Poliovirus and Other Enteroviruses from Environmental Surveillance in Italy, 2009–2015

Within the initiatives for poliomyelitis eradication by WHO, Italy activated an environmental surveillance (ES) in 2005. ES complements clinical Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance for possible polio cases, detects poliovirus circulation in environmental sewage, and is used to monitor transmission in communities. In addition to polioviruses, the analyses comprised: (i) the monitoring of the presence of non-polio enteroviruses in sewage samples and (ii) the temporal and geographical distribution of the detected viruses. From 2009 to 2015, 2880 sewage samples were collected from eight cities participating in the surveillance. Overall, 1479 samples resulted positive for enteroviruses. No wild-type polioviruses were found, although four Sabin-like polioviruses were detected. The low degree of mutation found in the genomes of these four isolates suggests that these viruses have had a limited circulation in the population. All non-polio enteroviruses belonged to species B and the most frequent serotype was CV-B5, followed by CV-B4, E-11, E-6, E-7, CV-B3, and CV-B2. Variations in the frequency of different serotypes were also observed in different seasons and/or Italian areas. Environmental surveillance in Italy, as part of the ‘WHO global polio eradication program’, is a powerful tool to augment the polio surveillance and to investigate the silent circulation or the re-emergence of enteroviruses in the population.     

Environmental Surveillance of Polioviruses in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil, in Support to the Activities of Global Polio Eradication Initiative

Wild polioviruses still remain endemic in three countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria) and re-emergency of wild polio has been reported in previously polio-free countries. Environmental surveillance has been used as a supplementary tool in monitoring the circulation of wild poliovirus (PVs) and/or vaccine-derived PVs even in the absence of acute flaccid paralysis cases. This study aimed to monitor the presence of polioviruses in wastewater samples collected at one wastewater treatment plant located in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. From December 2011 to June 2012 and from September to December 2012, 31 samples were collected and processed. RD and L20B cell cultures were able to isolate PVs and non-polio enteroviruses in 27/31 samples. Polioviruses were isolated in eight samples (type 1 Sabin = 1, type 2 Sabin = 5, and type 3 Sabin = 2). Vaccine-derived polioviruses were not detected nor evidence of recombination with other PVs or non-polio enterovirus serotypes were observed among the isolates. The Sabin-related serotypes 2 and 3 presented nucleotide substitutions in positions associated with the neurovirulent phenotype at the 5′-UTR. Changes in important Amino acid residues at VP1 were also observed in the serotypes 2 and 3. Environmental surveillance has been used successfully in monitoring the circulation of PVs and non-polio enteroviruses and it is of crucial importance in the final stages of the WHO global polio eradication initiative. Our results show the continuous circulation of Sabin-like PVs and non-polio enteroviruses in the analyzed area during the study period.     

Complementarity,biodiversity viability analysis,and policy-based algorithms for conservation

Biodiversity conservation “area-selection” strategies include not only trade-offs among society’s needs in land-use allocation, but also allocation of economic instruments such as incentives, levies, and biodiversity credits. For these applications, the key property of an area is its “complementarity”—the context-dependent, marginal gain in biodiversity provided by the area. Given that there has been little implementation of whole-sets of areas generated by the popular computer-based selection methods, we suggest that analogous “policy-based algorithms” would be a more effective real-world application of complementarity. Areas would be “selected” for conservation over time as a consequence of policies in which dynamic complementarity values influence application of economic instruments. These integrated biodiversity/economic strategies can use an extended form of complementarity reflecting marginal changes in regional probability of persistence of biodiversity. While probabilistic measures of biodiversity viability have been explored in area-selection for some time, it remains difficult to make viability statements about “all of biodiversity.” New approaches that use biodiversity surrogate information for “biodiversity viability analysis” (BVA) can take advantage of a general quantitative biodiversity framework in which pattern-based relationships among areas allow predictions at the species level. A standard assumption of “unimodal” species responses to environmental gradients yields an expected distribution of species in an ordination pattern, and allows sampling of inferred species. Based on environmental correlates, inferred species can be mapped in geographic space, forming distribution fragments. This information, when linked to species persistence models, may allow ongoing calculation of areas’ complementarity values. An example illustrates application of these ordination models to museum collection data for lizards from New South Wales (NSW), Australia.     

