Cloud Albedo,Greenhouse Effects,Atmospheric Chemistry,and Climate Change

Changes in global atmospheric chemistry and climate are taking place as a result of observed trends in long-lived species such as CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, and the CFCs. The continuation of these trends is expected to eventually lead to a major atmospheric warming that might profoundly affect the society we live in. Trends in short-lived species such as NOx and SOx are also suspected. These trends are not as well established, because the shorter-lived species vary spatially and temporally. Trends in NOx would be expected to lead to increases in tropospheric ozone that would add to the warming created by the other greenhouse gases. Trends in NOx could also alter tropospheric OH concentrations that could lead to changes in CH₄ and some of the CFCs. On the other hand, increases in sulfur emissions may alter cloud optical properties. The changes in cloud optical properties could possibly offset the warming expected from increases in greenhouse gases, depending on the role of natural oceanic sulfur emissions. This paper summarizes recent research in these areas and the interactions of climate and atmospheric chemistry.     

室内环境中的氡污染及其防治

氡是室内环境中的关键污染物,由于其无色无味,往往被人们忽视,因此,就氡的性质、来源以及对人体健康的危害进行了论述,并提出了防治措施.     

Air Pollution and Health

The use of multistage, dry, fluidized beds of continuously recycled, coal-based activated carbon appears technically and economically attractive for both adsorption of stack gas So₂ and sequential conversion to elemental sulfur. Conceptual design details and economic factors are discussed for the treatment of power plant or oil refinery SO₂ effluents with by-product sulfur recovery.     

Pollution in the upland environment

As part of a study on the effects of pollutants on forests, a long-term monitoring programme has been operating at two sites (602 and 275 m above sea level (a.s.l.)) in Glentress Forest, south-east Scotland, since June 1987. At these sites, equipment has been recording 20-min data for weather parameters, and cloud and rain event frequency, duration and intensity. The chemical composition of bulk cloud and rainwater has been measured. Cloudwater detection and collection has been made using passive 'Harp wire' gauges (with a cross-sectional area of 0.047 m2) strung with polypropylene filament and having a typical collection efficiency of 29% when compared with independent measurements of windspeed and liquid water content. During 1988, the annual rainfall at the upper site was 1213 mm, occurring over 1776 h. The equivalent cloudwater deposition to a forest with a drag coefficient of 0.06 was estimated to be 375 mm over 1936 h. A 'typical cloud event' lasted 4.5 h and would deposit to forests at a rate of 0.2 mm h(-1). There were significantly higher loadings of suspended particulate material (> 0.2 microm) in cloudwater (mean 18.42, max. 94.5 mg litre(-1)) compared with rainwater (mean 2.6, max. 25.6 mg litre(-1)). There were similar differences in ion concentrations, e.g. for H+ in cloudwater (mean 163, max. 1259 microm) and in rainwater (mean 33, max. 262 microM). It is concluded that cloudwater deposition represents a major pathway for pollutant transfer to the upland environment, especially where the surface vegetation is efficient at capturing cloudwater, i.e. forests. The consequences of this increased pollutant loading to forests and water catchments are yet to be assessed.     

Daily Mortality and Air Pollution in the Netherlands

ABSTRACT

We studied the association of daily mortality with short-term variations in the ambient concentrations of major gaseous pollutants and PM in the Netherlands. The magnitude of the association in the four major urban areas was compared with that in the remainder of the country. Daily cause-specific mortality counts, air quality, temperature, relative humidity, and influenza data were obtained from 1986 to 1994. The relationship between daily mortality and air pollution was modeled using Poisson regression analysis. We adjusted for potential confounding due to long-term and seasonal trends, influenza epidemics, ambient temperature and relative humidity, day of the week, and holidays, using generalized additive models.

Influenza episodes were associated with increased mortality up to 3 weeks later. Daily mortality was significantly associated with the concentration of all air pollutants. An increase in the PM₁₀ concentration by 100 u.g/m³ was associated with a relative risk (RR) of 1.02 for total mortality. The largest RRs were found for pneumonia deaths. Ozone had the most consistent, independent association with mortality. Particulate air pollution (e.g., PM₁₀, black smoke [BS]) was not more consistently associated with mortality than were the gaseous pollutants SO₂ and NO₂. Aerosol SO₄ ^-2, NO₃ ^-, and BS were more consistently associated with total mortality than was PM₁₀. The RRs for all pollutants were substantially larger in the summer months than in the winter months. The RR of total mortality for PM₁₀ was 1.10 for the summer and 1.03 for the winter. There was no consistent difference between RRs in the four major urban areas and the more rural areas.     

