a multiplexed multimaster cable bus primarily intended for interconnecting backplane bus systems, such as VMEbus, but which may also be used wherever a high-performance, general-purpose cable bus is required. It is implemented using differential line transmission to interconnect up to 31 devices on a total cable length of 100 m. Both compelled (asynchronous) and noncompelled (synchronous) data transmission protocols are specified. An efficient bus arbitration mechanism takes into consideration the long signal propagation times on cables. A simple interrupt mechanism permits the transparent use of interrupts on interconnected VMEbus backplanes. The data transfer protocols, bus arbitration, interrupts, register, and implementation details are discussed.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

4991086 Microprogram controlled microprocessor having a plurality of internal buses and including transfer register designation system

A microprogram transfer register designation system for a microprogram controlled microprocessor which has a plurality of internal data buses such that there are previously prepared some number of source register sets each designating one source register for each of the internal buses and some number of destination register sets each designating one destination register for each of the internal buses, wherein one of the source register sets and one of the destination register sets is selected when an interregister transfer is executed. A transfer register designation field of a microcode includes at least one transfer inhibit flag for the internal buses.

The Share 709 System: Input-Output Translation

The 709 System Committee agreed from the start that the system, to be complete, should contain some provision for input and output translation at the program execution or customer level. The big pr...