An integrated assessment method of urban drainage system: A case study in Shenzhen City, China

In recent years, the urban drainage system in China is facing the dual pressure of renovation and construction. This requires that the integrated assessment for the planning and operation of the urban drainage system is obligatory. To evaluate the urban drainage system, an integrated assessment methodology based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), integrated simulation, and fuzzy assessment is established. This method is a multi-criteria decision adding app roach to the assessment of the urban drainage system comprehensively. Through the integration of the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), a simple wastewater treatment plant model, and a surface water quality model, an integrated modelling system for the urban drainage system is developed and applied as a key tool for assessment. Using the established method, a case study in Shenzhen City has been implemented to evaluate and compare two urban drainage system reno vation plans, the distributed plan and the centralized plan. Because of the particularity of this case study, the established method is not applied entirely. Considering the water environ mental impact, ecological impact, technological feasibility, and economic cost, the integrated performance of the distri buted plan is better. As shown in this case study, the proposed method is found to be both effective and practical.     

Characterization and sources of PAHs in an urban river system in Beijing,China

Water samples from 20 locations on rivers in the Tongzhou District of Beijing were collected four times from July 2005 to March 2006. In addition, sediment samples were collected in July 2005. All samples were analyzed for 16 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) priority pollutants polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The concentration, distribution, seasonal variation, and sources of the 16 PAH compounds identified in the water samples, suspended particles, and surface sediments were then evaluated. The concentrations of PAHs in the water and suspended particle and surface sediment samples ranged from 87.3 to 1,890 ng l⁻¹, 1,330 to 27,700 ng g⁻¹, and 156 to 8,650 ng g⁻¹, respectively. These results demonstrated that rivers in the Tongzhou District of Beijing had a high level of PAH pollution, especially in the suspended particles. The highest and lowest concentrations of PAHs in the water samples were observed in summer and spring. However, the seasonal variations in the concentration of PAHs in the suspended particles were more complicated. The dominant compounds in the water, suspended particle, and surface sediment samples were two-, three- and four-ring PAH compounds, respectively. Ratio analysis illustrated that fuel-burning was the primary source of PAHs in the study area. Gasoline, diesel, coal, and coke oven sources were identified and the contributions of the different fuel-burning sources were then calculated using factor analysis and multiple linear regression. These analyses revealed that coal combustion, gasoline combustion plus coke oven emission, and diesel combustion accounted for 38.8%, 38.5%, and 22.7% of the PAHs in suspended particles, respectively.     

Exposure of the urban population to mercury in Changchun city, Northeast China

An assessment of exposure to mercury in Changchun city has been undertaken. We estimated Hg exposure to members of the general population based on currently available information and our research. We also studied the Hg concentrations in scalp hair of adults. Adults have an estimated intake of all Hg species via all routes of 6.780 μg day⁻¹ (excluding dental amalgam), which equates to an absorbed dose of 1.718 μg day⁻¹. Fish consumption was the most important exposure route (12% of intake, 43% of absorbed dose). Furthermore, air, cereals and vegetables were important exposure routes, and these exposure were estimated for absorbed dosed at 0.296, 0.209 and 0.318 μg day⁻¹, respectively. The mean Hg concentration in hair was 0.448 μg g⁻¹ (range 0.092–10.463 μg g⁻¹). Hg concentration in the hair of males was 0.422 μg g⁻¹ (0.105–2.665 μg g⁻¹), and was 0.474 μg g⁻¹(0.092–10.463 μg g⁻1) in the hair of females. Neither place of residence nor age had any significant effect on hair Hg concentrations.     

Distribution patterns of lead in urban soil and dust in Shenyang city, Northeast China

We investigated the spatial distribution of Pb in soil and dust samples collected from 54 sites in Shenyang city, Liaoning province, Northeast China. Soil background Pb concentration was 22 mg kg⁻¹ and control values from non-industrial areas were 33 mg kg⁻¹ for soil and 38 mg kg⁻¹ for dust. Soil Pb concentrations varied widely, ranging from 26 to 2911 mg kg⁻¹, with a mean concentration of 200 mg kg⁻¹, 9 times the background value and 6 times the control value. There was great variation in soil Pb, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 1.06 and a standard deviation (SD) of 212 mg kg⁻¹. Dust Pb concentrations fluctuated from 20 to 2810 mg kg⁻¹, with a mean value of 220 mg kg⁻¹, almost 6 times the control value. No significant differences in distribution were observed between soil Pb and dust Pb. The highest Pb concentration was observed in Tiexi district in an industrial area. Soil Pb concentration decreased with depth and with distance from the pollution source. Lead concentrations initially changed little but then decreased with distance from the roadside, and were generally higher on the east side of roads than on the west. Lead contents in different categories of urban area differed substantially with dust and soil Pb concentrations decreasing in the sequence: industrial >business >mixed (residential, culture and education)> reference areas.     

