Capacity building for food justice in England: the contribution of charity-led community food initiatives

This paper discusses the extent to which charity-led initiatives can contribute to capacity building for food justice in England. The paper draws on evaluations of two projects run by the charity Garden Organic: the Master Gardener Programme, operating a network of volunteers who mentor households, schools and community groups to support local food growing, and the Sowing New Seeds programme, which engages “Seed Stewards” to work with communities to encourage the growing and cooking of “exotic” crops. Based on qualitative data about peoples’ motivations for participation and the benefits that are experienced, we interpret these projects as examples of capacity building for food justice. We suggest that whilst currently depoliticised, the “quiet” process of reskilling and awareness raising that occurs through shared gardening projects could have transformative potential for people’s relationship with food. Finally, we use our findings to raise critical questions and propose future research about food justice concepts and practices.     

Paradigms for parasite conservation

Parasitic species, which depend directly on host species for their survival, represent a major regulatory force in ecosystems and a significant component of Earth's biodiversity. Yet the negative impacts of parasites observed at the host level have motivated a conservation paradigm of eradication, moving us farther from attainment of taxonomically unbiased conservation goals. Despite a growing body of literature highlighting the importance of parasite‐inclusive conservation, most parasite species remain understudied, underfunded, and underappreciated. We argue the protection of parasitic biodiversity requires a paradigm shift in the perception and valuation of their role as consumer species, similar to that of apex predators in the mid‐20th century. Beyond recognizing parasites as vital trophic regulators, existing tools available to conservation practitioners should explicitly account for the unique threats facing dependent species. We built upon concepts from epidemiology and economics (e.g., host‐density threshold and cost‐benefit analysis) to devise novel metrics of margin of error and minimum investment for parasite conservation. We define margin of error as the risk of accidental host extinction from misestimating equilibrium population sizes and predicted oscillations, while minimum investment represents the cost associated with conserving the additional hosts required to maintain viable parasite populations. This framework will aid in the identification of readily conserved parasites that present minimal health risks. To establish parasite conservation, we propose an extension of population viability analysis for host–parasite assemblages to assess extinction risk. In the direst cases, ex situ breeding programs for parasites should be evaluated to maximize success without undermining host protection. Though parasitic species pose a considerable conservation challenge, adaptations to conservation tools will help protect parasite biodiversity in the face of an uncertain environmental future.     

Environment contamination by mycotoxins and their occurrence in food and feed: Physiological aspects and economical approach

The contamination of food and feed by mycotoxins as toxic metabolites of fungi is a risk not only for consumers resulting in various embarrassment regarding health status and well-being, but also for producers, companies and export market on the ground of economic losses and ruined stability of economic trade. As it is given in historical evidence, the contamination of food by mycotoxins is a topic as old as a history of mankind, finding some evidence even in the ancient books and records. Nowadays, the mycotoxins are used in modern biotechnological laboratories and are considered an agent for targeting the specific cells (e.g., defected cells to eliminate them). However, this promising procedure is only the beginning. More concern is focused on mycotoxins as abiotic hazard agents. The dealing with them, systematic monitoring, and development of techniques for their elimination from agricultural commodities are worldwide issues concerning all countries. They can be found alone or in co-occurrence with other mycotoxins. Thus, this review aims to provide widened information regarding mycotoxins contamination in environment with the consequences on health of animals and humans. The inevitability for more data that correctly determine the risk points linked to mycotoxins occurrence and their specific reactions in the environment is demonstrated. This review includes various symptoms in animals and humans that result from mycotoxin exposure. For better understanding of mycotoxin's impact on animals, the sensitivities of various animal species to various mycotoxins are listed. Strategies for elimination and preventing the risks of mycotoxins contamination as well as economical approach are discussed. To complete the topic, some data from past as historical evidences are presented.     

填埋场不同深度垃圾土压缩性的室内试验研究

阐述了垃圾土的压缩机理,归纳了国内外垃圾土压缩性指标的研究成果。根据某填埋场3个不同深度的垃圾土试样,在改装后的高压固结仪上进行压缩试验,得到垃圾土的压缩系数a、主压缩指数C、修正主压缩指数C'、压缩模量E以及体积压缩系数m,并对试验结果进行分析。试验结果表明,垃圾土的初始孔隙比随填埋深度的增加而减小,垃圾土的压缩指数随其可降解度和有机质含量的减少而降低,垃圾土具有高压缩性,其压缩性指标与垃圾的组成和填埋深度有关。将得到的压缩性指标与国内外的资料进行了比较,可为填埋场的设计及变形计算提供参考。     

