四氨基酞菁钯/γ-Al_2O_3可见光催化降解罗丹明B

采用浸渍法制备了四氨基酞菁钯(PdTAPc)/γ-Al_2O_3负载型光催化剂,采用UV-Vis,FTIR,XRD,SEM技术对其进行了表征,并将其用于罗丹明B的可见光催化降解,考察了光催化剂加入量、溶液pH、H_2O_2加入量、反应温度对罗丹明B降解效果的影响,并对光催化剂的稳定性进行了测试。表征结果显示,PdTAPc以圆片状负载于γ-Al_2O_3上,二者的结构均未发生明显变化。实验结果表明:在光催化剂加入量1.6 g/L、溶液pH 7.0、H_2O_2加入量12 mmol/L、反应温度20℃的优化条件下反应120 min,罗丹明B(质量浓度0.05 g/L)的降解率高达95%;光催化剂具有较高的稳定性,使用4次后罗丹明B的降解率仍高于85%。     

粉煤灰基层状金属氧化物对水中活性红X-3B的吸附

以粉煤灰(FA)为原料,采用共沉淀法制备了层状双金属氢氧化物(LDH)和层状金属氧化物(LMO,也称LDO),并采用XRD和BET技术进行了表征。比较了FA、LDH、LMO对活性红X-3B染料(X-3B)的吸附效果;考察了LMO吸附X-3B的影响因素,并探讨了吸附机理。XRD表征结果表明,LMO在吸附X-3B后重新恢复LDH层状结构。BET表征结果表明,LMO的比表面积大于LDH。吸附实验结果表明,3种吸附剂对X-3B吸附效果的优劣顺序为:LMOLDHFA;在初始X-3B质量浓度为50 mg/L、LMO投加量为2.0 g/L、吸附温度为25℃、吸附pH为7、吸附时间为30 min的条件下,X-3B去除率可达98.1%;LMO对X-3B的吸附符合Langmuir等温吸附方程,饱和吸附量为129.53 mg/g,且吸附过程可用准二级动力学方程描述。     

3种短链脂肪酸对活性污泥储存PHA的影响

采用经乙酸钠驯化培养具有一定聚羟基烷酸酯(PHA)储存能力的活性污泥,考察乙酸、丙酸和丁酸3种短链脂肪酸,以及乙酸、丁酸分别与丙酸按1∶1、1∶2、2∶1比例组合成的6种混合酸作为碳源时对活性污泥中PHA的储存和转化的影响。实验结果表明,在3种短链脂肪酸中,以丁酸为碳源得到活性污泥PHA储存量最高,为40.53 mg/g;在混合酸中,乙酸与丙酸按1∶2组合时,系统PHA储存量最高,为773.4 mg/g。混合酸相对于单一的脂肪酸碳源更有利于活性污泥储存PHA。在混合酸总量一定的条件下,随着丙酸比例的增加,乙酸与丙酸混合比丁酸与丙酸混合更有利于微生物的PHA储存。     

Downgrading,Downsizing, Degazettement,and Reclassification of Protected Areas in Brazil

Protected areas (PAs) are key elements for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services. Brazil has the largest PA system in the world, covering approximately 220 million ha. This system expanded rapidly in the mid‐1990s to the mid‐2000s. Recent events in Brazil, however, have led to an increase in PA downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD). Does this reflect a shift in the country's PA policy? We analyzed the occurrence, frequency, magnitude, type, spatial distribution, and causes of changes in PA boundaries and categories in Brazil. We identified 93 PADDD events from 1981 to 2012. Such events increased in frequency since 2008 and were ascribed primarily to generation and transmission of electricity in Amazonia. In Brazilian parks and reserves, 7.3 million ha were affected by PADDD events, and of these, 5.2 million ha were affected by downsizing or degazetting. Moreover, projects being considered by the Federal Congress may degazette 2.1 million ha of PA in Amazonia alone. Relaxing the protection status of existing PAs is proving to be politically easy in Brazil, and the recent increase in frequency and extension of PADDD reflects a change in governmental policy. By taking advantage of chronic deficiencies in financial and personnel resources and surveillance, disputes over land tenure, and the slowness of the Brazilian justice, government agencies have been implementing PADDD without consultation of civil society. If parks and reserves are to maintain their integrity, there will need to be investments in Brazilian PAs and a better understanding of the benefits PAs provide. Degradación, Reajuste, Eliminacióm de las Listas y Reclasificación de Áreas Protegidas en Brasil     

