Optimal range of plug-in electric vehicles in Beijing and Shanghai

Both China’s national subsidy policies for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) purchasers and passenger cars corporate average fuel consumption and new vehicle credit regulation (dual-credit policy) favor long-range 300+ km battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 80+ km plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). However, these electric vehicles tend to have lower energy efficiency and higher purchase and operation costs. Vehicle with larger batteries can also be less equitable because the subsidies are often provided to more expensive vehicles and wealthier owners. This study takes advantage of a novel dataset of daily driving data from 39,854 conventional gasoline vehicles in Beijing and 4999 PHEVs in Shanghai to determine the optimal range of BEVs and PHEVs within their respective cities. We simulate a model to explore ranges with which PEVs emit less GHGs than that of a baseline hybrid and conventional gasoline vehicle while ensuring that all daily travel demands are met. Our findings indicate that in both cities, the optimal ranges to balance cost and travel demand for BEVs are 350 km or less and for PHEVs are 60 km or less in Beijing and 80 km or less in Shanghai. We also find that to minimize carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, the ranges are even lower 10 km in Beijing and 30 km in Shanghai. Our study suggests that instead of encouraging long-range PEVs, governments should subsidize PEV models with shorter ranges. Parallel efforts should also be made to both increase renewable energy over fossil fuels and expand charging facilities. Although individual mobility demand varies, the government could reduce occasional long-distance driving by subsidizing alternative transportation choices. Providing week-long driving trials to consumers before their purchases may help decrease the demand of very long range PEVs by alleviating the range anxiety through a learning process.

     

淮河干流及主要支流夏季浮游植物群落生物多样性评价

浮游植物是水生态系统的重要组成部分,其群落变化与水体环境条件密切相关,是反映河流健康的主要生物指标.为揭示淮河流域浮游植物群落特征及其与水质的相互关系,于2015年夏季对淮河流域典型水体—淮河干流、沙颍河、涡河和淠河进行系统的水质及浮游植物调查,探明浮游植物群落及其空间分布特征,并结合水体理化指标和生物指数进行水质评价.结果表明,淮河干流及主要支流27个点位中共获得浮游植物8门71属153种,主要隶属于绿藻门(Chlorophyta)、硅藻门(Bacillariophyta)、蓝藻门(Cyanophyta).浮游植物密度为0.019×10~5~131.824×10~5ind·L~(-1),不同河段浮游植物分布表现出较为显著的空间差异性,平均密度大小呈现沙颖河淮河干流涡河淠河的特点.非参数多维尺度分析(Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling,NMDS)表明,淮河干流、淠河和涡河的浮游植物群落组成和结构的相似性较高,而与沙颍河的浮游植物群落存在一定的差异.Shannon多样性指数H'介于0.78~3.21之间,Margalef丰富度指数D介于1.03~4.79之间,Pielou均匀度指数J介于0.12~0.73之间.水质生物评价结果显示,淮河流域大部分水体处于中等污染状况,部分点位处于重污染状况,其结果与水质综合污染指数评价结果具有较好的一致性.研究结果可为淮河水污染防治和水生态修复提供基础依据.     

专家笔谈：资源环境热点问题

重大的资源开发利用工程建设设想或实施往往容易引起社会各界的广泛关注。如何正确认识和科学评价各种资源环境热点问题是大家讨论的重点。文章认为任何重大资源开发工程必须遵循自然规律、生态规律、资源规律和经济规律,必须结合国家战略需求和地缘政治关系,开展前期深入的系统性综合调查,进行生态安全与资源工程安全评价和交叉学科论证,并对其科学价值、社会价值和经济价值等做出正确的判断。建议：未来的资源环境工程建设要谨防“大跃进”,要科学认识自然资源系统规律,守护好美丽的地球家园;要切实履行资源科学家的社会责任,提倡基于科学研究和科学态度的学术争鸣,科学问题最好还是由科学家去讨论;一些争议大的科研课题慎用公益性研发经费来支持。     

普伐他汀的光催化降解性能及机理研究

通过水热法合成Bi₂WO₆,并利用XPS,XRD,BET,UV-Vis和SEM等方法对样品进行了表征;通过光催化性能实验考察了Bi₂WO₆投加量,溶液pH值对普伐他汀（PR）降解效果的影响;通过自由基捕获实验及中间产物的鉴定探明了Bi₂WO₆光催化降解PR过程的主要活性自由基,中间产物及降解机理,并采用发光细菌急性毒性试验评估了PR降解前后的毒性.结果表明,所制备的Bi₂WO₆是由大量纳米片组成的正交晶系花瓣状微球,各元素物质的量比为Bi：W：O=2.5：1：6.7,比表面积为26.67m²/g,带隙能为2.74eV;光催化性能结果表明,对于10mg/L PR,当溶液pH=6.5,Bi₂WO₆投加量为0.4g/L时降解效果最佳,降解率可达80.6%,矿化度为40.2%;自由基捕获实验结果表明降解过程中h⁺起主要的氧化作用,·OH和·O₂^-的氧化起辅助作用.基于活性自由基和中间产物的鉴别结果提出了Bi₂WO₆光催化降解PR的机理,即以h⁺为主,·OH和·O₂^-为辅联合攻击PR分子中C－C键,C＝C双键,酯键等化学键,进而将其分解为易降解小分子有机物.另外,毒性测试结果表明PR经光催化降解后的小分子产物与PR原液相比毒性并没有增强.     

The effects of autophagy on vascular endothelial cells induced by airborne PM2.5

The purpose of this study was to examine the direct toxicity of PM2.5 collected from Beijing on human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC). A Cell Counting Kit 8(CCK8) assay demonstrated that PM2.5 exposure decreased the proliferation of HUVECs in a dosedependent manner. We also found that PM2.5 exposure induced autophagy in HUVECs, as evidenced by:(1) an increased number of double-membrane vesicles;(2) enhanced conversion and punctuation of the microtubule-associated protein light chain 3(LC3); and(3) decreased levels of the selective autophagy substrate p62 in a time-dependent manner.Furthermore, promoting autophagy in PM2.5-exposed HUVECs with rapamycin increased the cell survival rate, whereas inhibiting autophagy via 3-methyladenine significantly decreased cell survival. These results demonstrate that PM2.5 exposure can induce cytotoxicity and autophagy in HUVECs and that autophagy play a protective role against PM2.5-induced cytotoxicity. The findings of the present study imply a direct toxic effect of PM2.5 on HUVECs and provide novel insight into the mechanism of cardiovascular diseases caused by PM2.5 exposure.     

Effect of TiO2 nanoparticle aggregation on marine microalgae Isochrysis galbana

TiO_2 nanoparticles(NPs) could adversely impact aquatic ecosystems. However, the aggregation of these NPs could attenuate this effect. In this work, the biological effects of TiO_2 NPs on a marine microalgae Isochrysis galbana were investigated. The aggregation kinetics of TiO_2 NPs under different conditions was also investigated to determine and understand these effects. Results showed that, though TiO_2 NPs had no obvious impact on the size and reproducibility of algal cells under testing conditions, they caused a negative effect on algal chlorophyll, which led to a reduction in photosynthesis. Furthermore, fast aggregation of TiO_2 NPs occurred under all conditions, especially at the pH close to the p Hzpc. Increasing ionic strength and NP concentration also enhanced the aggregation rate.The aggregation and the following sedimentation of TiO_2 NPs reduced their adverse effects on I. galbana.     

Mercury flows in large-scale gold production and implications for Hg pollution control

Large-scale gold production(LSGP) is one of the five convention-related atmospheric mercury(Hg) emission sources in the Minamata Convention on Mercury. However, field experiments on Hg flows of the whole process of LSGP are limited. To identify the atmospheric Hg emission points and understand Hg emission characteristics of LSGP, Hg flows in two gold smelters were studied. Overall atmospheric Hg emissions accounted for 10%–17% of total Hg outputs and the Hg emission factors for all processes were 7.6–9.6 kg/ton. There were three dominant atmospheric Hg emission points in the studied gold smelters, including the exhaust gas of the roasting process, exhaust gas from the environmental fog collection stack and exhaust gas from the converter of the refining process. Atmospheric Hg emissions from the roasting process only accounted for 16%–29% of total emissions and the rest were emitted from the refining process. The overall Hg speciation profile(gaseous elemental Hg/gaseous oxidized Hg/particulate-bound Hg) for LSGP was 34.1/57.1/8.8. The dominant Hg output byproducts included waste acid, sulfuric acid and cyanide leaching residue. Total Hg outputs from these three byproducts were 80% in smelter A and 84% in smelter B. Our study indicated that previous atmospheric Hg emissions from large-scale gold production might have been overestimated.Hg emission control in LSGP is not especially urgent in China compared to other significant emission sources(e.g., cement plants). Instead, LSGP is a potential Hg release source due to the high Hg output proportions to acid and sludge.     

