Efficient removal of Cr(VI) by a 3D Z-scheme TiO2-ZnxCd1-xS graphene aerogel via synergy of adsorption and photocatalysis under visible light

Efficient and robust photocatalysts for environmental pollutants removal with outstanding stability have great significance. Herein, we report a kind of three dimensional (3D) photocatalyst presented as Z-scheme heterojunction, which combining TiO 2 and Zn x Cd 1- x S with graphene aerogel to contrast TiO 2 -Zn x Cd 1- x S graphene aerogel (TSGA, x = 0.5) through a moderate hydrothermal process. The as-prepared Z-scheme TSGA was used to remove aqueous Cr(VI) via a synergistic effect of adsorption and visible light photocatalysis. The adsorption equilibrium can be reached about 40 min, then after about 30 min irradiation under visible light (wavelength ( λ) > 420 nm) the removal rate of Cr(VI) almost reached 100%, which is much better than the performance of pristine TiO 2 and Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S, as well as TiO 2 graphene aerogel (TGA) and Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S graphene aerogel (SGA). The virulent Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III) with hypotoxicity after photocatalysis on TSGA, meanwhile the as-synthesized TSGA presented a good stability and reusability. The reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets between TiO 2 and Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S played a role as charge transfer mediator, promoting the photoinduced electrons transfer and photocatalysis ability of TSGA was enhanced significantly. Hence,such photocatalyst exhibits a potential application on removing heavy metals with high efficiency and stability from polluted aqueous environment.     

Progress and challenges in consolidating the management of Amazonian protected areas and indigenous territories

Effective management refers to the ability of a protected area or indigenous territory to meet its objectives, particularly as they relate to the protection of biodiversity and forest cover. Effective management is achieved through a process of consolidation, which among other things requires legally protecting sites, integrating sites into land‐use planning, developing and implementing management and resource‐use plans, and securing long‐term funding to pay for recurrent costs. Effectively managing all protected areas and indigenous territories in the Amazon may be needed to avoid a deforestation tipping point beyond which regional climatic feedbacks and global climate change interact to catalyze irreversible drying and savannization of large areas. At present, protected areas and indigenous territories cover 45.5% (3.55 million km²) of the Amazon, most of the 60–70% forest cover required to maintain hydrologic and climatic function. Three independent evaluations of a long‐term large‐scale philanthropic initiative in the Amazon yielded insights into the challenges and advances toward achieving effective management of protected areas and indigenous territories. Over the life of the initiative, management of sites has improved considerably, particularly with respect to management planning and capacity building, but few sites are effectively managed and many lack sufficient long‐term financing, adequate governance, support of nongovernmental organizations, and the means to withstand economic pressures. The time and money required to complete consolidation is still poorly understood, but it is clear that philanthropic funding is critical so long as essential funding needs are not met by governments and other sources, which could be on the order of decades. Despite challenges, it is encouraging that legal protection has expanded greatly and management of sites is improving steadily. Management of protected areas in other developing countries could be informed by improvements that have occurred in Amazonian countries.     

Bioconcentration and half-life of quinalphos pesticide in rice-fish integration system in the Mekong Delta,Vietnam

In order to determine the distribution and enable the elimination of quinalphos, a popular active pesticide compound used in the Mekong Delta, an experiment was set up in a rice-fish integration system in Can Tho City, Vietnam. Fish was stocked into the field when the rice was two-months old. Quinalphos was applied twice in doses of 42.5 g per 1000 m². Water, fish and sediment samples were collected at time intervals and analyzed by a Gas Chromatography Electron Capture Detector system. The results show that quinalphos residues in fish muscles were much higher than those of the water and the bioconcentration factor (logBCF) was above 2 for the fish. The half-life of first and second quinalphos applications were 12.2 and 11.1 days for sediment, 2.5 and 1.1 days for silver barb, 1.9 and 1.3 days for common carp, and 1.1 and 1.0 days for water, respectively.     

江苏省太湖流域水生态健康评估的初步实践及展望

阐述了水生态健康的内涵与意义,从江苏省率先在太湖流域开展水生态环境功能分区管理的顶层设计,构建以水生态健康指标为核心的水生态健康评估技术体系,地方对照水生态环境功能区划的水生态分级管控目标开展的应用与实践结果等3个方面,回顾了江苏省太湖流域水生态健康评估工作的主要进展,提出了完善水生态健康评估技术体系和推进流域水生态健康评估工作的建议。     

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.     

