零价铁还原和过硫酸盐氧化联合降解水中硝基苯

将零价铁(Fe0)的还原和过硫酸盐(persulfate,PS)的高级氧化技术结合用于水中难降解有机污染物硝基苯的去除.研究结果表明,Fe0在常温常压下可将硝基苯还原生成苯胺,随着Fe0投加量的增加,硝基苯还原为苯胺的速率逐渐增大.PS本身对硝基苯氧化作用不明显,但在Fe0与PS二者联合体系中,硝基苯和苯胺同时被去除,而且随着PS投加量的增加二者被去除的速度也随之增加.在Fe0还原和PS氧化联合处理硝基苯的体系中可能存在两个过程,一是Fe0还原硝基苯产生苯胺和二价铁离子Fe2+,二是Fe2+催化PS产生强氧化性的硫酸根自由基将苯胺氧化降解.     

修复硝基苯污染底泥的活性覆盖材料筛选

针对硝基苯污染底泥修复的活性覆盖技术,筛选了适合阻断底泥中硝基苯释放的还原剂和吸附剂.采用的零价铁可迅速将难生物降解的硝基苯还原为苯胺,提高其生物可降解性,有利于将污染物彻底去除.零价铁对硝基苯的还原反应速率随着零价铁剂量的提高而提高,反应速率常数≥>10.001 min~(-1).吸附试验结果表明,在煤渣、活性炭、焦炭以及硅藻土几种常见的吸附剂中,活性炭具有最佳的吸附能力,但是其价格昂贵,不适于大规模应用.而廉价易得的煤渣对硝基苯及其降解产物苯胺具有良好的吸附性能,对硝基苯和苯胺的最大理论吸附量达到924.9 mg·kg~(-1)和1692.2 mg·kg~(-1).因此提出以煤渣为吸附基质,并添加一定比例零价铁的复合活性覆盖材料,为硝基苯污染底泥修复提供一种新的方向和基本参数.     

pH值对零价铁还原降解模拟地下水中硝基苯的影响

通过批次实验,研究了不同pH值对零价铁还原模拟地下水中硝基苯的影响,结果表明:零价铁通过还原反应可有效降解地下水中的硝基苯,在控制pH值为3-12的硝基苯还原降解试验中,反应的最佳pH值为3;随着反应的进行pH值呈现逐渐升高的趋势;在各种pH值条件下,硝基苯的还原速率符合假一级动力学模型,表观速率常数kobs随pH值的降低而增加;硝基苯的还原速率和苯胺的生成速率都随pH值升高而减小;另外,零价铁还原硝基苯的最终还原产物为苯胺.     

零价铝/酸体系对活性黑染料脱色降解的强化

采用零价铝/酸体系(Zero valent-aluminum acid system)处理活性黑5染料溶液.以活性黑5在特征吸收波长595 nm的吸光度变化为分析指标,考察了Fe0、Fe2+、Fe3+、多金属氧酸盐(POM)对染料溶液脱色的强化过程.结果表明,在摇床转速175 r·min-1、p H 2.5、25℃和铝粉投加量为2 g·L-1条件下,低剂量的铁源对零价铝/酸体系具有促进的作用,提高了零价铝/酸体系对活性黑5的降解脱色效率,当外加铁源达到一定的量时,这种加强作用会减弱.在0—0.50 mmol·L-1范围内,POM加入后的拟一级反应速率常数是POM加入前的1.46倍,去除率从75%提高到95%.活性黑5的降解符合拟一级反应动力学模型.     

Fe^0对土壤中对氯硝基苯和对硝基甲苯的还原

采用零价铁(Fe0)还原技术,在25℃和常压下修复受对氯硝基苯(PCNB)和对硝基甲苯(PNT)混合污染的土壤,研究不同反应条件对还原反应的影响及产物在反应历程中的变化.实验结果表明:零价铁能够有效地将土壤中PCNB和PNT还原为其对应的苯胺化合物.在PCNB和PNT的初始含量约为2.5×106mol·g-1,Fe0加人最为25 mg·g-1,土壤水分含量为0.75 mL·g-1,土壤初始pH值为6.8,于25℃下反应5 h,PCNB和PNT的还原率都可达93%以上.Fe0用量、土壤初始pH值、温度和土壤含水量均对Fe0还原硝基苯类化合物有较明显影响,偏酸性的土壤、较高的温度、增加Fe0用量和饱和的土壤含水量能显著提高还原率.     

Fenton氧化法处理生物性污染废水

采用Fenton氧化法对经化学混凝沉淀处理后的生物性污染废水进行深度处理,通过正交试验和单因素实验,研究H2O2投加量、溶液pH值、反应时间和H2O2/Fe2+2(摩尔比)四个主要因素对有机污染物去除效果的影响.实验结果表明H2O2投加量的影响明显高于其它三个因素,影响能力从大到小依次排序为:H2O2投加量＞溶液pH＞反应时间＞H2O2/Fe2+,反应的最佳工艺条件为:H2O2投加量为0.088mol.l-1,溶液pH值在3.5左右,反应时间为4h,H2O2/Fe2+为20:1.在此条件下,经Fenton氧化法深度处理后的出水细菌总数和三磷酸腺苷均未检出,保障出水的生物卫生安全性;同时其相对抑光率为10%,属低水平毒性.此外,其化学需氧量小于76mg·l-1,氨氮、总氮、总磷分别为1.10mg·l-1,2.92mg·l-1和0.002mg·l-1,出水满足<城镇污水处理厂污染物排放标准(GB8918-2002)>一级B标准.     

纳米零价铁对溶液中PCB77的降解及其影响因素

设计了以溶液初始pH值、3,3’,4,4’-四氯联苯(PCB77)初始浓度、纳米零价铁(Fe0)投加量、纳米零价硅(Si0)投加量、腐殖酸和环糊精浓度为影响因素的正交试验,研究纳米Fe0降解PCB77时各因素对反应体系中PCB77残留率、氢离子浓度及氧化还原电位变化的影响及其相互关系。结果表明,在溶液初始pH值为4.5,初始ρ(PCB77)为1 mg.L-1,纳米Fe0投加量为10 g.L-1,纳米Si0投加量为0,ρ(腐殖酸)为0.25 g.L-1,ρ(环糊精)为1 g.L-1时,反应2 h后,PCB77残留率最低,为35.2%。溶液初始pH值对反应体系中PCB77的残留率影响最大,纳米Fe0投加量次之;溶液初始pH值对反应体系中氢离子浓度变化影响最大,环糊精投加量次之;PCB77初始浓度对反应体系中氧化还原电位变化影响最大,纳米Fe0投加量次之。     

间歇反应器内污泥衍生吸附剂去除水溶液中镉、镍离子

利用城市污水厂的污泥化学活化法热解产生的吸附剂 ,在间歇反应器内对水溶液中Cd2 和Ni2 离子进行吸附性能的研究 .考察了溶液的pH值、接触时间、吸附剂的投加量及吸附质初始浓度对吸附效果的影响 ,结果表明 ,Cd2 ,Ni2 离子吸附达到平衡时的接触时间为 60min,pH值为 5 5— 6 0 ,溶液的初始浓度为 40mg·l- 1 和 30mg·l- 1 ,吸附剂的投加量不少于 1 0g·l- 1 和 2 0g·l- 1 .     

椒江口水体和生物体中典型有机污染物的浓度水平及来源初探

研究了椒江口海水、沉积物和生物体中苯胺、硝基苯、多氯联苯、多环芳烃的浓度水平及来源,评价了各种有机污染物在沉积物和生物体内的富集情况.结果表明,椒江口海水中苯胺、硝基苯、多氯联苯(PCBs)、多环芳烃(PAHs)的浓度范围分别为9.3-105.1μg·l-1,46.2-268.5μg·l-1,57.5-519.3ng·l-1和356.9-1021.4 ng·l-1;沉积物中苯胺、多氯联苯、多环芳烃的浓度(干重)范围分别为0.76-1.12μg·g-1,5.78-10.42 ng·g-1,77.5-165.4 ng·g-1;生物体中PCBs、PAHs的浓度(湿重)范围分别为19.51-20.62 ng·g-1,0.11-1.03 ng·g-1.生物体内PCBs的富集倍数高于PAHs,而沉积物中PAHs的富集倍数高于PCBs.海水、沉积物中的苯胺和硝基苯主要来自源于椒江口化工废水的排放,PAHs主要来源于台州火力发电厂的燃烧污染,PCBs主要来源于废旧电器拆解业污染物的排放迁移.     

硝基苯在碳纳米管修饰电极上的电化学行为及其分析应用

硝基苯在碳纳米管修饰电极上的电化学行为表明,硝基苯在-0.50V有一灵敏的还原峰,为硝基苯得到四个电子还原为苯胲所形成,电位继续负移,苯胲能继续还原为苯胺.在扫描速度为100mV·s-1,pH=5.0和富集时间为2min的条件下,-0.50V处的还原峰电流与硝基苯在1.5—150mg·l-1范围内线性关系良好,线性系数为0.99992,检测限为0.3mg·l-1.应用于实际废水中硝基苯的测定,相对标准偏差小于5%(n=10),相对误差为-5%— 5%.     

Representation of the world's biophysical conditions by the global protected area network

Protected areas (PAs) are often implemented without consideration of already existing PAs, which is likely to cause an overrepresentation of certain biophysical conditions. We assessed the representativeness of the current PA network with regard to the world's biophysical conditions to highlight which conditions are underprotected and where these conditions are located. We overlaid terrestrial and marine PAs with information on biophysical conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and elevation) and then quantified the percentage of area covered by the PA network. For 1 variable at a time in the terrestrial realm, high temperature, low precipitation, and medium and very high elevation were underrepresented. For the marine realm, low and medium sea surface temperature (SST), medium and high sea surface salinity (SSS), and the deep sea were underrepresented. Overall, protection was evenly distributed for elevation across the terrestrial realm and SST across the marine realm. For 2 variables at a time, cold and very dry terrestrial environments had mostly low protection, which was also the case for low SST and low and medium SSS across most depths for marine environments. Low protection occurred mostly in the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula for the terrestrial realm and along the Tropic of Capricorn and toward the poles for the marine realm. Although biodiversity measures are of prime importance for the design of PA networks, highlighting biophysical gaps in current PAs adds a frequently overlooked perspective. These gaps may weaken the potential of PAs to conserve biodiversity. Thus, our results may provide useful insights for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to establish a more comprehensive global PA network.     

Quantitative composition of the defensive secretion ofBledius species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) is adapted to naturally occurring predators

Summary The adaptation of defensive secretions to their target organisms was examined for the abdominal gland secretions ofBledius furcatus, B. spectabilis andB. arenarius. Therefore the target organisms of the secretion of theseBledius species (i.e. their predators) had to be identified. At the collection sites examined these were the earwigLabidura riparia, the antCataglyphis bicolor, the flyLispe candicans, different carabids of the generaPogonus, Dichirotrichus, Dyschirius, Bembidion andCalathus and the wading birdsHaematopus ostralegus andCalidris alba. The secretion of the abdominal glands contains the toxin ptoluquinone dissolved in either-dodecalactone and 1-undecene (B. furcatus andB. spectabilis) or in octanoic acid and octyloctanoate (B. arenarius). The ratio of these solvents is species-specific. Application experiments using some of the natural insect predators (L. riparia, C. bicolor, Pogonus, Di. gustavii, Dyschirius) revealed that these solvent ratios provided a more effective deterrent than other possible ratios. Thus by combining the solvents in certain ratios, the capability of cuticular penetration and therefore the effectiveness of the defensive secretions are adapted to their natural targets.     

