CLEANING OF INDOOR GASES WITH SUPERIONICS

This article shows the possible dangerous effects of the Taldykorgan lead battery plant in Almaty region on the environment and human health.At the same time, protective methods against harmful lead dust emanating from the plant are analyzed by using especially pure oxygen obtained by superionics.

Methodology for Determining Time-Dependent Lead Battery Failure Rates from Field Data

The safety requirements in vehicles continuously increase due to more automated functions using electronic components. Besides the reliability of the components themselves, a reliable power supply is crucial for a safe overall system. Different architectures for a safe power supply consider the lead battery as a backup solution for safety-critical applications. Various ageing mechanisms influence the performance of the battery and have an impact on its reliability. In order to qualify the battery with its specific failure modes for use in safety-critical applications, it is necessary to prove this reliability by failure rates. Previous investigations determine the fixed failure rates of lead batteries using data from teardown analyses to identify the battery failure modes but did not include the lifetime of these batteries examined. Alternatively, lifetime values of battery replacements in workshops without knowing the reason for failure were used to determine the overall time-dependent failure rate. This study presents a method for determining reliability models of lead batteries by investigating individual failure modes. Since batteries are subject to ageing, the analysis of lifetime values of different failure modes results in time-dependent failure rates of different magnitudes. The failure rates of the individual failure modes develop with different shapes over time, which allows their ageing behaviour to be evaluated.

Assessment of the starter motor system use powered by capacitive power sources on internal combustion engine

The main power source of modern electric start systems for internal combustion engines is an acid-lead battery. Existence chemical reactions, which occur in between battery electrolyte and lead plates may be causes problems with it exploitation. For a many reasons, its operation requires a lot of labor, especially in cold conditions. In this regard, it was proposed to use a capacitor system electric supply taking in view its discharge characteristics. Electrolytic capacitors and supercapacitors are sources of temporary charge storage and have optimal properties for their use in the engine start system as a partial displacement of the acid-lead battery, against the background of its some negative qualities. The article deals with the evaluation and comparison of the electric motor start system from capacitors and supercapacitors, as well as the possibility of their implementation on a mobile machine equipped with ICE.

Dispersion Effects of Particulate Lead (Pb) from the Stack of a Lead Battery Recycling Plant

The contribution of emissions from the stack of a lead battery recycling plant to atmospheric lead concentrations and, eventually, to the topsoil of the surrounding area, were studied. A Gaussian dispersion model, of the American Meteorological Society/United States Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Model, (AERMOD) was used to determine atmospheric total suspended particulate lead dispersion, which originated from stack emissions, over the wider study area. Stack emission parameters were obtained from online measurements of the industry control sensors. AERMOD simulated two scenarios for four calendar years, 2015 to 2018, one for the typical stack measured operating conditions and one for the legal limit operating conditions (emissions from the stack set by legislation to 0.5 mg m−3). Deposition fluxes modeled the input of atmospheric total suspended particulate Pb to the topsoil of the area. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses were used to determine lead concentrations in the topsoil. The modeling results were compared with topsoil of six inhabited locations downwind from the stack in the direction of the prevailing winds to estimate the influence of lead deposition on topsoil near the industrial area.

Assessment of Bone Turnover Biomarkers in Lead-Battery Workers with Long-Term Exposure to Lead

Background: The major portion of lead in the body resides in skeletal system. The bone turnover affects the release of lead into the circulation from bones. The bone turnover biomarkers (BTM) in lead-battery workers with long-term exposure to lead have not been explored yet. Objective: To evaluate the BTM (formation and resorption) in lead-battery workers with long-term exposure to lead in lead-battery manufacturing plant. Methods: 176 male lead-exposed workers and 80 matched comparison group were studied. All participants were examined for blood lead levels (BLLs), bone formation biomarkers—serum osteocalcin (OC), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP)—and bone resorption biomarkers—serum pyridinoline (PYD), deoxypyridinoline (DPYD), tartarate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRACP-5b), and urinary hydroxyproline (UHYP). Results: We found a significantly higher bone formation biomarkers such as BALP (p=0.007) and bone resorption biomarkers, eg, PYD (p=0.048), TRCAP-5b (p=0.001), and UHYP (p=0.001) in lead-exposed workers. A significant (p=0.041) negative correlation (ρ -0.128) was noted between BLLs and OC. A significant positive correlation was noted between BLLs and TRACP-5b (ρ 0.176, p=0.005) and UHYP (ρ 0.258, p=0.004). Serum OC (p=0.040) and UHYP (p=0.015) levels changed significantly with BLL level. Bone resorption biomarkers levels—PYD, TRACP-5b, and BALP—were higher among those with higher BLLs levels. The duration of exposure was significantly associated with BALP (p=0.037), DPYD (p=0.016), TRACP5b (p=0.001), and UHYP (p=0.002) levels. Conclusion: Long-term lead exposure affects the bone turnover.

Blood Lead Levels in Children Living Near an Informal Lead Battery Recycling Workshop in Patna, Bihar

Background. Lead can cause significant biological and neurologic damage, even at small concentrations, and young children are at higher risk. Informal recycling of lead batteries and lead-based workshops/industries have increased the burden of lead toxicity in developing countries, including India. Many informal recycling lead battery workshops have been established by the local people of Patna, Bihar as self-employment opportunities. However, most of the residents are not aware of the risk factors associated with lead poisoning. Objectives. The present pilot study aimed to assess blood lead levels (BLLs) and hemoglobin levels among children aged between 3 to 12 years in the settlement of Karmalichak near Patna, India. Materials and Methods. Children residing near the informal lead battery manufacturing unit were selected for BLL assessment. A total of 41 children were enrolled in the questionnairebased survey. Results. All the children in the present study had detectable lead concentrations in their blood. Only 9% of the studied children had a BLL ≤5 μg/dl, while 91% children had a BLL above >5 μg/dl. Conclusions. The present study carried out in children of Karmalichak region of Patna, India was an attempt to better understand the problem of lead toxicity, describe the epidemiology of its adverse effects, identify sources and routes of exposure, illustrate the clinical effects and develop strategies of prevention so that remedial measures may be taken by government agencies and regulatory bodies. In view of the high lead levels in children in the study area, attempts are being made to develop strategies for future prevention by relocating the informal battery recycling workshops from the area. Moreover, parents have been advised to increase nutritional supplementation of children by providing calcium-, iron- and zinc-rich foods, including milk and vegetables. Participant Consent. Obtained Ethical Approval. The study was approved by the ethical committee of Era's Lucknow Medical College & Hospital, Era University, Lucknow (India). Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests.