源头才是关键

前不久，江苏省盐城市标新化工厂将30吨高浓度含酚钾盐废水排入厂区外河沟，污染了饮用水源地，导致近20万盐城居民的饮水受到了影响。俗话说，水是生命之源，然而近年来一次又一次的水污染事故，让人们对于自己的生命安全少了一份踏实，多了一份担忧。     

哲学家的花园

有一个故事，说出来给大家听听： 有一位哲学家，自认为看破了红尘。一天，他想到了人生的虚无，痛不欲生，于是决定自杀。 哲学家来到一片空旷的野地里，看到这里异常清静，便想在这里了却一生──他好不容易找来几根干枯的树枝，给自己挖了一个坟坑。 正当他要结束自己生命的时候，哲学家突然发现这里太光秃，心想在这种了无生趣的地方安眠，岂不是太没情调了？便在周围种上树木和花草。种呀种，哲学家渐渐地着迷了，一听到小鸟的鸣唱，他就感到无比的愉悦；一看到鲜花的笑脸，他就心花怒放…… 这样不知过了多少年，哲学家在不知不觉中培…     

桑榆时节绿色华章—记2006年度燕赵环保人物史子明

在古城保定，有一位63岁的老人，他六年如一日，全身心投入城市立体绿化研究，志在屋顶披绿荫。在当今世界，他率先喊出了“向热岛效应宣战”的口号。他是一个诗人，但更是一位执着的环保工作者。他用自己的汗水和智慧，为城市的立体绿化和人类生态环境的改善，创出了一条新路，谱写了一曲动人的环保之歌。     

童话般美丽的初溪土楼

从永定下洋镇驱车前往初溪村，山道崎岖，路上坎坷不平，路况之差超出了我们的估计，而且有些路段民工们正在修筑，石料随意堆放，给我们的行进带来了极大的麻烦。说实在的，我都有点想打道回府了，但是经过一阵艰难的颠簸之后，远远望见一座村庄，一座又一座的土楼，好像一只只飘浮的飞碟，接连扑入眼帘，我的目光突然为之一亮，疲惫的身体一下变得振奋起来。     

爱坐公交车的瑞士人

随着经济的发展，私家车走进了千家万户，拥有一辆小汽车，是许多人梦寐以求的事情，然而号称世界上五大富国之一的瑞士，街道上却很少见到私家车的踪影。从苏黎世机场出来，我四处张望着前来接机的Fadri（我的一位瑞士朋友），在一片黑压压的人群中，我终于看到了Fadri，他也发现了我，一边朝我挥手，一边激动地呼喊着我的名字。     

蔡伯的心愿

大自然孕育了生命，然而作为生命体最高形式的人类却对大自然母亲进行了一次又一次肆无忌惮的掠夺。几百年来，在科学技术迅速发展的推动下，人类社会创造了巨大的社会财富，然而人类对大自然的破坏程度更是超过了人类社会过去几千年来对地球生态破坏的总和。在大自然一次又一次的反扑之后，人类终于发现，只有与大自然和谐相处人类社会才能发展延续。在这样一幅人与自然和谐的画卷中，生命的价值也得到了体现。在广西北海市就有一位普通的七旬老人将一生的积蓄投到荒山。 保护动物，种植树木，教育后人成为了他晚年的生活乐趣。对于老人来…     

杰弗理·伯莱德──今日星球英雄

美国（时代周刊）刊登了一篇报道，介绍加拿大温哥华地球物理学家杰弗理·伯莱德，称他为“我们星球的英雄”，原因是他发明了一种可以用作汽车动力的气体燃料电池，对保护环境做出了巨大贡献。（时代周刊）的报道说，杰弗理·伯莱德经过长期的努力，发明了一种可以用作汽...     

环保餐具，来一场白色革命吧

一次性餐具给人类带来了极大的方便，却也带来了一场严重的白色污染，奇怪的是，人类却不能果断地向它说再见，一切只因它的便利，但深知其害，人类也慢慢转向于其它，于是，环保餐具来了，并掀起了一场白色革命，要驱逐有害的一次性餐具，要让环保餐具业跻身世界。     

广东绿色名县、广东绿色名镇推介专辑之名县篇——郁南：创新思路 做活山区特色优势文章

在新的时代语境下，一县之“治”也被赋予了新的内涵。我们所推介的这一批绿色名县（市，区），将“人与自然和谐共处”这一普世价值贯穿在决策理念和行为之中，为当今的县域经济发展提供了很好的借鉴，开拓了一种全新的发展视野。     

