Decomposition of aqueous chlorinated contaminants by UV irradiation with H2O2

In the present study, the decomposition rates of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in water by the ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation alone and H₂O₂/UV were experimentally investigated. The detailed experimental studies have been conducted for examining treatment capacities of the two different ultraviolet light sources (low and medium pressure Hg arc) in H₂O₂/UV processes. The low or medium UV lamp alone resulted in a 60%–90% decomposition of 2,4-DCP while a slight addition of H₂O₂ resulted in a drastic enhancement of the 2,4-DCP decomposition rate. The decomposition rate of 2,4-DCP with the medium pressure UV lamp alone was about 3–6 times greater than the low pressure UV lamp alone. In the direct photolysis of aqueous CCl₄, the medium pressure UV lamp had advantage over the low pressure UV lamp because the molar extinction coefficient of CCl₄ at shorter wavelength (210–220 nm) is about 20 to 50 times higher than that at 254 nm. However, adding H₂O₂ to the medium pressure UV lamp system rendered a negative oxidation rate because H₂O₂ acted as a UV absorber being competitive with CCl₄ due to negligible reaction between CCl₄ and OH radicals. The results from the present study indicated significant influence of the photochemical properties of the target contaminants on the photochemical treatment characteristics for designing cost-effective UV-based degradation of toxic contaminants.     

三江平原保护区社区居民对湿地生态系统服务功能的贡献意愿

为了解社区对维持保护区湿地生态系统服务功能的贡献意愿,研究选取三江平原5个湿地自然保护区及其社区,依据条件价值评估法设计双边界二分式问卷,进行实地走访调查,从居民社会经济背景等方面探讨影响贡献意愿的因素、居民支付意愿（WTP）和劳动意愿（WTW）的差异。结果表明：1）居民对湿地生态系统服务的劳动意愿（73.57%）高于支付意愿（55.65%）,居民的抗议支付率随WTP和WTW投标值增加呈上升趋势,人均WTP为387.25±7.08元/a,WTW为31.40±0.39 h/月;2）月收入水平较高及对支付金钱有较高接受程度的受访居民,其WTP相对较高;加入环保类协会、对付出劳动的接受程度较高、受教育程度较高及男性的受访居民,则有较高的WTW;3）49.46%的居民愿意同时贡献金钱与劳动,远高于其他贡献意愿类型。建议在保护区的资源保护与管理实践中鼓励社区参与,充分发挥社区居民乐于提供志愿服务时间的贡献意愿。     

改性生物炭对水体中抗生素的去除研究进展

随着社会经济的不断发展,抗生素造成的水体环境污染问题已不容忽视.利用生物炭去除水体中的抗生素是解决这一问题的有效手段之一.然而,原始生物炭对水体中抗生素等有机污染物的去除存在一定局限性,因此对生物炭进行改性以提升其吸附能力尤为必要.生物炭的吸附性能受生物质类型、碳化条件和改性方法等因素影响较大,导致目前虽然开展了许多相关研究,但结论不一,尤其是在不同改性生物炭对不同抗生素吸附机理的解释方面还不是很清楚,因此有必要对现有研究进行系统地归纳和总结.本文首先对用于抗生素吸附的改性生物炭制备方法及理化性质表征方法进行了介绍,综述了改性生物炭对不同种类抗生素(磺胺类、喹诺酮类、四环素类、大环内酯类、氯霉素类)的吸附效果、吸附机理及其影响因素(如溶液pH值、热解温度、改性材料等),对比分析了生物炭改性前后吸附效果的差异,对目前改性生物炭用于去除水体中抗生素存在的问题进行了分析和总结,在此基础上,对今后该领域的研究和发展方向进行了展望,以期为将来开展相关的研究工作提供一定的参考.     

Setbacks to shoot growth are common in woody plants, so how are shoots of some species safer than others?

Tissue turnover is a critical facet of plant life history variation. This study quantifies losses from setbacks to growth of terminal woody shoots 1.2m long, across 83 species and seven sites in eastern Australia. Setbacks, where the leading meristem had been removed or died and a new leader had emerged, were common (median three per shoot). Shoots had lost an average of 0.25 m of lead-stem length for 1.2 m net shoot-length gain. Insects like girdlers and borers were prominent causes of large setbacks. The sites spanned tropical to temperate and humid to semiarid climates, but variation in stem loss was much greater across species than across sites. We measured 17 plant functional traits related to growth form, mechanics, hydraulics, and economics. Only four traits were correlated with variation across species in stem losses: stem diameter, stem nitrogen content, bark thickness, and maximum photosynthetic rate. The correlations were weak. Stem specific gravity (wood density) showed no correlation with risk. Our results suggest a pattern similar to the growth risk trade-off known for herbaceous plants, where traits associated with fast growth increase tissue turnover and herbivory, but the weak correlations leave ample scope for other influences that remain to be identified.     

