Measuring combined exposure to environmental pressures in urban areas: an air quality and noise pollution assessment approach

This study presents a methodological scheme developed to provide a combined air and noise pollution exposure assessment based on measurements from personal portable monitors. Provided that air and noise pollution are considered in a co-exposure approach, they represent a significant environmental hazard to public health. The methodology is demonstrated for the city of Thessaloniki, Greece. The results of an extensive field campaign are presented and the variations in personal exposure between modes of transport, routes, streets and transport microenvironments are evaluated. Air pollution and noise measurements were performed simultaneously along several commuting routes, during the morning and evening rush hours. Combined exposure to environmental pollutants is highlighted based on the Combined Exposure Factor (CEF) and Combined Dose and Exposure Factor (CDEF). The CDEF takes into account the potential relative uptake of each pollutant by considering the physical activities of each citizen. Rather than viewing environmental pollutants separately for planning and environmental sustainability considerations, the possibility of an easy-to-comprehend co-exposure approach based on these two indices is demonstrated. Furthermore, they provide for the first time a combined exposure assessment to these environmental pollutants for Thessaloniki and in this sense they could be of importance for local public authorities and decision makers. A considerable environmental burden for the citizens of Thessaloniki, especially for VOCs and noise pollution levels is observed. The material herein points out the importance of measuring public health stressors and the necessity of considering urban environmental pollution in a holistic way.     

江苏省污染减排与空气质量变化相关性分析

利用2000—2007年大气污染物排放量数据和同期环境空气质量监测数据,分析了江苏省主要大气污染物减排与环境空气质量变化的相关性。结果表明,近年来江苏省SO2排放量与环境空气中SO2浓度存在正相关,而烟尘和粉尘排放总量与空气中可吸入颗粒物的浓度呈现出弱的负相关关系。对江苏省经济发展和环境关系的进一步分析揭示,江苏省环境库兹涅茨曲线呈现出倒U型关系,表明江苏省已经进入经济环境双赢区间,但近年来政策对经济环境关系的影响突出。该研究对中国十二五环境管理政策的制定有着重要的参考意义。     

基于GCM_CB模型的土壤重金属污染评价

灰色聚类法已经运用于土壤重金属污染评价中,然而此法在确定聚类权重时仅考虑重金属浓度,忽略了衡量重金属毒性强弱的重要指标生物毒性指数。为了更客观和准确地反映土壤重金属的污染程度,将生物毒性指数引入到聚类指标权重中,构建GCM_CB(grey clustering method_concentration and biotoxicity)土壤重金属污染评价模型。通过对华东某地区的10个区域土壤重金属污染进行分析评价,并与常用评价方法对比研究,表明:其多数样点的评价结果基本一致,但针对样品4和样品9中的元素Hg,因其强毒性,使得评价等级由I级定为II级,从而提高了评价方法的灵敏度,更加符合该区域的实际土壤污染情况。     

Linking Nitrogen Export to Landscape Heterogeneity: The Role of Infrastructure and Storm Flows in a Mediterranean Urban System

Urban ecosystems are often sources of nonpoint source (NPS) nitrogen (N) pollution to aquatic ecosystems. However, N export from urban watersheds is highly variable. Examples of densely urbanized watersheds are not well studied, and these may have comparatively low export rates. Commonly used metrics of landscape heterogeneity may obscure our ability to discern relationships among landscape characteristics that can explain these lower export rates. We expected that differences not often captured by these metrics in the relative cover of vegetation, structures, and impervious surfaces would better explain observed variation in N export. We examined these relationships during storms in residential watersheds. Contrary to expectations, land cover did not directly predict variation in N or water export. Instead, N export was strongly linked to drainage infrastructure density. Our research highlights the role of fine‐scaled landscape attributes, mainly infrastructure, in explaining patterns of N export from densely urbanized watersheds. Changes to hydrologic flow paths by infrastructure explained more variation in N export than land cover. Our findings support further development of landscape ecological models of urban N export that focus on hydrologic modification by infrastructure rather than traditional landscape measures such as land use, as indicators for evaluating patterns of NPS nitrogen pollution in densely urbanized watersheds.     