环境因素对供应链中生产者食品安全行为的影响机制仿真分析

通过食品安全环境因素的改善和规范,来提高食品安全效果是具有现实意义的。本文归纳了影响食品安全的环境因素,特别是影响生产者食品安全行为的环境因素;环境因素对供应链食品安全的影响主要体现在生产者食品安全行为的选择上,为此,设计了环境因素对供应链生产者食品安全行为影响机制;为了分析环境因素对供应链中生产者食品安全的影响,从生产者食品安全行为的影响机制中选取了消费者食品安全意愿、生产者市场占有率、罚款金额等环境因素,以生鲜蔬果供应链中覆盖流通领域的那个部分提出了生产者食品安全行为选择策略的仿真模型,使用Netlogo软件进行了多主体仿真。通过仿真发现,食品监管的手法还宜细化,提升技术因素可以有效改善中国的食品安全水平。     

Optimization of the recovery of plastics for recycling by density media separation cyclones

Material recovery processes are presented as the optimum option for recycling plastic wastes as a means of recovering hydrocarbon resources. There exist a large variety of automated material recovery processes for recycling of such wastes but each with significant limitations. Of these, the separation based on differences in densities is advocated as the optimum process either for producing recycled products or preparing wastes for subsequent recovery processing.Density separation processes based on cyclone type density media separation (DMS) is presented as an important, potential method for increasing plastics recycling process capacities. It is demonstrated to have the capacity to separate a significantly larger range of particle sizes than those presently processed industrially. The mathematical relationship for the prediction of quality of typical LARCODEMS type density media separations by particle size and density as expressed by the Ecart Probable is presented.A proposed device configuration is presented for density media separation to optimize the recovery and purity of both density fractions produced. It is also suggested that to be economically viable, a large scale of operation is required for industrial plastics recycling operations recovering and producing a number of different plastics with a purity to be used as a substitute for virgin material.     

餐厨垃圾固态发酵过程中挥发性脂肪酸与产气的变化关系研究

为了研究餐厨垃圾固态发酵过程中挥发性脂肪酸(VFAs)与产气的变化关系,采用中温(37.0±0.2)℃连续式发酵,在完全混合CSTR反应器中连续运行100 d,分析餐厨垃圾固态发酵过程的启动、运行、失衡、失衡后恢复及实现固态发酵全过程各参数的变化趋势,重点研究VFAs各成分与产气、pH等的关系.结果表明,餐厨垃圾固态发酵实验过程可划分为4个时期:适应期(0~13 d)、启动期(14~30 d)、抑制期(31~50d)、恢复及稳定期(51~100 d).不同时期的容积产气率、VFAs及各参数均表现出不同的阶段性变化.在餐厨垃圾固态发酵全过程中,pH保持在5~7之间,正丁酸比例一直处于较高水平;VFAs与pH和容积产气率在初期基本保持反比关系,最终在稳定期达到平衡,均稳定在一定范围内波动.在恢复及稳定阶段以NaOH稀碱液调节当日回流渗滤液的pH值,在第63 d时pH值上升至6.76,VFAs含量稳定在20~22 g·L~(-1)之间,产气量明显提高;在81 d时TS达到20%以上,系统容积产气量和生物降解率均保持相对稳定.     

餐厨垃圾厌氧消化运行试验研究

采用猪粪厌氧消化的消化污泥为接种物,在中温(37℃)条件下,以连续进料的方式对餐厨垃圾的湿式厌氧消化进行了启动以及运行试验,监测整个实验过程中产气量、pH、VFA、碱度等能够反映厌氧消化的系统指标。结果表明:本实验中系统最佳有机负荷为2.8 kg/(m~3·d)(以VS计),超过此负荷后,依靠系统自身恢复和人工调节,pH很难恢复正常运行状态。正常运行过程中,pH稳定在7.5~8.0,VFA稳定在2 000 mg/L左右,碱度在6 000~9 000 mg/L,氨氮在1 500~2 000 mg/L,底物含水率为96%~98%。系统超负荷运行后,产气量和pH下降,VFA浓度上升,碱度、氨氮、含水率基本保持稳定。     

蚯蚓-微生物协同作用过程中的微生物特性

在环境污染治理领域,被誉为"生态型工程师"的蚯蚓在污水/污泥资源化处理与处置,以及土壤的生态修复中备受关注。蚯蚓通过掘洞、摄食、分泌黏液和排泄蚓粪等方式调控系统中微生物的数量、活性及群落结构,与微生物协同互作强化了生物系统中物质转化与能量流动关系。蚯蚓-微生物协同共生的相互依存关系是此类技术展现低耗高效和生态友好特点的关键。通过综述经人工强化的蚯蚓-微生物互作生态系统中,蚯蚓对微生物的量、活性、群落结构以及食物网的影响,探讨了该生态系统中物质转化和能量流动的特点,并展望了蚯蚓-微生物互作技术研究及应用的发展方向。     

我国工业危险废物的来源、处理及监管对策与建议

通过大量环境统计数据的分析,对我国工业危险废物的产生、综合利用、处置和贮存,从行业来源、区域分布进行了分析和总结。结合我国工业危险废物企业自建设施和政府集中处理设施处理情况,对我国工业危险废物的处理和环保监管对策提出了若干建议。