Assessment of scale of hazards due to pool fire for a fossil fired power plant in India

Hazards for a fossil fired power plant located at coastal Gujarat in India have been assessed. The trajectory and spread of the plume from tanks of fossil fired power plant were predicted using existing models named Carter, Mills, Briggs and Zonato during winter and summer seasons with low and high wind speeds observed in day and night hours. Results show that wide areas of habitation and human settlement to the northeast of the site may be potentially under hazards due to southwesterly and southerly winds during summer. Plume heights and widths are found high in the morning hours or late night when wind speeds are low. As wind speed increases around noon, low plume heights and widths are obtained. Length scales become low at low wind speeds and vice-versa. Lethal doses of thermal radiation beyond radial distance of 70 m are within the tolerable limit under hazardous condition.

New Cadanav Methodology for Rock Fall Hazard Zoning Based on 3D Trajectory Modelling

Most rock fall hazard zoning methodologies are currently based on trajectory modelling, usually performed along 2D slope profiles. For many topographic configurations, this approach cannot provide a realistic description of the way rock fall trajectories and, ultimately, hazard are spatially distributed all over a slope. This paper presents a new methodology for rock fall hazard zoning, directly applicable to 3D topographies, starting from 3D trajectory simulation results. The procedure is an extension of the Cadanav methodology introduced for hazard zoning along 2D slope profiles. As such, it is fully quantitative and attempts at reducing as much as possible uncertainties and subjective elements affecting current methods for rock fall hazard analysis and zoning. It is also among the first to introduce a “fully-coupled” rock fall intensity-frequency approach. Hazard is estimated by means of “hazard curves”, described at each point of the slope by rock fall intensity-return period couples. These curves may be superimposed on any intensity-return period diagram prescribed in national or regional land use planning regulations, in order to determine which hazardous condition prevails at each point of the slope. The application of the new Cadanav methodology is illustrated for both a theoretical case of simple topography underlying a linear cliff and a real configuration involving a complex topography, characterised by strong three-dimensional features affecting the paths of the blocks. For all topographic models, results obtained for several scenarios involving either localised or diffuse source areas proved that the methodology performs extremely well, providing objective and reproducible results based on a rigorous combination of rock fall energy and return period. Additional tests and real case studies are currently under investigation, for strengthening even further the validation of the approach and extend its applicability to even more complex rock fall scenarios.

Optical, Structural, and Antimicrobial Study of Gold nanoparticles Synthesized Using an Aqueous Extract of Mimusops elengi Raw Fruits

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has been synthesized via a green route using an aqueous extract of Mimusops elengi raw fruits. The phytochemicals of the fruit help in stabilizing and capping of the nanoparticles. The formation and stability of the synthesized samples has been explained based on results that we obtain from UV-Visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Further, the positive results of the antimicrobial test add one more novelty to this work. The axiom of this work is the synthesis of stable AuNPs without using any external stabilizing or reducing agents. The formation of AuNPs with the help of photochemical present in Mimusops elengi is yet another important aspect of this work, which provides an eco-friendly method for the synthesis of AuNPs, which can be used extensively because of its non-hazardous condition.

Down Regulating Colour and Toxicity of Effluent using Microaerophilic Bioreactor

Synthetic dye effluent is a major hazard to the surrounding environment. This hazardous condition is ineviTable but the regulation of decolourizing and detoxifying could be done using reactors. In this study we have designed a microaerophilic bioreactor which incorporates a microbial consortium of Pseudomonas stutzeri and Alcaligenes faecalis. We had used the effluent from microbiological labs from our university and we treated them at the range from 20ppm to 60ppm of Crystal Violet dye. Standardization of dye removal was done primarily in small scale and later implemented in a large scale setup. Characterization studies for adsorbent was done using SEM analysis to get the nature of the pore size. In this study we chose 40ppm and 60ppm of dye effluent to be treated in lab scale setup with adsorbent and adsorbent along with microbial consortium and the treated effluent was analysed using UV- Visible spectrophotometry at 579nm and the efficiency of the percentage of removal was observed to be 99.7% and 99.1% for 40ppm with adsorbent and adsorbent with consortium respectively. Similarly for 60ppm it shows 99.8% and 99.4% removal respectively. The experiment done in small scale bioreactor with 60ppm shows 99.8% and 99.6% removal with adsorbent and adsorbent along with consortium and also the highest removal is achieved at 8pH. The adsorption isotherm was also studied

The experience on liferisk of Khmer immigration labor in Binh Duong Urban

Through the risk concept of Urick Beck as well as the life story approach, the paper analyzes theexperience on life risk of Khmer immigration labor in Binh Duong urban. The findings show they face the difficulties on low income to ensure their life’s spending and on the loans they. For the health, though working in hazardous condition, they still do not entitle the periodic health examination. In the spiritual life, the recreational activities of Khmer immigration workers are relatively lack of abundance and diversity. Besides, they rarely have conditions to participate in religious practices and to face the risk of being excluded from their community events at their homeland.

Hazardous Working Conditions and Employers Perception Regarding Child Laborer: A Study at Sylhet City of Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, children are working under hazardous condition due to the necessity that pushes them to labour. The present study is an attempt to explore the socio-economic conditions of child labourers, working conditions as well as employer’s views regarding child labours of Sylhet city. The study was conducted through personal interview with 70 child labourers and 50 employers. The simple random sampling procedure was used to select respondents. The study reveals that 48% cannot read and write. In case of occupation, 20% are automobile worker, 18% are rickshaw puller and 13% are domestic labor. About 64% of child labourers are landless, and 40% of the child labourer's monthly income rages from 600-1000 Taka as well as 40% are dependent on employer’s convenience. About 45% child labourer's working in hazardous environment and 76% are working 11 or more hours per day. Safeguard and medical facilities from owner’s side are not satisfactory. According to employers view, 32% and 28% recruit child labourers because of their obedience and availability of child workers respectively. Most of the employer’s (46%) recruit child labourer through the help of worker’s parents/relatives. Almost all of the employers revealed that they do not provide medical, transportation, even training facilities to the child labourers. But 84% of the employers provide foods during work time. The above data are clearly reflecting the hazardous circumstances of child labourers. Finally, areas and context-specific data are essential to raise awareness against child labour and also for future policies and effective surveillance initiatives.

Investigation on the performance of bridge approach slab

In Egypt, where highway bridges are to be constructed on soft cohesive soils, the bridge abutments are usually founded on rigid piles, whereas the earth embankments for the bridge approaches are directly founded on the natural soft ground. Consequently, excessive differential settlement frequently occurs between the bridge deck and the bridge approaches resulting in a “bump” at both ends of the bridge deck. Such a bump not only creates a rough and uncomfortable ride but also represents a hazardous condition to traffic. One effective technique to cope with the bump problem is to use a reinforced concrete approach slab to provide a smooth grade transition between the bridge deck and the approach pavement. Investigating the geotechnical and structural performance of approach slabs and revealing the fundamental affecting factors have become mandatory. In this paper, a 2-D finite element model is employed to investigate the performance of approach slabs. Moreover, an extensive parametric study is carried out to appraise the relatively optimum geometries of approach slab, i.e. slab length, thickness, embedded depth and slope, that can yield permissible bumps. Different geo-mechanical conditions of the cohesive foundation soil and the fill material of the bridge embankment are examined.