Distribution,source, and environmental risk assessment of phthalate esters (PAEs) in water,suspended particulate matter,and sediment of a typical Yangtze River Delta City,China

Phthalates (PAEs) in drinking water sources such as the Yangtze River in developing countries had aroused widespread concern. Here, the water, suspended particulate matter (SPM), and sediment samples were collected from 15 sites in wet and dry seasons in Zhenjiang, for the determination of six PAEs (DMP, DEP, DIBP, DBP, DEHP, and DOP) using the solid-phase extraction (SPE) or ultrasonic extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The total concentrations of six PAEs (Σ₆PAEs) spanned a range of 2.65–39.31 μg L^?1 in water, 1.97–34.10 μg g^?1 in SPM, and 0.93–34.70 μg g^?1 in sediment. The partition coefficients (K_d1) of PAEs in water and SPM phase ranged from 0.004 to 3.36 L g^?1 in the wet season and from 0.12 to 2.84 L g^?1 in the dry season. K_d2 of PAEs in water and sediment phase was 0.001–9.75 L g^?1 in the wet season and 0.006–8.05 L g^?1 in the dry season. The dominant PAEs were DIBP, DBP, and DEHP in water and SPM, DIBP, DEHP, and DOP in sediment. The concentration of DBP in water exceeded the China Surface Water Standard. The discharge of domestic sewage and industrial wastewater might be the main potential sources of PAEs. The risk quotient (RQ) method used for the risk assessment revealed that DBP (0.01 < RQ < 1) posed a medium risk, while DIBP and DEHP (RQ > 1) posed a high environmental risk in water, DIBP (RQ > 1) also showed a high risk in sediment.

     

Viable contribution of Tibetan sacred mountains in southwestern China to forest conservation

The Tibetan sacred mountains (TSMs) cover a large area and may represent a landscape‐scale conservation opportunity. We compared the conservation value of forests in these mountains with the conservation value of government‐established nature reserves and unmanaged open‐access areas in Danba County, southwestern China. We used Landsat satellite images to map forest cover and to estimate forest loss in 1974–1989, 1989–1999, and 1999–2013. The TSMs (n = 41) and nature reserves (n = 4) accounted for 21.6% and 29.7% of the county's land area, respectively. Remaining land was open‐access areas (i.e., areas without any restrictions on resource use) (56.2%) and farmlands (2.2%). Within the elevation range suitable for forests, forest cover did not differ significantly between nature reserves (58.8%) and open‐access areas (58.4%), but was significantly higher in TSMs (65.5%) after controlling for environmental factors such as aspect, slope, and elevation. The TSMs of great cultural importance had higher forest cover, but patrols by monastery staff were not necessarily associated with increased forest cover. The annual deforestation rate in nonsacred areas almost tripled in 1989–1999 (111.4 ha/year) relative to 1974–1989 (40.4 ha/year), whereas the rate in TSMs decreased in the later period (19.7 ha/year vs. 17.2 ha/year). The reduced forest loss in TSMs in 1989–1999 was possibly due to the renaissance of TSM worship and strengthened management by the local Buddhist community since late 1980s. The annual deforestation rate in Danba decreased dramatically to 4.4 ha/year in 1999–2013, which coincided with the implementation of a national ban on logging in 1998. As the only form of protected area across the Tibetan region during much of its history, TSMs have positively contributed to conserving forest at a landscape scale. Conservation of TSM forests largely relied on the strength of local religious institutions. Integrating community‐based conservation of TSMs within the government conservation network would benefit the conservation of the Tibetan region.     

Past,present, and future use of phosphorus in Chinese agriculture and its influence on phosphorus losses

Large inputs of phosphorus (P) in chemical fertilizers and feed supplements since 1978 have improved soil P status in arable land in China, but have also created challenges by increasing P concentrations in manure and exacerbating water quality degradation. Arable land in China can be divided into five management zones based on soil P chemistry, with 15–92 % of arable land having lower P status than the agronomic optimum and 0.3–7.2 % having severe risks of P leaching losses. A scenario analysis of soil P budget and agronomic P demand during 2011–2030 highlighted the great pressure China faces in sustainable P management and the need for drastic changes in current practices. This includes new policies to reduce P supplementation of feed and improved P use efficiency by livestock and programs to expand the adoption of appropriate fertilization, soil conservation, and drainage management practices to minimize P losses.     

