Atmospheric Transport Analysis Used in Hazard Screening Methodology

Atmospheric Transport Analysis Used in Hazard Screening Methodology PDF Author: Sanford G. Bloom
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 5

Get Book Here

Book Description

Atmospheric Transport Analysis Used in Hazard Screening Methodology

Atmospheric Transport Analysis Used in Hazard Screening Methodology PDF Author: Sanford G. Bloom
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 5

Get Book Here

Book Description


Atmospheric Transport Analysis Used in Hazard Screening Methodology

Atmospheric Transport Analysis Used in Hazard Screening Methodology PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 11

Get Book Here

Book Description
Simple, but conservative, atmospheric transport models are used in the initial stages of a hazard screening methodology to determine a preliminary hazard rank. The hazard rank is one indicator of the additional effort, if any, that must be applied to determine if a system is safe. Simple methods avoid prolonged calculations at this early stage when details of potential accidents may be poorly defined. The models are used to simulate the consequences resulting from accidental releases of toxic substances. Instantaneous and constant-rate releases are considered. If a release takes place within a relatively small enclosure, the close-in transport is approximated by assuming the airborne material is instantaneously mixed with the volume of air within this enclosure. For all other situations and large distances, the transport is estimated with simple atmospheric dispersion models using published values of dispersion coefficients for large distances, and values based on turbulent diffusion theory for close-in distances. Consequences are assessed by defining exposure levels that are equivalent to negligible, reversible, and irreversible health effects. The hazard rank is related to the number and location of people within each category of health effects.

Improved Atmospheric Transport for Risk Assessment

Improved Atmospheric Transport for Risk Assessment PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 7

Get Book Here

Book Description
This is the final report of a two-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). To effectively respond to airborne chemical and biological warfare (CBW) attacks in urban settings, one must understand the vector of the threat, i.e., where is the effluent going and when will it get there. These answers are needed both in real time (who should be evacuated?) and afterwards (where should the cleanup be focused?). Certainly, advanced multiscale models are essential to this task. No model has value, however, until it is normalized and validated by measured data. Experience in atmospheric transport has demonstrated that the quality of model estimations is tightly coupled to the fidelity of the data and the effectiveness of its assimilation. The authors have started to quantify the improvement of accuracy of atmospheric transport and dispersion models that follows from enhanced remote sensing of meteorological parameters. The proper use of remote sensing data requires sophisticated assimilation techniques into advanced models, so the whole project emphasizes the synergy of the newest techniques for remote sensing observation, data analysis, data assimilation, and dynamic modeling. This work quantified the value of various levels of data for improving effluent tracking and prediction, and allows tradeoffs between the cost of data acquisition and its impact on accuracy.

Paper

Paper PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Mechanical engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 494

Get Book Here

Book Description


An Evaluation of the Global Patterns of Atmospheric Transport for Regionalized Chemical Risk Assessment

An Evaluation of the Global Patterns of Atmospheric Transport for Regionalized Chemical Risk Assessment PDF Author: Alberto Pistocchi
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789279150630
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 54

Get Book Here

Book Description
The report illustrates a research conducted using the HySPLIT chemical atmospheric transport model and the distribution of stable lights at night, to investigate the spatial patterns of atmospheric concentrations from continuous emissions spatially distributed as population. The analysis shows that a first approximation of the spatial distribution of concentrations may be obtained using the simple "4/3 power law" that Pistocchi and Galmarini, 2008, have shown to be able to approximate the plumes of annual average concentration depicted by the European model ADEPT. This finding enables to perform regional risk assessment taking into account the spatial distribution of receptors around, and not just at, the location of emissions, without the need to use complex transport numerical model, if one is interested in a first level of approximation (i.e., a factor 5 accuracy on concentrations, which is often compatible with the requirements of risk assessment). In such circumstances, the "4/3 power law" enables quick and simple back-of-the-envelope calculations, operationally equivalent to simple box model calculations.