Gold Mining: Is It Worth Its Weight?

Gold (Au) accounts for only 0.004 g/ton of the earth's crust and is the most desired element. With an average annual world production of approximately 2,500 tons, the current methods of Au mining in developing countries cause major environmental issues. These issues vary from deforestation to cyanide and mercury (Hg) contamination. This article presents several cases of environmental catastrophes caused by Au mining in different regions of the world (Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and South America). It discusses the currently available processes for the large-scale extraction of metallic Au grains and supports the need for an alternative sustainable process.     

Direct Effects of Cattle on Grassland Birds in Canada

Effects of grazing on grassland birds are generally thought to be indirect, through alteration of vegetation structure; however, livestock can also affect nest survival directly through trampling and other disturbances (e.g., livestock‐induced abandonment). We extracted data on nest fates from 18 grazing studies conducted in Canada. We used these data to assess rates of nest destruction by cattle among 9 ecoregions and between seasonal and rotational grazing systems. Overall, few nests were destroyed by cattle (average 1.5% of 9132 nests). Nest destruction was positively correlated with grazing pressure (i.e., stocking rate or grazing intensity), but nest survival was higher in more heavily grazed areas for some species. Because rates of destruction of grassland bird nests by cattle are low in Canada, management efforts to reduce such destruction may not be of ecological or economic value in Canada. Efectos Directos del Ganado sobre las Aves de Pastizales en Canadá     

Predicting occurrence of juvenile shark habitat to improve conservation planning

Fishing and habitat degradation have increased the extinction risk of sharks, and conservation strategies recognize that survival of juveniles is critical for the effective management of shark populations. Despite the rapid expansion of marine protected areas (MPAs) globally, the paucity of shark‐monitoring data on large scales (100s–1000s km) means that the effectiveness of MPAs in halting shark declines remains unclear. Using data collected by baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS) in northwestern Australia, we developed generalized linear models to elucidate the ecological drivers of habitat suitability for juvenile sharks. We assessed occurrence patterns at the order and species levels. We included all juvenile sharks sampled and the 3 most abundant species sampled separately (grey reef [Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos], sandbar [Carcharhinus plumbeus], and whitetip reef sharks [Triaenodon obesus]). We predicted the occurrence of juvenile sharks across 490,515 km² of coastal waters and quantified the representation of highly suitable habitats within MPAs. Our species‐level models had higher accuracy (? ≥ 0.69) and deviance explained (≥48%) than our order‐level model (? = 0.36 and deviance explained of 10%). Maps of predicted occurrence revealed different species‐specific patterns of highly suitable habitat. These differences likely reflect different physiological or resource requirements between individual species and validate concerns over the utility of conservation targets based on aggregate species groups as opposed to a species‐focused approach. Highly suitable habitats were poorly represented in MPAs with the most restrictions on extractive activities. This spatial mismatch possibly indicates a lack of explicit conservation targets and information on species distribution during the planning process. Non‐extractive BRUVS provided a useful platform for building the suitability models across large scales to assist conservation planning across multiple maritime jurisdictions, and our approach provides a simple for method for testing the effectiveness of MPAs.     

