Study on the Acute Toxicity of Rare Earth Yttrium to Earthworms under the Stress of Leaching Agent Ammonium Sulfate

This study aimed to investigate the toxicity of rare earth ion yttrium under the stress of leaching agent ammonium sulfate （NH4）2SO4. [Method] By using earthworms as indicator organisms of environmental pol ution, acute toxic ef-fects of rare earth yttrium on earthworms under the stress of ammonium sulfate were investigated with filter paper contact method. [Result] Under single stress of rare earth yttrium, the semi-lethal concentration after 48 and 24 h was LC50=213.41 mg/L and LC50=322.63 mg/L, respectively. ② Under single stress of ammonium sul-fate, the semi-lethal concentration after 48 h and 24 h was LC50=13.89 g/L and LC50=15.05 g/L, respectively. ③ In combined treatment of low concentration （10 g/L） of ammonium sulfate and different doses of rare earth yttrium, the semi-lethal con-centration after 48 and 24 h was LC50=198.65 g/L and LC50=399.85 g/L, respective-ly; in combined treatment of middle concentration （14 g/L） of ammonium sulfate and different doses of rare earth yttrium, the semi-lethal concentration after 48 and 24 h was LC50=167.3 mg/L and LC50=256.73 mg/L, respectively; in combined treatment of high concentration （20 g/L） of ammonium sulfate and different doses of rare earth yttrium, the semi-lethal concentration after 48 h and 24 h was LC50=31.03 mg/L and LC50=127.65 mg/L, respectively. [Conclusion] Low concentration of ammonium sulfate could reduce the toxicity of rare earth yttrium to earthworms and produce certain antagonism against rare earth yttrium; middle concentration ammonium sulfate in-creased the toxicity of rare earth yttrium to earthworms and produced relatively sig-nificant synergistic effects; high concentration ammonium sulfate significantly in-creased the toxicity of rare earth yttrium to earthworms. Compared with ammonium sulfate, dead earthworms exposed to rare earth yttrium were more easily fractured, and living earthworms showed insensitive response to acupuncture.

Leaching Behavior of Fly Ashes from Power Plants

The Yanzhou mine district, located in southwestern Shandong Province, is about 1300 km2 with more than 8×109tons of proved coal reserves and there are 10 big power plants in this area. A large amount of coal ashes, which are regarded as waste materials, have been stockpiled in the area and have influenced the environment of the mine district. In this paper, analysis of fly ash samples from three power plants is carried out, the enrichment and concentration of trace elements, Pb, Zn, Cu and As, in coal ashes are analyzed, and petrological and mineralogical characteristics and chemical compositions of coal ashes are studied. The aim of this work is to provide basic scientific data for utilization of ashes and reduction of environmental pollutions.

Kinetics of zinc sulfide concentrate direct leaching in pilot plant scale and development of semi-empirical model

The direct leaching kinetics of an iron-poor zinc sulfide concentrate in the tubular reactor was examined.All tests werecarried out in the pilot plant.To allow the execution of hydrostatic pressure condition,the slurry with ferrous sulfate and sulfuric acidsolution was filled into a vertical tube(9m in height)and air was blown from the bottom of the reactor.The effects of initial acidconcentration,temperature,particle size,initial zinc sulfate concentration,pulp density and the concentration of Fe on the leachingkinetics were investigated.Results of the kinetic analysis indicate that direct leaching of zinc sulfide concentrate follows shrinkingcore model(SCM).This process was controlled by a chemical reaction with the apparent activation energy of49.7kJ/mol.Furthermore,a semi-empirical equation is obtained,showing that the order of the iron,sulfuric acid and zinc sulfate concentrationsand particle radius are0.982,0.189,-0.097and-0.992,respectively.Analysis of the unreacted and reacted sulfide particles bySEM-EDS shows that insensitive agitation in the reactor causes detachment of the sulfur layer from the particles surface in lowerthan60%Zn conversion and lixiviant in the face with sphalerite particles.