我国干旱半干旱煤矿区环境问题及对策

近年来,伴随着东部地区煤炭资源的枯竭,我国煤炭开采的重心逐步由东部湿润地区转移到西部干旱半干旱地区。生态环境脆弱是干旱半干旱区自然本底特征,大规模的煤炭开采一定程度上改变了当地的环境现状,带来了诸多环境问题。基于"井工"和"露天"两种不同煤炭开采方式,文章分析了干旱半干旱区煤炭开采造成的主要环境问题,并基于生态累积效应理论,分析了采煤活动的生态累积评估方法。最后,针对存在的主要环境问题提出了相应的对策与策略。     

城市污泥和粉煤灰配施影响砂化土壤微生物区系的实验研究

目前,对利用城市污泥和粉煤灰改良土壤的研究大多集中在二者对土壤理化特性、作物产量以及重金属累积的影响等方面,而对土壤微生物区系进行研究的相对较少。为了了解城市污泥和粉煤灰改良砂化土壤对土壤微生物区系的影响,文章对包头试验田改良前后土壤微生物区系进行了比较,研究发现,刚刚改良后,土壤中微生物数量较对照组明显增加;在改良后的最初2个月内,细菌和放线菌的数量有所减少,真菌数量少量增加;改良后2～5个月内,改良后土壤中微生物数量较对照组增加幅度显著,细菌、放线菌和真菌数量分别增加79.53%～589.76%,46.53%～270%,61.92%～143.59%,且微生物数量增加的幅度随着时间的延长,呈上升的趋势。     

Prevalence and Bayesian Phylogenetics of Enteroviruses Derived From Environmental Surveillance Around Polio Vaccine Switch Period in Shandong Province,China

Food and Environmental Virology - We present the results of environmental surveillance for poliovirus (PV) and non-poliovirus (NPEV) around the switch from trivalent to bivalent oral polio-vaccine...     

Environmental performance,indicators and measurement uncertainty in EMS context: a case study

EMS is a tool for managing the interaction between the organization and the environment. The aim of an EMS is to improve the overall environmental performance of the organization. The performance should be monitored through measurements, and managed by indicators. Indicators are variables that summarize or otherwise simplify relevant information about the state of a complex system. A correct evaluation of environmental performance arises from the choice of adequate “raw” data and from the relationships among “raw” data.This paper, after a short excursus concerning the rule of indicators in environmental performance evaluation and the mean of uncertainty, proposes an approach to the study and the evaluation, through indicators and indices, of the environmental aspect “wastewater discharges” of a Local Authority who is involved in EMS implementation. Particularly, the critical analysis of one of the indices that has been used is reported. The role of the uncertainty of measurements has been stressed. The results showed that measurement uncertainty is essential for an efficient data comparison and for a correct evaluation of environmental performance, which, in turn, is essential to guarantee the effectiveness of the EMS application.     

“十二五”太湖富营养化控制与治理研究思路及重点

在总结“十一五”太湖富营养化治理成效、存在问题的基础上,提出“十二五”期间水体污染控制与治理科技重大专项太湖富营养化控制与治理项目的总体设计思路. 项目以综合示范区水质改善为目标,重点研发园区化乡镇企业工业废水中难降解含氮、磷有机物的深度削减技术,农田种植业和农村分散式生活污水的控源减排技术,“湖荡湿地-入湖河流-湖滨缓冲带”为一体的生态拦截与修复技术;以湖泊水生态安全保障为目标,研发湖泛与水华灾害应急处置技术及建立水资源优化调度决策平台. 选择太湖流域重污染型竺山湾小流域、面源污染主控型苕溪小流域和城市化型太湖新城三大典型综合示范区,通过控源减排和生态修复关键技术的研发、集成和综合实施,实现综合示范区污染负荷得到有效控制、示范区水环境质量得到改善和规模化蓝藻水华发生得到有效控制的目标.      

Bioavailability and toxicity of cadmium to microorganisms and their activities in soil: a review

Significant quantities of cadmium (Cd) have been added to the soils globally due to various anthropogenic activities, raising concerns for environmental health. Microorganisms play a unique role in the soil ecosystem, because of their contributions to soil fertility. Contrasting trends, reported on the toxic effects of heavy metals including Cd on soil microorganisms and their activities, are attributable to short-term studies often limited to a single soil type and conducted under controlled laboratory conditions. There is a paucity of reliable field data on Cd alone, since most field studies on Cd-microorganism interactions in soils are based on sewage sludge containing multimetals and organic substances. No single parameter can be used to generalize Cd toxicity and different parameters can provide contrasting results. A battery of relevant tests, rather than just one single assay, involving important microbial activities should therefore be included in ecotoxicity studies. The bioavailability of Cd and associated toxicity to soil biota vary with time, soil type, speciation, ageing, Cd-source, organisms and the environmental factors. The available fraction or soil solution Cd, and not the total concentration of Cd, seems to correlate well with the toxicity parameters.     