Methodology for an urban ecological footprint to evaluate sustainable development in China

The ecological footprint (EF) is a method for measuring sustainable development through ecological impact. A methodology is presented for predicting urban ecological footprints. Urban energy use and natural resource consumption were analyzed to calculate an EF based on land type (arable, pasture, forest, fossil energy land, built-up area and water area) and consumption (food, housing, transportation, goods, services and waste). The result was then compared with the local ecological carrying capacity to develop criteria for sustainable ecological footprints. Case studies of four cities in China (Guangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou and Yangzhou) illustrate the urban EF approach. The time series of EF in a case study of Guangzhou for 1991–2001 was analyzed and the consumption–land-use matrix of urban EF was established. The results show that the cities are ecologically unsustainable, with average ecological conflicts per capita of more than 2 ha. The urban EF method is useful to measure urban sustainable development and provides policy proposals for decision-making. However, the EF method still has limitations and weaknesses.     

Evaluating land-use suitability of an industrial city in northeast China

Distribution of industrial land use has a crucial influence on the regional environment. Nanfen is a developing industrial city affiliated with Benxi City, northeastern China. The suitability of industrial land use in Nanfen was evaluated to provide a scientific basis for industrial land-use planning and to minimise negative impacts on the local environment. Multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) within GIS was employed to derive a suitability map. The suitability map was compared with current industrial land use to identify areas for relocation of current industries. A total of 25.7% of the urban area in Nanfen was rated as suitable, 28.1% as somewhat suitable, 37.9% as unsuitable and 8.2% as most unsuitable. About 20.6% of the current industrial land was in suitable areas, 46.5% in somewhat suitable areas and 32.9% in unsuitable areas. We further verified the influence of selected factors on the suitability of industrial land use using a field survey. The results confirmed that industrial land-use relocation in Nanfen is required. This study uses ecological suitability evaluation as a basis for land-use planning and has implications for other industrial cities in northeast China that have similar environmental and ecological problems.     

Ecological network analysis of an urban energy metabolic system: Model development, and a case study of four Chinese cities

Urban metabolism research faces difficulties defining ecological trophic levels and analyzing relationships among the metabolic system's energy components. Here, we propose a new way to perform such research. By integrating throughflow analysis with ecological network utility analysis, we used network flows to analyze the metabolic system's network structure and the ecological relationships within the system. We developed an ecological network model for the system, and used four Chinese cities as examples of how this approach provides insights into the flows within the system at both high and low levels of detail. Using the weight distribution in the network flow matrix, we determined the structure of the urban energy metabolic system and the trophic levels; using the sign distribution in the network utility matrix, we determined the relationships between each pair of the system's compartments and their degrees of mutualism. The model uses compartments based on 17 sectors (energy exploitation; coal-fired power; heat supply; washed coal; coking; oil refinery; gas generation; coal products; agricultural; industrial; construction; communication, storage, and postal service; wholesale, retail, accommodation, and catering; household; other consuming; recovery; and energy stocks). Analyzing the structure and functioning of the urban energy metabolic system revealed ways to optimize its structure by adjusting the relationships among compartments, thereby demonstrating how ecological network analysis can be used in future urban system research.     

Characterization,source apportionment and risk assessment of PAHs in urban surface dust in Shenyang city,China

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Characteristics, profile composition, ecological and human health risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface dust collected from Shenyang city,...     

建立我国生态环境标准体系的初步构想

我国的生态环境标准极其薄弱,建立生态环境标准体系是我国生态环境保护的迫切需要。借鉴我国目前针对污染防治的环境标准体系,提出了我国生态环境标准体系的基本框架,以及生态环境标准制订的原则和重点。     

Vertical growth in a coastal city: an analysis of Boa Viagem (Recife,Brazil)

Coastal zones around the world have experienced urban growth in the last 50 years. This landscape change brings new aspects for those zones and the environment. Real estate speculation is a decisive factor that changes landscape, with urban growth that occurs both in the extent and volume of construction. Boa Viagem (BV) beach at Recife, Northeast Brazil was just a sand bar covered by an Atlantic Forest until middle of the 1800s. Today, it has turned into a busy area of the city where residences, services and commerce co-exist in a densely packed arrangement. This work demonstrates and analyses vertical growth in BV and urban changes from 1961 to 2011. It was developed using digital image processing and visual analysis of satellite imagery and aerial photos. A GIS was created using SPRING and ArcScene, to calculate variations in area and volume creating a Volumetric Index (VI). The Minimal Mapping Area was used in sixteen census tract as samples of the area. Occupation and vertical growth were especially accentuated from 1981 to 1996 with the peak at 2011. Increases in vertical growth from shore to inland are evident in all parts of the district. This finding was confirmed by three-dimensional GIS representations of the study area and the VI during the period of this work, showing the potential of 3D GIS models for studying dense urbanization areas in coastal zones.     