Local air pollution and global climate change taxes: a distributional analysis for the case of Spain

Global climate change measures are difficult to implement. In this context, local air pollution measures may play an important role in the political agenda since their effects are felt more immediately by citizens. Distributional implications are one of the main barriers for implementing environmental policies. This paper explores the distributional implications of air pollution taxes and compares them to climate change taxes. For the comparison, both tax schemes were set to yield the same revenue. Methodologically, the study uses a top–down approach linking a macro model to a micro model. We find that taxes on local air pollutants are more regressive than those levied on CO₂. This is because the goods implicitly taxed have a greater weight in the consumer basket of low-income groups, even if the tax revenues are recycled. Furthermore, the revenue-neutral recycle scheme increases both taxes efficiency, but, at the same time, can increase regressivity.     

南京某城市污水二级处理系统中酞酸酯类的分布及去除特征

以南京某城市污水厂污水和污泥中的酞酸酯类（PAEs）为研究对象，分别采用固相萃取-气相色谱-质谱联用（SPE—Gc．Ms）和超声提取．气相色谱．质谱联用（USE—GC—Ms）检测其中的优先控制污染物邻苯二甲酸二甲酯（DMP）、邻苯二甲酸二乙酯（DEP）、邻苯二甲酸二丁酯（DBP）和邻苯二甲酸单（2-乙基己基）酯（MEHP），研究其在厌氧／好氧（A／O）污泥处理过程中的分布特征及降解规律。研究结果表明，各类PAEs在该污水厂的污水和污泥中均有检出，二级处理出水中4种酞酸酯类物质的浓度在0．151—2．419μg／L。污水中4种酞酸酯的分布规律为MEHP〉DBP〉DMP〉DEP，污泥中4种酞酸酯的分布规律为MEHP〉DBP〉DEP〉DMP。该污水厂二级处理工艺对4种PAEs的去除效果较明显，去除效率DBP〉DEP〉DMP〉MEHP．     

Preparation and performance of arsenate (V) adsorbents derived from concrete wastes

Solid adsorbent materials, prepared from waste cement powder and concrete sludge were assessed for removal of arsenic in the form of arsenic (As(V)) from water. All the materials exhibited arsenic removal capacity when added to distilled water containing 10–700 mg/L arsenic. The arsenic removal isotherms were expressed by the Langmuir type equations, and the highest removal capacity was observed for the adsorbent prepared from concrete sludge with heat treatment at 105 °C, the maximum removal capacity being 175 mg-As(V)/g. Based on changes in arsenic and calcium ion concentrations, and solution pH, the removal mechanism for arsenic was considered to involve the precipitation of calcium arsenate, Ca₃(AsO₄)₂. The enhanced removal of arsenic for the adsorbent prepared from concrete sludge with heat treatment was thought to reflect ion exchange by ettringite. The prepared adsorbents, derived from waste cement and concrete using simple procedures, may offer a cost effective approach for arsenic removal and clean-up of contaminated waters, especially in developing countries.     

长三角经济能源约束下的大气污染问题及对区域协作的启示

长三角地区大气污染治理取得一定成效,然而空气质量改善逐渐进入瓶颈期和攻坚期,大气污染治理战略需要从宏观层面系统谋划。本文系统分析了近10年来长三角区域经济、能源、产业、交通的发展状况和趋势,结合区域大气污染物浓度水平的演变,分析了大气污染与经济社会发展的耦合关系。结合当前区域空气污染的空间分布差异以及经济能源交通结构的内在差别,识别了大气污染的区内差异特征及关键制约因素。在此基础上,从能源结构和产业结构调整、交通结构优化、分区施策、深化治理等角度,为深化区域大气污染联防联控,持续改善大气污染问题提出了政策建议。     

云南山区公路事故多发路段安全对策措施研究

分析云南山区公路严峻的交通形势,及山区公路交通事故的特征、事故形态及影响因素,研究山区公路交通事故发生的机理。从人、车、路和环境等方面分析事故产生的原因,提出针对云南山区事故多发路段安全对策措施。分析表明,在云南山区,路况、人员安全素质、车辆性能、安全管理均处于较低水平,是重大事故多发的根本原因。提高系统安全性,实现系统功能最强,应使系统各要素相互匹配,以实现本质安全。     

山海关区农村生态环境状况及保护对策

从山海关区农村生态环境现状出发,客观分析了农村生态环境存在的水体污染、土壤污染、水土流失等问题,以及影响农村生态环境的主要因素,如污水和垃圾的无组织排放、化肥和农药的不合理使用、基础设施差、监管缺位等,提出应从环保体制、环保意识、基础设施建设、自然资源保护、污染防治、强化监管等方面采取切实可行的措施,保护农村生态环境。