Performance evaluation of an anaerobic/aerobic landfill-based digester using yard waste for energy and compost production

The objective of this study was to evaluate a new alternative for yard waste management by constructing, operating and monitoring a landfill-based two-stage batch digester (anaerobic/aerobic) with the recovery of energy and compost. The system was initially operated under anaerobic conditions for 366 days, after which the yard waste was aerated for an additional 191 days. Off gas generated from the aerobic stage was treated by biofilters. Net energy recovery was 84.3MWh, or 46kWh per million metric tons of wet waste (as received), and the biochemical methane potential of the treated waste decreased by 83% during the two-stage operation. The average removal efficiencies of volatile organic compounds and non-methane organic compounds in the biofilters were 96-99% and 68-99%, respectively.     

UASB反应器中厌氧氨氧化污泥的种群分析

利用变性梯度凝胶电泳、克隆和实时PCR等分子生物学技术对2个厌氧氨氧化反应器中的微生物进行了初步研究.变性梯度凝胶电泳结果表明,尽管2个反应器的接种污泥不同,但经过1年多的连续运行,二者的微生物种群结构基本相同;Planctomycete克隆结果表明,相似的15个序列(>99%)与已报道的3个属的厌氧氨氧化菌的序列均有较大距离(<92%),而与具有厌氧氨氧化功能的KSU-1序列有97%的相似,amoA基因克隆结果表明,反应器中的部分好氧氨氧化菌属于β-Proteobacteria中具有厌氧氨氧化活性的Nitrosomonas;实时PCR结果表明,厌氧氨氧化细菌占细菌总量的27%~29%,好氧氨氧化菌约为5%.     

Factors Causing Variations of Lead and Cadmium Accumulation of Feral Pigeons (Columba livia)

In order to understand the factors causing variation of lead and cadmium accumulation in tissues of feral pigeons in Seoul and Ansan, Korea, we investigated their age, food items (crop and gizzard contents) as well as environmental factors such as soil, atmosphere, and local traffic density. The results indicate that concentrations of Pb and Cd were highly increased in the order of eggs < chicks < adults. In food analysis, supplementary foods (rice, small stones, domestic scraps, cements, hairs, Styrofoam, etc.) could be considered as factors considering the Pb concentration differences. Concentrations of Cd in foodstuffs, the proportion of crop contents as their major foods could have an influence on the difference of Cd levels from a nutritional viewpoint. The Pb levels in gizzard contents and soil had an effect on the tissue accumulations, these were associated with the volume of vehicular traffic. However, we could not find any differences of Cd concentrations in gizzard contents and soil, although there were significantly different Cd accumulations in target organs of adult pigeons between the study areas. The Pb and Cd levels in tissues did not correspond to atmospheric metal levels.     

Boater preferences for beach characteristics downstream from Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona

Release flow decisions are increasingly being influenced by an array of social values, including those related to river-based recreation. A substantial portion of past recreation research on downstream impacts of dams has focused on variability of instream flows. This study complements past research by assessing user preferences for beach characteristics affected by long-term impacts of flow regimes. Based upon a study of three recreational user groups (private trip leaders, commercial passengers, and river guides) of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, preferences for beach size, presence of shade on beach, and presence of vegetation on beach are examined. Results indicate that large size beaches with shade from trees are setting characteristics with highly reliable and strong user preferences. The multinomial regression models developed for each user group indicate that 80% of all respondents would choose beach campsites 800 m(2); results were the same regardless of respondents' past boating experience, boat type (i.e. oar or motorized), or group size. In addition, size of beach was consistently reported to be a trip feature of moderate importance to respondents' river trip. Implications of this research are related to future prospects for controlled floods (i.e. spike flows) released from Glen Canyon Dam.     

Using a driving simulator to identify older drivers at inflated risk of motor vehicle crashes

PROBLEM: To develop appropriate assessment criteria to measure the performance of older drivers using an interactive PC-based driving simulator, and to determine which measures were associated with the occurrence of motor-vehicle crash. METHOD: One hundred and twenty-nine older drivers residing in a metropolitan city volunteered to participate in this retrospective cohort study. Using the driving simulator, appropriate driving tasks were devised to test the older drivers, whose performances were assessed by 10 reliable assessment criteria. Logistic regression analysis was then undertaken to determine those criteria that influence the self-reported crash outcome. RESULTS: As expected, driving skill of older drivers was found to decline with age. Over 60% of the sample participants reported having at least one motor-vehicle crash during the past year. Adjusting for age in a logistic regression analysis, the cognitive abilities associated with the crash occurrence were working memory, decision making under pressure of time, and confidence in driving at high speed. SUMMARY: The findings of this retrospective study indicated those individuals at inflated risk of vehicle crashes could be identified using the PC-based interactive driving simulator. Prospective studies need to be undertaken to determine whether the driving simulator can predict future crash events. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: This study demonstrated an economical driving simulator approach to screen out problematic or unsafe older drivers before a more detailed but expensive road test is considered.     

利益相关者的观点:推动组织

清洁生产原则的积极推广,有赖于政府、工业界和"推动组织"(例如金融和教育机构、非政府组织、技术指导人员和咨询人员、工业协会)间有效合作伙伴关系的推动与发展.本文引证了推动组织参与的一些成功行动.迫切希望不同的利益相关者在推动社会向可持续性发展转化中,发挥更积极的作用.