天津城市热岛效应演变特征研究

城市热岛效应对城市生态环境影响极大,城市热岛及其环境效应的研究有利于城市合理规划和可持续发展。本文利用天津市1964—2003年城郊气温,1993年6月15日和2001年5月12日不同时间陆地卫星遥感资料分析了天津市热岛演变特征,结果显示天津城市发展对热岛效应影响明显,随年代以0.11℃/10a速率加强;2002年最强为1.2℃,是60年代末的2倍。7月份的热岛强度增强趋势明显;用平均气温分析热岛强度变化趋势表明:热岛强度在秋季最强春季最小,分别为0.16℃/10a和0.06℃/10a。平均最高气温差在四季中均有微弱上升趋势,平均为0.06℃/10a;平均最低气温差在秋季和冬季上升幅度最大,分别为0.16℃/10a和0.12℃/10a。不同年代遥感亮温场也表明天津城市化对热岛空间分布的影响。热岛分布基本与建成区一致,热岛中还包括许多大小不同、形状各异、强度有别的小热岛群;而且随着城市的发展,热场范围呈扩大趋势。最后对热岛变化规律的成因进行了初步分析。     

建立我国生态环境标准体系的初步构想

我国的生态环境标准极其薄弱，建立生态环境标准体系是我国生态环境保护的迫切需要。借鉴我国目前针对污染防治的环境标准体系，提出了我国生态环境标准体系的基本框架，以及生态环境标准制订的原则和重点。     

广州城市湿地的景观特点及小气候效应

研究了广州城市湿地景观特点,对广州市5个不同类型湿地周边的气温、相对湿度及风速进行了一年的测定,分析了城市湿地周边的小气候效应.广州市湿地总面积为74 373 hm2,占国土面积的10%,其中老城区的湿地面积为18 400hm2,占老城区国土面积的15.8%.广州市老城区湿地斑块平均密度(以每10 000 hm2面积内拥有的湿地斑块数计)为2.8块,平均距离为3 270 m.气温随着与湿地距离的增大逐渐升高,200 m观测点的年平均气温比水边高0.8℃.相对湿度的变化与温度的变化相反,随着与湿地距离的增大而降低,200 m观测点的年平均相对湿度比水边低2.4%.湿地周围的平均风速(在100 m范围内)随与湿地距离的增大而降低.市郊湿地与市区内最高温的湿地比,年平均气温低2.7℃,夏季平均气温低1.1 ℃,冬季平均气温低4.1℃.气温的日变化呈单峰型,夏季13:00达到最高,冬季15:00达到最高.相对湿度的日变化和气温的日变化相反,早晨最高,13:00-15:00最低.市郊湿地的日平均相对湿度较市区内湿地高,夏季最大差值达7.5%;冬季最大差值达17.4%.风速的日变化冬季基本呈单峰型,1 d中以11:00的风速较大.夏季13:00风速有所下降,1 d中以15:00-17:00的风速较大.市郊湿地的日平均风速较市区内湿地夏季高30%,冬季高60%.气温和空气相对湿度的季节变化呈单峰型.     

Game theoretic analysis of environmental impact assessment system in China

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) system has been established in China since 1973. In present EIA cases, there are four participants in general: governments, enterprises, EIA organizations and the public. The public has held responsible for both social costs and social duties. The public supervises social costs produced by enterprises discharging pollutant in EIA. However public participation is mostly deputized by governments, which severely weaken the independence of the public as one participant in EIA. In this paper, EIA refers to the different attitudes of the participants whose optional strategies may be described by a proper game model. According to disfigurements in EIA, three sides (governments, enterprises, and EIA organizations) dynamic iterative game theory, dynamic game theory of incomplete information, and perfect Bayesian equilibrium theory to analyze the reciprocity relation among governments, EIA organizations and enterprises. The results show that in a short period, economic benefit is preponderant over social benefit. Governments and enterprises both do not want to take EIA to reveal social costs. EIA organizations’ income comes from enterprises and the collusions are built between them to vindicate economic benefit. In a long run, social benefit loss caused by environmental pollution must be recuperated sooner or later and environmental deterioration will influence the achievements of economic benefit, so both governments and enterprises are certain to pursue high social benefit and willing to take EIA, helpful to increase private benefit. EIA organizations will make fair assessment when their economic benefit are ensured. At present, the public as silent victims can not take actual part in EIA. The EIA system must be improved to break the present equilibrium of three sides, bringing the public to the equilibrium to exert public supervision.     

