Review on water leakage control in distribution networks and the associated environmental benefits

Water supply is the primary element of an urban system. Due to rapid urbanization and water scarcity, maintaining a stable and safe water supply has become a challenge to many cities, whereas a large amount of water is lost from the pipes of distribution systems. Water leakage is not only a waste of water resources, but also incurs great socio-economic costs. This article presents a comprehensive review on the potential water leakage control approaches and specifically discusses the benefits of each to environmental conservation. It is concluded that water leakage could be further reduced by improving leakage detection capability through a combination of predictive modeling and monitoring instruments, optimizing pipe maintenance strategy, and developing an instant pressure regulation system. The environment could benefit from these actions because of water savings and the reduction of energy consumption as well as greenhouse gas emissions.     

Community structure and elevational diversity patterns of soil Acidobacteria

Acidobacteria is one of the most dominant and abundant phyla in soil,and was believed to have a wide range of metabolic and genetic functions. Relatively little is known about its community structure and elevational diversity patterns. We selected four elevation gradients from 1000 to 2800 m with typical vegetation types of the northern slope of Shennongjia Mountain in central China. The vegetation types were evergreen broadleaved forest,deciduous broadleaved forest,coniferous forest and sub-alpine shrubs. We analyzed the soil acidobacterial community composition,elevational patterns and the relationship between Acidobacteria subdivisions and soil enzyme activities by using the 16 S rRNA meta-sequencing technique and multivariate statistical analysis. The result found that 19 known subdivisions as well as an unclassified phylotype were presented in these forest sites,and Subdivision 6 has the highest number of detectable operational taxonomic units(OTUs). A significant single peak distribution pattern(P 0.05) between the OTU number and the elevation was observed. The Jaccard and Bray–Curtis index analysis showed that the soil Acidobacteria compositional similarity significantly decreased(P 0.01) with the increase in elevation distance. Mantel test analysis showed the most of the soil Acidobacteria subdivisions had the significant relationship(P 0.01) with different soil enzymes. Therefore,soil Acidobacteria may be involved in different ecosystem functions in global elemental cycles. Partial Mantel tests and CCA analysis showed that soil pH,soil temperature and plant diversity may be the key factors in shaping the soil Acidobacterial community structure.     

Molecular characterization and developmental expression patterns of thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) and their responsiveness to TR agonist and antagonist in Rana nigromaculata

Considering some advantages of Rana nigromaculata as an experimental species, we propose that this species, like Xenopus laevis, could be used to assay thyroid hormone（TH） signaling disrupting actions. To validate the utilizability of R. nigromaculata, we investigated the responsiveness of R. nigromaculata to a TH receptor（TR） agonist（T3） and antagonist（amiodarone） by analyzing expression, based on characterizing TR cDNA and developmental expression patterns. With high levels of identity with the corresponding genes in X. laevis, both TRα and TRβ in R. nigromaculata exhibited roughly similar developmental expression patterns to those of X. laevis, in spite of some species-specific differences. Both TRα and TRβ expression had greater changes in the liver and intestine than in the tail and brain during metamorphosis. T3 exposure for 2 days induced more dramatic increases of TRβ expression in stage 27 than in stage34 tadpoles but not in stage 42 tadpoles, showing that the responsiveness of R. nigromaculata to TH decreased with development and disappeared at the onset of metamorphic climax.Corresponding to greater changes of TRβ expression in the liver and intestine than in the tail and brain during metamorphosis, the liver and intestine had higher responsiveness to exogenous T3 than the tail and brain. Amiodarone inhibited T3-induced TRβ expression. Our results show that R. nigromaculata can be used as a model species for assaying TH signaling disrupting actions by analyzing TRβ expression, and intestine tissues at stage 27 are ideal test materials due to high responsiveness and easy accessibility.     

生态经济城市建设的SWOT分析与策略研究——以粤北山区韶关市为研究样本

生态经济城市通过城市生态、经济与社会系统的动态协调,形成一个生态高度有效保护、经济良性高效发展、人与自然和谐相处的整体功能系统,代表了现代和未来城市发展的方向.作为全国首批六个生态文明建设试点地区之一和广东省的生态发展区,韶关市加快生态经济城市建设符合这一发展潮流和趋势.根据SWOT分析方法,对韶关市生态经济城市建设面临的优势、劣势、机遇和挑战进行分析,不仅为韶关生态经济城市建设提供策略依据,而且为其它类似地区的生态经济城市建设提供借鉴.     

河口盐沼植物分布对有效光合辐射的响应

对东滩植被带光量子通量密度的调查研究表明:互花米草带与海三棱藨草带光量子通量密度没有显著性差异,其值分别为1 570和1 556μmol/(m2·s)。光照对两物种的生长、繁殖等植物行为的影响只取决于其对光照的利用能力和效率;在互花米草和海三棱藨草混生带,到达互花米草和海三棱藨草的光量子通量密度之间存在显著差异(P0.05),互花米草对海三棱藨草的遮荫效应达63%,表明互花米草对海三棱藨草具有强的遮荫作用。光照不足严重影响海三棱藨草的生长,在混生带,海三棱藨草生长速率降低,种群密度和生物量减少,植株高度增加。因此,互花米草对海三棱藨草的遮荫作用,抑制了海三棱藨草在中潮滩的更新过程,因而也是造成海三棱藨草生境丧失的重要原因之一。     