Democracy versus development: New urban debates

The politics of development includes subtexts of choice, as underpinned by community consensus (or lack of it), against the larger backdrop of a liberal democracy, with its intricate power structures that influence the choice of concepts and often lead to complicity rather than consent. A dilemma exists between the understanding of field-level practitioners and that of academics, whose understandings of progress differ. Progress can (and often does) imply long-term change across generations whereas development is often more a matter of crisis management and delivering tangible results to end-users. This makes it a bone of contention across political systems, irrespective of local or global dynamics. Development can emerge as a tool to be wielded for power and further political mileage at the expense of progress. Progress cannot be studied as a counterpoint to development as the sense of history is often missing in development interventions. Development tends to be piecemeal as its very logic often stems from the rationale of power. This is not to suggest, however, that development is only about politics; it is definitely more than the politics of everyday life and involves all of civil society that requires its critical and immediate attention. In this sense, it has become a priority for politicians with an underlying agenda designed to out-manouevre dissent and all statements of protest.     

Achieving Open Access to Conservation Science

Conservation science is a crisis discipline in which the results of scientific enquiry must be made available quickly to those implementing management. We assessed the extent to which scientific research published since the year 2000 in 20 conservation science journals is publicly available. Of the 19,207 papers published, 1,667 (8.68%) are freely downloadable from an official repository. Moreover, only 938 papers (4.88%) meet the standard definition of open access in which material can be freely reused providing attribution to the authors is given. This compares poorly with a comparable set of 20 evolutionary biology journals, where 31.93% of papers are freely downloadable and 7.49% are open access. Seventeen of the 20 conservation journals offer an open access option, but fewer than 5% of the papers are available through open access. The cost of accessing the full body of conservation science runs into tens of thousands of dollars per year for institutional subscribers, and many conservation practitioners cannot access pay‐per‐view science through their workplace. However, important initiatives such as Research4Life are making science available to organizations in developing countries. We urge authors of conservation science to pay for open access on a per‐article basis or to choose publication in open access journals, taking care to ensure the license allows reuse for any purpose providing attribution is given. Currently, it would cost $51 million to make all conservation science published since 2000 freely available by paying the open access fees currently levied to authors. Publishers of conservation journals might consider more cost effective models for open access and conservation‐oriented organizations running journals could consider a broader range of options for open access to nonmembers such as sponsorship of open access via membership fees. Obtención de Acceso Abierto a la Ciencia de la Conservación     

A framework to measure the wildness of managed large vertebrate populations

As landscapes continue to fall under human influence through habitat loss and fragmentation, fencing is increasingly being used to mitigate anthropogenic threats and enhance the commercial value of wildlife. Subsequent intensification of management potentially erodes wildness by disembodying populations from landscape-level processes, thereby disconnecting species from natural selection. Tools are needed to measure the degree to which populations of large vertebrate species in formally protected and privately owned wildlife areas are self-sustaining and free to adapt. We devised a framework to measure such wildness based on 6 attributes relating to the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of vertebrates (space, disease and parasite resistance, exposure to predation, exposure to limitations and fluctuations of food and water supply, and reproduction). For each attribute, we set empirical, species-specific thresholds between 5 wildness states based on quantifiable management interventions. We analysed data from 205 private wildlife properties with management objectives spanning ecotourism to consumptive utilization to test the framework on 6 herbivore species representing a range of conservation statuses and commercial values. Wildness scores among species differed significantly, and the proportion of populations identified as wild ranged from 12% to 84%, which indicates the tool detected site-scale differences both among populations of different species and populations of the same species under different management regimes. By quantifying wildness, this framework provides practitioners with standardized measurement units that link biodiversity with the sustainable use of wildlife. Applications include informing species management plans at local scales; standardizing the inclusion of managed populations in red-list assessments; and providing a platform for certification and regulation of wildlife-based economies. Applying this framework may help embed wildness as a normative value in policy and mitigate the shifting baseline of what it means to truly conserve a species.     