Leaching of the residue from the dry off-gas de-dusting and desulfurization process of an iron ore sinter plant

The residue from a second-stage dry sinter plant off-gas cleaning process contains both the fine dust from the sinter plant and the sorbent used. Recycling of the material that is usually handled by landfills to the sinter plant feed is not possible because of its chloride con- tent. Leaching of the chlorides allow the recycling of remaining solids. The saline leachate produced contains some heavy metals and must be treated before it is discharged into the sea. In laboratory experiments, leaching tests with the subsequent treatment of the leachate were con- ducted. After the process was optimized, all heavy-metal concentrations were below the permissible values. The optimum treatment condi- tions for heavy-metal precipitation were observed to be the filtration of the suspended solids followed by the dosing of liquid with lime milk （pH 10） and the subsequent precipitation using sodium sulfide.

Decomposition of oil cleaning agents from nuclear power plants by supercritical water oxidation

Oil cleaning agents generated from nuclear power plants(NPPs)are radioactive organic liquid wastes.To date,because there are no satisfactory industrial treatment measures,these wastes can only be stored for a long time.In this work,the optimization for the supercritical water oxidation(SCWO)of the spent organic solvent was investigated.The main process parameters of DURSET(oil cleaning agent)SCWO,such as temperature,reaction time,and excess oxygen coefficient,were optimized using response surface methodology,and a quadratic polynomial model was obtained.The determination coefficient(R^(2))of the model is 0.9812,indicating that the model is reliable.The optimized process conditions were at 515 C,66 s,and an excess oxygen coefficient of 211%.Under these conditions,the chemical oxygen demand removal of organic matter could reach 99.5%.The temperature was found to be the main factor affecting the SCWO process.Ketones and benzene-based compounds may be the main intermediates in DURSET SCWO.This work provides basic data for the industrialization of the degradation of spent organic solvents from NPP using SCWO technology.

Protection and Treatment of Landscape Plant Secondary Disasters (Deicing Agent Damage) Caused by Extreme Weather

Deicing agent is always applied to alleviate urban traffic pressure after snowing in winter,however,such a snow melting agent is extremely harmful for landscape plants.To eliminate or avoid such damages,we have been actively exploring protection and treatment means.By analyzing the protection of landscape plants before using the deicing agent and the treatment after being damaged by the salt,the paper described how landscaping industry of Beijing handled extreme weather and influence of certain urban environment on landscape plants in a high-efficiency and low-cost way,and then figured out the balance point of normal social life and healthy development of ecological environment.

Lithium Recovery from Electrodes in Cellphone Batteries through the Leaching Process with Organic Agents Assisted by Ultrasound

The present work proposes a mean for recovery of metals used in current ion-lithium batteries, like lithium, cobalt and nickel, using organic agents and ultrasound instead of the more aggressive and less environment friendly method with sulfuric acid. This is especially useful in those countries that doesn’t have lithium deposits and have a growing demand of such batteries, reducing the economic loss this represents. During the process, variables such as temperature, leaching agent concentration and ultrasound frequency were modified, using concentrations of 0.5 M (molar), 1 M and 1.5 M of sodium citrate, temperatures of 25°C, 55°C and 60°C and also ultrasound frequencies of 20 KHz, 30 KHz and 40 KHz. It was found that the best combination of these variables that yielded the most quantity of the desired metal was 0.5 M concentration for both lithium and nickel, while using 60°C and no ultrasound with Li and 55°C and 40 KHz for Ni. For Co the best variables discovered were 1.5 molar concentration, 60°C and 40 KHz.

Assessment of Biofouling Using Leaching Rate of Antifouling Agents and Bioluminescent Assay

The authors investigated the leaching rate of antifouling agents from marine paint using an instrument that allows direct measurement from the flat bottom of ship hulls shortly after dry dock. A similar procedure was also used for painted flat panels that were immersed in the ocean. The relationship between leaching rate and fouling condition was considered by quantifying the amount of ATP （adenosine triphosphate） on the surface of immersed flat panel using fluorescence spectroscopy. The leaching rate results from ship hulls showed good agreement with the value by reporting of leaching rate of antifouling agents. The fluorescence spectroscopy results showed that the amount of ATP on the surface of the panel increased over time as the leaching rate fell, which implies an inverse relationship between leaching rate and fouling index. Fluorescence spectroscopy was also seen to be a simple method for evaluating the relationship between biofouling indexes and leaching rate.