小天鹅，你是我永远的牵挂

去年秋末冬初，我又到森林公园湿地拍芦苇，忽然看到一只灰白的大鸟，静静地浮在水面上。森林公园环境优美，远离市区，所以鸟类很多，象黑翅长脚鹬、伯劳、灰喜鹊、翠鸟等，但从没见过这种鸟，我悄悄的从池边绕过去，仔细一看，哦，是一只小天鹅!我抑制住心中的激动和喜悦，按动快门一阵狂拍，这时小天鹅也发现了我，倏地游进了芦苇丛。回去，我跟朋友们说了这一重大发现，朋友们纷纷赶去观看。我们分析，     

Toxic effects of acetochlor, methamidophos and their combination on nifH gene in soil

Toxic effects of two agrochemicals on nifH gene in agricultural black soil were investigated using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE） and sequencing approaches in a microcosm experiment. Changes of soil nifH gene diversity and composition were examined following the application of acetochlor, methamidophos and their combination. Acetochlor reduced the nifH gene diversity （both in gene richness and diversity index values） and caused changes in the nifH gene composition. The effects of acetochlor on nifH gene were strengthened as the concentration of acetochlor increased. Cluster analysis of DGGE banding patterns showed that nifH gene composition which had been affected by low concentration of acetochlor （50 mg/kg） recovered firstly. Methamidophos reduced nifH gene richness that except at 4 weeks. The medium concentration of methamidophos （150 mg/kg） caused the most apparent changes in nifH gene diversity at the first week while the high concentration of methamidophos （250 mg/kg） produced prominent effects on nifH gene diversity in the following weeks. Cluster analysis showed that minimal changes of nifH gene composition were found at 1 week and maximal changes at 4 weeks. Toxic effects of acetochlor and methamidophos combination on nifH gene were also apparent. Different nifH genes （bands） responded differently to the impact of agrochemicals： four individual bands were eliminated by the application of the agrochemicals, five bands became predominant by the stimulation of the agrochemicals, and four bands showed strong resistance to the influence of the agrochemicals. Fifteen prominent bands were partially sequenced, yielding 15 different nifH sequences, which were used for phylogenetic reconstructions. All sequences were affiliated with the alpha- and beta-proteobacteria, showing higher similarity to eight different diazotrophic genera.     

Arsenic uptake by arbuscular mycorrhizal maize （Zea mays L.） grown in an arsenic-contaminated soil with added phosphorus

The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus (Glomus mosseae) and phosphorus (P) addition (100 mg/kg soil) on arsenic (As) uptake by maize plants (Zea mays L.) from an As-contaminated soil were examined in a glasshouse experiment.Non-mycorrhizal and zero-P addition controls were included.Plant biomass and concentrations and uptake of As,P,and other nutrients,AM colonization,root lengths,and hyphal length densities were determined.The results indicated that addition of P significantly inhibited root colonization and development of extraradical mycelium.Root length and dry weight both increased markedly with mycorrhizal colonization under the zero-P treatments,but shoot and root biomass of AM plants was depressed by P application.AM fungal inoculation decreased shoot As concentrations when no P was added,and shoot and root As concentrations of AM plants increased 2.6 and 1.4 times with P addition,respectively.Shoot and root uptake of P,Mn,Cu,and Zn increased,but shoot Fe uptake decreased by 44.6%,with inoculation, when P was added.P addition reduced shoot P,Fe,Mn,Cu,and Zn uptake of AM plants,but increased root Fe and Mn uptake of the nonmycorrhizal ones.AM colonization therefore appeared to enhance plant tolerance to As in low P soil,and have some potential for the phytostabilization of As-contaminated soil,however,P application may introduce additional environmental risk by increasing soil As mobility.     

Degradation of metabolites accumulated of benzo[a]pyrene by coupling Penicillium Chrysogenum with KMnO4

Several main metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene （BaP） formed by Penicillium chrysogenum, Benzo[a]pyrene-1,6-quinone （BP 1,6- quinone）, trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene （BP 7,8-diol）, 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene （3-OHBP）, were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）. The three metabolites were liable to be accumulated and were hardly further metabolized because of their toxicity to microorganisms. However, their further degradation was essential for the complete degradation of BaP. To enhance their degradation, two methods, degradation by coupling Penicillium chrysogenum with KMnO4 and degradation only by Penicillium chrysogenum, were compared; Meanwhile, the parameters of degradation in the superior method were optimized. The results showed that （1） the method of coupling Penicillium chrysogenum with KMnO4 was better and was the first method to be used in the degradation of BaP and its metabolites; （2） the metabolite, BP 1,6-quinone was the most liable to be accumulated in pure cultures; （3） the effect of degradation was the best when the concentration of KMnO4 in the cultures was 0.01% （w/v）, concentration of the three compounds was 5 mg/L and pH was 6.2. Based on the experimental results, a novel concept with regard to the bioremediation of BaP-contaminated environment was discussed, considering the influence on environmental toxicity of the accumulated metabolites.     