"十三五"国家自然科学基金对能源环境管理领域的资助状况和趋势

能源环境管理是各界关注的热点话题,也是科学研究的重要方向.以国家自然科学基金资助能源环境管理领域的科研项目为基础数据信息,本文重点分析了"十三五"期间国家自然科学基金在该领域资助项目的总体特征、研究主题和热点变化,并结合新时代科学基金资助导向提出了可能的发展趋势.主要结论包括:①能源环境管理领域面上、青年、地区等自由探索类项目的立项绝对数和学科占比均呈上升趋势,并更多向青年学者倾斜,资助强度保持稳定;②碳、能源和环境是自由探索项目中出现频率最高的热词,与之相关的研究主题随着政策等调整具有动态变化特征;③能源环境管理领域重点、重大等引导类项目和优青、杰青、创新研究群体等人才类项目不断实现突破,增速明显,学科占比优势突出;④问题导向与本土情景、理论体系和一般规律、学科交叉融合,以及市场和微观主体作用是研究选题确立与项目申请时可能需要重点关注的方向.     

中国生态环境科技创新体系建设研究

分析国内外生态环境科技创新的发展现状，相比较国外以市场机制为导向、以企业为创新主体、政府通过政策和管辖支撑创新的体系特征，我国已形成四大类环境类科创载体，但尚未形成成熟有效的技术成果产业化机制以及市场与政策协同促进科技创新的发展模式。本文根据生态环境科技创新的强政策驱动性、技术验证放大周期长以及集成性强的特点，重点通过环境技术研发、技术成果转化、技术放大与赋能、产业拓展与推广四个方面阐述了生态环境科技创新体系建设的主要环节：环境技术的研发由以科研机构为主的传统自发性研发、企业迭代性研发和联合应用型研发组成；技术成果的转化经历挖掘发现、技术识别与判断、知识产权评估评价后进入已成立的企业或新设公司，在这一过程中，成果转化专业队伍起着至关重要的作用；技术放大与赋能旨在为有创新技术的企业提供科技创新政策、二次研发中试验证、首台套工程案例、投融资等资源的对接，以协助初创企业成长；产业的拓展与推广则通过为解决环境问题形成集成方案、孵化平台为企业背书和产业政策匹配等方式助力企业长期发展。最后从加强专业化创新平台、技术评估体系、成果转化人才培养体系建设以及疏通投融资渠道等方面对中国未来生态环境科技创新发展提出相关建议。     

Optimal Absorbent Evaluation for the CO2 Separating Process by Absorption Loading,Desorption Efficiency,Cost, and Environmental Tolerance

The CO₂ absorption capacities of potassium glycinate, potassium sarcosinate (choline, proline), mono-ethanolamine (MEA), and tri-ethanolamine were evaluated to find the optimal absorbent for separating CO₂ from gaseous products by a CO₂ purification process. The absorption loading, desorption efficiency, cost, and environmental tolerance were assessed to select the optimal absorbent. MEA was found to be the optimum absorbent for separating the CO₂ and H₂ mixture in gaseous product. The maximum absorption loading rate was 0.77 mol CO₂ per mol MEA at temperature of 20°C and absorbent concentration of 2.5 mol/L, whereas desorption efficiency was 90% by heating for 3 h at 130°C. MEA was found to be an optimal absorbent for the purification process of CO₂ during gaseous production.     

我国辐射环境监测法规体系研究

通过对我国辐射环境监测相关法规的调研,在深入分析当前辐射环境监测法规框架结构和突出问题的基础上,构建我国辐射环境监测法规体系,重点关注辐射环境质量监测、核与辐射监督性监测及应急监测等方面的工作需求,提出完善部门规章、健全核安全导则及规范性文件的建议。     

Characteristics that make trophy hunting of giant pandas inconceivable

In November 1928, Theodore Jr. and Kermit Roosevelt led an expedition to China with the expressed purpose of being the first Westerners to kill the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The expedition lasted 8 months and resulted in the brothers shooting a giant panda in the mountains of Sichuan Province. Given the concurrent attention in the popular press describing this celebrated expedition, the giant panda was poised to be trophy hunted much like other large mammals around the world. Today, however, the killing of giant pandas, even for the generation of conservation revenue, is unthinkable for reasons related to the species itself and the context, in time and space, in which the species was popularized in the West. We found that the giant panda's status as a conservation symbol, exceptional charisma and gentle disposition, rarity, value as a nonconsumptive ecotourism attraction, and endemism are integral to the explanation of why the species is not trophy hunted. We compared these intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics with 20 of the most common trophy-hunted mammals to determine whether the principles applying to giant pandas are generalizable to other species. Although certain characteristics of the 20 trophy-hunted mammals aligned with the giant panda, many did not. Charisma, economic value, and endemism, in particular, were comparatively unique to the giant panda. Our analysis suggests that, at present, exceptional characteristics may be necessary for certain mammals to be excepted from trophy hunting. However, because discourse relating to the role of trophy hunting in supporting conservation outcomes is dynamic in both science and society, we suspect these valuations will also change in future.