Twentieth century droughts and agriculture: Examples from impacts on soybean production in Kentucky,USA

Drought is a significant natural hazard that slowly evolves over time. Because of its character, drought is difficult to monitor and impacts are often poorly documented. Agriculture is one of the most sensitive sectors that are prone to drought. The objective of this research is to assess the impacts of drought on soybean production and revenue in Kentucky. Soybeans are one of Kentucky’s most important commodities. In this study, impacts of 1930–1931, 1940–1942, 1952–1955, 1987–1988, 1999–2000, and 2007 droughts were considered. It was found that over the recent years, up to 56 % of the revenue from soybeans was lost due to drought. During the first half of the twentieth century, revenue loss reached up to 77 %. This research is valuable to the general public as well as planners and policy makers. Proper documentation of impacts of past droughts will help identify drought vulnerabilities and results in better risk management and mitigation.     

Ce-Sn-W-O_x催化剂的配伍优化及脱硝影响因素

采用共混热解法制备系列Ce-Sn-W-Ox复合氧化物,用于NH3选择性催化还原NO。通过正交实验优化CeSn-W-Ox配方,采用环境扫描电镜(ESEM)、X-射线衍射仪(XRD)等表征分析催化剂的微观形貌和固相结构,确立Ce-Sn-WOx最佳配比及结构形貌。结果表明,以粒度为5~8 mm的堇青石瓷片担载分散Ce-Sn-W-Ox,进行NH3-SCR脱除NO,当Ce/Sn/W元素摩尔比为1∶0.8∶0.6时,Ce Sn0.8W0.6Ox/堇青石NH3-SCR脱除NO效果最好。当空速为7 200 h-1,催化剂在252~426℃内脱除NO效率均大于94%。重点考察了反应空速(GHSV)、水蒸气(H2O)、SO2等对Ce Sn0.8W0.6Ox/堇青石NH3-SCR脱除NO活性的影响。研究表明,空速低于10 000 h-1时,催化剂脱硝活性受空速影响小;单独通入5%H2O对催化剂脱硝活性基本没有影响;单独通入429 mg/m3SO2导致催化剂活性略有降低;同时通入429 mg/m3SO2和5%H2O,催化剂脱硝活性下降至85.33%,除去SO2和H2O后,催化剂活性又能明显回升。     

RuO_2-IrO_2/Ti阳极电催化降解偶氮染料甲基橙模拟废水

以自制Ti基Ru O2-Ir O2镀层形稳电极为阳极,采用电催化氧化处理偶氮染料甲基橙模拟废水。以硫酸钠为支持电解质,在自然p H条件下分别考察了电解时间、电极间距、电流密度和电解质浓度等因素对甲基橙去除率的影响,并分析其原因。实验结果表明,在自然p H、电极间距为1.0 cm、电流密度为30.0 m A/cm2、电解质硫酸钠浓度为20.0 g/L、电解1.0h,甲基橙去除率高达90.0%以上。因此,电催化氧化法作为一种高效、简便的染料废水处理技术,具有一定的应用潜力。     

宁波市“十二五”与“十一五”期间酸雨污染特征变化趋势分析

基于地面观测数据,分析了"十一五"和"十二五"期间宁波市酸雨污染特征变化趋势。结果表明,2015年降水pH从2010年的4.37上升到4.89;2010—2015年酸雨发生频率降低了17.4百分点;重酸雨区范围不断缩小,轻酸雨区范围不断扩大,酸雨污染程度有所改善。降水中化学组成变化显示,与"十一五"末相比,2015年除NO_3~-、Cl~-外其他离子浓度均有所下降;2015年SO_3~(2-)与NO_3~-的当量浓度之比从2010年的3.10下降到1.73,表明酸雨污染从硫酸型向硫酸与硝酸混合型转变。