Impact of atrazine and nitrogen fertilizers on the sorption of chlorotoluron in soil and model sorbents

Sorption of chlorotoluron in ammonium sulfate, urea and atrazine multi-solutes system was investigated by batch experiments. The results showed application of nitrogen fertilizers to the soil could affect the behavior of chlorotoluron. At the same concentration of N, sorption of chlorotoluron decreased as the concentration of atrazine increased on the day 0 and 6 in soil, respectively. The sorption of chlorotoluron increased from 0 to 6 d when soils were preincubated with deionized water, ammonium sulfate and urea solution for 6 d. That indicated incubation time was one of the most important factors for the sorption of chlorotoluron in nitrogen fertilizers treatments. The individual sorption isotherms of chlorotoluron in rubbery polymer and silica were strictly linear in single solute system, but there were competition sorption between pesticides or between pesticides and nitrogen fertilizers. That indicated the sorption taken place by concurrent solid-phase dissolution mechanism and sorption on the interface of water-organic matter or water-mineral matter.     

Potential of plant polyphenol oxidases in the decolorization and removal of textile and non-textile dyes

In this study an effort has been made to use plant polyphenol oxidases; potato （Solanum tuberosum） and brinjal （Solanum melongena）, for the treatment of various important dyes used in textile and other industries. The ammonium sulphate fractionated enzyme preparations were used to treat a number of dyes under various experimental conditions. Majority of the treated dyes were maximally decolorized at pH 3.0. Some of the dyes were quickly decolorized whereas others were marginally decolorized. The initial first hour was sufficient for the maximum decolorization of dyes. The rate of decolorization was quite slow on long treatment of dyes. Enhancement in the dye decolorization was noticed on increasing the concentration of enzymes. The complex mixtures of dyes were treated with both preparations of polyphenol oxidases in the buffers of varying pH values. Potato polyphenol oxidase was significantly more effective in decolorizing the dyes to higher extent as compared to the enzyme obtained from brinjal polyphenol oxidase. Decolorization of dyes and their mixtures, followed by the formation of an insoluble precipitate, which could be easily removed simply by centrifugation.     

Removal of heavy metals from sewage sludge by low costing chemical method and recycling in agriculture

ＲｅｍｏｖａｌｏｆｈｅａｖｙｍｅｔａｌｓｆｒｏｍｓｅｗａｇｅｓｌｕｄｇｅｂｙｌｏｗｃｏｓｔｉｎｇｃｈｅｍｉｃａｌｍｅｔｈｏｄａｎｄｒｅｃｙｃｌｉｎｇｉｎａｇｒｉｃｕｌｔｕｒｅＷｕＱｉｔａｎｇ，ＮｙｉｒａｎｄｅｇｅＰａｓｃａｓｉｅ，ＭｏＣｅｈｕｉＦ...     

Single and joint effects of pesticides and mercury on soil urease

The influence of two pesticides including chlorimuron-ethyl and furadan and mercury （Hg） on urease activity in 4 soils （meadow burozem and phaeozem） was investigated. The soils were exposed to various concentrations of the two pesticides and Hg individually and simultaneously. Results showed that there was a close relationship between urease activity and organic matter content in soil. Chlorimuron-ethyl and furadan could both activate urease in the 4 soils. The maximum increment of urease activity by chlorimuronethyl was up to 14%-18%. There was almost an equal increase （up to 13%-21%） in the urease activity by furadan. On the contrary, Hg markedly inhibited soil urease activity. A logarithmic equation was used to describe the relationship （P〈0.05） between the concentration of Hg and the activity of soil urease in the 4 tested soils. Semi-effect dose （ED50） values by the stress of Hg based on the inhibition of soil urease in the 4 soils were 88, 5.5, 24 and 20 mg/kg, respectively, according to the calculation of the corresponding equations. The interactive effect of chlorimuron-ethyl or furadan with metal Hg on soil urease was mainly synergic at the highest tested concentrations.     