Tracking and Predicting the Atmospheric Dispersion of Hazardous Material Releases

Tracking and Predicting the Atmospheric Dispersion of Hazardous Material Releases PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309089263
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 114

Get Book Here

Book Description
For many years, communities have prepared themselves to deal with accidental atmospheric releases from industrial sites, energy facilities, and vehicles transporting hazardous materials. Today, these communities must also worry about the terrorist threat of the intentional use of chemical, biological, and nuclear (C/B/N) agents. Because of this threat, the ability to predict and track the dispersal of harmful agents has become a critical element of terrorism planning and response. Our nation�s capacity to respond to atmospheric C/B/N events stands, like a three legged stool, on the strength of three interconnected elements: 1) dispersion models that predict the path and spread of the hazardous agent; 2) observations of the hazardous plume itself and of local meteorological conditions, which provide critical input for the models; and 3) interaction with emergency responders who use the information provided by the models. As part of the National Academies continuing focus on issues of homeland security, Tracking and Predicting the Atmospheric Dispersion of Hazardous Material Releases examines our nation�s current capabilities in these three areas and provides recommendations for strengthening them.

Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment

Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 030904894X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 668

Get Book Here

Book Description
The public depends on competent risk assessment from the federal government and the scientific community to grapple with the threat of pollution. When risk reports turn out to be overblownâ€"or when risks are overlookedâ€"public skepticism abounds. This comprehensive and readable book explores how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can improve its risk assessment practices, with a focus on implementation of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. With a wealth of detailed information, pertinent examples, and revealing analysis, the volume explores the "default option" and other basic concepts. It offers two views of EPA operations: The first examines how EPA currently assesses exposure to hazardous air pollutants, evaluates the toxicity of a substance, and characterizes the risk to the public. The second, more holistic, view explores how EPA can improve in several critical areas of risk assessment by focusing on cross-cutting themes and incorporating more scientific judgment. This comprehensive volume will be important to the EPA and other agencies, risk managers, environmental advocates, scientists, faculty, students, and concerned individuals.

Air Toxics Risk Assessment Reference Library

Air Toxics Risk Assessment Reference Library PDF Author: U. S. Environmental Agency
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781507552865
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 156

Get Book Here

Book Description
This technical resource document describes several methods for preparing a site-specific risk assessment for a source (i.e., a single emission point within one facility), a group of sources (i.e., multiple emission points within one facility), or a group of similar facilities (e.g., within the same source category) that emit(s) toxic air pollutants. Air toxics may be emitted from power plants, factories, cars and trucks, and common household products. Sources that stay in one place are referred to as stationary sources. Vehicles and other moving sources of air pollutants are called mobile sources. This technical resource document is intended for assessing risks associated with stationary sources of air toxics. While its primary focus is on Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), this resource document can be applied to all air pollutants (with the exception of criteria air pollutants, which are assessed using different tools and methods). This technical resource document is the second of a three-volume set. Volume 1: Technical Resource Manual discusses the overall air toxics risk assessment process and the basic technical tools needed to perform these analyses. The manual addresses both human health and ecological analyses. It also provides a basic overview of the process of managing and communicating risk assessment results. Other evaluations (such as the public health assessment process) are described to give assessors, risk managers, and other stakeholders a more holistic understanding of the many issues that may come into play when evaluating the potential impact of air toxics on human health and the environment. Readers with a limited understanding of risk assessment are encouraged to consult Volume 1. Volume 2: Facility-Specific Assessment (this volume) builds on the technical tools described in Volume 1 by providing an example set of tools and procedures that can be used for source-specific or facility-specific risk assessments. Information is also provided on tiered approaches to source- or facility-specific risk analysis. Volume 3: Community-Level Assessment builds on the information presented in Volume 1 to describe to communities how they can evaluate and reduce air toxics risks at the local level. The volume will include information on screening level and more detailed analytical approaches, how to balance the need for assessment versus the need for action, and how to identify and prioritize risk reduction options and measure success. Since community concerns and issues are often not related solely to air toxics, the document will also present readily available information on additional multimedia risk factors that may affect communities and strategies to reduce those risks. The document will provide additional, focused information on stakeholder involvement, communicating information in a community-based setting, and resources and methodologies that may play a role in the overall process. Note that EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics has also developed a Community Air Screening How To Manual that will be available in 2004 and will be discussed in Volume 3.

Energy Research Abstracts

Energy Research Abstracts PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Power resources
Languages : en
Pages : 548

Get Book Here

Book Description


Managing Hazardous Air Pollutants

Managing Hazardous Air Pollutants PDF Author: Winston Chow
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000724336
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 616

Get Book Here

Book Description
Managing Hazardous Air Pollutants presents a detailed examination of the state-of-the-art in the management of air pollutants ("air toxics"). This important new volume focuses on the latest research, regulatory perspectives, modeling, environmental and human risk assessments, new control strategies, monitoring programs, risk communication, and risk management. Key chapters in the book are devoted to these timely subjects: