From Forest Regulation to Participatory Facilitation: Forest Employee Perspectives on Organizational Change and Transformation in India

Despite the critical role of government agencies in decentralizing natural resource governance, little work to date has focused on the organizational aspects of the responsible government bureaucracies. Based on a qualitative investigation of the perspectives of Forest Department employees involved in India's Joint Forest Management (JFM) program, this paper aims to provide an understanding of these internal dynamics. Elaborating on why bureaucracies with a learning orientation are essential if participatory natural resource management is to succeed, the paper underlines the constraints to transforming forest agencies' hierarchical work cultures. Foresters describe JFM as a radical departure from traditional forest governance, but suggest that corresponding transformation within the Forest Department has not occurred. Foresters cite as reasons: (1) a target-based incentive system that leaves little room for establishing the relationships with local people needed for collaborative management; (2) rigid rules and regulations that prevent the flexibility needed for adaptive, site-specific problem-solving; (3) a hierarchical, top-down style of communication that prevents the upper administration from learning what is happening on the ground and stifles initiative by field staff; (4) the need for a committed leadership to reverse this hierarchical culture. They point to the few such team-oriented leaders as the key to transforming the Forest Department and enabling participatory forest management to succeed. The authors also recommend accompanying changes in training and reward systems.     

A study on the factor market distortion and the carbon emission scale effect of two-way FDI

Based on the data of 30 Chinese provinces for the period from 2004 to 2015, this paper expounds the carbon emissions effect of two-way foreign direct investment (FDI) from the perspective of scale effect and factor market distortions. This study uses Kaya identity to decompose carbon emission and construct simultaneous equations model to empirically examine the factor market distortion and the carbon emission scale effect of two-way FDI. The results show that the inward foreign direct investment (IFDI) increase regional carbon emission through scale effect and also exacerbates factor market distortion in China, whereas the outward FDI trends reduce carbon emission and reduces factor market distortions in China. The study also shows that human capital, research and development (R&D), trade openness, and capital accumulation are important determinants of two-way FDI. Therefore, the study proposes that IFDI policies should focus on acquiring green technologies. In addition, the domestic enterprises should be encouraged to participate in global business.     

基于机器视觉的鱼类行为特征提取与分析

近年来,水污染问题备受关注。生物式水质监测成为目前国家环境保护工作的重要任务之一。为准确监测水质污染情况,本文以青鳉鱼(Oryzias latipes)为研究对象,采用非接触式的机器视觉监测技术,提取青鳉鱼的生理特征(呼吸频率)和运动特征(胸鳍和尾鳍的摆动频率),并分析这些特征与水质之间的关系。本文采用支持向量机(Support Vector Machine,SVM)准确提取鱼鳃,并根据鱼鳃呼吸面积大小变化计算出鱼的呼吸频率。基于形态学细化算法提取青鳉鱼骨架,求出胸鳍和尾鳍的摆动频率。结果显示:不同浓度铜离子暴露实验测得的青鳉鱼生理特征和运动特征与实际情况一致;通过对不同铜离子浓度下的毒性实验数据对比,发现了青鳉鱼的生理特征和运动特征会随不同的铜离子浓度发生相应变化,可以作为水质监测的评价标准。     

Seasonal variation of chemical composition and source apportionment of PM2.5 in Pune,India

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Particulate matter with size less than or equal to 2.5 μm (PM2.5) samples were collected from an urban site Pune, India, during April...     

An assessment of fluoride in the coastal aquifer of the Bara tract in Bharuch district, Gujarat (India)

The fluoride (F) concentration in the coastal aquifers of Bara tract in Bharuch district, Gujarat was determined by potentiometric method using an ion-selective electrode. The fluoride concentration in these aquifers varies between 0.060 to 3.51 mg/L. It was also found that F has a positive correlation with pH and HCO(3)(-) whereas negatively correlated with Ca(2+), indicating that high fluoride in ground water is associated with low calcium content. This suggests that the higher pH of water promotes the leaching of fluoride and thus affects the concentration of fluoride in the ground water. It was also found that there exists no relationship between F, EC, and ground water table from surface in the ground water.     

生活垃圾焚烧废气中二噁英监测采样研究

对当前国内生活垃圾焚烧废气中二噁英监测相关标准和技术规范的解读和实践操作后,认识到生活垃圾焚烧废气中二噁英监测采样的现状及不足.针对不同类型烟道,不同采样时间和不同采样时间间隔分别进行了研究.实验结果表明,同一稳定气流的排放源中,水平烟道和垂直烟道测试二噁英毒性当量排放浓度水平相当;满足监测采样量要求下,不同采样时间和采样时间间隔对二噁英监测结果并无显著差异,对此给出几点相应采样建议.     

Evaluating the effectiveness of marine actinobacterial extract and its mediated titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the degradation of azo dyes

Aim of the present study was to synthesize titanium dioxide nanoparticles （YiO2 NPs） from marine actinobacteria and to develop an eco-friendly azo-dye degradation method. A total of five actinobacterial isolates were isolated from Chennai marine sediments, Tamilnadu, India and analyzed for the synthesis of TiO2 NPs using titanium hydroxide. Among these, the isolate PSV 3 showed positive results for the synthesis of TiO2 NPs, which was confirmed by UV analysis. Further characterization of the synthesized TiO2 NPs was done using XRD, AFM and FI＇-IR analysis. Actinobacterial crude extract and synthesized TiO2 NPs was found efficient in degrading azo dye such as Acid Red 79 （AR-79） and Acid Red 80 （AR-80）. Degradation percentage was found to be 81% for AR-79, 83% for AR-80 using actinobacterial crude extract and 84% for AR-79, 85% for AR-80 using TiO2 NPs. Immobilized actinobacterial ceils showed 88% for AR-79 and 81% for AR- 80, dye degrading capacity. Degraded components were characterized by FT-IR and GC-MS analysis. The phytotoxicity test with 500 μg/mL of untreated dye showed remarkable phenotypic as well as cellular damage to Tagetes erecta plant. Comparatively no such damage was observed on plants by degraded dye components. In biotoxicity assay, treated dyes showed less toxic effect as compared to the untreated dyes.     

厌氧水解酸化处理含高浓度聚丙烯酰胺污水

运用厌氧瓶和厌氧折流板反应器(ABR)对含部分水解聚丙烯酰胺(HPAM)的污水进行厌氧水解酸化生物处理.选取PAM-F1和PM-2两株厌氧菌为HPAM降解菌,并优化了单株菌和混合菌的降解条件.结果发现,最佳降解条件为降解9 d,连续活化3次,温度35~40℃,初始pH=7.5.此时,混合菌对500 mg·L-1HPAM污水的降解效果最好,降解率可达到40.69%.通过生理生化特征和16S rDNA分析,确定PAM-F1为红球菌(Rhodococcus sp.).混合菌降解前后的HPAM傅里叶-红外光谱图分析表明,细菌能够降解并利用HPAM的部分胺基和碳作为生长所需的氮源和碳源,并推断出HPAM的降解过程发生在厌氧水解酸化阶段.扫描电镜(SEM)图片显示,ABR中形成了能有效促进HPAM生物降解的颗粒污泥.而经过ABR处理的HPAM污水,CODCr去除率和HPAM降解率可分别达到89.96%和75.48%.研究表明,厌氧水解酸化法是一项能够有效处理含高浓度HPAM污水的技术.     

Predicted concentrations of biocides from antifouling paints in Visakhapatnam Harbour

The concentrations of biocides leached from antifouling coatings are monitored in most of the developed countries. However, in India and many other developing countries, there is very little data available on the concentrations of biocides in ports and harbours. The first step was to obtain the order of magnitude levels of concentrations of biocides in the marine environment of the Visakhapatnam Harbour, and the MAM-PEC (Marine Antifoulant Model to Predict Environmental Concentrations) model was used to predict these values. The Visakhapatnam Port lies on the eastern coast of India, roughly halfway between Chennai and Kolkata, and is the largest port in India. This port is a natural harbour; the long and narrow outlet to the open sea makes it a 'poorly flushed' harbour. Predicted concentrations of tributyltin (TBT), copper, dichlofluanid, seanine, irgarol, diuron, tolylfluanid, and zinc pyrithione were computed. The results of the computations indicate that the levels of these biocides are comparable to those in many western countries. This gives credence to the fact that persistence of TBT and some other biocides is a global problem that cannot be ignored.