广州中心城区公园绿地空间格局及可达性分析

公园绿地是城市中一类典型的开敞空间,对维护城市生态与人居环境健康具有重要意义,其空间布局的合理性与可达性直接影响其对城市居民的服务水平。以广州中心城区为例,借助GIS技术和景观格局指数,分析城市公园绿地景观格局、可达性和服务状况,并探讨城市公园绿地空间格局对其可达性影响。结果表明：①市级公园其面积占公园绿地总面积的84.71%,城市公园绿地聚集度为92.44,广州中心城区公园绿地景观类型和空间格局不尽合理;②网络分析表明研究区仅有22.35%的面积和44.67%的人口能够较便捷地到达邻近公园绿地,广州中心城区公园绿地的可达性和服务效果不理想;③城市公园绿地数量与空间格局是影响其可达性与服务水平的重要因子。     

Estimation of the amount of dry deposition in an urban area (Kobe city, Japan) by the inferential method

The amount of dry deposition of SO₂(g) and HNO₃(g) in an urban area in Japan has been estimated by the inferential method. The mean annual dry deposition of SO₂(g) (2.91 kgS/ha/year) was close to or less than that in the Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNet) of the U.S. (3.59 kgS/ha/year). The mean annual dry deposition of HNO₃(g) (10.8 kgN/ha/year) was approximately six times larger than that in CASTNet (1.85 kgN/ha/year). The proportions of dry/(dry+wet) deposition for sulfur and nitrogen were 0.301 and 0.785, respectively.     

Gene flow and local adaptation in a sunfish-salamander system

There is increasing evidence that populations may not be well adapted to their local environments, and as a result, recent interest has focused on understanding factors that constrain adaptive evolution. This study presents data suggesting gene flow may constrain the ability of larvae of the streamside salamander Ambystoma barbouri to avoid predation by fish via escape behavior and life history tactics. Streamside salamander larvae face conflicting selection pressures in different streams. Some streams are ephemeral, where larvae should be active to feed, grow, and reach metamorphosis before stream drying. Other streams contain predatory fish, where larvae should be generally inactive to avoid predation. Previous work has shown that streamside salamander larvae exhibit ineffective antipredator behavior by having inappropriately high activity levels with fish, resulting in high predation in laboratory and field experiments. This study investigated the possibility that gene flow from larvae in ephemeral habitats may reduce the escape performance of larvae from populations with fish and alter their life history characteristics to increase their susceptibility to fish predation. I assayed escape behavior (speed, acceleration, and duration of escape) and life history characteristics (hatching date, size, stage) associated with predator avoidance among laboratory-reared larvae from four populations. As predicted, two populations (one with fish and the other fishless and ephemeral) connected by gene flow were not significantly different in almost all assays. In contrast, larvae from an isolated population with fish had significantly stronger escape behaviors and delayed hatching than both an isolated population that lacked a history of fish co-occurrence and the population with fish but gene flow from a fishless population. These results support theory suggesting that gene flow can constrain adaptive evolution. Received: 22 February 1999 / Received in revised form: 4 April 1999 / Accepted: 26 April 1999     

我国城市污泥的处置与利用

城市污水污泥产量巨大且成分复杂，如何对它进行合理利用已越来越受人们关注，若处置利用不当就不能够充分发挥其消除污染、保护环境的作用，也就明显地削弱了污水处理厂的净化功能。文章系统地综述了我国城市污泥处置与利用的现状和趋势，并重点讨论了污泥土地利用的可行性以及我国近年来的研究进展。认为将污泥进行稳定化、无害化、资源化处理并作为有机肥料或土壤改良剂进行土地利用是符合我国国情的，并将成为我国污泥处置与利用的一种有效途径。     

Ecofriendly approach of urban solid waste management: a case study of Jalgaon city, Maharashtra

In India, the traditional methods are used for urban solid waste management. These practices are associated with degradation of the urban environment Hence, an environmentally sound garbage management system is required for the urban waste management. The concept of waste minimization needs to be adopted in such systems. It is possible to implement certain corrective measures at collection, storage, transport and disposal of urban solid waste to minimize the adverse impacts on the environment The present investigations are emphasized on generation, characterzation and ecofriendly disposal of solid waste generated in Jalgaon city, Maharashtra. In the present study the waste generation at source was studied in the various income groups of the city. The per capita waste generation was studied by sampling the waste directly from the source of generation. The study reveals that the waste generation is large in the high-income group followed by middle and low-income group public. Further the physicochemical characterization of the waste was also studied. The data generated will help to develop environmentally sound and economically feasible solid waste management system for Ihe city.