'EUROPART'. Airborne particles in the indoor environment. A European interdisciplinary review of scientific evidence on associations between exposure to particles in buildings and health effects

The relevance of particle mass, surface area or number concentration as risk indicators for health effects in non-industrial buildings has been assessed by a European interdisciplinary group of researchers (called EUROPART) by reviewing papers identified in Medline, Toxline, and OSH. Studies dealing with dermal effects or cancer or specifically addressing environmental tobacco smoke, house dust-mite, cockroach or animal allergens, microorganisms and pesticides were excluded. A total of 70 papers were reviewed, and eight were identified for the final review: Five experimental studies involving mainly healthy subjects, two cross-sectional office studies and one longitudinal study among elderly on cardiovascular effects. From most studies, no definite conclusions could be drawn. Overall, the group concluded that there is inadequate scientific evidence that airborne, indoor particulate mass or number concentrations can be used as generally applicable risk indicators of health effects in non-industrial buildings and consequently that there is inadequate scientific evidence for establishing limit values or guidelines for particulate mass or number concentrations.     

Two-step seismic limit state design procedure based on non-linear LRFD and dynamic response analyses

Recently, the limit state design (LSD) or performance-based design have got popularity in the field of building design in Japan as well as in other countries. In the two design methods the structural reliability theory plays an essential role in setting design criteria as well as demonstrating the target reliability level to society. However, the conventional load and resistance factor design (LRFD) has been basically formulated supposing that safety checking is done on the basis of linear assumption of member forces and displacement. Therefore, when applying the LRFD for seismic design, for more accurate treatment of the non-linearity, a new procedure has to be explored especially for the ultimate limit state. Although several procedures for the structural reliability evaluation, treating non-linear displacement responses, have been proposed, they require complex procedures that may not be used in the practical design process. Accordingly, for applying it to a seismic LSD format based on the probabilistic concept, it is essential to manage two important requirements at the same time, accuracy and simplicity of procedure. In the present study, a new design format using the following two-step procedure is proposed to maintain both accuracy and simplicity; (1) a non-linear LRFD formulation, and (2) a formulation based on non-linear dynamic response analysis. Also, two design examples are presented.     

A study of a water-reducing agent from cashew nutshell liquid

The water-reducing agent better known as superplasticizer is a recent development. A number of base materials have been used for the development of such water-reducing agents which can act better than ordinary plasticizers in concrete. The sulphonated salts of melamine, napthalene, lignin, hydroxycarboxylic acids and hydroxylated polymers are some typical compounds. Recently cashew nutshell liquid obtained from a natural product waste as a thick black phenolic compound has been converted into a water-reducing agent. This paper describes the results obtained on its effectiveness in influencing the rheological properties of flow, viscosity, particle size distribution, etc, of cement particles in hydrating cements and the water-reducing capabilities in cement mortars and concretes.     

Effect of agitation, turbidity, aluminium foil reflectors and container volume on the inactivation efficiency of batch-process solar disinfectors

We report the results of experiments designed to improve the efficacy of the solar disinfection of drinking water, inactivation process. The effects of periodic agitation, covering the rear surface of the container with aluminium foil, container volume and turbidity on the solar inactivation kinetics of Escherichia coli (starting population = 10(6) CFU ml(-1)) were investigated. It was shown that agitation promoted the release of dissolved oxygen from water with subsequent decrease in the inactivation rates of E. coli. In contrast, covering the rear surface of the solar disinfection container with aluminium foil improved the inactivation efficiency of the system. The mean decay constant for bacterial populations in foil-backed bottles was found to be a factor of 1.85 (std. dev. = 0.43) higher than that of non-foil-backed bottles. Inactivation rates decrease as turbidity increases. However, total inactivation was achievable in 300 NTU samples within 8 h exposure to strong sunshine. Inactivation kinetics was not dependent on the volume of the water container for volumes in the range 500-1500 ml.     

Elimination of beta-blockers in sewage treatment plants

beta-Blockers are used to treat high blood pressure as well as patients recovering from heart attacks. In several studies, they were detected in surface water, thus indicating incomplete degradability of these substances in sewage treatment plants (STPs). In this study, we determined the sorption coefficients (K(D)) and degradation rates of the four beta-blockers sotalol, atenolol, metoprolol and propranolol in sludge from an STP operating with municipal wastewater. The sorption coefficients (K(D), standard deviations in brackets) were determined as 0.04(+/-0.035), 0.04(+/-0.033), 0.00(+/-0.023) and 0.32(+/-0.058) Lg(-1)(COD), and the pseudo-first-order degradation rate constants were estimated to be 0.29(+/-0.02), 0.69(+/-0.05), 0.58(+/-0.05) and 0.39(+/-0.07) Ld(-1)g(-1)(COD) for sotalol, atenolol, metoprolol and propranolol, respectively. These values translate into a typical elimination in STPs (sludge concentrations of 4g(COD)L(-1) and a hydraulic retention time of 6h) of 25%, 37%, 44% and 50% for sotalol, propranolol, metoprolol and atenolol, respectively. These results are also confirmed by measurements in two municipal STPs for atenolol, sotalol and propranolol. The estimated eliminations are slightly too high for metoprolol.     

Reinforcement of foundations as part of reconstruction of the stebnikov potash plant

The effectiveness of using drilled injection piles to reinforce foundations while reconstructing an operating plant without shutting it down was shown.Translated from Osnovaniya, Fundamenty i Mekhanika Gruntov, No. 4, pp. 14–17, July–August, 1992.