Emissions of reduced sulphur compounds from the surface of primary and secondary wastewater clarifiers at a Kraft Mill

Emissions of reduced sulphur compounds (RSCs) from the primary and secondary clarifiers at a Kraft mill were measured for respectively 8 and 22 days using a floating flux chamber. In the primary clarifier, dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) had the highest mean flux (0.83 microg s(-1) m(-2)) among all RSCs, and the mean flux of total reduced sulphur (TRS) was 1.53 microg s(-1) m(-2). At the secondary clarifier, dimethyl sulphide (DMS) had the highest mean flux (0.024 microg s(-1) m(-2)), and the mean flux of total reduced sulphur (TRS) was 0.025 microg s(-1) m(-2). Large variations in fluxes as a function of sampling date were observed in both clarifiers. Emission fluxes of DMS from the secondary clarifier were correlated with temperature in the flux chamber and with the biological and chemical oxygen demands (BOD and COD) of the wastewater. Emission rates of RSCs from the clarifiers were found to be insignificant by comparison with other mill sources.     

Adsorption and degradation of the herbicide nicosulfuron in a stagnic Luvisol and Vermic Umbrisol cultivated under conventional or conservation agriculture

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The main goals of conservation agriculture are to enhance soil fertility and reduce soil degradation, especially through erosion. However,...     

Use of a Hydrogen Peroxide Nebulizer for Viral Disinfection of Emergency Ambulance and Hospital Waiting Room

Food and Environmental Virology - Disinfection of hospital facilities and ambulances is an important issue for breaking the chain of transmission of viral pathogens. Hydrogen peroxide has provided...     

建筑用竹:现状与用途

在世界的许多地区,竹子的栽培技术已经非常成熟.它的种类繁多用途广泛,早有详细记载.已经被确认的大约有1250种竹子、1500种传统用途.主要的使用者是农村的穷人,大概正是由于这个原因,竹子主要是被更大些的社区认可.作为一种材料资源,竹子还没有得到它应得的主流认可.     

Environmental policies,competition and innovation in renewable energy

We investigate the effect of environmental policies on innovation under different levels of competition. Using information regarding renewable energy policies, competition and green patents for OECD countries since the late 1970s, we develop a pre-sample mean count-data econometric specification that accounts for the endogeneity of policies. We find that renewable energy policies are more effective in fostering green innovation in countries with liberalized energy markets. We also find that environmental policies are crucial only in the generation of high-quality green patents, whereas competition enhances the generation of low-quality green patents.     

Temporal variability of airborne bacterial community structure in an urban area

Temporal airborne bacterial genetic community structure and meteorological factors were analysed above an urban area in the northwest of France from December 2003 to April 2004 with a sampling strategy considering different time intervals (from an hour to a month). Principal component analysis (PCA) of B-ARISA (Bacterial-Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis) profiles revealed a hierarchy in the temporal variability of bacterial community: daily<weekly<seasonal. Co-inertia analysis between B-ARISA data and meteorological factors demonstrated the correlation between the seasonal variability in the bacterial community and climatic conditions such as temperature and relative humidity, whereas daily and weekly variability seemed likely to be managed by other factors such as anthropogenic activities.     

Sources and historical record of tin and butyl-tin species in a Mediterranean bay (Toulon Bay,France)

Concentrations of inorganic tin (Sn_inorg), tributyltin (TBT) and its degradation products dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT) were measured in surface sediments and in two cores from the Toulon Bay, hosting the major French military harbour. Anticipating planned dredging, the aim of the present work is to map and evaluate for the first time the recent and historic contamination of these sediments by inorganic and organic Sn species derived from antifouling paints used for various naval domains including military, trade, tourism and leisure. Tin and butyl-Sn concentrations in the bay varied strongly (4 orders of magnitude), depending on the site, showing maximum values near the shipyards. The concentrations of total Sn (1.3–112 μg g^?1), TBT (<0.5–2,700 ng g^?1), DBT (<0.5–1,800 ng g^?1) and MBT (0.5–1,000 ng g^?1) generally decreased towards the open sea, i.e. as a function of both distance from the presumed main source and bottom currents. Progressive degradation state of the butyl-Sn species according to the same spatial scheme and the enrichment factors support the scenario of a strongly polluted bay with exportation of polluted sediment to the open Mediterranean. Low degradation and the historical records of butyl-Sn species in two ²¹⁰Pb-dated sediment cores, representative of the Northern Bay, are consistent with the relatively recent use of TBT by military shipyards and confirm maximum pollution during the 1970s, which will persist in the anoxic sediments for several centuries. The results show that (a) degradation kinetics of butyl-Sn species depend on environmental conditions, (b) the final degradation product Sn_inorgBT is by far the dominant species after 10–12 half-life periods and (c) using recent data to reliably assess former TBT contamination requires the use of a modified butyl-Sn degradation index BDI_mod. Resuspension of extremely contaminated subsurface sediments by the scheduled dredging will probably result in mobilization of important amounts of butyl-Sn species.