Leaching Phenomena of Antifouling Agents from Ships＇ Hull Paints

The effects ofpH, dissolved ion content and relative water velocity on the release rate of an antifouling agent, cuprous oxide, from ships＇ hull paint have been investigated by rotating cylinder tests. Additionally, test paint panels were attached to a vessel and recovered after a certain period of voyage for the validation of the laboratory tests. In the initial period, the release rates are influenced by pH, dissolved ion content and water velocity, but once after a certain period of test, those effects become less significant. These phenomena can be explained when the paint film is fresh, the rate is controlled by chemical reaction, the surface and/or diffusion layer in the water phase governs the rate. After the antifouling substance in the paint film leached out from the near-surface region, a diffused layer （leached layer）, that has little antifouling agent remained, is formed at the surface of the coating, and the diffusion in that layer can be a rate-determining process. The development of the leached layer is affected by a balance between the leaching rate of the antifouling ingredient and paint resin determined by the chemical properties and speed of the water. Thus, the leaching rates of antifouling agents are affected by the history of the paint in the water.

Assessing the Efficacy of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and Sambong (Blumea balsamifera) Extracts in Combating Black Pod Disease: Sustainable Solutions for Controlling Phytophthora megakarya in Cameroon’s Cocoa Plantations

The use of plant extracts as antifungal agents is gaining increasing attention, particularly for the control of black pod disease in cocoa. Despite extensive research, current strategies haven’t been entirely effective. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Cymbopogon citratus and Blumea balsamifora leaf extracts, both individually and in combination, against Phytophthora megakarya. We assessed the efficacy of the most promising combination (75% B. balsamifera, 25% C. citratus) after storage at room temperature for up to 9 days. Agar microdilution and in vivo bioassays were conducted to determine antifungal susceptibility and effectiveness. Blumea extract exhibited the highest overall inhibitory activity, with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (117 µl mL−1) while C. citratus had a narrower range of MIC (146 to 233 µl mL−1). The combination of C. citratus and B. balsamifera demonstrated a synergistic effect against P. megakarya, achieving growth inhibition on V8 media (92.72 ± 4.20% to 100%) and on artificially infected detached pod cortex (92.24 ± 4.53% to 98.75 ± 1.25%), which was not significantly different from the positive control (Ridomil). Furthermore, this combination maintained its effectiveness for up to 9 days at room temperature. These findings suggest that combining plant extracts can enhance their antifungal properties.

A Multi-agent Framework of an Integrated Plant Maintenance System

Based on systematic analysis, an Integrated Plant Maintenance System (IPMS)is proposed in this paper to cope with challenges in plant maintenance. The characteristics of theIPMS are summarized and the necessity of its modeling is set forth. Based on the analysis andcomparison among structured, object-oriented and multi-agent modeling frameworks, a multi-agentmodeling framework is selected in this paper as a theoretical guidance and together with the Troposmethod for modeling, the system model of an integrated plant maintenance system is constructed. Thesystem model developed in this paper provides a guidance template for the Baling company in itsstepwise implementation of the IPMS.

Leaching characteristics of ion-adsorption type rare earths ore with magnesium sulfate

Magnesium sulfate was proposed to be leaching agent to deal with the ion-adsorption type rare earths ore to reduce or even eliminate ammonia?nitrogen emissions. The effects of temperature, particle size and stirring speed on rare earth leaching process and the leaching behaviors of the single rare earth element were investigated in order to reveal the rare earth leaching characteristics. Besides, the comparison of leaching effects between magnesium sulfate and ammonium sulfate was also studied. The results showed that the rare earth leaching process could be well described with inner diffusion control model and the apparent activation energy was 9.48 kJ/mol. The leaching behaviors of the single rare earth element were brought into correspondence with rare earths. Moreover, when the concentration of leaching agent was 0.20 mol/L, the rare earth leaching efficiency could all reach above 95% and the leaching efficiency of aluminum impurities could be restrained by 10% using magnesium sulfate compared with ammonium sulfate.