Isolation and preliminary characterization of a 3-chlorobenzoate degrading bacteria

A study was conducted to compare the diversity of 2-, 3-, and 4-chlorobenzoate degraders in two pristine soils and one contaminated sewage sludge. These samples contained strikingly different populations of mono-chlorobenzoate degraders. Although fewer cultures were isolated in the uncontaminated soils than contaminated one, the ability of microbial populations to mineralize chlorobenzoate was widespread. The 3- and 4-chlorobenzoate degraders were more diverse than the 2-chlorobenzoate degraders. One of the strains isolated from the sewage sludge was obtained. Based on its phenotype, chemotaxonomic properties and 16S rRNA gene, the organism S-7 was classified as Rhodococcus erythropolis. The strain can grow at temperature from 4 to 37℃. It can utilize several （halo）aromatic compounds. Moreover, strain S-7 can grow and use 3-chlorobenzoate as sole carbon source in a temperatures range of 10-30℃ with stoichiometric release of chloride ions. The psychrotolerant ability was significant for bioremediation in low temperature regions. Catechol and chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase activities were present in cell free extracts of the strain, but no （chloro）catechol 2,3- dioxygenase activities was detected. Spectral conversion assays with extracts from R. erythropolis S-7 showed accumulation of a compound with a similar UV spectrum as chloro-cis,cis-muconate from 3-chlorobenzoate. On the basis of these results, we proposed that S-7 degraded 3-chlorobenzoate through the modified ortho-cleave pathway.     

Organochlorine pesticides in soils under different land usage in the Taihu Lake region, China

A field study was conducted in the Taihu Lake region, China in 2004 to reveal the organochlorine pesticide concentrations in soils after the ban of these substances in the year 1983. Thirteen organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were analyzed in soils from paddy field, tree land and fallow land. Total organochlorine pesticide residues were higher in agricultural soils than in uncultivated fallow land soils. Among all the pesticides, ΣDDX (DDD, DDE and DDT) had the highest concentration for all the soil samples, ranging from 3.10 ng/g to 166.55 ng/g with a mean value of 57.04 ng/g and followed by ΣHCH, ranging from 0.73 ng/g to 60.97 ng/g with a mean value of 24.06 ng/g. Dieldrin, endrin, HCB and α-endosulfan were also found in soils with less than 15 ng/g. Ratios of p,p'-(DDD DDE)/DDT in soils under three land usages were: paddy field ＞ tree land ＞ fallow land, indicating that land usage inlfuenced the degradation of DDT in soils. Ratios of p,p'-(DDD DDE)/DDT ＞1, showing aged residues of DDTs in soils of the Taihu Lake region. The results were discussed with data from a former study that showed very low actual concentrations of HCH and DDT in soils in the Taihu Lake region, but according to the chemical half-lives and their concentrations in soils in 1980s, the concentration of DDT in soils seemed to be underestimated. In any case our data show that the ban on the use of HCH and DDT resulted in a tremendous reduction of these pesticide residues in soils, but there are still high amounts of pesticide residues in soils, which need more remediation processes.     

Sorption of 1-naphthol by plant cuticular fractions

The contribution of aliphatic-rich plant biopolymer to sorption of hydrophobic organic compounds is significantly important because of their preservation and accumulation in the soil environment,but sorption mechanism is still not fully understood.In this study, sorption of 1-naphthol by plant cuticular fractions was examined to better understand the contributions of respective fraction.Toward this end,cuticular materials were isolated from the fruits of tomato by chemical method.The tomato cuticle sheet consisted of waxes (6.5 wt%),cuticular monomer (69.5 wt%),and polysaccharide (24.0 wt%).Isotherms of l-naphthol to the cuticular fractions were nonlinear (N value (0.82-0.90)) at the whole tested concentration ranges.The KodKow ratios for bulk cuticle (TC1),dewaxed cuticle (TC2),cutin (TC4),and desugared cuticle (TC5) were larger than unity,suggested that tomato bulk cuticle and cutin are much powerful solption medium.Sorption capability of cutin (TC4) was 2.4 times higher than the nonsaponifiable fraction (TC3).The 1-naphthol interactions with tomato cuticular materials were governed by both hydrophobic-type interactions and polar (H-bonding) interactions. Removal of the wax and polysaccharide materials from the bulk tomato cuticle caused a significant increase in the sorption ability of the cuticular material.There was a linear negative trend between K_(oc) values and the amount of polysaccharides or fraction's polarities ((N O)/C);while a linear positive relationship between K_(oc) values and the content of cutin monomer (linear R~2=0.993) was observed for present in the cuticular fractions.Predominant sorbent of the hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in the plant cuticular fraction was the cutin monomer,contributing to 91.7% of the total sorption of tomato bulk cuticle.