环境中的二恶英污染及其控制

二恶英严重威胁着人类的健康，世界各国正在采取积极措施控制二恶英的污染。文中剖析了二恶英污染产生的途径及其对人体的危害，介绍了相应的控制措施，并对我国二恶英污染的控制提出了建议。     

The Anthropocene: From Global Change to Planetary Stewardship

Over the past century, the total material wealth of humanity has been enhanced. However, in the twenty-first century, we face scarcity in critical resources, the degradation of ecosystem services, and the erosion of the planet's capability to absorb our wastes. Equity issues remain stubbornly difficult to solve. This situation is novel in its speed, its global scale and its threat to the resilience of the Earth System. The advent of the Anthropence, the time interval in which human activities now rival global geophysical processes, suggests that we need to fundamentally alter our relationship with the planet we inhabit. Many approaches could be adopted, ranging from geoengineering solutions that purposefully manipulate parts of the Earth System to becoming active stewards of our own life support system. The Anthropocene is a reminder that the Holocene, during which complex human societies have developed, has been a stable, accommodating environment and is the only state of the Earth System that we know for sure can support contemporary society. The need to achieve effective planetary stewardship is urgent. As we go further into the Anthropocene, we risk driving the Earth System onto a trajectory toward more hostile states from which we cannot easily return.     

室内空气污染与控制

论述了造成室内空气污染的主要原因，分析了室内空气污染的特点及其危害，并结合房屋建筑过程以及人们日常生活的各个方面，提出了预防及控制室内空气污染的具体方法。     

农业生物技术与污染防治

当前农业生物技术飞速发展，在解决人类的资源短缺、效益衰减等问题的同时，也显示出其巨大的环境效益，但任何科学技术都是“双刃剑”，主要论述了农业生物工程在污染防治中积极和消极两方面的作用，并对如何防治“基因污染”提出了建议。     

浅谈白色污染的危害和防治

在分析白色污染来源和环境危害的基础上,提出了防治白色污染的措施和方案,认为白色污染治理是一个系统工程,涉及到技术、经济、法律等多方面。     

Trace Metal Pollution in the Environment

Trace metals introduced to the environment from fuel combustion, incineration, and industrial emission sources are causing increasing concern to air pollution researchers. Several metals in urban air, including lead and vanadium, are associated with particles in the predominantly submicrometer diameter range thereby presenting an inhalation threat. There is also growing evidence that some metals emitted from stationary sources are concentrated in submicrometer sized particles which may pass through emission control devices. This report summarizes the concentration and size of trace metals in urban air, the concentration ranges found in selected fuels and emission sources, and describes the areas where further studies are needed.     

Urban Air Pollution in Latin America and the Caribbean

Urban air pollution has become an increasing problem in Latin America and the Caribbean. One reason is the rapid expansion in the size of the urban population. This phenomenon is associated with an increase in the number of vehicles and in energy utilization which, in addition to industrial processes often concentrated in the cities, are the primary sources of air pollution in Latin American cities. The air quality standards established in such countries are frequently exceeded although control programs have been implemented. The urban areas more affected by anthropogenic pollutant emissions are Sao Paulo, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; and Mexico City. In Latin America, the population of cities with high priority air pollution problems include approximately 81 million people or 26.5 percent of the total urban population of Latin America, corresponding to 30 million children (< 15 years), 47 million adults (15-59 years) and 4 million elderly people (≧60 years) who are exposed to air pollutant levels that exceed World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for adequate health protection.     

Indexing and Abstracting Services in the Air Pollution Field

Dr. Russell was the keynote speaker at the Third Symposium on Integrated Environmental Controls for Fossil-Fuel Power Plants, held In Pittsburgh on February 3-6, 1986. His address follows.     

射阳县黄沙港流域面源污染现状及防治对策

针对农村面源污染日渐突出的问题,以农村饮用水源地黄沙港为例分析了农村面源污染的现状和成因,并从乡镇规划、生活污水处理工艺选择、畜禽水产业污染治理、农药化肥的施用、农业废弃物利用技术等方面提出防治措施。