Effects of Na+ on Cu/SAPO-34 for ammonia selective catalytic reduction

Copper-exchanged chabazite (Cu/CHA) catalysts have been found to be affected by alkali metal and alkaline earth ions. However, the effects of Na⁺ ions on Cu/SAPO-34 for ammonia selective catalytic reduction (NH₃-SCR) are still unclear. In order to investigate the mechanism, five samples with various Na contents were synthesized and characterized. It was observed that the introduced Na⁺ ion-exchanges with H⁺ and Cu^2 + of Cu/SAPO-34. The exchange of H⁺ is easier than that of isolated Cu^2 +. The exchanged Cu^2 + ions aggregate and form “CuAl₂O₄-like” species. The NH₃-SCR activity of Cu/SAPO-34 decreases with increasing Na content, and the loss of isolated Cu^2 + and acid sites is responsible for the activity loss.     

Seasonal variation and size distribution of biogenic secondary organic aerosols at urban and continental background sites of China

Size-resolved biogenic secondary organic aerosols(BSOA) derived from isoprene and monoterpene photooxidation in Qinghai Lake, Tibetan Plateau(a continental background site) and five cities of China were measured using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(GC/MS). Concentrations of the determined BSOA are higher in the cities than in the background and are also higher in summer than in winter. Moreover, strong positive correlations(R2= 0.44–0.90) between BSOA and sulfate were found at the six sites,suggesting that anthropogenic pollution(i.e., sulfate) could enhance SOA formation,because sulfate provides a surface favorable for acid-catalyzed formation of BSOA. Size distribution measurements showed that most of the determined SOA tracers are enriched in the fine mode( 3.3 μm) except for cis-pinic and cis-pinonic acids, both presented a comparable mass in the fine and coarse( 3.3 μm) modes, respectively. Mass ratio of oxidation products derived from isoprene to those from monoterpene in the five urban regions during summer are much less than those in Qinghai Lake region. In addition, in the five urban regions relative abundances of monoterpene oxidation products to SOA are much higher than those of isoprene. Such phenomena suggest that BSOA derived from monoterpenes are more abundant than those from isoprene in Chinese urban areas.     

Regionalization based on spatial and seasonal variation in ground-level ozone concentrations across China

Owing to the vast territory of China and strong regional characteristic of ozone pollution,it's desirable for policy makers to have a targeted and prioritized regulation and ozone pollution control strategy in China based on scientific evidences. It's important to assess its current pollution status as well as spatial and temporal variation patterns across China.Recent advances of national monitoring networks provide an opportunity to insight the actions of ozone pollution. Here, we present rotated empirical orthogonal function(REOF)analysis that was used on studying the spatiotemporal characteristics of daily ozone concentrations. Based on results of REOF analysis in pollution seasons for 3 years' observations, twelve regions with clear patterns were identified in China. The patterns of temporal variation of ozone in each region were separated well and different from each other, reflecting local meteorological, photochemical or pollution features. A rising trend in annual averaged Eight-hour Average Ozone Concentrations(O_3-8 hr) from 2014 to 2016 was observed for all regions, except for the Tibetan Plateau. The mean values of annual and 90 percentile concentrations for all 338 cities were 82.6 ± 14.6 and 133.9 ± 25.8 μg/m~3,respectively, in 2015. The regionalization results of ozone were found to be influenced greatly by terrain features, indicating significant terrain and landform effects on ozone spatial correlations. Among 12 regions, North China Plain, Huanghuai Plain, Central Yangtze River Plain, Pearl River Delta and Sichuan Basin were realized as priority regions for mitigation strategies, due to their higher ozone concentrations and dense population.