Bioavailability and toxicity of cadmium to microorganisms and their activities in soil: a review

Significant quantities of cadmium (Cd) have been added to the soils globally due to various anthropogenic activities, raising concerns for environmental health. Microorganisms play a unique role in the soil ecosystem, because of their contributions to soil fertility. Contrasting trends, reported on the toxic effects of heavy metals including Cd on soil microorganisms and their activities, are attributable to short-term studies often limited to a single soil type and conducted under controlled laboratory conditions. There is a paucity of reliable field data on Cd alone, since most field studies on Cd-microorganism interactions in soils are based on sewage sludge containing multimetals and organic substances. No single parameter can be used to generalize Cd toxicity and different parameters can provide contrasting results. A battery of relevant tests, rather than just one single assay, involving important microbial activities should therefore be included in ecotoxicity studies. The bioavailability of Cd and associated toxicity to soil biota vary with time, soil type, speciation, ageing, Cd-source, organisms and the environmental factors. The available fraction or soil solution Cd, and not the total concentration of Cd, seems to correlate well with the toxicity parameters.     

环境会计在环保项目财务分析中的应用

环境会计是研究经济发展与环境资源之间的关系,计量、记录环境污染、环境防治、开发、利用的成本费用,并对企业经营过程中对社会环境的维护和开发形成的效益进行合理计量与报告,综合评估环境绩效及环境活动对企业财务成果影响的一门新兴会计学科,它是进行环境保护经济评估的理论基础.以一钢铁公司的污水处理项目为实例,介绍了环境会计在环保项目财务分析中应用的基本方法,尤其是包括常规成本、负债性成本和环境成本在内的生命周期成本的计算方法,可确定环保项目的成本与收益,为同类型项目的财务评价提供参考.运用环境会计的理论和实践,进行环保项目财务分析,目的明确,方法简便可行,操作性强,对于环保项目财务评价及投资决策,具有较高的实用价值.     

A methodology for CSR reporting: assuring a representative diversity of indicators across stakeholders,scales, sites and performance issues

This paper presents a framework called the CSR Deliberation Matrix for the structuring of CSR issue identification, stakeholder dialogues, indicator selection and reporting, with an overarching goal to achieve an appropriate balance between sensitivity to individual situations and the benefits of “generic” indicators applicable to a large spectrum of reporting contexts.We suggest guidelines to (1) define the full spectrum of sustainability concerns and of relevant stakeholder dialogue contexts; (2) mobilise a relevant “data bank” which provides a profile of candidate CSR indicators; (3) obtain a parsimonious selection of indicators in a site-level CSR reporting process through a stakeholder dialogue; and (4) obtain a “representative diversity” of indicators at the interface of site-level and higher-level CSR reporting contexts.     

传染病医院污水处理技术

针对传染病医院污水所含病菌的特点,采用“消毒+好氧生物接触氧化法+消毒”二级处理工艺对阳泉市“SARS”病医院污水进行了处理。系统运行结果表明:其出水各项指标均达到国标《污水综合排放标准》一级排放标准,取得了良好的环境和经济效益。     

The evaluation of Cleaner Production performance in Lithuanian industries

The analysis of the Cleaner Production (CP)/pollution prevention concept application in Lithuanian companies demonstrates a number of opportunities in waste minimization and pollution prevention areas aimed at sustainable development.To compare the efficiency of various CP methods and to identify the preventive methods with the highest energy saving possibilities in different Lithuanian sectors of the economy the database “The implementation of Cleaner Production in Lithuania” was used. This database was developed in line with CP implementation methodology and contains technical, environmental, economic and financial information on implemented CP innovations in Lithuanian companies during the last decade. In addition, several applicable CP innovations are described in case studies.     