基于Copula函数的汉江中上游流域极端降雨洪水联合分布特征

选取汉江中上游流域作为研究对象,根据流域九个气象站点1969~2008年逐日降雨资料以及丹江口水库同时期日入库流量资料,采用年最大值法(AM)和百分位法两种选样方式选取1 d、3 d降雨和1 d、3 d洪量极值样本,分别运用广义极值分布(GEV)、广义帕累托分布(GPD)、伽玛分布(Gamma)3种极值统计模型对样本进行单变量边缘分布拟合,运用Gumbel、Clayton以及Frank Copula函数模型对样本进行多变量联合分布拟合,遴选出描述流域降雨和洪水联合分布规律的最优概率模型。结果显示:对于AM选样样本,边缘分布为GEV时降雨洪量的二维和三维联合分布Frank Copula函数拟合效果最优;对于百分位选样样本,边缘分布为GPD时降雨洪量的二维联合分布Gumbel Copula函数拟合效果最优,三维联合分布则是Frank Copula函数拟合效果最优;比较二维和三维Copula函数模拟结果,三维联合Copula函数推求的设计值更大,说明三维联合分布考虑了更多的变量和极值信息,能更全面地反映极端降雨洪水事件的真实特征,对工程设计更显安全。     

漫湾大坝上下游沉积物重金属与营养元素分布特征及环境风险评价

研究了漫湾水电站大坝上下游11个采样断面的沉积物中的有机质(OM)、总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)和金属元素Al、As、Cd、Cr、Cu、Mn、Ni、Pb、Zn的含量及空间分布特征,利用地积累指数法、潜在生态风险指数法对沉积物重金属的环境风险进行了评价.结果表明,As、Cd、Cr、Cu、Mn、Ni、Pb、Zn的平均年含量分别为31.88、0.80、63.26、32.55、607.81、32.11、36.54、132.29 mg·kg-1,与云南省土壤背景值相比,重金属元素均出现一定程度的富集.其中,Cd和As比其他金属元素污染重,处于中-强度污染状态.在大坝上游干流中靠近大坝的断面环境风险最高,支流断面风险水平普遍低于附近的干流断面,大坝下游断面的风险值明显低于大坝上游断面.干流沉积物重金属蓄积明显受大坝建设影响,支流则受其上游区域人类活动和大坝建设的共同影响.营养元素在村庄聚集区和坝前地区含量较高,干流断面含量高于临近的支流断面,表明大坝建设和库区居民生产生活共同影响沉积物营养元素的分布.相关性分析与聚类分析表明,毒性较高的重金属元素Cd、As、Pb可以聚为一类,而且相互间呈显著正相关关系,并与OM呈正相关关系.虽然沉积物的有机污染在大部分地区呈现清洁或较清洁的水平,但是有机质可以吸附Cd和As,对沉积物的重金属污染具有增强效应.     

中小燃煤锅炉PM2.5排放特征实测研究

中小燃煤锅炉是我国工业和民用部门最主要的供热方式,掌握其一次颗粒物的排放特征对于研究大气PM2.5的来源和控制途径具有重要意义.本研究通过实测中小燃煤锅炉烟气,获得了中小燃煤锅炉PM2.5及以下粒径段的排放因子和分布,并分析了各粒径段的颗粒密度及除尘装置的去除效率.研究发现,PM2.5质量排放因子平均为(0.123±0.061)kg·t-1,PM2.5粒子数的排放因子平均为(3.17±1.65)×105t-1,烟气中70~120 nm粒径段的积聚模态颗粒在质量和数量上都高于其他粒径段.锅炉燃烧负荷是影响锅炉PM2.5排放的重要因素,锅炉的燃烧负荷越低,PM2.5排放将随之降低.实测锅炉的PM2.5排放因子显著低于物料衡算结果,说明采用物料衡算方法可能极大地高估了现有排放清单中工业燃煤锅炉的一次PM2.5排放量.     

我国VOCs的排放特征及控制对策研究

挥发性有机物(volatile organic compounds,VOCs)是一类具有刺激性、致畸、致癌、致突变作用、易燃易爆的有机物,对人体和生态系统健康有很大危害.本文从工业固定源、机动车尾气排放源和日常生活源等角度分析不同排放源的VOCs排放特征,绘制并分析了我国重点区域重点行业VOCs排放的空间分布格局,甄别出东部沿海地区VOCs 2010年总量和单位面积均高于中西部地区,且工业产生源有明显差异.进一步归类分析了欧美等发达国家针对VOCs排放控制的政策法规,对比分析我国目前治理VOCs的有关法规和标准,提出了现阶段我国VOCs管理存在的问题,并提出了相应的控制对策建议.     

东莞市大气亚微米粒子PM1及其中水溶性无机离子的污染特征

2011年8月—2012年7月期间,利用中流量(100 L·min-1)大气采样器对东莞市A和B两点(A:生活区,B:工业区)进行PM1、PM1~2.5、PM2.5~10采样,并定量分析颗粒物上F-、Cl-、NO-3、SO2-4、NH+4、Na+、K+、Ca2+、Mg2+等9种水溶性无机离子.分析结果显示,工业区B点的细粒子污染较生活区A点严重,B点PM1质量浓度年均值为48μg·m-3,其浓度是A点的1.2倍.A、B两点PM1对PM2.5和PM10的质量贡献率无明显差异,平均贡献率分别高达69%和45%.二次离子SO2-4、NO-3、NH+4及与燃烧行为有关的K+、Cl-等5种离子在细粒子PM1上富集,这5种离子对PM1质量的贡献率分别为18.82%~19.76%、4.98%~5.47%、3.98%~4.12%、2.03%~2.27%和3.39%~3.78%.而其他4种离子,Ca2+、Mg2+、F-和Na+积聚在粗粒子PM2.5~10上.PM10/PM2.5/PM1三种粒子中,PM1粒子酸性值AE/CE(阴离子当量浓度/阳离子当量浓度)比值和硫转化率SOR、氮转化率NOR值均是最高.