3-Way pattern-recognition of PAHs from Galicia (NW Spain) seawater samples after the Prestige's wreck

In November 2002 the oil tanker ‘Prestige’ released 65 000 tons of a heavy fuel oil throughout the Galician coastline (NW Spain), causing extensive damage to marine life, natural resources and economic activities at Northern Portugal, Spain and SW France. To evaluate the impact of the oil spill on the aquatic system, 30 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including alkylated derivatives, were analyzed in seawater on five different sampling campaigns from 2002 to 2004. Sampling was made along the Galician continental shelf. In each station three samples were collected at three different depths (surface, mid-depth and bottom). Four different approaches for 3-way analyses (Catenated-PCA, Matrix-Augmented Principal Components Analysis, Parallel Factor Analysis and Procrustes rotation) have been used to asses the major sources of PAHs into the seawater. They revealed two main pollution patterns: one related to oil spillages and discharge of petroleum products, and another more associated with a diffuse anthropogenic origin.     

Batch sorption dynamics and equilibrium for the removal of lead ions from aqueous phase using activated carbon developed from coffee residue activated with zinc chloride

Lignocellulosic materials are good precursors for the production of activated carbon. In this work, coffee residue has been used as raw material in the preparation of powder activated carbon by the method of chemical activation with zinc chloride for the sorption of Pb(II) from dilute aqueous solutions.The influence of impregnation ratio (ZnCl₂/coffee residue) on the physical and chemical properties of the prepared carbons was studied in order to optimize this parameter. The optimum experimental condition for preparing predominantly microporous activated carbons with high pore surface area (890 m²/g) and micropore volume (0.772 cm³/g) is an impregnation ratio of 100%. The developed activated carbon shows substantial capability to sorb lead(II) ions from aqueous solutions and for relative impregnation ratios of 75 and 100%, the maximum uptake is practically the same. Thus, 75% represents the optimal impregnation ratio.Batch experiments were conducted to study the effects of the main parameters such as contact time, initial concentration of Pb(II), solution pH, ionic strength and temperature. The maximum uptake of lead(II) at 25 °C was about 63 mg/g of adsorbent at pH 5.8, initial Pb(II) concentration of 10 mg/L, agitation speed of 200 rpm and ionic strength of 0.005 M. The kinetic data were fitted to the models of pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order, and follow closely the pseudo-second order model. Equilibrium sorption isotherms of Pb(II) were analyzed by the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models. The Freundlich model gives a better fit than the others.Results from this study suggest that activated carbon produced from coffee residue is an effective adsorbent for the removal of lead from aqueous solutions and that ZnCl₂ is a suitable activating agent for the preparation of high-porosity carbons.     

Seasonal and spatial variability of Po,U and Pu levels in the river catchment area assessed by application of neural-network based classification

The present study deals with the application of self-organizing maps (SOM) in order to model, classify and interpret seasonal and spatial variability of ²¹⁰Po, ²³⁸U and ^239+240Pu levels in the Vistula river basin. The data set represents concentration values for 3 alpha emitters (²¹⁰Po, ²³⁸U and ^239+240Pu) measured in surface water samples collected at 19 different sampling locations (8 in major Vistula stream while 11 in right or left Vistula tributaries) during four seasons (winter, spring, summer and autumn) in the framework of a one-year quality monitoring study. The advantages of an SOM algorithm, its classification and visualization ability for environmental data sets, are stressed. The neural-network based classification made it possible to reveal specific patterns related to both seasonal and spatial variability. In the middle and upper part of Vistula catchment as well as in the right-shore tributaries, concentrations of ²¹⁰Po and ²³⁸U during summer and winter are the lowest. Concentrations of ²¹⁰Po and ²³⁸U increase significantly during spring and autumn in the Vistula river catchment, especially in the delta of Vistula river. High concentration of anthropogenic originated ^239+240Pu indicates “site-specific” character of pollution in two large left-shore tributaries located in the middle part of the Vistula drainage area. Efficient classification of sampling locations could lead to an optimization of river radiochemical sampling networks and to a better tracing of natural and anthropogenic changes along Vistula river stream.