Shellfish-Borne Viral Outbreaks: A Systematic Review

Investigations of disease outbreaks linked to shellfish consumption have been reported in the scientific literature; however, only few countries systematically collate and report such data through a disease surveillance system. We conducted a systematic review to investigate shellfish-borne viral outbreaks and to explore their distribution in different countries, and to determine if different types of shellfish and viruses are implicated. Six databases (Medline, Embase, Scopus, PubMed, Eurosurveillance Journal and Spingerlink electronic Journal) and a global electronic reporting system (ProMED) were searched from 1980 to July 2012. About 359 shellfish-borne viral outbreaks, alongside with nine ProMED reports, involving shellfish consumption, were identified. The majority of the reported outbreaks were located in East Asia, followed by Europe, America, Oceania, Australia and Africa. More than half of the outbreaks (63.6 %) were reported from Japan. The most common viral pathogens involved were norovirus (83.7 %) and hepatitis A virus (12.8 %). The most frequent type of consumed shellfish which was involved in outbreaks was oysters (58.4 %). Outbreaks following shellfish consumption were often attributed to water contamination by sewage and/or undercooking. Differences in reporting of outbreaks were seen between the scientific literature and ProMED. Consumption of contaminated shellfish represents a risk to public health in both developed and developing countries, but impact will be disproportionate and likely to compound existing health disparities.     

Molecular Detection of human Noroviruses in Influent and Effluent Samples From Two Biological Sewage Treatment Plants in the Region of Monastir,Tunisia

Noroviruses (NoVs) are responsible for numerous cases of waterborne and foodborne gastroenteritis every year. They are released in the sewage and their detection in this environment can reflect the epidemiology of the viral strains circulating in the community. A three-year (2007–2010) survey was conducted in order to evaluate the presence of human NoVs using RT-PCR in 518 sewage samples collected at the entrance and exit of two biological sewage treatment plants located in Monastir region, Tunisia. In this study, we aimed to genetically characterize the most prevalent GI and GII NoV strains, in order to obtain a rough estimate of the efficacy of disinfection treatments and to compare the results with clinical data documented in the same area during the same period. This work confirms the wide circulation and the genetic diversity of NoVs in Tunisia and the widespread distribution of NoV variants in both raw and treated wastewater. Indeed, NoV was detected in 192 (37.1 %) sewage samples, among them mixed infections with group A rotavirus were detected in 125 (65.1 %) cases. The genotypes of the GI NoVs were GI.1, GI.2, GI.4, GI.5, and GI of unassigned genotype (GI.UA), and the genotypes of the GII NoVs were all GII.12. This study enhances the currently poor environmental virological data gathered in Tunisia, demonstrates the benefit of environmental surveillance as a tool to determine the epidemiology of NoVs circulating in a given community, and underlines the need for the design and support of similar long-term studies in our country, in order to compensate for the absence of a national surveillance system for gastroenteric viruses.     

Evaluating the environmental performance of a university

An increasing number of organisations are moving towards assessing and reporting their environmental performance in a supply-chain context. Not only are such “footprint”-type assessments seen as more rigorous than sustainability reports created in-house, they also offer more abatement options than assessments limited to an organisation’s premises. Hybrid life-cycle assessment methods combining input-output analysis and process analysis are ideally suited to enumerate organisational footprints, because they were developed to enable overall complete results whilst being application-specific. We apply one of these hybrid methods, the Path Exchange Method to the task of planning for a sustainable campus at the University of Sydney in Australia. We show how this method can be used by an environmental or procurement officer for exploring environmental performance and abatement options across supply chains. We also show how parts of an organisation, for example University faculties, can be assessed and compared against each other. Whilst tools like ones used in this work enable quantitative decision support for procurement and operations policies, it takes staff awareness, engagement and training to successfully put such tools into practice.     

环境影响评价机制中公众参与存在问题及对策研究

随着新环境保护法的实施,人们的环境保护意识越来越高,信息公开和公众参与的重要性也愈发凸显。对于环境保护的重要环节———公众参与,在建设项目的环境影响评价中更是体现了“民主决策”、“预防为主”的思想。随着公众对环保认识程度的加深,环境需求的提高,公众参与中一系列问题也随之产生。文章在结合实际工作的基础上,从参与者的人选及参与的方式、时机、信息公开的方式等方面剖析了公众参与存在的一些弊端,并提出了对策和措施,为中国现有的公众参与制度的完善提供了一些参考。     

Environmental reporting in a developing country: a case study on status and implementation in Malaysia

With the increase in awareness of environmental issues, the level of environmental disclosure and stakeholder demands for environmental information is increasing. New developments in the ISO 14000 standards also make it more evident that a company's environmental performance as well as its environmental reporting should be considered as strategic issues in business strategy. Especially for a developing country like Malaysia, many companies are under external pressures to improve their environmental performance.In this study, a review on the image and environmental disclosure, together with the challenges in environmental information management and a short case study are presented. Subsequently, the paper explores some of the strategic implications of environmental reporting as an important tool for improved environmental management.