基于Agent技术虚拟植物模型的研究与探索

该文简述了Agent技术基本原理及应用概况,并从基于Agent技术来解决农业系统问题的角度出发,针对农业系统复杂,系统内的各要素之间存在着很强的交互性和协作性等特点,以及目前虚拟植物模型构建方法可能带来的非结构化问题,提出了利用Agent技术构建虚拟植物模型的观点,给出了Agent植物体的结构模型,阐述了Agent技术在虚拟植物模型构建中的应用方法及技术路线。

基于多Agent的电厂级监控信息系统设计

介绍了电厂级监控信息系统(SIS)的构成和功能以及Agent、多Agent的概念和技术,提出了利用多Agent技术构造SIS的观点,给出了基于多Agent的SIS体系结构的参考模型,并探讨了基于多Agent的SIS的总体开发框架和实现方法。

基于改进合同网的多Agent系统协作机理研究

针对传统合同网协作模型的不足和舰船动力辅助系统的特点,从三个方面对合同网加以改进,给出了一种适合于舰船动力辅助系统多Agent控制系统的改进合同网模型,该模型不但能够提高协作效率,而且能够有效的解决被控系统在突发事件和故障状态下的交互协作问题.以简化的冷却水系统为例,以JADE为开发平台,将该模型应用于其多Agent控制系统开发中,通过仿真模拟了Agent之间的协作过程,并将协作结果与理论结果比较验证了其正确性,为深入研究多Agent系统的协作机理提供了通用的方法.

分布分层的水电厂预知维护多Agent系统

基于多Agent系统理论,提出一种分布分层的水电厂预知维护的多Agent系统模型,该模型由数据采集层、数据处理层、诊断与预诊断层以及维护决策层组成。针对系统中维护Agent,设计了一种包含信仰、能力、行为队列,行为调度、消息邮箱五元组的实用结构模型,并探讨了多Agent的通信和协作。在此基础上给出了一种基于多Agent中间件JADE的预知维护实现参考模型,利用该模型建立了一个水轮机调速系统液压伺服机构的多Agent维护原型系统,验证了模型的合理性和可操作性。

开放式环境下基于多Agent角色协作的虚拟植物建模方法

在计算机中模拟植物生长发育情况在农学、林学、遥感和生态学上都有很广泛的应用。静态环境下的模拟工作已做得很好,但在动态环境下模拟工作由于难度较大而成果较少。基于多智能体角色协作机制,提出一种在开放式环境下虚拟植物的建模方法。模型考虑了角色分配、角色回收、基于L-系统的树形模型算法、各种随机因素影响、剪枝算法和光照影响算法。对于Agent技术在虚拟植物建模上的研究提出了一些应用方法和技术路线。

动力辅助系统分布式多Agent控制理论与试验研究

针对船舶动力辅助系统复杂性和分布式的特点以及复杂环境中不确定条件下自治控制的需求,提出了将分布式多Agent控制方法应用于动力辅助系统控制系统。在此基础上,结合某船冷却水系统,建立了多Agent控制结构,研究了Agent之间的协作模型,并通过将各个Agent功能及协作算法以软件的形式嵌入在欧姆龙CJ2M型PLC中,开发了其控制器。为了验证控制器的有效性,搭建了控制系统硬件在环仿真试验平台,并通过模拟两种典型场景得到了可视化的试验结果。结果表明,该控制方法大大提高了系统的自治水平和鲁棒性。

基于多Agent遗传算法的水电厂机组优化组合研究与实现

基于多Agent系统理论,构建了一个多Agent机组优化组合系统。对于问题优化模型,提出了一种新颖的多Agent遗传算法,解决了大规模遗传算法的效率问题。对于机组的非线性耗水量特性,提出了一种由Agent动态地管理与维护的神经网络。基于与FIPA兼容的多Agent中间件JADE平台,给出了一个详细的具体实施系统。仿真结果验证了所提出的优化模型与实施方案的合理性和可操作性。

多Agent理论在多堆多机核动力装置中的应用

在建立多堆多机核动力装置模型的基础上应用基于多Agent理论的智能控制系统并进行仿真试验,相比于传统PID控制,冷却剂平均温度和出口蒸汽压力的超调量减小,稳定时间变短,而汽轮机功率响应稍微慢了一点,但其峰值超调变小了,有利于提高核动装置的安全性和可靠性。