Sexual Predators,Energy Development,and Conservation in Greater Yellowstone

Abstract: In the United States, as elsewhere, a growing debate pits national energy policy and homeland security against biological conservation. In rural communities the extraction of fossil fuels is often encouraged because of the employment opportunities it offers, although the concomitant itinerant workforce is often associated with increased wildlife poaching. We explored possible positive and negative factors associated with energy extraction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area known for its national parks, intact biological diversity, and some of the New World's longest terrestrial migrations. Specifically, we asked whether counties with different economies—recreation (ski), agrarian (ranching or farming), and energy extractive (petroleum)—differed in healthcare (gauged by the abundance of hospital beds) and in the frequency of sexual predators. The absolute and relative frequency of registered sex offenders grew approximately two to three times faster in areas reliant on energy extraction. Healthcare among counties did not differ. The strong conflation of community dishevel, as reflected by in‐migrant sexual predators, and ecological decay in Greater Yellowstone is consistent with patterns seen in similar systems from Ecuador to northern Canada, where social and environmental disarray exist around energy boomtowns. In our case, that groups (albeit with different aims) mobilized campaigns to help maintain the quality of rural livelihoods by protecting open space is a positive sign that conservation can matter, especially in the face of rampant and poorly executed energy extraction projects. Our findings further suggest that the public and industry need stronger regulatory action to instill greater vigilance when and where social factors and land conversion impact biological systems.     

Comparison of the insecticidal effects of water extracted and intact aromatic plants onAcanthoscelides obtectus,a bruchid beetle pest of kidney beans

Summary Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) is one of the most damaging pests of kidney beans,Phaseolus vulgaris L. worldwide. However, aromatic plants from the families Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Poaceae can protect kidney beans by direct or delayed insecticidal effect, through increased adult mortality and inhibition of beetle reproduction (both oviposition and adult emergence). The efficiency of hydrodistillated and intact plants fromThymus vulgaris andT. serpyllum, Mentha piperata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Satureia hortensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Laurus nobilis, Origanum vulgare, andCymbopogon nardus was compared. For both extracts,Origanum vulgare had the best effect. The insecticidal effect was induced by more than the essential oils because no significant difference was noticed between distilled and intact plants extract. Inhibition of reproduction was particularly important. These results suggest that lipidic as well as non lipidic, allelochemicals, such as phenolics, or non-protein amino-acids, or flavonoids may be involved in the toxicity of aromatic plants to this beetle.     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

Some polyphagous Homoptera gain protection from their natural enemies by feeding on the toxic plantsSpartium junceum andErythrina corallodendrum (Leguminosae)

Summary Interactions were studied among alkaloid-containing legumes (Erythrina corallodendrum andSpartium junceum) and non-toxic plants (Citrus sinensis, Cucurbita moschata andEuphorbia tirucalli), several polyphagous homopterans,Aphis craccivora (Aphididae),Icerya purchasi, I. aegyptiaca (Margarodidae),Lepidosaphes ulmi (Diaspididae) andPlanococcus citri (Pseudococcidae), and some major natural enemies of these homopterans. Significant reductions in survival due to negative effects of alkaloid containing as compared with non-alkaloidal plants were recorded for the predatorsRodolia cardinalis andChilocorus bipustulatus, but not forCryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae),Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) andSympherobius sanctus (Neuroptera: Sympherobiidae). The development time of the larvae or pupae ofR. cardinalis, C. carnea andS. sanctus was longer on the toxic plants than on the non-toxic ones. The percentage of parasitism ofA. craccivora collected from the non-alkaloidal plantsVicia palaestina andMelilotus albus was much higher than that onS. junceum. The parasitoid complexes ofA. craccivora differed between both plant groups. The nutritive value of honeydew ofI. purchasi andA. craccivora, as expressed by the life span ofEncyrtus infelix (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) adults, was also investigated. Life spans were significantly longer when the wasps fed on honeydew produced on non-alkaloidal plants (C. sinensis andPittosporum tobira) than on alkaloid containing plants whenI. purchasi — but notA. craccivora — was the producer. It is suggested that the chemical defense ofE. corallodendrum andS. junceum is exploited by polyphagous phytophages to reduce predation. In nature, population growth and density of four of the investigated homopterans are conspicuously high when they developed on the alkaloid containing plant species, and very low on non-alkaloid plants. The efficiency of their natural enemies may be reduced by sequestration of alkaloids (or other toxic plant compounds) or their transfer into excreted honeydew. Therefore it is assumed that a generalist phytophagous homopteran may be protected from its natural enemies, although at different rates of efficiency, if it can safely sequester the host allelochemical when it develops on toxic species within its host range.