Understanding and addressing the environmental risk of microplastics

Over the past decades, the plastic production has been dramatically increased. Indeed, a category of small plastic particles mainly with the shapes of fragments, fibers, or spheres, called microplastics (particles smaller than 5 mm) and nanoplastics (particles smaller than 1 μm) have attracted particular attention. Because of its wide distribution in the environment and potential adverse effects to animal and human, microplastic pollution has been reported as a serious environment problem receiving increased attention in recent years. As one of the commonly detected emerging contaminants in the environment, recent evidence indicates that the concentration of microplastics show an increasing trend, for the reason that up to 12.7 million metric tons of plastic litter is released into aquatic environment from land-based sources each year. Furthermore, microplastic exposure levels of model organisms in laboratory studies are usually several orders of magnitude higher than those found in environment, and the microplastics exposure conditions are also different with those observed in the environment. Additionally, the detection of microplastics in feces indicates that they can be excreted out of the bodies of animal and human. Hence, great uncertainties might exist in microplastics exposure and health risk assessment based on current studies, which might be exaggerated. Policies reduce microplastic emission sources and hence minimize their environmental risks are determined. To promote the above policies, we must first overcome the technical obstacles of detecting microplastics in various samples.     

液氮泡沫发生器内流动特性研究

低温液氮与泡沫混合液直接接触产生氮气泡沫是一种新型的掺混形式,利用液氮高汽化比的特点,搭建液氮泡沫可视化实验装置,进行氮气-水两相流及液氮泡沫流动特性的研究。结果表明,液氮相变产生大量氮气,其与泡沫液混合产生泡沫,温度有所回升,最终趋于泡沫混合液温度;管路沿程压降较小;液氮射流破碎及流动过程可分为6个区域:低温液氮区、向上循环翻滚区、滞留区、泡沫与泡沫混合液混合区、致密泡沫区、泡沫混合液区。流体向下游流动过程中持续发泡;为防止管路结冰,需合理控制泡沫混合液与液氮流量。     

Nutrients Availability Shapes Fungal Community Composition and Diversity in the Rare Earth Mine Tailings of Southern Jiangxi,China

Russian Journal of Ecology - The present study characterized the nutrients availability of three rare earth tailings deserted in different time stages in Southern Jiangxi of China, and revealed the...     

Mitigating Impact of Devils Lake Flooding on the Sheyenne River Sulfate Concentration

Devils Lake is a terminal lake located in northeast North Dakota. Because of its glacial origin and accumulated salts from evaporation, the lake has a high concentration of sulfate compared to the surrounding water bodies. From 1993 to 2011, Devils Lake water levels rose by ~10 m, which flooded surrounding communities and increased the chance of an overspill to the Sheyenne River. To control the flooding, the State of North Dakota constructed two outlets to pump the lake water to the river. However, the pumped water has raised concerns about of water quality degradation and potential flooding risk of the Sheyenne River. To investigate these perceived impacts, a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was developed for the Sheyenne River and it was linked to a coupled SWAT and CE‐QUAL‐W2 model that was developed for Devils Lake in a previous study. While the current outlet schedule has attempted to maintain the total river discharge within the confines of a two‐year flood (36 m³/s), our simulation from 2012 to 2018 revealed that the diversion increased the Sheyenne River sulfate concentration from an average of 125 to >750 mg/L. Furthermore, a conceptual optimization model was developed with a goal of better preserving the water quality of the Sheyenne River while effectively mitigating the flooding of Devils Lake. The optimal solution provides a “win–win” outlet management that maintains the efficiency of the outlets while reducing the Sheyenne River sulfate concentration to ≤600 mg/L.     

Assessment on the effectiveness of environmental regulation in China—evidence from a panel data analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the context of global warming and environmental deterioration, the environment impact assessment is a crucial institutional guaranty to assure less...     

Effects of WOx modification on the activity, adsorption and redox properties of CeO2 catalyst for NOx reduction with ammonia

A series of WO₃/CeO₂ (WOx/CeO₂) catalysts were synthesized by wet impregnation of ammonium metatungstate on a CeO₂ support. The resulting solid acid catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Raman spectroscopy (Raman), in-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (in-situ FT-IR) of ammonia adsorption, NH₃-TPD, H₂ temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), NH₃/NO oxidation and activity measurements for NOx reduction by NH₃ (NH₃-SCR). The results show that polytungstate (WOx) species are the main species of tungsten oxide on the surface of ceria. The addition of tungsten oxide enhances the Brönsted acidity of ceria catalysts remarkably and decreases the amount of surface oxygen on ceria, with strong interaction between CeO₂ and WOx. As a result, the N₂ selectivity of NH₃ oxidation and NH₃-SCR at high temperatures (> 300℃) is enhanced. Therefore, a wide working temperature window in which NOx conversion exceeds 80% (NOx conversion > 80%) from 200 to 450℃, is achieved over 10 wt.% WOx/CeO₂ catalyst. A tentative model of the NH₃-SCR reaction route on WOx/CeO₂ catalysts is presented.     

银川平原主要湖泊湿地水环境现状调查与分析

为了掌握和了解银川平原主要湖泊湿地的水质环境状况,对宁夏沙湖、鸣翠湖、星海湖、阅海湖、鹤泉湖等湿地开展了水质现状调查和分析研究,结果表明,这些湖泊湿地都受到污染,沙湖、星海湖和鸣翠湖的水质受到轻度污染,水质根据地表水环境质量标准分类为IV类,鹤泉湖和阅海湖的水质受到中度污染,水之类别为V类。该研究为湿地资源保护与合理利用提供科学依据,对宁夏经济协调发展提供科技支撑。     

基于超低电容特性的微尘在线监测技术研究

为了更有效地测量工业烟尘排放浓度,研究了一种电容特性的微尘在线监测技术,利用电容传感器输出电压来反映粉尘质量。介绍了电容法测量粉尘量的原理、测量系统组成等,研究了粉尘质量与电容传感器输出电压的关系。对5种不同粉尘的测量结果进行分析表明,粉尘质量与电容传感器输出电压之间存在着一定的比例关系,其相关系数高达0.99。同时进行了微尘在线测量的研究,并采用电容特性曲线对测量系统进行了标定,从而验证了电容法在线微尘监测的可行性。     

基于模糊层次分析法的木结构古建筑安全评价

为准确地对木结构古建筑进行安全现状评价,考虑到木结构古建筑的结构复杂性,本文提出一种基于模糊层次分析法的木结构古建筑评价方法。利用该方法对故宫博物院景福宫进行检测和评价。结果表明:利用层次分析法对木结构古建筑进行安全性评价简单可行,与传统的评级法相比,该方法可考虑不同构件对结构安全性的贡献程度以及不同属性对同一构件安全性的贡献程度,提高了木结构古建筑安全评价的准确性和可靠性。